Info on the Evergreen/Conifer Area: 

A place to call "home" - Evergreen, and it's sister communities of Conifer, Kittredge, Morrison, Pine and Bailey, are considered by many to be the crown of the Foothills of Denver. All this magnificent beauty combined with the vast wealth of amenities in the Denver metropolitan area, just 30 miles from Evergreen, make these areas some of the moating your own special Colorado lifestyle. Access to Denver is via I-70 on the north side of Evergreen, and Hwy. 285 in south Evergreen, as well as from the Conifer, Morrison, Pine and Bailey areas. Both highways are 4 lane limited access highways.  

Some of the many attributes of these communities include the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests lying immediately West of Evergreen, the 14,260 foot Mount Evans, and over 45,000 acres of designated Jefferson County Open Space, all of which provide the residents with many year round outdoor activities right out their back door. For more information on this please go to the Jefferson County Open Space website.  

The focal point of the community is a sparkling blue mountain lake that offers year-round fishing, boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. In addition to the lake, the Evergreen Parks and Recreation District maintains a year-round swimming pool, gymnasium, racquetball and handball courts, and other recreational facilities both indoor and outdoor. Also available in the Evergreen area are numerous hiking and biking trails. The area boasts of two golf courses, Evergreen Public course, and the nationally recognized (and very challenging) Hiwan Golf Club. Add to these recreational choices, the close proximity within one hour to many of the best ski areas in all of North America! 

A community with a future as rich as it's history, this area was first settled by the Arapahoe, Ute and Cheyenne tribes, who sought it's valleys and streams for nourishment and protection in the Front Range "hills", from the harsh winters of the Plains. The Native American tribes shared these valleys and streambeds with early explorers and trappers until the mid-1800's, when the first white settlers arrived. Throughout the end of the 1800's homesteaders discovered the area's beauty and tranquility, developing it into what we now call Evergreen. Mountain meadows, lush forests and delicate wildflowers all accentuate what we call "home". For a full history of the development of the Evergreen area, a good read is "Evergreen- Our Mountain Community", by Eugene and Barbara Sternberg, residents of the area since 1949. 

At an elevation of approx. 7200' above sea level, we enjoy clean and smog free air, with an average of 300 days of sunshine, boasting breathtakingly blue skies you think you can almost touch! The area averages 60 inches of snowfall per year, with most storms being brief then followed by those gorgeous blue skies and sunshine that melts the snow FAST! The average humidity level is 40%, with our coldest month being January (avg. of 30*), and the hottest month is July (avg. of 74*).  

The population of the Evergreen area (eight mile radius) is approx. 41,000, and approx. 10,000 for the immediate Conifer area. Of the 15,753 households in Evergreen, the median income is $86,299. The median income of the Conifer households is $80,000. The median age in Evergreen is 43.3, and in Conifer the median is 40.7. More than 75% of the adult population has attended college. The residents are a wonderful mix of people from corporate executives, to airline employees, to middle and upper management commuters to Denver and/or DIA, to local cowboys, artists, actors, entrepreneurs, and Moms with children of all ages, and a large group of retirees (many of whom have lived in the area for 50 years or more!).  

The area is in unincorporated Jefferson County (see Jefferson County in left column links), and therefore has no "city limits", OR city government, and is under the jurisdiction of the Jefferson County Commissioners. The area is protected by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept., and highly trained and dedicated volunteer fire and ambulance networks. Snow removal and road maintenance are also covered by Jefferson County services.  

A place to call "home"! If you desire the tranquility of mountain living and the best of the Colorado lifestyle, yet long for the proximity to a big city, then you have only to visit the Evergreen and surrounding Foothills communities to KNOW that you have found Nirvana right here in Colorado!!  

It would be my pleasure to send a relocation package to you, or to introduce you to this place I call "home", and make it yours! I guarantee you will enjoy experiencing this magical and spectacularly beautiful area! 

DENVER REAL ESTATE 

Forbes Magazine has ranked Denver the 7th best U.S. city in which to sell a home, based on a study of 40 large metro areas.
"Overbuilding and a high forclosure rate stymie Denver's housing market, which last year saw a 6.3% drop in prices," according to Forbes.com. "Still, area homes are selling, and the vacancy rate, while still at a pro-buyer 3%, last year shrunk by 20%. The 49% drop in construction starts, the 12th largest cut in the country, and 2% rise in new jobs, the 9th highest rate in the country, are good for new sellers.
The report ranked each city by its 2007 unsold vacancy rate and how much the market had changed from 2006. It also took into account construction starts, jobcreation, and the degree to which new conforming loan limits from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would improve each market's lending conditions.
San Jose, CA topped the list as best city for home sellers. It was followed, in order, by San Antonio, TX; Denver; Providence, RI; Charlotte, N.C.; and Seattle. 

NAR FORECAST: RESALE HOME PRICES WILL FALL 1.4%THIS YEAR 

By Glenn Roberts 4/8/08 

The median price of resale homes is expected to drop another 1.4% this year, equalling last year's decline, and an index tracking pending sales of resale homes hit a record low in February, the National Association of Realtors reported today. The median price of new homes is expected to drop 4.7% this year, to an annual total of 5.39 million sales, according to the Realtor group's latest housing market forecast. That follows a 12.8% decline in 2007 and an 8.5% decline in 2006. New home sales are expected to drop 25.7% next year, following a 26.3% decline last year and an 18.1% decline in 2006.
Single family housing starts are expected to tumble 34.2% this year compared to 2007, topping a 28.6% decline last year and a 14.6% decline in 2006.
NAR is predicting that a turnaround in the housing market will begin later this year and that the market will show year-over-year gains in salesand prices in 2009. The association predicts that sales of resale homes will rise 6.6% in 2009 compared to this year while sales of new simgle family homes will rise 4.6%.
The median price of resale homes is expected to rise 3.7% in 2009 to $223,800, and the median price of new homes is expected to rise 4% next year to $247,800.
NAR expects the Federal Funds Rate to average 2.4% this year compared to 5% last year, and to rise slightly to a 3% average in 2009.
Growth in real gross domestic products projected to be 1.4% this year - compared to 2.2% in 2007and 2.9% in 2006 - and is expected to rise 2.4% in 2009.
The forecast calls for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage to average 5.9% this year and 6.3% in 2009, while the one year adjustable rate is expected to average 5%this year and next.
NAR expects housing affordability to rise this year compared to last year, and to fall next year with a projected rise in home prices and a rise in the 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
Also today, NAR reported that its index tracking pending sales of resale homes dropped 21.4% in February compared to February 2007.
This pending home sales index is based on home-sale contracts signed in February, and sales are typically finalized within one or two months of signing.
An index score of 100 matches the level of contract activity in 2001, which was the first year to be examined for the index and the first of 5 consecutive record years for sales of resale homes.
The index dropped to 84.6 in February - the lowest level on record for the index - which has data dating back to 2001. The February index was down from 107.6 in February 2007 and 86.2 in January 2008.
Regionally, the index dropped 30.3% in the South, 25.4% in the Notheast, 17.4% in the Midwest and 6.1% in the West in February compared to February 2007. 

Copyright 2008 Inman News
BUYING TO FLIP NOT SMART IN TODAY'S MARKET 

If home doesn't meet long-term needs, don't buy it
By Dian Hymer, Monday, May 12, 2008.  

There are deals to be made in the current real estate market. Home buyers in many areas finally have the upper hand. Ironically, buyers tend to pull back when the market is soft and buy when the market is high.  

Savvy investors attempt to buy when the market it low and sell when it's high. But, it's impossible to time the market, so there is always an element of risk involved. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind if you're considering buying a home in the current market. 

Short-term investing paid off for many investors a few years ago. In most cases, this strategy should be avoided today. Although the home-sale market is localized, generally the current housing market is soft and is expected to take a year or more to recover. You don't want to be caught having to sell in a year or two when the value of your house might be less than or equal to what you paid for it. After taking into account the costs of sale, you could find yourself selling at a loss. 

With this in mind, don't buy unless you're economic future is secure, and you're sure you won't be relocating during the next five years. Also, don't base your decision solely on price. You might be able to buy a small two-bedroom, one-bath home for a low price in this market. But, if this won't suit your long-term housing needs, don't buy it. 

Not too long ago when the market was racing upwards, many first-time buyers bought small starter homes. They stayed in these homes for two or three years and then sold for a profit. This helped fund the purchase of a larger long-term home. This strategy could get you into trouble today. You might be better off waiting to buy until you can afford a home that will provide a long-lasting solution to your housing needs. 

Avoid houses that could be hard to resell. These are usually houses that lack broad-based buyer appeal, like houses that are too small or that are located next to a freeway. If you do buy one of these houses, make sure you get it for a good price. Keep in mind that unless you sell in a hot market, you could have difficulty selling in the future. 

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Some home buyers are so anxious to move that they will settle for less than they need. Or, they buy a home that doesn't quite work with a plan to remodel it to correct its deficiencies. This home-buying scheme is not for everyone. For example, some Oakland, Calif., homeowners purchased several years ago and subsequently completed costly renovations. They sold recently for more than they paid, but not for enough more to cover the renovation costs. 

The finance markets have been in turmoil. Many mortgage companies have had to shut their doors due to fallout from the subprime lending crisis. Some of these companies left buyers in the lurch when they failed to fund loans just before closing. It might be wise to submit applications to two lenders so that you have a fallback, if necessary. 

Don't skimp on inspections. Property condition has a big affect on property value. If you buy a property that has deferred maintenance, make sure you buy it for a good price. Plan to take care of correcting defects, many of which will worsen over time. 

THE CLOSING: Financial planning for a home purchase should include factoring in the cost of curing deferred maintenance, as well as the cost of ongoing maintenance.