Home sellers  never cease to amaze me.  They paint their homes, inside and out, get new carpet, appliances, furnaces, etc. But do they pay attention to the front door?  NO!  How many times have agents had to struggle to open a dumb door knob.  For an agent, it's much like standing on stage at a comedy club, with NO humor coming out!  You bomb!  We want to sell your house, but we can't get in it!  So go splurge already, do it yourself or hire a locksmith.  Spend the bucks to present a lovely new lock to the world.It could mean the difference between a sale or not!Remember, if we can't show it, we can't sell it!  Are you guilty? 09/11/2006

Denver, Colorado has been very lucky in the past years, with opportunities that other cities do not have.  Ten years ago, we gained a brand new airport, DIA.  The old airport Stapleton was given back to the city.  Just prior to that Lowry Air Force Base was vacated and given back to the City of Denver for development.The cleaning up and redeveloping of both areas has offered the residents of Denver expanded choices in real estate.  It's been an economic boon to inner city living.  Perfect for folks who want both a new home and the convenience of living close to work.Both neighborhoods are on the eastern part of Denver, convenient to areas of commerce in Downtown Denver, I-70 and Cherry Creek.  They both offer a variety of lifestyle choices in size, style and budget.  Due to it's size, S... 09/08/2006

A story in the Denver Post yesterday related how a ex-mortgage company owner is heading toward a new career...in loan fraud prevention.Michael Richardson's company went down the tubes when 5 of his employees got caught falsifying loan-apps, Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, pay stubs, yaddy yaddy.  He fired them immediately, but not soon enough to save his company.Loan fraud is rampant in Colorado.  What is amazing out of 337 claims to FHA, of those 1/4th came from 4 mortgage companies.  The mortgage business needs to be cleaned up.  Perhaps Mr. Richardson is the one to do it.From losing his life's work to becoming an activist against what took it away.  That's what I call turning Lemons into Lemonade. 08/25/2006

Bumper stickers don't seem to be as popular as they once were.  Now a days it seems the people who have them have tons of them so many you can't even begin to read them all while driving down the street.Today I grabbed a glimpse of out that said, "Where are we going? And why am I in this hand basket?"Have you seen any good bumper stickers lately? 08/09/2006

Sunsets are wonderful no matter where  you are in the world.  I've enjoyed the celebration of sunset at Key West where they make a big party out of the experience every night.  I've witnesses the same sun setting over ancient ruins in Anchor Wat, Cambodia and the Parthenon in Greece.  Last night I made my husband stop the car so we could sit on the veranda at the welcome center to Reunion while the sun graced its beauty on the Front Range of the Rockies.  No matter where in the world you are...sunsets are a celebration of beauty and life.  I took this photo to share with you... 08/06/2006

When negotiating a residential real estate contract, there are typically 4 items we "fight" over.  Those are; 1) price 2) terms 3) possession 4) personal property.   Buyers and sellers should consider these items and rank them according to importance.  Sometimes the best transactions occur when we find the buyer and seller have matching needs.  For instance a seller may not want to close until a date in the future, but is willing to take less for the house, just so he doesn't have to move twice.  If the buyer is price sensitive but has the time to wait, this could be a win-win situation.   Terms include seller concessions to the buyer.  This could be in the form of paying closing costs, prepaids or even buying down a point.  Buyers who are "cash poor" but well employed welcome and need ... 08/05/2006

Making home improvements is an expensive process.  Sometimes the homeowner runs out of money before he runs out of things to improve.    When it comes time to sell the house the homeowner discovers buyers have a hard time overlooking the things that didn't get done.  In fact, the things that aren't done are what the buyer DOES notice.   Bottom line advice to homeowners, do it all or don't bother.   You have a choice your can do a total remodel, fixing everything from the inside out or you can sell it "as is".  Price it accordingly and you will save yourself a lot of headache and heartache too. 08/03/2006

1400 Homes Planned in new Solterra--Carma, a large "community builder" is planning a $550 million housing development called Solterra, that will eventually have about 1,400 homes.  This 280 acre development will be along Alameda Parkway near C-470 on the western edge of Lakewood, Colorado. This will represent the largest residential development ever be built in Lakewood.  Solterra will also be the site of the 2008 Parade of Homes. This new development will be appealing to people for the reasons that we live in Colorado.  In minutes, you can be on a trail mountain biking in the foothills, but you're only 20 minutes from downtown."  07/28/2006

Water in the west is as important to our way of life as fuel oil is for people in the east.  The Denver Water Board is toying with an idea that, frankly, I think may have some merit.  The discussion is being considered to require existing homes and businesses to be retrofitted with water-efficient plumbing fixtures at the point of sale. The retrofit regulation would include an inspection of homes to check for everything from leaky faucets to water-guzzling sprinkler systems. There's nothing as effective in terms of reducing per capita water use as changing from an old 5-gallon toilet to a 1.6-gallon toilet. Denver Water manager Chips Barry said "it's an idea that's still in the early stages and "probably needs a lot of discussion over a couple of years." In his annual State of the City ... 07/27/2006

The Denver market is full of contradictions.  We have 21% more homes available than the same time last year.  Last month the average price went UP?  Yes, that's correct, it went up. Our prices continue to rise.  So does our days on market.We are approaching a record number of foreclosures. The foreclosures are the result of homeowners extending themselves beyond reason.  Builders offering incentives that far out reach the value of the home doesn't  help either. Buyers are offered HUGH incentives and somehow think they are FREE.  (DUH) Also in the foreclosure mix is a new generation of REO managers who are just now learning how to deal with the situation.  After they get an education (read get real) the REO's will also sell.Today's headlines in the Rocky Mtn. News indicated Commercial re... 07/14/2006

If it's time for the little ones to go run off some steam, consider taking them to the Cherry Creek Mall.  The mall has one of the most unique playgrounds for the kids, no adults allowed!  This minature theme park is patterned after breakfast food. On the menu is bacon, sausage, waffles, fruit and some sunnyside-up eggs! The area is soft and cushie so the muchkins can run wild without getting hurt.  Mom and/or Dad can relax and watch the fun.Read more about Things for Kids In Denver. 07/13/2006

The real estate market in Denver has a  record number of homes for sale.  In order to get noticed we, as listing agents have to do everything in our power to market the home.  As part of my service to the seller, I bring in a professional home stager to work with the home owner.  The results have been very good.  If the home owner is still living in the property, the stager tries to work with the home owner's belongings.  By using existing items, the stager transforms the decor to be more appealing.  The stager I use has an amazing ability to be able to process many things at once, all the while communicating suggestions to the homeowner.  At the end of the appointment, she compiles her to-do list and gives it to both me and the homeowner.Depending on the homeowner's motivation, the ite... 07/12/2006