Will there continue to be short-term losses in terms of equity and paper wealth? Financial experts say bet on it. But don’t forget most of us are running the long game. Real estate remains a reliable, tangible, tax-friendly asset. And it’s more than just an investment vehicle when it comes to the place we choose to call home.
Life is full of defining moments. But ironically, verity provides we can be ignorant of their existence in real time. Sometimes it takes years to absorb the true significance of events that change the course of our experience.
Conquering the bowl together reinforced the notion of predetermination. It required we look fear in the face, set aside any apprehension, and just start walking. Doubt would have derailed us. There was one way down, and that was up.
I can’t help but equate our challenge to the issues we face today. On the national front, inflation, higher interest rates, the stock market, and slower home sales are feeding fears of a recession. In our little bubble, it’s locals vs. tourists, development vs. preservation, bridge vs. preferred alternative, new ideas and progressive leadership vs. the old guard kicking the can down the road.
A poignant op-ed in Outside magazine this month provides a more thoughtful perspective that skillfully lays out the lament, chronicles Aspen’s golden “gonzo” years but concludes, sadly, the area’s unique character has indeed changed and likely for good….No matter how tough it is to see the landscape and, perhaps, the experience change, we can’t waste any more of our intellectual, political, and financial capital in an attempt to turn back time.
The rub is the commissioners want to eliminate the mansions these TDRs make possible. They cite their excessive energy use. Officials are set to amend the land-use code next year and have been clear they plan to reduce the current allowable square footage maximums. Those same bureaucrats have decided TDRs are the culprit.
With gifting season in full swing, there's no better time to support local businesses than by shopping locally in Aspen, Snowmass, and throughout the Roaring Fork Valley for all your holiday gift needs. Whether you're a long-time area local or a visitor that wants to support our ski towns, this guide is here to help you find unique and local items that your friends and family will love, all from the comfort of your computer. Each of the items featured have been hand selected by locals.
We locals have no shortage of pursuits, and those activities are usually gear centric. And, like children who never want playtime to end, we wait because we don’t want to miss a single, waning day of fall should the weatherman get it wrong. I love that about us! But, the same thinking can just as easily catch us by surprise, leaving the procrastinators digging the grill out of the snow.
I couldn’t help but equate the process of buttoning up, taking cover from the coming cold, and storing and protecting our gear to the sudden and recent shift in the housing market. By now, experts, buyers, sellers, and prognosticators agree we are in new territory — coming as weather predicted, if not already upon us.
A week ago last Thursday, we were abruptly reminded there may not be another day, that every experience and adventure is not guaranteed. Life can end in an instant; one breath, one laugh, one experience can be the last without warning or reason. The sudden, tragic death of an Aspen High School student hit home hard, bringing his family and friends to their knees in grief.
No one wants to contemplate their own demise or that of their loved ones. Around here where we tend to live life “full send,” the very idea of “the end” is not just a buzz kill but an annoyance. Live now, don’t think about tomorrow is our mantra. Perhaps we cling to that view, as it’s difficult to imagine an afterlife that beats the mountain paradise we’re living right now.
