Scroll down each page that opens to see everything. Further down are details about the home and its neighborhood in the owners own words.

Scroll down for two more views of the Great Room. Click on a photo to visit the two bedrooms on this main level.

Click on photo to visit the two bedrooms on this main level. Scroll down for details about the home and its neighborhood.

This unique log home was hand crafted in 1999 by Ken Bruton using locally harvested timber. Ken has lived in the immediate area
since the 1960s and is still its primary caretaker. The home is designed to be a joy for groups and families with lots of room to spread
out and revel in the surroundings. Plumbing is all set towards the middle of the home. According to the owner, "the home can be
closed down in the winter with only the utility room needing to be heated." "The wrap-around deck is a fabulous place to relax
and enjoy the view of the lake, the aspen grove behind the house and keep an eye out for moose walking through.
We put out tables, chairs, hammocks and gliders that are used regularly in the summer."

"The home is all electric heat (there is no natural gas utility available), served by Mountain Parks Electric. The wood stove
easily heats the entire main level and there are fans in each bedroom that draw warm air from the great room to balance the heat.
Water is provided by a community well that serves seven houses. Maintenance of the well system is included in the home owner dues
(i.e. there is no additional charge for water). The home is connected to the public sewer system provided by Three Lakes Sanitation District. 
The current cost of the sewer is $28/month."

"I (Ed) built nearly all the furniture in the home. We are offering the home for sale fully furnished, except for the china hutch in the corner
of the Great Room, which we intend to keep. Also, the outdoor furniture, the pedal boat and aluminum canoe will be included in the sale of the home."

"About the neighborhood:
The home is part of Sun Valley Ranch Estates and the Sun Valley Ranch Home Owners Association (SVRHOA) is comprised of eight houses -
six houses in a row along the lake, the two story house in the middle of the yard and the large, two-story house on the south side of the lake closer to the dam.
The SVRHOA is governed by a board of directors, with all eight homeowners serving on the board. Association dues are currently $139/month and services
include snow plowing, maintenance of the water system and general maintenance of the property.
Ken and Shawn Bruton serve as the on-site property managers for the SVRHOA."

"Ken and Shawn own the home near the corral and the open meadow to the south. While this property is not part of the SVRHOA,
it is part of the entire planned unit development that includes SVR Estates. This meadow is dedicated open space and is restricted
from any further development. The Brutons graze horses in the meadow and it provides a beautiful, pastoral view. Elk often graze
in the meadow in the springtime and moose are frequent visitors to the neighborhood all summer."

"The common area owned by the SVRHOA includes the playground area in the middle of the circle drive, the large BBQ pit and fire ring
by the meadow, part of the shoreline behind the houses and the dock. The playground is hugely popular with smaller children and it's very
easy to keep your eye on them right from our home. The fire ring is a great spot in the summertime to enjoy a campfire and meet some of
the other guests that are staying. The BBQ pit is available for your use and is a great venue for a cookout, particularly for a larger group.
There's also a horse shoe pit next to the BBQ area for everyone's use."

"The deeded property associated with each home is limited to the area immediately surrounding the home. In September 2012, the SVRHOA
filed an "amended plat" with the county that extends the building footprint associated with each home, largely in order to allow some homeowners
to build decks on the back of their property. For our property, this extended area includes an additional eight feet in front of the home and sixteen feet
behind the home. Therefore, it's possible that a planter box or deck could be built in front of the home and the rear deck and/or concrete slab could be
extended up to an additional 16 feet (basically encompassing the existing flagstone patio)."

"The SVRHOA also owns a strip of land across the county road where you will notice a row of garages (more on the garages follows).
This strip is some 40' wide and runs from the road all the way to the Colorado River. Therefore, there is direct access to the river from
the neighborhood by means of this 40' strip of property. It's a beautiful spot to take a chair and watch the beauty of the river as it flows
quietly past. It also provides access to the fisherman who wishes to throw in a line or wade into the river to do some fly fishing.
This strip of property also provides direct access in the winter for snowshoeing or cross country skiing on the trail on the east side of the river,
 inside Rocky Mountain National Park. As an alternative, this trail can be accessed just down the road at the bridge crossing the river.
It's a beautiful hike, summer and winter, which you can take right from your front door."

"About the garages:
You will notice a row of garages just on the other side of the road. The property is zoned and approved for a row of garages that allows each
of the eight owners of the SVRHOA the opportunity to build a double-car garage. With the filing of the amended plat in the fall of 2012,
each of these garage spaces becomes part of the deeded property associated with the house. Currently, four of the eight homeowners have built
garages on their respective spots. ... Our garage was built in December of 2009 and serves as a great location for boats, ATVs, additional storage area, etc.
There is no cost associated with the garage (the tiny electric bill is paid by the SVRHOA)."

"About the lake:
Sun Valley Lake is a precious gem, enjoyed by the numerous families that are fortunate to have houses on the lake. It is for paddle craft only
(no motors of any kind allowed) and is a beautiful spot for a canoe or pedal-boat ride. The lake is managed by the Sun Valley Lake Improvement
Association, comprised of some 40 members that have property on or near the lake and that have legal access to the lake (it's not open to the public).
The association is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The association provides maintenance for the lake, such as weed control, and stocks
the lake with fish each spring. Fishing is catch and release or "catch and eat" only - meaning, it's OK to catch a few fish for dinner but filling a cooler
full of fish to take home with you is greatly discouraged. Annual dues are voluntary (but expected) and currently are $350 per year. A Colorado fishing
license is NOT required but the association issues fishing "permits" each year and it is requested that owners and their guests display these permits
in order to restrict the lake to those that have proper access."

"The association is in the process of procuring water rights currently held by Ken Bruton and Stan Wells, a property owner on the north side of the lake.
The lake is fed by the Dewitt Ditch, which runs from the Colorado River, along the south edge of the neighborhood and into the lake on its south shore.
Water rights flowing through the ditch are owned 1/2 by Ken and 1/2 by Stan. Ken also separately owns certain water storage rights that allows for water
to be stored in the lake. The association is in the process of procuring both a portion of the Dewitt Ditch water rights and the storage rights from Ken and Stan.
Once completed, this will provide better certainty and security for all the homeowners that the lake will remain in its current condition and can be enjoyed
 by all for years to come. Water rights are a complex issue in Colorado and we encourage you to contact one of the board members of the SVLIA for further information."

"About the Grand Lake area:
Perhaps you are very familiar with the Grand Lake area or perhaps you have little familiarity with the area. We won't attempt to repeat here all there is to know
and appreciate about how special a place Grand Lake is. There is plenty of information available from your realtor or from the local visitor's center to assist you
in this regard. We'll take this space to let you know what we've enjoyed about coming up here for the last 20 years. Grand Lake is a laid back place. It's nothing
like Breckenridge, Vail or Beaver Creek - and that's why we chose to build our home here. The village retains its "genuine Colorado" feel with the rustic buildings,
the boardwalk and a slow feel. There are numerous community activities scheduled each year to enjoy - fireworks out over the lake on July 4 and New Year's Eve,
craft festivals, parades, concerts, fishing contests, etc. The local restaurants are a nice change to the typical national chains we frequent in metro Denver and the
quaint shops are always fun to peruse no matter how many times you've been in. The village is just a cool place to visit time and time again."

"Rocky Mountain National park is a special place to enjoy, indeed. Elk and moose are frequently seen in the area in the spring, summer and fall.
Hiking/snow shoeing trails abound...or you can easily mount up for a trail ride. Even though we've been up it dozens of times, we always look forward
to a trip up Trail Ridge Road in the summer - particularly for those out of town friends and family that aren't accustomed to seeing Colorado's high country.
Having the unspoiled beauty of the national park in our backyard has provided many special memories."

"Just to the west of the home is the national forest area, which has miles of trails designed specifically for snow mobiles and ATVs.
Access to the forest trail system is a short walk/drive around the lake on County Road 492.  In the winter, snowmobiles can be rented
right at the trail head from On The Trail Rentals."

"The three big lakes (Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Lake Granby) have much to offer as well. Each summer we have
enjoyed taking a boat out on one or all of the lakes, enjoying some fishing and picnicking and the spectacular scenery that surrounds us."

"About renting the house:
Ever since the home was built we have rented the home on the vacation rental market. Grand Lake is an extremely popular summer vacation designation
and we have had no trouble whatsoever keeping the home rented as much as we wanted to during the summer months. It is ideally suited for 2-3 families
that want to come together for a vacation and we have had guests from all over the country."

We have always handled renting out the home ourselves, instead of employing one of the local property management companies to do it.
Most of our business is generated from our listing on VRBO - Vacation Rentals By Owner. Interested parties find us on the web and email or give us a call
to ask about the property and book a reservation. Sometimes, we come up to spend the night or the weekend and handle the cleaning ourselves and sometimes
we have a professional cleaning service that handles the cleaning for us. The home rents easily at $300 to $350/night during the summer. We try to hold the
group size to 8-10, with a strict maximum of 12 if there are some smaller children. Rental activity is certainly slower during the fall, mostly limited to weekenders
with an occasional group that wants to spend a week. Christmas holiday season is usually rented and you can count on several weekends during the winter to be rented,
if you wish. We're happy to provide you more information about our experience renting out the house; by and large it has been a very positive experience for us."

"This home has been a tremendous blessing to our family and the many families we have had as renter-guests over the years.
If it's the right place for your family, we're sure it will provide you with the great experience it has us."

"Thank you for your interest in our home. It has served our family as a wonderful getaway for family and friends since it was completed in December, 1999."

.. return to list ..