Why It’s Better To Live Near – Not In – A Resort Town
Ski Park City? Love it. Play golf on Hilton Head? Great. Walk the quaint alleyways of Carmel? Couldn’t be better.
Buying a second home in any of those places? Maybe not the best idea. But what might make more sense is to live nearby instead – giving you all the advantages of one of the country’s most in-demand resort areas while potentially saving you money and avoiding the headache of high seasons.
Living on the mainland across from Hilton Head still offers access to many top golf courses but without the traffic hassles of getting on and off the island. California’s Monterey Peninsula has numerous small towns that might not be as hip and trendy as Carmel, but also aren’t as busy, as expensive or overrun with tourists.
Or take Park City, the ski mecca and Salt Lake Olympic venue. Beautiful area, terrific slopes, and a hopping après-ski scene. But it’s not necessary to live right in town to enjoy all those attributes. Red Ledges is a luxury four-season community that is close enough to Park City to enjoy all it has to offer but far enough away (20-25 minutes) to promise an escape from the hustle-bustle. It provides a small-town atmosphere, easier living and more bang for the real-estate buck.
Furthermore, Red Ledges boasts a full menu of its own year-round amenities, including a members-only relationship with two private, ski in/ski out clubs at the Deer Valley Ski Resort. And when the snow is gone, residents and members enjoy a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course named “Best New Private Course in America” by Golf Magazine when it debuted a decade ago.
“We’re a short, pretty drive from Park City, which gives you the freedom to do your own thing,” explains Bill Houghton, Red Ledges’ VP of Sales and Marketing. “It’s a twist on the old real estate adage ‘location, location, location.’ In this case, not being in what might be considered the prime location actually is the advantage.
“For example, we’re not as built up as Park City, so we have more natural scenery right outside your door. Everything isn’t already established, so you can find your own way, choose your own amusements and have more flexibility. And the value proposition is different because you’re not paying prime prices just to say you’re ‘in’ Park City.”
So, if you’re thinking of buying “in” a resort town, consider these 10 great reasons for living “nearby” instead.
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Crowds.
A community has neighbors; resorts have visitors, a never-ending parade of newcomers trying to get to the same activities, restaurants, and amenities as you.
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Access.
Getting to Park City isn’t hard but getting around can make you crazy (those throngs of tourists don’t help). Getting out of town can be a production, too.
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Parking.
You have to have a car, which means you have to put it somewhere. Resort towns are notorious for their lack of convenient places to keep your car.
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Scenery. Mountains or motels? Slopes or shopping centers? Golf courses or grocery stores? Which do you want to see outside your windows?
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Small Town vs. Resort Town.
Resort towns are driven by the businesses that exist off visitors, not residents. Small towns put residents’ needs first – so everyday basics like banks, doctor’s offices and reasonable (not overpriced touristy) shopping are convenient.
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Variety
If you live in Park City, you’re going to want to ski in Park City, which is fine – but there are ski areas like Sundance nearby that are easier to get to if you don’t have to get out of town first. Same with other golf resort areas, too. Living in town limits your choices.
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CostNot only will you pay a premium for living in a resort area, many other prices – food, entertainment, services, etc. – are set for tourists who don’t mind paying more when they’re on vacation.
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Getting Away From It All.
Resort towns are where people go for excitement – which is nice to have nearby if you want it. However, it’s also nice to escape the hustle and bustle whenever you’d like.
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Family-friendly.
Communities like Red Ledges cater to many generations, from grandparents to kids. There are four-season activities that suit them all including a 12-hole, play-it-your-own way Golf Park and stables, as well as pools, snowshoeing and more. The feeling of family even extends to the staff. Red Ledges has a Director of Fun, whose sole concern is offering lots of different activities to keep residents happy.
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Community.
As in a “sense of.” That’s what small towns and membership properties are all about, shared experiences that bring people together. Red Ledges is about to open its new “Village Center,” which will feature a pool with a waterslide and new outdoor dining. It will serve as the local hub, where friends and neighbors meet and bond.
Red Ledges’ Houghton sums up the difference simply. “Nothing against the resort areas, they’re great for what they are. But living even a few miles away can give you something real: A real town, a real community and real enjoyment.”
Red Ledges: By the Numbers
Red Ledges – the premier Rocky Mountain private golf and outdoor lifestyle community located less than an hour from Salt Lake City and minutes from Park City – finished 2018 having shattered numerous sales records.
Tallying up the closings of homes, homesites, club cabins, cottages, and villas across the 2,000-acre community, 134 properties with a total value of over $85 million were sold in 2018 – both smashing previous record levels in Red Ledges’ 11-year history. The sales dollar total represents a 30 percent increase over 2017 – which was the previous record year.
Cottages, cabins, and villas saw the largest increase in sales, shooting up 39 percent over the previous year. One cottage received special recognition in 2018 as the publishers of ideal-LIVING, a national lifestyle magazine, and relocation resource chose Red Ledges as the destination community for their 2018 “Ideal Home.” That 3,269-square-foot cottage was designed and built by Red Ledges’ own homebuilding team.
Red Ledges Homebuilding is crafting similar cottages nearby, as well as a number of homes on the ridges overlooking the valley and mountain range. Red Ledges Homebuilding is leading the construction boom in the community – 2018 saw the 200th completed home in Red Ledges, and there are another 100 under construction or in the design and approval stages.
“With all of the tremendous outdoor pursuits in and around Red Ledges, people moving here are looking to get out and have as much fun as soon as possible,” states Red Ledges’, Bill Houghton. “Our vacation-oriented cottages have made that simple – one reason why the initial focus of Red Ledges Homebuilding has been new cabins and cottages, like the Ideal Cottage. The coordination between Red Ledges Realty and Red Ledges Homebuilding makes that building process easy and efficient – and makes it even easier to enjoy Red Ledges.”
Red Ledges was developed by Tony Burns and Nolan Archibald, both long-time Fortune 500 CEOs with deep roots in the region. The vision and dedication of their families (as chronicled in celebration of the community’s 10th anniversary) can be viewed at www.RedLedges.com/about-red-ledges/.
For information about living at Red Ledges, visit the community’s website at www.RedLedges.com. To see the latest and most accurate listings of available homes and properties, updated in real time, visit www.RedLedges.com/real-estate.
