The 2015 Durango Home and Ranch Show, held last weekend at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, drew about 2,500 attendees during the two-day exposition.
They came to see the more than 100 vendors offering everything from tile to solar installations to custom gates for luxury homes.
The Home and Ranch Show came amid signs of a busy summer for real estate. Transactions for county homes jumped 12 percent in the first quarter, compared with the same period in 2014. The median sales price rose 13 percent to $342,500.
Prices of in-town Durango homes jumped 16 percent to $425,000. Transactions slipped by two, which real-estate agents attributed to tight inventory in Durango.
Many of the Home and Ranch Show vendors are in businesses that do well when real estate does well. Vendors interviewed after the show said business is on par with 2014 or better.
Mike Ellis, who runs business operations for Shaw Solar, said solar installers are expecting another busy year, thanks in part to a continuing federal tax credit for up to 30 percent of an installation’s cost.
“Solar hasn’t necessarily been linked directly to the real estate market, but certainly they tend to trend together,” he said.
Ellis said more architects and builders are coming into Shaw Solar seeking to integrate solar systems into their projects from the beginning.
Local solar installers attract both environmentally conscious and cost-conscious customers, Ellis said.
“We get equal amounts of greenies and people who are very financially conscious.”
Building permits are up, an encouraging sign for home builders.
“That means people are committed and they’re moving forward,” said Jared Ogden, owner of Black Canyon Builders.
Ogden is busy with remodels in Durango. One is a historic home in west Durango. Another home is in Crestview and another is north of 32nd Street. Ogden said there’s no common thread to the projects.
“Each client is different,” he said.
Bayfield Gardens is in its busy spring season. The local nursery just opened a satellite nursery in the Centennial Center parking lot in Bodo Industrial Park.
“We’re feeling very optimistic,” said Kathy Mathers, who owns Bayfield Gardens with her husband, Ernie.
New to the Home and Ranch Show this year were two RV dealers – Chisolm Trail RV of Aztec and Transwest Truck Trailer RV of Grand Junction.
The Durango Home and Ranch Show is put on by Four Corners Expos, which is owned by Ballantine Communications Inc., parent company of The Durango Herald.