What Does a Property Manager Do?

If you’re buying a condo or home in Aspen that you intend to rent out seasonally, you’ll probably need a property manager – and that’s true whether you live in town or you migrate elsewhere when you’re not here.

But what is a property manager, and what does he or she do?

What Does a Property Manager Do?

A property manager is a person who takes care of your property for the tenants you have living or staying in it.

He or she can help you get tenants by marketing your property, as well as collect rent and handle maintenance issues.

How to Hire a Good Property Manager

If you’re hiring a property manager, you want one with a great reputation – one you can trust to look after your home. Start by asking for referrals from friends and family, and if you can’t get any, begin reading online reviews.

How Do You Pay a Property Manager?

In many cases, property managers charge between 30 percent and 50 percent of a month’s rent to find and screen tenants. After that, they typically charge a monthly fee that ranges between 7 and 10 percent of the rent they collect.

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What Does a Builder’s Warranty Cover?

If you’re buying a newly constructed home for sale, you’ll most likely get a builder’s warranty with your purchase.

But what does a builder’s warranty cover?

What Does a Builder’s Warranty Cover?

While every builder is different, for the most part, your builder’s warranty should cover:

Carpentry
Clapboard and shingles
Concrete foundations and floors
Doors and windows
Dry basement
Electrical
Garage doors
Glass
Heating and cooling
Insulation
Landscaping
Paint
Plumbing
Roofing and siding
Septic system
Thermal and moisture cover
Waterproofing

It’s probably in your best interest to have an attorney look over the warranty before you agree to it – and at the very least, you should read it thoroughly. You can’t count on the warranty to cover everything, but it should at least guarantee the builder’s craftsmanship and materials.

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3 Fun Things to Do in August in Aspen

Whether you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen or you’ve lived here for quite some time, you probably know that there is always something fun to do here – and this August is no exception. Here’s a quick list of three fun things to do this August in Aspen.

3 Fun Things to Do in August in Aspen

Tuesday Cruiseday

Every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. throughout the entire summer, a huge group of people meets at Aspen Tap. Everyone is welcome. Bring your bike – the ride starts right at Aspen Tap and goes around town, and you’ll end up at Smuggler Park just in time for sunset.

Aspen Historical Society Pub Crawl

The Aspen Historical Society offers several tours – and the latest-and-greatest is the pub crawl. You’ll go through places like the Red Onion, Justice Snow’s and the J Bar to learn history and legends. Make your reservations here.

Bluegrass Sundays

Join the crowd from noon to 3 p.m. at the top of Aspen Mountain, outside the Sundeck, where you can jam out to great live bluegrass music. You can hike to the top or get a gondola pass (and then ride the gondola back down).

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Moderate Hikes in Woody Creek

If you’re buying a home for sale in Woody Creek or any of the surrounding communities, you’ll be glad to know that you’re close to several amazing hikes – and two of them are right in Woody Creek.

Moderate Hikes in Woody Creek

There are two hikes with trailheads in Woody Creek:

Woody Creek Trail
Spruce Creek Trail

Both are classified as moderate.

Woody Creek Trail

The Woody Creek Trail is 9.7 miles one way. You start at 8,600 feet in elevation and reach the summit at 11,600 feet. This dog-friendly trail allows you to:

Hike
Run
Horseback ride

The entire path is dirt.

How to get there: Take Upper River Road and turn on Woody Creek Road. Travel 8.75 miles, past Lenado. You’ll see the trailhead on your right, just before the bridge where the road changes names to Larkspur Mountain Road.

Woody Creek Trail Map

Spruce Creek Trail

The Spruce Creek Trail is 3.4 miles one way. You begin your hike at 8,500 feet and reach the summit at 12,500 feet. This dog-friendly trail allows you to:

Hike
Run
Horseback ride

The entire path is dirt.

Spruce Creek Trail Map

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Hiking Trails East of Aspen

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen, you may want to explore the trails in and around the area. East of Aspen, right off Highway 82, you’ll find a number of great trails – these are our favorites.

Hiking Trails East of Aspen

Easy Hikes

Weller Lake. The Weller Lake Trail is about 0.6 miles one way.
The Grottos trail features a waterfall and several short trails off the sides.
The Ruby Trail leads to an abandoned mining camp. It’s 5 miles one way.
Discovery Trail. The Discovery Trail features 22 messages along the way in braille and print; there are nylon guide cords for the blind all along the trail.

Moderate Hikes

Grizzly Lake. The Grizzly Lake hike is 3.6 miles each way and provides an elevation gain of 2,000 feet.
Tabor Lake. The Tabor Lake Trail is 3.9 miles each way. You can access Tabor Lake from the trail.
Anderson and Petroleum Lakes. The Anderson and Petroleum Lakes Trail takes you to Petroleum Lake after 1.8 miles. You’ll gain 1,000 feet in elevation.
Lost Man Trail. The Lost Man Trail is 8.9 miles one way and features a 1,300-foot elevation gain.

Difficult Hikes

Midway Trail. Midway Trail is 8.8 miles one way and connects with the Hunter Creek Trail if you’re heading back to Aspen (but it’s an additional 20 miles).
New York Creek Trail. The New York Creek Trail is 4.2 miles one way. Bring a topographic map if you take this hike.

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Easy Hikes in Aspen

When you buy a home for sale in Aspen, one of the biggest draws is the easy access to spectacular natural beauty – and you can immerse yourself in it with a variety of easy hikes around town.

Easy Hikes in Aspen

There are three easy trails to hike in Aspen:

Rio Grande Trail
Hunter Creek
Smuggler Trail

Rio Grande Trail

The Rio Grande Trail, named for the railroad that used to be here, takes you from 7,700 feet to 7,900 feet in elevation. You can hike or bike up the trail. Its first two mies are paved, but it then becomes a dirt trail after it crosses Cemetery Lane.

Rio Grande Trail map

Hunter Creek Trail

The Hunter Creek Trail is 1.5 miles and features a dirt and gravel surface. It runs parallel to Hunter Creek and has several bridges that take you across other short hiking trails. The grade is steep in the first mile – you’ll ascend 700 feet.

Hunter Creek Trail map

Smuggler Trail

Smuggler Trail is 14 miles long and is surrounded by wildflowers and breathtaking mountain views. Because of its length, it could also be considered a moderate-difficulty trail. If you do the entire trail, you’ll gain 3,179 feet in elevation.

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Hiking the Maroon Bells

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen or Snowmass – or any other community in this area – you’ll probably want to spend time at the Maroon Bells. It’s a premier destination for hiking. Here’s how you can enjoy it.

Hiking the Maroon Bells

There are three main trails at the Maroon Bells:

Buckskin Pass
Crater Lake Trail
East Maroon Trail
Maroon Creek Trail
Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
West Maroon Pass
Willow Lake Trail

Easy Maroon Bells Hikes

Maroon Lake Scenic Trail

The easiest hike at the Maroon Bells is the Maroon Lake Scenic Trail. It’s 1.3 miles each way, and it follows the lake and creek.

East Maroon Trail

This trail is 8.5 miles one way, but it’s still considered an easy hike (just be ready to do 17 miles if you go all the way out).

Moderate Maroon Bells Hikes

West Maroon Pass

The West Maroon Pass trail is 6.2 miles one way and gains about 2,500 feet in elevation going up.

Crater Lake

The Crater Lake trail begins at Maroon Lake and is 3.6 miles round-trip.

Maroon Creek Trail

The Maroon Creek Trail is 3.2 miles one way. It begins at the outlet of Maroon Lake.

Difficult Maroon Bells Hikes

Buckskin Pass

Buckskin Pass is 4.6 miles one way and begins at the Maroon-Snowmass and Willow Lake junction.

Willow Lake Trail

The difficult Willow Lake Trail is 6.5 miles total and crosses the Maroon-Snowmass and Willow Lake trail junction.

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The Maroon Bells in Aspen

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen, one of the first things you’ll probably want to do is explore absolute natural perfection at the Maroon Bells.

The Maroon Bells in Aspen

The Maroon Bells, a beautiful natural area where you’ll find a gorgeous reflective lake with two towering mountain tops above, is a wonderful place to spend the day. The area is just 10 miles west of Aspen and 16 miles from Snowmass.

How to Get to the Maroon Bells From Aspen

You can drive to the Maroon Bells, but there’s restricted access during summer and fall. Your best bet is to take the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s public bus, which starts running in the middle of June and stops in early October. The bus runs daily between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You can get bus tickets at the base of Aspen Highlands Ski Area, at Four Mountain Sports, at the ticket office or at the Rubey Park Transit Center in Downtown Aspen.

If you want to visit outside the bus’s running hours, you can drive up to Maroon Lake after you pay a $10 vehicle fee.

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What is the Aspen Arts Festival?

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen, you’ll love knowing that the community plans all kinds of amazing events – and on July 21 and 22, the Aspen Arts Festival takes place in Rio Grande Park downtown.

What is the Aspen Arts Festival?

The Aspen Arts Festival is a spectacular collection of local art that ranges from life-sized sculptures to gorgeous, artistic and hand-made jewelry.

This is the 16th year of the Aspen Arts Festival, and there will be more artists there than ever before. You’ll see:

Sculptures
Photography
Glass art
Paintings
Ceramics
Jewelry
Mixed-media art

It’s free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Interested in applying? Check out the Exhibitor Rules and Regulations or call 970-925-1940.)

Where to Eat During the Aspen Arts Festival

There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of Rio Grande Park, where the festival is being held. The closest, in order of distance, include:

Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop
319 East Hopkins Ave.
White House Tavern
302 East Hopkins Ave.
The Red Onion
420 East Cooper Ave.
French Alpine Bistro Crêperie du Village
400 East Hopkins Ave.
Matsuhisa
303 East Main St.
Jimmy’s
205 South Mill St.
Jing
413 East Main St.
Plato’s Restaurant
845 Meadows Rd.
Pyramid Bistro
221 East Main St.

(You can also check out our list of the 3 best summer restaurants in Aspen.)

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3 Great Restaurants to Try This Summer in Aspen

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen, you’ll love knowing that you’re close to several amazing restaurants – and these are a few of our favorites, in no particular order.

3 Great Restaurants to Try This Summer in Aspen

Matsuhisa

303 East Main Street
970-355-3044

Matsuhisa, located in a beautiful, 120-year-old Victorian house on Main Street in Aspen, features a beautiful downstairs dining room and cocktail bar with bamboo-wrapped ceilings. The sushi bar is also located downstairs. The upstairs area offers indoor and seasonal outdoor seating, and there’s another sushi bar there, as well.

Get more information about Matsuhisa here.

Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop

319 East Hopkins Avenue
970-710-7120

This chic eatery and marketplace offers artisanal breads, meats and cheese. Explore the spectacular wine menu, have a few cocktails or try some craft beers, or choose ingredients for your own dinner from the marketplace. This cozy establishment is located on Restaurant Row in Aspen.

Learn more about the Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop here.

White House Tavern

302 East Hopkins Avenue
970-925-1007

Delicious sandwiches, wines, beer and cocktails in the White House Tavern are standard. Located on East Hopkins Avenue, this charming restaurant doesn’t accept reservations.

Learn more about the White House Tavern here.

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“Brenda went above and beyond as our realtor”

My fiance and I moved to the Valley from Minnesota this past January. We were lucky enough to be set up with Brenda from our realtor in MN. The day we arrived for our house hunting trip, Brenda met us for lunch and went over our plan of attack for the week, as she knew Continue Reading

Maria Golbirsch (and Greg Gazillo) February 28, 2017

“Brenda Wild is our exclusive Realtor”

A consummate professional who always looks out for your best interests…and yet takes the time for hand-holding too…this is why Brenda Wild is our exclusive Realtor.

Roger & Kelly Guth February 28, 2017

“You can expect the royal treatment”

Brenda and her staff get to the heart of your desire, needs and dreams. You can expect the royal treatment and awesome results with Brenda and her team.

Jenn Carlson February 28, 2017

“She gets anything you need”

Brenda is great, very efficient and hard working. She gets anything you need from home and land info to anything about Aspen you could need quickly and accurately.

Bruce Lange February 28, 2017

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