New Business' in Durango's Downtown

As many of you know, the Durango City Council has seen fit to appoint me to the Business Improvement District (BID) Board. We were originally charged with trying to get a Convention Center into downtown Durango (an idea that is currently being brought back to life) and morphed into being an advocate of Durango's biggest asset - its downtown businesses! The BID does a lot of marketing for both Downtown and Uptown (N. Main) Durango as well as promote many of Durango's most coveted events.

One thing that is always exciting is to watch new businesses open in the District. Some new ones include:

11th Street Station. 1101 Main Ave. We are excited for this new concept for downtown Durango - maybe aa little taste of the best of Austin, Texas - food trucks! Centered around a hip new bar and anchored by a handful of food trucks this is exciting. Flavors allegedly included Indonesian, sushi, sliders and soups, wood-fired Pizza and tacos. The Wisner's, Marcos and Jaime, have a cool looking place coming later this month.

Animas Chocolate Factory - 920 Main Ave. IF you haven't been to their old location on North Main then head down to the new digs. Marc and Carly have expanded again and now live downtown where we would expect them to thrive yet again. Word on the street is that they are open. You can sample the good while watching the chocolate making processes before your eyes. Yum. We've gotten their amazing hot chocolate for client parties in the past. Try it.

Fired-Up has moved next door and completed their rooftop patio. Downtown and Uptown Durango, in my humble opinion, should be littered with rooftop restaurant bars and restaurants. How better to soak up the amazing views that surround our little paradise than on the roof of your favorite eatery?! These guys are opening up a new Taco Restaurant in the old space next door - sure to be as tasty as the uber-popular Fired Up

Have you heard about the new Pop Sushi? This is out by Bread where Bent and then Plate were located. This place is being opended by the folks from Rice Monkeys. Asian Tapas. Sounds amazing! Not sure what Izakaya-inspired means but happy to go learn. This one isn't in the BIF but we wanted to give them a shout out anyway.

Tim and Becky from Zia are at it again....they are building a new location across the street from their current digs Uptown. The new building will feature a rooftop bar (yes!) and will be called Zia Cantina. Super excited for this new Uptown offereing. The new Rock Lounge (climbing gym - formerly my own Animas City Rock we opened in the late 90's) will open across the street too.

NEw doughnuts at the old 5th Street Eatery. Macho's is opening an upscale Mexican Restaurant at the old Lost Dog location. Super excited for some new new in Durango eats!!!

Search Durango area Real Estate with The Sebastian Group here.

- Author Sebastian Hartley is a BID Board Member, top-area Realtor and investor at Keller Williams Realty at 700 Main Avenue. He is a business coach and huge Durango advocate. Text KWDurango to 87778 to download his Free Mobile Real Estate app to your smartphone.

Actually, NOW is the time to list your Durango area property!

Fall is upon us, and with it the end of the high season for real estate.  However, if you're thinking you've missed your chance to sell your home, let me reassure you. This autumn actually presents a fantastic moment to sell. Here's why:

First off, housing inventory is still incredibly low.  In fact, according to data from the Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors, inventory remains well below historic averages, and is 50% less than the peak in 2006.  In addition, the recent slump in new construction means demand for existing homes will stay high in the near future.

Second, while mortgage rates also remain very low, recent announcements by the Federal Reserve might cause them to finally start rising. This would make mortgages less affordable and might turn away a significant number of potential buyers. This is even more of a concern when you consider the continuing growth of home prices—6.9% in the last year alone.

Third, contrary to conventional wisdom, fall is generally a great time to list your home.  Buyers in the fall are likely to be more serious because they have probably been searching for months without success.  Also, because fewer homes are listed in the fall, this means there's even less competition than we’ve seen due to the general low inventory.  So what do you get when you put all those things together?  Well, if you were to list your home now, chances are good that you would be able to sell it very easily and for a top price. On the other hand, if you decide to wait, the situation might not be as favorable because mortgage rates might rise or because new construction might pick up. That means the time to list your home is now.

Click here to search the Durango area or for a value on your home.