New to our list this year is this
lovely home in the heights of Nordic Estates high above the
riff-raff of lower Nordic. Built by
Whistler's
Khyber Development only a
couple years ago with a fairly decent exterior design and
excellent solar exposure sits this truly Whistleresque home
perched on a very imposing bluff above Creekside Village.
The property was listed back in November 2005 for a whopping
$15 million, subsequently dropped by the first agent to $12
million where it sits sadly today. Mean time, a couple neighboring homes have
listed and sold. Do you see where I’m going with this? To
the untrained eye the home looks great and possibly worth
this money, however after looking at some interior shots
from the third agent’s website, the home just looks boring
and quite frankly modest. The property itself is great,
offering even ski in/out access but then driving through the
‘slums’ of lower Nordic is not what I call fun, unless you
keep your eyes shut! If you want to sell for this kind of
money you need some more wow-factor than what is offered
here. Overall, this is a great estate, but really only worth
$8 million maximum.
In
terms of exterior design, this is one of my favorite homes, designed
by
Gottschalk Design. Just the
right combination of durable materials like stone, concrete and
metal with more warm materials like wood. Records
indicate this home, like the other three lots are
zoned for on this small cul-de-sac, is topped out at 5,000 square
feet of living, but again on a relatively small lot. 2261 has really
stunning solar exposure with mid-day light to
brilliant sunsets in the evenings. The mansion is perched on
top of a steep bluff above Creekside Village making it look
very imposing from down below. Architecturally, a
relatively simple design, yet it fits right in with lots of West
Coast features with local stone siding, a cedar roof and copper
touches. The interior is quite different, almost the opposite, being
mostly western modern. Owner Marc Compagnon and Executive Director
of LF Trading Group has one of the nicest overall properties in the
resort.
A home
in the most sought-after building,
the
Four Seasons Private Residences. Construction finished back in 2005
after a very successful sell out within minutes back in 2002. Since
that time, 9 of 10 units in the building have been resold for even
more. Despite the resorts inability to increase sales like in town,
units in the Four
Seasons have
almost no problems selling for up to
$2,000 a foot. This unit is one of two penthouse units, in this case
it is on the 8th floor, number 82. As an owner of a unit in the
building you have the option to put it into the Four Seasons rental
pool and make up to $500,000 a year, not bad considering most
condo's in Whistler net only around $10,000. You even get full room service from the
five star Four Seasons Hotel next door. This is truly an exclusive building, however in my
opinion, the interior decor seems to be not at the Four Seasons
standard.
With about 3,500
feet of living #82 is slightly larger
of two Four Seasons Residence penthouses. Construction finished back in 2005
after a very successful sell out within minutes back in 2002. Since
that time, 9 of 10 units in the building have been resold for even
more. Despite the resorts inability to step up sales numbers like in
Vancouver,
units in the Four Seasons have almost no problems selling for up to
$2,000 a foot. As an owner of a unit in the
building you have the option to put it into the Four Seasons rental
pool and make up to $500,000 a year, not bad considering most
condo's in Whistler only net around $10,000. You even get full room service from the
five star Four Seasons Hotel next door. While this truly is an exclusive building, in my
opinion the interior decor seems not to be up to Four Seasons
standards.
New Zealand based owners, the Coney Family, owns
perhaps the most lucrative piece of real estate in Whistler. Well,
them and a few others on the top of Sunridge Plateau, a posh uber
scale
development next to Whistler Village. This estate has a private ski
in trail from Whistler Mountain
with all season accessibility. Solar exposure from this home is
amazing, with absolutely nothing to obstruct direct views of the
entire valley, Alta Lake, Whistler
Golf & Country Club, Blueberry Hill and the Village.
Peddled a couple years ago in a very sluggish market for only
$12,900,000 and went
nowhere, probably because they had a lame-duck agent that had no
experience selling such quality homes. Regardless, the home never
sold, but if on the market today it would reach into record
territory far beyond its measly six million dollar assessment! 3833
sits on an acre sized extreme view lot with a 7,500 foot framed
mansion on it. One of only three homes in Whistler with a grand
porte-cochère entrance, which really sets this home apart from the
rest. A perfect stately home for the perfect lot, one of Whistler’s
best – highly recommend viewing this baby!
Located in Whistler's Alta Vista neighborhood on a nice long and
narrow waterfront lot, this home was built by Whistler's largest
luxury home builders,
Nadeau & Sons. Well known for their
high end
homes at Sunridge
Plateau. However, most of their homes do not tend to sell easily as
they build very uniquely. This home was awarded a coveted Georgie Award in 2003, beating out what I believe to be
much better homes. While Alta Vista is a nice
neighborhood, it is
still behind other similar area's such as Whistler Cay and
Blueberry Hill. It has great potential as it is tucked only a couple
minutes from Whistler Village and Creekside Village and has the most
waterfront properties of all neighborhoods in Whistler plus not to mention a world
class golf course right next door. As
for this
home, it is quite nice and massive, but somehow is missing
a true top notch feel. The interior seems to be fair, while corners
were cut in the overall design. After this home was built, on a
relatively poor shabby street, a couple new homes have popped up and
the lot at the end of St. Anton Way has begun building a new massive
home on its acre sized waterfront lot - should be interesting to
watch. Even though
the home was reduced in price from $8.9 million to sell for $6
million in 2004, I have decided to tone down my criticism this year
as the street has improved and a couple other high end waterfront
chalet's have sold in Alta Vista since.
New this year sits one of Whistler’s
only right-on ski in/out homes. You can literally ski from Blackcomb
Mountain and ski into your kitchen and have lunch. Lack of
properties such as this one really excels market estimations
to any limit. Limiting factors are property size, being on such a
small piece of land – but then who the heck wants land in Whistler
when you don’t even live there and privacy & security become a
natural concern to any owner. If none of that bothers you, then this
is the ideal spot for a luxury 5,000 foot home. Summit Lane and most
of the few homes on this short quaint road were commissioned for
Intrawest (former owning company of both Whistler and Blackcomb
Mountains) executives and business acquaintances. While 4888 is
already over ten years old, it has weathered its first decade quite
well and certainly is one of the nicer homes in town.
Called Kamakura, it was once on this
list a couple years ago and eventually dumped because its
assessed value fell a million bucks.
Built in 2001 by, normally excellent,
Vision Pacific.
However this home somehow lacks panache, it just doesn’t
feel right. Not very scientific eh! What I mean is that the
exterior seems dated with a hodgepodge mixture of confusing
styles and the interior is even worse, seriously lacking
anything that buyers are expecting in this price range.
Basically, it is a white drywall (sheet-rock) bland home.
The little wood-work the home offers looks mixed with trad
and mod. Listed for $8 million in 2001, the property
subsequently dropped in value for 5 years (yes), when it
finally sold below assessed value at $6.3 million in 2006. I
doubt Vision Pacific made much on this project, the agents
probably made more!
Like all homes on Summit, they are impossible to come by, as they
are true ski in/out homes. At approximately 5,000 square feet of
absolute luxury, the home soars high above the Village
with views
from south to north. Lots are nearly non existent unfortunately, but
then again, who actually lives in Whistler? These are all getaway
shacks for upper crust Vancouver high society. Owner Allan Zeman is also
a business partner with
neighboring 4844 Summit owner Joe Houssian in Intracorp Development.
However Zeman earned his big money from doing business in Hong Kong
for several decades, bringing fine Chinese made apparel to North American
consumers. You want the numbers right? On a personal note, 4828 does
not appeal to my taste very much when compared to others on Summit,
but still manages to make the top list, even with a 6 spot drop in the
few years.
Allen Zeman Richard Feldman Lan Kwai Fong Montreal Colby International
Ltd Limited Sweetpea Entertainment California Ron Mannix Steve Wynn
Calgary Alberta Mirage Resorts
High atop posh Blueberry Hill on the most desirable street in the
neighborhood, this fine
home sits perched on a steep bluff with
spectacular LCD-like views of Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain
and the Village.
Don't hold your breath, there have only been one or two listings on
this block ever. This is one of those properties that sits on two
land titles, which has propelled its high assessment into the
stratosphere. While it's not the
largest or even the best home in Whistler, it is perfectly
positioned on a secluded private street with some of the best solar
exposure. 3586 is a beautifully kept home with around 4,000 square
feet of living on a double lot that has around 120 feet of frontage
- quite unheard-of in Blueberry Hill where only a couple homes have
even their own patch of garden. While Falcon Crescent has some of
the priciest real estate in the resort, it lacks consistency of fine
craftsmanship. There are still far too many poorly built shacks
which were put up in the early boom years of the 90's. Not to put
down this chalet, as it is one of the best.
3590 Falcon Crescent
Falcon Point, a stunning
new mansion with 9,000 square feet of living is a startling change in
building
styles for Whistler. Falcon Point designed by
Gottschalk Design, offers a modern interior
with a
West Coast Contemporary exterior, a
truly brave change. I commend Vision Pacific for attempting this risky
maneuver. I believe it is more appealing to international buyers
and is becoming the style of choice with local builders. This
fine residence was for sale by Remax for $13
million when it sold a year later for a record setting $11.2 million
in June 2005. Considering, the home sits on a lot which is over two
acres and is hidden behind a 100 meter driveway perched on a
precipice in posh Blueberry Hill
offering stunning 360 degree
surrounding views, it certainly was a competitive price. While it is not ski in/out or even near, it
supplements with its shear design, quality and fine location amongst
other gorgeous residences. This is the trend in Whistler for chalet's on large lots -
that's a
fact! Falcon Point has been given a modest
assessment this
year even though it sold for so much more, due to the fact that
final stages of construction was halted presumably due to the new
owners lack of money.
This beautiful villa is owned by the illustrious
former CEO of
Intrawest Corporation Joe Houssian based in Vancouver and which
owned
almost all of the Village and by the way, both Whistler and Blackcomb
Mountains. Oh, and a few ski resorts around the world too. A shame
he couldn't even pick the top house in Whistler, but settles for 13th
best! Not to put the house down, it is worth all of its assessed
value
and more.
It has never been on the market, probably because Houssian had his getaway shack
custom built a few years ago. Little is known about the house
itself, but according to the records it offers only 5,000 square feet of
luxury. It would with out a doubt
fetch upwards of $10 million if it were on the market today. Not much in
terms of land around the chalet, but its selling points are
attention to detail,
quality and true ski in/out access to Blackcomb Mountain. I wouldn't expect to ever see this one or any on this
street on the market, so don't hold your breath. Joanna Houssian Jamie Houssian 3110 Travers Avenue West
Vancouver The Collective Film 16mm Mountain Bike
A residence with nearly no flaws, well except that it has never been
on the market for me to see! A stunning massive 6,500 square foot
exceptional glaze finished log home with ski in/out
access. When you first drive up to 4913, you are blown away
by
its incredible size and attention to detail. I give it Whistler's
biggest "wow factor". This one should be in the top five
as there are only a couple homes which come near to this scale - and I
don't even like log homes! The exterior is second to none and the
interior is mysterious as no local has really set foot in it. From a
distance, I noticed the wide open layout and grandeur, really in
Whistler you do not waste even one square foot because of tight
building size regulations - this home seems to disregards that
standard. This years assessments give this home a mere value, when I
am sure that if on the market today, the owner could ask as much as $15
million. Yet is
only 12th this year. Amazing! Gregory McIntyre
Greg McIntyre
The first time any home in the brand
spanking new uber-class
Stonebridge Estates has entered the Top Homes list and it is
now the first to enter the speculative real estate market in July
2007, and for the bargain price of nearly $14 million. While I do
agree, Stonebridge is exclusive and unique with all properties being
secluded from street sight (aka prying eyes) on large acreage lots;
it lacks great views from some lots, including 5448. The 6,500 foot
mansion itself sprawls across part of its 7 generous acres, but
really that’s all that is interesting about this package deal. I do
not see any real quality or interesting architectural feature. Just
plain old white walls with some bad window placement. I think the owner and
Whistler builder Randy Warm had too much money to spend and forgot to
hire a decent
architect, if any, along the way. I guarantee a sale above $10 million is out
of the question. Who needs or wants such a huge lot without really
great views to go with it – worst of all being a 20 minute (tricky in winter)
drive to the nearest gondola at Creekside and 30 minutes from the
Village! Don’t get me wrong, I love
Stonebridge and the acreage
idea, but it makes no sense to build such a normal house and not
even have big views. Wendy Warm Randy Warm
A brash looking residence, home to
Swiss based oil baron CEO Ian
Lundin. This home
seems
to look like the
funny cousin of neighboring 4913 and 4905. At approximately 7,000 square
feet, this is one of the largest homes in town, yet looks much
less imposing than its more beautiful cousins! The interior seems to
be somewhat dated and not what you would come to expect of such a
designer home. I cannot justify a market price above $9 million, I
just do not see the value. The combination of
contemporary architecture using copper details with river rock as
siding just does not fly with me, yuck! I have never seen a high end
home with that much river rock - not sure what
Calrudd Construction
was thinking when they built this home in 1998. The home may be 10th most expensive,
but it sure would not make my personal top 20 list. Take a look and see
yourself, Horstman is a beautiful area with a handful of homes,
each exclusive. Adolf Lundin Lukas
Lundin Oil Geneva Switzerland Vancouver Red Sea Oil Corporation
Tenke Mining Corporation South Atlantic Resources Limited ltd
This is the old timer on the
Top Homes list, once #1 in Whistler when sold in 1999 for $7.9 million,
it even was Canada's highest ever sold residence,
which is hard to
believe now. Designed
and built by Munster & Sons, 3820 was given the Sanskrit name Akasha, which is
now widely known to most locals.
Second and current owner is computer magazine magnate Chris Anderson
and CEO to Imagine Media Inc., from San Jose,
California. Not surprisingly, Akasha has gone down a couple spots this year to
10th because of newer and larger homes coming onto the scene. Nevertheless, the
home is stunning and just outright
fabulous. It would easily be 1st if it was not for its mere 5,000
foot frame. One of the best crafted homes in Whistler, it is
very subtle and not overwhelming. Casual yet graceful while being
one of the top homes in the country. If on the market today, its well
known name and sentimental value pushing Whistler into high end
territory, possibly fetching upwards of $12 million.
The
Grove, located on a unique 5 acre completely flat estate just a few
minutes from the
Village. Here sits this magnificent West Coast Revival
mansion, totalling just under 10,000 square feet of living. The main
residence is 8,000
square feet of luxury plus the guest-house adds another couple
thousand feet. Built by
Vision Pacific in 2003, this is currently
the third highest ever marketed residence for sale in Whistler to date,
for a
mere $15 million,
however sold for peanuts in December 2007 for only $10 million. The property also boasts provisions for a private
outdoor ice rink for the few
freezing months in Winter which can be converted to a tennis
court in Summer. The Grove is the future of palatial estates in
Whistler, which are stunningly new to the resort. When compared to
Aspen or Vail, this is the norm, however none of those resorts offer
estate homes within a 5 minute drive from world class skiing,
Whistler
does! The only negative I can see is the shear level of
poor quality of most of the other homes on this part of Crabapple
Drive. While more and more are being torn down, it is just not
happening fast enough. Most quality estates are located at the end
of the road, not quite on this block. You cannot however beat
driving along the driveway of The Grove with its Birch tree-lined
avenue and fitting roundabout right to the front door of the
residence. It is a work of art and without a doubt a full package
deal, great lot and great home. Timothy
Regan Tim Regan
Hidden in one of the most oddest of locations, yet
on a large view
lot
and ski in / out. Built in 1997 it is not the newest home, but it
sure is a large one at around 9,000 square feet with what looks to
have several wings, all on a generous 2 acre lot. The home is a bit
rustic and dark but has a traditional Whistler feel. It has never
been on the market so not much is know about it. It is located on a
street which has no other detached homes and is across the street
from large employee housing apartments, which is a questionable
choice of land to build on. There aren't many lots which are
zoned for building such a large home, but at the cost of privacy. The home and
land are just about equally split in their assessments, making the home itself one of the costliest in Whistler!
If on the market, it could list for upwards of $15 million but more
likely to sell for around $12 million. Agnes
Gosselin Olivier Mayer
Whistler's newest and trendiest chalet, located in the revitalized
Nordic Heights neighborhood. Designed by
Gottschalk Design
in 2004,
this is a gorgeous home to look at from inside and out. Recently completed, this stunning true ski
in/out chalet perched on an elevated property overlooking the south
valley of Whistler offering beautiful sunsets is hard to match.
Listed for sale for $20 million in 2005 by West Vancouver realtor
Malcolm Hasman, and
successfully sold for a Whistler record $18
million in August 2008. There's considerable similarity in the materials used on this home,
called The Couloir, and Chateau du Lac, with its concrete frame,
dark tinted high-end Euroline windows & doors and basalt stone
siding. It is truly a sturdy house, which I love, and want to see more of. Wood framed
homes just look like toothpicks and weak when compared to these
concrete and stone mammoths. I would have to put 2286 as one of the
top homes in Whistler, as it is truly unique and beautiful, with its
tasteful combination of traditional and modern (trad & mod). This is
the fourth year this home has entered our Top Homes List but very
poorly ranked. Given a rather low assessed value in 2008, it will
surely rise two fold by 2009. Larry Houghton
New in 2007 this is one of Whistler's
newest and fast rising kings. Listed on the market for a
whopping $22,000,000 in 2007 and surprisingly sold quickly
in January 2008 for a Whistler
high
of $17,500,00 - pretty much securing a first spot position
in 2009. Last year the home was 14th, this year 6th and next
it will most likely be 1st. A Tuscan Modern
estate, finally a new style in the mix. This is the second of two homes in The Grove complex,
a 10 acre property divided into two lots by
Vision Pacific.
Initially Vision Pacific marketed this home at $15 million
completed in 2004,
but a buyer came by during construction and bought the
project for only $5 million in 2005. An additional couple
million was paid
out to complete the Tuscan estate which was finished in 2007. The home itself is stunning, made of
stone, concrete and engineered lumber. Completely unique
design and construction in Whistler. While this is not on
the mountain nor does it offer much in terms of views, you
do get a huge 5 acre lot on a relatively exclusive street, and it's only
a few minute walk to the Village. This one is worth far
above it's meager assessment.
The
illustrious Chateau du Lac. After several years dominating the top
spot as the most exclusive residence in Whistler, it is now
relegated to #5. Nevertheless,
this
property is a true world class estate, boasting some of the
best planning for a residential home in Canada. Located on a private
single home street, Chateau du Lac has been built of only durable and
lasting materials such as basalt
rock as siding, a solid reinforced concrete skeleton and a roof
completely made of copper which was rumored to have cost the builder
/ owner a swift half million
dollars! There is literally nothing which comes even close to this
residence. It really should
take top spot, but it is only 5,000
square feet, so that is the limiting factor in pricing of Chateau du
Lac. I do suspect the home to be more like 7,000 square feet, but
who's counting? It is quite the package property, with a guest
house, nanny's quarters and huge property to keep those prying eyes
away. When going through the home, one has the feeling of being in a
grand French Chateau, it is that authentic. Your eyes are
immediately drawn to the massive 20 foot high panoramic windows
which gaze out over Nita Lake with westerly mountain range views.
Originally for sale for $12 million, the residence was finally
bought in 2001 by an Australian couple for $10 million, setting a
new record for the highest price ever paid for a residential home in
Canada, which was surpassed just a couple years later. This years
assessed value is set incredibly low and is worth about twice as
much on the market. For sure Whistler's best house!
Keith Murray Lambert Keith Lambert Australia
This
is a
mysterious
property, which has been hiding in the background for an entire
decade. Built in the early nineties by
Panther Enterprises when builders were still building
A-frame homes, this was a true oddball. Whistler has caught up to
this grand home which is situated at the end of Horstman Place,
offering direct ski home access. The residence is full of little
details and tries to capture a sense of Whistler and West Coast
styling with old world charm. It is really amazing that
somebody would have built this type of quality home so long before
anything large was built in the resort. While zoning has permitted
this to be one of the few 10,000 square foot residences in
Whistler, it certainly does not appear to be that size right now,
more like 7,000 square feet. The home offers brilliant views and a
superb location, but the lot is not terribly large still the assessed value
is split evenly amongst the land and the house!
All that is known about the owners is that they are from Brisbane,
Australia and are in the wine business. Terry
Peabody Mary Peabody Kelowna Western Star Trucks Holdings Craggy
Range Winery Brisbane Australia
A newcomer in 2006 sits this mega mansion built
in the posh neighborhood of Tree Tops. While only half of the
block is built up, there are a couple residences which have sold
above $5 million
with the rest being less than $4 million. Bought
by Don Roussy and family from Ontario a couple years ago, they forked out
$6 million just for the land - and not just one lot, but three.
In 2004 construction began on two gorgeous homes by
Vision Pacific,
which has built several top homes on this years list. Zoning has set a limit of two five thousand foot homes to be
built on each lot, but the owners have literally bridged the gap
between them and connected both homes. A unique but very cleaver idea!
Still with this assessed value, only a third of it is
in the house. Rumors have it that the
owners received an offer for $16 million in 2005, but turned it down
because they could not find anything anywhere else in Whistler with the same
level of privacy, views and uniqueness! London Ontario 7469 Treetop Lane
7465 Treetop Lane
Another Sunridge Plateau residence. This is a brand new chalet,
completed
in 2005 for past owner Dominic Soave, which happens to own
Taina
Development, the group which developed the
entire Sunridge
Plateau neighborhood. The home sits on an imposing steep bluff
above Whistler Village and boasts direct ski in/out access with a
trail right next door, and it was only one of a few homes in the
resort to have risen significantly in assessed value. Late in 2005
the home entered the market for a mind
blowing $17.5 million then sold for just over $13.6
million early in 2007 reportedly to English mobile phone retail
billionaire John Caudwell. It took around 3 years to complete this
10,000 square foot mansion, which happens to be the second largest
home in Whistler. It's a bit shocking to see this home was assessed
higher than its 3833 neighbor though. 3827 is a fine home but the
design is somewhat dated and its roof line is one of the worst I
have seen. Whoever decided to cut out those slots in the beautiful
chimney's to put in disgusting satellite dishes must have been nuts
- take a look and you'll understand.
Here we are, Whistler's top residence. It took a few years, but
finally there is a fresh face to the top homes in the resort. All
it took was the construction of this bizarre property. Located along
a fairly wealthy
stretch in the Creekside neighborhood on a huge
lot. Why do I say bizarre, well you would notice one odd feature on
the house. First of all, the house is actually a combination of some
space-age-looking living pods or buildings, most of which are connected together.
It does not appear to have a second floor, all on one ground level.
The lot is so large and spread out over 6 acres, I guess you can do this. To get
to the interesting part ... the property has an NHL sized ice rink
next to it, built for the owners! It is not just any old
ice rink, but an actual facility which can hold hundreds
of spectators
and it is a complete building. How the owners got a permit to
build all of this on one residential lot amazes me. 2177 boasts
about 500 feet of water frontage on Alpha Lake and casually
estimating the residence living space to be somewhere around 15,000
square feet, not including the ice rink of course, which is another
20,000 feet at least! Owner Greg
Kerfoot, from
West Vancouver, is well known for his well endowed high end homes,
as he owns two of the most expensive residences in West Vancouver
and one near Kelowna. Not to forget, he owns Vancouver's only soccer club, The Whitecaps
plus
is the CEO of Vancouver based Crystal Decisions and Seagate Software.
Current assessed value of this property is well above most other properties in Whistler
where improvements on the land make up a whopping 75% of that assessment. Depending
on the marketability of this ice rink facility, 2177 could fetch
upwards of $25 million.
Greg Kerfoot Lisa Kerfoot
Sylvia Kerfoot Johnston Lake
Country Winfield Kelowna West Vancouver Whitecaps soccer Seagate
Software Carrs Landing 4470 Ross Crescent
In
terms of exterior design, this is one of my favorite homes, designed
by
brilliant sunsets in the evenings. The mansion is perched on
top of a steep bluff above Creekside Village making it look
very imposing from down below. Architecturally, a
relatively simple design, yet it fits right in with lots of West
Coast features with local stone siding, a cedar roof and copper
touches. The interior is quite different, almost the opposite, being
mostly western modern. Owner Marc Compagnon and Executive Director
of LF Trading Group has one of the nicest overall properties in the
resort.
the
Four Seasons Private Residences. Construction finished back in 2005
after a very successful sell out within minutes back in 2002. Since
that time, 9 of 10 units in the building have been resold for even
more. Despite the resorts inability to increase sales like in town,
units in the Four
Seasons have
almost no problems selling for up to
$2,000 a foot. This unit is one of two penthouse units, in this case
it is on the 8th floor, number 82. As an owner of a unit in the
building you have the option to put it into the Four Seasons rental
pool and make up to $500,000 a year, not bad considering most
condo's in Whistler net only around $10,000. You even get full room service from the
five star Four Seasons Hotel next door. This is truly an exclusive building, however in my
opinion, the interior decor seems to be not at the Four Seasons
standard.
Construction finished back in 2005
after a very successful sell out within minutes back in 2002. Since
that time, 9 of 10 units in the building have been resold for even
more. Despite the resorts inability to step up sales numbers like in
Vancouver,
units in the Four Seasons have almost no problems selling for up to
$2,000 a foot. As an owner of a unit in the
building you have the option to put it into the Four Seasons rental
pool and make up to $500,000 a year, not bad considering most
condo's in Whistler only net around $10,000. You even get full room service from the
five star Four Seasons Hotel next door. While this truly is an exclusive building, in my
opinion the interior decor seems not to be up to Four Seasons
standards.
high end
homes at Sunridge
Plateau. However, most of their homes do not tend to sell easily as
they build very uniquely. This home was awarded a coveted Georgie Award in 2003, beating out what I believe to be
much better homes. While Alta Vista is a nice
neighborhood, it is
still behind other similar area's such as Whistler Cay and
Blueberry Hill. It has great potential as it is tucked only a couple
minutes from Whistler Village and Creekside Village and has the most
waterfront properties of all neighborhoods in Whistler plus not to mention a world
class golf course right next door. As
for this
home, it is quite nice and massive, but somehow is missing
a true top notch feel. The interior seems to be fair, while corners
were cut in the overall design. After this home was built, on a
relatively poor shabby street, a couple new homes have popped up and
the lot at the end of St. Anton Way has begun building a new massive
home on its acre sized waterfront lot - should be interesting to
watch. Even though
the home was reduced in price from $8.9 million to sell for $6
million in 2004, I have decided to tone down my criticism this year
as the street has improved and a couple other high end waterfront
chalet's have sold in Alta Vista since.
with views
from south to north. Lots are nearly non existent unfortunately, but
then again, who actually lives in Whistler? These are all getaway
shacks for upper crust Vancouver high society. Owner Allan Zeman is also
a business partner with
neighboring 4844 Summit owner Joe Houssian in Intracorp Development.
However Zeman earned his big money from doing business in Hong Kong
for several decades, bringing fine Chinese made apparel to North American
consumers. You want the numbers right? On a personal note, 4828 does
not appeal to my taste very much when compared to others on Summit,
but still manages to make the top list, even with a 6 spot drop in the
few years.
Allen Zeman Richard Feldman Lan Kwai Fong Montreal Colby International
Ltd Limited Sweetpea Entertainment California Ron Mannix Steve Wynn
Calgary Alberta Mirage Resorts
home sits perched on a steep bluff with
spectacular LCD-like views of Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain
and the Village.
Don't hold your breath, there have only been one or two listings on
this block ever. This is one of those properties that sits on two
land titles, which has propelled its high assessment into the
stratosphere. While it's not the
largest or even the best home in Whistler, it is perfectly
positioned on a secluded private street with some of the best solar
exposure. 3586 is a beautifully kept home with around 4,000 square
feet of living on a double lot that has around 120 feet of frontage
- quite unheard-of in Blueberry Hill where only a couple homes have
even their own patch of garden. While Falcon Crescent has some of
the priciest real estate in the resort, it lacks consistency of fine
craftsmanship. There are still far too many poorly built shacks
which were put up in the early boom years of the 90's. Not to put
down this chalet, as it is one of the best.
3590 Falcon Crescent
building
styles for Whistler. Falcon Point designed by
d is becoming the style of choice with local builders. This
fine residence was for sale by Remax for $13
million when it sold a year later for a record setting $11.2 million
in June 2005. Considering, the home sits on a lot which is over two
acres and is hidden behind a 100 meter driveway perched on a
precipice in posh Blueberry Hill
offering stunning 360 degree
surrounding views, it certainly was a competitive price. While it is not ski in/out or even near, it
supplements with its shear design, quality and fine location amongst
other gorgeous residences. This is the trend in Whistler for chalet's on large lots -
that's a
fact! Falcon Point has been given a modest
assessment this
year even though it sold for so much more, due to the fact that
final stages of construction was halted presumably due to the new
owners lack of money.
almost all of the Village and by the way, both Whistler and Blackcomb
Mountains. Oh, and a few ski resorts around the world too. A shame
he couldn't even pick the top house in Whistler, but settles for 13th
best! Not to put the house down, it is worth all of its assessed
value
and more.
It has never been on the market, probably because Houssian had his getaway shack
custom built a few years ago. Little is known about the house
itself, but according to the records it offers only 5,000 square feet of
luxury. It would with out a doubt
fetch upwards of $10 million if it were on the market today. Not much in
terms of land around the chalet, but its selling points are
attention to detail,
quality and true ski in/out access to Blackcomb Mountain. I wouldn't expect to ever see this one or any on this
street on the market, so don't hold your breath. Joanna Houssian Jamie Houssian 3110 Travers Avenue West
Vancouver The Collective Film 16mm Mountain Bike
access. When you first drive up to 4913, you are blown away
by
its incredible size and attention to detail. I give it
Whistler's
biggest "wow factor". This one should be in the top five
as there are only a couple homes which come near to this scale - and I
don't even like log homes! The exterior is second to none and the
interior is mysterious as no local has really set foot in it. From a
distance, I noticed the wide open layout and grandeur, really in
Whistler you do not waste even one square foot because of tight
building size regulations - this home seems to disregards that
standard. This years assessments give this home a mere value, when I
am sure that if on the market today, the owner could ask as much as $15
million. Yet is
only 12th this year. Amazing! Gregory McIntyre
Greg McIntyre
to look like the
funny cousin of neighboring 4913 and 4905. At approximately 7,000 square
feet, this is one of the largest homes in town, yet looks much
less imposing
than its more beautiful cousins! The interior seems to
be somewhat dated and not what you would come to expect of such a
designer home. I cannot justify a market price above $9 million, I
just do not see the value. The combination of
contemporary architecture using copper details with river rock as
siding just does not fly with me, yuck! I have never seen a high end
home with that much river rock - not sure what
which is hard to
believe now. Designed
and built by 
computer magazine magnate Chris Anderson
and CEO to Imagine Media Inc., from San Jose,
California. Not surprisingly, Akasha has gone down a couple spots this year to
10th because of newer and larger homes coming onto the scene. Nevertheless, the
home is stunning and just outright
fabulous. It would easily be 1st if it was not for its mere 5,000
foot frame. One of the best crafted homes in Whistler, it is
very subtle and not overwhelming. Casual yet graceful while being
one of the top homes in the country. If on the market today, its well
known name and sentimental value pushing Whistler into high end
territory, possibly fetching upwards of $12 million.
Village. Here sits this magnificent West Coast Revival
mansion, totalling just under 10,000 square feet of living. The main
residence is 8,000
square feet of luxury plus the guest-house adds another couple
thousand feet. Built by
or Vail, this is the norm, however none of those resorts offer
estate homes within a 5 minute drive from world class skiing,
Whistler
does! The only negative I can see is the shear level of
poor quality of most of the other homes on this part of Crabapple
Drive. While more and more are being torn down, it is just not
happening fast enough. Most quality estates are located at the end
of the road, not quite on this block. You cannot however beat
driving along the driveway of The Grove with its Birch tree-lined
avenue and fitting roundabout right to the front door of the
residence. It is a work of art and without a doubt a full package
deal, great lot and great home. Timothy
Regan Tim Regan
lot
and ski in / out. Built in 1997 it is not the newest home, but it
sure is a large one at around 9,000 square feet with what looks to
have several wings, all on a generous 2 acre lot. The home is a bit
rustic and dark but has a traditional Whistler feel. It
has never
been on the market so not much is know about it. It is located on a
street which has no other detached homes and is across the street
from large employee housing apartments, which is a questionable
choice of land to build on. There aren't many lots which are
zoned for building such a large home, but at the cost of privacy. The home and
land are just about equally split in their assessments, making the home itself one of the costliest in Whistler!
If on the market, it could list for upwards of $15 million but more
likely to sell for around $12 million. Agnes
Gosselin Olivier Mayer
high
of $17,500,00 - pretty much securing a first spot position
in 2009. Last year the home was 14th, this year 6th and next
it will most likely be 1st. A Tuscan Modern
estate, finally a new style in the mix. This is the second of two homes in The Grove complex,
a 10 acre property divided into two lots by
property is a true world class estate, boasting some of the
best planning for a residential home in Canada. Located on a private
single home street, Chateau du Lac has been built of only durable and
lasting materials such as basalt
rock as siding, a solid reinforced concrete skeleton and a roof
completely made of copper which was rumored to have cost the builder
/ owner a swift half million
dollars! There is literally nothing which comes even close to this
residence. It really should
take top spot, but it is only 5,000
square feet, so that is the limiting factor in pricing of Chateau du
Lac. I do suspect the home to be more like 7,000 square feet, but
who's counting? It is quite the package property, with a guest
house, nanny's quarters and huge property to keep those prying eyes
away. When going through the home, one has the feeling of being in a
grand French Chateau, it is that authentic. Your eyes are
immediately drawn to the massive 20 foot high panoramic windows
which gaze out over Nita Lake with westerly mountain range views.
Originally for sale for $12 million, the residence was finally
bought in 2001 by an Australian couple for $10 million, setting a
new record for the highest price ever paid for a residential home in
Canada, which was surpassed just a couple years later. This years
assessed value is set incredibly low and is worth about twice as
much on the market. For sure Whistler's best house!
Keith Murray Lambert Keith Lambert Australia
the end of Horstman Place,
offering direct ski home access. The residence is full of little
details and tries to capture a sense of Whistler and West Coast
styling with old world charm. It is really amazing that
somebody would have built this type of quality home so long before
anything large was built in the resort. While zoning has permitted
this to be one of the few 10,000 square foot residences in
Whistler, it certainly does not appear to be that size right now,
more like 7,000 square feet. The home offers brilliant views and a
superb location, but the lot is not terribly large still the assessed value
is split evenly amongst the land and the house!
All that is known about the owners is that they are from Brisbane,
Australia and are in the wine business. Terry
Peabody Mary Peabody Kelowna Western Star Trucks Holdings Craggy
Range Winery Brisbane Australia
with the rest being less than $4 million. Bought
by Don Roussy and family from Ontario a couple years ago, they forked out
$6 million just for the land - and not just one lot, but three.
In 2004 construction began on two gorgeous homes by
entire Sunridge
Plateau neighborhood. The home sits on an imposing steep bluff
above Whistler Village and boasts direct ski in/out access with a
trail right next door, and it was only one of a few homes in the
resort to have risen significantly in assessed value. Late in 2005
the home entered the market for a mind
blowing $17.5 million then sold for just over $13.6
million early in 2007 reportedly to English mobile phone retail
billionaire John Caudwell. It took around 3 years to complete this
10,000 square foot mansion, which happens to be the second largest
home in Whistler. It's a bit shocking to see this home was assessed
higher than its 3833 neighbor though. 3827 is a fine home but the
design is somewhat dated and its roof line is one of the worst I
have seen. Whoever decided to cut out those slots in the beautiful
chimney's to put in disgusting satellite dishes must have been nuts
- take a look and you'll understand.
stretch in the Creekside neighborhood on a huge
lot. Why do I say bizarre, well you would notice one odd feature on
the house. First of all, the house is actually a combination of some
space-age-looking living pods or buildings, most of which are connected together.
It does not appear to have a second floor, all on one ground level.
The lot is so large and spread out over 6 acres, I guess you can do this. To get
to the interesting part ... the property has an NHL sized ice rink
next to it, built for the owners! It is not just any old
ice rink, but an actual facility which can hold hundreds
of spectators
and it is a complete building. How the owners got a permit to
build all of this on one residential lot amazes me. 2177 boasts
about 500 feet of water frontage on Alpha Lake and casually
estimating the residence living space to be somewhere around 15,000
square feet, not including the ice rink of course, which is another
20,000 feet at least! Owner Greg
Kerfoot, from
West Vancouver, is well known for his well endowed high end homes,
as he owns two of the most expensive residences in West Vancouver
and one near Kelowna. Not to forget, he owns Vancouver's only soccer club, The Whitecaps
plus
is the CEO of Vancouver based Crystal Decisions and Seagate Software.
Current assessed value of this property is well above most other properties in Whistler
where improvements on the land make up a whopping 75% of that assessment. Depending
on the marketability of this ice rink facility, 2177 could fetch
upwards of $25 million.
Greg Kerfoot Lisa Kerfoot
Sylvia Kerfoot Johnston Lake
Country Winfield Kelowna West Vancouver Whitecaps soccer Seagate
Software Carrs Landing 4470 Ross Crescent