"We typically get between 300 to 400 inches of snow a year," Dennis R. Saffell, owner of New Frontier Construction, says. The Bridger's Cache development, where HGTV Dream Home 2007 is located, is at the base of the Mary Jane / Winter Park / Vasquez ski mountain, at about 9,100 feet above sea level. Dennis says residents of the 20-unit community can literally strap on their skis and head out the front door, catch a lift to the top of the slopes and then ski back to the house when they're done.

The Winter Park area offers year-round outdoor activities. "In the summer, we're the mountain bike capitol of the United States, with over 600 miles of designated trails. It's a great summer resort," Dennis says. There's also more water in Winter Park than any other county in Colorado. Three major lakes form the headwaters of several rivers, including the Colorado River. And of course there's golf, with four courses located in the Winter Park area.

"We're surrounded by over a million acres of the Arapaho National Forest," Dennis says. "The Fraser River Valley is isolated and protected on two sides by the Continental Divide."

Sure you're isolated, but also within a short drive to the 20th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Dennis says Winter Park is the closest major ski resort to Denver. "It's just 68 miles to Denver, but in its own protected world. It's close to a major metropolitan area, but very secluded," he says.