Quarterly Note First Quarter 2026
Steady Confidence Grows:
The opening months of 2026 have arrived with a tone that feels both measured and quietly encouraging. After several seasons shaped by shifting interest rates, recalibrated pricing, and cautious momentum, the broader economic landscape is beginning to show signs of steadiness. Inflation has moderated from prior highs, borrowing costs are finding firmer footing, and consumer confidence—particularly among high-net-worth buyers—has returned with thoughtful purpose rather than urgency. In luxury residential real estate, this translates into a market defined less by volatility and more by discernment: homes of true architectural presence, irreplaceable settings, and enduring craftsmanship are once again drawing meaningful attention.
Within this evolving environment, Velie Real Estate is experiencing an extremely strong first quarter—an early indicator that the upper tier of the market is not merely stabilizing, but quietly strengthening. Transactions are unfolding with intention, negotiations feel more balanced, and well-positioned properties continue to command respect in both timing and value.
As we look toward the first half of 2026, the outlook feels increasingly constructive. Rather than the sharp peaks and pauses of recent cycles, the luxury market appears to be settling into a more sustainable rhythm—one guided by long-term vision, generational planning, and a renewed appreciation for homes that offer not only beauty, but permanence. It is, in many ways, the kind of market where confidence grows, endures ... and leverages our expertise.
Featured Listings
781 Ferndale Road North,
Orono, MN 55391
$3,499,000
Tucked away on two breathtaking acres just minutes from Wayzata, this extraordinary one-owner Erotas estate blends timeless craftsmanship with serene privacy. Over 10,000 square feet unfold beneath soaring, beam-lined ceilings crafted from reclaimed Lake Superior timber, where sunlit spaces open to peaceful views in every direction. Designed for both grand entertaining and intimate retreats, the home offers a resort-style pool and pool house, indoor sport court, elevator, and exquisite main-level primary suite—creating a rare sanctuary of beauty, scale, and enduring quality.
Pinnacle Sale
1545 Hunter Drive,
Medina, MN 55391
$2,450,000
A westwardly turn off of Hunter Dr. meanders down a private journey past a vineyard and through pastures that eventually reveal a modern landmark - an architectural statement built by L. Cramer.
This refined contemporary home stands with sculptural presence amid 14 acres of meadow, pond, and a distant tree line. The 8,000 square foot home with main floor living room, family room, office, library complete with wet bar, sunroom, wrap around decks, lower level exercise room and sauna brings broad volumes. Included are arched rooflines and wide expanses of glass that invite light from every direction, creating an atmosphere both open and serene.
The main floor, primary bedroom opens to the sleeping suite with fireplace and walk in dressing spaces and closets. Two additional second level bedrooms and third level loft spaces provide an elevated view of the main floor and outdoor landscape.
The guest house mirrors the home’s quiet artistry with one bedroom, bath, kitchenette, two attached garage spaces, next to the crystal blue pool and overlooking a pond alive with wildlife that changes with the seasons. Designed for privacy, beauty, and light, this is one of Medina’s most significant country properties - where architecture, land, and sky meet in perfect paradise.
Game Time:
In today’s most thoughtfully designed homes, the card/game room has become more than a place to play — it is a quiet symbol of connection. Designers are carving out intimate corners where conversation lingers as long as the final hand, layering soft lighting, tactile textiles, and seating chosen as much for comfort as for beauty. What once felt like a niche pastime has evolved into a refined expression of gathering at home, where leisure is elevated and time with friends becomes part of the architecture itself.
Yet the true luxury of these spaces lies in their versatility. A beautifully appointed game table easily transitions from mahjong to cards or bridge, from quiet mornings spent identifying birds through nearby windows to evenings filled with puzzles, letters, or shared stories. These rooms invite pause — a place to think, to learn, to laugh, and to reconnect without hurry.
In an era that values both elegance and meaning, the return of the game room reflects something deeper than design. It speaks to a longing for rituals that endure: tiles passed through generations, decks softened by years of play, field guides marked with memory. Here, luxury is not only what is seen, but what is shared — moments of companionship gathered around a simple table, again and again.
The Color of Warmth:
There is a quiet confidence shaping the most compelling homes of this moment. Rather than spectacle, today’s luxury leans toward permanence—spaces designed not simply to impress for a season, but to endure for generations. Rooms unfold with intention. Materials deepen with age. Light is considered not only for beauty, but for the rhythm of daily living. This is luxury that whispers instead of shouts, inviting life to happen naturally within it.
Craftsmanship has reemerged as the true hallmark of refinement. Hand-finished woods, softly burnished metals, and natural stone with subtle variation speak to patience and authenticity in a way mass perfection never could. Designers are layering history with modern clarity—honoring original architecture while introducing contemporary comfort so seamlessly that the distinction nearly disappears. The result feels collected rather than decorated, lived-in rather than staged.
Warmth, too, has become essential. Interiors are embracing deeper tones, sculptural silhouettes, and tactile textiles that invite touch as much as admiration. Curved forms soften architecture. Antique elements ground newer spaces in memory. Even technology recedes quietly into the background, supporting ease without interrupting atmosphere. Comfort is no longer separate from elegance; it is elegance.
Perhaps most telling is the renewed focus on longevity. Sustainability is being expressed less as trend and more as stewardship—choosing pieces meant to last, restoring what already exists, and designing homes that grow more meaningful with time. In this way, livable luxury becomes something deeply personal: not a style to replicate, but a feeling to return to, day after day.
And in the finest properties, this philosophy reveals itself instantly. You sense it in the calm of the entry, the warmth of the materials, the effortless flow of space and light. It is the difference between a house that is admired… and a home that is truly kept.
Levi Strauss: Rinse and Repeat
There is a quiet beauty in what is worn,
in denim softened by time,
in color brushed back into fabric
by patient hands.
A small mark becomes a butterfly.
A faded thread becomes a story.
What once felt finished
begins again.
For more than 170 years,
Levi Strauss & Co. has believed
clothing should live long enough
to gather memories.
Through the Levi’s? Wear Longer Project,
a new generation is learning
to mend, to create, to care—
turning repair into art,
and sustainability into something
you can feel.
Rinse.
Repeat.
Remember what we choose to keep.
There's More to Explore-Check it Out:
If you’d like to discuss anything about real estate:
Decker.velie@cbburnet.com
Bjvelie@cbburnet.com