So far, so good. Winter has been great; not too much snow in town, but plenty up on the mountain. A couple days ago, we were at 102% of normal with more snow than any other ski area in the state. According to Todd Pitcher, Vice President of Wolf Creek Ski Area, Wolf Creek is experiencing a noticeable increase in European and South American visitors. The local economy should see a huge boost as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arizona schools plan their Spring Break ski trips.
I’ve been pretty busy for the first two months of the year. I’ve done four times as many deals as the same period last year. As you’ll see in the stats, we’re up 14% overall with home sales (up 24%) leading the way. We have 55 pending sales, which is 10 more than we were running for most of last year.
I recently attended a couple of local government-type meetings. The first meeting dealt with tourism. I was plugging my new slogan, “Pagosa is the Friendliest Town in Colorado.” The meeting was very upbeat.
The second meeting was not as much fun. About six moths ago, the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (PSCDC) hired a new executive director named Steve Vassallo. I have met with Mr. Vassallo on several occasions, and I believe he is a real go-getter. He exudes nothing but enthusiasm, experience, and know-how. I actually had a hand in starting the precursor to the PSCDC about 25 years ago, and Mr. Vassallo has done more in his first six months on the job than anyone else did in the previous 25 years! Unfortunately, the PSCDC has recently come into some controversy which was covered extensively by the local media. As a result, Mr. Vassallo offered his resignation, which the PSCDC Board voted not to accept. I truly believe that Mr. Vassallo is a positive force in our community, and I would hate to see him leave our little town. It is my hope that he will decide to stay on as executive director.
On a completely different subject, I recently interviewed a local water specialist, Joel Hellwege. Water is a big issue in Pagosa if you are not on city water. There are all sorts of wells and cisterns in many areas of the county. Sulfur and other minerals are problematic and I wanted to learn more about how water works. I had a selfish reason; after fifteen years, my culvert well was showing signs of a sulfur smell. It turns out that the problem was not my well, but my hot water heater! So, I’ve been flushing it out and the smell is gone. Hurrah!
My plan is to discuss the different water issues over the next couple of monthly newsletters. I hope you will find the information useful. If you’d like more information immediately, you can contact Joel at 970-731-1200, or you can visit his website at JusticeWater.com
GRI, CRS
2011 & 2014 Realtor of the Year
Phone (970) 731-4065
Fax (970) 731-4068
Cell (970) 946-3856
Email: [email protected]
