Buyers checking out Mount Charleston to find next home

John “Jay” Lytle’s family has owned a cabin on Mount Charleston since Lytle was 4 years old.

His memories of the tiny — just 360 square feet, with one bedroom and one bath — getaway at 4620 Aspen Ave. span decades and include countless family outings, a few late high school/early college keggers (not a great idea, Lytle realizes in retrospect) and, more recently, visits to escape the heat and stress of valley life.

But last month, Lytle bought another, larger home not far up the road and put his family’s cabin on the market for $295,000.

It’s no surprise that homes on Mount Charleston — someplace almost every Southern Nevadan has fantasized about living — would be hot properties right now. Angie Tomashowski of Mt. Charleston Realty Inc. said some prospective buyers are seeking a primary residence and others a weekend or vacation getaway.

“I think with the pandemic, it really hit home as to what is important — where we live and how we live,” she said.

Mike and Stephanie Ibasco, who own The Fitness Source, have lived at 4947 Snow White Road since February 2014. They’re selling the property but have enjoyed life on the mountain.

The appeal is ”just getting away from the busy-ness of Las Vegas,” said Stephanie Ibasco. Also, her husband said, “we want to live around beauty.”

Lytle, 66, said his own family’s Mount Charleston story began when his father, who got a job developing trails and working on conservation projects on Mount Charleston after World War II, talked to a co-worker who was considering buying property on the mountain.

Lytle’s father liked the idea and paid around $2,000 for a spot of land and a logger’s cabin, even though, Lytle said, “My mother thought he was crazy.”

The family’s home was built in 1944. It has a living room with a fireplace, a kitchenette and small dining area, and it hasn’t been altered much from its days as a logger’s cabin

“The only change we ever made to it is, my wife wanted to put a porch on it,” Lytle said.

The prices of homes currently available on Mount Charleston vary. So do the homes’ styles, although most offer some variation of the classic mountain cabin.

Log look

The Ibascos’ home at 4947 Snow White Road offers 2,376 square feet of living space with four bedrooms and three baths. It lists for $979,000.

It has a finished basement and a casita, and a natural log-and-open beam interior with hardwood flooring. The living room has a combination fireplace-and-TV wall unit, while the kitchen has custom tile and stainless steel appliances.

Upscale cabin

The five-bedroom, four-bath home at 352 Echo Road has the classic feel of a cabin — albeit a pretty upscale cabin — in the woods but gives off a modern vibe, too.

The 3,756-square-foot home, which lists for $1.2 million, has two stories and a finished basement and radiant heat flooring. There are high ceilings in the great room, as well as a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Rustic beauty

The home at 351 Crestview Drive could be the poster cabin for mountain life, with a rustic appearance that would look at home in a Western movie.

The three-bedroom, three-bath home offers 3,291 square feet of living space and lists for $999,999. Natural wood elements are featured throughout, and picture windows in the living room help bring the outdoors inside.

A log-cut staircase leads to the upstairs.

Stylish getaway

The home at 4174 Mont Blanc Way looks like a classic ski resort bed-and-breakfast. Listed at just shy of $1.35 million, it has four bedrooms and four baths over 3,902 square feet of living space.

There are three separate living areas with primary bedrooms as well as a fourth bedro0m. Guests can access an 820-square-foot deck via sliders that open from the family room.

The main bedroom has a wood fireplace and bay windows, and a 750-square-foot suite addition above the garage has a fully functional kitchen, bath and balcony. There’s also a basement suite with a separate entrance.

A different look

The home at 4194 Matterhorn Way would fit in just as well in an upscale neighborhood back East.

Outside, there are stone and brick features, and the interior has a spiral staircase and stained-glass windows with light-colored hardwood flooring and features.

Listed at just under $1.2 million, the 3,807-square-foot home has three bedrooms and three baths. There are separate living, dining and sitting rooms, as well as an library/office area. There’s also a wrap-around deck

A retro feel

The home at 4557 Yellow Pine Ave. lists for $478,888. Built in 1951, it offers 1,892 square feet of living space and has three bedrooms and two baths.

The original owner/builder was Jack H. Miller, a well-known local architect. Miller, who died in 1999, designed buildings that include the old Basic High School in Henderson and the Clark County Detention Center.

The home has been updated over the years but retains a retro cabin feel. There’s a large sunroom and two living rooms, and a fireplace in the main living room.

Contact John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JJPrzybys on Twitter.