Snow is not my thing but I have friends who love going to the snow every year for skiing and snowboarding. My only interest would be to sit by the fire with a hot toddy and a good book but I digress. If you have toyed with the idea of buying a second home in a ski resort area be prepared to pay good money for it. According to a recent article on Realtor.com, over the past three years home list prices in ski towns—already more expensive than the average—have risen faster than the national housing market’s rapid appreciation during COVID-19. The average price appreciation across all ski towns is about 48 percent over the past three years, compared with roughly 37 percent nationally, according to the Realtor.com analysis.
So what is a ski bunny to do? Expand the search area to properties that are off the beaten path. Luckily, the economists at Realtor.com did the work for us. From New England to Alaska, they have pinned down those ski areas that have appreciated the most and the least. Read more or for those looking for a break from the wallet-busting prices of places like Avon and Vail but who still want to find their ideal ski town in the Rocky Mountains, look north to Havre, Montana, a town with about 10,000 residents, situated about 120 miles northeast of Great Falls.
Homes in Havre come with a price tag that is significantly less than the national median. In addition, home appreciation here has been less than in other ski towns. Bear Paw Ski Bowl, about 30 miles south of Havre, is not as large as other Rocky Mountain ski resorts, but the modest prices mean it's still where skiing and value can be mentioned in the same sentence The median list price is $235,450. That is incentive to go play in the snow!