Three picturesque mountain metropolises have been named among the top 10 cities to buy luxury homes.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Asheville, North Carolina; and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho have all skyrocketed in the Wall Street Journal x Realtor.com classifications this year.
Each quarter, real estate experts identify the most attractive metropolitan areas for luxury home purchases based on local economy, housing market and quality of life.
Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, said the three mountain towns named this month offer “easy access to outdoor recreation” and “a high quality of life away from the hustle and bustle of big cities and the coast.”
“With interest rates hovering around 7% for most of 2024, one can see a desire for affordability even in the luxury housing segment,” he added.
Located near Massachusetts’ western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski overnight at a 200-acre resort on Bousquet Mountain.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts (pictured); Asheville, North Carolina; and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho have all soared in the Wall Street Journal x Realtor.com rankings this year.
Located near Massachusetts’ western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski overnight at a 200-acre resort on Bousquet Mountain.
Located near Massachusetts’ western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski overnight at a 200-acre resort on Bousquet Mountain.
The picturesque town in the Berkshire Highlands jumped from No. 25 in the luxury housing rankings last quarter to No. 5 this time around.
“It’s a nature lover’s paradise,” said Jennifer Glockner, the city’s cultural development director. Real estate agent.com.
‘We also have two lakes, a state forest and countless hiking trails.’
He added that the city also offers dozens of restaurants and theaters within walking distance.
Although it is only 150 miles from the hustle and bustle of New York City, it offers pockets of peace and quiet that are hard to find in the financial capital.
Pittsfield homes have a median price of $308,010, according to Red fin – compared to $850,000 in the Big Apple.
Local real estate mogul Mark Fields has described Asheville (pictured) as “the Switzerland of America” and “the Nashville of the East” thanks to its thriving live music scene.
Asheville has an electrifying art scene that is reflected in the streets in the form of stunning murals in its South Slope Cultural District.
Pictured: Murals in the South Slope Cultural District of Asheville, North Carolina
The median home sales price in Asheville (pictured above) is $515,000 according to Redfin, down 4.6 percent from last year.
Located in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Asheville climbed in the rankings from No. 19 last quarter to No. 8 this quarter.
It has an electric art scene that is reflected on the streets in the form of stunning murals in its South Slope cultural district.
Local real estate mogul Mark Fields described Asheville as “the Switzerland of America” to Realtor.com, citing its “hills, rivers, streams and waterfalls.”
He also called it the ‘Nashville of the East’ thanks to its thriving live music scene.
The median home sales price in Asheville is $515,000 according to Redfin, a 4.6 percent decrease from last year.
Located on the shores of a beautiful, expansive lake, Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho (pictured) rose 12 spots in the rankings, from No. 21 to No. 9 this quarter.
Stacy Kirk, vice president of Interluxe Auctions, described Coeur d’Alene as “a sophisticated place” with all the charms of a small town.
Located on the shores of a beautiful, expansive lake, Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho rose 12 spots in the rankings, from No. 21 to No. 9 this quarter.
Emily Beutler, a real estate agent with Century 21 Beutler & Associates, said oceanfront homes have attracted an increasing number of celebrities.
They include George Clooney and Matthew McConaughey, according to Mansion Global.
Stacy Kirk, vice president of Interluxe Auctions, described the town as “a sophisticated place” with all the charms of a small town.
“There are pedestrians and ice cream parlors. The pine trees make the air fresh, clean and fragrant,” he said. Global Mansion.
It offers endless outdoor activities to nourish the soul, from rafting to snowboarding and golf, as well as five-star restaurants and trendy boutiques.
But due to growing interest in the city, the median home price rose 10.9 percent over the past year to $560,000, according to Redfin analysis.