Travel Website Names Newry, Maine, Best Town to Buy a Winter Vacation Home
Vacation booking site Vacasa.com published its 2021 list of the 10 best places to buy a winter home. And to literally nobody's surprise a western Maine town came in with the top spot.
Newry, the town the majority of the world confuses with Bethel, came in at number one on Vacasa's annual list.
The travel website utilized many metrics, including cap rate and home median price, to determine the results.
Newry was the only town on the list with a cap rate above 10%. The cap rate is the rate of return that is expected to be generated on a real estate investment property. In this case, Newry came in with a balmy 12.3%.
Newry's median home price is listed as well, coming in at $245,000. That's quite a budget-friendly number in these times.
This is a wonderful accolade for Newry, a town of just 329 year-round residents. But, what Newry lacks in size and population it makes up for in location, destinations, and natural beauty.
Newry (not Bethel) is the home to Sunday River Ski Resort. The very popular resort sees thousands of Maine and out-of-state tourists every year. The top-level skiing and countless vacation spots make it a wonderful destination for a weekend or vacation home.
Newry is also home to one of the top golf courses in the state, Sunday River Golf Club. Much like the mountain, the course attracts golf enthusiasts from around New England. Its picturesque views and design have made the course a regular on Golf Digest's top course list. It's also a stone's throw from the mountain.
While the mountain and golf course get all the attention, there are many other spots to hit up in and around Newry.
The Steep Falls Preserve Trail is a family-friendly hike that features natural waterslides.
And just a few miles up the road is Grafton Notch State Park, a year-round wonderland for the outdoor enthusiast. The park sits right on the Appalachian Trail, and offers every activity there is.
While Newry takes the top spot, there are others, including two in New England, to highlight off this list.
Those towns on the list include Conway, NH (number 5) and Ludlow, VT (number 9). Conway is a no-brainer. It's a great little town, with every amenity you can think of. Numerous alpine and Nordic ski resorts, great breweries, and world-class hiking. However, the ridiculous traffic patterns have to knock Conway down a peg or two.
I had a roommate in college from just outside of Ludlow. He used to talk it up constantly. I am not surprised to see it on the list. Ludlow is the home of one of New England's most popular ski resorts, Okemo.
On a personal note, it's nice to see Deep Creek, MD on the list. This isn't the most well-known resort, but it's spectacular. It was only a short drive from my college campus in Morgantown, WV. And, boy did we take advantage of that. A great little mountain, in a beautiful part of the country.
Click here to see this year's and past year's Top 10 lists from Vacasa.
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