Olympic Running ties to Mammoth

Go Ryan Hall!! We are anxiously awaiting the start of the men's Olympic marathon in a few hours and just wanted to voice a cyber cheer for you. Your NY Trials and London marathons were thrilling and we know how hard you work and admire your drive to succeed and how you balance it with your family (Hi Sara) and spiritual life.

We are proud of the other Mammoth Lakes, CA, homeowners who are representing us in Beijing. Congratulations to Deena Kastor (women's marathon), Ian Dobson (men's 5,000m) and Jen Rhines (women's 5000m), for making the Olympic team and representing the US with their hard work. Andrew reports that Deena is in good spirits (after breaking her foot 5km into the race), though I know her competitive nature probably has her just as frustrated as we all imagine ourselves to be if we were in her Asics shoes.

Ian, you da man. Just for being so positive all the time and so supportive of others.

Jen, congratulations for qualifying for the medal round of the 5,000. Hope the heel gets better quickly. Good luck in Europe in the next few weeks.

Congratulations also to coach Terrence Mahon. The commitment and the care shown to your runners is very apparent. They guy never stops working.

Finally, thanks for the live updates from Beijing to Andrew "Duuude" Kastor, who sacrificed defending his title in the Leuven 800 this year to happily support his wife. Sorry for the expensive phone call on your birthday - Salsa's carne asada burrito is on me when you get back.

See you all back here soon. I think the Looney Bean and Salsa's have gone out of business with you gone (unless Mike McKeeman is making up for it on his own). -DC and Fam

Flights to Mammoth on December 18th

It's Official! You can fly from LAX to Mammoth!

Costs: Horizon Air (part of Alaska Air) is officially selling tickets from LAX to Mammoth / Yosemite Airport! I just went to http://www.horizonair.com/ and plugged in LAX - MMH on December 18th and it quoted me $207.50 round trip including taxes and fees! They will have some reduced fares ($79 each way) for select days in January...probably Mammoth Ski Area's annual "Midweek Madness" which occurs each January.

About the airplane: From http://www.marketwatch.com/ 's announcement today about the Horizon flights to Mammoth, "Horizon's flight to Mammoth will be operated with the airline's Bombardier Q400. This 74/76-seat, high-speed, twin-engine turboprop is one of the most technologically advanced regional aircraft in the world. It's as quiet and comfortable as a jet - thanks to its special technology that suppresses noise and vibration, its generously sized overhead storage bins, its unobstructed under-seat space, and its ample headroom (6' 5"). The Q400 is also among the most environmentally friendly aircraft today, burning 30% less fuel and producing 30% lower emissions than comparable jets. "

Promotion: We're so excited that we're offering to pick you up. Be the first to email us if you are on one of the first flights to Mammoth on December 18th or 19th and we'll pick you and your family / luggage / skis / snowboards for free and deliver you to your place! Just email your itinerary confirmation to info@MammothRealtySearch.com and we'll coordinate the details. We'll also deliver you back to the airport for your departure flight.

Air Service to begin from LAX to Mammoth Yosemit Airport Dec 14th, 2008

It seems as though dream will finally become reality according to a blog by Michael Carter of Aero Pacific Images / SoCal Aircraft spotting & airline news. According to this recent blog, Horizon Air is scheduled to begin selling tickets for their new route from LAX to Mammoth Yosemite Airport starting July 14th, 2008. Air service is scheduled to begin on December 14th of this year with one flight a day until spring of 2009.

This is a huge step for the Town of Mammoth Lakes and the stunning year round resort community of Mammoth Lakes. Not only will it allow visitors the option of being able to fly (currently only private planes and charters fly here), but it will also give locals the opportunity to leave for their coveted vacations directly from Mammoth as opposed to having to drive to Reno, NV or Los Angeles first.

No word yet on what ticket costs will be, however we'll keep you posted.

Tara & Dennis

For more information on Mammoth and its real estate market, visit us at www.MammothRealtySearch.com .

Mammoth Airport - Conflicting News / 4th of July

According to http://www.ifyouski.com/, scheduled air service will begin for the 2008-2009 ski season to Mammoth/ Yosemite Airport (MMH) from Los Angeles International (LAX) on December 18, 2008. Daily service provided by Horizon Airlines will continue through April 12, 2009. Airline reservations will launch July 14th, 2008. Flight schedule is as follows:

LAX - MMH 14:20 hrs - 15:25 hrs
MMH - LAX 16:05 hrs - 17:10 hrs

The aircraft used will be the Q400, an 80-seat aircraft which services many of Horizon Airlines shorter domestic routes. Mammoth/Yosemite Airport is located only 15 minutes away from the Mammoth Lakes.

However, http://www.visitmammoth.com/ says, "At this time there is no scheduled air service into the Mammoth/Yosemite Airport. An annoucement regarding commercial air service to MMH Airport from LAX will be made on Monday, July 14, 2008. "

And yet, reliable sources say that Bill Manning, airport manager, confirmed that a contract has been signed with Horizon Air.

If/when an official announcement is released, we will post it here.

***

Happy 4th of July! I'm getting ready for our Footloose Freedom Mile put on by the High Sierra Striders to pass by my window here at RE/MAX, followed by our town parade (the usual horses, hokey floats, and shamelss plugs by local businesses), and then the 1st annual Pops Concert at Mammoth Creek Park at 2pm, where yours truly will be tooting his own horn in the back of the orchestra for rousing renditions of Star Spangled Banner, America, and the like.

-DC

What's up with the Mammoth real estate market?

What's up with the Mammoth market?

While the number of sales has stopped decelerating and prices are bottoming out, buyer activity is picking up. My partner and I have fielded more Internet and phone inquiries and shown more property in the last 2 weeks than in the last 2 months. And I have more appointments scheduled for July than I did for most of all last summer.

Looking at real estate used to be a national pastime during the recent boom years - and then it became uncool as buyers waited to try and time the bottom of the market. We are all listening to the media and water cooler conversation about predictions for further market worsening. I say we take note of how Warren Buffett invests; look at what everyone is saying/doing and do the exact opposite.

In Mammoth, buyers are still buying quality properties at discounted prices and many prospectors are still testing sellers by writing low ball offers on numerous properties. We still get some insulted sellers, but it has become more of the normal buying strategy and sellers are getting more used to it. However, with the lack of fire sales and foreclosures (Mono County has only 1 foreclosure per 1114 properties where the California average is 1 out of every 183, per RealtyTrac), buyers are realizing that we might indeed be near bottom, at least for Mammoth.

No one can know for sure until we are past the bottom, but buyers should buy according to their own time lines and criteria. Purchasing now as opposed to a year or two from now gives you the opportunity to begin creating those memories that are priceless. If you want your kids to see what 'seasons' are, how wildflowers grow, and how the sun feels different up here, then come up to Mammoth this summer and rent a condo before you decide to buy.

If life is getting shorter, kids are graduating college soon and if mountain air is therapy for you, then it should not matter what the short term market prognosis is. And talk to a local expert about the intricacies of rental programs, homeowners associations and vacation homeowners services. If Mammoth is in your life's plan, then forget the short term and start setting goals to meet with one of us, sign up for our automatic 'Property Tracker' and come up to start getting familiar with our neighborhoods.

A word about our Condo Inventory:

You must wade through our inventory to find the good listings. Of our 292 condos on the Mammoth Lakes market, only 4 are foreclosures, 9 are short sale listings (which you should not touch with any length of pole unless you do not mind waiting 3+ months for a response to your offer), and 62 (or 21%) are condotels at The Village at Mammoth and The Westin Monache, which are out of favor in the eyes of lenders (requiring much higher down payments) and out of favor with buyers, as only 3 sales out of the 62 condos sold since March 1st have been in The Village or Westin (only 4.8% of sales).

Buyers looking for great deals would be wise to talk to a local agent such as Tara or myself to weed out the bulk of the listings that are short sales, fractionals, condo complexes facing large special assessments, or that are just plain over-priced.

Foreclosure Update: There are 7 foreclosures in Mammoth Lakes currently on our market and only 6 additional foreclosed properties that have sold since this mess began. As a percentage of homes, this is lower than most areas of California. We do know of about 4 more foreclosures coming on the market in the next month or so, and several more properties with notices of default.

It is a stunning time of year here in Mammoth. Blue skies, 78 degrees. Just about perfect. Come enjoy the paradise we call home. -Dennis & Tara

Mammoth Yosemite Airport update - Horizon Air on the horizon

Great news for our Mammoth/Yosemite Airport!

The FAA recently issued a Record of Decision conditionally approving Horizon Air to establish air service to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) beginning this December 2008. This definitive step towards having commercial air service into Mammoth Lakes, California once again is good news for our community and for those working for so many years on this idea. For more information, please see the following press release dated May 19th from Stuart Brown, Community Relations Manager for the Town of Mammoth Lakes:

"FAA ISSUES RECORD OF DECISION FOR MAMMOTH YOSEMITE AIRPORT"

Mammoth Lakes, CA – Scheduled commercial air service is one step closer with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issuing its Record of Decision (ROD) approving the proposed Horizon Air Operations Specifications Amendment to allow scheduled air service to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH).

The ROD allows Horizon Air to proceed with implementing commercial air service with two daytime flights between MMH and Los Angeles International Airport beginning in the winter ski season of 2008/2009 (approximately December to April) provided the Town of Mammoth Lakes obtains a 14 CFR Part 139 Class 1 Airport Operating Certificate for MMH. Horizon Air’s initial proposed service utilizes a 76 seat Bombardier DHC 8-400 (Q-400) turbopropeller aircraft.

“This Record of Decision represents a significant milestone for Mammoth in reinstituting commercial air service to Mammoth Yosemite Airport. The process has been lengthy, arduous and not without significant challenges, but the end result will greatly contribute to the economic sustainability of our community,” stated Karen Johnston, Assistant Town Manager. The aviation forecast anticipates that the subsidized winter ski season service could increase to eight flights per day by the winter ski season of 2011/2012 as additional regional markets such as Las Vegas, Northern California, San Diego or alternate Southern California markets are added.

Winter service is not expected to exceed eight flights per day due to the airport facility physical constraints (e.g., terminal capacity, available apron area). The forecast estimates that unsubsidized summer (July through August) air service could begin in 2012/2013 with two flights daily from LAX.

The Horizon Air Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was prepared and issued by the FAA in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Although the Horizon Air FEIS demonstrates that there would be no significant impacts associated with the proposed action, the FAA prepared an EIS because FAA considered it most prudent in light of the previous injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for the Town’s proposed expansion of the airport, and the resources potentially affected by establishment of scheduled air carrier service. "

And to everyone who has said, "I'll believe it when I see it," the work has already begun on the runway, as seen in this photo taken on May 19th.

There were at least a dozen bulldozers scraping the runway getting ready to re-surface it. Local pilot Jon Eller explains that they should be getting rid of a small crown in the runway that prevents pilots at one end of the runway see all the way to the other end. For more information on the airport, including its current closure, click HERE.



To contact us regarding real estate opportunities in and around Mammoth Lakes, visit our website.

Mammoth Mtn Bike trail update

On Sunday, May 18th, I rode up past The Village at Mammoth to explore the "Uptown" and "Downtown" mountain bike trails half expecting a short ride due to snow. However, I made it all the way up past the garage before I had to turn around due to time constraints.

I started up Downtown and quickly came across two felled trees - watch out. The Uptown trail still has snow here because it runs close to Minaret and within the range of snowblowers that threw the snow onto the trail. I switched over to "Uptown" about 1 mile in and then back to the "Downtown" trail up near Sunshine curve.

Conditions are good, considering the crew has not yet raked the trails yet (disclaimer: passes will be needed once the ski area opens up the mtn bike park in a few weeks). You will be riding over just a bunch of small branches and pine needles. I had to hike-a-bike two or three times to get over tall snow piles, but rode around or through about a dozen more smaller snow piles.

Up near Canyon Lodge it opens wide up with no snow at all because the forest is less dense (more sunny).

With the ski slopes closing down this Monday, it's good to know the trails are opening up. When one door closes...another opens! Enjoy! -DC

Mammoth / Yosemite Air Service Update - A few more steps in the right direction for bring commercial air service to Mammoth Lakes, California

At a recent Town of Mammoth Lakes Council meeting, a number of actions were taken that should bring us a few steps closer to really, truly having commercial air service here in Mammoth (Really!!). According to sources, the council approved the $1,500,000 budget for the renovation of the existing terminal and has awarded the contract to Spiess Construction. As well, it was stated that Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the Town have signed a letter of intent agreeing to loan funds necessary for the completion of the Airport Terminal up to $1,800,000. The airport is scheduled to be closed to all flights starting May 19th so that construction can commence on the resurfacing of the runway, a contract that has been awarded to Qualcom Construction.

It was also reported that there were no negative comments to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) relating to the reinstatement of commercial air service and that a Record of Decision is expected on May 17th.

Horizon Air has signed a letter of intent to bring flights to Mammoth and is expected to be in Mammoth today and tomorrow in order to inspect the layout of the Mammoth Yosemite Airport.

The Airport Commission and Town Council seem to be confident that 2008 will be the year for Commercial Air Service here in Mammoth!

Mammoth Real Estate Deals of the Month

It's time to update you on the best real estate deals on the market right now up here in Mammoth Lakes, CA (these are not our listings - just ones we think are very well priced):

• $270,000 - Hidden Valley studio+loft / 2 bathroom condo located right below the Ritz-Carlton site near The Village. $95,000 below peak pricing* (-26%). Another Hidden Valley is listed for $289,000.
• $359,500 - Juniper Springs Lodge 1 bed / 1 bath ski-in/ski-out location. 2nd floor condo listed for $76,400 below peak pricing (17.5%).
• $475,000 - Snowcreek V. 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom out in the meadow. $117,500 below peak pricing (-19.9%).
• $749,000 - Snowcreek V. 3 bedroom / 3 bathroom / 1-car garage on the perimeter of complex with great view. $153,00 below peak pricing(-17%).
• $1,995,000 - Bluffs Home. 5 bedrooms / 4.5 bathrooms / 3-car garage / 0.5 acre in exclusive Bluffs neighborhood at the end of Old Mammoth Rd. Call for info on how low this seller will go and for the possibility of owner financing at below-market terms. On a $/sqft basis, this is listed for 12% below peak levels.

*Peak pricing was established in late 2005 and early 2006 when prices were at their highest.

Honorable Mentions:

• $770,000 - The Pointe. 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms + 2-car garage at the point created by the curved intersection of Chateau Rd and Minaret. Great views and great floorplan. Listed $40,000 below peak pricing (-5%) but the seller is extremely motivated and will most likely drop a few more tens of thousands.
• $530,000 - Sunstone 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms ski-in/ski-out. This sold in Jan '08 for $180,000 less than peak pricing (-25.3%) but was a floor lower, so it is more like $150,000 below peak pricing (21.1%).

Foreclosure Update:
There has been a lull in our foreclosure market, probably due to the 30-day freeze the government put on all foreclosures. But in the next few weeks we will have at least 3 condo foreclosures to post on our foreclosure website (http://www.mammothlakesforeclosures.com/). Two of them are 'kinda' listed with out of area brokerages who have not put them in our MLS nor advertsied them. These banks are doing themselves a disservice when they punch in our zip code and see that Fresno is the closest big city (as the crow flies, but not as a BMW drives). Anyway, our RE/MAX of Mammoth REO Department research has found the following:

• MountainBack 2 bedroom + loft / 2 bathroom for ~$489,000 (north facing, average condition)
• GreyEagle 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom / garage. We don't know the price.
• The Village at Mammoth 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom. This one should be listed with RE/MAX in a few weeks and we do not know the price yet.

Call us or email us with any interest or questions.

Response to LA Times article, "Mammoth bets on the jet set"

The LA Times posted an article last night on their website that may be printed in tomorrow's Business section. It is titled, "Mammoth bets on the jet set" claiming that the newly opened Westin and the newly proposed Ritz-Carlton will have us ready to 'celebrate.' The link to the article is here: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-re-mammoth2mar02,1,6674535,full.story. It is great to see increased awareness about Mammoth, however we would like to share our thoughts and clarify/correct a few things the author writes.

• "In 2007, 278 condos sold, 22% fewer than the 358 in 2006, according to the Mammoth Lakes Multiple Listing Service." The author probably does not know that these numbers include new development that was presold two years prior (like the Westin), so scrubbing the data reveals that the decrease in sales was more like 49% from '06 to '07. Buyers have really pulled the reins on buying and are waiting for the 'bottom' of the market, which no one can predict. We think it is better to buy now, slightly before the bottom, when depreciation is slower, than during the rebound when the appreciation rate is typically steeper.
• "The mortgage meltdown has exacerbated the vacation-home slowdown. Owners tend to sell second homes before shedding their principal ones when the going gets rough financially, so resorts have more inventory than usual." This may be true with other resorts, but Mammoth property owners tend to be stronger financially (coming in with larger down payments, 1031 Exchange money or all cash) and hold on to their properties for longer rather than selling. That being said, the few owners who are in financial trouble have starkly lowered asking prices, making it easier to see what the good deals are. Our inventory has doubled since the peak of the market in late '05/early '06, but our population of properties has also increased in that time with the Westin, Lodges, Stonegate and other new projects.
• "He attributes the [long term rental market] slowdown to the state's economic turbulence." We attribute it to the massive exodus of construction workers who have been in Mammoth building the Intrawest projects for the last handful of years and to the increase in affordable housing projects that our town has built in the last few years. If anything, any local economic turbulence would tend to help the long term rental market as would-be buyers rent instead of buy and troubled sellers who dump their properties now have to rent.
• "On the brighter side, nightly rentals are up 40% from last year" Well, yes, because last year we had 231" of snow and this year we already have 331". But are rentals up over the big winters of 04/05 and 05/06? We are snow farmers up here and last year's 'crop' was well below average.
• "The airport could draw a big range of folks to Mammoth...beyond the drivers' market from Southern California." This, we agree with. With the Westin coming online a few months ago, we are already getting visitors from the east coast who are using their Starwood points and checking out Mammoth. As long as marketing is done appropriately and intelligently when the flights start to happen (i.e. we don't want to mislead people into thinking Mammoth is anything like Aspen/Vail), I think we can attract visitors who normally might fly to Colorado resorts. It will also make Mammoth that much more accessible for Europeans who have already found Mammoth to be worth the trek overseas (typically arriving via LAX or Reno and then having a 3-6 hour car/bus ride)
• Ritz-Carlton: The sales team needs to get 60 units into escrow by mid-May in order to begin building the project - it will be interesting to see if they can pre-sell enough units at the prices that they are asking.
• Summer is not "the slowest time of the market" here. We have slightly more visitors in summer than we do in winter and we typically sell more real estate than in winter.
  

In summary, sales of Mammoth real estate is slow, but opportunities exist. I just helped a couple with 2 young ski-age kids get into their first vacation home on their middle income salaries. They paid 25% less than the neighboring condo that sold at the peak. They are okay with a possible initial slide in value because they are buying for the long term and for the memories they will create with their kids that will last a lifetime. -DC & TP

Conforming Loan limit may increase

The following is taken from en email sent to me yesterday by Margot Zen at Diversified Mortgage here in Mammoth Lakes. She is one of the few lenders I recommend to my buyers because she and her staff work quickly, are very knowledgable and communicate well with my clients:

"I wanted to update you on some pending federal legislation that could have a HUGE positive impact for us who do business in more expensive areas. The federal government has put together an "Economic Stimulation Package." It has already passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. One of the areas that I am most excited about is they are proposing to raise the CONFORMING loan amount for high cost areas, such as ours, to above the current $417,000 limit.

They are proposing to increase that limit for a 12 month period to as high as $750,000. What does this mean to us?

It means our clients who are on the fence about purchasing property where they need a loan above the $417,000 limit will be able to get a loan at a much more affordable rate. (The difference between the interest rate on a conforming and a jumbo loan today are 5.48% vs 6.71%, which is a pretty big difference). If this passes the senate, we could see it go into affect as soon as mid February."

As an example of the effect this may have, let's hypothetically 'buy' a 2bd/2bath ski-in/ski-out condo at the Bridges for $700,000 (there is one on the market for $749,000). With a 10% down payment and a Jumbo loan at the rates Margot mentions (6.71%), the monthly payments would be $4,069. If the loan were instead considered conforming and rates were only 5.48%, the monthly payments would drop to $3,569, a savings of $500/month (or $6,000 per year).

It will be interesting to see if buyer activity increases if/when the conforming limits are raised. And, of course, refinance activity should increase from current owners with loan amounts between $417,000 and $750,000.

Sellers better not raise their prices artificially to take advantage of this demand-side advantage. I also predict that the spread will not be as much if/when the limits are raised. As my grandfather once said, "Nothing is ever as good or as bad as they first seem."

Margot can be emailed at margotzen@dmortgage.biz.

The Night of Lights makes an explosive return to Mammoth!

If you weren’t able to attend last week’s Night of Lights here at Mammoth Mountain, California, then you’d better make sure and put it on your calendar for next year! The event was resurrected from its last showing over 10 years ago and relocated to Canyon Lodge in order to provide easier access to any and all that were interested. Adults, children and babies alike were able to access Canyon from all avenues including the Village Gondola, the bus system and just taking a short walk from their home or car. I think it’s safe to say it was a huge success!

It was truly an incredible evening! It began with an amazing Snowmobile demo show featuring X-games athletes pulling off full 360 degree back flips like they were nothing! The crowd exploded with applause, hoots and hollers after each amazing stunt. After the demo was complete, the torch light parade began with Chairs 8, 16 and 22 being lit up in red flares. Then the succession of torch carriers inched down the mountain, finally forming a large “M” for all to see. Mother Nature cooperated by providing a bright crescent moon that just happened to line up perfectly over Lincoln Mountain and Chair 22. Then the fireworks began! It was definitely the most incredibly choreographed fireworks show that I’ve ever seen with music including the songs of U2, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith, just to name a few. Most definitely a night to remember!

Were you there?? Let us know what you think.

-TLP

Mammoth Real Estate Inventory drops overnight

From December 31st, 2007 to January 1st, 2008 the Mammoth real estate inventory dropped 11% overnight! There were 474 condos, homes, lots and commercial listings in Mammoth Lakes, CA, at the end of 2007 and only 422 the next day.

What happened was that many listings were set to expire on 12-31-07 and they have not been renewed (I was waiting to see if any had been relisted, but as of today we still have only 424 listings). And this decrease was not a result of a buying spree over New Year's. The only other time in the last 5 New Year's Eves that this has happened was '04/'05 when inventory dropped 8% but climbed back up within one month.


What this is doing is weeding out the non-committed sellers; "Oh well, my condo didn't sell, so we'll just let it expire and wait until the market gets better." This will help simplify choices for buyers.

The chart above include what I like to call the pink stale market indicator line. Hot markets usually clear out inventory and slow markets have lots of inventory that sit on the market for a long time. This quick clearing of some of our inventory may help quicken things up. BUT the whole credit crunch phenomenon is a new dynamic that has shrunk the pool of prospective buyers this time around. Sellers need to know that their target market has dwindled because buyers' lenders are requiring more documentation of income and more money down (i.e. 40% down payment for the new Westin Monache!)


The good news for sellers is that there is recent evidence of pent-up demand for Mammoth real estate. I listed a foreclosure (see MammothLakesForeclosures.com) last Friday and had 5 offers by Monday morning with 4 more on the way before the bank accepted one of the offers. An associate of mine also listed a foreclosure last week and put it into escrow on Monday. The interest generated by these two listings was encouraging. The prices were good on these listings, but they were not given away by the banks for pennies. I think these foreclosures and other recent distress sales are slowly showing sellers where their prices need to be in order to sell. Whether they heed this downward price pressure or just let their listings expire without selling is telling of just how motivated they truly are. -DC

The Ritz-Carlton is coming to Mammoth Lakes

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES

MAMMOTH

After much anticipation and speculation as to whether or not it would happen, the Ritz-Carlton is now officially scheduled to take its place in Mammoth. Just yesterday we were presented with the initial roll-out of the extensive marketing campaign that is set to unfold over the next few months. Unlike past campaigns, which have focused primarily on Southern California, this one is supposed to be far reaching, including Dallas, TX, and Vancouver, Canada.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences will be located adjacent to the existing Westin Monache, just across from the Village gondola. All concierge and full-service amenities imaginable will be offered. Plans are in place (pending CalTrans approval) to build a pedestrian bridge over Canyon Blvd that would service both the Ritz and the Westin. With completion scheduled for the end of 2010, timing could be good in relation to anticipated air service.

We were told that floor plans will range from approximately 1,200 to over 5,000 square feet. Pricing is supposed to start at about $1,400,000 and go to over $6,000,000. This will be an entirely new level of development for Mammoth.

The “homes”, as they are to be called, will be sold using a reservation program, similar to what has been used in the past by Intrawest for all of their projects. Reservations are $10,000, fully refundable, and will be accepted starting January 30th. The actual sales date is scheduled for the end of April.

Please feel free to contact us should you like more information on THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES, MAMMOTH.

Blizzard coming to Mammoth Lakes, CA

Blizzard Coming to Mammoth Lakes!!


There is much anticipation in town today following yesterday's announcement of a blizzard warning coming for tomorrow, Friday, January 4th. Locals are getting reverse-911 calls from the Mono County Office of Emergency Services warning that travel is not recommended, we should all have provisions to last us 72 hours, there may be power outages, and to stay tuned to the radio for weather updates.


Upon this news spreading, everyone flocked to our only grocery store, Vons. My wife went last night at 7:30pm and saw lines to the back of the store. I just went at 10:15am this morning to take these pictures:


[Bread aisle at Vons]


[Water aisle]



But good news, Vons is being re-stocked as I write this and folks are adjusting travel plans accordingly. We are preparing for cell phones and internet to be down. If you need to reach me regarding real estate, try my or my partner's email and phone (click here for the Contact Us page of our website), but if you don't get through, just wait until the storm passes on Saturday midday. Let's hope no one gets hurt and that our mountains get the 5-10 feet of snow that is predicted! Good luck to SoCal as well, with the flooding predicted and the burn areas getting soaked.


Taken from the NOAA.gov website just now, "Blizzard warning from 4 AM Friday to 10 AM Saturday...A major winter storm developing in the Pacific will reach the Sierra and western Nevada on Friday. Cold air from a low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska will combine with a plume of subtropical moisture [the famed pineapple connection!] to produce very large snow accumulations between Friday morning and Saturday morning in the Sierra...Winds will increase to 80 to 100 MPH with gusts near 145 mph"


Those of you who own property here but who are out of town, make sure to ask your property managers to pull in any furniture from your deck/balcony. If your roof does not shed snow easily, ask your property manager if it needs to be shoveled after the storm. Be prepared for large snowdrifts to accumulate on the leeward side of buildings (usually the northeast corner, since the winds prevail from the southwest).