Why did I buy in Frisco, Colorado? I am a "new" construction gal. 80-90% of the units in Frisco, Copper and Breckenridge (all of Summit County) were built in the 1970's and 1980's with a handful in the 1990's. It's difficult to get permits now because there is so little land left. I got lucky.
Here are the factors I had to think about:
1. Buying in the "resort" area you are spending $100,000-$200,000 more for an old dump. This equates into higher monthly mortgage payments and HOA's with higher dues to take care a lot of issues that happen with an older building. This then equates into higher rent you have to charge for long term rental or vacation rental to pay these bills. This means a nightly rate of $100-200 less in the winter staying at my place in Frisco vs. staying 200 yds from the Gondola. And the free skier shuttle from Frisco drops you off in front of the lifts!
2. You have to come back to Frisco for decent shopping like Walmart, Safeway and non tourist shops where you can shop like a local.
3. Restaurants in Frisco are 20-30% less than the resort
4. Frisco is central to all the resorts and only 5 minutes to Copper Mountain, Ten Minutes to Breckenridge, 12 minutes to Keystone. It's minutes to I-70 so 25 minutes to Vail if you have the Epic/Epic Local pass.
5. Older construction doesn't just mean higher HOA dues for maintenance. It's means they are not up to current code either for a newer construction, many have noise issues. BEWARE: A "remodel" in an old complex in Summit County is just that, pretty on the inside with noise issues and building issues.