Posted on 07 December 2012
The latest information shows that now is a golden opportunity to buy Alpine ski property. The latest Knight Frank prime ski property index for Q2 2012 shows that prices of properties in the top French and Swiss resorts fell sharply in the year ending June 2012, with many showing flat prices over the quarter, indicated stabilisation in the market.
The biggest year on year decline was in Zermatt Switzerland at 18%, followed by Gstaad in Switzerland at 13.2%, 3rd is Chamonix in France with 10%, followed by Verbier in Switzerland and Val d’Isere in France both with prices down 8.8% on the year, then Meribel in France with a decline of 6.5%, Davos in Switzerland at 5.6%, Cortina in Italy with prices down 4.5% and last of the big fallers if Megève in France with a year on year decline of 4.2%.
Of those markets, the biggest quarter on quarter increase was recorded by Verbier, where prices grew 3.3% on the quarter. But Zermatt and Gstaad present as being among the best opportunities, because while they are at the top of the annual falls, prices grew by 2.9% on the quarter in both of them according to the index. Apart from that we have quarterly growth of 2% in Davos.
All the markets in France which saw big annual declines were flat on the quarter, which also indicates stabilisation but at the same time means buyers get an even better deal because there is no growth factor.
In case you are wondering why we are focussing on Alpine markets when prices of ski properties worldwide fell 9.1% in the year ending June 2012 according to the index, it is because the golden opportunity of Alpine ski property is enhanced by the fact that the Euro has lost 15 – 20 per cent of its value against Sterling.