Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/310878
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID O. MARLOW 184 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM R eal estate trends shift with the seasons, yet the quintessential Aspen abode will remain forever in vogue. A panel of prominent local real estate brokers discusses what's next, from today's buying trends to the current contemporary designs that promise to stand the test of time. Penney Evans Carruth, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty The most intriguing trend in real estate is the passion for "contemporary"—a style with many names: mountain contemporary, soft contemporary, and mountain modern. It's considered trendy, sophisticated, expensive, refined. It includes all the latest in technology, fashion, and design. It's sleek, yet intricate. It looks to surprise, yet it's recognizable. It utilizes glass, steel, dark wood, and straight lines.... and then it doesn't. Therein lies the surprise. For brokers, this trend is refreshing. The contrast with more traditional mountain styles allows buyers more choices. And some designs are a blend, as all new construction is high-tech and super sophisticated. 970-925-2811; aspensnowmasssir.com Doug Leibinger, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty For so long, Aspen was a second-home destination. Now, young, affluent fami- lies have moved in. Technology has changed, allowing people from other parts of the country to relocate here and still be able to conduct their business. They're choosing the Aspen Valley as a great place to raise families. You see more lights on year-round. It's no surprise for those of us who live here; we know it's great! But others are discovering how truly wonderful it is to be here full-time. 970-379-9045; aspenareaproperty.com Pat Marquis, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty We've had a buyer's market for years, but we're seeing strong signs of it turning into a seller's market. Prices have increased across the nation, giving strength in the real estate market overall, with people now being able to focus more on their second home—and in some cases their third or fourth vacation home. Like us, they buy here because of the lifestyle Aspen offers and the memories they want to create with their family. 970-925-4200; aspensnowmasssir.com Joshua Saslove, Joshua & Co., affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate The trend is "mountain modern," with straighter lines, more glass, smoother surfaces, and a significant amount of art space—a sleeker, lower look, not a piqued look but flatter. Two of our newer listings [exemplify] this aesthetic. Little Woody Creek is a cool, contemporary house with historic log cabins and From the Field ASPEN'S TOP BROKERS WEIGH IN ON WHAT'S HOT ON THE REAL ESTATE SCENE RIGHT NOW. BY KATY B. OLSON a barn on the property. And, on a great piece of real estate, the Ute Avenue "Ski Home" was just finished downtown. It's the largest home in the city, with an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley. There's a Lazy Susan in the garage to move the cars—a very high-tech house. 970-925-8810; joshuaco.com Bob Starodoj, CEO, Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Real Estate The last five years probably blew up all the trends. If there's a trend, it's the resil- ience of Aspen real estate—even in a depressed market. In a normal cycle, we'd go into this depression last and come out first. In this particular cycle, we didn't see that. However, our prices were much more resilient than throughout the rest of the country. People were looking for bargains, and they weren't seeing bargains in Aspen. They were seeing prices that fell 10 – 20 percent, not 60 percent. That's good news: Our prices didn't fall as much as in the rest of the country. 970-920-7367; masonmorse.com AnneAdare Wood, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty People want light, as opposed to the old-school mountain-chalet look. The trend is toward lighter, brighter, more modern, more up-to-date. That's hard to find in Aspen because so many of the condos are so old. The more modern buyer has an interest in open life areas that are very spacious, which seems to be how things are going: not that cramped in, dark, dim look. My listing at 407 Park Avenue has that aesthetic: It's very open and bright with a lot of light, an open f loor plan, high ceilings, and a fireplace. And it's really quite lovely from the outside. 970-274-8989; anneadareaspen.com AP This Little Woody Creek estate exemplifies the "mountain modern" aesthetic with its sleek architecture (ABOVE) and interior spaces that showcase artwork (RIGHT). 184 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM BROKERS' ROUNDTABLE 184_AP_HP_BrokerRT_SUM_FALL14.indd 184 5/6/14 2:13 PM