Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Utah's second-home "snowbirds" should check out these multi-million-dollar listings
Urban Living
Posted By Babs De Lay on March 22, 2023, 4:00 AM
SNOWBIRD: noun. 1. any of several birds seen chiefly in winter, 2. a ski resort in Utah, and 3. one who travels to warm climes for winter.
Right now, spring fever is rampant here in our state—even though spring break at our universities and colleges has already come and gone. Some will have joined the crowds of hikers, bikers and ATVs in Southern Utah while others will travel in the next month to enjoy their favorite warm vacay spots and/or our "Mighty 5" national parks.
More established folk look to St. George and Washington County as a place to retire or to have a second home for getting out of the cold and snow in other, colder parts of the country. With the amount of winter that Mother Nature dropped on so many areas this season, flights, hotels and B&Bs are in high demand.
One of my twin daughters lives in Lake Arrowhead, California, and got 11 feet of snow in 5 days—and another 5 feet the following week. She and her husband are champing at the bit to find someplace warm, and places like St. George have them eyeballing prices.
It's not surprising, then, to learn that Washington County was awarded as the nation's top luxury second-home market in the country this past year—from data gathered by Pacaso, a luxury home real estate website that hooks up dreamers who want to make owning a luxury second home a reality.
The firm analyzed lock-in rates for second mortgages by homebuyers in Utah, California, Florida and Nevada. Their definition of a luxury home is any residence listed at $1 million or more that is specifically designated as a second residence.
The multiple listing service (MLS) in Washington County currently lists 1,504 homes and condos for sale in all price ranges, with 208 of them (14%) asking $1 million-plus. Salt Lake County's MLS has 230 properties (16%) listed at more than $1 million, with a total of 1,452 active listings in all price ranges.
The most expensive home listed in Salt Lake County right now is a 15,540-square-fo0t, 7-bedroom home at 2304 S. Oneida St.—for $11.9 million. There are two homes in Washington County listed at $10 million and almost two dozen asking for more than $1 million in Summit and Wasatch Counties.
The highest-priced property I can find in Utah is in White Pine Canyon, near Park City, going for $50 million. That one sold in 2022 for $36 million: 17,567 square feet; 6 bed/10 bath; 15 fireplaces; 6-car garage; 60-foot-long indoor/outdoor stainless steel pool; motorized interior walls; spa with a Himalayan salt room; bowling alley; and cinema laser projection system.
Hey, if you have the bucks, I'd be more than happy to sell you any of these—whether it's your primary residence or second home!
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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