Lisa came to me a few years ago looking for a "house," though she wasn't so much interested in the house as she was in the land that came with it.  She wanted a place to set up a veterinary clinic for large animals, someplace close to where most of her clients lived.  Lisa was in veterinary school in Michigan preparing for a doctorate in veterinary medicine.  She  had a vision and a dream of providing holistic health care for horses.  She's even written a book on the topic.

But Lisa wasn't the only one in the family who had a vision and a dream.  John, a top ski instructor in Vail, retired from his job there and went to helicopter school.  Lisa and John were separated often as they both pursued their dreams.  They took life by the tail and made it their own.

Lisa graduated with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and returned to Denver last fall.  John took a job with Era Helicopters flying employees to oil rigs in th Gulf of Mexico.  John was on 14 days and back in Denver 14 days every month.  It was a difficult time for them both, the frequent separations, the hard work they both put in.  But now they were back in Denver, home of choice.

Except last week John was killed while landing on an oil platform.  I know Lisa is devastated.  I feet totally stunned and completely helpless.  Death has a way of doing that to the survivors..

The raw emotions of grief overtake all who care about Lisa and John.  And I don't know what else to say.  I feel Lisa's loss deeply.

There’s a myth out there in the real estate ether that buyers are “sitting on the fence” waiting till condition are more favorable before they buy. In my experience that doesn't’t really happen. Oh, maybe with a few buyers, but not enough to constitute a pattern.

Denver is named as the number 9 city in the nation in 2006 for sustainability by SustainLane, an organization formed in 2004 to provide resources to governments, businesses and citizens interested in green livability.

Add to that today's United Nations' global warming report which finds earlier reports on the state of the globe more conservative than initially thought, and Denver becomes one of the few large cities inland that might be able to withstand the expected effects of global warming and still offer a welcoming and sustainable ambience to present and future residents.