The Denver metro area ranks 221st out of 285 in rate of appreciation for the first quarter of 2007 at .34%, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO).  The one-year rate is slightly better at 1.09%, and the five-year rate is a mediocre 14.78%.  By comparison, the top rated MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the U. S. Census Bureau) is Wenatchee, Washington, with a first-quarter appreciation rate of 25.6%, a one-year appreciation rate of 5.96% and a five-year increase of 70.56.

The lowest MSA is Punta Gordon, Florida, with a net loss in the first quarter of 4.57%, a one-year loss of 2.81%, but in the last five years Punta Gorda showed a gain of an astonishing 94.81%.

The lowest 20 MSAs show first-quarter losses from 1.93% in the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California area to the 4.57% loss in Punta Gorda.  Among the lowest 20 MSAs, the range of appreciation for the last five years is Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida metro area with a 108.07% gain to an 8.55% gain in the Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan metro area.  Some areas, like Cape Coral-Fort Myers show the results of the so-called "real estate bubble" bursting in the last year to 18 months, while Detroit shows a slighter decline.

The upshot is that while Denver showed remarkable appreciation in the 90s, there is NO bubble-burst effect from those years with a precipitous loss in market value.  Instead the market remains flat but steady.  Good news for buyers.

If you want to find out what YOUR house is worth, check out OFHEO's calculator.

And if you'd like to be updated on Denver's market conditions, sign up for the Denver Real Estate Update at the Buyers Advantage website.

When you first start thinking about buying a home -- whether you're moving up or buying your first home -- you'll be offered all kinds of advice from friends, family and co-workers. Their one purchase (maybe two or three) makes them an expert on home-buying. They'll recommend inspectors, lenders, insurance agents they've used.

But wait! They've only had one (okay, maybe two or three) experience. But any REALTOR® has had experience with hundreds, maybe thousands of transactions. That does make them an expert! And they've had a lot of experience with the professionals they recommend.

I've had ten years of experience working with home buyers to buy the home of their dreams.  I've learned a thing or two about what it takes to get the job done. Here's what makes me different from your advisors.

I work with a virtual team.  Markelle Harden in Arizona is my Online Transaction Coordinator.  She uses Settlement Room to help clients through the final process of final loan approval, appraisal, home inspection, and a host of other details that must be attended to.

Lynn Payge Hoppe maintains my website from Texas.  Ed Robisheaux in Virginia helps to maintain my position on the internet.  Kathleen Allardyce helps with web search engine optimzation.  

My team helps me keep my business on track so that I have more time to work with you when you're considering making the largest purchase of a lifetime.  Your advisors, though well-meaning, have no financial stake in making sure your best interests are served. I do. Helping people make their dreams come true is my business.

It's that time of year again when people start freaking out about their lawns. Climate change and global warming don't seem to worry homeowners as much as having the best lawn on the block. Xeriscaping -- well, someday, maybe, but not this year.  So out come the Scotts products, the fertilizer, the sprayers, the crabgrass patrol.

There's another way this year to help with the quest for the greenest lawn this side of the British Isles. Colorado State University Cooperative Extension has come out with a program that will put expert eyeballs on homeowners' lawns, CSU Lawncheck.  A memer of the Cooperative Extension horticultural staff will come out to your home and do a diagnosis plus recommendations.

It's not available everywhere in Colorado.  It will begin in the metro Denver counties of Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, El Paso and Jefferson, and in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Ouray counties on the Western Slope. Just call the Cooperative Extension office in your county and make a date with an expert.  It does cost.  But $75 (plus mileage) hardly seems like a lot of money to pay for a personal visit.

Check out the CSU Extension website, and be on your way to a blue-ribbon, or shall we say green-ribbon lawn.

In March desirable homes in good locations were still languishing on the market, while in April these same homes were being snapped up quickly. One of my clients saw half a dozen homes go under contract before she was able to see them.

The average price for a single family home in April was $322,510, while the median price (a better indicator of value which excludes the highest and lowest prices) $248,000. For condos the average price was $182,549, and the median was $148,900.

The number of Denver homes and condos sold in April increased by 2.92% over last month and 2.3% over April 2006, reflecting an active buying season. Average sold prices for single family homes increased 6.76% over last month and 1.12% over last year this time. The exception in activity and value was in the condo/townhouse market which saw a drop of 3.34% over last month and 7.02% from 2006 in the number of condos sold, and a drop in value (average price) over last month of .49% and over last year of 2.97%. Experts attribute the drop to overbuilding in the condo market, and predict it will continue throughout 2007.

Homes were selling faster than they had during March 2007, largely due to warmer weather and the beginning of the traditional spring selling season. Average days on market for single family homes dropped from 117 in March to 106 in April. For condos the drop was from 127 to 117 days on market.

If you're thinking of buying, now would be a good time. It could well be that the Denver housing market has hit bottom and values will continue to rise. Interest rates are still low, 6.125% (as of this writing) for an A borrower on a 30 year fixed loan.

The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News have slightly different slants on April performance.  Have a look.