Well, I did it - I finally got professional help - - - help with my real estate website!  I'm not even sure if it's a real word, but I call my site 'Search-Centric' because of the amazing real estate search tools available there.But first, I need to give credit to Doug Greene at ProAgentWebsites.com for putting out this great hosting site for real estate agents.  He has done a great job of putting together a hosting platform that is very easy to setup and use and yet offers some very powerful search capabilities.  Also, it seems reasonably priced and, best of all, no long term contract or set-up fees.Probably the first thing you notice when you go to my home page is the map, front and center.  This particular map is centered on Douglas County in Colorado and actually shows you where ho... 08/27/2009

When you pay your heating bill, the last thing you want to do is waste money.  The government doesn't want to you to waste energy either, so they are saying, "Don't throw your money out the window - buy new windows instead!" Thanks to the Obama Stimulus Bill, Denver homeowners can now receive energy credits of 30%, with a cap of $1,500, for installing more energy efficient windows and doors.  This credit, good through 2010, improves on a popular credit in effect in 2006-2007 by expanding the amount.  Besides windows and doors, the credit also covers insulation, water heaters, roofs, air conditioning, and biomass stoves.  For homeowners willing to convert to alternative energy sources such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and small wind energy syst... 08/06/2009

Homes for sale in Castle Pines Village Colorado139 Residential Detached Homes are for sale in Castle Pines Village, Colorado as of Aug 1st, 2009 4:30 pm. The average list price is $1,728,890. 42 of the homes for sale are listed for under one million dollars. The average listed price per square foot is $422/sq ft. The average days on the market of the homes for sale in 328, ranging from a low of two days to high of 1145 days on the market. Three new listings came on the market in July in Castle Pines Village.  As of Aug 1st, 2009 Castle Pines Village JUL 09 Active Listings 139 New Listings 3 All Pending sales 5 New Pending 2 Lowest List Price $500,000 Highest List Price $6,800,000 Lowest Price/sq ft $167/sf Highest Price/sq ft $1193/sf New indicates new for the category for that particul... 08/01/2009

Homes for Sale in Castle Rock - June 09Residential Detached Homes, Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado 80104, 80108, 80109 As of Jun 30th, 2009   MAR 09 APR 09 MAY 09 JUN 09 Active Listings 1005 951 949 914 New Listings (in June) 200 139 193 168 All Pending sales 162 162 107 197 New Pending (in June) 100 101 64 123 Lowest Listed Price $125,000 $95,000 $95,000 $95,000 Highest Listed Price $6,800,000 $6,800,000 $6,800,000 $6,800,000 Lowest Price/square foot $76/sf $86/sf $63/sf $89/sf Highest Price/square foot $1193/sf $1193/sf $1193/sf $1193/sf Houses for sale in Castle RockForeclosures in Castle RockNew Construction Homes for sale in Castle RockTown homes and Condos for saleHOMES FOR SALE in Castle Rock by ZIP CODE JUNE 09 80104 80108 80109 Active Listings 283 417 204 New Listings (in... 07/01/2009

Photo © Mike Hendren 2009 06/14/2009

Photo © Mike Hendren 2009 06/14/2009

Photo © Mike Hendren 2009   Stream near Gothic, Colorado, just a little north of Crested Butte. 06/07/2009

05/24/2009

  Photo © Mike Hendren 2009   05/10/2009

05/04/2009

I really like the photo sharing website, Flickr.    I know there are lots of different photo websites available and I'll admit I'm not very familiar with any of the other ones, but I'd just like to share why I like Flickr. It's FREE!  However, I suggest the "Pro" account for $25 / year because it gives you more bandwidth and some other nice capabilities. You can Blog straight from Flickr to several sites like Blogger and Wordpress.  (unfortunately, not to Activerain)  But then, it is a simple process to cut and paste it into Activerain if you want it here, too. There are specific groups dedicated to bloggers where you can post your images with links to your blog. Opportunity - I've already had contact with someone who commented on one of my photos and shared the fact that they were movi... 05/03/2009

I'm building a new home and I want to install an alarm system. I think I want something more than just the sign that says, "Home Security Provided by Colt"!  (Even though Colt will definitely be on the premises!  :-) We'll be located off the beaten path so I would like to install a monitored alarm system and would be very interested in your advice. The only two companies that come immediately to mind are ADT and Brinks, and I'm sure there are other good ones.  I lean toward ADT because they are the one recommended by my insurance company, USAA.  After 38 years with USAA, I trust them - but I trust friends more.     So, if any of you have personal experience with these companies (or someone else), I would sure appreciate your opinion. Thanks, Mike [Please - no company reps trying to sell... 04/29/2009

JOTT is one of those really cool little applications for the iPhone (maybe other phones, too - I don't know) that can be a true productivity tool. I frequently use it to leave myself notes while driving - be sure and check your local laws about cell phone usage while driving before doing this one. :-) What it does is allow you to dictate a short message to your phone, which is then uploaded to the JOTT website where their people convert it to text.  In a few minutes, it is back on your phone as a text note.  But, it is even better than that - your notes are also available on your JOTT website, and can also be synced with their free computer application on a PC or a Mac.  Their voice to text isn't perfect so another nice feature is the ability to edit your notes anywhere - phone, compute... 04/28/2009

POWERHOUSE REAL ESTATE GROUPS  FORM PARTNERHIP (Denver, CO – April 23, 2009)  Two long-time Denver real estate leaders today announced the formation of a new partnership and a new vision for the future of the local real estate industry.  Prestige Real Estate Group and RE/MAX Professionals are becoming RE/MAX Professionals: Colorado's most Prestigious Real Estate Company (www.prestigiousdenverhomes.com). As one entity, they will offer their customers the experience and expertise needed to navigate today's housing market. "Both of these companies have individually earned many coveted industry awards and accolades," said Rob Terranova, Mountain States Regional Vice President, RE/MAX International.  "This partnership is a joining of two very strong companies into one great company." The ne... 04/27/2009

Postage rates are going up again! ? ! Yes, you already knew that.  On May 11, 2009, the United States Postal Service is raising their rates again.  The price of a 1 oz. First-Class letter goes from $.42 to $.44.  Now, to complement all of those 42 centers you have already, you'll need to buy 2 cent stamps to go with them.  However, there is a way to beat this in the future.   How?  With the Forever Stamp.  This is a stamp that you can still buy for 42 cents, but it will always be valid as First-Class postage no matter what the rate goes to.  So, buy all you think you'll need (or can afford) for a lifetime and no more worries about rising rates. 04/22/2009

Personal protection can be a touchy subject. Personally, I'm a big fan of a Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol and a concealed carry permit.  But I realize some people aren't comfortable with firearms.  So, the next best option might be pepper spray.  A third possibility is your car keys - that's right your car keys!  And I don't mean the keys themselves (although they can be a formidable weapon), I'm talking about that little black thing with buttons that unlocks your car doors! A while back, I got one of those forwarded emails with a safety tip in it and, of course, I sent it on to others.  The tip was to keep your car keys by your bed at night and if you hear someone trying to break in, you can trigger your car alarm and hopefully scare them away. It occurred to me that this would be a gr... 04/17/2009

Pitter - patter - pitter - patter - pitter - patter - - - - - - - - plop. I stop typing in my computer and look down from my desk to see our little Maltese, Bella, standing there over her favorite toy, a small, stuffed leopard (looks kind of like the pink panther) with one of those squeakers inside.  She has an expectant look on her face - a “come play with me” look. She is all of six-pounds of white, furry, fluff and has more energy than the famous Energizer Bunny.  All tensed up and ready to pounce at the slightest hint that I might be reaching for the toy, she grabs it immediately, when I start to bend down to pick it up.  Then, the fun begins.  We’ll play tug-of-war for a few seconds until I either get it away from her or I just let her have it.  If I get the toy, I throw it and the... 04/17/2009

By all current indications, the "storm" is receding.  The residential real estate market, here in Denver, is beginning to show signs of recovery, finally.  The salient statistics for our market are: Current active inventory is at a 6 year low. Homes under contract are up over this time last year. Most of these positives, so far, are in the homes priced under $500,000.  What this means is that we should start to see some price appreciation in that price range as the market shifts from a buyer's market to a seller's market.  So what does this mean to buyers and sellers? Buyers need to: Get pre-approved. Lock in these low interest rates. First-time home buyers need to act soon to take advantage of the tax credit that is available only until Dec. 1, 2009. Look in the upper price ranges beca... 04/14/2009

Should home buyers require a survey of the property?  Maybe - Sometimes - Explore other options. Here in Colorado, in subdivisions, buyers rarely ask for a survey of the property.  (Acreage, of course, is a completely different scenario and USUALLY needs a survey to verify boundaries, easements, encroachments, etc.) However, even smaller lots in the middle of subdivisions are not immune to "hidden problems" regarding the properties integrity.  These kinds of problems, though rare, can include: encroachments easements unrecorded rights and other adverse conditions Sometimes, in lieu of a survey, a faster, cheaper option is the "Improvement Location Certificate" or ILC.  These can be used to find encroachments onto and off of the subject property and to identify boundary problems regardin... 04/13/2009

St. Elmo, Colorado. This little tiny town may be small but it is big on character!  This is the storefront of one of the few buildings in St. Elmo and if you go there, probably the small general store will be the only business that is "open for business", but you'll probably still find something in the store that you just can't live without! To get there, you will need to drive about 8 miles south of Buena Vista and then turn west on Rd. 162.  Then it's a steady climb and a beautifully scenic drive until you reach St. Elmo.  That is usually the end of the road.  To continue from there, you will need a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle and even then only during a few months in the summer time. This big little town is well worth the time so, go take a look. But be careful - rumor has ... 04/09/2009