Real Estate

Accelerating Vail Valley Luxury Market Ramps Up With A $30.5-Million Sale

A mountain contemporary in Vail Valley has thrown down the gauntlet with what may end up being the most expensive sale in 2021 for the area.

One of highest closing prices recorded so far this year in Colorado, the $30.5-million transaction was for an architectural showplace set on more than three-quarters of an acre along Gore Creek in Vail.

Year-to-date, Vail Valley home and land sales are outreaching 2020 in both the number of transactions and prices, according to a third quarter market report from Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate.

For the quarter ending Sept. 30, there were 1,476 sales compared to 1,154 for the same period last year – a 28% increase. That accounted for about $2.23 billion in dollar volume so far for 2021, compared to $1.7 billion in 2020.

Sales in the $4 million-plus luxury category increased 77%, from 61 to 108 transactions.

The reasons 333 Beaver Dam Road, Vail, sold for $30.5 million are numerous. Leading the list are the architectural design and finish levels, says Slifer, Smith & Frampton listing agent  Catherine Jones Coburn.

The 11,000-square-foot-plus mansion has a striking facade combining oak siding, copper and black-zinc panels and buff-colored limestone.

Plus, it’s in the style that buyers in the area currently favor, Jones-Coburn says. “Contemporary is preferential.”

Many of the homes for sale in Vail are more vertical, Jones-Coburn adds. “This one is very linear, with nice lines and flow.”

The location along the creek adds a measure of privacy to the mansion, which is inconspicuous and out of the view of the neighbors.

Further benefits of the site, which backs up to open space and wetlands, include that it is within walking distance of Vail Village and the ski slopes.

The interiors have the feel of a modern three-story lodge with stone features, art gallery-size walls and vaulted wood ceilings. Expanses of glass frame pine and woodland views.

A large cantilevered deck off the great room extends the living space outdoors. An upper level skywalk crosses a brook and connects to one wing of the house. There six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half-baths. 

A spiral staircase leads to the lower level gym, which opens to a stone patio with an outdoor spa tub. A wet bar, a game room and a wine cellar are also on this floor.

Jones-Coburn and Donna Caynoski, both with Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate, were the listing agents.


Slifer, Smith & Frampton is a founding member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.