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Another month, another record

Cliff Thompson

EAGLE COUNTY Frenetic sales of entry-level housing drove Junes sales to a new record $275.4 million.That eclipses the previous June mark of $158.7 million by better than 50 percent and takes the year-to-date total to $1.2 billion in sales, according to statistics reported by Land Title.The countys sales mirrored the national trend. Real estate sales records were set across the country in June, according to a report issued by the National Association of Realtors.In Eagle County, continued low interest rates and the availability of entry-level properties those priced at less than $1 million have sparked the boom. Sales of those homes accounted for 61 percent or 226 of 370 transactions in June.A total of 1,839 transactions were logged at the midway point of the year. Thats 476 more sales than last year at the midway point.Sales of homes priced at $3 million and more were a little slower than in the past there were nine.That disparity between the number of entry-level homes sold and the nine sold in the $3 million to $5 million range is attributable to fewer people in the upper crust, industry professionals said.Its totally normal, said Jim Flaum of Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate. Theres lots more people who can afford to buy a home priced under $1 million than over.The difference may in fact be due to the acceleration of sales of entry-level properties instead of a slowing at the high end, Flaum said, adding that low interest rates have kept the bar lower for first-time homeowners.

The hottest properties on the market these days are those in the mid-valley area priced from $300,000 to $600,000, said Michael Slevin of Prudential Gore Range Properties.That price range caters to anyone first-time homeowners or second-home buyers, he said.Properties are still selling quickly. Slevin listed his own home in Eagle Tuesday morning and had an offer an hour later, he said.Its not that theres a limited supply, he said. Its just that properties dont stay on the market very long.The number of residences available for sale in the Vail Multi Listing service has increased from a low of 525 to about 725 as of Tuesday.Thats still down a bit but better than last spring, Slevin said.For owners looking to sell their market, pricing properly is the key, he said. If you price properly you will know in a week or two, and will have several offers, he said. If not, it will sit.

So how hot is the market and is there a real estate bubble that will deflate? Its hot, but not as hot as some other markets, said Flaum.If you average the whole market, its solid but not crazy, he said. In Southern California prices are going up 15 to 20 percent per year. We dont have that.Its strictly the result of a big bubble of baby boomers buying second homes Flaum added. Theres no signs of that bubble deflating.Evidence of that may be gleaned from the sales of new slopeside properties in Vail and Lionshead, said Slevin.One property being developed by Vail Resorts, Arrabelle, sold out within hours, while buyer interest in the Ritz-Carlton property in Lionshead has been strong, he said.The average price of residential property sold in June was close to that in May at $674,684. Thats a bit behind the year-to-date average of $722,000. In June a total of 98 commercial properties and unimproved parcels of land sold for $91.9 million, carrying an average price of $938,174.Staff Writer Cliff Thompson can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 450, or cthompson@vaildaily.com.Vail, Colo.


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