RESIDE Magazine | Summer 2015

The Summer 2015 Mountain Edition of RESIDE® magazine has arrived! Read our featured article, Skiing into Summer below.

From the pages of RESIDE® | Luxury Homes and Lifestyles Around the World | Summer 2015 Mountain Edition

Mention places likes Aspen, Vail, Telluride or Park City to almost anyone and the images that come most readily to mind are freshly powdered ski runs, joyous crowds in winter wear and bustling blocks of winter-lit restaurants, galleries and boutiques. Skiing has always defined the “in” season for the West’s most desirable mountain communities, to the point that the entire rest of the year is often just thought of as the “off ” season.

Increasingly, however, buyers have realized mountain destinations typically have more to offer in the warm months than they do with snow on the ground. New residents may initially come for the skiing, but now they’re staying for the summer.

$22,000,000 USD | Jackson, Wyoming | Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty

“In the last five years we’ve not iced a trend I’ve never seen before – buyers searching for properties exclusively for summer use,” says Tye Stockton, Founder and Real Estate Advisor at Ascent Sotheby’s International Realty in Vail. “We used to never hear that.”

Stock ton says luxury buyers are placing a premium on locations where everyone in the family will be happy. And in the summer there are not just more activities for everyone – biking, hiking, white-water rafting, golf, fishing, children’s camps – but also more multi-generational activities that can be enjoyed by grandparents, parents and kids.

Some mountain regions already carry established year round reputations: Lake Tahoe, on the California–Nevada border has been a summer retreat for wealthy Bay Area families since the late 1800’s. “The summer has always been the high season around Tahoe because of the lake and the mountains,” says Peter Strand, President of Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty. Yes, Tahoe offers elite skiing, but the lake also possesses some of t he world’s finest freshwater beaches as well as beautiful hiking and biking trails, private golf communities and numerous casinos. With such diverse recreation, “We’re finding there really isn’t a shoulder season anymore.” Strand says.

The summers are equally attractive in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, particularly due to the proximity of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

$18,500,000 USD | Vail, Colorado | Ascent Sotheby’s International Realty

“Our winter residents often come back during the summer, specifically because they hear how beautiful it is, and to experience the parks.” says Donna Clinton, Broker and Chief Operating Officer at Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty. “Then they discover that the weather is truly fantastic and there’s actually more recreation in the summer months.” Clinton says homes with amenities like large terraces and patios with fireplaces and outdoor cooking spaces help owners maximize the summer experience.

Skiing will always be the cultural and economic driver of many of the West’s premier mountain communities, but summer living has never been more in-demand. Off-season, as they say, is the new in.

View the digital version of this issue here: The Summer 2015 Mountain Edition of RESIDE® magazine

Article provided by Derek Duncan exclusively for Sotheby’s International Realty®