After another trip to the shoe a few weeks ago, I (again) had fantasies about buying a place there. I know there are a lot of property owners on here (and many have given advice in the past, though the most thorough threads seem to be quite old). Here's what I'm thinking, and I would love some feedback/tips/advice:
You have a good attitude about buying a place; if you are just using for personal enjoyment you are much less likely to be disappointed. We own a condo in the Summit development, which is on the Western side of the mountain, walking distance to the Village, and condo owners are allowed to have dogs, FYI. They are small 3 BR units, built in 1982.
The further you get from Snowshoe the less expensive a house will be, anything on the Western ridge will be pretty pricy, but almost anything at the 'botttom' of the mountain, either in the direction of Cass or Slatyfork will be less expensive. The Slatyfork side of Snowshoe Drive is easier to navigate in a snowstorm, I'd hate to get stuck at the bottom of the mountain during a powder day.
You will find summers to be beautiful, and there is plenty to do around the area if you are an outdoorsy-type. They may be more fun than the winters there, don't tell anyone on this board I said that, though :)
Dito what egg said re altitude. Off mountain...friend of mine has a place in a small development on Headwaters Rd (~1mile north on 219, where train tressle crosses rt219). He has independence and lower cost (HOA-yes, MTA-no, low/no utilities) but you do sacrafice convienence (pack up equipment, drive, park, slug, dress, redo). It's his future retirement house so that's a different perspective also.
I suggest you spend a day with Spencer Woody (agent on mountain). He does an honest and good overview of pros/cons of various mountain properties, including recurring fees etc. There's a definite good vibe on the mountain and the market is picking up (slowly) so it's a good time to get in imo.
Thanks for all the tips - much appreciated. I'll reach out to Spencer Woody.
What are some of your favorite summer activities apart from hiking and mountain biking? The big draw for me is the cooler weather, but it would be nice to have a good list of fun summer items to help me make the best case I can to the wife.
Also, there doesn't seem to be much of a "ski share" culture at Snowshoe where multiple families/couples each rent a bedroom or two in the same house. You see this sort of thing a lot out west and in Vermont. Any idea why this is or am I missing something?
dwm8a wrote:
to help me make the best case I can to the wife.
They are doing more and more "events" each weekend from yogo, bike racing, beer festivals, etc ...
Also, there doesn't seem to be much of a "ski share" culture at Snowshoe where multiple families/couples each rent a bedroom or two in the same house. You see this sort of thing a lot out west and in Vermont. Any idea why this is or am I missing something?
By ski share do you mean "seasonal rentals" IE Your family and the Jones family rent a house for the ski season? If so, most owners shy away b/c the weekends are in such high demand. I get those requests but the math does not work for the guest b/c we make more on nightly rentals. No reason to discount something that has always been 100% occupied.
dwm8a wrote:
DC to the Shoe is a haul and the drive will old real quick, which may limit your enjoyment of your investment. I'm not sure "shared" housing is a thing at the Shoe, its more common up in VT.Washington, DC
SCWVA wrote:
dwm8a wrote:
Washington, DC
DC to the Shoe is a haul and the drive will old real quick, which may limit your enjoyment of your investment. I'm not sure "shared" housing is a thing at the Shoe, its more common up in VT.
I have heard of groups purchasing a place to share, not with the intent for group stays but more fractional ownership where each owner picks a week etc.
Summer is great: the lake at the bototme of Ballhooter lift has a sandy beach where they have these huge inflatable slides/trampolines etc for the kids to play on. There are canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, paddleboats, all free of charge. Ballhooter lift runs down to there or you can drive down there. There is lift served mtn biking, which, like skiing, has easy trails to expert trails. It's a great bike park, the US Cycling Mountain bike National Championships were held at Snowshoe last summer, and will return this summer. There are also cross-country hiking/biking trails, we prefer the trails at Silver Creek. There is also a very nice rail trail along the Greenbriar River in Cass.
There are a lot of festivals, too, like Blue Don said. Several each month, with free outdoor concerts in the Village usually on weekend nights.
A few things to add...
I would second the idea of reaching out to Spencer and his team, I have owned for ~2 years and up to this point there have been no real suprises.
I would try and price out things on mountain. Expedition Station, Mountain Lodge, and Rimfire have some REALLY affordable units. The idea of driving up and parking my truck until I leave was important to me. Just make sure you ask about planned HOA cost and how they are budgeting for them. (Rimfire had some major churn over balcony renovations.... I don't know the details, but I'm sure if you ask around the resort you will get some colorful answers).
As somebody that also lives in the DC area I was not interested in having a whole house to maintain and wanted something that required minimal annual maintance... and every few years spend the money on larger upgrades.
Summer is great, the last post covered most of it. But I think the RECORD HIGH in the village is 86, usually highs top out in the mid to low 70s in the village... so it is a nice break from the DC heat and humidity. I actually spent 10 days up there this summer and was entertained the whole time. The downhill biking is an absolute thrill... but there are plenty of other less stenuous things to do.
When I bought the place I said I was buying it for myself... to use and enjoy and rental income will just pad things a bit. In 2017 I spent 50+ nights up there and it has been worth it for me. As a home owner I have really grown to discover the March skiing, which can be fantastic, and the under-rated summers. It sounds like you have the right goals in mind, you will likely not make a quick profit as I suspect the market is still going to take a while to recover.
I have a cabin in Slartyridge Subdivison in Slatyfork for 10 years and condo.on the mountain for 4-5 years. Yes, Spence is the go to guy.
Bought the cabin orginally b/c I didn't want tot pay the high HOA fees. Bought the condo b/c it was such a deal I could justify paying the HOA fees. I also helped to justiy the HOA fees by looking at how much I paid at the cabin for snow removal, wood, tv, etc. I really like both and have a hard time deciding where to stay. I usually just stay in the one that is not rented or the one that I have chores to do. Seems like I stay at the condo more in the Winter but really enjoy the Cabin more in the summer.
Cabin Pros hot tub, quiet, off the mountain, peaceful and away form it all, Dog friendly,
Cabin Cons drive to the mountain 10-15 mintues to the slopes, off the mountain, can't walk to dinner/bar
Condo Pros walk to slopes, dinner/bar and shuttle if needed, both have great views.
Condo Cons HIgh HOA fees, New sewer fees, sometimes parking, sometimes busy, $15 per person to use hot tub
Can you get high speed internet if you are off the mountain?
No Highspeed yet but it's supposed to be coming. Currently my download speed at the cabin is .15mb (that is a point in front of the 1) so that would be another con for the cabin off the mountain.
jimw wrote:
No Highspeed yet but it's supposed to be coming. Currently my download speed at the cabin is .15mb (that is a point in front of the 1) so that would be another con for the cabin off the mountain.
It could be a con, it could be a pro. 5 years ago I did not have a family. I loved going to snowshow because there was no cell service or internet. Work couldn't get me to do things. I could actually disconnect.
Fast forward to now. I have a young family. Being unreachable is a bad thing.
Bought three years ago - has exceeded our expectations. We thought we would use it 1-2 times a month in the winter and occasionally in the summer. Instead we’ve found we use it 2-3 times a month in winter and a ton in the summer. This mirrors the experience of a few others we have met as well. In fact, about half the people that we have met up here that bought in recent years have ended up purchasing multiple units as the first one they got ended up too small for how they wanted to use it.
There are so many options and the pros/cons are varied so you really should talk to a bunch of people to figure out what makes the most sense. You also need to be realistic on investment returns - if you think of it as a vacation property where your cost is defrayed by rentals you are fine. If you treat it as a straight out investment you are likely to be disappointed.
feel free to PM me if you want to chat. we are also DC area. up on the mtn now i actually
SCWVA wrote:
Besides Wildcat Provisions (think expensive 7-11) is the closest grocery store still 40+ minutes away in good weather from the top of Snowshoe?
The gas station across from the Inn at Snowshoe (bottom of the mountain) has a pretty decent grocery selection (larger and cheaper than Wildcat Provisions). Our family generally brings a large cooler and stops on the way at Walmart in Moorefield, though.
I would also add, be weary of the hvac in some of the older units. I’m in the mountain lodge. All heaters are turned off. The second bed room is unusable unless you are looking for a sauna.
