Caleb Skeen has combined his passion for the outdoors with a degree in Business
Management from Metro State University to fashion his ideal career in real estate … but his
work is far from the average experience in this industry. “REALTORS® spend a lot of time
driving around for showings, meeting with listing clients and doing a lot of paperwork. That's just
part of the trade. I spend most of my time outdoors, finding original corner monuments, flagging
them, taking pictures and working with a professional drone company. The health benefits are
great: I spend maybe two days a week doing computer work, and the rest of my time I’m out
hiking, or on my ATV exploring and surveying mountain land.” Centered in little known Gilpin
County, where the graduating high school class averages around a dozen students, Caleb
Skeen and his partner Roy Varela of Heritage West Realty have struck twenty-first century gold
by choosing to specialize in mining claims.
Caleb’s degree, combined with his work history as a volunteer firefighter for Golden Gate and
Timberline Fire Departments, along with the knowledge and discipline of an Eagle Scout, makes
him the ideal candidate for this exact position. The mining claim niche of the real estate industry
requires extensive geographical and historical knowledge as well as a deep understanding of
constantly changing regulations. “Most people think mining claims are just for mining – but that’s
not the case. By today's standards, it can be very difficult to open up a full-fledged mining
operation. There are so many checkboxes with the EPA, the division of mining regulations, and
regulations with both county and city. What people do not know is that your average mining
claim is just over five acres. By purchasing a mining claim, you could have an average of five
acres of land that would give you several possible options of what you can do with the claim.
You could possibly build a home, own a business, or just camp on it.
In addition to educating potential clients on the potential upsides of vacant land with mining
claims, Caleb revels in the richly documented history of the areas, and leverages this narrative
to take his advertising to the next level. “Every mining claim comes with a story, and I have
access to the archives, so I can go in and find the original maps from the mid-1800s, when all
these were patented. I can find the notes of the person who filed for the original patent, when
they created the prospect hole, or when that particular mine tapped out and they decided to pick
up stakes and head to California. I include a lot of that history into my marketing, and as soon
as you hear about that history, it just draws you in.” He pairs the historic storytelling with
detailed aerial photography, and a long list of local clients who testify to his diligence and to fuel
his yearly sales (which, in an average year, range from twenty-five to thirty transactions).
After seven years as a licensed REALTOR®, Caleb is looking to expand Heritage West into
nearby historic mining towns in Colorado, where recent rezoning laws have opened the territory
for additional business. When he’s not busy at the frontiers of his enterprise, he enjoys
supporting the local non profits, fishing, and dedicating time and resources to assist the senior
citizens of Gilpin County.
Home Types:
Lot/Land, Condo, House, Manufactured, Commercial, Townhouse
Years of Experience:
8
