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    Wealthy Homebuyers Are Driving Up Prices in This Under-the-Radar Ski Town in New Hampshire

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    When it comes to premium ski destinations in the United States, wealthy locales like Aspen and Vail are likely to come to mind. However, the charming, quiet town of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, has seen some of the largest gains over the last few years when it comes to alpine property prices.

    According to a new report from Realtor.com, the New England enclave has seen a shocking spike in home prices since the pandemic. In that time, listing prices jumped a whopping 121 percent, which raised the median home price roughly 25 percent higher than the national average. For context, the U.S. median home price was $408,732 as of November 2023. “It’s those children who grew up skiing here,” Mike Aronson, an agent with Waterville Valley Realty, told the real estate portal. “Now, with remote work, they’ve come back to live here.”

    Waterville Valley, nestled inside New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest, has long been a big draw for slope-schussing homebuyers. A two-hour drive from Boston, the town’s picturesque ski resort was founded in the 1960s by the late Olympic skier Tom Corcoran. Today, it features an epic 52 trails and 265 acres of alpine terrain. “Like a lot of ski towns, we’ve become more of a four-seasons destination,” Aronson added.

    Outside of Waterville Valley, 80 Mooney Point Road in Holderness is one of the area’s priciest listings.

    Keegan Rice/Badger Peabody and Smith Realty

    Per the New Hampshire Housing Market Report, average home prices across the state have risen 36 percent between 2020 and 2022. And as of 2023, the median home price clocked in at $449,799. Not far from Waterville Valley is the town of Holderness, where properties on scenic Squam Lake run in the $4 million to $7 million range. Currently, the area’s most expensive residence is 158 Cromwell Point Road, a 4,134-square-foot pad with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The $7 million spread is positioned on roughly four wooded acres and features a wine cellar, a U-shaped boat dock, and a stone patio.

    Nearby, 80 Mooney Point is listed for just shy of $4.5 million. The 2,409-square-foot waterfront cottage comprises four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a renovated kitchen, and a screened porch. There are tons of exposed beams and wooden paneling, which makes it look as if it’s straight out of the 1981 drama On Golden Pond, starring Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn. Well, that could also have to do with the fact that the movie was actually shot on the same lake!

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    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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      in Vacation Homes

      Forget Aspen. Buyers Are Avoiding Crowds and Snapping Up Luxury Homes in Boulder Instead.

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      While Aspen and Vail are arguably the country’s most famous destinations for skiers, Boulder is quickly becoming one of Colorado’s hottest spots for high-end real estate.  

      New homes are popping up on the market and Boulderites are snapping them up at a rapid rate, according to Mansion Global. In 2022, only 10 properties priced over $5 million were sold while there were absolutely zero takers in the $10 million or more range. However, this year, at least 14 homes over $5 million have closed and there have been four homes that sold for over $10 million.  

      Homebuyers are flocking to Boulder, Colorado instead of famous ski towns like Aspen and Vail.

      George Rose/Getty Images

      “In Boulder, we’ve always had extremely luxurious homes, they’ve just never come to market before,” Compass agent Patrick Brown explained to the listing site. “Now that we’re starting to get a luxury market here, people are willing to settle and they’re willing to invest in the extremely high-end market. In the luxury market, we’re stronger than we were last year despite other parts of the market having stabilized or have slowed down a bit.” 

      Due to the increase in demand and an overall lack of inventory, the average price for a luxury home in Boulder spiked from $5.89 million to more than $8 million. Plus, the average construction cost has grown from $500 per square foot to $700 and sometimes $800 per square foot over the past five years, which has turned buyers attention towards modern, newly built homes rather than ones they’ll have to renovate.

      Luxury homes in Boulder are now commanding over $8 million.

      Glenn Asakawa/Getty Images

      “Our luxury market is extremely strong. We got exponentially more expensive between 2020 and 2022, and we’re definitely a lifestyle destination,” Mile Hi Modern broker Jennifer Egbert told Mansion Global. “It was surprising at first to see high-dollar houses move at a rapid rate, but that’s what this market has turned into. There’s almost not enough high-end inventory.” 

      Of course, there are still options if you’re looking to own a prime piece of ski country real estate. In Old North Boulder, a $6.3 million hillside manse is currently in the building phase but is slated for completion in spring 2024. On the other hand, this renovated Edwardian-style home in Mapleton Hill can be scooped up right now for $4.2 million. At the tippy top of the market is a $13 million glass and stone estate that appears to be the most expensive home in Boulder County.  More

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      in Luxury

      Reclusive French Entertainer Claudine Longet Lists $60 Million Aspen Estate

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      Over the summer, a 5.4-acre estate within the private Red Mountain Ranch enclave just north of downtown Aspen, Colo., came to market with an $80 million price tag. Had it sold for anywhere near the sky-high asking price, it would have easily surpassed the current record—$72.5 million—for the most expensive home ever sold in the wealthy and notoriously pricy Rocky Mountain retreat. Alas, with no takers ready to break that real estate record, the price has since tumbled by about 25% to its current (and still eye-popping!) $59.5 million. 

      Described in marketing material as “Aspen’s last great property,” the unpretentious estate “offers privacy, luxury, and stunning views from Aspen Mountain to Mount Sopris.” In addition to the main house, which disperses three bedrooms and three bathrooms over about 3,500 square feet, there’s an almost 1,400-square-foot studio/guesthouse with another bedroom and bath, plus a detached two-car garage.

      The main house sits just above a small private pond.

      Mountain Home Photo/Sotheby’s International Realty

      Capped by a green metal roof, the wood-clad two-story main house spills out to a huge deck and a flagstone patio perched above a boulder-strewn lawn that rolls down to and surrounds a postcard-ready private pond with the Rocky Mountains as its dramatic backdrop. The guesthouse, which also has a deck with stunning mountain views, is privately squirreled away from the main house amid a forest of mature cottonwood and aspen trees. 

      Gorgeous and alluring at every time of year, with a slender stream that meanders through it, the picturesque property has the potential to be split into several lots, according to listings held by Lex Tarumianz of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty and Brian Hazen at Coldwell Banker Mason Morse.

      A stream meanders through the estate’s rolling landscape.

      Mountain Home Photo/Sotheby’s International Realty

      Tax records show the property is owned by French entertainer Claudine Longet, now in her 80s. Longet skyrocketed to showbiz stardom in the early 1960s when she married crooner Andy “Mr. Christmas” Williams. During her time in the showbiz limelight, she released numerous albums and appeared in many TV programs and movies, including opposite Peter Sellers in Blake Edwards’s 1968 box-office hit The Party. (She also sang the dreamy song Nothing to Lose in the film.)

      Sometime after she and Williams split up in 1970, Longet moved to Aspen, where she’s lived a quiet life among the world’s snow skiing glitterati since she was convicted in 1977 on a negligent homicide charge in connection to the accidental shooting death of her then boyfriend, former Olympic skier Spider Sabich. She later married local Aspen attorney Ron Austin, who represented her at her trial. The couple has long maintained a home in Hawaii as well.

      Click here for all the photos of 209 East Reds Road.

      Mountain Home Photo/Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      in Luxury

      Yellowstone IRL? You Can Now Rent Kevin Costner’s Colorado Ranch for $36,000 a Night

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      While Kevin Costner’s character on Yellowstone refuses to sell his cattle ranch in Montana, the actor has no problem opening his 160-acre Colorado homestead IRL. In fact, the Dutton-esque dwelling is currently up for rent for a whopping $36,000 per night.  

      Dubbed Dunbar Ranch, Costner’s Aspen compound is aptly named after the lieutenant he played in the Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves. He originally bought the parcel of land back in 2000, before turning it into the wilderness retreat it is today, reported the New York Post. The pastoral property sits at the base of Independence Pass, hidden amongst the Elk Mountain Range and secluded within a lush pine forest. In terms of accommodations, the spread has 12 bedrooms across its three stately residences with enough room to sleep over two dozen people. The standalone structures include a main house, village house and river house. There are also 24/7 caretakers, private lakes and a baseball field on-site. You know, just in case you wanted to live out your own Field of Dreams fantasy.  

      Kevin Costner’s ranch in Aspen, Colorado is available to rent for $36,000 a night

      David Marlow Photography/Amy Mottier with Coldwell Banker Mason Morse

      The crown jewel, however, is the main estate which spans an impressive 5,800 square feet and is decked out with rustic decor resembling an upscale cabin. Think lots of exposed wood, warm oak ceilings and stone accents. In the living room, you’ll find a striking double-sided fireplace that will come in handy during the winter months. Even more amazing, though, is the primary suite, which has a secret trap door that leads down to a hidden hot tub with its own waterfall and jaw-dropping views of the Rockies. Because why not? 

      A trap door in the primary bedroom leads to an outdoor hot tub

      David Marlow Photography/Amy Mottier with Coldwell Banker Mason Morse

      When you’re not hitting the area’s iconic slopes, there’s plenty to do around Dunbar Ranch. Depending on the season, guests can go tubing down the sledding hill, spend the afternoon ice fishing or explore the property on cross-country skis. In the summer, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking and biking are all on the table. Additional activities including horseback rides can also be arranged, allowing visitors to channel their inner cowboy.  

      Amy Mottier of Coldwell Banker Mason Morse-Aspen has the listing.  

      Click here to see all the photos of Dunbar Ranch.

      David Marlow Photography/Amy Mottier with Coldwell Banker Mason Morse More

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      in Luxury

      Dunbar Ranch in Photos

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      <!– <!– _ _ _ ____ _ _____ _ ___ | | (_) | _____ / ___|___ __| | ___ | ____| |__|__ | | | | |/ / _ | | / _ / _` |/ _ | _| | '_ / / | |___| | Dunbar Ranch in Photos – Robb Report ad More