Ah, the arrival of spring. For many, it’s a season of fresh starts and blooming opportunities. For the world’s skiing devotees? Not quite. As the snowline retreats up the mountains, it often leaves behind a twinge of longing. Yet these powder hounds need only glance at recent real estate data to discover that, contrary to popular assumption, property activity in ski communities doesn’t hibernate when temperatures climb. In fact, spring and summer often herald a surprisingly lively market for ski homes.
Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley is a storied region that encompasses Aspen and Snowmass. January of this year closed out with 71 sales here, a 25% uptick from the previous winter. Fast-forward to June and July 2024, and the tally hit 82 each month, surpassing the momentum of mid-winter. The trend was even more dramatic in California’s Tahoe-Truckee corridor, where end-of-summer sale volumes nearly doubled those recorded during the frosty months.
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So what’s behind this unexpected boost? Why do warmer skies and budding wildflowers so often coincide with a surge in ski property transactions? According to a 2024 market report from boutique brokerage Tahoe Mountain Realty, the explanation partly lies in seasonal inventory shifts. Between the end of ski season and the year’s halfway mark, owners who have just enjoyed a snowy winter often pause to assess whether their second home still aligns with their evolving lifestyles. The rough-and-tumble of winter can highlight a property’s shortcomings, and spring’s gentle lull allows sellers to list. Meanwhile, many buyers take a breather to focus on post-winter pursuits. By early summer, however, inventory has swelled, and those returning with serious intent – often starting in July – encounter a broader selection than they would amid the winter rush.
A significant slice of these buyers first lay eyes on potential mountain homes during winter vacations, when resorts are bustling and marketing campaigns for upcoming developments are in full swing. Yet multi-million-dollar purchases rarely happen overnight. Some prefer to savor the ski season’s final runs, revisit the idea in the summertime and then commit to a deal in anticipation of the next snowfall.
There’s also a growing appeal for year-round mountain living, making the shoulder seasons less of a downtime than ever before. In the Swiss Alps, for instance, world-class resorts like Gstaad and Crans-Montana transition effortlessly from ski sanctuaries to summer playgrounds. When the snow melts, the same slopes become trails for biking, hiking, canyoning and paragliding – keeping the allure alive and visitor traffic strong well into the warmer months.
On the pricing front, the data presents a mixed bag. In Roaring Fork Valley, average sale prices in summer hovered at half the $4 million average seen in January and February. But in Tahoe-Truckee, the highest median listing price – around $700,000 – actually appeared between May and July 2024, six percent above January’s figure, repeating a pattern from the previous year.
Ultra-luxe properties, however, tend to be their own market ecosystem. Snowmass Village’s upcoming Stratos, which debuted in January, has already sold roughly 80% of its offerings. Last December, Truckee celebrated its highest-recorded sale to date for $23 million. Over in the Swiss Alps, limited supply in resorts like Grimentz keeps demand and prices steadily high throughout the calendar.
All this serves to remind us that in many global ski resort markets, it’s nearly always an opportune moment to buy. The market continues to hum year-round and for premier properties, timing the perfect moment might be less important than being ready when it arrives. Here are three to consider.
Peak penthouse atop Snowmass Base
Poised to crown Snowmass Base’s final new development, Stratos, the Sky Chalet has ignited buzz throughout central Colorado’s ski season. Touted as the project’s apex in more than just altitude, this six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath residence spans the entire seventh floor of Stratos West. It’s quite a sprawl – 5,000 square feet of sleek indoor living space paired with a 1,630-square-foot rooftop terrace. As the only home of its scale in Base Village, the Sky Chalet stands among Colorado’s most sought-after offerings – and with a $30 million price tag, it certainly lives up to its lofty billing.
New luxe development, trad Swiss wellness
Long cherished for its storybook charms, centuries-old Grimentz in the Val d’Anniviers is stepping into the future with Hameau des Bains, a multi-faceted residential and hospitality endeavor. Various sub-projects, including La Couronne Residences, La Cordée and L’Impériale, aim to fuse modern comfort with the village’s spa-centric legacy. La Couronne, the first phase, features luxurious apartments available year-round, provided owners rent them out for at least six weeks, opening the door to appealing rental income. Meanwhile, L’Impériale, comprising six chalet-style buildings with 34 apartments, promises added variety and the already-launched La Cordée offers four top-tier flats, including two penthouse duplexes. Across these developments, residents can enjoy hotel-level services, from on-site concierge and ski room to restaurants and spring-water pools – an upscale nod to Grimentz’s centuries-old wellness traditions.
A bright point for Northstar
California may not be as synonymous with skiing as Colorado or Montana, but its rugged peaks still host a few bright stars in the global ski resort constellation. Chief among them is Northstar in Truckee, known for some of the most adventurous runs in the Golden State. Here, property owners prize ski-in/ski-out convenience above all, and this contemporary four-bedroom retreat in the aptly named Mountainside neighborhood delivers in spades. Just down the slope sits the Timberline chairlift – famous among locals as the homeowners’ lift – where lines are rare and fresh powder abounds. It’s proof that California’s snow scene can hold its own against the usual alpine heavyweights.
