Halloween in Park City seems to bring with it one of the first big snowstorms of the year. This year it appears that the snowstorm has hit a few days early. But while the snow is falling, the ski and snowboard season is still a month away. Luckily, there are some great fall events to take in here in Park City as we wait for the resorts to open for the season, and Halloween is one of them.

            Each year one of the great Halloween traditions here in Park City is a stroll through the Glenwood Cemetery. The cemetery is just north of the Park City Mountain Resort main base area next to the Snow Flower and Three Kings condominium communities. The Glenwood Cemetery is a beautiful spot at the base of the hill in an aspen grove.

            Halloween at the Glenwood is put on by the Glenwood Cemetery Association in conjunction with the Park City Historical Society and Museum. Local actors in period costume stand next to the graves of former residents and tell stories of their lives. The tales are a record of just how precarious life in Park City was for those who made the area home during the mining boom. The scripts are given to the actors from the historical society and while the actors add a little dramatic flair, the stories are based on historical fact. The lives of the original Parkites and Summit County residents were a far cry from today’s resort lifestyle.

            Currently the weather is calling for a mix of rain and snow for the weekend, but the weather wouldn’t have slowed the residents of Glenwood Cemetery; get out and take in this event that happens just once a year. “Halloween at the Glenwood” runs from noon until 2pm on Sunday October 31^st. The event is free, but donations are appreciated.

            The weather is changing and on recent mornings a light dusting of snow has been visible on local peaks and ski runs here in Park City, UT. The classified ads in the newspaper are showing more seasonal jobs available with the resorts, hotels, property management, restaurant and service industries gearing up for the winter season. But more than the dark mornings and shorter days, the upcoming ski and snowboard season is marked by movies coming to town.

            In particular, it is ski movies coming to town. They mark the start of winter like spring training baseball games mark the start of summer. We have seen Matchstick Productions’ highly acclaimed The Way I See It already come and go (I couldn’t believe it was “already that time”).

            This weekend will see the screening of the latest Warren Miller film Wintervention. The film is the 61^st Warren Miller ski film. This year’s is narrated by Jonny Moseley and contains all of the music, powder shots and big mountain lines that make up ski dreams. For many it will also manage to make us think that it is time to get in shape for the winter.

            With the snow that is in the forecast for the week, a ski movie sounds like a perfect plan for the weekend. If you aren’t in Park City, take a look on line and find a ski movie playing near you. Winter is fast approaching, it is time to get that ski and snowboard mind-set.

                Has the Park City Real Estate market has hit the bottom? Unfortunately, you never know until the market has gone consistently back up.  There are some areas that I believe still are vulnerable and there are also areas of Park City that appear to be relatively healthy. 

                Looking at the big picture there are several indicators that I find interesting. I reviewed all of the new listings put across the Park City MLS in the last 30 days for Summit County, UT.  This includes single family homes and condos inside of the Park City limits, the Snyderville Basin and the Kamas Valley. Of the 149 new listings, 12 have already sold or have accepted sales contracts in place. In addition to this, in the last quarter compared to the same quarter in 2009 the volume of transactions has increased roughly 15%. Is this a blip or a trend? The increase in the number of transactions for Summit County in the first three quarters of 2010 is up slightly over 50% compared to 2009.  Drilling down further, the same percentage holds true for sales of condominiums and single family home sales within the Park City limits.

                What is selling in Park City? While only 10% of the homes and condos for sale in Park City are distressed sales (short sales or bank owned properties) nearly 35% of the homes sold this year fall into this category.  In my opinion buyers are realizing the value of these homes and condos both in terms of the current and historical markets and when “a steal” goes on the market they are acting quickly.

                If you are interested in more information on the Park City real estate market, specific neighborhood trends and statistics, or specific homes or condominiums please contact us at (888)968-4672 or by email.

                Rob Harris – YouInParkCity.com Group – Keller Williams Park City Real Estate

Added Value to Park City Real Estate: The Youth Winter Sports Alliance

            There are many things about Park City, UT that make living here truly special and add to the value of real estate here. There are the things that are obvious: the clean air, the views, the easy and accessibility of outdoor activities, the restaurants, galleries, nightlife and of course 3 world class ski resorts to mention but a few. But there are also many smaller community related events, clubs, foundations and programs that may go unnoticed on a vacation here or a search of properties online. One such offering is the Youth Winter Sports Alliance.

                The Youth Winter Sports Alliance (YWSA) was initially established to create a legacy for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games by spearheading a community-wide effort to increase the number of children who actively participate in winter sport programs from the greater Park City area, as well as the surrounding Summit and Wasatch Counties in Utah.

            The Alliance is been one of the community’s leading advocates in getting the youth of Park City involved in winter sports. The YWSA seeks to involve youth through its outreach programs to schools in Summit and Wasatch County by presenting at assemblies and community school festivals to create awareness of the available winter sports opportunities. The YWSA sponsored “Get Out & Play” program serves the four elementary schools in the Park City School District. Each Friday afternoon for five weeks, over 650 children ranging in age from six to twelve participate in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, moguls and terrain park activities.

            A large portion of the Youth Winter Sports Alliance annual budget comes via fundraising at the annual Jan’s Winter Welcome which will be held this year on the 23^rd of October at the Silver Lake Lodge in Upper Deer Valley. With the generous support of individuals, and local and national businesses, the costs of undertaking these sports have been reduced, making participation possible for thousands of Park City area children over the years. Some of these youth go on to the highest levels of competition, and others simply take away the valuable life lessons imparted through participation in winter sport programs.

            Youth programs such as this as well as many other community outreach programs are part of what adds value to Park City Real Estate. For more information about this and other community involvement projects or any other Park City real estate questions, contact a realty professional with YouInParkCity.com (888) 968-4672.

             Utah beers and breweries continue to receive accolades.

            Park City, Utah currently is home to three brewery style restaurants: Red Rock in the Kimball junction area, Squatters at the entrance of town across from the golf course, and Wasatch at the top of Historic Main St. Park City. All of the Park City Brew pubs have ‘sister’ locations in Salt Lake City, UT. The Wasatch and Squatters Breweries make up the Utah Brewers Cooperative.

            The Great American Beer Festival was held September 16-18, 2010 in Denver, CO. The Great American Beer Festival is the American brewing industry’s top public tasting opportunity and competition. Tasting sessions offer attendees the opportunity to tour America’s brewing landscape, one ounce at a time, with access to more than 2,000 different beers from more than 450 of the nation’s finest breweries. The Great American Beer Festival is listed in the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die (USA and Canada).

            All three of Park City’s Breweries have received medals from this prestigious event in this and past years. This year the Utah Brewers Cooperative (aka Wasatch and Squatter’s Brewing) won the prize for Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year. The companion award for large brew pubs was awarded to Red Rock back in 2007. Along with the general brewer category the UBC was awarded Gold Medals for their Summerbrau and Squatter’s Wit as well as a bronze for Hell’s Keep. Red Rock Brewing was awarded a Gold Medal for its Black Bier and a Silver Medal for its Nut Brown. These are some pretty strong distinctions for an area where people still wonder if they can get a drink when they get to town.

            Contrary to many popular myths, these beers aren’t all low alcohol. Beers coming from a tap in Utah are limited to 4.0% alcohol, but bottled beer can be “heavy”. For instance Squatters “Hop Rising” is a 9% alcohol Double IPA. Utah does still have some quirky liquor laws, but most people visiting will find things pretty “normal”. 

            Breweries and Brew Pubs in Park City add a great flavor to the town and add to the value of the real estate as another great town amenity; they serve some great food too.

            For more information on real estate values and assistance buying or selling homes in Park City, Utah contact a realty professional with the YouInParkCity.com group at (888)968-4672.