Five Spots for Affordable Ski Town Real Estate

Whether you’re already a homeowner looking to add another base to a fleet of houses, or a long term renter wanting to find a permanent spot to call your own, ski towns are a popular destination to put down a deposit for a roof over your head. While a slopeside retreat might seem like the perfect locale to buy into the market, ski town real estate is not always as welcoming as the towns themselves, with six figures often being the norm for a cramped, one bedroom in an apartment complex. But, for those looking for serious bang for their buck- and plentiful powder days out the back door- there are some exceptions for ski town real estate that are worth buying into.
Going off of 2015 inventories on the real estate markets from several sources, Utah has both some of the more expensive ski town property (Park City comes in the top three on most polls), while also having some of the least expensive resort accessible homes. And while spots in Washington and Montana also made the list, the recommended ski towns listed below reflect ski town real estate found most consistently higher up across several different affordability lists.
Hunstville, Utah
Huntsville, Utah comes in time and time again as one of the best places to look for ski town real estate because of both the median home price and distance to some remarkable resorts. According to RealtyTrac, the median home price in Hunstville was $169,950 with an annual home appreciation of 3 percent. Snowbasin Ski Resort and Powder Mountain Ski Resort are both nearby, and see a hefty annual snowfall to make this the perfect place for a lifetime of powder days.
Brian Head, Utah
Brian Head is another Utah spot consistently found popping up near the top of ski town real estate affordability lists, as realtor.com lists the median home price in the town at $109,500. Add to that a 360 inch annual snowfall average at Brian Head Resort, and buying into the ski town starts to look pretty enticing.
Kellogg, Idaho
The Idaho mountain town’s location near Silver Mountain Resort, and the median home price of $99,000 make Kellogg a perfect fit for anyone looking to get in the ski town real estate market. Silver Mountain Resort is a great place to be year round, as well, with a popular mountain biking scene accessible via the resort.
Georgetown, Colorado
This little mining town on i-70 is a perfect spot to be removed from the hustle of Denver, while also having great access to Loveland Ski Area, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort right up the road. Georgetown has a median home price of $189,000, and the boom in Colorado real estate has the charming little town enjoying a 11 percent annual home appreciation as well.
Sandy, Utah
Sandy is consistently found atop lists for affordable ski town real estate, and its location near Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton Ski Resort, Park City, and Deer Valley make this an amazingly convenient spot to hit up a medley of resorts. Sandy’s median home price is listed at $249,998, bolstering its status as a more affordable option than some of its neighbors.
 
Accessibility is key when buying property in a ski town. Photo Courtesy of Vail Resorts/Dan Campbell.