Natalie Parsons - 8z Real Estate

Natalie Parsons - 8z Real Estate Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Natalie Parsons - 8z Real Estate, Estate agent, 2809 Larimer Street, Denver, CO.

As a dedicated residential Realtor since 2019, I specialize in helping first time Buyers & Sellers in Denver Metro and Boulder County navigate the ever-changing Colorado Front Range market with clarity, confidence, and a clear plan forward.

Student Loans Are Back in the News. Don't Let It Put Your Homeownership Plans on Hold.Student loans are back in the spot...
07/13/2026

Student Loans Are Back in the News. Don't Let It Put Your Homeownership Plans on Hold.

Student loans are back in the spotlight. And whether you’ve been following the headlines closely or just catching bits and pieces here and there, there’s a good chance they’ve been on your mind lately.

And if you’re questioning whether you have to hit pause on your plans to buy a home, here’s the thing you have to remember:

Having student loans doesn’t automatically mean buying a home has to wait.

The Biggest Myth About Student Loans and Buying a Home

One of the most common misconceptions among first-time buyers is that they have to pay off their student loans before they can qualify for a mortgage. But in most cases, that’s just not true.

As an article from Redfin explains, student loans usually get evaluated the same way other debts do, like credit cards or car payments:

“Yes, you can get a mortgage with student loan debt. Lenders primarily assess your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which compares your monthly debt payments, including student loans, to your gross monthly income. Having student debt doesn’t automatically disqualify you if your DTI is within acceptable limits.”

So having that loan on your credit report isn’t some special red flag that immediately disqualifies you.

Instead, lenders look at your overall financial situation, including your income, credit history, and more. Student loans are one piece of that puzzle, but they’re not the entire picture.

You’re in Better Company Than You Think

Just to really drive this home, here’s a stat from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that proves you can have student debt and still buy a home. Their research shows 33% of first-time homebuyers still had student loan debt.

Down Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021​​​​​​Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of ...
07/07/2026

Down Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021​​​​​​

Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with affordability as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming.

Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down payment.

According to Realtor.com, the typical buyer put down about $23,400 in early 2026 – that’s around $5,000 below what was typical the year before (a 19% drop year over year). That’s the lowest down payments have been since 2021 (see graph):
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So why are buyers putting less money down, and how can you put less down, too? Here’s your answer.

There are a few things driving the trend:

1. Less competition between buyers. Part of it comes down to a more balanced market. With buyers facing less competition than they did a few years ago, there’s less pressure to put a big sum down just to stand out.

2. More moderate home prices. Your down payment is a percentage of the purchase price. So, as price growth cools, the amount you need to put down may change too. In a lot of markets, prices have slowed or leveled off, and some areas are even seeing slight dips. That can translate into smaller down payments.

3. Buyers opting for loans with lower down payments. More buyers are also turning to government-backed loans, like FHA and VA, which often need little or no money down. FHA loans have made up more than 24% of purchase mortgages for five straight quarters, and VA loans recently hit their highest share in over a decade, according to Mortgage Professional America.

​​​​​​​But even a smaller down payment is still a significant chunk of cash, and saving it can be hard. So where does the rest come from?

That House That’s Been Sitting Could Be Your Best Shot at a Deal​​​​​​Open up a home search and you’ll see them. Listing...
06/29/2026

That House That’s Been Sitting Could Be Your Best Shot at a Deal
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Open up a home search and you’ll see them. Listings that have been on the market for two months. Three. Some longer.

Most buyers scroll right past them, assuming something’s wrong with the house. But that instinct could be costing you, since the longer a home sits, the more motivated the seller usually gets.

Where Some Buyers Are Finding Better Deals

If affordability has been your client's #1 hurdle to buying, here’s a surprisingly simple strategy that could help them finally get their foot in the door. Start with the homes that have been sitting the longest. That’s often where the best deals are.

Here’s why. Data from Realtor.com shows there’s a connection between longer time on the market and lower sales prices. Basically, the longer a house sits, the more likely it is that the seller will reduce the price (see graph):
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The blue line tracks how long homes stay on the market, while the green line tracks the share of homes getting a price reduction. As one climbs, so does the other.

And if you focus on these homes that are just sitting and waiting, the opportunity for you is bigger than you may think right now.

Redfin data shows there’s $347 billion worth of stale listings on the market right now – more than ever before for this time of year. So, ask your agent to filter listings for you from oldest to newest. The home that fits your budget might already be there. Just further down the list than you thought.

Lingering Doesn’t Always Mean Something’s Wrong

Let’s say you do that and something catches your eye. Still, you might be questioning why the home has been sitting in the first place. Just remember, sometimes it has nothing to do with the home itself.

According to Redfin, common causes are:

The asking price was set too high to start
The home didn’t show well online
There are a lot of homes for sale in the area, so it just got buried

So, nothing that’s necessarily a dealbreaker, or even anything that’s wrong with the home itself. If there’s a real issue, a thorough inspection will surface it. And that’s information you can use to negotiate. Not a reason to assume it’s a house worth skipping over.

Is It Still a Seller's Market? Here's What the Data Says:​​​​​​Remember a few years back when sellers held all the power...
06/22/2026

Is It Still a Seller's Market? Here's What the Data Says:
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Remember a few years back when sellers held all the power and buyers were stuck offering way over asking or waiving inspections just to get a chance at the house? In many markets (but not all), those days are behind us.

While it’s going to vary by area, more metros are slowly shifting to favor buyers, and the market is starting to look a lot more like a two-way street again.

And that balance is something we haven’t had in a while. The national data tells an interesting story right now.

According to Realtor.com:

“The national housing market is balanced but gradually loosening as the cycle moves in a more buyer-friendly direction . . .“

That’s because, over the past few years, more and more metros have been flipping back to more buyer-friendly terms as inventory’s grown. And when you zoom in on the latest Realtor.com data for the top 50 metro markets over time, the trend becomes really clear (see graph).
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And that changes how the market is going to feel for everyone. Sellers shouldn’t still expect 2021 conditions, but neither should buyers. At least, not generally speaking.

It’s Not the Same Story Everywhere

That said, who has the power ultimately depends on where you live. While more metros are leaning buyer-friendly lately, there are still plenty of strong seller’s markets right now, too.

It really comes down to how much housing supply and demand there is in your area. And that varies enormously by region.

04/13/2026

Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet. Should You Rent It Out Instead?

According to Zillow about 2.3% of homes available for rent were previously listed for sale. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s actually the highest share in almost 6 years.

Before you go that route yourself, it’s worth slowing down and looking at the full picture. Ask yourself these 3 questions first.

1. Would Your House Actually Work as a Rental?
What’s right for your situation is going to depend on your location, your home’s condition, and what the rental market looks like in your area.

2. Are You Ready To Be a Landlord?
This is the part people don’t always think about upfront. On paper, renting sounds like easy passive income. But in reality, it’s a hands-on responsibility.

3. Have You Run the Real Numbers?
There’s also the financial side of things. For starters, renting out your house comes with extra expenses.

Your Next Step: A Conversation with Your Agent

Before you make any decision, talk to your current agent about overhauling your sales strategy first. Sometimes it’s not that buyers aren’t out there. It’s that something about the pricing, presentation, or marketing isn’t quite lining up with what they’re looking for.

And a few small adjustments can make a big difference.

Because while renting can be a great choice for the right person with the right house, if you’re only considering it because your listing didn’t get traction, there may be a better solution.

Don't Let Home Price Headlines Fool YouIf your clients spend about 5 minutes online searching for news about the housing...
04/06/2026

Don't Let Home Price Headlines Fool You

If your clients spend about 5 minutes online searching for news about the housing market, and odds are they'll see something pop up about home prices. They may even stumble onto social media influencers saying we’re headed for a crash. Let’s get you the context you need when these conversations arise.

The truth is prices are going to vary depending on where you live. But they’re not crashing.

Here’s what you need to know:

The biggest thing feeding into the confusion online is how different home price trends are by area right now. Take a look at this data from ResiClub and Zillow (see graph below). About half of the largest metros are seeing prices go up. The other half are seeing some declines.

Unfortunately, the online chatter only focuses on the markets where prices are down – and that makes it sound like something bigger is happening.

According to the Redfin, national home prices were up about 1% year-over-year in February. So, what we’re seeing right now isn’t a collapse. It’s a market that’s normalizing after a period of unusually fast growth. And that impacts some local markets more than others – particularly those where prices rose too far, too fast during the pandemic.

A true crash, like what happened in 2008, would mean prices dropping sharply across the entire country. That’s just not what the data shows today. And it’s not where things are going either.

That’s why even in the select areas where prices have dropped slightly this year, the decline is expected to be temporary. According to that same quarterly Fannie Mae survey mentioned above, 85% of the experts say the markets that are seeing mild declines right now will return to positive price growth before the end of 2027.

The main takeaway? This isn’t a crash. And prices aren’t expected to fall nationally. If anything, the few areas experiencing declines are expected to rebound in the next year or so.

You Can’t Control What’s Happening with Mortgage Rates. But You Can Control This.Mortgage rates have been volatile latel...
03/30/2026

You Can’t Control What’s Happening with Mortgage Rates. But You Can Control This.

Mortgage rates have been volatile lately. And if you have clients thinking about buying a home, that can make it harder to plan. But there are still things they can do to get the best rate possible in today’s market. It starts with having the right information.

So, what’s causing the bumps in rates? And what can you do about it? Let’s break it down.

Especially when there’s economic uncertainty or big global events happening, volatility like this is expected. As Investopedia explains:

“Mortgage rates don’t move in isolation. When global events inject uncertainty into financial markets . . . that can ripple through to borrowing . . . mortgage costs can respond quickly to geopolitical developments. As long as uncertainty remains elevated, rate swings may continue.”

And that’s one of the reasons why trying to time the market isn’t a wise move.

You can’t control what happens with mortgage rates. But there are still things your clients can do to help them get the best rate possible in today’s market. And here’s where they should focus their efforts: Credit Score, Loan Type, and Loan Term.

Credit score plays a big role in the rate they qualify for. Even a small improvement can make a noticeable difference in their monthly payment.

There are also different types of home loans – and each one can have unique requirements, benefits, and rates for qualified buyers.

The length of their loan matters too. Most lenders typically offer 15, 20, or 30-year loans.

The best advice is to accept that you can’t control where rates are going to go from here.

What you can do is work with a trusted lender and take steps that’ll help your clients get the best rate possible.

The spring market in Colorado is already here — and buyers are paying attention.More inventory is hitting the market, wh...
03/23/2026

The spring market in Colorado is already here — and buyers are paying attention.

More inventory is hitting the market, which means homes that feel dialed-in are the ones standing out. First impressions matter, especially when buyers have options.

Before you list, it’s worth asking:
💬 Are there small repairs that could prevent bigger negotiation requests later?
💬 Are there updates that could increase perceived value?
💬 Is everything showing as well as it could in photos and in person?

In this market, preparation isn’t extra — it’s strategy. The right pre-listing repairs can protect your price, strengthen your position in inspections, and help your home move with momentum.

If you’re thinking about selling this spring and want to talk through the highest ROI repairs and updates for your specific home, let’s connect.

Two homes can hit the market at the same time — but the one with purposeful positioning gets attention.That’s what listi...
03/16/2026

Two homes can hit the market at the same time — but the one with purposeful positioning gets attention.

That’s what listing your home with me is all about — turning your home’s story into a strategic edge in the Colorado market. With tools, tech, and expertise working for you.

My clients receive:
✅ Clear, local market pricing
✅ A larger reach to more qualified buyers
✅ Support navigating every step with confidence

Selling is a process — not a guess. If you want a plan rooted in Colorado market insight and real results, I’m here to help you make smart, confident decisions from the start.
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Drop a comment or DM to talk about your goals!

Address

2809 Larimer Street
Denver, CO
80205

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19705414802

Website

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