RESIDE Magazine | Panorama Drama

From the pages of 2016’s second volume of RESIDE, discover homes with advantageous and captivating views in “Panorama Drama.”

“Does it have a view?”

It’s what buyers scouting properties in mountain resort communities want to know.

“That’s probably the most-asked question,” says Nels Cary of Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty in Colorado.

The views that extend beyond property lines are as important to luxury buyers as the amenities within the homes.

$39,100,000 USD | Telluride, Colorado | Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty

High altitude Telluride is set in the southwest corner of the state and surrounded by a cluster of “14ers” or 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains. “The significance of the view cannot be understated,” says Cary. “It’s everywhere and from everywhere.”

Mountain views have been called inspirational, mystical and sometimes sacred. And they affect homeowners in profound ways. “It’s one of those situations where people come here and they’re absolutely mesmerized by the natural beauty of the area,” says Cary. “They put themselves in the picture, seeing themselves with a cup of coffee in the morning enjoying the magnificent views or in the late afternoon taking in the sunset. It’s a big deal.”

Price Upon Request | Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur, France | Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty

It’s hard to quantify the value of a great view, but it can certainly add a double or even triple-digit percentage premium onto the price of a home. In the Idaho panhandle city of Sandpoint, for instance, a five-acre property in a standard subdivision ranges from $100,000 to $150,000. The equivalent home with dramatic views of Lake Pend Oreille, the state’s largest lake, and vistas that span Idaho’s Schweitzer ski mountain as well as snow-capped ridges in Montana, Washington and Canada, recently sold for $1.1 million, according to Jeff Bond of Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty, with offices in Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene. “I happen to live on one of those views. I go home at night and sit on my front deck. It’s a lot better than watching TV,” he says.

$1,550,000 USD | Sandpoint, Idaho | Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty

The most desirable homes are sited to take advantage of views from multiple rooms. If those views are unobstructed and look out onto protected lands that can never be developed, so much the better. Such is the case with many properties in Big Sky, Montana. It is a region focused on the conservation of native habitat, and its views of Lone Peak, Spanish Peaks and the surrounding wilderness area are iconic.

$759,000 USD | Rivas, Nicaragua | Nicaragua Sotheby’s International Realty

When it comes to panoramas, Big Sky claims an added bonus. It is located in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in a corridor of migrating elk, moose, deer and bear. “To be in an area where you have that wildlife all around is very desirable,” says Cathy Gorman of Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty.

$3,395,000 USD | Big Sky, Montana | Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty

And transporting.

“There’s the peace and the tranquility,” says Gorman. “To be able to see a herd of elk on the next ridge or a weather condition going by takes you away. In a world of hustle, bustle and tension, the views are a real de-stresser.”

Article provided exclusively to Sotheby’s International Realty® by Iyna Bort Caruso