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DECEMBER 3, 2014 | 35
MONTANA LIFESTYLES
Living on Big Mountain
By JEFF FISHER
Where a person lives says a lot about them. The majority of people live in cities or towns for the conve- nience of work, schools and shopping. Many people like waterfront living, which is very appealing, especially if you are into water activities. Personally I think living at a ski area is a whole different world! You obviously have to love snow and cooler weather. Having two to five feet of snow on my roof gives me comfort. Hav- ing neatly plowed snow banks and huge piles of snow around is beautiful in my eyes.
I grew up in Polson, where the snow would come in late November or early December and completely melt in January, come back again in February and complete- ly melt again, with many small snowfalls throughout the winter that would last a day or two. Going to White- fish where I saw snow always on the ground in town and going up on Big Mountain where there was snow in much greater amounts was like going to heaven.
In 1973, when I purchased a duplex on the Big Moun- tain, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The win- ters were great, with skiing right out the door. Working on the mountain as a ski instructor was a dream come true. When spring came all the people were gone and amazingly in about 10 days all of the snow would melt. The change from winter to spring was dramatic. How fast the ground would dry out, the foliage would open up and before you knew it, it was summer. For many years, summer brought construction. New buildings came out of the ground in many locations. In 1977, I started my construction career by building a moun- tain chalet with five units. I paid $12,000 for the lot and built and furnished a 6,000-square-foot building for under $100,000. During those days the Canadian ex- change was favorable and Canada had discovered the great uncrowded skiing at Whitefish and the ability to stay close to the slopes. Most of the ski areas in Can- ada did not have on-slope accommodations. Demand for overnight rentals was high. The mountain would open on Thanksgiving and close mid-April. Generally we had a 19-week season. Many of the second home owners, who owned duplexes and private homes on
the mountain, saw the oppor- tunity to rent their properties when they were not using them. For several winters occupancy was high and rental revenue was very good. Many of the units rented for over 100 nights in the season. During this period, ev- ery summer, I built additional buildings and learned the logis- tics of forming and managing condominium structures. See- ing the high demand for rentals and seeing rental rates continu- ing to go up made building and selling units economically fea- sible. Many guests became own- ers as they fell in love with the mountain. Many of these same people still own units on the mountain today.
Skiers enjoy blue skies at Whitefish Mountain Resort. BEACON FILE PHOTO
However, nothing ever stays
the same. In 1984, the Canadian
exchange exceeded 38 percent and the cost for Cana- dians totally changed the rental picture. Occupancy dropped by more than 50 percent and at the same time, mortgage interest rates went through the roof. At one point, when I was building the Sherpa condominium, the interest rate on the mortgage went to 18 percent! An interesting fact is that in 1977 I had built Anapur- na – a five-unit condominium, for around $100,000. In 1984, Sherpa, a ten-unit condominium with an indoor swimming pool, cost $1 million to build! The combina- tion of the high building costs with high interest rates, when the high exchange rate was keeping the Canadi- ans away, made ownership of mountain property much different. No longer was it feasible to build a building and have the rental income offset the mortgage.
In today’s economy the interest rates are much lower than they were in the ‘80s, but building costs have continued to escalate. Homeowners buy moun- tain property these days, not for the rental return, but for the high quality of life it gives them. Having a sec-
ond home in the mountains still has a lot of appeal. For those who can afford the luxury of either retiring to the Mountain or visiting their second home there, it is wonderful to be on the mountain at any time of the year – scenic beauty, fresh air activities and no crowds. It is a great escape from the pressures of today’s world.
Presently, there is a strong desire to be in the moun- tains both in the winter and in the summer with many activities to choose from: skiing, hiking, biking, site- seeing, huckleberry picking, boating, golfing. Because of the year round demand in Whitefish and on the mountain rental activity has also picked up.
The Canadians are still coming to Whitefish Moun- tain Resort and the rest of the U.S. has also discovered the unique beauty and appeal of the Whitefish area. Ownership of mountain property has gone through several transformations but still holds a special place in my heart. I enjoy sharing my mountain living experi- ences with newcomers to the area.
Jeff Fisher is a ski instructor, general contractor, property manager, avid skier and sailor.
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