on Cedar Creek Golf Course (#8 Fairway)
in Star Valley Ranch, WY...
a Golfer's Alpine Paradise
$811,000
LOCATION
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It is located in the very sought after heart the Town of Star Valley Ranch, just 50 miles South and West of Jackson Hole and 112 miles South of the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park (82 miles as the 'eagle' flies) and about midway between Afton and Alpine. The Town of Star Valley Ranch (incorporated 2005) covers an area of 2,718 square miles and has a population of 2,191 (as of the 2020 Census). This little known about gem was a carefully guarded secret by Wyomingites, where they maintained mostly seasonal homes, some for its vast winter activities and skiing in the Jackson area, without having to pay the high costs of Jackson Hole real estate; and others for its many summer activities, spectacular weather that tops at about 78 degrees, and its natural beauty to enjoy fishing, hiking, horseback riding, etc.
The area of Star Valley Ranch became the Town of Star Valley Ranch on November 8, 2005, before which it was only a 'census designated place' (CDP), with a 2000 Census population of only 651, which grew to 1,503 by 2010, and to 1,881 by 2020. By 2021, in just 1 year population grew by 86 to 1,967, and by this date (2023) it is estimated that the current population is at 2,151. As such it is the 31st largest city in Wyoming and has shown a growth rate of 14.35%. in the last year. However, since the 2000 Census and and 2021, its growth rate is 202.1% and the expectation is that it will keep growing, now more so than ever with so many Californians and other dissatisfied citizens wanting to relocate to a more conservative state, like Wyoming. As word of mouth spreads its growth is expected to continue to increase, which will also increase it property values.
Today, even more so, the real estate values in Jackson Hole have gone through the roof, as it is a premiere destination among the elites and home to the BILLIONAIRES flocking to it from California, Oregon, Washington and other western states. As the Billionaires move there and buy the homes and ranches of the Millionaires, the Millionaires are forced to move further South to places like Alpine, WY and Driggs, ID, in turn buying up the homes there, and further forcing those homeowners to move further South, to the next closest mecca, like Star Valley Ranch, WYrniture arrangements are shown to also give a buyer perspective as to many ways to be able to arrange different furnishings.
IF, after seeing it on this website, and seeing all the work that has meticulously been done to restore it, you have an interest in viewing it in person, contact the Realtors, Ashley Cranney or Mandy Jack at Assist-2-Sell (Afton, WY) or phone them at (801) 885-0912 for Ashley Cranney OR (307) 887-9619 for Mandy Jack.
PLAT MAP
See the location of the property on the Plat Map 17-B (highlighted with a red border of its boundaries.
FOR THE COVENANTS, CC&Rs (Plat 17b)
Click on this link: https://svrawy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Covenants-1980-PLATS-17-18-.pdf or ask the Realtor for a copy,
DESCRIPTION of the PROPERTY OFFERRED FOR SALE
Swiss Chalet in Bern, Switzerland
- Timber framing - use of heavy timbers, instead of slender, dimensional lumber to frame a house. Builders often cover the heavy timbers with drywall and dropped ceilings; however, the heavy timbers are part of the rustic nature that help make alpine chalets charming.
- Gabled Roofs - A strong characteristic of the alpine chalet is its steep peaked (or gabled) roof and minimalization of roof valleys to allow the snow to be shed. Builders usually leave the soffit, or the area under the eaves, exposed so one can see the timbers. The roof is traditionally covered in wooden shingles, though here in Wyoming it is very common to use metal roofs, which though more expensive, they are longer lasting and more proactive to allow roof shed.
- Multiple Storied - By its characteristics, the alpine chalet could almost be a log cabin, except as to its number of stories. A Log Cabin is typically a one story residence, and at most a one and a half or in the extreme a two story home. The alpine chalet, however, is typically at least two stories, and quite often two and a half stories with a loft on the third level, within its A-framed roof structure.
- High Ceilings - When you walk into an alpine chalet you should expect to see a high ceiling in the main living area. Architects often incorporate a mezzanine level in the interior, which is where the half story comes in. The mezzanine level will also incorporate a wooden railing, which is more ornate than the ones you would find outside.
- Ample decks (some covered) usually from the main decks (elevated from grade, above typical snow-grade) where one can sit an enjoy the views of the mountains and wildlife.
- Ornate Trim - Often, ornate trims are used to add to the décor.
- A Golf front Lot, 0.6217 acre, on the fairway of Hole #8 of the Cedar Creek Golf Course, within the Town of Star Valley Ranch.
- The Main House, which is actually 2,752 square feet of heated living area, not counting the ample decks facing East, North and West, with views of the close mountains and canyon, far mountains and the golf course, valley and even more distant mountains. The third floor also has an open balcony, directly out from the master bedroom with a private bathroom and ample IKEA designed closet.
- The Garage is 36' x 32' (1,152 sq. ft.), which includes a 10-ft and a 16-ft oversized garage doors, each with its own EGDO (Electric Garage Door Opener). We have a Ford F350 Super Crew FX4 (1-ton truck) which fits easily in either side of the garage. Also worthy of noting is that this garage is very well insulated with full blown batts over the entire ceiling and walls, which along with its thermostat-controlled, propane heater can keep the entire garage HEATED up to about 65 degrees, even in mid winter (though we kept it at about 40-45 degrees all winter, to keep anything from freezing. The garage doors are also thermal-insulated and sealed when closed. Against the back wall is a 15-foot work table with a permanent mounted clamp and storage/shelves. Below it we keep extra cedar log siding boards in case any repair or replacement is ever needed in the future. The garage also has a 50-Amp. outlet which can be used for a Welder or charging an electric vehicle (EV).
- The Gazebo is approx. 173 sq. ft., hexagonal shaped,15 feet in diameter, wood-built and metal-roofed building that has a slab floor and windows, as well as a 30 Amp electrical outlet and several 120V outlets, plus a light and a fan. If you have a mind, this is an excellent place for a hot tub or sauna.
Spring, Summer and Fall are the seasons that the house truly shines (see below). So even if you don't choose to stay here ALL WINTER, there is still a lot going on and things to do during these seasons.
As stated, when we purchased the house, it was very excellently priced for the area, due to its state of disrepair and lack of maintenance. There was also such an abundance of trees that they even posed a safety risk against the spread of fire, and many trees were encroaching on each other, deteriorating each other's capacity to grow and expand and even threatening the structures.
1. Replaced the old refrigerator with a BRAND NEW ONE. The refrigerator acted like it was on its last leg, so rather that saddle a new Buyer with a problem with it soon after they purchased this home, we opted to just go ahead and replace it NOW, before the sale. Ww were told that we could replace it with a 'newer, used one' as the Buyers would not know the difference. Unfortunately, WE WOULD KNOW. This way we can all sleep well at night. We won't have to regret doing a misdeed to someone else, and the Buyers will have the peace of mind knowing that the REFRIGERATOR IS BRAND NEW. The previous one was a Side by-Side Amana. This one is a Whirlpool 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with all the bells and whistles. It has cubed and crushed ice service in the door and even functions like being able to select an exact $ of ounces and the water dispenser will serve you that exact amount of water (such as if filling a 20 oz. bottle of water.) As we moved out of the house so that it is always ready to be shown, we left all the packing materials still in the refrigerator, and only turned on the ice maker/H2O dispenser to flush out the carbon filter and insure it was installed correctly. It is a Whirlpool Model WRX735SDHZ.
2. Added a 50A electrical outlet in the front (for an RV or even to charge an electric car).
3. Replaced ALL electrical switches and outlets with new ones, because the previous owners painted the walls dark and in doing so also painted over the wall switches and outlets.
4. Replaced ALL new analog thermostats with new digital ones. They were replaced , to maintain exact digital and even temperatures. The previous analog thermostats could fluctuate 5-8 degrees from the degree setting.
5. Replaced ALL exterior lights, some with auto on/off security lighting all around the buildings (so you won't run into some wildlife unexpectedly at night); and some were decorative entry lights at the front of the house.
6. Replaced two toilets (2nd and 3rd floors) with Kohler High seat, elongated, and low water consumption toilets. The first floor toilet could not be replaced because when it was built, the base was for a measurement that does not fit the new elongated low water consumption toilets, and the one currently installed works just fine, except that it is the standard size.
7. Painted the entire house interior with a neutral color. (SW Straw)
8. Updated and added lighting inside the home. There is now a 4-light fixture with a ceiling fan that has a time-remote. Also a light was added over the 4-chair high-top dining table in front of the front sliding-glass door, which can be adjusted to differing heights. In the added (remodeled) enclosure of the southern covered deck, a track light was added to light up that 6 foot area, between the bar and the living area. Downstairs (1st floor) in the sitting TV area, the old rusty light was replaced with a themed 'antler' light and the 1st floor bathroom was also upgraded to a brighter light. The guest room closets had no lights in them, so we added pull-chain lighting to them.
9. Fixed the Sprinkler System & Maintained the grass to thicken it, filling in bare patches and fixed the sprinkler system, which was not working. The lawns had a lot of rusted and bare spots in the lawn. So we fixed the sprinklers and started fertilizing the lawn, strengthening it and improving it. Now it is beautiful. There is a small area of the lawn (in the rear, beyond the raspberry patch) THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY SPRINKLERS (we have no idea why not), so the grass is allowed to grow wild to about 24 inches tall. For whatever it's worth this is a great place to find 'lost' golf balls, as golfers can't see them and they respect our "No Trespassing" signs.
10. Updated the master bedroom walk-in closet from a plain 7ft lead bar (on each side) for hanging clothes to designer IKEA cabinets with double-tiered hanging plus shelves and drawers, on each side. They were installed opposite each other so that if both people are in there together, neither will bump into the other getting to the same area of the closet, and so that the door does not interfere with the open drawers.
11. Replaced 2 storm doors on 3rd floor and fixed the frame (which was warped), The two Larson storm doors offer both a glass door insert and a screened insert so that they cato add to the designn be interchanged for winter and summer seasons. We keep the insert NOT being actively used on the door, under the bed, for easier access.
12. Replaced the 2nd floor entry door and fixed the frame (which was warped) with an Andersen dual-paned (low-e) thermal sliding glass door for better weather impermeability.
13. Updated and improved the garage door thermality by adding seals on all sides (top, bottom and sides) of each door, keeping cold air from entry into garage. Together with the 4 inches of blown batts insulation in the attic, above the garage ceiling, the garage was able to maintain a constant 45 degrees F temperature in the garage all winter 2022-2023.
14. Repaired the glass panes in the gazebo which were all cracked or some altogether missing.
15. Replaced the gazebo door which would only open about 18" due to the slab leading to it being at a negative angle, so the new Larson door was installed as an in-swing to solve the problem.
16. Took out 36 trees, which were either a fire danger growing as close as through the front deck, or within 5 feet of the house, garage and gazebo, or a hazard to the building or other trees, according to the Fire Marshal; also some were removed to improve the views of the golf course, Cedar Creek Canyon, the mountains and valley, which views were otherwise blocked.
17. Added 'cowboy/cowgirl silhouettes on the garage front and a western riding saddle to add to the Western-themed design; after all Wyoming is the Cowboy State.
18. And so much more.
1. A KING LOG BED in Master Bedroom Loft (as pictured in the photos), which we purchased from the previous owners. We were told that this bed was created by a local artisan in Jackson, valued at $7,000. While cumbersome to move, we have been told (by the neighbors that helped the previous owners take it up to the third floor and put it together) that it can be taken apart quite easily, should anyone want to move it. We don't.
2. A QUEEN LOG BED in 1st Floor Guest Bedroom (as pictured in the photos), which we purchased from the previous owners. We were told that this bed was also created by the same local artisan in Jackson, valued at $6,000.
3. A decorative horse-yolk themed hanging VANITY MIRROR (in the half bath).
4. TWO (2) AUTO FLOOR GUARDs in the garage, (as per photos) for rain/snow/mud collection from dripping cars, etc., which keep the garage floors clean and non-slippery.
5. A WASHING MACHINE (ADMIRAL brand, Capacity Plus HD, Electrical) in Laundry Room. These were already in the house when we bought it, so we are not sure how old they are, but it has never given us any problem and will probably still offer many good years of service.
6. A DRYER (AMANA brand, HD, propane-heated) in Laundry Room. (Same as above). It has never given us any problem and will probably still offer many good years of service.
7. For the record, the HOT WATER HEATER was brand new in 2021 (when we bought the house), and it also is Propane-heated, very simple to operate and to turn it on/off with a self-lighting pilot light.
8. ALL KITCHEN APPLIANCES STAY (as per photos) The refrigerator is BRAND NEW (totally unused).
9. The Cowboy & Cowgirl silhouettes on the garage and the saddle on the ground floor railing stay, IF the Buyer wants them.
10. We will leave in the Garage or Gazebo extra cedar log siding boards (for any future needed repair) as well as usable wood and remaining paints, stains and/or sealer, as was used on the restoration.
OF POSSIBLE INTEREST FOR PURCHASE separately from the sale of the house:
IF interested in any of the furniture items (not involving antiques) Please ASK.
ORIGIN
The house was built in 1996, originally as a summer vacation home, and despite having been built under previous building codes, it was very well built and is as sound today as it was then. No kidding... the thermal properties of this house are incredible.
Yes, we have stayed in it for the entire winter (2021-2022) and even in mid-winter the house stays warm with nothing but the existing 'cove' (radiant) and 'cadet' (fan-forced) heaters, which are electric, even though there is an additional heating source... a propane fireplace on the second floor open living area, which can aid in heating the second and third floors. Speaking of 'electric', did you know that Star Valley enjoys on of the lowest rates for electricity in the nation, at just $0.065 per Kwh, which even compared to Wyoming's average rate of $0.11/Kwh is quite a savings. We are serviced by the Lower Valley Energy, Inc., a local energy cooperative in NW Wyoming and and SE Idaho. Speaking of propane, there is also a 500 gallon propane tank, LEASED from Salt River Propane, which even in the harshest of winters (2022/2023) used only 60% of it's capacity and it is rigged with a system that allows Salt River Propane to monitor its fuel level and automatically come to refill it when it gets to whatever level you select. The balance of the propane in the tank will also be left for the buyer at the time of the closing.
We never turned the propane fireplace on that winter, except twice for 'ambiance', when we had guests over at Christmas. The large eastern facing windows on the loft master bedroom allow much heat from the morning sun's path to enter the home, when the blinds are left open, as do the two doors next to them (with full glass double-paned panels) and the two exterior storm doors (also with double-paned glass). These doors, by the way, have glass and screen inserts to allow ventilation on hot days with the screen inserts, and heat transmission (in) without ventilation for cold days. These removable inserts are kept under the master-bedroom log bed, for easy exchange, without having to move them up/down two flights of stairs. In the afternoon, the third level West-facing picture windows also allow for heat transmission (in) to help heat the home. These windows have Hunter-Douglas accordion blinds with two remotes (one for the second floor and one for the third floor). If you don't want heat coming in from the sun, they have full-length blinds (on an electronic remote to open/close them, at will). Actually it gets so warm that the heat travels up to the 3rd floor, where sometimes we have to sleep with the windows partially open at night (even in winter), to let some of the heat out. This is what is often referred to as 'WYOMING A/C'. If you look around at the houses in the mountainous regions, very few have a stand-alone air-conditioner, because it is really not needed, with passive ventilation.
As previously stated, originally the house was built in 1996, as a summer vacation home with the 2-car garage on the first floor. Then, in 2006, under another owner who came into some extra $$, it was remodeled to turn the original garage area (1st floor) into a living room with a kitchenette, plus two bedrooms (both with closets) and a full bath and a laundry room, and by virtue of its location, a very apropos wine closet, due to its cool location, and also protected from light. This first floor could become a great mother-in-law suite or a place for guests to stay with complete privacy for all. The only inconvenience in turning this 1st floor into a separate area for say a short-term rental unit is that the only Laundry room is on the first floor. However, in the 2nd floor 1/2 bath their is enough room between the toilet and sink to add a stackable washer-dryer, which can be plumbed to the sink. Problem solved. There are plenty of entrances... 1st floor has entry door from the 'guest' bedroom as well as through the front door. The 2nd floor has an entry door through the front sliding glass doors, or can be fitted with locks on the rear sliding glass doors.
Behind the house is a 32' x 36' separate garage and shop, which was built with a 10' door and a 16' garage door, ample enough to store two large cars or trucks (we have had a Ford F-350 and a Ford Explorer, which fit well, with no problem), plus three extra freezers and all the winter toys (snow blower, side by side, riding lawnmower, etc.) For the shop area there is even an outlet with a 50A breaker for welding or electric car charging. Small cars would probably fit 3-4 cars in it. Through this last winter, we even kept our neighbor's 22' boat in it as well. The garage also has insulated walls and insulated (4" blown batts) attic, with ventilation between insulation and roof; plus it is heated with a very economical propane heater, which keeps the garage at a constant thermostatically-controlled heat level. We kept it at an even 40-45 degrees F during the winter. Our neighbor loved keeping his boat in it this winter while we were in Florida. A separate 173 sq ft gazebo was also built between the house and the garage. We can only imagine that it was intended to be either a sauna or a hot tub room, as there is an outlet with a 30A breaker in it.
Also, of the two north and south side covered porches on the second story part of the walk-around 2nd floor deck, the remodel included enclosing the southern side covered porch, and incorporating it into an extra 192 sq. ft. of interior living area, to give more room to the living room/family room. For some reason, this extra 192sf are not figured in the Lincoln County data, but we challenge anyone to measure the actual footage.
The photo above shows what the house looked like the year after it was remodeled (2007). Notice the shake exterior of the house, still shown on the upper floors, which was the original exterior. When the garage and Gazebo were added, and the remodeled garage to living area, their siding was also upgraded to cedar half-log siding. At some point after that, the rest of the house (upper two floors of the house itself) was also updated to match the garage, gazebo, and lowest floor of the house, as it is today. Now that it has been professionally restored, touching it up every 5 years or so, with a coat of sealer to the walls that get the most sun, is all the maintenance required. It was in such bad disrepair because the house had not been maintained in at least 10 years, AT ALL, which required us to have to have it sand blasted, then re-stained and sealed with a special sealer. Like ALL houses, 'some' upkeep is necessary to keep it looking good, but now that we have done all the work, minimal upkeep is all that is needed, going forward.
We had contemplated the idea of offering it for sale in 2022, but that would have meant the loss of $37,500 due to not getting the Capital Gains exemption and not having enough time to do all the repairs and updates we felt were needed. So we opted to wait until after April 2023 to sell... or at least to 'close'. So, it has now been on the market 'officially' as of April 1, 2023, with a required closing to be effective anytime AFTER April 30, 2023. We originally listed it with Shay Scaffide / Century 21, but cancelled that listing due to their being unwilling to list it with all the correct information. It is now listed again with Assist-2-Sell (Afton, Wyoming), so you can contact our agents listed at the top of this page.
So, you may be wondering...
WHY are we selling the house? Where are we going?
After 30+ years living and working in Florida, we previously lived in our diesel pusher motor-homes for about 5 years, full-time, but then like most people who find this slice of heaven, first we bought an RV lot at the Star Valley Ranch RV Resort (about a mile south of here), which is only open May - October (yearly). Then, after a year there, we decided that we did not want to be restricted to not coming before April 15 or having to leave in October, wanting to be able to stay as long as we wanted, and come back whenever we wanted, or even stay all year if we chose to do so. So, first we bought a 0.52-acre lot on the 18th tee-off of Cedar Creek GC with every intention of building a permanent home on it. Unfortunately soon after that building costs went through the roof, (during the 2020-2021 Covid period), so we held on to the lot to build on in the future, but purchased this existing house, instead, as once we sold our motorhome we were truly 'homeless'.
However, soon after moving into our new home (on the 8th fairway of the Cedar Creek GC) we discovered that our baby-girl, (a rescue German Shepard, named 'Roxy') was deathly afraid of any and all golfers (especially with swinging golf clubs), which abound when one lives on a golf course. At the first sight of anyone on the golf course (even if just walking with their dogs or riding on a golf cart), she would run back to the house and want IN desperately, seeking a place of safety. She would not even want to come out on the second-story rear deck overlooking the golf course, to sit with us while we enjoyed the spectacular views from there. Well, as anyone who has and loves pets/animals will know, in general, they are like our children and we would do anything for them.
So, unfortunately due to her fear, unbeknown to us when we bought these properties, (the other lot was also on the 18th Hole of the golf course), we did what every conscientious parent would do and sold the lot we had bought to build our dream house on, and now must sell this house as well, and will be relocating somewhere in the county, away from golf courses and golfers, or alternately may even move back to Florida for winter residence and then come back every Spring (April or so) and leave to go back to FL every Fall in November or so.
However, the house needed work to restore it to the point that a new owner could simply move into it, make it their own and start to enjoy it, with only minimal upkeep into the future. So we set about to do just that, making a list of all the updates needed as well as upgrades that would much improve it. To benefit also from the Capital Gains Tax, we needed to live in it for two years, so we dedicated those two years to the restoration project.
Basically, the house is sound, despite it being a 26 year old residence. Most of its deficiencies were either cosmetic or simply updates that have been needed for a long time and never addressed by previous owners. Clearly, to sell it, much work and attention to details had to be addressed. Bill is also a retired professional Architect and is currently still a Realtor (in Florida) and established the many works that the house needed to restore it to its glory. It has so many good qualities and benefits that to let it go without updating it would be not only irresponsible, but also sinful. So we set out to do just that... REHAB it to a condition that a new owner would have little, if anything, to do to it, to simply be able to enjoy living it with only minimal upkeep throughout the years to come.
Now we have also decided that we still want to do more traveling and have purchased a 2023 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B to travel in, but will always return to Star Valley for the Spring, Summer and Fall, as we have many friends here, and where else can we find such beauty all around us. Did you know that an 80-mile stretch of Hwy 89 in Lincoln county (where Star Valley Ranch is located) from MM 54.9 near the Idaho border, a few miles north of Geneva Junction, ID, north climbing the Salt Canyon to the 7,610 crest of Salt River Pass and beyond into Star Valley through the communities of Smoot, Afton, Grover, Thayne and Etna, before reaching Alpine. From there the scenic byway continues to the east Hwy 26/89 into Snake River Canyon to its northernmost point at the Lincoln-Teton county line, about 9 miles south of Hoback Junction, WY.
We sure hate to have to sell our Star Valley Ranch golf front properties, but yes, at our ages our children are grown and with lives and families of their own (elsewhere), so we now live for our pets, as they have become 'children', and their needs come first.
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