Summit County real estate for sale and other signs of spring
More Summit County real estate is listed in April and May than any other time of the year.
It is a sure sign of spring. April is mud season and it is also listing season. Real estate signs pop up like tulips, and fall over just as fast. When the ground is still frozen, there is no place to put them except in snow banks. Snow melts pretty quickly this time of year, and we are constantly having to check our signs to make sure they are still standing. We encourage our clients who are planning on buying this summer to move the dates up if possible, so that they can take advantage of the good selection we almost always have by Memorial Day. It is a great time to choose your new condo, before the majority of tourists arrive mid June and everything gets picked over.
I drove around Summit County this week to find other signs of spring. Space for lease is a big one this time of year. Businesses held out through winter but they close in spring rather than pay rent through a couple more months without business. Many locals head for Moab and Mexico, and with the tourists gone too, there is not much money coming in to pay the rent. Retail businesses here are very seasonal, and you must either have a great local’s base to support you through the off months or make enough money during the season that you can still pay the bills. It is a tough way to make a living sometimes, but the place we live in makes it worth it.
Ski shops and clothing stores offer their products at 50 to 75% off, clearing out the shelves to 
make way for bike and hiking merchandise. WalMart already has their lawn and garden products sitting out in the parking lot. It is a wee bit early for those…I still have 3 feet of snow in my front yard! 
Pot holes seem to be much worse this year than usual. We have had a longer and snowier winter than normal, and perhaps that has something to do with it. I-70 has closed frequently this winter, and even Tuesday it was closed over Vail Pass. The snow this time of year is very wet and it makes for icy roads. SUVs seem to be the cars most often found on their roofs, especially in Ten Mile Canyon, between Frisco and Copper, which can be treacherous. Perhaps overconfidence in the four wheel drive and size of the vehicle contribute to the problem. I seldom see Subarus rolled over. That is why I drive one. Unfortunately, it now needs a front end alignment, but I am waiting until the potholes get fixed so I don’t have to do it again right away. This giant economy sized pothole is right behind our office in Frisco.
