Think Idaho, and likely the second home hub and celebrity mecca, Sun Valley, comes to mind. But Idaho’s resort living footprint is now expanding to other areas. Most notable is Tamarack Resort, a ski mountain and growing vacation home area two hours north of Boise, which has attracted attention from big name developers and the tennis star duo behind the Fairmont Tamarack, set to break ground this year.

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf’s are backing the Fairmont Tamarack via their company, Agassi Graf Development, and it seems fitting that the sports stars have invested in the resort. Tamarack, in the Payette River Mountains, touts itself as a true all-season resort, with something for the outdoorsman year round; from skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, to whitewater rafting in late spring and golfing in the summer and fall.

What’s for sale

Hotel condominiums and whole ownership ski-in/ski-out residences, which start in the mid-$700,000s and cap out at more than $5 million. Penthouse residences are 1,548 to 1,899 sq. ft., and feature two bedrooms, a full kitchen and an in-unit washer-dryer. The 305 hotel condo rooms come in one-bedroom suite and studio layouts, ranging from 574 to 1,718 sq. ft. These units are fully furnished and can be rolled into the hotel rental pool, which is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

What you get

The property will feature a 17,000 square-foot Willow Stream spa and will be part of the new Village, a pedestrian friendly retail area stocked with shops, restaurants and cafes. The Fairmont will have both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a kids’ entertainment center, a 24-hour concierge and on-site car rental service. The resort’s ski concierge will rent out skis, snowboards and boots (or simply hold on to your own gear for you) and arrange lift tickets and lessons. In warmer months, residents will be able to go boating on Lake Cascade and golf at the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Osprey Meadows course.

The Helium Report Take

Sun Valley has a national draw, but Tamarack with its new construction and five-star amenities has the potential to build the same pull. So far there are no destination clubs with homes in Tamarack. Ultimate Resort and Crescendo have properties in Sun Valley, though we would expect that as Tamarack grows as a destination, it would begin to appear in club’s real estate portfolios. There is one private residence club, Hearthstone McCall at Spring Mountain, not far from Tamarack, selling shares of three-bedroom residences for less than $200,000. The Fairmont falls squarely on the luxury end of the local real estate market. Of course, buying in Idaho has its own challenges, namely getting there. Tamarack is a two-hour drive from Boise, the closest commercial airport with direct flights from major cities. Private fliers will have it a bit easier, with a small airport in nearby McCall, just 17 miles from Tamarack.