The mountain real estate scene in Colorado does not always mirror what’s going on in the Denver metro area, but in 2020 it absolutely is. As more and more people are discovering they can work remotely, Colorado’s mountain towns are experiencing high home prices and the pains of low housing inventory just as much as we are in the city.

Buyers started scoping out mountain retreats in June and July and then pounced in the autumn months. September sales volume in Pitkin County, for example, was up 458% from September 2019. October in Eagle County saw sales climb 230% from the previous year. Routt County’s October was up 122%. San Miguel County’s October was up 131%. According to the Colorado Association of Realtors, the demographics of buyers in counties nearer to metro Denver is shifting, too. Eagle, Grand, Routt and Summit counties have the highest percentage of Front Range buyers in 2020 on record.

Pitkin County, home to some of the most expensive real estate in Colorado, recorded 268 sales over $2 million through September 2020. The number of deals for homes worth $10 million or more is up four times over the same period last year. Through September, sales volume reached $2.4 billion, up more than 30% over all of 2019’s sales.

Eagle County logged 297 sales of properties for more than $2 million through October. That includes 62 sales of homes for more than $5 million, totaling $607.6 million. The sales this year in Vail Village, where there are three properties for sale priced higher than $30 million, include four homes for more than $20 million. Total sales in Eagle County through October reached $2.6 billion, eclipsing last year’s record finish.

If becoming a homeowner in 2021 is on your list of resolutions, be it in town or in the high country, give Metrowest a shout. Having an experienced pro on your side is the first step in going from home buyer to homeowner.