Vortex
Member
Or maybe they just put extra clothes in their boot bag?
Brilliant,
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Questions re: Condo Ownership
- Thread starter spring_mountain_high
- Start date
Brilliant,
Whitey
Member
Wow, for a bunch of people who will climb a mountain in minus 20 degree weather and ski it – you get all butthurt awfully easily. . .
(yes, I am still trolling this thread)
Trolling is not allowed on AZ...I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't read the rules.
Whitey
Member
I guess having a sense of humor is too.
Lighten up Francis. It's too nice out to be this uptight.
Agreed. I am very, very far from a 1%-er. Sugarbush has very reasonable condos too (if you stay away from the brand new ridiculous stuff).
xwhaler
Active member
If/when I ever get a 2nd home in ski country it will definitely be in a place that can be used 4 seasons for boating/hiking/golf.
If I was just looking to do a winter place I would do seasonal rentals (have done this once and it works out very nice)
If I was just looking to do a winter place I would do seasonal rentals (have done this once and it works out very nice)
steamboat1
New member
Time to buy was right before ASC took over. They were practically giving condos away because people thought the place was closing. Still kick myself in the ass for not buying at that time. Could've bought a 2br ski in/ski out for $10k
Whitey
Member
You guys are missing my point. Many in this thread were citing "not having to pack gear" as one of the advantages of condo ownership. My point was that unless you are in on-mountain lodging (which many said they weren't) then you are still having to drag your gear to the mountain on most days. And if you do travel to other mountains than your home mountain - you're dragging your gear there just like me. My secondary point was that I thought some were overstating the difficulty of bringing gear to the mountain.
Of course, ski lockers solve that problem too.
Don't get my comments wrong. I totally get the "ski lifestyle" that many have referenced that comes with ownership & commitment to one area. For me, I just decided that I'd rather try all the mountains in the northeast, be able to follow the snow, and spending the money on hotel rooms or renting a house/condo for the week. Doesn't make it any more right or wrong than those who chose to buy, just my preference.
SkiFanE
New member
We were smart and bought our first home in 1993 - the absolute bottom of the recession, as soon as we had a down payment. So the equity we quickly gained, and then rolled into a bigger home (6 mos before a huge jump in prices)...we could take a small amount out for ski house down payment. Out sq footage of our 2 combined homes is less then many peoples one home. We live in small places. Smart, frugal but not 1%. We plan on keeping our ski house and moving there for retirement (prop taxes are less than $1600/yr), and at a lake for summer months. It was not in our original plan, but we love the area so much, it makes perfect sense. Plus when kids come with the hopeful grands, they'll be in a place with tons of things to do.We both work FT, I can say with 100% certainty that we wouldn't even get half the days on skis as we do now. It's a breeze to hit the road Friday after dinner - generally just a cooler and the clothes we may have brought home to wash from last weekend. Kids know the drill. I haven't gotten bored with one mountain. SR. is big and day to day varies. Best part is we are there no matter what - not dependent on weather forecasts. We are never disappointed. We haulto mt every day - and its. It's not a big deal at all. Everyone has their boot bag. Occasionally something is forgotten. But I cant recall one day where I sat in my sweaty ski pants regretting my decision lol.
SkiFanE
New member
on a ski day we toss skis in van, toss our ski boot bags in and that's it. To pack up 5 people for a ski weekend away means all your ski clothes (few diff't weights), the food, the kids niceties..I love the ease of driving 6 miles to ski from our own home. We have AWD, have yet to be bothered by cleaning snow off car...actually I do it with joy
What gear? I grab my skis, throw on my backpack (that I ski with and that really only has my camera, water, a snack and maybe an extra set of goggles depending on the forecast), and walk to the end of my driveway for the shuttle pickup. Exact same things I would grab even if I was "on-mountain". I don't put anything in the lodge or any lockers.
So mid 90s? I was just entering high school so wasn't even old enough to have a driver's license yet at that time :razz:
Agree...I'm not on the mountain. I have a 3 min shuttle ride. I put on my boots and go to the parking lot for the shuttle. On the few occasions I want to bring a lunch then I'll bring my pack but that's it.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
That's the #2 biggest negative in my book after the financial aspect. It's also why I don't own a season pass. I love skiing all over. I ski where the snow's best, I chase storms, I strike at last-minute lodging deals, etc... But that's a "too each his/her own" thing, and I imagine if you own a condo you're the sort of individual who likes the familiarity and comfort of routine, etc.. Or perhaps you want to make friends and acquaintances and enjoy more of a social aspect that comes with laying roots on one mountain, etc..
Way, way, cheaper.
drjeff
Well-known member
Agree
I step out of my place, walk about 50 feet and stand behind my car for the shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes to pick me up. The same bus then drops me off maybe 100 ft from the Mount Snow ski club, where my family has a locker, I throw my bootbag, with my apres clothes in it in our locker (I usually make the 5 minute bus ride to the mountain in the AM all geared up) and then walk maybe 200 feet to the ski check at Mount Snow where my wife and I keep our skis, and then off to the lift.
When we're done for the day, we drop our skis off at the ski check (unless it's a tuning day or the kids have an away race the next day), go change out of our ski gear in the ski club, and then either back home on the bus or more likely to the bar to wait until the kids finish training for the day and then its home and often to a friends place for a dinner/evening with other similar families. My car rarely gets used (unless there's an away race to travel to)from when I park it in Friday night until I go home either Sunday or Monday once I get to VT
dlague
Active member
Having a condo does not make much sense for us. We live in central NH and a boat load of resorts are an easy drive. Cannon (home) is about 1 h 5 m drive, Ragged 40 m, Killington 1 h 40 m same with Okemo and Mt Snow, Waterville 45m and so forth. We always ski about 20 ski areas per season so where we live works out great. When I retire strategically finding a place closer will be in play during the winter and something on the Cape around the National Sea Shore will be the play during summer.
machski
Well-known member
We bought right in the middle of the 09 recession and hit an awesome deal (got our slope side condo for more than 20% below typical asking). We did test drive a seasonal rental 2 seasons prior which was very important. We elected to buy a studio based on the seasonal rental of the 1 bed unit (the 1 bed had the same first floor plan as the studio). That rental experience allowed us to tailor our expectations and tune into what we really needed. As such, and being SR, condo prices are extremely reasonable. We do not rent, as we have done extensive upgrades and don't want it wrecked. I still too around to other mountains, but my wife primarily skis there. Been such a relief to her and her career to drive up Friday night, have our own place she can cone back to at any point during the weekend and do work, then drive back Sunday.
fbrissette
Well-known member
BG, I will assume you don't have any kids. I've done the storm chasing, long drives, last-minute cheap hotel deals, heck, I've even slept in my car a few times. Can't do that with young kids.
Now I always take the last tram, we snack in the woods at a secret place, we wait out the ski patrol sweep, enjoy one last run all alone on the mountain and I have a beer in front of the fireplace while most folks are hitting the roads for the ride home. On pow days, I skin up at 6h30AM, catch the real first tracks, ski down for a quick breakfast and out again for first chair. I don't miss sleeping in crummy hotels one bit.
WWF-VT
Well-known member
I think you are missing a zero and meant $100K which was about the going rate for a Snow Creek unit
mister moose
Well-known member
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I fully understand those that prefer the variety of no home base, follow the snow or follow the deals.
I initially was worried I would be bored at one mountain, but that turned out to be unfounded. I chose Killington, which although it's crowded on some days, and has it's share of other warts, it's a big area, makes a ton of snow, has the longest season, and is closer than Stowe, Sugarbush and Jay.
I skied 70 days last year, and 86 the year before that. Part of the decision of buying a season pass, or a condo (or any home) is a volume decision. "Will I use it enough?"
At $150 a night for a couple, we would have spent $300 x 70, or $21.000 in hotels for that level of skiing. Same thing for lift tickets vs a season pass. It's clear that at that level owning a condo makes way more sense. Those of us that ski every weekend, plus a few long weekends, plus a week or two vacation, usually put down roots at one area, otherwise the tab for all those lift tickets and hotels would be huge.
The other thing is there are many days the forecast sucks. You would never drive up and pay good money on that forecast. But more times than not, it turned out to be a great day after all. We got those days. Transients didn't.
Of course, everyone's day count, distance to the hill and budget varies. This is what works for us.
I initially was worried I would be bored at one mountain, but that turned out to be unfounded. I chose Killington, which although it's crowded on some days, and has it's share of other warts, it's a big area, makes a ton of snow, has the longest season, and is closer than Stowe, Sugarbush and Jay.
I skied 70 days last year, and 86 the year before that. Part of the decision of buying a season pass, or a condo (or any home) is a volume decision. "Will I use it enough?"
At $150 a night for a couple, we would have spent $300 x 70, or $21.000 in hotels for that level of skiing. Same thing for lift tickets vs a season pass. It's clear that at that level owning a condo makes way more sense. Those of us that ski every weekend, plus a few long weekends, plus a week or two vacation, usually put down roots at one area, otherwise the tab for all those lift tickets and hotels would be huge.
The other thing is there are many days the forecast sucks. You would never drive up and pay good money on that forecast. But more times than not, it turned out to be a great day after all. We got those days. Transients didn't.
Of course, everyone's day count, distance to the hill and budget varies. This is what works for us.
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