According to October sales data, combined single-family and condo transactions from the 7-county Denver metro area surpassed those of the previous October, the first time in five years that October data improved year-over-year, according to a new report issued by RE/MAX Professionals.

RE/MAX Professionals President Leeann Iacino has been chosen as Residential Real Estate’s Power Book Newsmaker for 2009-2010, by the Denver Business Journal.

“This is a positive change, underscored by the fact that the totals were substantially better than October 2008’s, almost an 11% increase,” said Jack O’Connor, a senior partner in RE/MAX Professionals and author of The Monthly Report. O’Connor added that three or four months of monthly increases over the previous year would portend price increases. more »

At Anthem Ranch, Del Webb’s all-ranch lifestyle community on a view-swept hillside north of Broomfield, it’s not that hard to get a buyer to pack up and move from Phoenix or even New Jersey. It’s a little tougher, says Del Webb’s Melanie Dube, to get somebody that lives in Highlands Ranch to do it…but it’s still happening.

Elaine and George Hager (left), from New Jersey, visit a super-affordable ‘Powderhorn’ ranch. Del Webb’s Melanie Dube had sold them their New Jersey home, as well.

“Highlands Ranch is 30 miles from here, and buyers who visit from there sometimes worry they’ll have a hard time making a new circle of friends,” says Dube, who has ten ranch models to show. “Some come back a dozen times; but once they talk to our residents, they’re sold.” more »