The Subject was Real Estate…

By John Frado

At its annual conference in April 2007, the Cross Country Ski Areas Association addressed the subject of real estate and over 90 ears were tuned in. Why was this unusual? It was the first time the subject of real estate, as it relates to cross country ski areas, was a headliner at the annual conference.

To be fair, the audience for that session was about 40 ski area operators (two ears per person) but they weren’t doodling…they were finally listening to a topic that few ever dreamed would become important to them some day.

Although sometimes we hate to admit it, nearly every step we have taken to sophisticate the Nordic industry has been a reflection of the Alpine ski industry’s evolution. Today, given the increasing popularity of trails and their inherent capacity for improving quality of life, it seems that the next step for Nordic areas is to investigate ways to leverage multi-season, multi-use trails as a means to benefit themselves, consumers and communities. The lever is called “real estate.”

Unlike most political promises, trails can mean happiness for everyone. Charts and graphs at the conference confirmed the scope and strength of the Baby Boomer generation’s trends in real estate purchasing. Of particular interest is that the word “boomers” has almost become a generic term describing an age group that ranges from 50 to 70+ years.

Despite national issues of obesity, this age group, overall, is more fit and health conscious than ever. If you think you might fit into this group, your life’s storyline would look something like this:

You have gradually focused on quality of life as your mantra. You started your earning careers in an urban area and gradually moved to the suburbs as a better place to live and raise a family. You started collecting toys (canoes, skis, bikes, jet plane, etc.) Then, as your earning and buying power grew along with your stress levels, you bought a summer home as a much-needed kickback get-away.

Next, as the nest emptied, as retirement loomed and as the growth in home-based businesses took hold, you began shifting your permanent residence to your “summer” home…a great place to live and grow old.

Your country get-away has become your last best, secure place to relax, smell the roses and play with your toys and your grandkids (before sending them back to their parents in the suburbs). Now how do boomers, trails, real estate and Nordic areas fit into this picture? Simple. Accessibility to quality trails has become a priority for tens of thousands of us as we shift our residences country-ward.

We have found that access to quality trails has become an inherent and increasingly important consideration in every place we choose to live. A 2002 study by the National Realtors and Home Builders Association found that quality, multi-season, multi-use trails was chosen as the number two most important community and neighborhood amenity to consider when buying a home, over 18 other options. (Access to good schools was number one.)

Since then, numerous studies have confirmed that the value and the salability of real estate increases with proximity to trails, and it declines proportionally as the distance between property and trails increases. A recent study done in the Methow Valley of Washington state found houses near the community trails were selling on the average of 10 percent more than the cost of similar homes further away.

The National Park Service has corroborated such findings in studies done on rail trails. They also find that businesses looking to re-locate or new businesses looking for the right location place quality, accessible trails high on their list of desirables.

The bottom line here is that trails provide a bucket-full of advantages for residents, employees, businesses and communities. They provide security of open space, a safe and pleasant place to recreate and exercise, a sound investment and an environmental priority that becomes a swing-horse for championing appropriate community development.

We will begin to see an increasing number of Nordic areas improving the caliber of their trails and enhancing trail aesthetics and four-season trail performance. Accessibility, sustainability, employing exemplary green technology and trails that are resource respectful are what we should be looking for. We can expect that more and more ski area operators will work closely with realtors, developers, homeowners associations, chambers of commerce, businesses and other community elements. And if we’re lucky, we can expect more and more trails running through our lives…and maybe our living rooms.

Cross country ski areas are in the “country.” They are found in or near resorts. And these are the quality-of-life priority places that thousands of us would like to be…eventually. And they have trails. And that’s what the conference session on real estate was all about.

What does this mean for us normal people? It means we should be looking for and encouraging Nastawaygen, an Ojibwe term meaning “trails of the people. “They’re good for us in every way they should be.

John Frado is a consultant with Nordic Group International, a multi-season trail planning firm specializing in site evaluation, master plans and operational development - from skiing and snowshoeing to hiking and mountain biking.