Each Friday, Robbie Briggs, CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of October 7, 2022.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
It’s hard to think of Texas without thinking of snow-covered mountains and ski chalets.
Allow me to explain. Texans and snowy states — like Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah — were made for each other. It speaks to the contrast between our sweltering summers and their cold climes, and to our famously flat terrain compared to their dramatically jagged peaks. Fleeing to a ski spot is an exciting, bracing change for a Texan. That’s why so many of them have vacation homes in the mountains.
In fact, we are seeing an upswing in the buying second homes all over. The pandemic caused many folks to rethink how — and where — they want to spend their time. If you are thinking about a second home, anywhere, the same Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty agent who helps you so expertly in North Texas can help you with that, too. That’s the power of our professionals — and of our Sotheby’s International Realty network.
But, back to the mountains. Many of our own agents are skilled about ski homes, especially in Colorado, arguably the most popular mountain destination for North Texans. They go throughout the year, and many stay all summer. That’s a migration that makes all kinds of sense, thanks to those glorious peaks and those air-conditioned temperatures.
Ironically, mountain fever knows no limits in a state that doesn’t have many. One example? The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Since 1981, it has hosted an annual Amputee Ski Trip, wherein they take a group of teens who have lost limbs to the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Colorado for a week of schussing and slaloming. With special equipment, these kids can not only excel at the sport, they can also build confidence and independence. Skiing creates the focus, but the challenges these teens can overcome can be life-changing. Check it out at scottishriteforchildren.org and nscd.org. I bet you’ll be inspired.
I hope you’re inspired, too, by all the delights out there in the mountains. If you can dream it, our agents can help make it happen.
Robbie Briggs
CEO
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
Pictured at top of post: 29 Mulligan Drive in Crested Butte, Colorado, represented by Shelle Carrig of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty
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