I was just looking to take a quick trip to snowshoe as our after xmas plans were cancelled.

The entire mountain, including VRBO - is BOOKED..

What bad economy?!

Is this normal? I looked toward the future also and really couldnt see many things opening other than 2or3 days midweek here or there. Unless the place was super overpriced for what it was worth (IE: 1 bedroom silver creek for $300/nt) And again, that's only a few days here and there, for the most part, this mountain is BOOKED.

What do the lift lines/rider spacing look like say , end Jan begin Feb?

Christmas week ALWAYS sells out. We get a lot of folks from the south.

Both of my condos are usually booked up 2 months in advance for that week.

Soaring Eagle Lodge MAY have a few openings for you http://www.livesnowshoe.com but be prepared: it's probably booked as well until Jan 3rd.

Canaan Valley, and Timberline area books like crazy as well during the end of the year Holiday week - without advertising!

Mid January, Feb and Mar will be cheaper, more availability, and more snow (thus more open terrain) - or at least, that's usually the case (unless you book a Holiday Weekend).

"Booked" does not mean "no vacancy"! Our development was fully booked...but with plenty of openings when I left. A LOT of people canceled at the last minute due to the weather/drive! Keep trying right to the last minute.

Looks like we need....ALMOST HEAVEN!!!!!!!

Oh my...

HELL THE FRICK YEHHHHH!!!!..Keep coming back Gatman!!!

"The entire mountain, including VRBO - is BOOKED..
What bad economy?! Is this normal? I looked toward the future also and really couldnt see many things opening other than 2or3 days midweek here or there. Unless the place was super overpriced for what it was worth (IE: 1 bedroom silver creek for $300/nt) And again, that's only a few days here and there, for the most part, this mountain is BOOKED."

As an owner of 2 properties listed on VRBO, I tend to look at this from a different perspective. It is holiday week with fresh snow. If there is a busy time, this is it, and anyone who wanted to rent their place either has, or has been holding out to take advantage of the straglers who now feel they need to join the crowd at any price. $300 a night is actually quite reasonable, considering someone has to pay taxes and maintain that unit through many months when nobody would want to be there, and then to hold out in prime season just awaiting a last minute rental.

As I have said in prior posts, it amazes me that people will be herded like cattle, and pay outrageous lift ticket and lodging costs to be at the resort during the holidays, especialy New Years. If you want some uncrowded skiing and a great deal, take off a few days and go midweek non-holiday; For example, believe HV is offering a package including lodging, lift ticket, AND breakfast for $50! ...You cant get a parking spot in DC for that.

It's all about supply and demand.

Snowshoe could easily raise the lift tickets to $125. Every one will pay it...complain all the way to the ticket window, and pay it! If they can get $15 to ride a 50' zip line... Think about it - if people would refuse to pay SS prices, wouldn't it be empty??? SS proves like you said - this is the best Economy the nation has seen...more disposable income then ever before! Otherwise, wouldn't people just stay home?

Every year about 2 weeks before Christmas, I remove my phone number from vrbo. Even though my calender says booked, people call all hours of the day and night.

Prices are high but it's still cheaper than packing up a family of 4, 5 or 6 and flying to UT or CO.

To Edgar's point about ownership costs, a platinum listing on vrbo is $999 a year. That's 3 nights in a 2 BR condo over Christmas week.

What's ironic is that I won't deal with all the damage and headaches of renting mine out so I leave it abandoned. Was there once last year. Of course it's on the MLS with 450 other SS units they can't dump! You'd think you could sell a remodeled 3 bdrm/2 bath for under $99,000. Not at Snowshoe. LOL LOL We have half a dozen just in our complex alone...none had one offer yet!!!

I've never had a problem with renting my unit. I will not rent it to college students and church groups, period, however. And despite having two computers accessible to guests, signed art and collectible book editions in the six-digit worth, I've never had a problem. I have had indeed a problem when there was no one in the condo. Winter is unforgivable of a lack of attention...

...and a good rental management or solution is imperative - but lbotta is 100% right: don't let your unit stand still (more natural damage will take place).

8 years of renting and the ONLY real issue I had was some little kid spilled red cool aide and I had to have the carpet professionally cleaned. That's what a security deposit is for.

Take Lou's advice - if you get an email inquiry for 6 adults and it's from a .(dot)edu or a "Hi we are from the ABC Baptist Church", just politely say you are booked.

Rental income is a proven way to build wealth with what I call "OPM".

Rent your place and pay your mortgage and condo fees with OPM ...

OTHER
PEOPLE'S
MONEY

When it's all said and done, you'll own your place and some body else paid for it.

15-year rental owner:
No church groups.
No scout goups (Boy or Girl).
No college students.
No dot edu.
No ski patrollers.
No problems.
(PS - thanks for tipping off all the college students that didn't think about their edu flag...)

Yellow - they're too busy drinking and playing on their ipads to read this thread.

Trust me - I have 3 dot edu's in my house on winter break right now. Our secret is safe.

Totally agreed. The last time that my colleague owners had a college gathering at our condo complex, our HOA common areas and several units sustained in excess of $10K in damages. Including arrests for indecent exposure, vandalism and assault. Sad.

And during the Winter, if the unit isn't rented and I can't be there, I offer it to friends and family. That way it is occupied.

well I'm a 40 something so, those days of trucking down with 5 friends and cases of beer are gone...

So if anyone ever has a need to have someone stay at their place, feel free to message me. The wife would prefer I take her on a cruise or something along those lines, but would surely enjoy a break mid winter to do something new.

I was actually looking at property at SS however, the wife felt it would be better spent doing what I had originally planned which was to find land and build an A-Frame near 7Springs which is only 50 minutes from where I live. Use it as a rental and, use it ourselves - especially as a summer retreat.

I am 44 (older, almost wiser than Sincraft) -
Let me know if Sincraft is too busy to use your SS unit for free. I'll do this "favor" any time - if you have a hard time renting it out.

What "favor"??? No thanx...will just leave it empty. GM goes in once a year to turn on the heat, once a year to turn off the heat, otherwise, I can leave a 20 on the sink and a year later, its still there!!! LOL Was the first to list a remodeled 3 bdrm/2 bath in the Summit under $99k (now 5 others with NO offers). Will now have to be the first in the $80's, but expect nothing. SS property is simply unsellable as-witnessed-by the other 450 on the MLS & FSBO.

Curious why???

? The economy, the drive, the weather, the short ski season, the lousy service, the lousy food, the prices, etc...??? Who knows. Condos Close in the $30k's now. Just go to the SS website/Snowshoe Mtn Homes/Real Estate Opportunites/Hot Deals and Search MLS. FYI: offer half Asking and settle somewhere in the middle.

hmmm very interesting. I might need to look into property there then. How are the taxes and HOA fees?

As for the economy, Im aware of several groups or people that went to 7Springs last weekend and this weekend that are on welfare, getting food stamps - but able to afford 7s lift tickets at $70/ea plus food.

We are handing out tax dollars to people so they can play. Pure and simple. The resorts are packed. I'm sure real dollars available to purchase property may be down; however rentals should actually be up.

Back from our amazing vacation in Mont Tremblant, we had one incident there that made me think of this thread, and actually made me sad and embarrassed. Our second day there, there was a large group of US college students from New York and New Jersey staying for their last night at the Kandahar Hotel, right next to ours. I didn't mind their misbehavior in the slopes - actually I did - but it was clear as day that they were making "horses' behinds" out of themselves. That night, in what was obviously a drunken stupor, they delighted themselves in having an asymmetrical snowball fight where some of them threw snow balls at the windows of the hotel, and the other "students" replied by throwing empty Corona bottles at the snow ball throwers, of course the bottles breaking on the sidewalk and some hitting passers-by. Police was present and once more, American college students held the prestige of the Ugly American quite high. Sad. Sad. Sad.

I don't mind losing rental revenue when it comes to not renting to college students.

The Corona bottle were empty? Whew!

One thing about college kids. They DO know the difference between empty and full when it comes to beer.

Teach 16 year old kids to drink and APPRECIATE wine - good wine. Teach them the art of alcohol and allow them to drink in moderation at age 17. Watch how much calmer their behavior becomes in College.

America is like... pretty much the only place I know where college kids are somewhat out-of-hand with their drinking.

Teach your children.

True. But in Europe, the college kids have a tendency to riot in the streets and toss Molitov cocktails about.

What's in a Molitov Cocktail and how many can you consume before your over the legal limit?





"Remember, when all else fails, push the start button".

Birthday cocktail plans?

Happy B-Day old man. Just don't accidentally lean on the start button.

I presume a mixture of EverClear and Ripple, or EverClear or an old vintage Annie Greensprings would make a great Molotov cocktail.

Students in Europe may riot and throw them. But the US seems to be alone where public drunkenness is glamorized and allowed to be.

A Molitov Cocktail really burns going down.

I must admit:
The current status of College kids isn't the fault of Snowshoe.
Poor Snowshoe Mountain!

Disclaimers:
At least Timberline doesn't have any drunken-sailor problems!
Thank god I don't work for either.