Why I'm Optimistic About Real Estate in Northern Colorado

If you have read the newspaper lately, it's amazing to me that we still choose to eat, sleep and breathe.  Why not just end it now?  Bubble this, bubble that, the market's in the tank, the sky is falling, blah, blah, blah, blah.

In Colorado we have been in a stagnate market for a while but many of us still tend to get wrapped up in the negative hype of the 'other'markets.  Yes, we have had record foreclosure rates but contrast that with the increase in home ownership rates over the last several years.  Take the good with the bad and the bad with the good.

Top 10: Why I'm Optimistic About the Real Estate Market (in Colorado)

1. Interest Rates are still ridiculously low.
2. Big builders are cashing out. Most of the big builders have left the state. That may sound like bad new... its not.  Most of the big boys come into town, purchase huge chunks of land, put up about 20 houses at a time, realize sales are slower than expected, offer huge incentives, get buyers to buy at retail (even with inventives) and repeat for the next phase.  Now that they have left, prices may stabilize and inventories will shrink. Amen!!!!
3. Commercial real estate starts usually preceed the residential market.  Everywhere you look, a new building (in many cases already pre-leased) is popping up.
4. Residential vacancy rates are very low.  Now is a great time to buy an investment property.
5. Job Growth... yes HP and Agilent are slowly moving their businesses out of Northern Colorado but we have seen a tremendous number of new companies come into the area as well (see # 3). Not to mention the grand opening of a major medical center (Medical Center of the Rockies).
6. The weather.  The biggest misconception about Colorado is the bad weather. Being from California, I now have a great appreciation for the seasons....even winter (no big deal).
7. Value.  With the average price of a home in the low 200's, its hard to complain. 
8. Commuting.  I admit it, I am glad I do not have to commute to Denver everyday but the local commute from North Denver to Fort Collins is a piece of cake.
9. Recreation.  Unlimited....  I am a sports freak and love the great outdoors.  It does not get any better than this.  All the major sports teams in Denver (Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalance, Colorado Rockies, etc), a local hockey team (Colorado Eagles), a soon to be arena football team (Colorado Ice)  and more outdoor activities than I want to list.
10. Beauty.  I grew up near the ocean and the mountains are every bit as beautiful to look at (in my opinion).

Oh, and by the way, as I'm writing this post, I am looking out of my office window and looking at gorgeous clear blue skies, no snow on the ground (it snowed almost all day yesterday) and about a dozen beautiful white swans taking a bath in Lake Loveland.