Yes, and more than most buyers expect going in. At roughly 6,750 feet, a garage in Big Bear stops being a place to park and starts being infrastructure — it keeps snow and ice off your vehicle, gives you a dry, lockable home for gear that can't live outside, and protects tools and toys from months of freeze-thaw cycles. It also widens your buyer pool when you go to sell, because full-time residents, weekenders, and short-term rental owners all want the same thing.
By Rachael Smith | September 4, 2026
Buyers coming up the hill from Orange County or the Inland Empire almost never put a garage at the top of their list.
They're looking at wood plank ceilings, a fireplace, and a deck with a view. Fair enough — that's what pulled them up here in the first place.
Then the first real storm hits in December, and they're outside at 7 a.m. with a scraper and a broom, digging a car out before they can get to the grocery store. That's usually the moment a garage moves from "nice to have" to "why didn't I make this a requirement."
I just walked a Big Bear City home that makes the case better than I can. Here's the tour:
That's 137 E Barker Blvd — a single-story two-bedroom, two-bath on a larger lot with a game room, a private spa, and an oversized three-car garage and workshop. Watch the walkthrough start at 0:00 and you'll see the interior does the warm-mountain-cabin thing well. But the garage is the part that changes what the house can do for you.
Down the hill, a garage is storage. Up here, it does four different jobs.
None of that shows up in a photo gallery. All of it shows up in how much you actually enjoy owning the place.
There's a second layer, too. A deep garage with a workshop bay isn't just parking — it's a project space, a place to keep a trailer, or the room a buyer needs for a lifted truck. In my experience, the clients who end up happiest here are the ones who bought for how they'd use the property in February, not how it photographed in July.
Want more straight answers on buying in Big Bear — what to check, what to skip, and what actually holds value up here? I break down listings, market data, and buying strategy every week on my YouTube channel. Subscribe here so you catch the next one.
Not every garage in Big Bear is a good garage. Walk it with these five questions.
That last point is the same instinct you want on any older mountain property — the questions in what to check first when you're buying a flipped home in Big Bear apply directly here. Cosmetic work is easy to see. Structural and permit history is where the money hides.
Here's the part that matters if you're thinking about this as an investment and not just a place to sleep.
Finishes date. A backsplash that looks current today reads as 2026 in eight years. A garage doesn't date — it's a function, and the function doesn't change.
That's why covered parking holds its value in a snow market better than most upgrades you could make to the same house. When you list, you're not selling a garage to one type of buyer. You're selling it to the retiree who wants a workshop, the weekend family who wants somewhere to drop the ski gear, and the investor running the numbers on a rental.
On the rental side, covered parking is a real amenity. Guests filter for it in winter. It gives you a lockable spot for owner supplies between stays, and it helps with on-site parking requirements. Just don't build a purchase around projected rental income before you've confirmed the current rules — start with what to check before buying a Big Bear STR property, then verify permit status directly with the City of Big Bear Lake or San Bernardino County depending on where the home sits. Rules change, and a permit does not automatically follow the property to a new owner.
If you want a sense of what this looks like at different price points, the Big Bear City inventory is where garages tend to pencil out best — you can see how the trade-offs play out in what $519,900 buys in Big Bear City compared to homes closer to the lake.
Don't treat a garage as a bonus feature you'd take if it came along. Treat it as a filter.
Decide up front whether you need one, how deep it has to be, and whether you're willing to compromise on square footage or location to get it. That single decision will do more for your daily experience of owning up here than almost anything else on your wish list.
The home in the video — 137 E Barker Blvd in Big Bear City — is one example of the trade working in a buyer's favor. There will be others. Knowing what to look for is what gets you to the right one.
I tour homes like this every week and talk through what's worth the money and what isn't, on camera and without the sales pitch. If you want that running in the background while you shop, subscribe to the channel — and if you want to walk a specific property, call me at 909-744-2190.
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.
DRE #01923537 | RE/MAX Big Bear | 909-744-2190 | rachaelsmithrealestate.com
