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<\/a>East side of Vail Pass on 2-4-17<\/p><\/div>\n
I really didn’t\u00a0know what weather to expect once I arrived in the South Park area, but the weather cleared up and the afternoon turned out well. More on that below.<\/p>\n
The lot itself was in typical shape for this time of year. Snow had melted off the south-facing side of Birdhouse Ridge and I was able to walk up to the shed without difficulty, other than the effort of walking in heavy clothes at an elevation of 9,500 feet! There appeared to be about a foot of snow in the non-sunny areas, and deer trails wandered through the property.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Lot on 2-4-2017<\/p><\/div>\n
There wasn’t\u00a0much time to spend here as I had made arrangements with a realtor to view a couple of For Sale properties. The main interest was the\u00a0foreclosed home on 35 acres. On-line photos showed a large house in need of some repair but priced where we might\u00a0consider it. As we have seen in the past, however, an on-site visit will turn up issues not addressed in the listing.<\/p>\n
Such was the case with the home at 188 Boyero Lane. The house has\u00a0an attractive living room that features a stacked-stone fireplace, vaulted ceiling, and mountain views:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Boyero Lane living room<\/p><\/div>\n
However, I found in general\u00a0the place had been poorly maintained and extensive repairs were needed. Most windows needed\u00a0replacement, the solar electric system was\u00a0\u00a0missing pieces (no commercial electric at this location) and the kitchen would have been a total gut job. Priced near the top of our price range at $269K, it would\u00a0take another $75K\u00a0to repair and upgrade the place; this definitely puts Boyero Lane\u00a0out of consideration for us.<\/p>\n
Here is a picture of the Boyero Lane kitchen:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Boyero kitchen<\/p><\/div>\n
The list of needed repairs would be too long to include here, but one other factor was at play: the driveway. More of a track, here is a shot of the inadequate driveway as it takes off from Boyero Road. I am inside the realtor’s 4-wheel drive truck:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Driveway up to Boyero home<\/p><\/div>\n
All in all this was a disappointing visit; the place just needs too much work for us to even consider making an offer. We are all for finding a bargain, but this wasn’t it.<\/p>\n
The realtor did show me two more homes in the same general area. They were our\u00a0style but each\u00a0had quite a few steps to negotiate. Both had garage \/ basement levels but with [sometimes steep] stairs to access\u00a0the upper-level living areas. Once in the\u00a0main\u00a0living areas,\u00a0the homes\u00a0were light and bright,\u00a0such as this living room and kitchen in a house on Oxbow Lane:<\/p>\n
<\/a>Oxbow Lane living room<\/p><\/div>\n