Merrill Stillwell

@innoc_bystander Crazy. Trying to figure out what to do about it here

So as a society we’ve just accepted that 10 year olds can now drive Class IV electric motorcycles, that go 40 mph and have more torque than on Tacoma, on civilian sidewalks?

This is a core problem of US politics in 2026. A huge chunk of our general elections are not competitive and the real winner gets decided in the primary when few people participate. Broader primary engagement would dramatically improve our results + can happen immediately.

Consistent pressure is the way to change things in US politics. I'm amazed when I look around at the success of citizen groups that have stuck at an issue for years. Government is slow & biased against change. It takes time to move it in another direction

❤️ Colorado Center for the Blind. I’m amazed by the program & people. This was a networking event w/ students where a big topic of conversation was AI & new ways for this population to use it. And personally: it really is an honor to represent Littleton at events like this

@friedmandave Smart ones do right now Although the data I’ve seen always suggest that initial list price being close to market clears the fastest and at the best price

@stillwell I've never understood why properties aren't listed at very low prices. Ignite a bidding war, find the market clearing rate, close.

As always: price increases on existing properties that haven’t sold are nuts.

@LumberTrading Ugh, deleting this and reposting as I don't want it to come across the wrong way

@stillwell I support teachers against charter schools.

Citizens that came to my 2nd office hours last Friday: -teacher worried about a new charter school & drop off safety -activist supporter -young resident trying to get involved -environmentalist (anti-new apts) -bike & ped advocate -resident supporting new dev + asking for speed enforcement -contractor mad at permitting -smart campaign critic Huge variety & a pretty good snapshot of what people are thinking about.

@LumberTrading What's your charter school take?

@friedmandave The future seems a lot less certain. Have to lower confidence in predictions

It is amusing to read in 2026 assorted intellectuals' takes on what AI *can't do* from 2023. All too often they confidently assert that AI will never do the thing they say it can't do. And here we are a mere three years later, and AI routinely does the thing they claimed it would never do. There is a lesson in that, about intellectuals.

@Dymerlady Medium but very cool

@stillwell well all right...are those chairs comfortable?

So much of the best retail real estate seems obvious after it is built but took a huge leap of faith in the planning stages. Chasing Rabbits here in Vail, CO. The owner took a big swing w/ a high end conversion of a movie theater into a speakeasy, restaurant & arcade. Nailed it.

@friedmandave Abundance seems like a much more likely scenario than economic collapse due to new tech making everything more efficient. Bumpy

@stillwell AI tools increase productivity, yes. But if AI *also* kills demand for white collar employment, then it's game over for most high CoL real estate.

I am, in general, fairly skeptical of owning real estate, especially in high cost coastal cities, and this piece presents a pretty compelling argument that advanced AI will kill demand for housing in high end cities. So consider me biased. Nonetheless worth modeling tail risks if you own real estate in any of those locales. The argument in more detail: the $13 trillion mortgage market is underritten against forward income assumptions that AI may structurally impair. Stress shows up first in tech/finance heavy ZIP codes (SF, Seattle, Austin, NYC, etc) because that's where white collar income concentration is highest. The problem here is the marginal buyer problem. Home prices are set at the margin; if the pool of people who can qualify for an $800,000+ mortgage shrinks because white collar incomes are compressing, then prices adjust downward even if existing homeowners stay current on payments.

@friedmandave And these areas are invested. Their wealth could explode

@friedmandave Can also see the opposite. AI tools increase productivity and demand for these desirable areas is even higher

@LumberTrading @markcecchini 3rd kid is a vibe

@markcecchini After the 3rd kid you chill out some. You got some spares now

can any parents with kids over 18 months let me know when the perpetual state of fight or flight is over

The listening tour continues! Please stop by to chat about what you want to see from our city. I enjoy these public forums and the ideas that come from them. Always something totally new

@jasonmiller15 Interesting. Surprised there is that much competition

An increasingly popular adaptive reuse of a former drugstore? A convenience store and gas station But small c-stores are pursuing different strategies than large chains like $CASY, $MUSA and $ATD How To Convert A Former Drugstore Into A Convenience Store And Gas Station: open.substack.com/pub/jasonmille…

@LumberTrading They get it from mom

@stillwell Beautiful family, Merrill!

The crew! Tessa Lee adding extra cuteness

@fahdananta Forces focus with this much time gone. Interesting period of life

After having kids I was absolutely floored at what I was doing with my time before I legitimately have no clue, I was never big on shows or screens. My sleep time has probably gone down a bit but not by much.