1. livsothebysrealty.com page 12 303.893.3200
THE DREAM HOME MYTH
BRECKENRIDGE’S LAID BACK VIBE AND HIS
STUNNING MONOLITH OF A HOME WOULD LEND THE
PERFECT COMBINATION FOR SIMPSON TO REALIZE
HIS SKI TOWN DREAM, OR SO HE THOUGHT.
riginally attracted to the beauty and laid back
image of living in a Colorado ski town, David
Simpson and his wife Amie closed on a formidable
home in Breckenridge’s Highlands neighborhood
in 2011.“We have five kids, so we were looking for a
decent-sized home,” said Simpson.“We went with
a 6,000-square-foot house on the golf course in
Highlands. It was kind of secluded, not packed in by
The
CHAUFFEUR
Breckenridge, Colorado
Photo credit: Jeff Andrew
O

2. livsothebysrealty.com page 13 303.893.3200
neighbors. You
could walk out
the front or back
door without seeing
anyone,” —a welcome
change from the bustling
Dallas Fort Worth area where
they are from.
Simpson, who traveled often to
Colorado with his family for skiing,
was in grasp of making the town
his family fell in love with home.
Breckenridge’s laid back vibe and his
stunning monolith of a home would
create the perfect combination for
Simpson to realize his ski town dream,
or so he thought. Soon, he discovered
one factor he had not considered—
kids grow up, want to ski, and need a
ride to do it.
Simpson’s home, while
picturesque, wasn’t slope side. Soon
his dream of ski town relaxation began
to evaporate like snow would on a
Dallas Fort Worth summer morning.
Instead of enjoying the laid back
mountain lifestyle he had imagined,
Simpson spent his entire day shuttling
his children back and forth to the
ski mountain. He began to feel the
uncomfortable yoke of a full time job;
something an aspiring ski bum should
never feel.
“My son snowboards every day.
I’d drop him off at 9:00 am for his
snowboarding lesson, and my two
daughters at 12:30 pm because they
only like to ski half days. So, you know,
I was taking my son in the morning,
my daughters at lunchtime, coming
home, and then picking up everyone
at 3 o’clock, all while trying to find a
parking spot—three times! I became
tired of being a shuttle driver,” said
Simpson. Something had to change
to return Simpson’s mountain-town-
living ordeal into the iconic image he
had imagined.
Casting aside his ski-town dream
was not the answer.“The snow, the
town, I love it here,” said Simpson.
“Breckenridge is laid back.You don’t
have to worry about what you look like.”
Simpson didn’t want to leave
Breckenridge all together, but
also wasn’t interested in his new
profession as a chauffeur driver.
Square footage hovered around $300
per square foot for a home in the
Highlands, and prices increased to
over $800 per square foot near the
mountain.
Simpson found himself faced with
a decision.“We chose to downsize,”
said Simpson.“A smaller house, with
better amenities was the best option
for us, so that’s what we did.”
The Cottages at Shock Hill,
Breckenridge’s only neighborhood
with its own gondola stop, are four to
seven-bedroom condo residences,
located midway on Breckenridge’s
mountain. Offering steps-away access
to the slopes and downtown, The
Cottages’ greatest draw was that they
allowed Simpson the freedom to live
his mountain dream (and ditch the job
as chauffeur).
“The ski instructor walks to my
house,” said Simpson.“Now I am
somewhere where I can just relax,
and don’t have to go 100 miles
an hour doing stuff. I was looking
for relaxation, and I found it.”The
Cottages’ were not the home Simpson
first imagined when moving to
Colorado, but they afforded him the
lifestyle he did.
PICTURED ON THIS PAGE:
TOP LEFT - 101 REGENT DRIVE,
THE SIMPSON’S CURRENT RESIDENCE,
OFFERED AT $3,095,000.
TOP RIGHT - BRECKENRIDGE SKI LIFT
NEAR 101 REGENT DRIVE.
BOTTOM RIGHT - THE SIMPSON’S
PREVIOUS RESIDENCE.
BOTTOM LEFT - THE SIMPSON FAMILY.