Updates from Sally Shiekman
As a seasoned broker with deep roots in Aspen, Snowmass, and the Roaring Fork Valley, I’m passionate about sharing insight into our dynamic markets. Whether you're buying, selling, or simply staying informed, my goal is to help you navigate with clarity, confidence, and a local’s perspective.
Policy Meets the Peaks: How Tariffs Touch Our Local Market
October 9, 2025
By Sally Shiekman, Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty
Tariffs might sound like a faraway policy debate, but they often show up in surprising places — like on our job sites here in the Roaring Fork Valley. When the federal government adds taxes on imported materials such as lumber, steel, copper, or appliances, it raises costs for builders everywhere. In mountain towns like Aspen and Snowmass, where hauling and labor are already expensive, those increases can feel magnified.
Higher material costs ripple through quickly. Developers may face slimmer profit margins or choose to postpone new projects altogether. Luxury construction will likely continue — high-end buyers tend to absorb added costs for the right home and view — but the greatest impact lands on the workforce and mid-range housing. A five or ten percent rise in materials can make modest projects financially unworkable, deepening the shortage of homes locals can afford.
Tariffs can also quietly feed inflation. When construction, transportation, and goods become more expensive, mortgage rates may drift higher as lenders react to broader economic pressures. That combination — rising costs to build and higher borrowing costs — can cool buyer activity, slow new development, and lengthen the time it takes to bring new inventory to market.
In the Roaring Fork Valley, supply is already constrained by geography and regulation, so any slowdown in new building tends to push prices higher for existing homes. Buyers at the upper end might not notice much change, but entry-level and second-home buyers could face tougher competition and fewer options. For builders, it’s another reason to get creative — sourcing locally, phasing projects carefully, and managing risk through design and timing.
The takeaway? Tariffs don’t stop our mountain towns from growing, but they can reshape how we build among them. While Aspen and Snowmass remain resilient, global trade policy still finds its way up the valley — one beam, one nail, and one project at a time.
Tariffs might sound like a faraway policy debate, but they often show up in surprising places — like on our job sites here in the Roaring Fork Valley. When the federal government adds taxes on imported materials such as lumber, steel, copper, or appliances, it raises costs for builders everywhere. In mountain towns like Aspen and Snowmass, where hauling and labor are already expensive, those increases can feel magnified.Higher material costs ripple through quickly. Developers may face slimmer profit margins or choose to postpone new projects altogether. Luxury construction will likely continue — high-end buyers tend to absorb added costs for the right home and view — but the greatest impact lands on the workforce and mid-range housing. A five or ten percent rise in materials can make modest projects financially unworkable, deepening the shortage of homes locals can afford.
Tariffs can also quietly feed inflation. When construction, transportation, and goods become more expensive, mortgage rates may drift higher as lenders react to broader economic pressures. That combination — rising costs to build and higher borrowing costs — can cool buyer activity, slow new development, and lengthen the time it takes to bring new inventory to market.
In the Roaring Fork Valley, supply is already constrained by geography and regulation, so any slowdown in new building tends to push prices higher for existing homes. Buyers at the upper end might not notice much change, but entry-level and second-home buyers could face tougher competition and fewer options. For builders, it’s another reason to get creative — sourcing locally, phasing projects carefully, and managing risk through design and timing.
The takeaway? Tariffs don’t stop our mountain towns from growing, but they can reshape how we build among them. While Aspen and Snowmass remain resilient, global trade policy still finds its way up the valley — one beam, one nail, and one project at a time.
Testimonials
Read moreSally is a consummate professional who knows her market and takes great pride in being thorough, direct, and positive. I was particularly impressed with her ability to balance patience with execution, given the property we were selling was quite old. I also appreciated the frankness around expectations, and I am sure that pace of closure for our sale agreement in a matter of days, was due to her. If you want to best, she is it.
Sally recently helped my wife and I to purchase a building site in the Missouri Heights area. Sally made the purchase a great experience; she showed us much of what the valley had to offer over a several days time frame. Sally presented us with information on what was currently on the market. We have since purchase a property and are already projecting an increase in value. Sally has kept in touch since the purchase providing valuable information.
Through Sally’s efforts our transactions went through without any problems and we received the highest sales price for a unit of our size in the complex. Sally is a true professional in all respects and provided us with top quality service. She made the process easy and painless. Should we ever require a real estate broker in the future, you can be sure we will call Sally.
The most important thing that Sally did for us was to make us comfortable with the experience. She answered all of our novice questions and understood that we were truly starting from the beginning. She showed us a wide range of property so that we had a full view of the valley real estate market.
Sally Shiekman has acted as my real estate broker in 4 different transactions. Her professional manner, close attention to the market and new additions to it, attention to detail, and willingness to do what it takes to find the perfect buyer and/or property make her an exceptional broker.
Sally worked with us to understand our needs, out architectural preferences, and our financial capabilities. She patiently showed us properties from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, and we fell in love with our house in Carbondale.
Sally was very professional, persistent without pressuring, and handled all details necessary to complete the sale. When it came time to sell that property and purchase another, although both my husband and I had become good friends with many other local realtors, we both felt strongly that Sally should be our listing and buying agent.
Sally brokered both sides of our first home purchase this last fall. We felt that Sally always had our best interest in mind, carefully and thoughtfully explained the unknown to us (as novices) and took the time to help make this monumental life moment easy for us. Furthermore, her services didn't stop after we closed, she still checks in to ensure we are comfortable and settled in. She is a wonderful resource to connect with regardless of your home purchase needs. We are forever thankful the Sally Shiekman was our real estate agent and in our corner, thank you!!!
I highly recommend Sally Shiekman as a realtor. She was always available to answer any questions I had and was on top of every deadline in the contract. I am a busy mortgage lender and so I appreciate Sally’s attention to detail, integrity and genuine concern.
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the fantastic job you did in helping me find a home. I had been through the process several times before, and my experiences have been mixed. However, after working with Sally, I believe I have truly seen someone who wants to consistently provide the absolute best service for their client. Sally’s professionalism, concern for my specific needs, and consistency in following-up on every detail went beyond my expectations.
I received your gift card, and want to express my appreciation. Quite a nice surprise! Also to acknowledge all your help with our transactions and rentals over the past few years. It turns out that, directly and including the new Tahoe home, you were involved with five different properties we have had owned over the years. (And you have seen Owl Meadows as well, making six.) Which is quite a few for small time investors. You got us out of the properties we needed to get out of, and into one that was just fine for as long as we needed it. Then out again, as we moved on. We hope to see you on our next Aspen visit. And we will toast you at Valenti’s!
Sally is the best. We have worked with her twice. Accept no substitute!
Working with Sally was an outstanding experience. She was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and always had my best interests in mind. She wasn't pushy at all and made the process of purchasing smooth and stress-free. Beyond that, she introduced me to a number of professionals who were instrumental in facilitating due diligence and ultimately the transaction. Her expertise and connections made all the difference. I highly recommend Sally to anyone looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable, and professional agent.
Sally was so good to work with during our entire home buying process. We know we took a lot of her time getting to know the market and what was available. I can't say enough good things about her and her interactions with us. Her communication was so very helpful, and she always followed up. She either responded immediately to calls, texts, and emails or let us know when she could get back to us. We highly recommend using Sally.
Sally went above and beyond to at first find us a home to suit our needs and finally to sell our home in a timely manner… Sally guided us through all of the details of our sale and was a terrific advocate for us in the process. We wouldn’t consider using anyone else in the future.
Sally is a true professional. Her open manner, honesty and knowledge of the real estate market are outstanding. I would highly recommend her to any potential buyer or seller in the valley.
I want to thank you for all the work you did to sell my Aspen condo. Now that I have worked with you as a buyer and a seller, I am definitely impressed with your professionalism. I know that you are busy, but you are very organized and thorough so that your clients get excellent service. I think the hardest part of any real estate deal is negotiating a contract and getting that contract to closing. I appreciate you helping me get a full price contract with only minor contingencies, and then following each deadline so that nothing fell through the cracks.
Sally and her team were such a pleasure to work with. When deciding to sell our home, she gave some excellent advice on what we could do to improve how it shows without any pressure to do so. She’s a realist who tells it as it is and we very much appreciated that. She gave great advice when we asked for it, and led us to a surprise free closing on a timeline that worked best for us. If we are back in the roaring fork valley again, Sally will be our first call!
Sally was there with guidance throughout the process of purchasing our home in Snowmass Village. She is knowledgeable about the markets from Aspen to down-valley. We definitely recommend Sally for anyone who is looking for a real estate professional.
Sally always carefully explained each part of the selling/buying process, answered every question patiently, and was completely honest about the possible outcome(s) of the entire event. Buying/selling a home is an emotional and exciting time; Sally has the ability to keep things calm while retaining that important sense of excitement.
We feel that Sally is always looking out for our best interests. She has a great knowledge of the market, is diligent, honest and has integrity. We would not consider making another move with out Sally’s help. She is the best!
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