kipstar Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Now bear in mind the first time I came to USA I was a student, and the USD was almost double a NZ one, and fixed at 25b/$1USD. Now.. I have earning power and earn THB with some savings here and in NZ...I am looking at prices in Mammoth (ok, so I only know Mammoth and Tahoe) and thinking man, that is cheaper than what I remember in 1995 for some of these bank owned properties. For less than $100k you can get something, that to me is unbelievably cheap; that's Thai or less than NZ prices...in Mammoth no less. Can anyone out there speak knowledgeably; is the US resort market relatively tanked, and likely to get better (it will always get better eventually) or am i just seeing absolute trailer trash property? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Mammoth pricing is more like trailer trash, at least thats the condition of the property. Mammoth is a zoo and over-hyped in my opinion. I have been riding at Mammoth since 79' as a grommet skier. At $94.00 usd for a day pass and some of the longest liftlines known to man on a weekend, you can have it! I'll be at June! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted August 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 interesting...June isn't quite enticing enough for more than a few days for me, wouldn't want to live there too much, although riding was quiet as the place is less crowded. Good in that respect. But hard to find runs like Scotties, a groomed cornice bowl, P1-P4, Chair 22, etc. But I hear you on Mammoth in terms of urban sprawl...maybe Tahoe is a better bet. I have lined up some passes (related to my old job in Mammoth) for this season, so hopefully can ride for free; thought I'd check out the real estate scene as well, but if it has turned into a crowded Big Bear type scene...well maybe good for the real estate but not so good for riding. It was always a mess in the weekends but good midweek. Dunno...maybe will look up in Southshore or Incline Village...or just keep money in the bank...problem in the bank is it doesn't seem to be as exciting as invested more in boats/car/condo/holiday home/etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Pure terrain alone...Crystal Mountain WA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekdut Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Not always. Mammoth is a ghost town on weekdays, but yes, a zoo on weekends or holidays. If you have the luxury to ride mid-week, you can usually have the place to yourself, perhaps except for the week of spring break. Lots of affordable short sales/foreclosures in town for the picking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 For less than $100k you can get something, Can anyone out there speak knowledgeably; is the US resort market relatively tanked, and likely to get better (it will always get better eventually) or am i just seeing absolute trailer trash property? Check out zillow.com for a very rough idea of property values. Most areas have county maps that are key for determining purchase prices and taxes. Housing market has definitely tanked. Still going down in most areas. Excellent time to jump in MHO. Those areas that really ski rocketed during the manic housing boom also took the biggest hit when the bubble burst. Example. Bend, Oregon. Check it out. Nice high dessert town with allot of variety and not so hemmed in. Mountain is not Mammoth but pretty good and not so "Californicated" Although it is had a big push from the south in the past 10 years. Lots of 100k homes around the country, the trick is finding one that is something you want to live in. Location and condition. If you can buy something in the 150-200$ range you will get allot of house for that and it will do well when things settle down. Just my opinion. PS. I really liked Mammoth and June (during the week of course) I don't do weekends. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantheman0177 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 I understand the conundrum. My first trip the AUD bought 47 cents! The real estate looked cheap (could have bought in Whistler for about $150k) but I was a poor student too. Now I'm earning a little bit (currently in SGD) I could maybe afford something but I think I'd be more inclined to buy in CO. Maybe Aspen. But it's hard to justify from this part of the world cos I'd hardly get to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeho730 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 How much in Aspen? Looking for 2nd ski pad.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowNBeachAddict Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 We spend most of our time up in Mammoth and June (have been since 1990) and for the past few years have been looking at homes (both condos and houses) in the area. We ride June on the weekends (always Saturdays) and Mammoth on Sundays or during the week. If you can get in and ride there at least 7 days during the year the MVP pass is a great deal (679). We have been all over and truly, Mammoth and June are simply the best places on earth to ride!!!!! Unfortunately, these great mountains are in California:( Houses, not much under 300K. Condo's.......that is a different story. Though the prices have dropped significantly be VERY cautious. Numerous condo associations have had "special assessments" due to so many foreclosures. These can come at any time and with little warning and you have no choice but to pay them (friend of ours had a 10K assessment last winter). Remember that HOA dues include snow removal and these dues are not cheap (250+ per month if not higher ). Electricity in the area is $$$$$$$$ so make sure the place includes a stove. For a respectable 1 bedroom you will pay about 115k minimum and that is something that will need some TLC. Stay away from Sierra Manor (that is not a great complex) and has the cheapest places. Some call it "the ghetto of Mammoth" They have a high amount of foreclosures, good deals, not so great neighborhood. Also of note the town of Mammoth has some "political" issues as well. It is a wonderful place, but in our humble opinion a "risk" of buy. Believe me, we really wanted to buy there (and came very close to doing so), but we ran the numbers and also looked at it from a long term standpoint (retirement, taxes and medical care) and the numbers...........well they didn't even come close. Unfortunately the state of California has lost its way and it is only getting worse. If you are looking in Tahoe, try on the Nevada side. We don't recommend purchasing in CA. After looking in different parts of the country we have narrowed our choice to Colorado (great land deals and taxes are reasonable) or Canada. We looked in Montana and WY, not much in our price range. Though the seasons are longer here in California, ultimately we took into consideration the tax rates and financial condition of the state, both of which suck in California. Those in California that work for a living are giving more and more to taxes each year. We are hoping to find a good plot of land in Colorado. There are some deals to be had out there if you are patient. We are patient:) Best wishes in your search and remember if you buy in California, the state has HIGH taxes and at the rate we are going we may be bankrupt (state of ca just passed legislation giving illegals funds for higher education). If we could move out of here now we would do so, but we are stuck here for 9 more years. Thankfully our homes fall uner prop 13 so our property taxes are reasonable, the rest of our taxes and cost of living are not. Happy hunting:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 With all the talk of Squaw buying Alpine lately (I've heard this is nearly a done deal), the condos at Alpine and the houses in the valley look incredibly tempting. I wish I had $250K to burn. If the two resorts are linked, we'll have a bad-ass resort along with dramatically boosted housing values for anything on either side of the ridge. Plus there's all the summer stuff to do around the lake. Incline only looks attractive if you have reason to factor in some tax savings by being a NV resident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Is this a good time or place to offer a rental offer? Come and check out the Portland/Vancouver area for the winter? 1150 sq ft. 2 bath, 3 bedroom ranch.(actually 4 bedroom but two are very small) High eff. heat pump. Very well insulated . (relatively low electrical costs) Off street parking, central location. 1-1/2 hours or less to 3 ski areas on Mt Hood. 4 hours to Mt Bachelor. Big Kitchen. 40s home, completely repainted inside , new flooring, etc. FRESH and clean. Approx 900$ per month. Allot to do in the PNW. Time for a change of pace? PS. May even swing a couple of snowboard demos? What I did yesterday :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Lots of interesting comments...actually Sierra Manor was one of the first to kick off the idea of buying, I do remember the so called 'ghetto' of Mammoth around (now this is going back a while) Shakey's? Pizza, in that area past whisky creek but before factory outlets as you drove down towards the motorway. Sierra I can vaguely recall, but it's been a while. Now I am thinking...why not in the village; the advantage is that there is the hotel pool system, more likely to not have unexpected surprises, and we do hotel branded residences here in Thailand (in our case The Ritz-Carlton) so I get the concept and believe in it. $200k USD is not so bad if there is some earnings attached to it. Like Dantheman I am based in Asia, and I am earning Thai Baht, not USD and based out here, so usage a few weeks a year is enough, with an eventual plan to spend a month or so each year riding Mammoth mid week. I understand Prop 13, and it is ironic that on the one hand, that's one of the major reasons why the state is going bankrupt...but on the other hand no one wants to be the first to actually pay tax for what things are worth. From an outsider viewpoint, it is an example of one of the reasons why true democracy doesn't always work. But all that said, the other option is around Lake Tahoe...incline village would be nice. I have so many happy memories of Mammoth (not nearly as many at June, which was always just to escape crowds really) and so that's why it is under consideration. It's a pity that The Ritz-Carlton seems to be on hold there. Northstar doesn't appeal to me. Alpine is also an awesome mountain; however the free shuttle around mammoth and the way the town is laid out means you could do without a car for a while. Not sure Tahoe it is so easy to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Lots of interesting comments...actually Sierra Manor was one of the first to kick off the idea of buying, I do remember the so called 'ghetto' of Mammoth around (now this is going back a while) Shakey's? Pizza, in that area past whisky creek but before factory outlets as you drove down towards the motorway. Sierra I can vaguely recall, but it's been a while. Now I am thinking...why not in the village; the advantage is that there is the hotel pool system, more likely to not have unexpected surprises, and we do hotel branded residences here in Thailand (in our case The Ritz-Carlton) so I get the concept and believe in it. $200k USD is not so bad if there is some earnings attached to it. Like Dantheman I am based in Asia, and I am earning Thai Baht, not USD and based out here, so usage a few weeks a year is enough, with an eventual plan to spend a month or so each year riding Mammoth mid week. I understand Prop 13, and it is ironic that on the one hand, that's one of the major reasons why the state is going bankrupt...but on the other hand no one wants to be the first to actually pay tax for what things are worth. From an outsider viewpoint, it is an example of one of the reasons why true democracy doesn't always work. But all that said, the other option is around Lake Tahoe...incline village would be nice. I have so many happy memories of Mammoth (not nearly as many at June, which was always just to escape crowds really) and so that's why it is under consideration. It's a pity that The Ritz-Carlton seems to be on hold there. Northstar doesn't appeal to me. Alpine is also an awesome mountain; however the free shuttle around mammoth and the way the town is laid out means you could do without a car for a while. Not sure Tahoe (Alpine, Southshore, Incline, etc) it is so easy to do that, but I am not sure i ever saw a more beautiful place than Lake Tahoe in the world.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekdut Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Lots of interesting comments...actually Sierra Manor was one of the first to kick off the idea of buying, I do remember the so called 'ghetto' of Mammoth around (now this is going back a while) Shakey's? Pizza, in that area past whisky creek but before factory outlets as you drove down towards the motorway. Sierra I can vaguely recall, but it's been a while. Yeah, the ghetto is actually the area bounded by Manzanita, Joaquin, Main and Meridian. Now I am thinking...why not in the village; the advantage is that there is the hotel pool system, more likely to not have unexpected surprises, and we do hotel branded residences here in Thailand (in our case The Ritz-Carlton) so I get the concept and believe in it. $200k USD is not so bad if there is some earnings attached to it. The village is great, cept for their four figure HOA fees. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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