Recent conversations with top brokers in the valley have confirmed my suspicions... showing activity has been holding its own as we move into the final weeks of the ski season. Always a harbinger of business to come, this is a very positive and perhaps surprising development.

Many of us have clients who have temporarily positioned themselves on the sidelines, watching the market and waiting for the right opportunity to make a move. Meanwhile, many of those buyers who have made offers over the past couple of weeks have been pleasantly surprised by the response! Discounts of 25% from original list price are the current average in the high end of the market, and depending upon the specific property and owner's motivations, are sometimes more. These buyers have astutely positioned themselves to take advantage of the current shift in our market, are buying property at an excellent value, in Vail terms, and will enjoy their real estate for many years with the knowledge that they made a sound long term acquisition.

I fully expect more of the same, and in fact, for this trend to accelerate as prices come more and more in line with buyers' expectations. It will be quite interesting to see how the remainder of the ski season, and in fact, the summer to come, play out in the Vail Valley's real estate market. Stay tuned for more!