Are you in the market for a home or condominium in Colorado?
If so, the city of Winter Park is a place that's worth having a look at as you decide where you want to buy.
Winter Park is often called "Colorado's Favorite Playground" and for good reason. It's a top destination for skiers and other winter travelers. But it's also popular year-round for its mountain biking, great weather and for those who enjoy the outdoors.
Are you interested in calling Winter Park your home, at least for part of the year?
Read on to learn 5 reasons why people love Winter Park real estate.
1. Affordability
Winter Park real estate is an affordable option for buyers looking to buy real estate in the mountains of Colorado.
Like much of the country, home prices in Colorado peaked in 2006 and 2007. When the real estate market crashed in 2008 and into 2009, this sent home prices plummeting in Winter Park and other cities across the country.
Home prices in Denver and Boulder have recovered to get back to near-record highs. But home prices in Winter Park have been a different story.
The Winter Park real estate market has lagged behind some other areas, but this makes now a great time to buy a home at an affordable price.
According to the Grand County Board of Realtors, the 2016 average sales price of homes in Winter Park was $671,935. But if you are looking for a more affordable option, the average price for a condominium was just $254,337.
To get a better idea of the growing value of these properties, average home prices in 2016 were up nearly 28%, while condominiums were up just under 15% from 2015 figures.
2. Proximity to Other Destination Cities
Property in Winter Park is also a good option for buyers because of the city's proximity to other major destinations.
Colorado's capital city, Denver, is situated about an hour and a half away from Winter Park. Besides being a unique city in itself, it is also home to Denver International Airport. This is the main gateway airport for Winter Park and makes for easy travel to and from the rest of the country.
Winter Park is in Grand County, which also includes Fraser, Grand Lake, and Kremmling. Other cities in the county are Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, and Parshall.
Residents and visitors to Winter Park can take public transportation to Fraser. The city is northwest of Winter Park and is a quaint town of just more than 1,200 people. It's well-known for being a relaxing place to spend time with family and friends.
Beaver Creek, Vail, Breckenridge and Keystone, are other top destination for travelers you can get to in less than two hours in a car from Winter Park. In the winter time, skiers and snowboarders come in droves. But in the summer, it's popular for river rafting, mountain biking, and other activities.
3. Continuous Development in the Area
Winter Park real estate will benefit from the vast development taking place in the city and surrounding area right now.
Although Winter Park has long been a popular destination for skiers, the area is developing at a rapid rate. In 2016, at least a dozen new residential and commercial projects broke ground in the city.
Devil's Thumb Ranch and Spa Resort in the early 2000s but has been behind a lot of promising current development in the area.
He and development partner, Chip Besse, have spent $10 million to help improve the southern entrance to Winter Park. This includes updating Beaver Village Lodge and 170 acres of property next to it.
On the north side of Winter Park. a 10,000 square-foot conference center is underway. There are also plans to build a hotel and a grocery store in downtown -- two welcome additions to Winter Park.
4. Lots of Things to Do and See
Winter Park real estate owners can enjoy taking advantage of all the things that make Colorado a great place to work and live.
The city's location, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, gives outdoor enthusiasts many trails to ski and snowboard in the winter time. But Winter Park is also a great place to be even when the ground isn't coated in snow.
You can enjoy the outdoors by taking advantage of the area's vast array of hiking trails, bike paths, and lakes.
For those who want to relax, you can visit the cities shops or treat yourself to a meal at one of the city's unique restaurants.
With its close proximity to Denver, you can take a car ride to Denver to see major sports teams including the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos.
By buying Winter Park real estate, you can enjoy the best of both worlds, indoor and outdoor.
5. Enjoy a Different Lifestyle and Culture
If you have spent any time in Colorado, you are probably familiar with how different life is for people in the midwest. When you own Winter Park real estate, you can become more ingrained in this unique lifestyle and culture.
There is the old adage, "Work to live, not the other way around." For many people in Winter Park, they live this out each day.
Besides its mountainous terrain, Winter Park's weather is hard to beat. Average high temperatures are just 70 degrees at their peak in July, while January is the coolest month with an average low of 11 degrees.
The beautiful weather is inviting to those who want to be outside, whether its to enjoy nature or take in an art show or music festival.
Wrapping Up: Buying Winter Park Real Estate
When you buy real estate in Winter Park, you have the opportunity to take full advantage of all the state of Colorado has to offer.
Winter Park offers residents a great place to live, along with the benefits of an increasingly stronger real estate market in a growing area.
Contact Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties to speak with one of our agents who can help you find the perfect Winter Park real estate for you!
By Coldwell Banker
All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed & subject to change without notice.