Real Estate Market

The number of homes for sale in the Denver metro MLS is down 36% from last December. It is down 10% from last month. Currently there are only 12,634 homes for sale. When the market first dipped in 2006-2007 it was standard to see over 25,000 homes on the market.

However, sold homes were up 15% from last year.  For sellers this means less competition and more homes are selling. And for buyers, this means fewer choices.  Buyers not have to be willing to be more flexible on location, price, condition ect. because of the limited available housing.

The Denver real estate market prices are holding steady over the past 12 months. Inventory is down considerably, and sold homes are up 15%. These are all good indicators that the market is improving. When demand increases and supply decreases, basic economics tells us that prices will go up. If this trend continues in 2012 then a price recovery is what we should anticipate.

Another New Year, another set of resolutions?

With the changing of the calendar many of us set our sights on getting back into the gym and working off all the Christmas Cheer. While looking for tips to get motivated I came across a wonderful story in the Wall Street Journal by Jason Gay called “The 27 rules of conquering the gym.”
A few of my favorite rules:

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.

6. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.

11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.

19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch.

20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.

21. Don't buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water. Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.

22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you're basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.

25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.

27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.