By Nancy Keates Updated Sept. 18, 2019 12:15 pm ET Skiing was high on the list when Mark Fisher decided he was ready for a lifestyle change that included a move away from the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, where he and his wife, Christine Fisher, raised their kids.
.webui-slideshow-inset a:link, .webui-slideshow-inset .webui-slideshow-inset a:visited { color: initial; } Inside Some of Santa Fe’s Luxury Ski HomesNew Mexico is drawing more new residents to the slopes. Mark and Christine Fisher bought this house in Santa Fe, N.M., last year for $875,000.Gabriella Marks for The Wall Street Journal1 of 26••••• 1 of 26Show Caption Mark and Christine Fisher bought this house in Santa Fe, N.M., last year for $875,000.
Darlene Streit, a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty, says Santa Fe is drawing people looking for more-affordable destinations than its high-end rivals. In the downtown district, the average sold price ranges from $350 to $800 a square foot, while in the outskirts it can vary from $250 to $500, including in Las Campanas, a luxury gated community with two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses.
The first year, he rented a small casita and went skiing almost every day. Now, he has transitioned into biotech and lives in a new, 3,700-square-foot, three-bedroom house designed by renowned Albuquerque architect Bart Prince. He built a home for about $1.55 million on a 6-acre lot he bought for $300,000. When he isn’t traveling, Dr. Geller, 66, skis almost every day before work. Santa Fe is “not the kind of ski town where you ski, eat and go to bed,” he says.
Santa Fe seems very affordable to him after the sticker shock of the Bay Area. “I can live anywhere with my job, but I wanted a ski base,” he says. .webui-slideshow-inset a:link, .webui-slideshow-inset .webui-slideshow-inset a:visited { color: initial; } Hitting the Slopes in New MexicoThe state boasts eight alpine and three Nordic ski areas. Hadley Hammer, Hilaree Nelson and Justin Bob at Taos Ski area.David Clifford for the Wall Street Journal1 of 15••••• 1 of 15Show Caption Hadley Hammer, Hilaree Nelson and Justin Bob at Taos Ski area.
Hang on a mo. I am quite sure a few years back you were promoting the co2 scam and saying there would be no more snow !!!!!!!! 'I’m glad I don’t have stock in ski areas.'