ski_resort_observer
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2004
- Messages
- 3,423
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Waitsfield,Vt
- Website
- www.firstlightphotographics.com
There is a prevailing opinion among northeast resorts that the current economic downturn will not effect us as much as the western resorts. Wishful thinking perhaps back a few months ago but now that we are on the dawn of a new ski season the news just now staring to appear may prove this to be correct. Course, it does depend somewhat on the weather which unfortunately at the moment isn't helping places like
JH.
To be honest, I don't spend as much time as I want on all the regions of the west but for JH, the s*** has already hit the fan. The business community is adjusting to a predicted 25% downturn in business. Normally, the local paper lists about 8 pages of jobs and maybe 10 rentals but my most recent copy of the paper shows 3 pages of jobs and 80 rentals. I't's now front page news.
Like alot of ski towns out west the real estate prices have continued upward, actually soared, for the last 30 years, that has coming to loud thud. Inventory is getting bloated and the number of sales is down 50% from a year ago. When I moved to Jackson in 1979 there were 35 real estate folks, when I left and returned to the homeland(Vermont, of course) in 1996 there were 350 and I read in the paper a few months ago there were over 800. A big and swift reduction in force has already started.
Lots of posters on AZ take a trip or 2 out west each year, a few even live out there. Curious if this predicted or pending downturn in business is spread across the Rockies from New Mexico to Montana? Is it mainly the hard to get to destinations resorts like JH, Whitefish(formally Big Mtn), is Utah able to fair better with SLC just down the hill? Any news in the Aspen Times or the Steamboat Pilot or the Salt Lake Tribune?
Thoughts, news, first hand info?
JH.
To be honest, I don't spend as much time as I want on all the regions of the west but for JH, the s*** has already hit the fan. The business community is adjusting to a predicted 25% downturn in business. Normally, the local paper lists about 8 pages of jobs and maybe 10 rentals but my most recent copy of the paper shows 3 pages of jobs and 80 rentals. I't's now front page news.
Like alot of ski towns out west the real estate prices have continued upward, actually soared, for the last 30 years, that has coming to loud thud. Inventory is getting bloated and the number of sales is down 50% from a year ago. When I moved to Jackson in 1979 there were 35 real estate folks, when I left and returned to the homeland(Vermont, of course) in 1996 there were 350 and I read in the paper a few months ago there were over 800. A big and swift reduction in force has already started.
Lots of posters on AZ take a trip or 2 out west each year, a few even live out there. Curious if this predicted or pending downturn in business is spread across the Rockies from New Mexico to Montana? Is it mainly the hard to get to destinations resorts like JH, Whitefish(formally Big Mtn), is Utah able to fair better with SLC just down the hill? Any news in the Aspen Times or the Steamboat Pilot or the Salt Lake Tribune?
Thoughts, news, first hand info?
