Dreams of a vacation home grow from many desires. Some envision a home on the water, ocean side or lake front, maybe in themountains. Others see a golf fairway stretching away from their deck, while skiers want to ski in and ski out. Northern New England offers all of the above and then some. And multiple benefits can accrue to those who select carefully. One argument against the purchase of a vacation home is limited seasonal use, but as more resorts expand to four season, that argument goes away. We started our search with Susan DuPlessis a broker for Sunday River Real Estate and asked about property on and around the resort’s golf course.
The original development, Mahoosuc Glen is now limited to resales but a new project, Village on the Green will have homes overlooking the 17th hole. A major benefit of owning in a four season resort is the opportunity to offset expenses by renting and we asked Susan about that. “Rental is becoming big business as more owners are renting. It’s partly because it’s a buyer’s market, but often buyers look on this type of property as an investment.”
She went on to point out that these properties can include membership in other mountain properties such as pools, tennis courts and spas, which make rentals more attractive. And, of course, all such resorts operate rentals through their lodging. The typical resort has individual vacation homes, condos and hotel units. Sunday River’s sister resort, Sugarloaf, has the same real estate opportunities. Over in New Hampshire the Mount Washington Valley has numerous condo developments at ski areas, Attitash, Bretton Woods, and Cranmore with a wide variety of vacation homes throughout the region and a selection of golf courses.
On the other side of the White Mountains Owl’s Nest partners with Waterville Valley where second homes or condos can be rented to skiers in winter. Vermont has the most ski resorts and many choices for golfing out of second homes. The obvious ones are those with golf and skiing under the same company such as Stratton, Okemo, Killington, Sugarbush, Stowe and Jay Peak. In most cases, a vacation home at one of these ski resorts also makes golf at nearby courses available such as Killington with their own course and nearby Green Mountain National. The obvious place to start a search is the real estate division of the resort, but don’t stop there. Check out the real estate brokers in the area where the golf course of your choice is located. Local chambers of commerce can supply a list of real estate companies in any community. At Sunday River, it’s the town of Bethel. For Owl’s Nest go to the towns of Plymouth and Campton. Sugarbush has the entire Mad River Valley and the towns of Warren, Waitsfield and Moretown, and nearby Waterbury with its own golf course is not far from either Sugarbush or Stowe. In addition to real estate at resorts, there are also plenty of places where homes on lakes are close to golf and skiing, especially in Maine. Point Sebago, on one of Maine’s biggest lakes has a variety of vacation homes, and many of the newer models are set up for winter as well as summer, making them good choices for skiing golfers. Lakeside homes have another advantage in that they bring a premium in rental income.
The next month is a great time to start the search. Golf in the three northern states is spectacular in foliage season which begins in late September along the Canadian border and gradually moves south peaking around Columbus day in the in a band that stretches from southern Vermont, through New Hampshire’s Lakes region and on to the Western Maine Mountains around Sunday River. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the golf and explore vacation home opportunities.
About Greg Sampson
I am the Sales and Marketing Manager for NEGM. I am a member of the International Network of Golf & the Golf Writers Association of America. I specialize in customized all-inclusive programs across a multi-media platform.
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