Jackson Hole Mountain Resort tops 300″ of snow

While it may feel like winter has just begun, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has already received over 24 feet of snow this season. Teton Village has received more snowfall than any other ski resort in North America.

With a record amount of early season snow fall, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort was able to open 100% of the mountain, including the Aerial Tram, on opening day in late November. Since opening day, we have continued to receive consistent snow which has contributed to a strong and stable snow pack.

Word has gotten out, as Teton Village has seen high occupancy levels at all the base area hotels – including the Four Seasons, Teton Mountain Lodge, Hotel Terra and the Teton Club. Jackson Hole Real Estate activity has also increased at the base of the mountain. There are currently 19 properties under contract in Teton Village. These pending sales include ski-in, ski-out condominiums, condo hotel investments, fractional time shares and large single family homes located underneath the Aerial Tram at Jackson Hole. We are well on track to out pace last winter’s 32 closed sales in Teton Village.

If you would like to learn more about current real estate opportunities in Teton Village contact the Gillespie Real Estate Team – the Jackson Hole Experts by visiting www.jhexperts.com or calling 307-413-5243.

Teton County Wyoming December 2010 Real Estate Update

Working at Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty has so many benefits…To name a few – We have the strongest real estate professionals in the Jackson Hole Valley.  Year after year we post an incredible market share usually averaging over 60% of the buyers in the market.  That is staggering when you compare it to like markets.  Technology is another – www.jhsir.com is one of the best Real Estate websites out in the cyber world.  Sales office locations is another huge benefit – especially for sellers as JH Sotheby’s has working real estate professionals located in the Town of Jackson, Teton Village, the Aspens and all the major resort hotels at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – including the Four Seasons, Terra and Teton Mountain Lodge.  Finally but not the last benefit is out “stats man” – Leonard Klieman.  Every month Leonard looks over the data and provides all of us up to date market statistics.  Today I’ll share the latest December 2010 information.

During the end of 2010 we have started to see an increase in activity with properties listed over $2 million.  This continued in December 2010.  In Dec. 2010 we had 6 sales over $1 million with an average sales price of $3.7 million compared to 10 sales over $1 million in 2009 but had an average sales price of $1.9 million.  Overall we had 20 transactions during the month.  Unfortunately that is not a great number and was the lowest number of transaction since July 2010.  Unoffical numbers indicated that Teton County, Wyoming had 241 transactions in 2010 with a volume of $359 million.  That is the second lowest sales volume and transaction datat recorded in the past 8 years – only beating 2009. 

Comparing Year to Date December units and volume – 39% more transaction and 78% more volume when compared to 2009.  Sales volume is 3% below that of 2003 and 52% below the peak of 2007.  The increase in activity in the higher end is evident in the residential average sales price increasing 53% when compared to 2009.

Hopefully that was helpful.  For additional real estate information please feel free to contact Christy and Garth Gillespie – the Jackson Hole Experts.  We pride ourselves with working hard for buyers and sellers and having a secure grip on the market.  Feel free to visit our website – www.jacksonholeexperts.com or feel free to give us a call at 307-413-5243.

Teton Pines and The Aspen’s Jackson Hole Real Estate Update – December 10, 2010

In today’s update we will explain the Teton Pines and Aspen’s locations for 2010. Both locations allow for short term rentals and are within the resort district. The location being on the Moose-Wilson makes it convenient for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. The Teton Pines offers a “resort” golf course, year round tennis, a summer pool and year round dining and bar. In the winter there is a wonderful Nordic center.

Teton Pines had a good year for real estate transactions. There were a total of 9 single family homes sales ranging from $950,000 for the desired Teton Pines Garden Homes to a high sale of $7,800,000 for a 7,300 sq. ft. estate home. The once popular Teton Pines Town Home on the other hand did not see a lot of activity. There are only 2 on the market but to see a year where no townhomes sold is a rarity. With the sale of a Garden Home below $1 million there is considerable price pressure on the townhomes. There are currently 22 active listings in Teton Pines. This is a great amount of inventory for buyers to choose from. We are predicting a strong sales season in Teton Pines.

The Aspens is located just north of Teton Pines and offers a mix of condos, townhomes and single family homes. Lake Creek carves its way through the neighborhood creating a very peaceful environment. The Aspens is frequented by moose throughout the seasons. Since January 1, 2010 there have been a total of 14 sales ranging from a low of $186,000 for a 760 sq. ft condo (Bank Sale) to a high of $1,293,700 for a wonderful single family log home (Gillespie Real Estate Team Listing). There are 2 current pending transactions – both below $500,000. As for Active inventory in the Aspen’s….there’s a lot of it. 23 listings – 13 condos (1, 2, 3 bedrooms), 6 townhomes (all located in the Pond’s and Cove) and 4 single family homes. The 6 townhomes in the Cove and Pond’s is an eye opener. The least expensive is $799,000 and the most expensive is $1,197,500. Hopefully there are a few buyers this winter and in 2011. Unfortunately I believe that the sellers are not quite realistic as to the current market.

With all the new snow and the best early ski season we have seen in years we are anticipating a very strong Holiday Season. Some of this visitor traffic should translate to an increase of real estate sales. If you would like additional information about the real estate market in Jackson Hole — please pick up the phone and give us a call – 877-739-8056. We are excited to answer any questions you may have. You are also welcome to visit us at www.jacksonholeexperts.com.

Teton Village, Wyoming Real Estate Market Update December 2010

The winter season is upon us and we wanted to give you an update on the Teton Village real estate market. We are hearing the questions…Is the market getting stronger? What are you seeing with the market? Is it going to be a strong winter season for sales? Christy and I have been in the real estate business for 15 years so we know how hard it is to predict the future but we will tell you that we have a sense that the market is strengthening. When we say strengthening we mean that there is an indication that interest has increased and some sales have taken place but we don not necessarily mean that prices have bottomed out let alone start to increase.

There are currently 100 active listings in the Teton Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. This does not include fractional ownership opportunities like the Teton Club or The Four Seasons. The active listings range from a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo priced at $259,000 all the way up to a fabulous ski home retreat priced at $29,500,000. A third of the inventory is priced under $1 million, a third between $1 and $2 million and a third $2 million and over.

In the past year – data since January 1, 2010 – there have been 31 disclosed sales with an average sales price of $1.675 million. The closed data almost mirrors the active market in the sense of percentages. Some interesting sales – A Tram Tower Townhome located below the Tram was listed at $1.9 in 2007 and just closed for $915,000! A Granite Ridge Timbers unit listed for $2.7 in 2009 just sold for $1.9 and another Timbers unit listed for $3,750,000 in 2008 just closed for $1.9 million. On the lower end a condo in the Gros Ventre complex just sold (as a bank sale) for $239,000. This condo was 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and 800 square feet in size. A like unit sold in 2006 for $435,000. Not all the transactions are this extreme but this illustrates how value was created for a buyer in a difficult market.

As we reported in the last entry – Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is in the best shape it has almost ever been in this early in the season. The lower part of the mountain – including the Hobacks – are skiing as well as they do in February. Bookings at the Four Seasons resort are looking strong for the season so 2001 is looking to start off on the right foot.

If you would like additional information about the real estate market in Jackson Hole — pick up the phone and give us a call – 877-739-8056. We are excited to answer any questions you may have. You are also welcome to visit us at www.jacksonholeexperts.com.

Jackson Hole Real Estate Improving In 2010…

Jackson Hole Q1 Real Estate Results

Today at Sotheby’s International Realty – Jackson Hole Real Estate Brokerage we sent out this informative newletter to out client base.  It is a very good article about recent active in the Jackson Hole housing market.  I think you will find it very helpful in understanding what is currently happening….

With things a bit quieter here now that Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has successfully closed out the ski season, Sotheby’s International Realty is studying recent real estate activity and preparing for what by recent indications could be a hot summer selling season. Click for more

So far this year data from the Teton County Multiple List Service reports an upward trend in real estate sales in Jackson Hole. In March, for example, unit volume was up 170 percent suggesting increased buyer demand.

Looking at entire first quarter of 2010, dollar sales volume rose 88% percent over the same period in 2009 according to our analysis of the market and MLS data. Interestingly, twenty-five sales were for properties of more than $1 million, versus only 11 in the first quarter of last year. This could be read as a sign that though there are still excellent values to be found, some buyers see current prices as true bargains and are taking action and the lower end of the market is beginning to stabilize.

Certainly proper pricing has played a key role in getting the market back on track. Our market-watch committee meets each week to review pricing of the latest pending sales, closed sales, current inventory and new listings. The committee reports its findings at our weekly sales meetings.

While the lines on the graph are heading in the right direction, we continue to increase our sales and marketing efforts keeping us on top of the latest trends with increased e-marketing as well as creative print advertising.

Our overall expertise as well as in specific market areas around the valley such as the Town of Jackson, Shooting Star, Teton Pines, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Hotel Terra, north of town, in eastern Idaho, etc. – allows us to closely monitor the pulse of the daily market activity and helps us deliver exceptional service to our clients.

Initiatives like this appear to be working for Sotheby’s and its clients. In Q1 of 2010, Sotheby’s Jackson Hole Brokerage accounted for more than 70 percent of the total dollar volume in the Teton County.

Although the foregoing data has been compiled from sources deemed to be reliable, SIR does not guarantee its authenticity. It is intended for informational purposes only, is subject to prior sale, omission, error, revision and cancellation without notice, and should be independently verified with the source of such information.
Thanks for reading the Jackson Hole Experts Real Estate Blog — Please contact us at 307-739-8056 or visit us at www.jacksonholeexperts.com.

Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit – Time is Running Out!

Last fall, Congress extended the Home Buyer Tax Credit to April 30, 2010 and expanded the program to apply to non-first time homebuyers as well. These buyers are sometimes referred to as “repeat buyers” or “long term residents”.

 Here are some further details on the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit:

Deadline: All buyers must be under contract to purchase a home by April 30, 2010 and must close on that home by July 1, 2010.

Type of Property: This credit may only be applied to primary residences and can include townhomes, condos and single family homes.

Type of Buyer: In order to qualify as a first time home buyer, buyers cannot have owned a home anytime over the last 3 years. In order to qualify as a ‘repeat buyer’, the current homeowners must have used the home that is being sold as a principal residence for 5 consecutive years within the last 8 years. Additionally, the full credit is only available for taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less.

Tax Credit: The tax credit for first time homebuyers is $8,000 and the tax credit for “long-time residents” is $6,500. Buyers can apply their credit to their 2009 return or apply the credit on their 2010 tax return.

Trivia: For 2008 and so far for 2009 tax year, the IRS reported that 1.763 million tax payers applied for the First Time Home Buyer Credit and received credits of $12.4 billion. (Source: CNBC 03/17/10)

 Time is running out – must be under contract by April 30, 2010.

Check out great Jackson Hole properties offered by Christy & Garth Gillespie at www.jacksonholeexperts.com

February Sales and Activity Update – Jackson Hole Real Estate 2010

Wanted to post with an update on the improving sales and activity in the Jackson Hole real estate market.  As with the January statistics we have to put the numbers in perspective — last year we only had 4 sales….  February 2010 was much better with 10 recorded sales in the Teton Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.  7 sales under $1,300,000 and 3 sales over $4,000,000.  Notice the market gap between $1.3 and $4 million — This is the market Christy and I see as the slowest segment. 

Of the lower priced properties 4 look to be “local” purchases which is very encouraging.  Last year Christy and I did not see the “local” market move around much through out the valley.  We are currently showing a lot of properties to locals so we hope this translates to an active spring and summer sales season.  Of course the only way this market will move forword will be if the sellers of all properties properly understand the market and price their homes at current market prices.  There is an indication that we are starting to see the new listings enter the market with proper price placement.

The other segment of the market – over $4 million looks to be responding to the more stable ecomony and rising stock prices.  We still see uncertainty in the markets but it seems like there is a general consensus that we have turned a corner.  This news seems to have brought a few additional buyers into the market.  We will continue to watch this trend as we close out the first quarter. The three other transactions mentioned above were:  All on the “west bank” with one in Teton Village (ski/ski out home – Granite Ridge), one in HHR and one in John Dodge which sold for over asking price (listed at $7.4 million!).

Updates should be coming more frequest as we will have Katie Colbert – Buyer and Commercial Real Estate specialist – for the Gillespie Team adding to our blog posts.

Here’s to a Happy St. Pats.  Go Marquette and Wisconsin in the NCAA Tourny!

For additional information on Jackson Hole Real Estate please feel free to call or email the Jackson Hole Experts!

Real Estate Activity for January 2010 – Jackson Hole

The headlines could be misleading if taken out of context when reviewing the recent sold activity in the Jackson Hole real estate market.  “Sales transactions and volume more than double from previous year!” or “2010 starts off with a bang!”  You never know what some agents will report if you do not know their agenda.  Here at the Jackson Hole Experts Blog we try to give the facts but also try to give you our opinion as to where the markets are trending.  Our agenda is to give you a feeling of what we are seeing in the field and follow that up with the statistics that the MLS reports.

January felt very slow and quite possibly worse than this time last year.  The economy and job outlook in Jackson feels like it is slower and weaker than in years past.  With that said we did see activity more activity than we witnessed last year and sales did double and sales volume more than doubled so our “gut impressions” did not hold up when reviewing the past’s months activity.

 When looking very macro – Teton County MLS recorded 10 closings with a sales volume around $19 million.  This compared to 2009 when we had 4 transactions and just over $7 million in sales volume.  2009 was just plain awful so to compare any month to January 2009 we are bound to report better results.  One issue when looking at the 2010 numbers is that there were 2 very large transactions ($8.2 and $3.8 million) which account for $12 million in volume!  Remove those 2 transactions and we have volume numbers that are almost identical to lasts years awful results.  As we continue to go micro with the stats we can see how those 2 “big transactions” play with the data.  When including all 10 transactions the average sold price is $2 million.  When we peel away the Indian Springs transaction ($8.2) the average sold price slides to $1.2 million and if we also peel away the Four Seasons penthouse sale the average sales price slides to $900,000. 

 To wrap up the report I’ll pass on a few more statistics:  Of the 10 reported sales there are a total of 20 transaction sides.  Sotheby’s International Realty – Jackson Hole Brokerage represented half (10) sides.  The rest of the sides are spread out but coming in second was our friends Jackson Hole Real Estate and Appraisal with (3).  There was 1 sale in Crescent H Ranch, 5 sales in the town of Jackson, a sale in Teton Pines, 2 sales in Teton Village (includes the above mentioned sale) and the Indian Springs sale.  The average days’ on the market was 262.

In the next update we will detail the pending transactions currently reported in the (MLS).  There is a little upside as we see a good set of inventory under contract.  Stay tuned!

For more information about the Jackson Hole real estate market please feel free to call us – Christy and Garth Gillespie at 307-739-8056.  We are full time Realtors who enjoy their jobs….

Jackson Hole Update – Real Estate in 2009

The final, final statistics are not quite finished but Sotheby’s International Realty Jackson Hole Brokerage has compiled the final sales numbers from the Teton Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service for 2009.  The past year will go down as one of the most difficult real estate years in history.  With financing difficult to find and more importantly a complete lack of buyer interest, sales across the entire spectrum slowed t a crawl.

The year did not start out well at all with only 20 transactions in the first quarter!  The second quarter improved a little with 63 transactions.  Finally during the last half of the year we started to see some activity market wide and had a total of 143 deals take place.  The totals are incredible when compared to the previous few years.  Unit volume declined 28% vs. 2008 and 65% vs. 2007.  Sales volume was even worse being 52% lower than 2008 and 71% lower than in 2007!

From Garth and Christy’s perspective the Jackson Hole market has a ways to go before we see any type of recovery.  There are chunks of the market that have not realized the decline in sales and prices and have refused to adjust with the current market.  There are 53 active listings between $2 and $3 million with only 1 pending sale in this price range.  The low range in the market $350,000 and below has barely adjusted which is resulting in a completely stalled market. 

What does this mean?  I will be updating the blog in the next few weeks and I’ll try to lay the frame work for recovery.  We have seen some motivated sellers which have resulted in sales so we are hoping sellers and the real estate community is starting to grasp the severity of the declining market.  The only way we recover is for the market to reflect the 30% to 40% decline and adjust the prices accordingly.

Jackson Hole is still a fantastic community.  It offers good schools, a top notch hospital, incredible arts and social environment, fabulous resturants and that small town charm many people desire.  Wyoming still offers incredible tax savings, abundant wildlife, great ski resorts and ample space for recreation.  These aspects are still here so we see a lot of opportunity for Jackson and the real estate market to rebound.

Stay tuned for additional information and thank you for visiting the Jackson Hole Experts Blog provided by Garth and Christy Gillespie.

What’s Under Contract in the Jackson Hole Real Estate Market

In the past week we have seen an increase in activity in the Jackson Hole real estate market. The market is not on fire by any means but again we are starting to see some activity that indicates the market has some life. The most interesting aspect of the current activity has been the variety of properties going under contract.

There are currently 16 “Under Contract” residential properties which does NOT include pre construction projects (Terra, Pine Glades, 199 Pearl) or vacant land. There are 8 propeties under $1,000,000 and 8 properties over $1,000,000. There are only 3 condos verse 13 single family homes. In the past week, the most exciting activity we witnessed was a property north of town listed for $5,150,000 go under contract (both sides of the transaction are being represented by Sotheby’s International Realty – Jackson Hole). There are currently 4 properties under contract listed for more than $4.8 million. There are 5 under contract vacant land parcels.

As for Active Listings….there are 571 Residental Properties for sale in Jackson Hole and 214 Vacant Land Parcels for sale in Jackson Hole! There have been 54 closed transactions reported in the Teton Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service since January 1st, 2009.

If you have time – check out our Top Real Estate Picks in Jackson Hole.

We hope this helps you understand the current market activity in Jackson Hole. If you would like us to expand our thoughts or if you have any additional questions please email or call the JacksonHoleExperts – 877-739-8056.

Happy Fourth of July!