Home Buying

This Maine town was ranked the best place in the U.S. to buy a ski home

Three New England communities made the list, which also takes into account rental income and the return on investment. Read more at realestate.boston.com.

Ludlow, Vt., home to Okemo Mountain Resort, landed at No. 9 on the list. Brian Mohr/Ember Photography/Okemo/2012 file

By Kelly Garrity -- Boston.com correspondent

December 14, 2021

2 minutes to read

It’s the time of year when New Englanders like to find themselves in a bind — ski bindings. Ski season is upon us once again, and it looks as if it will be a busy one. In a recent survey of Boston.com readers, 93 percent said they planned to hit the slopes this winter.

As skiers and snowboarders return to the mountains, ski house rentals may be harder to come by. For those looking to make an investment and guarantee a place to stay near their favorite skiing locale, buying may be a better option. Luckily for New Englanders, three towns in the region are among the top 10 places to buy a winter vacation home, according to a recent report by the vacation rental company Vacasa.

Newry, Maine; Conway, N.H.; and Ludlow, V.T., all made the list for the 2021-2022 winter season. The rankings are based on “cap rate,” the predicted yearly return on investment for renting out a home in the area. The report also included data on the median home price and the annual gross rental revenue in each town.

Newry, Maine, ranked first overall, with a cap rate of 12.3 percent, a median home price of $245,965, and an annual gross rental revenue of $50,436, Newry snagged the top spot thanks to Sunday River Resort, which offers 870 skiable acres.

Conway, N.H., landed at fifth on the list, with a cap rate of 4.8 percent and a median home price of $343,412. Described in the report as “the Birthplace of American Skiing,” Conway is located near several New England skiing hubs (Loon Mountain, Bretton Woods, and Attitash Mountain to name a few) and is home to some of the most popular ice climbing terrain in the region, according to the report. The annual gross rental revenue is $37,855 here.

At No. 9, Ludlow, V.T., home to Okemo Mountain Resort, had a cap rate of 3.9 percent. Though the rate is down slightly from previous years, “the average daily rate for vacation rentals has increased significantly,” the report said. Ludlow has a median home price of $346,950 and an annual gross rental revenue of $38,674.

Here are the towns that made the list: