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Luxury on a Budget? $2 Million Homes in Montana, Illinois, and Maine Show the Shift to Remote-Work-Enabled Real Estate

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  Published in House and Home on Wednesday, December 10th 2025 at 22:33 GMT by The New York Times

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Luxury on a Budget? How Three $2 Million Homes in Montana, Illinois, and Maine Reflect a Shifting Real‑Estate Landscape

In a recent feature on the New York Times’ real‑estate desk, three separate million‑dollar listings—one each in Montana, Illinois and Maine—serve as a window into a national trend that has been gaining steam over the past few years: the rise of high‑end properties in quieter, more remote locales. Though the homes themselves are all priced at roughly $2 million, their surroundings, designs, and buyer profiles differ dramatically, yet they share a common thread: the growing appetite of affluent buyers for privacy, natural beauty and a blend of luxury with everyday practicality.

1. Montana’s Mountain‑View Estate

The first property highlighted is a sprawling ranch‑style home perched on a hilltop in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, near Missoula. The listing describes a 5,000‑square‑foot residence that marries rustic wood finishes with contemporary glass walls, allowing panoramic views of the surrounding wilderness to become a permanent feature of everyday living. The house boasts three kitchens, an indoor‑outdoor spa, and a 10‑story-tall private “skywalk” that connects the main house to a separate guest cottage.

What makes the Montana home stand out, according to the article, is its integration of technology with the natural setting. A smart‑home system that manages everything from heating to lighting is said to be “sensible enough to respect the forest” while still offering the luxury buyers expect. The property sits on a 12‑acre parcel, including a small lake and a hiking trail that feeds directly into the private grounds.

The article cites a conversation with local realtor Mark Jensen, who notes that buyers for this kind of property are often “seeking a lifestyle shift” away from the high‑pressure environment of urban centers. He adds that the remote‑work boom—which has been highlighted in other NYT pieces such as “Remote Work and the Rise of Rural Housing” (link included in the original article)—has propelled this shift. The home’s price, slightly above the national median for luxury properties, reflects the growing demand for high‑quality, low‑density living in scenic areas.

2. Illinois’s Suburban Chic

The second $2 million property appears in the affluent suburb of Naperville, Illinois, a short drive from Chicago’s downtown. This is a 3,200‑square‑foot custom‑built home featuring an open‑concept living space, a chef’s kitchen, and an expansive indoor‑outdoor transition area that slides into a screened‑in lanai. Distinctively, the house is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring a solar‑powered roof and a rainwater‑collection system that reduces water usage by 30 % compared to a typical home.

The article points out that the property’s location near the “NexGen” rail line—a commuter rail upgrade that has made Naperville an attractive spot for young professionals—has driven its price up. Local developer Anna Lopez is quoted as saying that the combination of modern amenities and proximity to Chicago makes the house “perfect for the next generation of suburbanites.” The listing is also notable for its state‑of‑the‑art home‑automation system, which includes a voice‑activated AI that controls lighting, climate, and even the home theater.

Comparing the Naperville home to the Montana property, the piece underscores how regional preferences shape luxury real‑estate: while the Montanan buyer prioritizes isolation and nature, the Illinois buyer values convenience, technology and a sense of community. The article also links to a NYT analysis of Chicago’s real‑estate trends (available via the “Chicago Housing” section of the Times) to provide additional context.

3. Maine’s Coastal Retreat

The third home is a contemporary coastal retreat in Portland, Maine, perched on a 2‑acre bluff overlooking Casco Bay. The design—created by a local architect known for his minimalist, “wilderness‑inspired” aesthetic—features a 4,500‑square‑foot floor plan with floor‑to‑ceiling windows that blur the line between interior and sea. Inside, the house contains an art gallery, a home‑gym, and a home‑brewery, reflecting a lifestyle that blends leisure and work.

What makes this Maine listing unique is its focus on outdoor living. The house has a large deck with an infinity pool that appears to spill into the ocean, a covered patio with a built‑in grill, and a “riverfront” dining area that opens onto the shoreline. The property also includes a secondary structure—an in‑law suite—that can serve as a guest house, a home office, or even a rental unit.

The article references an interview with local real‑estate expert Sarah Patel, who notes that seasonal tourism has driven up property values in the region. The property’s price of $2 million is described as a “stepping‑stone for buyers who want a year‑round residence that also serves as a vacation home.” The Times links to a separate feature on Maine’s tourism economy, illustrating how the state’s booming travel industry fuels its real‑estate market.

A Broader Picture: The Million‑Dollar Market in Context

While the article focuses on three individual listings, it uses them as data points to paint a larger picture of the U.S. luxury‑home market. The piece references an industry report from Zillow, which states that sales of homes over $1 million rose by 14 % last year—a record high that has spurred a “new wave of high‑end properties” across the country. In addition, the NYT’s real‑estate section has published several related stories, such as “How the Pandemic Reshaped Luxury Living” and “Remote Work and the Suburban Boom,” which the article cites for broader context.

The author’s main thesis is that the diversification of luxury housing—from mountain ranches to suburban tech‑savvy homes and coastal retreats—reflects changing buyer priorities. Affluent buyers are increasingly looking for:

1. Privacy and space (the Montana ranch, the Maine bluff)
2. Technological integration (the Illinois home’s AI and smart‑home features)
3. Sustainability (solar panels, rain‑water harvesting)
4. Proximity to lifestyle amenities (commuter rails, local culture)

The article also highlights how remote work is a catalyst for these shifts. By allowing people to work from anywhere, remote work has opened up a larger geographic market for luxury real estate, leading to higher demand in previously under‑appreciated locales.

Final Thoughts

By examining three $2 million homes in Montana, Illinois, and Maine, the NYT article provides a microcosm of a national trend: luxury real‑estate is no longer confined to traditional markets like Los Angeles, Manhattan or Miami. Instead, buyers are looking for high quality, high comfort in places that offer either serenity or convenient access to urban life. As the piece concludes, the future of luxury housing looks to be less about sheer opulence and more about integration of lifestyle, technology, and environment—qualities that each of the three homes exemplify in its own unique way.