Whiteface Lodge: First Adirondacks Fractional

The luxury of a private residence club is now available to lovers of the Adirondack mountains in upstate New York. Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, which was completed in June 2005, is selling both full and fractional ownership in 86 suites. For a 1/12 share, members get 4 weeks minimum a year on a rotating schedule. The prices range from $80,000 for a one-bedroom suite to $450,000 for a 4-bedroom suite. Whiteface Lodge calls itself the first PRC outside Manhattan in New York State. With what it describes as the "rustic sophistication of the Adirondack Great Camps," the Lodge features an indoor/outdoor pool, skating rink, canoe club, spa and other amenities. Another enticement: private jet service for members and guests, and charter plane service to and from major and regional airports into Lake Placid.

NY Upstate Weekend Houses Still Affordable

Metro New York and New Jersey residents still hunting for affordable vacation homes in "upstate" New York can still find decent deals in Columbia County and Rensselaer Counties, with properties that are no more than three hours of so from Manhattan. For example, the Kinderhook Group real estate agency lists a 3-BR 2-bath "customized cape" style house in Canaan, in upper Columbia County not far from the Massachusetts state line for $379,000, and a 3 BR 2-Bath Sand Lake house (Rensselaer) for $309,0000. Now is a good time: winter is slow season for most RE brokers.