Kanye West made headlines in 2019, when he set his sights on thousands of acres of land in Wyoming.
However, just two years after he purchased a couple of massive Wyoming ranches, the rapper may be less enamored with the Cowboy State. He’s placed one of the properties—known as Monster Lake Ranch—back on the market for $11 million, TMZ reported.
It’s not known exactly how much West paid for the ranch, but it had been listed in the range of $13 million to $14 million.
Wild Wild West Lake Ranch
Yeezy made his first big splash in Wyoming when he purchased Monster Lake Ranch, located 11 miles outside Cody, WY. He proceeded to dub the nearly 4,000-acre spread “West Lake Ranch.”
Kanye West’s ranch on the market.
Realtor.com
A peek at the ranch’s 3,888 acres
Realtor.com
Go-cart track
Realtor.com
Varied terrain
Realtor.com
Corral
Realtor.com
He apparently still owns a second ranch that he picked up that year, possibly with the intention of holding his Sunday Services there. That 6,713-acre ranch reportedly includes heated helicopter pads and walk-in saunas.
At the time West arrived out West, he had big plans for development in the area, the New York Times reported. He had recorded part of his ninth album there, and contemplated producing his clothing line in Cody.
A couple of years ago, we looked into the properties, and came up with some theories as to why he’d buy out in the unlikely locale of Wyoming. Speculation on why he made the play at the time ranged from a savvy tax move, to seclusion from the paparazzi, to building a business there.
But with his recent purchase of a beachfront marvel in Malibu, perhaps Kanye’s focus is on going back to California—after his foray into cowboy country.
Flip or flop?
West leaves up for grabs a spread that offers two freshwater lakes, a Bureau of Land Management lease, equipment sheds, equine facility, livestock corrals, and hay meadows.
The “once-in-a-lifetime” property comes with a lodge, commercial kitchen, and entertainment features including a go-kart track and trophy trout fishing, which offers commercial opportunities, the listing notes.
The 3,888 acres include views of the sandstone cliffs and Absaroka Range mountains make it a “premier Wyoming ranch investment,” the listing adds.
“It’s an expensive piece of property,” says Tom Evans of Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, who has experience in sales within the luxury ranch space.
He tells us he’s seen real estate sales soar, as the pandemic inspired those who could work remotely to flee from the city to the wide open expanses of his state.
“That market for larger tracts of property has been extremely strong the last two years,” Evans says. “There’s a lot of wealth out there.”
Wealthy buyers have flocked to the nation’s least populated state, he points out.
“They love our open space,” he adds. “They love our tax climate.”
Evans focuses his business in the Jackson area, where $10 million buys you a handful of acres with a house. It appeals to high-net-worth buyers who want upscale amenities and proximity to the airport. For example, this $11.5 million listing in Jackson that Evans represents comes with just 5 acres, but features a luxury five-bedroom contemporary home.
Cody has a fascinating history of its own—it was founded by “Buffalo Bill” Cody—and beckons those looking for a sleepier town and more space.
As for West’s ranch, “It will probably sell, because it’s a unique piece of property,” with thousands of contiguous acres, Evans says.
This post was originally published on Market Watch
