Grand real estate sales on pace to set record in 2021
Demand, prices remain high with inventory lacking
This year is on track to see record real estate sales in Grand County, driven by a high demand for mountain properties and limited availability.
Data from the Grand County Board of Realtors shows that October was the 115th month of gains in median sales prices compared to the same month of the previous year, while the available inventory has dropped consistently during that same period.
In October, the one-year change in the median sales price for all properties was up 11.8% while the number of active listings was down 14.4%, according to the board of Realtors.
“Due to the lack of inventory and the need for housing up here, when properties do get put on the market, they’re just going so fast,” said Lindsey Morrow, an agent with Keller Williams Top of the Rockies. “This has been a really strong year for real estate in general.”
The September report from the Land Title Guarantee Company shows the average sales prices for single family and multi-family properties are at their highest reported rates with single family homes reaching an average of $876,425 and multi-family properties going for $510,367 on average.
So far this year, real estate sales have totaled more than $861 million, which is a 41.7% increase over the same time frame last year, according to the Land Title Guarantee Company.
Last year saw record sales with more than $994 million in transactions.
The high demand for property in Grand County can be credited to a number of factors, including more people working from home, low interest rates, rising sales prices in surrounding mountain communities and recreational opportunities.
“Grand County is only an hour and a half from Denver … we have the infrastructure and internet for people to (work at home), and I think people are realizing that Grand County has a great work-life balance,” Morrow said.
A majority of the buyers are from the Front Range, which has accounted for 61% of sales so far this year, per data compiled by Land Title Guarantee Company.
All the demand means that active listings go quick.
Properties sold in October saw a 52% decrease in the number of days on market compared to October 2020. The average townhouse or condo sold after only 48 days and single-family homes sold at 72 days, according to the Grand County Board of Realtors.
Morrow said the demand has slowed toward the end of the year, though it remains comparatively high when held up to previous years. Demand is the highest for properties priced below $600,000.
“It’s definitely calmed a little bit compared to the summer where there were multiple offers and properties spent two or three days on market,” she said. “Though as soon as you get into those properties in the $400,000 or $500,000, which are desirable, those are going off within five or six days.”
According to the Grand County Board of Realtors’ data, a majority of properties sold so far this year range from $600,000 to $999,999.
Inventory below $600,000 in Grand County is increasingly rare with only 13 single-family homes currently on the market.
On top of the incredible demand and low inventory, external factors such as rising building costs, labor shortages and problems in the supply chain have also contributed to the extreme sale prices.
Single-family properties going for $1 million to $1,999,999 in 2021 have increased by 52-55% increase compared to last year, GCBOR data shows.
However, there are still opportunities out there for buyers.
With rental rates increasing, Morrow urged interested buyers to reach out to a lender while interest rates remain favorable
“If people are willing to spend $3,000 per month on rent, that could potentially get them a $600,000 or $700,000 house, which there is inventory for,” she said.
Morrow said the market is sustaining itself so, unlike the 2008 market, it’s unlikely there would be a crash and current trends will likely continue until more inventory is available.
“Appraisal values of properties are still coming in at or above contract price,” she added. “The biggest thing is we don’t have the inventory for people moving into the community.”
Building permit numbers indicate that Grand County is picking up the pace on construction with 2021 seeing a record number of permits for single family homes, according to Steve Jensen of the Grand County Builders Association.
Not including construction in Fraser, Granby or Winter Park, Grand County has issued 237 permits for single family homes so far this year compared to the same period in 95 in 2020 and 108 in 2019. Of the permits issued this year, 89 are fire rebuilds.

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