Mesa Cortina, a friendly neighborhood of single family homes

The Mesa Cortina neighborhood was one of the first single family neighborhoods in the Silverthorne area.  It actually is not in the town limits, so is subject to Summit County zoning and building regulations.  It was platted in three phases, with Mesa Cortina West being the first area to have homes built on it.  The other two areas that make up the neighborhood are the Cortina and Mesa Cortina Subdivisions.   My home in Mesa Cortina West was a “Capp home” which means it was a kit home.  It was built in 1973.  With Capp homes, you picked your plan and they shipped all the pieces you needed to you, marked as to where they went.  You then built it on your foundation.  When I bought the home about 14 years ago, it  was 20 years old and had gold bathroom fixtures, brown appliances and brown ceramic tile counterops.  Orange ceramic tile was around the fireplace and on the hearth.  It originally had electric heat, and somewhere along the way someone changed it and put a boiler and hot water heat system in place.  We have since remodeled extensively, and only have two walls in one bedroom that are still original to the home.   

Many homes in the lower part of the neighborhood were originally vacation cabins and most buyers have done the same type of thing we did with our home.  Many new homes have also been built and each one seems to be bigger and more expensive than the one before it.  The homes pictures here are not for sale, but the photos were chosen because they are fairly representative of the neighborhood.   The prices of homes vary from about $380,000 to just under $1,000,000.  The lower half of the subdivision has half acre lots and the upper half has lots that are 1/3 acre in size.  Many lots back to either open space or National Forest.  There are approximately 250 home sites, with most having homes on them.  The elevation of the subdivision varies from about 9200′ to just under 9800′ as we are at the foot of Buffalo Mountain and the homes climb the hillside. 

Wildlife abounds, with fox being seen on a regular basis.  We often see moose in the spring, and bear, usually in the fall.  We have seen racoon (photo taken on my deck one night), marmot, chipmunks, voles, squirrels and many species of birds.  Deer are also frequent visitors.  If you put bird feeders out, whether sunflower or hummingbird feeders, bring them in at night or feed sunflower seed only in the winter.  They attract the bears.  Trash should also be kept in the garage for the same reason. 

Mesa Cortina has been impacted severely by Pine Beetle, as has the rest of Summit County.  Despite most homeowners spraying their trees, we still have lost many trees to the beetle.  The HOA  and home owners are actively removing dead trees and it is opening up some huge views for many of the houses.  Peak One and Lake Dillon are now visible where before trees blocked the view.  Aspen are plentiful, and they will fill in the empty spaces without interfering with views.  We should end up with some very nice fall color.  The dead trees in the Forest around us will be removed over the next couple of years. 

Architectural guidelines must be followed for new homes and in remodeling existing homes.  They are not severe restrictions and the neighborhood is one of few that will allow RVs to be parked on the lot.  Fences are discouraged, but may be allowed, with architectural approval before they are built.  In many neighborhoods they are not allowed at all.  The neighborhood has a mixture of full time residents and second homeowners, in approximately a 50/50 ratio. 

The Mesa Cortina water and sewer district supplies water from our own wells, with supplementation from Buffalo Mountain Metro District.  Quarterly bills run about $250-260 with useage determining the amount of the bill after a minimum is reached.  Electricity and natural gas are supplied by Xcel Energy and high speed internet is available through Comcast Cable or Qwest DSL.  The telephone company is Qwest and Comcast supplies TV signal.  The roads are county maintained with paved main roads and gravel side streets.  The county provides snow removal for the roads.  Driveway snow removal is done by homeowners or private companies and trash pickup is provided by any of several local companies. 

As the neighborhood is surround by either open space or Forest Service, there are many trails nearby, with two trailheads in the community.  The Mesa Cortina trailhead is near the bottom of the subdivision and the trail to Buffalo Mountain starts from the top. 

Currently there are 10 homes for sale, with 2 under contract and 4 sales so far this year.  There are 3 lots for sale and one has sold and closed in 2007 as of this writing in September.  The homes for sale are priced between $499,500 and $989,500.  The lots are priced between $240,000 and $259,000.  The half acre lot that sold backed to Forest Service land, and was $280,000.

The Mesa Cortina website is a blog, allowing approved homeowners to post any information they think important.  They may also comment on any other posts.  It also has minutes of HOA meetings, the treasurer’s report, Board Member information and other neighborhood news.   We also have a password protected homeowner contact page. 

If you have any questions about Mesa Cortina or any other Summit County neighborhood, please let us know and we will get answers for you. 

Posted by Summit County Real Estate Agent Joanne Hanson at 8:44 pm in Summit County Real Estate. Subscribe to comments RSS feed.

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