GRAND LAKEWe are currently opening Donna's Corner to public discussion
of Attainable Housing in the Grand Lake area. To give your input
online, you can go to http://groups.google.com/group/grand-lake
GRAND LAKEYou may also visit our office on the Boardwalk in person to give your
input or call us using 970-627-3103 or toll-free: 866-296-1949.
Before you make your first online post to a Google Group you have
to click on "Join this Group" button which is in the upper right of
the home screen and then click on the "Create an account now" button.
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Below is a copy of the memo from Donna Ready at the Grand Lake Google Group
for which you are invited to give your feedback.
Attainable Housing in Grand Lake
September 24, 2007
In the meeting on August 27, 2007 at Trinity, it became clear that we do not need
to address the purchase of affordable housing; purchasing is not the goal of the
majority of locals who need assistance. When you consider that if they buy affordable
housing and there is a limit on the amount of money they can make when they go to
re-sell the property, then the Town has taken away the main reason for anyone to own.
The Grand Lake area needs affordable rentals. Rental opportunities abound.
Our office, Mountain Lake Properties, keeps track in the computer as a favor to prospective
tenants and landlords, at no charge to either. We currently have twelve available properties
on a list, ranging from $500 per month for a small cabin to $1,500. per month for a 3000
square foot home. In most cases, tenants are asked to pay for heat and electricity over
and above the rent.
At all times, we also have a wide selection of affordable homes to buy, in case anyone might
be interested in purchasing a property on which they will be permitted to make a profit when
they go to sell it. Today, these range from a two bedroom on 4/10 of an acre with three
outbuildings priced at $159,000. to several three bedroom homes with garages (and one
with a retail shop where they could run a business) for $269,900.
Attainable housing is already here for those with the need, the desire and the ability to take
advantage of it. People who work in and near the Town of Grand Lake should benefit from
subsidized rents here, not those working in other towns in Grand County.
There are probably a variety of reasons why some individuals have not already purchased
a home. Maybe they fear that they may not continue to be employed on an ongoing basis as
a result of our seasonal economy, their employer's continued need for them in the future, etc.
Or they may be aware that their past credit history may preclude them from purchasing.
Some may be unsure that they will be able to continue to reside in our area on a long-term
basis as a result of employment circumstances and consequently do not wish to become
tied to a property purchase and mortgage here.
Now let's take a look at the landlord's point of view.
Prospective landlords are leery of bad experiences, because almost all have had more than one.
Most prospective tenants can pay the security deposit and first month's rent up front; most cannot
pay the last month's rent as well, before they move into their new quarters.
If prospective tenants would agree to give up a certain amount of their rights to privacy,
perhaps there could be a central location (Grand County Housing Authority?) where credit
reports could be run and then kept on file for six months, shared with prospective landlords
with written permission from the prospective tenants and then destroyed after six months.
This would be a great help to the tenants, because if the landlords are smart, each will
run a credit check before they allow the tenants to move in, and each time a credit check is run,
it lowers the prospective tenant's overall credit score. (Yes, landlords should even run a credit
check on tenants who describe how perfect they are. Con men are great at appearances:
"I don't drink; I don't smoke; we don't have pets.")
Also, if a prospective landlord has a bad experience with a tenant, they would have a
central "bank" in which to log that information. Checking these references would save
future landlords a lot of mental and financial anguish, and would make the many vacation
home owners in Grand County feel more comfortable with opening up their homes and
allowing locals to have a comfortable and affordable place to live.
With subsidized rentals, the appearance of the home should not be expected to be new.
I think we would all agree that affordable and/or subsidized housing need not, necessarily,
be new construction. Forcing developers to pay for new housing units at their own expense
with no guarantee of resale simply raises the cost of housing for everyone.
[end of memo of affordable housing]
To give your input online, you can go to
http://groups.google.com/group/grand-lake
GRAND LAKEAlso at the Google Group is an open letter
concernining "inclusionary zoning" ....
If you have difficulty reading or responding in the Grand Lake
Google Group, write to relax@MountainLake.com and we'll
see if we can make it work better for you.
The following is in response to the hundred of people
who have visited our office scouring for bargains.
Hallowe'en is coming—No vultures, please …
Prospects from Denver come in, moaning about the poor real estate market there,
and expecting to steal properties here. We have news for them. Grand Lake is a
year round resort! Families who buy here have money; many pay cash and the others
walk in the door with huge down payments, ready to find that almost perfect getaway.
They know that no property will meet all of their needs, and are willing to accept
what is close, so that they may start now making memories for their children and
grandchildren. They have looked around this wonderful state and realize that
Grand Lake offers some of the best values out there—Who else has three Great Lakes
and Rocky Mountain National Park in their back yard?
For recreational connections see www.Grandexp.com
A hike up Mount Baldy was completed in very early June with
an assist in carrying gear from Sobrero Stables. There is an link
to it on our Scenery page. Friends and relative visiting and the
rush of summer kept of from posting more about it at other locations.
Many thanks to everyone who has stopped by our office in Grand Lake!
Donna
Write to me at relax@MountainLake.com
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