Buying a house you intend to rent out is very different than buying one you plan to live in, points out the Whole Management team. This is especially the case if you’re planning on making it a vacation rental. You are not buying for yourself, so all the usual criteria you would use to judge a home no longer stand. So, how do you know you are investing in a property people will want to spend their vacations in? Research Local Tourism  Look for areas that are popular hubs for vacation rentals and tourists due to their wealth of attractions and activities–perhaps a property near the Denver... Read More

If you have lived in Boulder long enough, you have probably noticed climbers with their callused hands and their chalk-covered capris. You can witness climbers in their natural environment at any one of the six climbing gyms in Boulder, or meandering through the prepared foods section in WholeFoods for a post-workout meal. More commonly though, climbers embark on migrations to outdoor challenges, whether that means the thousand feet of climbing up the Flatirons, or the granite boulders in Rocky Mountain National Park, or the day-long climb up The Diamond on Longs Peak. However, long before protein... Read More

You owe it to yourself to gaze upon the beautiful landscape around Boulder, and the best way to do that is to start exploring some trails. Marshall Mesa Loop Marshall Mesa Loop is a great hiking trail to start with. It’s an easy hike, only 3.3 miles, and it gives you a brilliant view of the Flatirons. This is the kind of trail that you would see on a postcard and say, “Wow, this looks like a pretty cool place, I would probably enjoy walking around there.” This is also a dog-friendly trail, so your four-legged companion can also join you on your outing here. The trail also has seen its fair... Read More

Imagine, getting back from a long day in Denver. It’s cold, it’s dark, and there’s some minor evening traffic. Then, you ascend the final hill towards Boulder, and you’re greeted by the bright shape of a star on the mountains. That’s the moment I wait for every November. During Veteran’s Day last week, the star began its annual winter residency in Boulder. The star is an important symbol, and no Boulder winter is complete without the giant glowing shape on Flagstaff Mountain. It provides a little extra light in a season when days are shorter and nights... Read More

Despite winter approaching, there will still be many beautiful days for hiking. While you may not be ready for a winter Fourteener, I think you can definitely summit some of these super close beautiful mountains with amazing views. Just be sure to bring your crampons! Although some of these trails at the right time you may not need the crampons. My list gets progressively harder, so start at the top and climb your way up to the tops of those mountains first. 1. Bald Mountain, 1.5 miles one way: From Boulder, head west on Mapleton and on up about 7 miles on Sunshine Canyon. The small Boulder County... Read More

Living in Boulder has countless benefits. There is a coffee shop, trail run, or climbing gym on every corner, but most importantly, the Front Range is littered with boulders and sport crags. If you’ve only got an afternoon to spend climbing, there are a handful of spots within a fifteen-minute drive or short hike. The list here is certainly not exhaustive, but these three locations have some great rock and quality lines. Flagstaff Flagstaff is an epicenter for bouldering. Some love it, some hate it, but if you are looking for roadside boulders, this is the place to go. The rough granite at... Read More

The Flagstaff House was originally built as a summer cabin in 1929 by Chicago schoolteacher Hattie Bilchert. In 1937 park ranger Joe van Gorder bought the cabin as a place to host special events. Later in 1954 the Buelkes family purchased the property, coined it “The Flagstaff House,” and re-established it as an elegant summer restaurant. When the Flagstaff House next became available for purchase Don Monette jumped at the opportunity. He had always wanted to own just one restaurant that was truly “fine dining” and to be able to concentrate on making it an incredible experience for our... Read More

Sometimes, getting lost leads to finding your new favorite trail. Sometimes, getting lost even leads to finding two of your new favorite trails. That’s precisely what happened last weekend, when my roommate and I stumbled upon some beautiful trails at the end of Flagstaff road. The first area we stopped to see was the Walker Ranch area. It was a pretty dry, expansive fields were filled with the charred remains of trees. A fire had struck Walker Ranch back in 2000, and it’s fascinating to look at how nature has rebuilt itself, While the area looks bleak, it’s also quite... Read More

A half inch of snow blanketed northern Colorado on Thursday last week, with eleven days of summer left after it. Last time I checked, it typically isn’t supposed to snow in the summer. Colorado has always been known to have sporadic weather patterns, and with climate change at hand, it’s only bound to be more sporadic in the coming months. This is far from a bad thing, however. Winter, how do I love thee? Let me count thy ways…   1. Tis’ the Season to Ski and Ride.  When someone asks a Coloradan what the best winter activity is, they’re probably going to... Read More