Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Scott Maizlish of Summit Sotheby's International Realty

Park City Real Estate is a great investment when it is acquired at a great price!

Park City is unequivocally the easiest ski town to get to in the West. 
While others are spending full days, and multiple sky high air fares trying to reach every other ski town, Park City vacationers are skiing in the afternoon of their arrival and in the morning of their departure.

Park City is the only ski town in the west where you can take a Thursday to Sunday vacation and ski all four days!



Park City represents the absolute best real estate value in North America!

This is a statistical fact, not an opinion. Park City was largely undiscovered before it was hoisted onto the worldwide stage by hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. In the past nine years, the popularity of our town has skyrocketed, but prices are still a fraction of those found at other popular resorts such as Aspen, Vail and Telluride.

Compare us to Colorado, your dollar stretches almost twice as far, and you have a major international airport 30 minutes away!

Watch this short video, and you will know why Park City is the best!

Courtesy of Ron & Alexandra Seigel of Napa Consultants, International

Utah is getting some exposure thanks to Deer Valley’s ranking as the #1 ski resort in North America by Ski Magazine. Luxury Real Estate members interviewed in this article are Diane Rinehart and Kelly Rogers of Slifer Smith & Frampton Park City, and Karen Keating of Summit Sotheby’s International Realty.

“Robert Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in 1979. Since then it has grown to become the largest film festival for independent film makers in the world. Two years later Deer Valley opened. This grand ski resort was destined to became a 2002 Winter Olympics venue site. It was also honored by Ski Magazine as the #1 ski resort in North America for an unprecedented five straight years including 2012. For this article, we asked the top agents here why the Park City/ Deer Valley resort town has emerged not only as a great place to vacation but also to live.”

The article in its entirety is on the Napa Consultants, International blog ‘Language of Luxury’. 

Courtesy of Kathy Mears of Summit Sotheby’s International Realty

Utah resorts are dominating popular polls this winter. Deer Valley, Park City, Canyons and Snowbird rank in the top 20 ski resorts in a survey conducted by Ski Magazine.

Mike Gorrell of The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

“For the fifth straight year, Deer Valley Resort has been rated the top ski resort in North America by the affluent readers of Ski magazine.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Courtesy of Allyson Conklin of Slifer Smith & Frampton Park City

Deer Valley has done it again! The resort been awarded the highest honors by the readers of

SKI Magazine and claims the title of “#1 Resort in North America” for not the first, the second, the third, or even the fourth time. This is Deer Valley’s fifth consecutive win!

Since its existence, Deer Valley Resort has been synonymous with the highest level of luxury. The Deer Valley experience includes unrivaled customer service, bottomless powder, perfectly groomed runs, award-winning dining and enviable real estate.

With this recent recognition, it further reinforces that an investment in Park City real estate is sound – and now is the time to buy! For information on Deer Valley real estate opportunities and to find out why the Park City lifestyle is award worthy, consider Slifer Smith & Frampton Park City your ultimate source.

Congratulations to Deer Valley Resort, and all of Park City!

Courtesy of Michael McFadden of Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rentals

Skiers from across the globe enjoy Park City for the Greatest Snow on Earth during the winter, but it’s the beautiful, breezy summers that have lured many locals to call this year-round destination home. Outdoor concerts, endless recreation and mild temperatures beckon guests to experience this beautiful town in the warmer months. For an unforgettable mountain getaway, enjoy one of these spectacular summer events:

1. Savor the Summit
Join Park City’s largest dinner party at Savor the Summit’s “Grande Table” event, an unforgettable experience featuring new friends, fabulous food and live music on Main Street. With Resorts West’s luxury Old Town homes, enjoying the experience couldn’t be easier.

2. Park City Food and Wine Classic
What better way to experience Park City than with 100 of the country’s wineries, distilleries, breweries, sommeliers and food artisans? Join this four-day event of pairings, tastings, classes and outdoor adventures, all centered on fine food and wine.

3. Park Silly Sunday Market
This family-friendly festival presents local food, artists, live music and special performances every Sunday throughout the summer on lower Main Street. Stay at one of Resorts West’s beautiful Old Town homes, and walk to the festival for unparalleled convenience.

4. Deer Valley Music Festival
Featuring outdoor performances by the Utah Symphony, Utah Opera and special celebrity performers, the Deer Valley Music Festival will delight audiences with world-class talent, including the Von Trapp children, music of the Eagles and summer pops with Keith Lockhart. After a lively concert, retreat to one of Resorts West’s private villas on the slopes of Deer Valley for a relaxing night away from it all.

5. Kimball Arts Festival
The 42nd Kimball Arts Festival, a juried show featuring nationally-renowned painters, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists, will showcase more than 200 exhibitors, three beer and wine gardens, live music and special performances. For patrons of the arts, this event is simply a “can’t miss.”

Resorts West features an exclusive inventory of private homes and lodge condominiums, all within minutes of Park City’s liveliest summer events. Take advantage of private parking, mid-week housekeeping and concierge service to make planning your summer escape a breeze.

Courtesy of Michael McFadden of Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rentals

Resorts West invites Luxury Real Estate members to escape the heat this summer and enjoy the cool, relaxing mountains of Park City, Utah. Guests receive a complimentary fourth night at Silver Star at Park City, a mountain-side community of 2- to 5-bedroom condos, townhomes and cottages nestled on the slopes of Park City Mountain Resort. Enjoy a refreshing swimming pool, on-site café and bike rental shop, spacious plaza with outdoor fire pits, an on-site lift for hiking and biking, and an on-site fitness center.

Less than a half a mile away, the base of Park City Mountain Resort offers kids’ activities, an Alpine Coaster, Zip Line rides, miniature golf, horseback riding and more. Meanwhile, the award-winning Park City Golf Club is just across the street with several world-class courses within less than 20 minutes. Complimentary bus service takes guests to downtown Park City, where boutiques, fine dining and lively street festivals offer something for everyone in the family.

Silver Star accommodations feature beautiful mountain décor, gourmet kitchens with top-of-the-line appliances, private hot tubs, spacious decks, flat-screen TVs and wireless Internet access.

Courtesy of Michael McFadden of Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rentals

As another lively ski season ends, Park City becomes peaceful mountain retreat, filled with wildlife, blooming flowers and tranquil privacy. For guests seeking a quiet spring getaway, Resorts West’s exclusive Park City homes offer a relaxing haven away from it all, complete with luxury amenities and concierge service:

72 Colony: Nestled in the private gated community at The Colony, this luxurious home offers a private hot tub, pool table, media room and multiple flat-screen TVs.

5 Northside: Located in Deer Valley’s exclusive Empire Pass area, this stunning home offers gorgeous mountain views, a private hot tub, wet bar, outdoor BBQ grill, home theater and spacious living and dining areas. Curl up by the gas fireplace and watch for wandering elk and deer outside!

2350 Red Pine: Enjoy breathtaking views from every window of this mountain home, set in a quiet residential neighborhood by Canyons Resort. With a theater, game room, pool table and in-room bar, you may never want to leave this spectacular residence.

Courtesy of: Summit Sotheby's International Realty

By: Andrew Kirk, of the Park Record

Management calls it one of the most 'grand' of the luxury brand

One of the most anticipated moments of the winter occurred Friday morning when the ribbon was cut on the St. Regis Deer Crest hotel ushering in a new era in which Park City is expected to have a higher profile and greater exposure among the most wealthy vacationers from the Northeast.

Michael Zaccaro, managing partner of the ownership group Deer Crest Janna, said the vision for an internationally-recognized, five-star-brand hotel was inspired by the site itself.

Perched above and to the east of the base of Deer Valley Resort, the site is adjacent to one of the ski runs in the private community of Deer Crest. From below the site can only be seen from a particular angle near the south tip of Jordanelle Reservoir.

With ski-in, ski-out access, incredible views of the Wasatch Back, situated in one of Park City's most upscale communities adjacent to a resort repeatedly voted No. 1 in America by affluent skiers, something like a St. Regis was the only thing deserving of the site, Zaccaro explained Thursday. The ownership group in conjunction with the developers, Stan Castleton and DDRM, chose Starwood Hotels' St. Regis brand because of the large and loyal following it has among elite travelers especially those in the Northeast.

General Manager Michael Hatzfeld said St. Regis is excited to be in Park City because being at the best addresses in the best destinations is core to its values. Deer Crest and Deer Valley is one of those addresses and Park City is one of those destinations.The St. Regis in Aspen, Colo. has been "an iconic ski destination" for the company, but it isn't ski-in, ski-out. Furthermore, the summer activities in Park City are superior to those in Aspen, he said."It's not just a focus on the three or four months of ski season, but the summer months can bring Fortune 500 companies to these destinations," he said.

So as not to overload Deer Crest with traffic, most guests and visitors are brought to the hotel by a funicular starting near the Deer Valley parking lot. A gondola just wouldn't have done, Zaccaro said. The smooth, roomy and unique experience the funicular ride provides is the perfect introduction to the hotel. It was a focal point in the planning process, he said. "It's not that much different than an elevator but far more spectacular," he said. It is the first commercial funicular in the United States, holds 15 people plus luggage and is a 90 second ride that is touted as energy efficient. The views are expansive as well. "Nothing else has the same impact," he said.

Zaccaro said the condominium-hotel industry was "given a black eye" by the start of the recession, but said the financial structure of the hotel is incredibly sound. The committed buyers are closing at a rate that has soothed fears, he explained. At the ribbon cutting, Hatzfeld and Starwood senior vice president of operations Carla Murray both said they had been general managers at the Aspen location and both agreed St. Regis Deer Crest was "a little grander." "This is by far the most spectacular and interesting (St. Regis) I've had the privilege to run in my career," Hatzfeld said. "Count on us," Murray said during her remarks. "We plan to be an active member of this community." Lt. Gov. Greg Bell addressed the crowd at Friday's ceremony and said he considered the hotel to be one of the country's most amazing structures. Conceptually, legally, financially and structurally it is a "remarkable" feat, he said, and called its completion despite the recession "miraculous."

As the hotel and its three competitors (Dakota Mountain Lodge, Stein Eriksen Lodge and The Montage) create more world-class amenities it will garner greater world-wide recognition, Zaccaro said adding, all four hotels are "looking forward to working with each other."

By Robert Lockard

A while ago I stepped back from writing about luxury real estate to discuss a terribly destructive force that threatens to destroy families and make people miserable: debt. I would like to discuss something that I find to be just as dangerous as addiction to debt – the illogically high cost of earning a college degree.

I read a potentially explosive story on CNN yesterday about a bubble in the cost of higher education that makes the real-estate bubble or the tech crash in 2000 look tame in comparison.

I’d like to start by talking about my experience in college. When I attended college not too long ago, tuition and book costs were already getting out of hand, although they were manageable. I attended a community college in Washington state for my first two years to obtain my Associate’s degree. I had hoped to transfer to the University of Washington to complete my Bachelor of Arts in Communications, but the cost was prohibitive and, even though I graduated with honors and on the Dean’s list, I still had to wait a long time to enter that college.

Instead, I decided to accept a scholarship at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and that turned out to be a very smart decision. In addition to the positive environment that beautiful campus offered, the cost of attending there was relatively low compared to my other options and I was able to pay for my entire education without going into hardly any debt. I am one of nine children, and my parents wisely told me that I would have to find a way to pay for my education by myself. Through a great deal of hard work and tight budgeting, I made it through without having to burden my family members.

During my time in college, I kept my mind focused on why I was there. I wasn’t there to waste time or take frivolous classes; I was there to finish my degree as quickly and as meaningfully as possible so that I could put my skills to use. I am grateful for the opportunities my college degree has opened for me. However, education costs are rising so fast that there might not be much reason for people to attend college in the future.

I would probably be sympathetic to colleges if the reason for the rise in education costs was because they were improving their education techniques or doing other things that would warrant such cost increases. But the truth is that this is not the case. Many colleges are increasing tuition costs for no other reason than because they want more students to apply. It seems to defy logic, but it’s true. Colleges appear to be playing a game that they will eventually lose. When they raise prices, people assume that they must have done so because they are more prestigious or offer better learning opportunities and so the colleges usually receive an increase in applications. This pattern cannot last forever.


Education is extremely important. It allows people to rise from humble circumstances and it also helps them make informed decisions about where they want to go in life. By making education worthless, colleges are doing a great disservice to their students. By worthless, I mean that the cost far exceeds the rewards. Greater cost does not always mean greater return on investment.

Increases in healthcare, energy and real-estate costs don’t even come close to touching the rise in education costs, as you can see in the graph in the CNN article. Knowledge is power, and if the cost of education becomes so high that that the benefits of earning it become small in comparison then we will be in big trouble. I am not suggesting that college degrees be easier to obtain or that unqualified people should receive an education without working hard. I am suggesting that colleges are in danger. They spend much of their increasing amount of money on frivolous amenities that do not improve their educational services or make their students’ diplomas any more valuable. Posh restaurants, nicer dorms and other foolish perks are unimportant for students who are simply hoping to receive the education they need to progress in life.

At some point people are going to realize that an education is not worth living under such an extreme amount of debt to obtain. When that day comes and colleges must cut their tuitions drastically, many cherished institutions will most certainly be unable to cope with this dramatic shift and they will come crashing down. Destroyed by their own pride and haughtiness. They will discover that they have spent their money on things that have no value and they are unable to offer students what they promised: an honest education.

I dislike focusing on something so negative as this, but I think it deserves special attention. Thank you very much for your comments. Feel free to let me know what you think of the state of higher education.


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. I apologize again for sounding so negative. I am a very hopeful person and I trust that things will turn out right in the end. The photo of the bleeding wallet is from www.flickr.com/photos/adobemac/161319144 and it is the copyright of adobemac. The photo of the door is from www.flickr.com/photos/ben-zvan-photography/468487548 and it is the copyright of Ben Zvan.