Steamboat Springs Sees Spike in People Relocating for Outdoor Lifestyle and Rural Living
Olan and Micha Kenneally came to visit Olan’s cousin in Steamboat Springs for two weeks as the pandemic was just starting. The San Francisco based couple left three months later. “We absolutely fell in love with the place; it’s such a lovely community,” Olan said. When state laws allowed Realtors® to show homes again, the outdoor-loving Kenneallys found a property in the Sanctuary neighborhood, which they bought in anticipation of relocating to Steamboat permanently. Olan is a Business and Technology Consultant with the benefit of being location neutral. “I can travel easily from Steamboat when I need to and we get to enjoy all of the things that we love straight out the back door.”
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that one in five U.S. adults said they either changed their residence due to the pandemic or know someone who did. Home search internet portals show that page views of homes in towns with less than 50,000 people were up 87% year-over-year. “More people than ever are taking the plunge and moving from crowded cities to more rural areas with more space. So many people have dreamed of making this move and COVID has served as the impetus to make those dreams a reality,” said Steve Goldman, CEO of Colorado Group Realty.
Denver-based couple Kim and Scott Ray saw their chance to move to Steamboat when Kim was offered an opportunity to telework in March. “We were originally looking for something bigger with office space for both of us,” Kim said. “We ended up making choices based on available inventory that gave us easy access to town, mountain views and a yard.”
The Pandemic Induced Surge in Demand isn’t Making Finding a Home in Routt County Easy
In Routt County, the average home price was up 13% year-over-year in August but inventory has dropped 48%. Stephanie and Jeff Rodriguez had been frequent visitors to Steamboat for years. “We found that more often than not we didn’t want to leave,” Jeff said. Their property search began pre-COVID and escalated in light of the pandemic. This summer they moved into a new home in Silver Spur with their two children. “We were ready for a different pace of life and we found it in Steamboat.” Search for your dream home here.
