Big Bear Snow Summit Cabin Tour: 4-Bed STR Near the Slopes
Is a Snow Summit cabin near the slopes a smart Big Bear investment?
A four-bedroom, two-bath cabin two and a half blocks from Snow Summit, priced at $639,000 and already running as a permitted 10-guest short-term rental, is about as close to a turnkey Big Bear investment as you'll find. This walkthrough covers the layout, the rental numbers, the location, and the few things you'll want to fix before your first booking.
By Rachael Smith | July 28, 2026
If you've been watching the Big Bear market for a cabin that works as both a getaway and an income property, this one checks a lot of boxes at once. It's a 2,019-square-foot mountain home built in 1975, sitting on a 7,200-square-foot lot on St. Moritz — close enough to Snow Summit that you could walk to the lifts with your boots in hand.
I toured the whole property on camera, top to bottom, inside and out. Here's the full video, and then I'll break down what actually matters if you're thinking about buying it.
The location does the heavy lifting
In Big Bear, proximity to Snow Summit is one of the strongest drivers of nightly rental demand, and this home has it. You're about two to two and a half blocks from the mountain, roughly a mile and a half to the lake and the grocery stores, and about two miles to the Village. That's the sweet spot renters search for — close enough to ski, close enough to grab dinner, and quiet enough to actually feel like a mountain escape.
Parking is another quiet win here. There's a one-car garage plus room for five or six cars total if you stack them in the driveway. In a town where winter parking is a constant headache, that matters more than most buyers realize. The permit allows four cars, and there's space to handle every one of them off the road. Watch me walk the parking and lot lines at 1:16.
The lot itself runs back to a natural rock line, with big pines and a park-like backyard that's about three-quarters fenced. If you wanted to close it in for a dog or add a hot tub and a horseshoe pit, the bones are already there.
The numbers that matter for buyers and investors
Here's the quick math. At $639,000 for 2,019 square feet, you're paying about $366 per square foot — right in line with what well-located Snow Summit-area homes have been trading for. I break the price and price-per-foot down at 2:20.
The part that makes this one interesting for investors is that it's already a working short-term rental. It's currently permitted for 10 people and four cars, with the license running through the end of November. Buying a home that's already licensed and operating removes one of the biggest question marks in Big Bear right now — whether you can get a permit at all. When you inherit an active rental, you're buying proven use, not a hopeful projection.
And this one has been run well. I've walked through a lot of rentals, and this is honestly one of the cleanest I've seen. The kitchen has been updated with newer counters, gray subway tile, and recessed lighting, and the bathrooms have been redone with clean, easy-to-maintain tile. When a rental has been cared for like this, your turnover costs and repair headaches drop — and that flows straight to your bottom line.
Want more Big Bear real estate insights like this? I break down market data, property tours, and short-term rental strategy every week on my YouTube channel. Subscribe here so you never miss a new listing or market update.
Inside: character that actually rents
Step through the full wood front door with its keyless entry and you land in an open great room anchored by an original 1975 lava rock fireplace that climbs all the way to the ceiling. It's a wood-burning gas fireplace, and it's the kind of feature that photographs beautifully and books nights. Take a look at that fireplace at 2:26.
The whole main level leans into mountain character without going overboard — knotty pine on the walls and ceilings, brown wood headers, and pine plank floors with a grayish-brown finish. Those floors are a smart choice for a rental. They take abuse, they hide wear, and when they finally need attention you can sand and refinish rather than replace.
The layout is built for groups, which is exactly what you want for nightly rentals. Downstairs you've got the main living room, a master bedroom with its own bathroom and laundry, a dining room that seats eight, and a kitchen island that can seat up to twelve. The design lets you cook and still see the TV and talk to everyone — the kind of flow that keeps big groups happy. See the updated kitchen at 8:44.
One detail I always point out to investors: there's a locked owner's cabinet built into the kitchen. It's a small thing, but having a secure spot for your supplies and personal items is one of those operational touches that makes managing a rental so much easier.
Upstairs you'll find three more bedrooms, a second full bath with a dual-sink vanity and a cast iron tub, and a second living area set up as a kids' and gaming lounge. Two living rooms stacked on top of each other means families and multiple couples can spread out without fighting over the TV. Several of the upstairs bedrooms have vaulted ceilings — my personal favorite in the house.
What you'll want to fix — and why honesty helps
No home is perfect, and I'd rather you know the small stuff up front. The water heater needs two seismic straps, which is a quick, inexpensive fix. A couple of the light fixtures need attention, and you'll want to add a smoke detector or two. None of it is structural, and in my experience these are exactly the kind of items a good agent's vendor team knocks out fast — when you list or buy with my team, that punch list gets handled for you.
The roof, which is often the expensive surprise on a 1975 cabin, actually looks to be in newer, healthy shape from every angle I could see, front and back. The exterior is solid too, with just a little touch-up paint at one corner. For a home this age operating as a rental, that's a reassuring picture.
If you're weighing this against other options, it helps to see the range. I recently toured an 8-bedroom Big Bear estate at $899K for buyers who need maximum sleeping capacity, and on the other end an affordable 3-bed Big Bear City home under $370K for first-timers and lighter budgets. This Snow Summit cabin sits right in the middle — big enough to sleep ten, close enough to the slopes to command strong nightly rates, and priced where the rental income can carry real weight.
The bottom line
This is a rare combination in today's Big Bear market: a well-maintained, character-filled cabin that's already licensed and operating as a short-term rental, two and a half blocks from Snow Summit, with room to sleep ten and park four. The upgrades that matter are done, the fixes that remain are minor, and the location is the kind you can't build.
If you're thinking about buying a Big Bear cabin — whether it's a full-time home, a weekend escape, or an income property — this is the kind of walkthrough I do every week, and the kind of analysis I bring to every client. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for new property tours and market breakdowns, and reach out anytime you want to talk through whether a Snow Summit rental makes sense for you.
About Rachael Smith
Rachael Smith is a top-producing real estate agent with RE/MAX Big Bear, specializing in mountain homes, short-term rental investments, and luxury properties in Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas. With over a decade of experience and hundreds of homes sold, she helps buyers, sellers, and investors make smart, strategic real estate decisions. Through her strong online presence and data-driven approach, Rachael connects clients with opportunities both on and off the market.
RE/MAX Big Bear | (909) 744-2190 | DRE# 01923537 | rachaelsmithrealestate@gmail.com
This home is listed by Sarah Stitt / RE/MAX.
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