Moving to Vail for one year. How much are apartments? (Eagle: ski resort, real estate)

[susanfward]

My husband is a Medical Resident in NYC and is starting the process of applying for a fellowship. One of the locations we are looking at is Vail. Coming from NY/NJ I know nothing of CO. Are there two/three bedroom apartments available in Vail for $2000 a month? How easy is it to get around? Is Vail a nice town for a newborn and a three year old? Thank you for any advice you can provide.

[wanneroo]

For $2000 a month you'll be able to rent a decent condo or townhouse.

There is a town bus that runs routes the length of town which comes in at around 12 miles long but as narrow as half a mile in some places. In the lower valley the county bus system also serves Vail and points west. For driving, the main issues is that Vail is a ski resort so depending on the neighborhood the roads can remain covered with snow and ice for more than 6 months of the year. Parking depends, in the winter parking anywhere around the village is a pain in the butt.

Is Vail a nice town for young kids? Well it's a ski town and most of the population is older folks that can actually afford property there or ski bums in their 20's. There is a group of people in their 30's and 40's that have hung over and settled from their ski bum years and some have kids, but I really wouldn't think of Vail as a family town. IMHO anyways.

While Vail has some of the trappings of NYC with nice shops and restaurants due it's status as a wealthy ski resort, make no mistake, it's a mountain town with snow that can fall any month of the year.

Advice? If you have specific questions ask as I have 7 years in Vail and there are others here with experience of it as well.

[sunsprit]

Your budget will get some pretty nice housing in the Vail area if you'll look at places that aren't in the core high priced daily rental market ... look into East Vail (my first choice for a family) or West Vail, where you'll find townhomes, duplexes, and condo's. Access to the core is easy via the bus system, and you'll have easier off-street parking residing in those locations with the required off-street parking for all the housing.

You'd be minutes away from the TOV in either location. EV is a bit higher in elevation and the valley narrows at this point, so it's somewhat colder and snowier than the TOV. West Vail has more direct sunshine and warmer temps with less snow. There are several downvally housing subdivisions that have townhouses targeted to families, too.

I can refer you to a competent real estate professional (and staff) who know the area's long term lease market very well, if interested, DM me. Or you can check the local realtor listings for the property management companies in Vail ... it's a very competitive market right now if you are able to sign a year lease rather than a month-to-month rental.

You may also find that living even a bit further down valley is more to your taste, with the lower elevation, warmer climate, and even less snowfall (this is an area of warmer micro-climates as you go to lower elevations); the commute to Vail for work is still easy, and you're closer to the shopping targeted for residents ... everything from box stores (Home Depot, WalMart) to large grocery stores to all of the businesses/retailers that you'd expect to support the core high dollar resort area. The only drawback is that it does take longer to get to the village/hospital area than living right in town.

[pchapman-Vail]

Originally Posted by susanfward

My husband is a Medical Resident in NYC and is starting the process of applying for a fellowship. One of the locations we are looking at is Vail. Coming from NY/NJ I know nothing of CO. Are there two/three bedroom apartments available in Vail for $2000 a month? How easy is it to get around? Is Vail a nice town for a newborn and a three year old? Thank you for any advice you can provide.

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If you come here, you might never leave. It is awesome- all summer, and all winter. "mud" season in spring/Fall is harder to be cheerful about !
following may be useful, if you did not get any other help
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There is no decent cheap housing in Vail-

East Vail is cheaper, but hard to get onto the bus when you need to, and is colder, very long way to anything. West Vail much better. Eagle Vail and anywhere else outside Vail is NOT served by free bus of Vail. In West or East Vail, CHEAP 2 BR place will be about $1400/mo PLUS utilities for MIN 6 months. and might not even be near a bus. NICE 2 BR will cost you $ 2K/mo furnished incl utilities. NICE 3 BR will cost AT LEAST $ 2500/mo x 6 months BUT YOU WILL NOT GET IT by LONG DISTANCE- those deals are FEW and FAR BETWEEN and GONE immediately the day they are offered.

PLAN on spending more like $ 2500/mo x 7-8 months OR $ 3k x 6-7 months for a 3 BR place near a bus stop. Warning- all bus stops are NOT EQUAL. Red and Green are much better than Sandstone or Lionsridge Loop.

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[SedonaShadow]

Something to ponder! I made the move from NY to the Colorado mountains many years ago. Think sea level to almost 10,000'. It took me almost a year to quit huffin' & puffin' just to go upstairs. Use to go to Vail when it was a little town. I can't picture it with big box stores. I doubt even they can mar the areas natural beauty.

[Idunn]

There are a lot of things I do not know about Vail, but will mention two that I do.

As previously alluded to, Vail resides in a long, narrow valley running east/west. Colorado receives a lot of sun, but you will find in such locations that some areas receive more direct sunlight in a day than others. I've always liked the look of east Vail, but it is not only somewhat remote from the center of town but will fall into afternoon shadow sooner. The ski area is on the south side of town, meaning the north facing slope which receives less sun, thus best for ski snow conditions. The opposing south facing slope, to the north, is decidedly more arid . . . due the greater amount of sun.

Another consideration is that I-70 runs directly through the center of this valley, and Vail. As such it is a defining feature. The greater concentration of town resides on the south side of the interstate, although there are a fair number of residences and some shops to the north. Vail is a relatively small place, so how you get about is probably more a question of where the best parking is, or public transit, etc. But if it matters to you, the noise from that interstate will be a decided factor in some areas of town, not so much in others. To determine that you'll just have to do some reconnaissance and listen, or trust in another that their sensibility is the same as yours.