Town of Vail, Eagle County form The Valley Home Store partnership

Eagle County residents looking for affordable housing within the Town of Vail will now use The Valley Home Store to find information on the town’s housing program.

Community members can access The Valley Home Store services online at valleyhomestore.org, or by calling 970-328-8776, or in person at the Miller Ranch Community Center, located at 25 Mill Loft Road in Edwards.

An agreement between the Town of Vail and the Eagle County Housing and Development Authority to consolidate some housing services was finalized last week.

Officials from both organizations say The Valley Home Store partnership speaks to the regional approach the two governments are taking to address a countywide issue.

The Valley Home Store agreement includes the following scope of services for buyers and owners of Town of Vail housing units:

• Assist sellers, buyers, lenders and appraisers through the process of deed restricted transactions including all aspects of sales, from listing through closing of the unit ensuring compliance.
• Manage the town’s lottery process, including collecting and scoring the lottery applications.
• Serve as a resource to Town of Vail and consumers regarding the town’s affordable housing program.

The Valley Home Store is a multi-jurisdictional housing management organization formed in 2008. The purpose of the organization is to provide a one-stop shop for affordable housing programs in the Eagle Valley, thereby eliminating confusion, duplication of services and cost inefficiencies.

In addition to the Town of Vail’s program, The Valley Home Store manages and administers eight deed restriction programs on behalf of Eagle County Government, the Town of Eagle, and the Eagle Ranch Housing Corporation.

The The Valley Home Store also provides free first time home buyer education classes, foreclosure prevention or mitigation counseling, and down payment assistance programs, and serves as a rental resource for the community.

For more information on The Valley Home Store, contact Eagle County Housing Director Jill Klosterman at 970-328-8773 or Town of Vail Community Development Director George Ruther at 970-479-2145.