Memorial Day Weekend has just past, my kids get out of school this week, and its time for my own family to evaluate our summer plans.  Last summer my family was very fortunate in taking two very wonderful trips for vacation.  We actually had not planned two trips so close together - it just sort of happened.  We had been planning our trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for almost two years and a bit more last minute we accepted an invitation to attend a family reunion in Europe.  Which was fantastic as we had ever been there before. In any case both trips were absolutely wonderful, but we have decided to plant our legs a bit more firmly in Colorado this summer and spend some time enjoying everything that is offered right in our own back yard.  If you have recently moved to Colorado... 05/28/2008

  April 2008 - Denver Real Estate Sales & Market Trends in Denver and the South Suburbs   I know that real estate reports are soundign like a broken record, but price and condition are absoultely critical if you are a home seller right now.  Different areas of town continue to do alright, while others are strugling. If you need to sell your home this summer you need to have it priced right, have an excellent Denver REALTOR to guide you and make sure you home is available to show at all times and in the best condition possible. The follwoing links will point you towards the Denver real estate market reports for the various Denver south suburbs for April 2008.   Denver Real Estate Market Reports & Sales Trends - Highlands Ranch & Lone Tree Denver Suburbs - Greenwood Village, Littleton - C... 05/28/2008

Dear Denver Homebuyer, If you've been searching for just the right real estate agent to help you find your Charming Old Denver home, I'd like to apply for the job. But first, let's talk about, egads, BUYER AGENCY. In case you aren't familiar with the term "Buyer Agency" here's what it means. When you sign a Buyer Agency Agreement with a real estate agent, that agreement obligates you to the agent for a specified period of time. If you purchase a home during the contract period, you are contractually required to pay that agent a commission. Nothing really wrong with that; as you probably know, we don't get paid until closing and it's reasonable that we might want some sort of assurance that our efforts will be compensated at some point if we perform. But I also believe it's reasonable th... 05/27/2008

On Sunday morning, I met some friends for a little bike ride from Highlands to Confluence Park, and up & down the Platte River Bike Path. Perfect temperature, just a slight breeze, sky so blue it was almost purple. It was my first venture across the new pedestrian bridgeconnecting Northwest Denver to Downtown - it's pretty darn cool. So anyway, here's a little photographic journey of all the sights we enjoyed on our Sunday morning bike ride. There is SO MUCH TO LOVE about this part of town! Enjoy! www.charmingolddenver.com 05/27/2008

An article from the Denver Business Journal, reports that existing single-family home sales in the Denver area fell by 3% during the past year, while the median sales price decreased by 10.28%.  According to figures for April by MetroList, the area's home sales declined from to 4,265 from 4,399 April 2007.  The sales price fell to $222,550 from $248,000 during the same period.  Gary Bauer, an independent Denver-area real estate broker and MetroList analyst said, "Clearly, Denver continues to exceed Western and national figures. ... That's basically because we have grown from a one-economy town to a multiple-economy town."  The National Association of Realtors found some good news on the housing front.  The organization's president, Richard Gaylord said in a statement, "In the past week,... 05/27/2008

Market Trend Analysis - Denver Metro Selected Towns/Cities Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for period April 4, 2008, until May 2, 2008. Single Family Residences - All Price Levels Excludes Housing Not Listed in MetroList                     Note: Six (5.5 to 6.5) Months of Inventory Tends to Indicate Neutral Market, Over 6.5 Months a Buyer's Market, Under 5.5 Months a Seller's Market                                         Price Range Active % of Market Sold in Past 12 Months Sold Per Month Months of Inventory Current Activity Status  Curr Month Under Contract  Near Term Sales Trend  $                  -    $        100,000                1,088 5.18%                2,756                   230                    4.7  Seller's Market                    834 Seller's Trend  $    ... 05/24/2008

Market Trend Analysis - Denver Metro Selected Towns/Cities   Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for period April 4, 2008 to May 2, 2008. Single Family Residences - All Price Levels Excludes Housing Not Listed in MetroList   Note: Six (5.5 to 6.5) Months of Inventory Tends to Indicate Neutral Market, Over 6.5 Months a Buyer's Market, Under 5.5 Months a Seller's Market             6       Locale Active Listings 12 Months Sold  Sold per Month (Avg)   Months  Inventory (MOI)  MOI Chg from Prior Month Current Mkt State Under Contract Sales Trend Sales Trend Chg.% Arvada              523           1,405           117.1              4.5              0.1  Seller's Market               202  Seller's Trend  73% Aurora           2,227           4,769           397.4              5.6       ... 05/24/2008

An article from the Rocky Mountain News, reports that according to a study by Sam DePizzol and Greg Holm, both of CB Richard Ellis, today's office lease rates are 49% of what they were in the early 1980s.  They say given the tight capital markets, there seems little chance that speculative building, with little pre-leasing, will go forward.  Holm and DePizzol do not expect a big drop in downtown lease rates, but they do expect a stable office market the next two to three years.  Executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., Tom Clark, agrees that with conservative underwriting standards, lenders won't provide money for office construction without substantial pre-leasing.http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/21/denver-office-market-stable-report-shows/... 05/23/2008

If you have recently moved to Denver or perhaps looking for a fun place to spend an evening during a home shopping trip - I highly recommend Vesta Dipping Grill.  Located in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver I have been numerous times to Vesta and it never disappoints.  Whether you are going with just your other half or a large group the atmosphere is hard to beat and the food is flat out fantastic.  At Vesta you choose your entree and then you choose your sauces - and of course your waiter will make a recommendation to you about the sauce but you can mix it up however you choose.  I always love this in a bigger group because you can try lots of options if you like.  We have a group of 3 other couples that we go to dinner about once a quarter, and this was one of the places we went this y... 05/17/2008

This post consists of excerpts from emails between myself and a man thinking about relocating to the Denver area. He appreciated the personal perspective I provided, so I thought I'd put it out there for other relocators.  Robert:  This is great information! I find it better to get personal recommendations than to just rely on the PR each city publishes. The Arvada/Westminster/Broomfield area intrigue me. I like that the schools have good reputations. And it sounds as though we'd be able to get good jobs in the area. Though I have concerns about affordability for the type of house we desire and traffic, being so close in proximity to Denver. I would guess that a lot of people commute.   Me:  Concerning affordability - it is true that the closer you get to Denver, the more expensive home... 05/17/2008

MARKET REPORT - DENVER REAL ESTATE - DENVER SOUTH EAST - APRIL 2008  Real estate inventory in Denver south east is up - but activity is as well.  Homes sold in the area in April has increased as has Denver homes sales that are pending.  As in all parts of the Denver real estate market, certain neighborhoods are going to do better than others based on location and amenities but the bottom line is going to remain the same throughout the summer.  Pricing will remain crucial for your Denver home to sell.  This is not the time (and hasn't been in awhile) to see what you can get.  To get qualified buyers into your home you need to be completely accurate on your price and then once they are there - it needs to be the best one the have seen.  Do your maintenance, spruce your home up as best you... 05/17/2008

If you are considering a move to Denver, one of the things you will want to put on your list of things to do is the Denver Zoo.  A trip to the zoo could also be a perfect diversion during a home shopping trip, once you have found your home! The Denver Zoo is really one of the nicest zoo's I have ever been to - and I am not just saying that because I live here in Denver.  It truly is.  We have been countless times and there was a period of about 5 years when my kids were a bit younger that we were Zoo members.  (Membership at the Denver Zoo is truly a great deal if you plan to visit often!)  Now that the kids are a little older we aren't able to get over there quite as often as a membership would enable, but we do still visit a few times a year - and each visit is just as great or even b... 05/16/2008

At the risk of destroying my reputation as a happy-go-lucky, always smiling, always cheerful, with never a harsh word to say (tee hee), allow me to say (shout) "I HATE SPRINGTIME IN DENVER!!!" The rest of the world is enjoying mild temperatures, flowers in bloom and soft green grass. Snow? No, that ended long ago. Sure, many midwesterners and others suffer thru a miserable winter, but once springtime arrives, it is HERE to stay. In Denver? Not so much. It's not reliably spring/summer until June. It's not uncommon for it to snow thru May; in fact, I believe that April is our snowiest month (or maybe it's March). Anyway, I've had enough. I've lived here 14 years and every year I say it - "I HATE SPRINGTIME IN DENVER!" And, every year I threaten to abandon ship and go somewhere warm for th... 05/15/2008

An article from the Rocky Mountain News, reports that according to Denverinfill.com, a developer is planning a 17-story hotel and condo tower on the site of a former Burger King at 15th and Stout streets.  Planned by Ranko Mocevic, president of Hotel Gold Crown Champa LLC, the tower will have 264 hotel rooms on floors 3 through 14 and 12 condominiums on floors 15 through 17 and could open in 2010.  Ken Schroeppel, urban planner and author of the Denverinfill.com blog said, "The site has certainly been underutilized.  This is the same block with the Spire, so it's bringing a lot of density to the area."  http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/12/hotel-condo-tower-planned-for-downtown-denver/ http://www.judesandvall.com http://www.homesinauroracolorado.com   05/13/2008

Cherry Creek Square sells for $18 million, an article from the Colorado Real Estate Journal, reports that Cherry Creek Square, retail property in the heart of Cherry Creek North, sold to BZ Investments, a local Denver real estate firm.  The company paid $18 million for the property, which comes out to more than $500 per square foot for improvements, or $323 per square foot for land.  Cherry Creek Square includes 35,384 square feet of retail space on 1.27 acres of land.  Riki Hashimoto of Grubb & Ellis Investment Brokerage Group said, "The new owner is weighing potential options to upgrade the property or even potentially redevelop the site sometime in the future."http://www.crej.com/news_category.php?category_id=1 http://www.judesandvall.com http://www.homesinauroracolorado.com   05/13/2008

This is not a trick question.  I believe the answer is just one hat - an expert in real estate.  Does your client expect you to be an expert in appraisals, inspections, financing, title, etc.?  No.  I think your client expects you to be an expert in real estate, but have an general understanding of the other areas.  The phrase we were trained to say when we were new in real estate, "that is outside the area of my expertise?"   With that said, why do Realtors try to be all things to all clients?  Isn't that why the "team" is so popular today?   You specialize in real estate, and the rest of your "team" specializes in their own areas of expertise.  Having a "team" inflates you as a single person real estate company, or broker associate.  It relieves you of having to wear many hats, and al... 05/11/2008

Vacant Homes For Sale Are Probably Not The Same As Occupied Homes In The Eyes of Your Insurance Policy   Last Sunday we had breakfast at my mom's.  The kids had slept over and we went over for some breakfast burritos when we picked them up.  Thanks mom! My mom always has a little article or tidbit to share with me when we visit.  She just rips them out of the newspapers or magazine that she finds them in.  I love seeing what she has to share as its generally rather interesting and I enjoy seeing what sparked her interest.  On this day, it was a real estate article as it often is.  Common Interest.  She had read an article in the Denver Post a while back and had saved it for me.  It discussed the dangers of having your home on the market while it was vacant.  It was a good reminder that ... 05/10/2008

If you don’t have anything to do today, and you like the idea of touring homes in one of Denver’s primo neighborhoods, then look no further than the Washington Park Home Tour. You can drop in at any one of the featured homes, or begin at Steele Elementary. The neighborhood is eclectic - with many scrapes, “pop-tops,” Victorians and post-war bungalows. The home tour benefits Steele Elementary, the local Wash Park elementary school and runs from 10 am until 4 pm. While you’re in the neighborhood, head over to one of the fabulous restaurants for lunch or get ice cream at Dinos’ soda bar. Finish up with a walk around the park to work off your ice cream, and enjoy the perfect Denver springtime. The tulips are in bloom, the flowering trees are radiant in shades of pink and white. Remember yo... 05/10/2008

Denver real estate - as much a mystery as any market. Our real estate market has always seemed to be counter-cyclical to the rest of the U.S. and when we’re booming, California is busting. When we’re on a downward slide, Florida and Nevada are hotter than hot. The conventional wisdom around here used to be that we were a one-industry town, and our dependence on one industry meant that we rode it up and down regardless of where the balance of the U.S. economy was. Oil No More Our economy has diversified since the early 1990’s. We parrot Martha Stewart, “that’s a good thing.” But, we saw the bulk of the U.S. experiencing huge appreciation rates through 2006, while we were in the early doldrums beginning in 2002. Many sellers here were frustrated, but still some city-close neighborhoods s... 05/08/2008

So… according to this morning’s Rocky Mountain News, my little piece of paradise here in Northwest Denver is the second strongest zip code in the city with an annual appreciate rate of… get this… 18.5%!!!! Go, us! What’s interesting is just yesterday I was doing an analysis of the number of Lender Owned listings here in my ‘hood compared to the number in other neighborhoods and came to the conclusion that if you’re looking for great REOs or Foreclosures… look elsewhere. Here in 80212, there are 19 lender owned properties on the market and all but two or three are on very busy commercial streets or right on top of I-70 (or both). In other words, these would be tough properties to sell in any market and not something I’d ever recommend to an investor. So… we’re doing just fine here in 80... 05/08/2008