ALPINE TIERCOLORADO SKI RESORT REAL ESTATE
Buying From Out of State

You don't have to be in Colorado to buy in Colorado

Every step below can be done from your kitchen table in Dallas, Chicago, or Sarasota. Here is the actual sequence, in order, with the parts that trip up remote buyers called out where they happen.

  1. 01

    Strategy call

    Thirty to forty-five minutes on video. We define how you will actually use the place — ski weekends, a full winter, summers, rental income — and work backward to the market and price tier that fits. That conversation covers what the short-term rental rules allow in each town and what a place actually costs to hold, before you fall for a listing. Most people arrive with a town in mind and leave with a different one.

    Week 1 · Video
  2. 02

    Curated shortlist

    You get a hand-built list, not a portal feed: MLS inventory plus off-market and quietly-listed properties, filtered against your real criteria and annotated with what I would flag if you were standing there. Six to ten properties, with the reasons each one made the cut.

    Week 1–2
  3. 03

    Remote tours

    Recorded walkthroughs shot for buyers who cannot visit — narrated, with the camera pointed at what photos hide: the grade of the driveway in March, afternoon light in the main room, the condition of the shared hallways and mechanical room, where you actually park in February, how far the ski shuttle stop really is. Live FaceTime when you want to steer the camera yourself.

    Ongoing
  4. 04

    The buying trip — optional, and worth planning

    If you want boots on the ground, I build the itinerary around your flights: towns grouped so you are not doubling back over Vail Pass, showings stacked into two days, and time budgeted for the parts of a resort town you can only judge in person — the drive in a storm, the walk to the lift, how the place feels on a Tuesday. Many buyers do this once, after the shortlist, rather than before.

    Optional · 2 days
  5. 05

    Offer & negotiation

    Local comparable analysis, a read on seller motivation and days-on-market, and an offer structured to win without overpaying. Colorado contracts are signed electronically, so nothing here requires a notary or a plane ticket. I will tell you plainly when I think a property is priced past what the comps support.

    Days
  6. 06

    Due diligence & remote closing

    I attend the inspection and send you video of anything material. HOA documents, reserve studies, and rental history get reviewed before your objection deadline, not after. Closing runs through remote online notarization, with a wire-fraud protocol that includes verbal callback verification of every wiring instruction — resort closings are a standing target for wire fraud, and this is the step where out-of-state buyers are most exposed.

    30–45 days
Financing

Second homes are underwritten differently

Expect different pricing and down-payment expectations than a primary residence, and know that condo projects in resort towns can fail a lender's warrantability review late in the process — over rental ratios, reserve levels, or commercial space in the building. Get pre-approved with a lender who has actually closed loans in these towns, and have the condo project reviewed early rather than at week four.

Insurance

Get quotes during diligence, not after

Mountain property is underwritten for wildfire exposure, snow load, and distance to a responding fire station, and availability has tightened across Colorado's high country. Premiums and even eligibility can vary sharply between two homes on the same road. Quote it inside your inspection window so a surprise does not land after your objection deadline has passed.

Working across time zones

Mountain Time, on your schedule

I work around Eastern and Pacific calendars — early calls for the East Coast, evening walkthroughs for the West. During a live deal you get my mobile number, one point of contact from first call through funding, and a written summary after every showing so you are not reconstructing decisions from memory at 11pm.

Contact

Tell us what you're looking for.

Share a few details and we'll prepare a tailored response—curated listings, a market comparison, or a strategy call. Most inquiries receive a same-day reply.

Phone
970.381.0178
Email
alpinetierre@gmail.com
Service Area
Colorado mountain & resort communities

All information shared is held in confidence. Market commentary is provided for educational purposes only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Craig Smith · The Station RE Co · License #FA.100098025. Equal Housing Opportunity.