Neighborhood focus: Melody Ranch humming right along

Melody Ranch is one of Jackson Hole's most vibrant neighborhoods for several reasons, including Teton views, significant open space and newer construction.

For a model of consistency prior to and after the beginning of the current recession in September 2008, Melody Ranch is hard to beat.

A September 13 closing on a 4-bed, 2,320-square-foot home listed at $729,000 was the 14th in the last 12 months. During the previous 12 months, from October 2009 to October 2010, there also were 14 sales. The three years prior to that saw 10, 10 and 13 sales respectively, with the 13 sales occurring during the last full pre-recession year.

Of course values have dropped significantly since the high sale of $1.855 million in July 2008 in this approximately 500-lot subdivision about four miles south of Jackson originally platted in the late 1990s. The high sale in the last 12 months topped out at $1.35 million on a fantastic, 3,600+-square-foot home on the banks of Flat Creek originally listed at $1.995 million in 2008. The second highest sale was $950,000 for an even larger home on perhaps the best view lot in Melody Ranch.

Additional highlights from a look at Melody Ranch sales and activity in recent years include:

  • The least-expensive sale in Melody Ranch in the last five years was reported in August when a 3-bed, 1,536-square-foot home listed for $506,000 changed hands. The next least-expensive sale of a non deed-restricted home was $650,000.
  • The median sale in the last 12 months was for $740,000. Of the 12 sales, seven were between $700,000 and $800,000, none were between $800,000 and $900,000, and two were between $900,000 and $1 million.
  • Of the 61 sales in the last 5 years, 26 were for more than $1 million. However, only four have been in the last 24 months.
  • There are 10 active listings in Melody Ranch with the highest list price at $1.175 million, the only one above $1 million.
  • The least-expensive home in Melody is a deed-restricted unit listed at $455,000. The least-expensive free market home is a 2,128-square-foot unit reduced in price this week to $639,000 from $699,000 after 66 days on market.

Why has Melody Ranch remained a vibrant sales environment? Contact me for a closer look at this neighborhood and a comparison to similar Jackson Hole areas such as Cottonwood Park, Rafter J, Indian Trails and East Jackson.

May sales for Jackson Hole reaches 21 units, $28 million

A flurry of closings in the past week has bumped the monthly totals for Jackson Hole real estate sales in May, as of today, to 21 units for a volume of approximately $28.5 million.*

Additionally, there are currently 14 pending properties with list prices totaling more than $27 million, which bodes well for June and the rest of May. All figures are according to Teton County Multiple Listing Service.

Bottom line: Jackson Hole real estate remains on a roll, with a steady increase in sales dating back to fourth quarter 2009. By no means is the market rebounding as sharply as it fell between mid-2008 and the subsequent year, but the evidence continues to mount that we have stabilized and are poised for growth. Contact me for detailed month-to-month sales analysis for the overall market and for different segments.

Highlights from this month’s sales include:

  • A Four Seasons slopeside unit with 3 beds (really 4), 5 baths, and 3,440 square feet for $4.059 million.
  • * A 4-bed, 5-bath, 4,890-square-foot home in Tucker Ranch for an undisclosed sales price, though the list price was $4.75 million, unchanged after 328 days on market. The unreported sales price explains why the sales figure in the first graph is approximate.
  • A resurgence in “high-end” properties with 8 sales north of $1 million. These homes were pulling much of the weight in the market in January, February and March, but slowed in late March and April.
  • Continued strength in the Jackson Hole “mid-market” of single-family homes with 7 sales between $500,000 and $1 million.
  • The first Cottonwood Flats 3-bed unit closed for $453,000, approximately 10 percent of list of $495,000. As regular readers know, I am a fan of this new development when it comes to value and quality. (And no, I am not involved in any way except as a buyer’s agent!)
  • A 3-bed, 3-bath, 2,713-square-foot home on Spruce Drive listed once upon a time at $1.395 million sold for $750,000 after almost three years on the market.

Call or e-mail anytime with questions or more information.

New Cottonwood Flats project fills in-town need

Cottonwood Flats is a new 65-unit project in West Jackson with a mix of 2-bed and 3-bed townhomes.

Cottonwood Flats is a new 65-unit project in West Jackson with a mix of 2-bed and 3-bed townhomes.

Have you been curious about the burgeoning housing development off South Park Loop between Cottonwood Park and Indian Trails? Well, it’s called Cottonwood Flats and will eventually include 65 total units, nine of them “affordable.”

On Sunday I toured the model homes that have been completed, including a duplex with 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,068-square-foot units and a duplex with 3-bed, 3-bath, 1,602-square-foot units.

Go here to see 10 comparable units in the Town of Jackson, including one of the 3-bed units in Cottonwood Flats (1258 Lewis Way).

At $308 per square foot for the three-bed units, these are priced very competitively with comparable developments in Teton County (Creekside, Elk Run, Clusters) but are superior when it comes to condition (new, with one-year builder warranty compared to developments with an average age of approximately 27 years), neighborhood density (none have a dedicated park and sidewalks) and garage size (many have just one stall).

Contact me for information about this project and for my comprehensive research on this segment of the Jackson Hole real estate market.