ASPEN, Colo. – Bucking the steep downward trend in home sales and prices around the country, Aspen’s luxury-homes market shows no signs of slowing. Brian Hazen, a broker with the Aspen-based luxury real-estate firm Coates, Reid & Waldron, recently sold two properties for a combined total of just under $50 million and is offering another estate three miles east of downtown Aspen for $19.5 million, showcasing this market’s strength through turbulent times.A key contributor to this firm’s success, Hazen is a 30-year Aspen broker with Coates, Reid & Waldron Real Estate, and is a founding member of the Managing Broker Group. Through June 30 of this year, Hazen has closed almost $80 million in sales. He is one of the top-producing brokers in Aspen each year and has earned the “Top Producer” award at Coates, Reid & Waldron Real Estate for 10 of the last 11 years, selling more than $100 million in 2005 and $80 million in 2006.“The combination of strict growth controls, the resulting quality of life, and limited inventory make the luxury residential market in Aspen consistently strong and highly desirable,” Hazen said, regarding his prolonged success in this area.One of Hazen’s recently sold properties is the Popish Valley Ranch at Wildcat. This 540-acre property had not been offered for sale for 30 years. The Popish Ranch was sold for $26 million and it includes a restored and refurbished log cabin and barn as well as two lakes. It is located within 12 miles of Aspen and four miles of Snowmass Village.Additionally, Hazen recently closed The Estate at Castle Creek, an 8,302-square-foot masterpiece on almost six acres just three miles from Aspen. This unique estate sold for $23.5 million – an all-time Aspen record of $2,830 per square foot. This home is surrounded by forests, hiking trails and Castle Creek frontage with a 20-foot waterfall.Hazen recently listed The Estate at Independence Pass for $19.5 million. This 5.73-acre property includes streams, ponds, and pleasant views near the 14,171-square-foot mansion, plus an additional adjacent building site. This property is three miles east of downtown Aspen. This property can be viewed at this address: http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/727552.About Coates, Reid & WaldronCoates, Reid & Waldron has stood the test of time for more than 50 years. Dating from Kay & Roy Reid’s office in 1952, Coates, Reid & Waldron has been a leader in the Aspen/Snowmass real-estate community. As members of the Luxury Real Estate Board of Regents (http://www.Regents.com), they are committed to excellence and dedicated to providing unparalleled service to their clients. With more than 325 years of collective experience, their brokers are some of the valley’s most experienced, knowledgeable and successful in the real-estate industry. For more information, visit http://www.crwaspensnowmass.com.