Seven Springs Mountain Resort: A home away from home

Located in the picturesque Laurel Highlands, Seven Springs Mountain Resort is a favorite ski destination for those familiar with its amazing variety of slopes and trails. Amid majestic views, skiers can choose from meandering Fawn Lane to the heart-pumping rush of the double diamond Goosebumps. There’s a slope to suit every skier. Just one hour east of Pittsburgh, Seven Springs has earned rave reviews from a number of sources, and has been rated the number-one resort in the mid-Atlantic region by readers of SKI magazine for 14 consecutive years. Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington, D.C., Seven Springs is easily accessible from either exit 91 or 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Each year the family-friendly resort hosts more than 1 million overnight and day guests who visit not only for skiing but also for snowboarding, spa services, sporting clays, fishing, downhill mountain biking, mountaintop golf and much more. A challenging 18-hole championship golf course flows seamlessly through the mountain terrain, providing breathtaking vistas. Accommodations include the 418 newly refurbished rooms at the Main Lodge Hotel, situated at the base of the mountain. Approximately 1,000 conferences and meetings are held annually at the resort’s facilities, which include numerous meeting rooms, as well as extensive exhibit space.

But in addition to its reputation as a premier ski and four-season family resort in the mid-Atlantic region, this idyllic year-round playground has become a favorite choice of buyers in search of something special when it comes to a home.

“Whether you dream about a relaxing weekend retreat, a winter hideaway, or a retirement home,” said Greg Spearn, director of real estate for Seven Springs Resort Realty, “you’re going to find what you want at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.”

What makes purchasing a home at the resort even more appealing right now, said Spearn, is that prices are at the most reasonable levels seen in recent years. “This is a good time to invest in places where there is long-term growth, and that is certainly the case in our communities.” And, he added, financing is available to qualified buyers at very reasonable interest rates.

All told, there are 1,200 condominiums and townhomes at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, found in nine different communities. They are set against the backdrop of the resort’s 5,600 undulating, forested acres. The communities are under the supervision of 11 different Homeowners Associations. A full service broker, management company and builder, Seven Springs Resort Realty manages 10 of the 11 Homeowners Associations, with the resort also handling rentals.

“We’re something of a one-stop shopping entity here at the resort,” said Spearn.

The nine communities reflect a variety of lifestyles. Right now the resort has for sale the last two units at Southwind, a gated community with its own chair lift and trail system connecting to Seven Springs ski trails. Southwind’s 154 luxurious mountaintop townhomes feature great rooms with vaulted ceilings and beautifully appointed interiors.

Each of the sister communities at Seven Springs offers its own unique lifestyle, allowing preferences for skiing, golf, natural surroundings or recreation of all kinds.

Spearn points out that although there are a good many high-end properties at the resort, it has something for everyone. At the moment, the real estate firm has 70 homes for sale at its various communities, priced from $100,000 to $2.6 million.

Each and every home, said Spearn, represents genuine value. He attributes that fact to Robert Nutting and the Nutting family, who purchased the resort in 2006. It was bought from the Dupre family, who first opened Seven Springs as a single towrope ski destination in 1932.

The new ownership has made significant investments in the property. This past ski season, Seven Springs launched the largest and most aggressive package of improvements ever seen at the resort. These include the opening of the Trillium Spa, a full-service spa adjacent to the Main Lodge Hotel, and a new pool on the Bavarian Beach. Also under way is the Sporting Clays Lodge, slated to open early this summer. More recent improvements include the revitalization of the Slopeside Dining Room, the completion of the Hotel Lobby’s renovation and continuous improvements in snow-making capabilities. Expansion and reinvestment of this kind, said Spearn, can’t help but protect and increase the value of the resort’s homes now and in the future.

Although the resort is traditionally a second-home or vacation market, Spearn of late has seen something of a trend to full-time living among buyers. In part, the trend may be due to the resort’s busy 12-month schedule. “We’ve got year-round activities,” Spearn said. A look at the schedule of upcoming events for July 2009 on the Seven Springs web site, for example, has one event or more listed for every day of the month. They range from a rousing Independence Day celebration that includes the largest fireworks show ever at the resort to a Junior Golf Camp for youngsters to Sushi Sundays at Helen’s, one of the resort’s fine restaurants.

Spearn, with 35 years experience in real estate, including a number of them at major Western resorts, believes the housing opportunities at Seven Springs are unsurpassed. “Compare us to what you’ll find at resorts in the West, Colorado and elsewhere, and you’ll find that we offer phenomenal value.” And, to prove it, Spearn has done his own impressive calculations to demonstrate how home prices at the resort have appreciated over the past several decades.

For example, Spearn said, Seven Springs Resort Realty will close at least six resale properties in the month of June alone. He has no doubt there are more closings to come as Seven Springs draws ever more interest not only as a great getaway, but also as a place to own a home.