Luxury home resales were down this last December, however, overall sales of luxury homes were up by 11.6% in 2010, according to Metrolist, Inc. and the Denver Business Journal.  Homes sales at 1 million-plus rose to 528 from 473 units.

There were 42 high end homes sales last month in 6 of the metro area counties.  Boulder had 12 sales, Denver had 10, Arapahoe and Douglas with 8 each, Jefferson with 3, and Broomfield with 1. 

A recent CU survey reported by the Denver Business Journal states that the confidence level of Colorado business leaders has reached pre-recession levels for the second time in three quarters. 

According to Policom Corp. that looked at 366 metro areas and jobs and income data from two decades, Denver is the third-strongest, next to Seattle and Washington DC.  Policom’s President stated that “rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time” is what constitutes a strong economy. 

This is great news for Denver and hopefully will keep our housing market on top.  Sales of upper end homes, while still slower than lower end homes, are doing better than last year.  Areas like Park Hill, Cherry Creek and Wash Park are still doing well. 

5280FineLiving.com can help with all of your real estate needs.  Give me a call for the latest trends at 303.668.6490.  Go Denver!

Did you know that if you fit into one of these four professions, (Doctor, Lawyer, Dentist or CPA) there is special financing for you at 100% LTV! Give me a call at 303-668-6490 to get more info.

Don’t forget that fall will be here before you know it. With the ever so slight chill in the air that Denver Metro has felt the last couple of days, it reminded me that fall is just around the corner. That made me think of all the “honey do’s” that need to be done around the house.
One very important chore is getting your furnace cleaned and serviced. I would most likely never remember to do this except that I attend a lot of home inspections. In just about every inspection, the inspector recommends that the furnace gets cleaned and serviced. It is very important to the long term health of your furnace and the cost usually runs around $100 to $150; a small price to pay for something that is so important.
You may also think about fixing any draft problems. I recently replaced the door that goes out to the garage. After 21 years of use, it wasn’t straight and was letting in a lot of cold air. Safety doors are not cheap, but well worth it to help keep heating costs down. Now, no more freezing air blowing into my house!
Let’s not forget about the exterior. You may want to start the yearly investment in winterizer for your lawn. The exterior curb appeal of your home is just as important. After all, it is the first impression of you!
Your home is your castle (and typically one of your primary investments). The nicer you keep it, the better it will sell when the time comes to move on.

We have all heard the old real estate saying: what are the three most important things in real estate? Location, Location and Location. Well, nothing has changed. Location is still king in real estate. According to the Denver area MLS, as reported by the Denver Business Journal, Boulder/Lousiville area home prices have risen more than 26 percent over the past year.

Another area doing well is Highlands Ranch and the surrounding area. Highlands Ranch has a great location, lots of great amenities and very few new homes being built. But, anyone who knows me well, knows that I have said for many years that Highlands Ranch will do well because it is the perfect suburban neighborhood. CNN Money rated it #12 out of 100 neighborhoods across the United States in 2008. That’s not too bad!

Bottom line: the “good” areas are doing well. Proving once again that Location is THE most important thing in real estate.

To find out more about these neighborhoods and any of the Denver Metro neighborhoods, go to www.5280FineLiving.com/neighborhoods.html

I spend a lot of time looking at what is happening in the Denver real estate market, but not much time talking about “fine living.” So today I thought I would talk about something that is fun…CARS! Specifically the new Porsche Panamera sedan. Yes, you read correctly; a 4 door sedan. Porsche has had great success with their SUV, Cayenne, so they have decided to take Porsche one step further into the “family friendly” zone.

The Panamera will be offered in three versions: the 400-horsepwer two-wheel drive Panamera S and all-wheel drive Panamera 4S, and the 500-horsepower, twin-turbocharged all-wheel drive Panamera Turbo.

Panamera will be loaded with the latest technology for fun and fewer harmful emissions. It will have an automatically shifting double-clutch transmission featuring an engine start/stop system. The engine will turn itself off when it is not needed! Fun, green and family friendly! What more can a Porsche lover with a family ask for? Going on sale this October in the U.S.

View more at http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/panamera/