The owner of Sugar Loaf Resort, Kate Wickstrom, has listed the resort for sale with the nationwide Multiple Listing Service despite the fact that Brad Lutz of Omena has signed an option to purchase the former ski area from her.

Real estate agent Carolyn Collins of Coldwell Banker Schmidt in Traverse City confirmed Wednesday morning that Wickstrom had asked her to serve as listing agent for the sale of Sugar Loaf Resort.

“Ms. Wickstrom has not yet sold the resort,” Collins explained, “and she is still trying to sell it.”

The price posted on a listing that appeared Tuesday on the Traverse Area Association of Realtors website asked for $5.7 million for Sugar Loaf Resort.

Lutz told the Enterprise on Wednesday morning that his “option to purchase” Sugar Loaf Resort from Wickstrom remains in force, and that he was still in the “due diligence” phase of his efforts to acquire the resort. Even though Wickstrom decided to list the property for sale after Lutz signed an agreement with her, he said “nothing has changed from my perspective.”

Lutz said Wickstrom was well within her rights to list the property for sale under terms of their option agreement.

“Of course, I would defend Kate’s right to list the property at this point,” Lutz said. “I just can’t say that that’s something that I would do if I were the seller, though.”

A Realtor’s description of the Sugar Loaf Resort property calls it “Michigan’s famous Olympic mountain ski resort located in beautiful Leelanau county. This 478 acre (8 parcel development) includes 144,000 square foot lodge and hotel facility, airport, vacant land and much more!”