6-17-2026 Perfect, I have what I need

When Aspen Meets a Tweaked Rib: I did something to my upper right rib and shoulder area at CrossFit this week. Nothing dramatic, not some heroic moment of athletic glory, just a skull crusher variation that apparently had opinions about my range of motion. By Monday evening it had graduated from "annoying" to "excruciating." Taking a deep breath hurts. Shaking hands hurts. Smiling through a handshake while wanting to scream is its own sport, and I've been logging hours.

Here's the thing: I was in Aspen when it really hit, so at least the scenery was good.

I tagged along to a KW Luxury event with a new agent friend, and since I'd only been to Aspen once before, almost a decade ago in the winter, for roughly enough hours to sleep and leave, this felt like a real opportunity. Getting there was half the fun. I drove over Independence Pass, which closes in winter, and it did not disappoint. Winding, steep, beautiful, the kind of road that makes you grateful you're not in a rental van and also makes you pull over twice just to look around.

Aspen itself is exactly as advertised. Gorgeous, quaint downtown, the kind of place that looks like it was frozen in amber while being extraordinarily expensive. You kind of realize the quaintness is self-funded. When a $27 million home is a thing (which it is, my husband actually did handyman work on one), there's enough money in that zip code to keep the streetscape looking lovely forever.

I, however, stayed at the St. Moritz Lodge, rather than the main event hotel, and I have zero regrets. It felt like a little Swiss chalet tucked at the edge of town at the base of a park. Quiet, clean, incredibly friendly staff, free breakfast, and cookies at check-in. I almost booked the shared bathroom option to save a bit more money. I'm glad I came to my senses at the last minute. Highly recommend it if you want Aspen without the full Aspen price tag.

The event itself was a pleasant surprise for someone who gets nervous in large group settings. Despite being open to thousands of KW Luxury agents nationally, only about 40 or 50 people showed up. People came in from Alabama, Miami, all over the country, and it had a genuinely collegial feel, not a conference feel. We had a family-style Asian fusion dinner at Jing on Monday night that was very good, and the workshop sessions were actually worth the drive.

Back on the home front, summer is officially running the household. Sterling is at camp, claiming not to enjoy it, but he's made a new best friend and the smile he tries to suppress tells the whole story. Bridger is getting his permit, which means I am about to have a driver on payroll. He's hoping to land a job at a new restaurant in town called The Park, because the financial reality of spending money faster than it comes in has set in now that Marshdale Burger is behind him. 

The weekend brought a surprise highlight: Adam is president of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce Colorado chapter, and they just signed a five-year commitment to a multinational festival in Aurora. There was a parade. Sterling and I went to watch. Somehow, we ended up walking in it instead. Spontaneous, festive, and exactly the kind of afternoon that makes summer feel like summer.

This Week in Real Estate: Late Nights, Two Offers, and the Realtor in the Foothills Who Needs More Sleep

Monday night, I was up until 11 pm writing two offers. That is a great reason to lose sleep, and I would do it again without hesitation, but I still wake up between 5 and 5:30 every single morning regardless of when I went to bed. My body has not gotten the memo that I'm allowed to sleep in.

Two offers in one evening mean buyers who are ready to move, and those are my favorite kinds of conversations to have. Buyers who are engaged, decisive, and willing to act when the right property comes along are the ones who actually get homes in this market, because the correctly priced, well-presented listings are still selling quickly. You don't get to deliberate for three weeks and then act surprised when it's gone.

If you're thinking about selling a home in the foothills, whether in Evergreen, Conifer, Morrison, or anywhere in Jefferson County, here's what I keep telling people: a properly priced home still has buyers. The market isn't dead, it's just honest now. And honest markets reward preparation and realistic expectations.

One area where I work that not everyone thinks about is helping families who are managing a parent's transition out of a longtime home. Moving a parent into assisted living, or settling an estate after a loss, is hard enough on its own. Adding a home sale to the list, especially a mountain home full of decades of belongings, can feel completely overwhelming. This is exactly the kind of situation where having a realtor in Evergreen who has done this many times over makes a real difference. If that's where you are, call me. We figure it out together.

The Market: Grills Are Lit, Buyers Have Choices, and the Market Would Like a Word

The Denver metro real estate market is settling into its summer personality, which is a little slower, a little more selective, and considerably more honest than it was a year ago.

According to DMAR's March 2026 Market Trends Report, the median close price in the Denver metro sits around $580,000, down about 1.7% year-over-year, with homes averaging 56 days on market in Q1 2026. That's not a crash. It's a recalibration, and it feels like one.

Active inventory is rising, days on market are stretching longer, and the buyers who are active right now are more deliberate, more informed, and less willing to waive everything to win. That's a meaningful shift from the frenzy years, and if you're a buyer, it's actually good news. You have options. You have time to think. You have negotiating power that simply didn't exist in 2021 and 2022.

If you're a seller, the conversation is different.

The biggest myth in real estate is that summer is the prime selling season. It isn't. The market's strongest window actually comes earlier in the year. By the time summer arrives, buyers are traveling, heading to baseball games, driving up to the mountains, and trying to locate their camping gear. Real estate competes for attention with a lot of other appealing options in June and July.

What's happening right now is that the market has become very selective. Homes that are priced correctly, show well, and check the right boxes are still moving quickly. Everything else is sitting, and sitting longer than sellers expect. Roughly 38% of listings have faced price reductions, well above the national average, as the market continues its shift toward buyers.

On mortgage rates: as of mid-June 2026, the average 30-year fixed rate is sitting around 6.58%, with upward pressure coming from a stronger-than-expected May jobs report and CPI inflation data that came in at 4.2%, the highest since 2023. Rates are not dropping this month despite some optimism earlier in the year about potential peace deal impacts on the bond market. They may ease later, but right now they're holding stubbornly in the mid-sixes.

Which means pricing strategy matters more than ever. The sellers who win aren't necessarily the ones with the nicest homes. They're the ones who understand what market they're actually in.

A price reduction conversation is never fun, but here's the truth: small, hesitant reductions almost never work. Buyers are watching. They know when a seller is testing the waters and when a seller is serious. A meaningful adjustment generates fresh attention. A token one just generates more days on market and a stale listing.

Think of your listing like a first date. If people keep showing up but nobody calls back, that's feedback. If weeks pass and nothing moves forward, the market is telling you something. Listen to it early rather than late. The sellers who make decisive moves win. The ones who make three tiny adjustments over four months end up with less in the end anyway.

Father's Day weekend is traditionally one of the slower showing weekends of the year. Turns out many dads prefer a smoker and a cooler to touring homes. If you're launching a listing around the holiday, maximize your weekday showings and don't measure your first weekend's traffic as a verdict on your pricing.

Happy summer. The grill is on, the sunscreen is out, and I'll be here writing offers at 11 pm when the right house comes along.