Great Tudor Charm This energy-efficient home is located in the heart of South Park Hill, close to either Downtown Denver or the Anschutz Medical Campus at Fitzsimmons.The kitchen has refinished 42" cabinets, new counter tops, and plenty of room in the pantry.  There is a breakfast nook and a formal dining room, with access to a quaint balcony that is perfect for enjoying your morning coffee.Set within a well established neighborhood and on a tree lined street, this truly is your next home.* this home is For Sale By Owner but you can schedule a showing by contacting John Keene, 303-547-7578.   View the virtual tour here. 02/05/2009

Investing in Real Estate 9 - Scrapes, Pops and New Construction This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, scrapes, pops and new construction, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.   What this investment is:  Purchasing a small home in an expensive neighborhood that may or may not need work.  The home is bulldozed and a new home or duplex is put on the lot.  Alternatively, the existing home is renovated and more square footage is added on.  A pop-top is adding a second story to an existing home to add more square footage (commonly, a master bedroom suite).   Equity needed:  Being able to document your income and your assets will be critical.  For a commercial loan, your net worth should generally be at least as much as the loan you are seeking.  The good news is that the ... 12/29/2008

Investing in Real Estate 8 - Condo Conversions This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, fix and flips, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.   What this investment is:  A synthesis of the fix and flip and rental operations - purchasing an apartment building in a neighborhood dominated by owner occupants, then converting the building from apartment building to condominium.  Often requires renovation of the units to meet the expectations of owner-occupant buyers in that area.  Complex and time consuming, but has wonderful tax advantages compares to fix and flips and often has superior returns to all other asset classes.  Ideally suited for the sophisticated investor with extensive experience.    Equity needed:  Being able to document your income and your assets will be cr... 12/29/2008

Investing in Real Estate 7 - Fix and Flips This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, fix and flips, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.   What this investment is:  Purchasing a home that needs work.  The scope can range from the basic "paint and carpet" to extensive overhauls to scraping a decrepit property and completely starting over.  Usually does not involve tenants, and the objective is to get in and out of the property as quickly as possible.  Great for beginners with the right skill sets or the willingness to learn.   Equity needed:  With hard money loans (defined in next paragraph), potentially 0% and they'll finance the construction costs, too.  Expect a LOT of strings to be attached.  A small local lender might give you 75% of the purchase price and the renov... 12/29/2008

Investing in Real Estate 6 - Lease Options This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, lease options, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.                        What this investment is:  A lease option (L/O) is Acquiring control of a property (though not necessarily ownership), then leasing the property to a tenant.  The lease is bundled with an option, so the tenant can (but does not have to) purchase the property for a given price within a given time frame.  Again you are seeking a tenant for a property, but usually for a slightly longer term (12-18 months) and frequently (though not always) with the goal that the tenant purchase the property from you at the end of the lease.  If you purchase the property, then it's an easier process; if you find a highly motivated sel... 12/29/2008

Investing in Real Estate 5 - Large (5+ unit) Apartment Building This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, large apartment buildings, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.   What this investment is:  Still targeting tenants for 6-12 months at a time, buildings with more than five units are considered "commercial" property.  The loans are more difficult to qualify for, and usually a larger down payment is needed.  Uncommon for the new investor; this is usually what landlords with several years of experience "trade up" to.  Cash flows on larger buildings are more stable than for smaller buildings, and the economies of scale make it practical (and desirable) to hire a property manager to take over most the work for you.  This takes reduces the hassle factor of the landlord p... 12/29/2008

Investing in Real Estate 4 - Small (2-4 units) Apartment Building This blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, small apartment buildings, in the South Park Hill area in Denver.   What this investment is:  Purchase of duplex, triplex or quadplex to be rented to tenants, usually for 6-12 month terms.  Usually what the rental home / condo landlords graduate to.  In most markets they cost a little more than a rental home, but are much more likely to cash flow on the average month.  Less cash flow risk; if one unit is empty you have other tenants that still help you with the mortgage payment so it doesn't all come out of your pocket.  Many owners will start to delegate some of the property management tasks to an on-site assistant (typically the most responsible tenant), such as y... 12/29/2008