A visit to the picturesque Yampa Valley is more than a trip of outdoor recreation, gourmet restaurants and pristine landscapes. It is an opportunity to build family and collegial memories in ideal retreats.

That is how Kevin Saxe, a young commercial real estate executive from Houston, sees it. That vision led to him fulfilling a life dream to own a luxury home in Steamboat.

He has been visiting Steamboat for three decades and always aspired, if he got lucky enough, to own property in the area. After spending extensive time in the Yampa Valley during both summer and winter, Saxe and his wife decided, “why wait to make that type of investment?”

Saxe and his wife, Audrey, are parents to four children and longed to share their love of the community with them. As a real estate professional, Saxe saw opportunity in a “perfect storm” as the short-term rental market stabilized, thus allowing him to marry the dream of owning property in Steamboat with wise investing.

After diligently tracking the market, Saxe and his wife immediately knew they had found the perfect opportunity in late 2022 when they ultimately purchased the Watchtower Chalet.

The reason they decided to purchase that particular property was bound by a simplicity based on beauty. 

“If I am going to be in a mountain town, I want to be able to see the mountains,” said Saxe. “I think the residence has the best views in all of Steamboat.”

Saxe, who uses the property as a vacation home, describes both the city and residence with significant pride amid the hope that other families find it as meaningful as he does.

“This is one of the reasons that I like the property so much,” Saxe said. “A lot of time is spent with my family enjoying outdoor activities. It is one of the reasons I and many others love the property and Steamboat.”

After closing on Watchtower Chalet, he began extensive renovations with the goal of creating a “level of finish that would be at the highest end of luxury.” The year-long project led to the ambiance inside of the home aligning with the natural beauty on display outside.

Since its completion, Kevin and his family have come together in the home many times while also enjoying fishing, hiking, skiing and biking nearby. 

After renovation, Kevin and Audrey found themselves protective of their home and investment and became nervous to share it as a rental. But, after finding the perfect property manager, they created the opportunity for families and corporate users to enjoy all that the home and city has to offer.

The glorious views from Watchtower Chalet start in the living room, which offers perfect perspectives of the southern reaches of the valley. Saxe recalled the overwhelming power of the view when, shortly after purchase, he caught his sons looking out the window in awe as the sun set over the mountains. 

“Even as young kids, they were able to appreciate what they were seeing in that beauty,” he said. “To me, it kind of feels like you are bringing the outside in. You don’t have to find the view; it is just always there no matter which way that you turn.” 

In addition to the amazing vistas up and down the Yampa Valley, the newly remodeled home has cathedral ceilings and immense windows in every direction. A beautiful gourmet kitchen, with bar seating and a dining area, is warmed by a fireplace where friends and family can come together after a day outside. 

“It has an aesthetic that is really comforting and really beautiful,” Saxe explained. 

The second-floor main living area sports a wraparound porch, fully connecting the interior with an enchanting landscape. An on-deck barbecue allows for finely crafted outdoor meals while taking in the views amid the company of family, friends and colleagues. The home’s first level is a conduit to relaxation, with a hot tub, family room, ping pong tables and opportunities for games and fun, all accessible via the two-car garage.

The second-level king bedroom, and its private deck access, features an ensuite bathroom, walk-in shower and a separate tub. This luxurious bedroom is supplemented by a second king bedroom with an ensuite bathroom featuring a double vanity and tub/shower combination.

A queen bedroom and adjacent jack-and-jill bathroom is perfect for younger individuals as an area for fun and play. The space has a queen and full bed as well as a loft with a twin-over-twin configuration. There is also a twin bed in the main area of the bedroom. 

For the Saxes, the kid-friendly layout gave their children the perfect place to run around, have fun and enjoy all of the amenities that the property has to offer. It also allowed them to have their own space where they could form memories with their siblings and friends. 

The distance from Mountain Chalet to the second-largest ski area in Colorado, Steamboat Resort, is less than a mile. The diversity of terrain, in addition to the amount of high quality snow, were major factors in Saxe’s decision to purchase Watchtower Chalet. 

“The mountain provides the best family-friendly environment in North America while also providing an incredible environment for the most avid of skiers,” he explained.

Saxe noted that the community of Steamboat Springs allows multiple opportunities to enjoy two of the main aspects that compelled him to create this stunning vacation home — the culture and the people.

“The community has an incredible family-friendly atmosphere,” Saxe said. “It is the kind of place that, after 30 years of visiting, I can still walk into restaurants and recognize faces and get smiles in return. That is what set Steamboat apart for me.”

Saxe explained that while there are many mountain towns that offer outdoor recreation, there are few that have the level of community and culture that Steamboat has. Despite recent development and an increase in amenities, it still retains its small, western cowboy town feel. 

Whether it is the annual Winter Carnival, farmers market or the Fourth of July parade, hardly a season goes by where there is not a signature event that brings people together in celebration of the community.

Saxe and his family hope that they can present the beauty and love that Steamboat has to others who will come to be family, both with the Saxes and with the community of Steamboat as a whole.

For more, go to MovingMountains.com/vacation-rentals/watchtower-chalet.