By Amy Roberts
If only we each had our own time machine. We could all jet back to 1980 and buy lots of vacant land at Deer Valley Resort. We could sell it off piece-by- piece at the turn of the century, as the resort was a well-established vacation destination by then. Today, we’d all be wealthy real estate moguls, living in ski-in/ ski-out luxury. People would talk about our vision and well-timed fortune.
While time machines and Back to the Future movies are fictional, it seems there is still a way to own spectacular ski-in/ski-out real estate at a price from the seemingly far distant pass. And you don’t even need to drive a DeLorean to the closing.
Located 20 minutes from Ogden, Utah, Nordic Valley is a new mountain resort featuring affordable real estate and unparalleled access. You may know it by its former name, Wolf Mountain, which was purchased in December of 2013 and is now under new ownership with some big plans for this once, easily missed resort.
“I’ve lived in Utah most of my life and have developed dozens of successful high- end real estate projects—skiing, golfing and beachfront communities,” notes Josh Richards, owner and CEO of Nordic Valley. “But I have never been more excited about a project than this one. This tiny resort has always had loads of untapped potential, and I’m really looking forward to watching my vision for this area become a reality and put Nordic Valley on the international ski destination map.”
Some of those exciting, potential-tapping changes include approximately 2,400 acres of new ski terrain, which will boast an impressive 2,900 vertical feet. Richards said he expects to lease the adjacent land never before accessible to resort skiers, which will offer 300 percent more terrain in the 2015/2016 season. In addition to more skiable terrain, Richards and his team have other plans to have Nordic Valley join “world-class” status.
“In the coming years, we fully intend for Nordic Valley to be a year-round destination resort,” he said. “We’ll be adding an outdoor amphitheater for summer concerts, a convention center, luxury hotels, restaurants, boutique shopping, alpine slides, zip lines, a mountain coaster, a Nordic skiing area, and much more.”
The resort is just a stone’s throw from its better-known neighbors—Powder Mountain and Snowbasin resorts. But, according to Richards, what will really set Nordic Valley apart from its competition is ski-in/ski-out access and affordability.
“Currently there really isn’t any ski-in/ ski-out real estate in the area and the hotel options are very limited. Park City is known for slope-side living options, but a lot of people have been priced out of that market,” he explained. “Nordic Valley is coming in well below market value, but of course, that’s only for a limited time. Our expectation is, after all the new amenities are added, early buyers will have significant equity in their investment.”
Richards notes there are several real estate options—condo/hotel rooms, townhomes and large custom home sites. All real estate will offer an on-mountain location and have been designed to evoke all the comfort and elegance of a luxury ski home, including: indoor/outdoor living space, spacious
floor plans, dramatic mountain views, and modern mountain architecture.
“Because there are so many real estate options, and owners can customize their finishes, it’s difficult to give an exact price. But it’s safe to say you can get into Nordic Valley at a very reasonable price. Similar properties in Park City will likely have an additional ‘0’ after them compared to Nordic Valley,” Richards adds. He estimates the mid-$300,000 range will secure you a swanky, slope-side residence.
At least for now. But in 20 years, who knows? And since time machines probably still won’t be invented by then, this might just be the last opportunity to purchase an affordable home, where the greatest snow on Earth is just steps from your living room.
