The Martis Camp Summer Concert Series finale featured the popular, contemporary swing band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD). This southern California crew brought their string basses, saxophones, clarinets, and trumpets, not to mention their swingin’ style and velvety vocals to entertain all on Labor Day weekend.

What a great night! Perfect weather. Perfect setting. Great friends. Laughter and smiles. Delicious catered dinner enjoyed picnic style on the amphitheater lawn. Pre-concert Swing Dance lessons. Martis Camp caters to young and old alike and truly creates a special environment for family and friends.

Second homes, whether in the mountains or at the beach, have long had a strong family appeal. In recent years, savvy developers have been building communities aimed at families in the same way they once built for avid golfers, skiers or tennis players. Many of the homes are being bought because of family-friendly amenities and are used as a place for family gatherings, especially during holidays. “Family-friendly definitely sells now,” says Steve Adelson, a partner in Discovery Land Co., which develops luxury second-home communities with a family focus. “In today’s market, the speculators are gone, and our buyers are real users. For people to be able to afford these kinds of homes, they usually have worked hard, spent a lot of time in the office, and on vacation they really want quality time with their families.”

Indicative of the appeal: Discovery has sold over $600 million worth of real estate this year, despite the economy.

The best family-centric communities have extensive supervised programs for kids, clubhouses and sports, activities and classes. Facilities and programs tend to be elaborate:

•At California’s Martis Camp, near Lake Tahoe, the “Family Barn” has a bowling alley, movie theater, soda fountain and stage. An outdoor sports complex offers croquet, lawn bowling, basketball courts, a soccer field, softball diamond and barbecue area. A separate “folk school” offers classes in photography and pottery.

•Colorado’s Snowmass resort has a multilevel, ski-in and ski-out “Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center.”

•In addition to 35 miles of bike paths, a kids’ camp, three golf courses, equestrian and fly-fishing, Oregon’s Sunriver Resort has a domed astronomical observatory with a retractable roof and 13 telescopes. In summer, educational programs and viewings are conducted daily.

•Colorado’s Beaver Creek ski resort built a gondola for its kids’ ski school, has a skating rink, performing arts area and free cookies for skiers.

•At Idaho’s Gozzer Ranch, children make their own movie that’s “screened” for parents, complete with a red carpet and popcorn. 

Most communities also offer simpler activities, which Adelson calls “Norman Rockwellian,” such as bingo nights and campfire steak cookouts. The best have put a summer camp twist on second-home ownership. 

A look at three family-friendly second-home options

• Ski resorts. Some resorts focus more on family activities than others. Among the most popular amenities is a slope-side “village center” that offers skating, dining, rentals, ski school and kids’ club in one convenient location. Beaver Creek, Colo.; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada; Northstar, Calif.; Stowe, Vt.; and several other resorts have them. Beaver Creek’s elaborate system of escalators in its village is frequently cited by parents of ski-boot-wearing children as their favorite feature. Beaver Creek and Colorado’s Snowmass, with its huge “Kids’ Treehouse,” were ranked in the top five family-friendly resorts by Ski Magazine. Beaver Creek is one of the priciest areas. Snowmass offerings start at $500,000-plus and run into seven figures. More-affordable options: California’s Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort has a new village center with ice rink and “Mommy, Daddy and Me” ski school packages. Condos in the Village at Northstar start just under $300,000.

• Golf communities. Combining multiple high-quality golf courses with impressive children’s facilities is a new twist at golf communities. Florida’s 2,400-acre Sandestin is a leading golf resort in its own right with four top courses. But it also boasts family attractions such as several stocked lakes for kids to learn to fish, a resort village with family-friendly restaurants, and entertainment that includes a zip line, a water park, seasonal ice rink and nightly entertainment. Family-friendly Sunriver in Oregon, with astronomy and fly-fishing, is home to three of the premier golf courses in the Northwest. These non-gated communities tend to be more affordable. The majority of the properties at Sandestin are in the $250,000-$600,000 range, with condos from the low $100,000s. Some of the world’s premier theme park and historic destinations, such as Walt Disney World in Orlando, Hershey, Pa., and Williamsburg, Va., are popular second-home locales with multiple top-ranked golf courses.

• Private club communities. Many family-friendly ski and golf resorts have hotels, and they welcome day visitors. That’s not the case at private and often-gated communities such as the Discovery Land Co.’s Gozzer Ranch in Idaho, Iron Horse in Montana, and 13 other beach and mountain communities in the continental USA, Hawaii, Mexico and the Bahamas. The communities typically feature at least one golf course, other sports and extensive family facilities. Similar communities include California’s Martis Camp, Talisker Deer Valley, Utah,and The Club at Spanish Peaks, Mont. They combine golf and numerous other activities with private access to skiing. These appeal strongly to those who want to let their children be unsupervised, while still under the security that private communities offer. They also tend to be the most expensive options. Empty lots at Discovery communities start around $500,000, homes reach past $1 million, and many cost much more.

TRUCKEE, Calif., April 1 /PRNewswire/ – Developers of Martis Camp, a very successful private real estate community located in North Lake Tahoe, announced 20 sales in the first quarter of 2010 equaling $18 million, giving signs that the luxury second home market is alive and well in Lake Tahoe.

“We are very excited to see continued sales momentum into the 2010 winter season,” said Brian Hull, director of sales for Martis Camp. “This is the best we’ve ever done in previous first quarters since we began sales in 2006.  We have never had a winter like this – even in the best of real estate markets. Prior to 2010, our pinnacle winter was 2006/2007 when we had eight sales.”

Even in these uncertain times, families are still making the commitment to enhance their lifestyle.  Buyers are mostly from the western U.S. with heavy concentrations in the San Francisco Bay area as well as Los Angeles. Approximately 75 percent of buyers are paying cash and the other 25 percent have used Martis Camp’s preferred lenders for financing.  According to Hull, there are some attractive loan programs currently being offered, and with some cases, buyers are only being required to put 30 percent down. Rates are in the 5% range.  

Scott Keith and his wife, Lori, of the Bay Area recently purchased a home site in Martis Camp.  When they first pondered the purchase, Keith said, “I thought, ‘No one’s going to be doing this, are we crazy?’ But still it seemed to be the right time to us. We wanted to set up that kind of vacation property where we could enjoy family time.”  The couple and their three children hope eventually to build a four-bedroom house on their site. And one added bonus: Prices for contractors are lower than a few years ago, Keith said. “It makes things much more doable.”

Martis Camp Club is a phenomenal offering and features an 18-hole Tom Fazio golf course, direct ski access from Martis Camp to Northstar-at-Tahoe™ via the Martis Camp Express Lift and a vast array of Club amenities, including a Family Barn complex with summer swimming venue, bowling alley, art loft, movie theater, indoor basketball court, soda fountain and outdoor concert park.  Martis Camp home sites range from $450,000 to $2 million.

The Martis Camp community is bustling with construction activity with 12 completed homes, along with 30 single-family custom homes currently under construction and a $42 million clubhouse, called the Camp Lodge. Another 20 homes are expected to start construction this summer.

Martis Camp is growing rapidly thanks to a financially sound and responsible development team. DMB/Highlands Group, LLC, is comprised of two of the country’s premier recreational-residential community developers, DMB Associates and Highlands Management Group.  This team is responsible for the creation of Lahontan, North Lake Tahoe’s premiere golf course community. The developer’s track record and financial strength provides security to owners/prospects.

TRUCKEE, Calif., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ – Developers of Martis Camp, a very successful private real estate community located in North Lake Tahoe, announced 50 sales in 2009 equaling $35 million during the worst economy in 70 years, making it the hottest real estate buy in the U.S. today.

Sixty-one percent of the sales were from buyers in the San Francisco Bay area, and 20 percent are from Southern California, according to Martis Camp Sales Director Brian Hull. “Martis Camp embraces everything that the iconic Lake Tahoe area has to offer and is engaging families with a mountain lifestyle that is not found anywhere else in the Western US,” says Hull. “Even in this economic climate, families are still making the financial commitment, which affords them the incredible lifestyle experience at Martis Camp.” Since sales were launched in 2006, more than 240 homesites, representing approximately $200 million in sales have been made.

Why? Martis Camp is a private, premier playground, offering families a year round, four-season retreat on the finest piece of land in Tahoe. “And Tahoe is really becoming the “in” destination now by wrapping the best every season has to offer into one place,” says Hull. ” Many families have a favorite ski destination and a favorite summer destination in a different resort area. But in Tahoe, you can enjoy all your favorite recreational activities anytime of year. Ski Magazine just recognized the area for an abundance of winter amenities and with the Ritz Carlton opening its newest hotel here, the area is simply hot!”

In the winter, club members at Martis Camp can enjoy direct ski access from Martis Camp to Northstar(TM)-at-Tahoe Resort via the Martis Camp Express quad lift. In the summer, they can enjoy exceptional golf on the 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course, classes at the Martis Camp Folk School, reading in the Lost Library, listening to an evening concert at the Martis Camp Amphitheater, multiple outdoor adventure activities and much more. The Family Barn is a family recreation and entertainment complex that anchors the 2,177-acre private gated community. With a summer swimming venue, bowling alley, art loft, movie theater, indoor basketball court, soda fountain and outdoor concert park, the Family Barn is the consummate gathering place for year-round social events including dances, wine tasting, karaoke, volunteer events and summertime concerts. Owners view Martis Camp as a family playground offering unlimited access to the natural world with authentic experiences.

“From the design of the community Gatehouse to the Family Barn, Martis Camp is a big family place offering a National Park-like experience,” said Dean Rider of San Francisco. “I looked all over the country, coast-to-coast, for the ultimate family community. Martis Camp is exactly what I was looking for. We were looking for a vacation home where everyone in our family could bike, ski and hike.”

As 2010 approaches, Martis Camp is bustling with construction activity with 30 single-family custom homes currently under construction along with the $42 million clubhouse called the Camp Lodge.

Martis Camp is growing rapidly thanks to a financially sound and responsible development team. DMB/Highlands Group, LLC, is comprised of two of the country’s premier recreational-residential community developers, DMB Associates and Highlands Management Group. The team is responsible for the creation of Lahontan, North Lake Tahoe’s premiere golf course community. The developer’s track record and strength provides security to owners/prospects. “Martis Camp is an intelligent choice for second home buyers who want something year-round that appeals to all age groups,” says Hull. “We are successful in these difficult and challenging times because a ‘legacy’ purchase is in demand. Our Owners want something that’s useable year-round plus something every person in their family will enjoy that can be passed down through the generations.”

Martis Camp is a private, gated Golf Course community, located between Truckee and Tahoe. The Martis Camp development encompasses over 2,100 acres in Martis Valley with approximately 650 home sites ranging in size from 1.5 to 5 acres. 

Martis Camp is a community that accomplishes many things. A haven of peace and solitude. A spectacular stage for outdoor adventure. An amenity-rich environment that fosters friendships and brings families closer together. Imagine a wonderful morning of golf on the Tom Faszio designed championship golf course followed by a soak in the tubs or laps in the pool. Later gather the troops for a family movie in the Family Barn, complete with theater, old fashioned soda fountain, bowling lanes and basketball court. Or enjoy a concert in the outdoor amphitheater. In addition, a day at Martis Camp can be filled with fly fishing at the stocked pond or a few sets of tennis before taking the kids to the Arts & Discovery Center. There are also 26 miles of community trails to explore that the outdoor enthusiast is sure to enjoy. During the winter months, Martis Camp has its own ski lift accessing Northstar at Tahoe.  The ski-in / ski-out Yurt features valet services, gourmet breakfasts, lunches and snacks and a friendly staff that goes out of their way to make your day special. Casual or fine dining can be found at the, soon to be completed,  Martis Camp Lodge where you will also be able to visit the Fitness Studio or Club Spa to relax and keep in shape. Home prices range from $3 million to $5 million. Lots prices range from around $450K for 1.5 acres to $1,650,000 for a 5 acre parcel.

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