40 years ago, aspen, colorado was a hard-to-reach back water, far way from the world of big business and international tourism. >> it was much smaller, much more intimate. the businesses were all small, the shops were small. it had a wonderful scale and feeling. >> that's when bill sterling first arrived and opened up his own independent real estate business called sterling homes incorporated. >> i started it with a borrowed loan from the bank of about $5,000. that's how it all began in 1978. >> b.j. adams is a long-i time aspen-based independent real estate company owner. >> i thought, well, i'm going to strike out. i was young enough naive enough to think i could do it and i just started off on my own thinking i could do this better. >> dale came to aspen for the ski slopes. he started selling property on the side more than three decades ago. >> it's evolved. it's become a luxury market. we're selling people luxurious homes like this.