Finding the Perfect Ski Home

Investing in the right slope-side property comes down to choosing a location with a local vibe that fits your style

Skiing enthusiasts will you tell you—every mountain has its own character, every slope has a different feel and there are no two resorts that are entirely alike.

And while it’s one thing to decide where to spend a weekend going downhill or gliding cross country, deciding where to buy a ski home is a much harder decision and takes a ton of research to find your perfect escape.

In this special series, Mansion Global will take you around the world—to the Alps, Latin America, the Western U.S., Canada’s Whistler and Banff and more—to find your perfect ski home.

With its bluebird days, powdery trails, and miles of terrain to cover, the West Coast of the United States is a skier’s paradise.

Home to arguably the most beautiful and best quality ski resorts in America, it's no wonder the region is a sought-after haven for ski homes. “Aside from the obvious—some of the best skiing in the world—many of the locations [out west] are somewhat intimate so you can get to know the area and the people,” said Jonathan J. Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., a real estate appraising firm in New York, who compiles a market report for Aspen.

“Buyers are attracted to the combination of high-quality skiing, year-round use, and active downtown areas,” Mr. Miller said...Read More

Banff in Alberta, Canada, entices skiers with three easy-to-acess mountains set within a stunning national park and, as a bonus, it’s an easy flight to Calgary from many major U.S. cities.

But skiers intent on tackling something really big should consider the Western coast of Canada, home to Whistler and Blackcomb—North America’s largest ski resort...Read More

The French Alps have long been a favorite among British buyers. They’re easily accessible from Britain, are home to the world’s largest ski area—known as the Three Valleys—and are more affordable than Switzerland. But concerns about Brexit have made would-be second-home buyers hesitant about purchasing in France, and some holiday homeowners are choosing to sell their chalets because the euro is strong, according to agents.

Meanwhile, the Swiss market is seeing an increase in British buyers, who are wary of buying in places with the euro due to the upcoming Brexit, said Simon Malster, from Investors in Property.

“The strength of the Swiss franc is legendary and buyers are seeing it as a solid currency to invest in,” he said...Read More

Perhaps no ski resorts offer a more stunning stage from which to plunge than those in Chile and Argentina, thanks to the backdrop of the Andes, which contain active volcanoes, ice fields and the highest peaks in the Western Hemisphere.

“The Andes really define those countries,” said John Clary Davies, editor at Powder magazine, a publication for core skiers.

But the allure of the mountains has not yet attracted much real-estate development around ski areas. What makes skiing here otherworldly—dramatic vertical drops, virgin land, sweeping views—also presents challenges. Resorts are remote, accessed by long and winding roads (or by helicopters for the affluent and adventurous), and infrastructure in many places is outdated. Even the most famous ski areas—Portillo in Chile and Las Leñas in Argentina—don’t measure up to international standards...Read More

For those seeking a ski on the wilder side, here are three resorts where you can experience uncommon luxuries—whether skiing in the tracks of European royals, in sight of medieval mountain villages or on pristine pistes—because you got there first...Read More