America's most affordable mountain towns revealed - including stunning east coast haven where visitors can ski all night
Three picturesque mountain metros have been named among the top 10 towns for luxury home purchases.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Asheville, North Carolina; and Coeur d'Alene in Idaho have rocketed up the Wall Street Journal x Realtor.com rankings this year.
Each quarter, real estate experts identify the most attractive metro areas for luxury home purchases based on the local economy, housing market and quality of life.
Joel Berner, a senior economist at Realtor.com, said the three mountain towns named this month offer 'easy access to outdoor recreation' and 'a high quality of life away from the hustle and bustle of large cities and the coast'.
'With interest rates hovering near 7% for most of 2024, a desire for affordability can be seen even in the luxury housing segment,' he added.
Located close to Massachusetts' western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski through the night at a 200-acre resort at Bousquet Mountain
Pittsfield, Massachusetts (pictured); Asheville, North Carolina; and Coeur d'Alene in Idaho have rocketed up the Wall Street Journal x Realtor.com rankings this year
Located close to Massachusetts' western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski through the night at a 200-acre resort at Bousquet Mountain
Located close to Massachusetts' western border with New York, Pittsfield offers the rare opportunity to ski through the night at a 200-acre resort at Bousquet Mountain.
The scenic city in The Berkshires highland jumped from number 25 in the luxury housing rankings last quarter to number five this time around.
'It's a nature lover's paradise,' Jennifer Glockner, director of cultural development for the city, told Realtor.com.
'We also have two lakes, a state forest, and countless hiking trails.'
She added that the city also offers dozens of restaurants and theaters within walking distance.
Although it's only 150 miles from the bustle of New York City, it offers pockets of peace and quiet which are hard to come by in the finance capital.
Pittsfield homes come with a median price-tag of $308,010, according to Redfin - compared with $850,000 in the Big Apple.
Local real estate tycoon Mark Fields described Asheville (pictured) as both 'the Switzerland of the United States' the 'Nashville of the East' thanks to its thriving live music scene
Asheville boasts an electric arts scene which spills out on the streets in the form of stunning murals in its South Slope cultural district
Pictured: murals in the South Slope cultural district of Asheville, North Carolina
The median sale price for homes in Asheville (pictured from above) is $515,000 according to Redfin - down 4.6 percent since last year
Nestled in North Carolina's stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville shot up the rankings from number 19 last quarter to number eight this quarter.
It boasts an electric arts scene which spills out on the streets in the form of stunning murals in its South Slope cultural district.
Local real estate tycoon Mark Fields described Asheville as 'the Switzerland of the United States' to Realtor.com citing its 'rolling hills, rivers, streams, and waterfalls'.
He also called it the 'Nashville of the East' thanks to its thriving live music scene.
The median sale price for homes in Asheville is $515,000 according to Redfin - down 4.6 percent since last year.
Sitting on the banks of a beautiful sprawling lake, northern Idaho's Coeur d'Alene (pictured) rose 12 spots through the rankings from number 21 to number nine this quarter
Stacy Kirk, vice president of Interluxe Auctions, described Coeur d'Alene as 'a sophisticated place' with all the charms of a small town
Sitting on the banks of a beautiful sprawling lake, northern Idaho's Coeur d'Alene rose 12 spots through the rankings from number 21 to number nine this quarter.
Emily Beutler, a real estate agent for Century 21 Beutler & Associates, said the waterfront homes have attracted an increasing number of celebrities.
They include George Clooney and Matthew McConaughey, according to Mansion Global.
Stacy Kirk, vice president of Interluxe Auctions, described the city as 'a sophisticated place' with all the charms of a small town.
'There are pedestrians and ice cream shops. The pine trees make the air crisp and clean and fragrant,' she told Mansion Global.
It offers endless outdoor activities to nourish the soul - from white-water rafting to snowboarding and golf - along with five-star restaurants and trendy boutiques.
But due to increasing interest in the town, the median house price rose 10.9 percent over the past year to $560,000, per Redfin analysis.
