BY NICOLE FORMOSA
December 3, 2004
 

Jeff DePaola enjoys the Summit County lifestyle so much, he not only bought a vacation home here, but decided to start up his own business as well.

He had worked in real estate at Keystone for four or five years, along with sustaining his Colorado Front Range real estate business, before he decided he could compete with the resorts by charging owners less to rent their places out.

About two months ago, he launched Rocky Mountain Resort Management and already has about 50 properties under his belt.

Similar to many Summit County part-timers, DePaola is an avid skier and has been seeking sweet spots on the slopes since he was 3 years old.

Depaola is now married with a 10-year-old daughter, who's also been skiing since she was 3 years old.

So, purchasing a second home in the High Country was a natural move, but timing is everything.

How did you discover Summit County?

DePaola moved to Colorado from Cape Cod in 1987 to attend college at CU Boulder and ended up finishing at Denver University.

He began skiing in Summit County during the winter of 1987-1988 and hasn't stopped since.

Why did you decide to buy a home in Keystone?

"Mainly because it's so close to home. It takes me an hour and 15 minutes to get to Keystone from my front door. Also, before my dad passed away he spent three months of every year in Dillon, so I became familiar with Keystone when I was skiing with him."

He added that Vail was out of the question because he didn't want to have to drive over two passes to reach the slopes.



What activities do you and your family enjoy in Summit County?

"Summit County has so much more to offer in the summer than in the wintertime.

"You can ski, snowmobile and sled in the winter, but in the summer, there are so many more activities, it's a matter of time before Summit County becomes a true year round vacation spot.  Rocky Mountain Resort Management is working towards making that a reality"

Nevertheless, DePaola can't forget his skiing roots and proclaimed winter as his favorite season here, although he admitted summer is equally as enjoyable.

How often do you visit Summit County?

"About once a week. Let's put it this way, I just got back last night after spending three days (in Summit County)."

Jeff proudly said that he has already logged six or seven days on the hill this season.