The abnormally warm winter weather could have an impact on the real estate market in Colorado’s mountain communities.
The Denver Post reports that in Summit and Park counties, single-family listings are down 17% and condo listings are down 11%. The report states homes are also sitting on the market longer.
“We all know that here in Denver, and in Summit County, that the snow has not been as good this year, and we probably haven't had as many tourists and people going up to the mountains from Denver,” real estate expert Joy Dysart explained to Denver7's Micah Smith. “I don't know that interest rates affect the mountains. But we still haven't seen a huge decrease in interest rates, and I think that's been contributing.”
Dysart is a part of the Summit County MLS and works with sellers and buyers in Colorado’s mountain towns.
“Days on the market is doubled, and what that means for a buyer is they have a little more time to make those decisions — look around a little bit more," she said. "On the other side, for sellers, they have to be a lot more competitive in their pricing. There are a lot of condos up in the mountains I find for the Denver market to go up and purchase. You see a lot of condos. Out-of-state buyers tend to buy houses, and we still have that huge market of the baby boomers, and they are retiring up there because of the lifestyle — the bike trails, the music, the skiing, all the things that Summit County has to offer.”
Dysart said for buyers who are interested in purchasing a mountain home, now is a good time.
"I think it's a tremendous opportunity for Denver people to go up there and buy, and I will continue to bring them,” Dysart said.
Drought
Water restrictions in Colorado: Share your concerns, how you are impacted
Dysart said the overall inventory in Summit County is about the same as this time last year.
The Denver Post also reports Steamboat Springs saw a big increase in single-family sales with 13 homes sold in February compared to two homes sold during the same time period last year.
Vail saw 25% more closed sales and 13% more active listings, but the area faces its lowest snowpack in 47 years, straining tourism and small businesses.
The below map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows Summit County in bold.
Summit County is currently one of the most drought-riddled counties in Colorado. As of Monday, 88.5% of the county was under D4 drought intensity — or "exceptional drought."
At this time in 2025, 0% of the county was in any kind of drought.
Eagle County, just to the west, is worse off, with 94.83% of the county in "exceptional drought" as of Monday.
Explore more of the U.S. Drought Monitor here.
