This real estate market update is a brief summary of the 32-Pg Estin Report: Aspen Real Estate Market 2024 Year in Review & Looking Forward. (Monthly reports are posted in the Current Reports section). The 2024 Year over Year (YoY) dollar sales for Aspen alone are up 4% in unit sales and down 3%; Snowmass Village (SMV) unit sales are up 16% in unit sales and up 66% in dollar sales. Why the SMV hyper rise? Since 2018, Snowmass Base Village has completed about two new built condo projects every 18-24 months. In late Jan 2025, a new and final Snowmass Base Village project, Stratos Snowmass, has become available for sale. Base Village new projects have typically sold out early in their release at pre-construction prices. In Oct thru Dec 2024, most of the 2022 under contract Cirque x Viceroy (Assay Hill Lodge Ph II) and Snowmass Aura condo projects – new built condos located slopeside in the Base Village – closed upon issuance of their certificate of occupancy. These projects had sold out, gone pending, almost two years prior. Between going under contract in winter 2022 and closing in Oct – Dec 2024, there is a “lull” of fresh inventory, so the big rise in ’24 sales is coming off a much lower sales base in 2023. In general, SMV has been on fire, selling at an approximate 40-60% discount to Aspen with a slew of brand new condo product that is simply not available in Aspen due to aged stock and more restrictive zoning. The newly developed, still-in-progress and evolving, Snowmass Base Village has rejuvenated the beautiful mountain resort just 8 miles from downtown Aspen. The Aspen local real estate market prices are driven by an on-going significant lack of inventory of properties for sale from downtown Aspen rippling outward throughout the entire Roaring Fork Valley. Finding the right property remains challenging for buyers. Though inventory has been rising slowly, there continue to be relatively few offerings compared to historic inventory levels (see pages 14 and 23 annual comparisions since 2015) and prices remain strong. Demand outstrips supply. For an historic view of inventory levels since at least 2012, see the Charts Section. In 2024, the median sold price of a single family home in the Aspen market was $13.4M/$3,041 sq ft with little change from 2023; For Aspen condos, the median price was $2.85M/$3,130 sq ft versus $2,725M/2,980 sq ft in 2023. In general, Aspen today probably has amongst, if not the, most expensive median home prices on a price per square foot basis in the United States. Prices of many new built luxury homes and remodeled condos easily fall within the $4,000-$5,000 sq ft range with a fast growing number of stellar located properties selling at $5000-$6,000+ sq ft levels. As example, in summer 2024, there were two stunning off-market sales at $60M/$6,867 sq ft at the base of Red Mountain on Willoughby Way – with the hat trick offering of panoramic mountain views/river views/walkable into town all in one location and a downtown centrally located townhome at $31.95M/$6,907 sq ft. The record price for an Aspen home, and first sale over $100M, occurred on 4/15/24 at $108M/$4,820 sq ft for a 4.5 acre, 22,000 sq ft estate near the base of Red Mountain – however, with furnishings, art, etc, the total bill was $127M. The second highest sale, also in April 2024, was $77M/$6,084 sq ft for an 12,655 sq ft contemporary Aspen estate on 60 acres in Owl Creek, halfway between Aspen and Snowmass Village. Thus far, the record sold price per sq ft for an Aspen home is $6,998 sq ft for a ski home slopeside on Aspen Mountain called The House on Little Nell, and $7,546 sq ft for a penthouse condo in downtown Aspen. Luxury homes in this housing market are the capstone of high dollar volume, and Aspen homes rank among the highest median sale prices in the country. Conversely, Pitkin County property taxes are amongst the lowest in the country – highest property valuations, lowest taxes. And clearly, the billionaire influence has been a significant driver in the Aspen market: A highly regarded local appraiser determined in Feb 2024 at an Aspen Board of Realtors presentation that we probably have 100-125 Aspen billionaires who own property here compared to NYC with 107, Beijing 83, Hong Kong 68, London 66, Palm Beach Island 54 (Source: Forbes, World’s Richest Cities 2022. Also according to Forbes as of April 2024 there are 813 US billionaires, and 2,781 billionaires in the world, up 141 from last year.) In late 2024, Aspen single family homes priced between $10M-$30M were selling at 91-94% to ask (see Pg 3 Nov 2024 report) versus a more typical 93-96% of ask in the summer and earlier in the year …unless the listing is over-priced to begin with and then there is a greater spread. Aspen condos, 2-3 bedrooms, in the past 6 months are selling at an avg. 94-96% of ask. Over 70% of Aspen property transactions close with cash even though lenders or investment groups are typically behind these deals offering super-low lending rates for the purpose of relationship building with affluent Aspen clients. Real estate agents generally have no problem selling a home if they can actually find properties to sell. For most of 2024, there have been incremental Aspen home price adjustments but sellers remain firmly in control. Prices are neighborhood and property specific rather than some general seller capitulation that would be of real impact for buyers, and they continue to dwarf prior local real estate market peaks. Looking ahead towards winter 2025, the prevailing market trends are expected to continue: low inventory, an anticipated stricter land use code to be adopted in 2025/2026 further limiting new build home sizes and, in turn, favoring existing larger homes, continued demand for remote work and living in our fairly accessible, world-class outdoor sports, arts and cultural mountain environment. Yet Ukraine and Middle East conflicts are obviously unsettling and horrific. Much can happen – the unknown – to adversely affect our real estate values. However, if one’s timeline is conservatively 5 years or more, history has shown that Aspen real estate has been a proven safe harbor and a profitable diversification play for the past 70 years. Unlike a paper asset, property owners get “double” the return: 1) Enjoyment of their physical investment in a beautiful natural and unique world class sports and cultural environment; 2) Realization of time-proven and tested Aspen Snowmass appreciation. To learn more about properties for sale, the market and our history from a life-time Aspenite contact Tim Estin (970.309.6163 or email).
This Section contains Estin Reports: Aspen Snowmass Real Estate Market Reports and Monthly Snapshots for the past 12 months. Prior year reports and monthly snapshots are archived in the Past Reports section.
The reports are:
1) Bi-Annual: State of the Aspen Snowmass Residential Real Estate Market Report: The most current and timely narrative and and scrubbed stats available.
2) Monthly Aspen Snowmass Residential Market Report Snapshots: Aspen Snowmass real estate summary (10 pages of detailed monthly stats and ‘bottom line’ commentary) released on or near the 1st Monday of each month. Includes sales stats by neighborhoods in 6-month periods that includes the subject month (Pgs 7 & 9).
3) Weekly Blog: Aspen Snowmass Weekly property closings and under contract activity is posted every Monday morning, sometimes in-between. Lots of photos, details and comments. At the bottom of the Blog Section are the Blog Archives by year from 2006.
4) Aspen Snowmass Real Estate Historic Pace of Sales Charts: updated every quarter showing Aspen and Snowmass Village residential dollar and unit real estate sales by area and property types (past 10 yrs) and trend lines.
Q125: Jan-Mar 2025. The Estin Report publishes an 11-page monthly Aspen Snowmass real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. They present a “bottom line” summary and the raw data from the subject month and Year-to-Date (YTD) performance for residential free market real estate sales… Read More
v1.5 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary of residential real estate sales in Aspen and Snowmass with scrubbed sales data for the subject month… Read More
01.24.25 Posted online for PDF download. The 32- page print edition is available after Feb 7th in racks outside Sotheby’s offices at 300 S Spring St (my office across from the Aspen Art Museum), 415 E Hyman Ave on the Hyman Mall, the Info Kiosk opposite Paradise Bakery, outside Clark’s… Read More
v2.2 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary of residential real estate sales in Aspen and Snowmass with scrubbed sales data for the subject month and year-to-date (YTD) performance… Read More
v4.0 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary of residential real estate sales in Aspen and Snowmass with scrubbed sales data for the subject month and year-to-date… Read More
v2.0 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary and raw sales data of the subject month and YTD performance for residential real estate sales in Aspen and… Read More
v1.4 (updated from v1.2 on Pgs 7, 9-11 to reflect 6 mos median average sales rather than 3-mos avgs.) The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary and… Read More
I am pleased to introduce the next iteration of Sotheby’s coveted 2024 Mid-Year Luxury Outlook℠ report. The report is a comprehensive review of the forces and trends impacting high-end residential real estate markets across the globe for the remainder of the year. This year, policy shifts and elections in nearly… Read More
Released online 07.18.24 v2.92 Executive Summary Current Market Overview – Unit Sales: In H1 2024 , Aspen unit sales increased 24% over H1 2023, while Snowmass decreased 25% due to a pause in new condo construction offerings. Unit sales are a better measure of… Read More
v1.71 (rev. Jul 11, 24) The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary and raw sales data of the subject month and YTD performance for residential real estate… Read More
v1.70 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary and raw sales data of the subject month and YTD performance for residential real estate sales in Aspen and… Read More
v1.75 The Estin Report publishes a 10-page monthly Aspen real estate market “Snapshot” on or near the 1st Monday of each month. The Snapshot presents a “bottom line” summary and raw sales data of the subject month and YTD performance for residential real estate sales in Aspen and… Read More
For the most current Estin Reports on the Aspen Snowmass Real Estate Market
- Monthly, annual, in-between and special reports -
Call 970-309-6163.anytime to discuss specific properties and/or the market.
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