Spread the word

The week between Christmas and New Year’s always provides a little time to sit down and work through my business plan for the upcoming year. It’s a time when I can reflect on the previous year, learn from what went wrong and what went right, and use that to set myself – and my clients – up for success in the 2026 Denver real estate market.

As part of this practice, I always like to set a word or theme for the year. A guiding principle that I write on the first page of my journal, so it’s the first thing I see and think about as I get ready for my day.

This year, that theme is an ancient one: Festina Lente.

It’s a Latin phrase often attributed to the Roman Emperor Augustus, meaning “Make haste, slowly.”

At first glance, it sounds like a contradiction. How can you rush and slow down at the same time? But to Augustus, it meant that energetic action should always be balanced by careful deliberation. The Romans even minted coins depicting this motto: a dolphin (speed) twisted around an anchor (stability).

As I looked at the data for our current Denver real estate market, I realized there is no better advice for buyers and sellers in 2026.

The “Lente” (The Anchor): Why You Can Breathe If you tried to buy a home in Denver a few years ago, you remember the chaos. You had 15 minutes to see a house and 15 minutes to write an offer, usually waiving many of the contingencies that allow buyers to negotiate a more favorable outcome.

That era is over. As we enter 2026, the Denver market has entered a phase of normalization.

Inventory is Healthy: We are seeing inventory levels we haven’t seen in over a decade.
Leverage: Buyers finally have a seat at the negotiating table. The days of “highest and best by midnight” are largely behind us, replaced by thoughtful negotiation on price and concessions.
Inspection Negotiations: You can (and should) negotiate for the seller to repair/replace things like older HVAC systems (especially with new laws expected to add 30% to the cost of these this year). “Making haste slowly” means doing the work to ensure the home is a blessing, not a burden.

The “Festina” (The Dolphin): Why You Must Act However, “slowly” does not mean “stagnant.” This is where the Festina (Make Haste) comes in.

Quality Moves Fast: While average inventory is sitting longer, turnkey homes in great neighborhoods—the “cream of the crop”—are still selling quickly. If you see the perfect home, you must be prepared to move with conviction.
The Spring Wave: We are currently in the quietest weeks of the year. History tells us that once the Super Bowl passes, the “Spring Market” often wakes up. Buyers who wait for perfect clarity often find themselves facing new competition in March and April.
Rate Stability: With interest rates stabilizing in the mid-6% range, waiting for a “better time” is a gamble. The “Make Haste” mindset means that when your life is ready for a move, you execute that plan efficiently rather than trying to time the market perfectly.

Which one are you: The Dolphin or The Anchor?

The market is shifting, and the Spring rush is just around the corner. Whether you are ready to sprint or just testing the waters, you need a plan that protects your interests.

For the “Dolphins” (Ready to move): Inventory is rising, but the best homes go fast. [Click here to start a curated search] for “Cream of the Crop” homes in your favorite neighborhood.
For the “Anchors” (Planning and Researching): Need to know if the numbers make sense before you commit? [Click here to schedule a 15-minute coffee chat]. We’ll run a “Blessing vs. Burden” analysis on your budget so you can move forward with total confidence.

Let’s find your balance in 2026

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