In 1997, John Oates built a five-bedroom log home on his 4.3-acre Colorado ranch after starting with largely undeveloped land; 28 years later, the longtime retreat sold for $6.9 million
When John Oates first laid eyes on the property in Woody Creek, Colorado, just outside Aspen, it wasn’t much to look at. The musician had another house in mind, an Aspen townhouse that sat right downtown. But his girlfriend at the time, and soon-to-be wife, Aimee, saw something different. “She grew up on a farm in Illinois, a farm girl from the Midwest, and when she saw the house in town she liked it and all, but she said, ‘Boy, I wish we could have chickens.’ I knew right then we needed some land,” Oates told The Land Report earlier.They started looking for properties with the help of his friend, a realtor in town. One of the properties was in Woody Creek. “It was literally raw land with two dilapidated cabins. Basically, a barn and a cabin,” he told the outlet. The couple thought it felt right and bought it. By 1997, Oates and his wife had transformed the land into what became known as Little Woody Creek Ranch. After owning it for nearly three decades, the couple sold the Aspen ranch for $6.9 million, Realtor.com reported.
The Little Woody Creek Ranch they built
Pic credit: Aspen Associates Realty
After purchasing the 4.3-acre property in 1994, the couple started building their dream abode. For nearly three decades, the Oates family used the ranch as their Colorado escape. Between their primary home in Nashville and this sprawling mountain refuge, they split their time between the two, returning to Colorado for holidays and getaways.The rock ‘n’ roll legend called Woody Creek the ‘bohemian suburb of Aspen’. Why? Because he felt right at home. In Manhattan, he lived in Greenwich Village, which is flooded with artists, musicians, actors and all types of creative people. This Colorado ranch had the same vibe. “I felt right at home in Woody Creek from the very beginning. Don Henley lived down the road. Don Johnson lived not far from him. Jimmy Ibbotson from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band lived up the road from us; still does. And Hunter Thompson lived across the street. My closest neighbour was Bob Beattie, the legendary ski coach, who we shared a lane with. It was this really great community of well-known but down-home people,” he told the outlet.The accessibility also attracted the Oates family. It’s about eight miles from downtown Aspen. “The good news is you don’t have to take Highway 82, which is the main highway. That can get very crowded in-season. McLain Flats Road parallels Highway 82, and you can literally just drive in and out of town with no traffic.”
Listing the property
Pic credit: Aspen Associates Realty
In 2017, the couple listed the property for $6 million. The couple decided to list it after they realised that they were spending less time in Colorado. They were spending more months in Nashville. The ranch no longer needed to sustain horses or the lifestyle it had supported for decades. So they decided to list it. “Longtime Woody Creek residents, John and Aimee Oates have decided to relocate to downtown Aspen and put their 35-year home on the market,” the description listed by Scott Davidson of Christie’s International Real Estate read.For months, the ranch didn’t find a prospective buyer. It sat on the market for months, even after price cuts. By the end of 2018, they pulled it from the market. Eight years would pass before they tried again.In June 2024, the ranch went back on the market at $7.5 million. In less than two months, a buyer came, and the sale closed at $6.9 million. Records confirm that the sale closed on July 30. This marks the end of an era for the Oates family at their Creek ranch.
What the $6.9 million bought
Pic credit: Aspen Associates Realty
The Little Woody Creek Ranch is a ‘perfect example of a gentleman’s ranch’, according to the listing. But the property also has several features suited to a working ranch. Set against the breathtaking mountain views, the 4.3-acre property is centred around a five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom log home with spacious interiors. The house comes with high ceilings and a large stone fireplace, perfect for the winter. The living space flows into the open-plan kitchen and dining area, where one can host multiple guests.The master suite comes with its own fireplace, a marble vanity with dual sinks and a separate soaking tub. There’s a separate caretaker unit with its own kitchen and bathroom. The game room displays Oates’ gold and platinum records, a perk for music enthusiasts. It also has a two-car garage and a home gym.Beyond the main structure, there is a horse stable, equipment shed and outbuildings. The ranch also has an automated irrigation system and a fire suppression system that runs off an 18,000-gallon tank buried underground. According to the listing, there are two wells: one for domestic use and the other for agricultural use.
Source link
