When the Estes Valley Board of REALTORS® met last week for an Italian themed dinner – a Night in Capri, at Mama Rose’s – they not only installed their new slate of officers, but auctioneer Jeff Sweeney helped the group pony up about $10,000 for Estes Valley Crisis Advocates, an organization hit hard two years in a row by federal cuts to domestic violence and crime victim programs.
Chartered as the Estes Park Board of REALTORS® in 1971 from the National Association of REALTORS®, the organization changed its name in 2017 to the Estes Valley Board of REALTORS®.
Today, the Board has 67 primary members, in addition to 33 affiliate members, including escrow and title companies, appraisers, banks, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, photographers, contractors, fire mitigation experts, cleaners, carpet care companies, and other professionals.
Real estate — residential, commercial, and vacant land – is a major economic sector in the Estes Valley that accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and drives jobs and revenues in related businesses, explained Stacy Huyler-Fisher, the association executive with the EVBOR. Since January, 201 detached residential homes have been sold in the Estes Valley with a median sale price of $742,500.
As a trade association, the boards of realtors on the local, state, and federal levels advocate for property rights, said Huyler-Fisher.
One example is advocacy to protect the 1031 exchange provision in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that allows for the deferral of capital gains taxes when selling a business or investment property, said Huyler-Fisher. Personal property is no longer eligible for this tax provision.
On the national level, the National Association of Realtors is involved in advocacy during the government shutdown for homeowners related to the National Flood Insurance Program, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency manages, explained Huyler-Fisher.
For the past three weeks, FEMA has not issued new policies, as the agency cannot do so until it is reauthorized by Congress, resulting in delays for many homebuyers who require flood insurance to obtain a mortgage.
Over the past five decades, the Estes Valley has experienced several notable floods, including the 1976 Big Thompson Canyon flood, the 1982 Lawn Lake Dam failure, which sent water through downtown Estes Park, and the 2013 flood that occurred after 30 hours of rainfall.
In the Centennial State, the Colorado Association of REALTORS advocates for the private property rights of homeowners, focusing on issues of affordability and availability, particularly related to homeowner insurance. This insurance has become more expensive due to premium increases resulting from inflation, natural disasters, and high-risk factors such as wildfire exposure.
The local EVBOR selected Becky Robbins to serve as the 2026 president, thanked Nicole White as its outgoing 2025 president, and honored Gracie Rice as the rookie of the year and Breeyan Edwards as the 2025 Realtor of the Year.