Jackson Hole Community Price Ranges & List of Tax Benefits
Wyoming’s wealth-friendly status as well as Jackson Hole’s lifestyle benefits have created incredible demand and diversity in housing options in Jackson. Recognized as a “World Heritage Site” by the U.N. and the Department of Interior; Jackson Hole represents some of the most renowned natural beauty and ecological significance on the planet. The economic benefits of our state are certainly rivaled only by the health and lifestyle benefits enjoyed by our residents.
OVER 97% OF TETON COUNTY’S 2.7 MILLION ACRES WHICH INCLUDE JACKSON HOLE IS PERMANENTLY PRESERVED in National Parks, National Forests, and other varieties of public land. This means that just 3% of the Jackson Hole valley is privately held and of that, over two-thirds is already developed or preserved through conservation easements. Jackson Hole’s commitment to retaining the character, lifestyle and natural resources of this area has resulted in the creation of a highly desirable community that continues to attract full and part time residents from around the world.
North OF THE TOWN OF JACKSON The Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club blends the rugged West with the country club lifestyle and boasts a Robert Trent-Jones II -designed golf course. As you continue north towards the airport, the area features subdivisions, such as Solitude and Upper and Lower Cascade which offers full views of the Teton Mountains. Many of these subdivisions are tucked off main roads and have Snake River access.
Price range is $500,000 – $20,000,000
Town OF JACKSON The Town of Jackson was named in 1894 after Davey Jackson, who spent a winter in the late 1800s on Jackson Lake. Today, residents enjoy a vibrant cultural scene, anchored by the $35 million Jackson Hole Center for the Arts. In addition to the cultural benefits and convenience, St. Johns Hospital is located to the east of the Town of Jackson and features top-of the line medical services and
Price range is $350,000 – $3,000,000
South OF THE TOWN OF JACKSON The area known as South Park is the open expanse of land that spreads south from Jackson Hole High School and High School Road. South Park offers property that can feel separated from town, but is actually quite convenient to the bike path and services of town. It features relatively affordable neighborhoods such as Rafter J and Melody Ranch; as well as more high-end, 3-Creek Ranch, the valley’s first completely private golf course, not to mention some of the last privately held ranch lands in Jackson Hole.
Price range is $500,000 – $12,000,000
Wyoming is one of the most tax-friendly states. There are plenty of reasons to be thankful for owning a home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming: the mountains, the rivers, two national parks and three ski resorts, art galleries and restaurants, a charming Western-style downtown, and a close knit, philanthropic-minded and fun loving community. As enviable as our lifestyle is here, reality does intrude occasionally, as it will in mid-April when we pay our taxes. But even in that area, we as Wyoming residents are better off than most. After all, Wyoming has been cited by Bloomberg Wealth Management magazine as the most tax friendly state in the country. We can stretch our hard-earned dollars farther, whether to buy real estate, leave property to our heirs or buy a new mountain bike.
Below is a list of top 10 tax benefits offered by Clay Geittmann, Senior Vice President and Manager of Trust Services at Bank of Jackson Hole, on why it’s good to own a home in Wyoming.
NO STATE INCOME TAX
With no state tax on personal or corporate income, “you have more disposable income,” Geittmann says.
DYNASTY TRUSTS
In Wyoming, you can shield your real estate from federal estate taxes for up to 1,000 years through a dynasty trust. “You can establish a trust in Wyoming for the benefit of your family or other beneficiaries,” Geittmann says. “You can transfer your real estate into a limited liability company or family partnership and then put that into the dynasty trust, which can continue for a thousand years.” As a result, multiple generations can make use of and enjoy the property, without having to pay estate taxes or worse, having to sell the property in order to pay the taxes. A key point to remember: The trust must be administered in Wyoming.
NO INHERITANCE TAX
Wyoming does not assess any state inheritance tax.
NO STATE GIFT TAX
“Somebody who owns property in Wyoming can ‘gift’ that real estate to their heirs without having to worry about paying a state gift tax,” Geittmann says.
NO TAX ON OUT-OF-STATE RETIREMENT INCOME
“A lot of people in Jackson Hole use Wyoming as a second home,” Geittmann says. “They have retirement income that comes from other states where they may be a resident. Wyoming does not tax that retirement income that’s earned outside of Wyoming, and if the participant is a resident of Wyoming when they take that income then the original state cannot tax that income either, which is certainly beneficial.”
LOW PROPERTY TAXES
“Wyoming has very low property taxes compared to other states,” Geittmann says. “The taxes that you do pay here are based on the assessed value of the property.”
NO EXCISE TAXES
When you fill up your car with gas or buy a bag of groceries in Wyoming, you will not pay any state tax on your gas or food.
NO TAX ON MINERAL OWNERSHIP
“A lot of states charge owners a tax on their mineral ownership, but Wyoming does not,” Geittmann says. “If you own minerals, you will not pay a tax on it like you would your home.”
NO INTANGIBLE TAXES
Wyoming doesn’t make you pay a tax on financial assets like stocks and bonds.
NO TAX ON THE SALE OF REAL ESTATE
The condominium and townhouse segment of the market is still going strong and has not shown any signs of a slowdown. The number of transactions so far this year is on par with the first half of 2013, however, the total dollar volume increased nearly 10%. This can be attributed to the evident appreciation in this segment of the market. In particular, the median sales price increased over 25% to $487,500 when compared to the first half of 2013. This segment of the market has continued its growth at such a strong rate, in part due to the affordability. This is still the one piece of the Jackson Hole real estate market where a buyer can purchase under the $500,000 mark. Nearly 45% of the sales so far this year have been under $500,000, however, sales in this price range are most definitely diminishing. In fact, compared to the same time period last year, there were about 27% less sales under $500,000. When looking at the sales in the Town of Jackson (which is where the majority of condos and townhomes exist), the average sale price increased nearly 20%. Condos and townhomes continue to be in short supply, with only 85 units currently available and another 24 units under contract. This represents less than a 6 month supply.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is synonymous with luxury and is an international marketplace for luxury real estate. The demand for high quality, exclusive properties the first half of 2014 did not disappoint. The number of luxury transactions remained steady when compared to the first half of 2013. The first half of this year brought 19 residential and land sales over $3 million. The Teton Village area made up the majority of the luxury sales, followed closely by the area just south of Jackson which includes 3 Creek Ranch, a private golf community.
Last week I attended a conference in NYC as one of JHREA’s representatives for Christie’s International Real Estate. The educational and networking meeting included an attendance of almost 400 brokers from 13 states and seven countries at Rockefeller Center.