So here we are on Labor Day Weekend.  And I can tell you without hesitation - The question of the summer that I received - whether it was at a backyard barbecue, in the church parking lot, at a soccer game, at the pool, in an email or on the phone - was…

Well, Steve, really, how is the Denver real estate market, really.

And of course I tell people the truth.  There are parts that are doing better than others and those are doing well.  And then there are some areas doing worse than others, and those need some help.

Yes we have all heard the media hype of the nation wild housing crisis - and yes - there are some serious problems.  And then there is the whole mortgage mess.

But if someone asks me, Steve- really - should I buy a home now?  The answer is, it depends. 

It depends on so many factors.  We then spend time talking about if they have an idea how long they may stay, their price range, area of town interested it, and oh so many things.  I want to make something clear - it is a good idea for many to buy right now.  But there are some circumstances where I will tell you it is not.

And if they ask me, truly, is the market as bad as everyone says is it, here in the Denver area, specifically the Denver suburbs.  I have to say no.  Even my Highlands Ranch neighbors have been under the impressions the sky is falling and that just is not true.

Just this week the Case -Shiller Index was released - and even through this report, it stated that the Denver real estate market is the top market of the 20 metro markets in the index of top markets in the country.  In fact, the headline in the Denver Business Journal was just that "Denver Home Price Rise Top 20 City List".  In a time period that ranged from April through May, the real estate home prices in the Denver area actually rose 1%.

Here are some additional articles from the media that you can read more about the Case-Shiller Index

Denver Business Journal

Rocky Mountain News