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Your very own winter wonderland – Metro US

Your very own winter wonderland

Bruce Willis recently put his six-bedroom Sun Valley, Idaho, home — set in prime territory for snowy winter sports — up for sale. The price tag is a steep $15 million.

That figure might not work for most budgets, but owning a mountainside second home

isn’t an impossible dream.

“It’s an indulgence — not yacht indulgence, but it’s a luxury,” says Brian Ganey, Massachusett’s Jiminy Peak’s real estate director. “A love of the sport comes first. People who like to ski become homeowners here.”

Homes at Jiminy Peak, which is set in the gorgeous Berkshires, mostly range from under $200,000 for a one-bedroom condo to $500,000 for a four-bedroom.

Like Jiminy Peak, Waterville Valley in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is a cluster of small developments with different style homes. At the Golden Eagle and Black Bear Lodges, one- and two-bedroom condominiums start at $77,900. Four-bedroom town houses begin at $495,000.

“Choosing a vacation home requires the same due diligence as any real estate purchase,” says Jan Stearns, Waterville Valley Realty’s marketing director. “But it is a buyer’s market. It could not be a better time to buy. The selection of properties is excellent; a ski home is as affordable as it will [ever] be.”

Ganey agrees: “Prices dropped about 30 percent a couple of years ago, but are stabilizing. It’s still good time to buy — there’s a high inventory, and mortgage interest rates are low. Long term, prices will go up.”

Buy now

6 Boulderwood Way,

Waterville Valley, NH: Four-bed, three-bath duplex with mountain views and split-level design with cathedral ceilings. Listing price: $389,000. Contact: Susan Hammond, Waterville Valley Realty, 603-236-8333.