7-8-2026 Camper Vans, Cake, and a Homebuyer's Market: My Week in Review

My Life Right Now: If you didn't see me around the foothills this week, that's because I wasn't there. We loaded up the family and headed out to celebrate the Fourth of July with my sisters, and more importantly, to celebrate my husband, Tag, turning 40. My sister Jocelyn hosted the whole thing, a good old family BBQ, at my request, because a milestone birthday deserves more than a candle stuck in a leftover cupcake. 

Then, because apparently one big trip wasn't enough for us this year, we picked up a camper van and pointed it north. Our final stop is Halifax, Nova Scotia, to see a friend I made years ago while living in Korea. If you had told younger me that a friendship from the other side of the world would eventually reunite in a campground in Canada, I'm not sure I would have believed you, but here we are.

I also heard it got pretty smoky back home in Colorado over the holiday. I hope that clears up soon, and my thoughts are with anyone dealing with the air quality while we're off gallivanting around in a van.

I did try actually to unplug this week. I mostly succeeded. I did, however, manage to put two properties under contract, a piece of land and a home, which either means I'm terrible at vacations or great at multitasking. I'm going with the second one.

This Week in Real Estate: My Real Estate Life

Speaking of those two contracts, one on land and one on a home, getting them done while technically "on vacation" reminded me why I love this job. Whether you're moving to Colorado for the first time or you're an adult child helping downsize a parent's longtime home, the paperwork doesn't pause just because I'm in a camper van in the middle of nowhere, and I wouldn't want it to.

On a completely different note, I want to pass along something that's saved our family real money this year: we switched our homeowners and auto insurance over to USAA and got a big discount compared to our old carrier on both policies. I'll say up front, I have zero affiliation with USAA; I just genuinely think more people should know this exists. If you have a parent or a spouse who served in the military, or who was ever a USAA member themselves, that's enough to open the door to your own USAA membership, even if that family member never actually used USAA for insurance or banking. Once you're in, your membership number gets passed down, so your kids can join too, and someday their kids.

From what I've seen with clients, USAA tends to have strong customer service, doesn't fight claims the way some carriers do, and will insure homes in mountain areas that other companies won't touch. If you own a home in the foothills or you're thinking about buying one, it's worth a phone call to see what they'd quote you.

The Market: The Denver Metro and Foothills Market Right Now

Quick and honest disclaimer before the numbers: real estate data sources don't always agree with each other down to the dollar, so treat these as directionally accurate rather than gospel, and always ask me for a number specific to your street and situation.

Across the Denver metro area, most recent reporting (May 2026 data, since full July numbers aren't out yet) puts the median home price somewhere in the $590,000 to $660,000 range, depending on the source and property type, generally up slightly year over year. Condos and townhomes have actually softened a bit in price, while single-family homes have held closer to flat to slightly up. Broader reporting from the Colorado Association of Realtors describes metro Denver as tipping toward a buyer's market, with roughly 4,800 more sellers than buyers and unsold inventory at its highest level in more than a decade. That said, per Denver MLS data, the median days on market in Denver County itself is just 17, and across all of Jefferson County it's 15, so well-priced homes are still moving quickly in a lot of these areas even with more inventory to choose from.

Up here in the foothills, though, the picture looks different, and honestly stronger, than the broader metro trend. Looking at the past 30 days, the median days on market in Evergreen is just 15, and in Conifer it's 13. Median closed price in Evergreen is $945,000, and in Conifer it's $812,500. So while the wider Denver metro area has more room for buyers to negotiate, homes in Evergreen and Conifer are still moving quickly and closing at strong prices.

Bottom line, if you're thinking about a move: the broader Denver metro area has more breathing room for buyers right now than it has in years, but don't expect that same slack in Evergreen or Conifer. Well-priced foothills homes are still selling in two weeks or less. If you're a seller up here, especially if you're helping an aging parent downsize or handling a sale after a loss, that's good news; your home is likely to move faster than you'd think. If you're a buyer, come in ready to act. I'm always happy to walk through what that looks like for your specific home, whether you're selling in Evergreen, Conifer, Golden, or anywhere else in the foothills.

Sources for the market figures above: Colorado Association of Realtors market updates, Redfin Denver housing data, and Moxie Property Group's June 2026 Colorado market update for the metro figures; Denver, Evergreen, and Conifer median days on market and closed price figures via the Denver MLS.

Hope everyone had a great Fourth. Until next week, be safe and make good choices.