This isn’t news; no one has been immune to the changes in the economy in the past few years. Every person, organization and business entity has had to adapt or die. Resort real estate is no exception.

It’s a truth, many of us would rather not believe, however, most ski resorts rely on real estate sales to fund their ski resort operations. The chairlifts and ski runs are an amenity.

So, what are resorts in smaller more remote markets doing to capture attention and sell real estate?

Schweitzer Mountain Resort is a ski and summer resort located 11 miles outside of Sandpoint, Idaho and 90 minutes from the nearest airport, Spokane International Airport. The resort has released MountainSide, a 34- lot community with a mix of fractional homes, single-family homes and premium lots for custom construction.

The original plan at this site, named Trappers Creek at the time, was a collection of premium home sites with design guidelines in place for spacious, whole-ownership, single-family homes. The idea was to sell these premium home sites adjacent to and above the alpine ski village allowing buyers to build exactly what they wanted, with their own design/build team. At that time, there was a market for bare land. “We weren’t in the development business at that time,” explained Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse, “but we’ve adapted.”

Schweitzer Mountain pulled the Trappers Creek community from the market, took a hard look at their buyer, and their preferences, and rolled out a new product with a new name in the same premium, ski-in/ski-out location.

MountainSide at Schweitzer
“We planned a community for the eco- and price- conscious buyer. Something with a smaller footprint, lower maintenance costs, less impact on the environment, and a smaller price point.”

Their market research showed that buyers were having a hard time visualizing what their home would look like. Buyers wanted to simplify their lives; they wanted to be conservative in their spending and in their consumption.

This process allowed Schweitzer officials to change their thinking and develop a product that meets the demand of buyers in the new economy.

Phase I fractional residences at MountainSide, designed by Sun Valleybased Ruscitto, Latham and Blanton, are 3-bedroom, 3 ½ bath stand alone homes with timber ceilings and eastern facing windows and terraces with stunning views of the sunrise over the mountains and Lake Pend Oreille below. At just under 2,000 square feet, the floor plans dedicate more space to open living areas and kitchen.

The exterior design combines simple contemporary architecture with a variety of roof lines and an exterior material palate of timbers, glass, stone and cedar siding. The design blends these elements into an architectural composition inspired by simplicity and grounded by its mountain environment.

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The Resort Residences Collection will feature properties within established luxury lifestyle destinations in Australia and Asia where there is a high barrier to entry because of supply and price constraints and areas that have high tourist visitor numbers and are within easy access of major metropolitan populations. Properties will feature exceptional quality and design standards associated with bespoke luxury properties. Design will be timeless and timely and showcase sustainability and technological benchmarks.

“The Asia Pacific region has an outstanding selection of destinations and lifestyle experiences,” says Founder and Managing Director Jeremy De Zylva. “Many individual houses and apartments in established holiday destinations have co-ownership potential, and the Resort Residences Group is actively sourcing recently completed resort developments and individual holiday houses and apartments in leading Australian holiday destinations such as Noosa Heads, Byron Bay, Port Douglas and Hamilton Island. Overseas expansion plans will also target Queenstown in New Zealand, Bali and Phuket.”

Melbourne-based Resort Residences Group will target properties within established integrated branded resorts that offer a range of resort facilities and hotels services, and where properties cannot be sourced within an established resort, the focus will be on properties within an established holiday destination that has extensive external amenities and experienced service providers.

Resort Residences Group is keen to talk to developers and owners of luxury property who may be interested in co-ownership and opportunities to work together. The company plans to market and manage the Resort Residences Collection, a portfolio of luxury co-owned resort real estate in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia and the Pacific located in premier island, beach, ski, golf and country destinations. The properties will be marketed and sold as shares in a co-ownership scheme registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission as a Managed Investment Scheme, giving each purchaser a freehold title which is held as tenants-in-common.

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Casual living is the lifestyle on Pine Cay – bare feet are welcome everywhere on this Caribbean island, a secluded 800-acre privately owned island located in the Turks & Caicos archipelago, just 560 miles southeast of Miami.

The rustic island community also remains a refuge of natural beauty. The home owners on Pine Cay have, since the early 1970s, set and retained high standards to protect the indigenous flora & fauna, to limit the size and siting of all buildings, and to contribute to the development of the Turks & Caicos Islands in a responsible manner. From the initial establishment of this private community, a strong and proactive environmental ethic has been in place among Pine Cay members to preserve the island. The limited total membership ensures that the island will forever be uncrowded, with privacy protected for all.

No cars are allowed, and only golf carts roam the natural pathways. The natural splendor and indigenous vegetation are undisturbed, and with the strict regulations on size and siting of homes, plus the 600-acre common green space, the island remains pristine.

The members own the entire 800-acre island of Pine Cay, including the hotel, 2,800-foot airstrip, staff village, covered boat storage and marina. The exclusive 12-room hotel functions much as a country club for the members, and enjoys an excellent reputation. Becoming an owner of property on Pine Cay is much more than buying a Caribbean retreat – it is joining a very exclusive group of like-minded families who treasure their natural hideaway. Homes are simple, cottage like, and set back from the shore to protect each members view and privacy.

Karma Kandara Resort is a Bali vacation resort occupying a spectacular real estate just 20 minutes from Ngurah Rai international airport. The property features a wide choice of luxury Bali villas and accompanying amenities that redefine first class – bridges, stone walkways and little paths meander through vivid tropical gardens connecting 46 expansive private beach villa residences, along with the luxury villa resort’s exceptional facilities.

Karma Kandara Bali is blessed with the most exhilarating views imaginable – a seemingly limitless vista of ocean and sky, 180 degrees of blue on blue brilliance. Each Bali villa rental residence comprises two or three pavilions with roofs of alang alang grass or sirap wood tiles, framing an infinity pool and garden courtyard complete with timber deck. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, while the living rooms of our Bali villas are open plan, comprising fully equipped kitchens, lounge and dining areas.

Affluent leisure travelers interested in resort real estate strongly believe in the value of their vacations, as nearly nine in 10 report that vacationing is important to their well-being and to the health of their personal relationships.

They appreciate leisure travel experiences and activities such as spending time with family and friends, exploring unique and interesting destinations, taking part in new experiences, and setting aside time for rest and relaxation – all components that support their commitment to the concept of vacationing.

These are some of the findings from The Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer: A Market Profile, a study produced exclusively for Interval International, to provide insights about the travel habits and resort real estate preferences of the most affluent U.S. households interested in acquiring some form of resort real estate. Developed from the Ypartnership 2008 Portrait of Affluent Travelers, a comprehensive analysis of highend lifestyles, social values, and travel trends of the top 8 percent of American households defined by current income, the results are being introduced at the 11th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida.

“The fieldwork for this survey was conducted during the tumultuous third quarter of 2008, thus the results provide a unique perspective on how affluent Americans feel about their leisure time, vacations, and real estate,” said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of Ypartnership, author of the study. “And the corresponding insights are very provocative.”


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In 1922, The Red Book of the West Indies reported “The Crane hotel occupies a high cliff on the Southeast of the Island swept by fresh, invigorating breezes. From its windows is displayed the beautiful sea, fringing with exquisite colors the white soft sandy beach of the hotel’s superb bathing place, that has no superior anywhere in the world.” And recently Crane Beach was named, “one of the top ten beaches in the world” by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. This is the other side of Barbados, unspoiled, spacious, naturally spectacular, devoid of traffic and formality.

In the 19th Century, The Crane was built as the Caribbean’s first resort hotel and has been known ever since for its sophistication and old-world charm. Set on 40 acres on the Southeastern coast of Barbados, The Crane is best known for its spectacular beach, cooling sea breezes and exquisite restaurants, serving sumptuous cuisine in a truly breathtaking setting.

When deciding on a foreign property for purchase, whether to reside in permanently, use as a vacation home or as an investment, it is wise to pick a property that has been developed by a reputable developer; one with a strong track record of well-built construction projects as well as professional after-sales management. Also, the developer should make the buying process as simple and painless as possible. The developer should be well versed in the country’s property ownership laws and regulations and have solutions for any hurdles that buyers may face when buying in a foreign market.

Also, when it comes to purchase a property, a buyer can choose units that are furnished or unfurnished, and of course any buyer that chooses furnished wants their new investment both functionally and stylishly equipped using high quality products. The interior design of a home for sale and the complex the home is set within, regardless of the location or how well it is built, can easily sway a potential buyer’s decision on whether to purchase it or not.


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Providing the quintessential Pacific Northwest experience, Suncadia offers a unique combination of luxury amenities and outdoor activities that has earned it the distinction of “Best New Pacific Northwest Resort” from Seattle Magazine and recognition from Travel + Leisure Golf and Robb Report Vacation Homes as one of the nation’s top resort communities. With 80 percent of the resort community designated as open space, including the central corridor surrounding the Cle Elum River, Suncadia is a forested retreat from city life offering all the luxury and comfort expected from a top resort.

The Cascade Mountains, stretching from Canada to northern California, create a rainshadow across the eastern foothills, which makes Suncadia one of the sunniest Pacific Northwest destinations. With an average of only nine inches of annual rainfall per year, residents and guests can enjoy the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest umbrella-free, while its mountain location ensures enough snowfall for traditional winter recreation activities such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing throughout the forested property and ice-skating on the resort’s ice rink. As a recreational playground, Suncadia offers endless outdoor activities year-round, from hiking and biking along 50 miles of trails, to golfing on the resort’s two award-winning courses, to horseback riding and fly-fishing in the Cle Elum River that winds through the resort’s property.

Endless Possibilities
Ownership opportunities come in all shapes and sizes at Suncadia, ranging from single-family home sites and custom homes in the private Tumble Creek community, home to an award-winning Tom Doak-designed golf course, or in Suncadia centered around either of the two public golf courses: the Jacobsen-Hardy designed Rope Rider golf course (under construction) or the acclaimed Arnold Palmer-designed Prospector golf course, to condominium ownership at The Lodge at Suncadia, the first full-service resort condominium lodge in the region.


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