Colorado has not learned from the debacles in Florida and California and instead created their own public property insurance plan in the recent legislative session. Furthermore, the government now dictates the amount of insurance that must be provided by carriers. ...
What to expect in Colorado real estate the second half of the year; will the party continue?
Wow, the first half of 2023 has been relatively good in real estate throughout most markets. Volumes are down substantially, but there has been little movement in prices. Even with higher interest rates, most areas have stayed relatively flat, but the winds are...
3 Colorado cities top boom-towns in country; what happened to each one?
SmartAsset uncovered the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. To identify the top boomtowns in America in 2021, they looked at the most recently available data for 500 of the largest cities across the following seven metrics: population change, unemployment rate,...
Mushroom theory got kicked apart in Denver real estate, what does this mean for prices?
For the past 15 years or so, my “mushroom theory” was an amazing tool (no I’m not talking about the magic mushrooms that were approved by voters). Up until Covid the mushroom theory worked like a charm to predict price appreciation in cities like Denver, but recently...
New property tax bill is radically altered leads to huge tax increases and allows local governments to grow 20 times inflation.
Wow! You can always hand it to the politicians to take a simple property tax measure and fill it to the brim so in the end it costs more than it actually saves you. In a last-ditch effort, the Colorado legislature approved: SB23-303 Reduce taxes and voter approved...
Taxes jump, you have 30 days, how do you appeal (quick guide) and should you?
Get ready for sticker shock; as you will be receiving your new tax assessment in the next few weeks (typically the beginning of May) and time is of the essence as you have a limited window if you want to fight your tax value. How can assessed values continue to...
Denver prices set to fall 16%, will Golden handcuffs come off
I’m asked daily what happens to prices in high cost cities like Denver. Will prices stabilize due to the Golden handcuffs of low rates? Will prices go into a free fall due to higher mortgage rates? Historically there is a correlation between rents and prices,...
Coloradans can defer payment on a big chunk of their rising property tax bill; should you???
The legislature passed a little known bill in 2021 to allow property owners to defer their property taxes above 4% increase starting in 2023. On the surface, this sounds like a great plan. Why wouldn’t someone want to defer their property taxes. Unfortunately the...
Rent Control through the backdoor in Colorado passed the house
Every time I turn around there is yet another proposal to implement rent control. The newest house bill concerning requiring just cause for an eviction recently passed its first hearing. On the surface it sounds harmless, but the details are the most troublesome of...
New affordable housing rule, government has first right of refusal on properties
There is yet another proposal in the statehouse on affordable housing. This new bill would allow governments the first right of refusal on basically any multifamily property. On the surface, the new proposal sounds innocuous, but the devil is always in the...
Denver passes affordable housing law, 88% decline in Apartment permits.
Last year Denver passed an “affordable housing program” that requires multifamily developments to pay linkage fees and/or reserve a percentage of units for low income housing. What has happened to apartment construction since passage? Were my original predictions...
Colorado property values soften. Ready for a 51% jump in your property taxes
Get ready for sticker shock as this year is a reassessment year. As values soften throughout the state, will your property taxes finally go down? Unfortunately the short answer is just the opposite, look for your taxes to jump an astronomical amount. How can...
NYC Spars With Hosts Over New Airbnb Rental Laws, 25% drop in nightly rentals, what does this mean for Colorado
I always watch what happens on the coasts to see what is next for Colorado. Whether it is minimum wage, required sick leave, etc… these all originated from the coasts and migrated to Colorado. NY’s laws on nightly rentals will soon find their way to Colorado. The...
Will the golden handcuffs of low rates save Denver real estate in this cycle? November paints an interesting picture of what the future holds.
The prevailing theory is that this real estate cycle will be considerably better than others as so many people locked in rock bottom rates which will serve as “golden handcuffs” and prevent a meaningful increase in inventory. This in turn will keep prices high with...
Denver Long term rental licenses go into effect Jan 23; Costs and requirements skyrocket; affordable housing reduced
Denver is making waves again with the passage of a new law that requires all long-term rental properties to meet “min housing requirements”. This new law goes into effect on January 1 2023. On the surface the new law sounds innocuous, but the reality is far...
Statewide transfer tax gearing up for 2024; I’ll bet 178 million this will not work
It is amazing, they just called the last races in Colorado a few weeks ago and already there is a ballot initiative to increase taxes further. In the last cycle voters passed an affordable housing initiative and hot on its heals is a new statewide transfer tax...
Forbes take on the Denver market gumdrops and roses; is this reality?
I recently receive a Denver Metro Association of realtor’s newsletter touting: “People have been flocking to the Mile High City from more expensive cities in search of a cheaper cost of living and to work remotely in the Rocky Mountains. “ Is this leading to higher...
Wine & Beer in Colorado grocery stores, Big changes to CO liquor laws on ballot and impact on real estate
Colorado is an odd state, prior to a few years ago, you were unable to buy full strength beer in grocery stores. In almost every other state, you can walk into a grocery store and buy wine/beer, but not in Colorado. A trio of ballot proposals will radically alter...
Denver values up 13%, Summit up 23% for the year, the chart should scare you!
The Summit Daily recently posted an article that Fall is a great time to hike a 14er. I took the pic below of a 13k foot peak the same week the article came out. Probably not a good time to attempt a peak ascent in the snow. The article on 14ers is eerily similar...
How to increase your Colorado Zestimate 300% with a simple step; 4 tips to determine the correct value
I was recently looking at a property in Colorado and looked up its Zestimate (above)… it is a miracle that the Zestimate suddenly increased 300% with no changes to the property. I’ll bet 900 million that the Zestimate is not accurate. Why did the Zestimate jump so...
Ruling in Louisiana court halts Frisco’s plan for short term rentals
Frisco had originally planned to offer a “locals” only license classification for short term rentals. A new ruling in Louisiana put these plans on hold and could jeopardize many other communities short term rental laws. What was in the ruling and why is it so...
58% of sellers in Denver drop prices; inventory rises 94%; what does this mean for Colorado real estate values?
Don’t be surprised by the recent numbers. I mentioned months ago that many Canadian markets changed on a dime and the same would happen in major US cities. A recent Redfin report showed that Denver ranked second behind Boise in price drops amongst 97 cities. ...
Extreme bidding wars set to continue in Denver, Housing enters a national recession
The Denver Metro Association predicted “extreme bidding wars” will continue in their August Newsletter. At the same time the National Association of realtor’s chief economist said: “We’re witnessing a housing recession in terms of declining home sales and home...
Denver a top ten “outflow” destination with more looking to leave
A record 32.6% of Redfin.com users nationwide looked to move from one metro to another in the second quarter, up slightly from 32.3% in the first quarter and roughly 26% before the pandemic. Denver was recently named by Redfin a top “outflow” destination with...

























