James, 32, and his wife, left their apartment in New York City at the height of COVID-19, decamping for a relative’s vacant house in Big Sky, Montana. One month later, they became first-time homeowners, purchasing a three-bedroom townhouse in Moonlight Basin development. The decision, James said, was easy.
“I personally had never really seen unadulterated, dramatic nature like this before, and for that to be in your backyard and accessible in minutes, but at the same time have a community right down the road,” he said, asking us to only use his first name. “The town is forming in front of our eyes. It’s a little bit scary, because you don’t want the one-lane town to be overrun with people, but it’s exciting to be part of it.”
James isn’t alone in his thinking — Big Sky, Montana, has been becoming an increasingly popular destination for second home owners in recent years. The city topped Vacasa’s list of best places to buy a winter vacation home for 2020-2021.