Jeff Ward Voted “Realtor of the Year” for 2018

Realtor and Rotarian selected for community involvement, professionalism.

by Staff Writers

The Teton Board of Realtors® honored Jeff Ward as their “Realtor® of the Year” awardee for 2018 at their annual Membership Luncheon on August 9th at Spring Creek Ranch.

In presenting the award to Ward, nominating Realtor® Mike Jorgenson noted that, “Jeff epitomizes and takes pride in all the good things our industry provides to the public and is an excellent ambassador for our real estate community.” Ward’s career in Jackson Hole spans more than two decades, with extensive experience in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate.

Ward grew up in Southern California, and graduated from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, with a degree in sales and marketing. Following a move to Jackson Hole in 1995, Ward launched a successful career in hotel management—a career that helped to facilitate his transition into real estate sales in 2005 as a part of Teton Village Realty, which would ultimately be purchased by Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty in 2009. His expertise in hotel management has made him particularly well suited to the representation of buyers and sellers in condo-hotel segments of Teton Village.

  Ward sells real estate with Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty alongside his wife Kelli, and partners Rob DesLauriers and Jake Kilgrow as the “Realty Group of Jackson Hole.” The team garnered accolades in July as they ranked among “America’s Best Real Estate Agents,” positioned as the top sales team by volume in Wyoming by independent industry authority REALTrends.

Professionally, Ward has been an engaged member within the Teton Board of Realtors®, having previously served as the chair of the Ethics Committee and the current chair of the Grievance Committee. “TBOR looks for a Realtor® that is dedicated, ethical and professional in our industry and is actively working to make our community a better place for everyone…” according to the organization.

In the community, Ward is a committed member of the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole where he has been awarded the Rotarian of the Month on several occasions, as well as multiple recognitions as a Paul Harris Fellow. Ward chairs the scholarship committee, which has awarded more than $70,000 annually in college scholarships to local high school students since 2010. “He is passionate and dedicated to the Rotary High School Scholarship Program,” said Jorgenson, “…he is emotionally vested in these kids and their stories… to help ensure those scholarships really make a difference in [their] lives.”

Jeff’s philanthropic background and fundraising within Jackson Hole extends beyond Rotary alone. He was instrumental in launching “Jackson’s Got Talent” for Teton Literacy Center, and the event will be celebrating its fifth year in November. He remains fundamentally “invested in Jackson Hole and doing what he can to make it a better place for everyone,” said Jorgenson.

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Market Spotlight:  Teton County Residential Real Estate Inventory

With Labor Day behind us, it’s clear to see the Teton Valley real estate market has been bustling with activity thus far in 2018 and is experiencing a robust seller’s market.

Year-to-date single-family home prices have been driven upward due to extremely low inventory. For the first eight months of 2018, 225 residential listings hit the market. And as of September 1st, 97 of these new listings have already sold or gone under contract.

The residential housing market volume increased 30.5% from the same period in 2016 to 2017 ($43.2MM vs. $56.4MM). Individual home prices also saw gains. The median home price in 2016 was $327,500 (for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,436 sq.ft. home in Shoshoni Plains). In 2017, the median value jumped to $345,000 (for a 3-bedroom, 3-bath, 1,272 sq.ft. home in Red Fox Ranch).

So far for 2018, the median home sale for Teton Valley is a whopping $407,200 (for a 3-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,600 sq.ft. home in Targhee Ridge Estates).

Also, the number of days on the market (DOM) for the first two quarters of 2018 vs. 2017 has dropped. Last year, a home was on the market for an average of 223 days. This year, that number has actually increased to 229, but that number might be falsely inflated by a handful of sales where the property was on the market for more than 1,000 days.

Resort home prices including Teton Reserve, Teton Springs and Huntsman Springs have a median price of $922,000 in 2018 with 24 homes presently on the market. In addition, Teton Reserve has continued to expand its core development by adding an additional domestic well and is in its final stages of design for a new clubhouse.

Victor Stats YTD 2018

The average price for the 63 homes listed for sale in Victor is $$866,225. The median home listing is $699,000 for a property in Teton Springs. The highest home listing price in Victor is $1,995,000 (a 4-bedroom, 5-bath, 5,921 sq.ft. home on 24.79 acres at 1770 Cherry Grove Lane).

 

Driggs Stats YTD 2018

The average price for the 35 homes listed for sale in Driggs is $583,611. The median home listing is $469,000 for a 5-bedroom home under construction in Sagewood. The highest home listing price in Driggs is $2,300,000 (for a home in Huntsman Springs).

West Side Stats YTD 2018 (MLS Areas 18 and 19)

The average price for the 36 homes listed for sale on the West Side is $717,869. The median home listing is $499,000 for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,848 sq.ft. home on 9 acres. The highest home listing price on the West Side is $3,995,000 (for a home in River Rim Ranch).

Alta WY Stats YTD 2018

The average price for the 9 homes listed in Alta WY is $1,012,000. The median home listing is $899,000 for a 4-bedroom home in Targhee Towne. The highest priced listing in Alta is $1,975,000 (a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath, 4,238 sq.ft. home on 12.5 acres).

As summer winds down in Teton Valley and the cool mornings of fall come upon us, the valley experiences a vista of vibrant colors bursting from the hillsides. A perfect climate to hike or bike the trails in Teton Valley and fish in the Teton River. The fall brings on a sense of calm and tranquility to the valley, gearing up for the winter season of powder skiing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and much, much more.

Area Spotlight: Spring Creek Ranch

Elevated views beyond comparison.

by Staff Writers

Situated atop East Gros Ventre Butte— minutes from the town of Jackson, yet worlds away—lies the elevated enclave of Spring Creek Ranch.

While world-class perspectives of the Tetons are available from numerous areas throughout the valley, few such areas combine a central location with the zoning to allow for short-term vacation rentals—a highly desirable investment property perk.

At more than seven hundred feet above the valley floor, Spring Creek Ranch consists of approximately one thousand acres—nearly seven hundred of which are preserved as open space. This open space supports a robust trail system for hikers and an equestrian trail riding program, as well as provides for wildlife habitat and seemingly endless views.

Spring Creek Ranch offers numerous short-term lodging options including Inn Rooms, Studios, Suites, Townhomes and Mountain Villas—and is a favorite local’s off-season retreat. The top of East Gros Ventre Butte is also home to the neighboring, contemporary Amangani Hotel—the first Aman property in the United States, and home to one of two year-round dining options, alongside Spring Creek Ranch’s acclaimed restaurant—the Granary.

Included within HOA membership at Spring Creek Ranch is access to the resort’s Wilderness Adventure Spa, year-round hot tub, summer pool, tennis courts, workout facilities, and convenient shuttle service to town, the airport, or to Teton Village in the winter. Home sites at Spring Creek Ranch, extend that sense of privacy and convenience even further.

Skyline 1515, atop Spring Creek Ranch, offers both incomparable views of the Teton range and convenient access to town.

Completed on The  Ridge in 2016, Skyline 1515 capitalizes on dramatic Teton views from throughout its floor plan. Rustic elements of reclaimed wood and stone compliment contemporary design, while structural angles and thoughtful landscaping echo and enhance existing elements. The result is a modern home truly anchored within its surroundings.

Once inside, expansive windows draw the western sun in to combine with the warm tones of wood floors, ceilings and trim. Clean lines and open floor plans in living spaces give way to cozy, inviting bedrooms and more private spaces.

Those seeking to build their dream home in Jackson Hole need look no further than 2400 N. Harvest Dance Road. At more than six acres, and bordered by open space on two sides, this home site offers an ideal balance of privacy and access with unlimited potential. Panoramic views of the entire Teton Range serve as the backdrop to your Jackson Hole lifestyle at Spring Creek Ranch.

“America’s Best” highlights Top Producing Real Estate Agents

On July 10, REAL Trends released “America’s Best Real Estate Agents”—their annual ranking of the nation’s most productive sales associates in every state.

Sales teams from Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty held five of the top nine rankings for sales volume in the state of Wyoming. Two agents from the brokerage, Brian Siegfried and Fred Harness were among the top seven individuals in the state. A change in the classification of criteria that REAL Trends considers for sales teams led to a re-categorization of a few sales professionals in 2018.

Inclusion in the rankings required individual agents to have closed a minimum of $20 million in sales or 50 transaction sides during 2017, and $30 million in sales volume or 75 transaction side for sales teams.

REAL Trends sources the data for their rankings from “surveys from virtually every national branded network,…local associations of Realtors®, multiple listing services, all applicants from past years’ rankings, and the 1,600 largest brokerage firms in the United States,” according to the consulting and communications company. For its 2018 rankings, “America’s Best” independently verified more than 14,000 residential real estate professionals.