HBA Parade of Homes 2008
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Each year custom builder’s put forth their best efforts to showcase the latest styles and building trends. What could be better than to experience European Charm blended into new world-Colorado convenience only minutes from downtown?
My daughter who is also a Denver Realtor and I spent a rainy week day afternoon touring the Parade of Homes. We figured the best time to go would be when others might be put off by the weather. Not so! Despite our best planning, the Parade was still very busy. The ticket lady told us 90,000 people will tour these homes. After visiting for myself and totally enjoying this year’s offering, I can see why so many people visit the HBA Parade of Homes!
An abundance of luxury details like stone columns, arches, wine terraces with overhead grape arbors, interior courtyards with firepits, hearth rooms, caterer’s kitchen, au pair suites and flex spaces are showcased. The old world theme was illustrated with natural finishes and luxurious textures.
I loved all the outdoor living space offerings. The Villa di Vita great room’s glass wall opened to the outside covered living space. It makes perfect sense to me to be able to let the outside in, Colorado’s weather and lack of bugs makes this design work! Of course having a stunning view of Red Rocks and the foothills is an added plus!
Il Campanile had multiple outdoor living spaces. One was a sunken courtyard at the basement level. It was cozy and as my daughter mentioned, the wind would not bother you there. Brilliant indeed!
Much of the charm in these lovely homes came from reclaimed products; an old barn in Pennsylvania, wood beams from France, a 150 year-old French Bombay window and lodge pine cabinetry. In accordance with modern building standards the homes are all certified Built Green Colorado.
The setting is very special, located on the westside of Denver in Jefferson County just off E-470 and Alameda. Living here in the shadow of the foothills one will never cease to be thrilled by the beauty and convenience to Downtown Denver and the mountains. The entire neighborhood is going to have the old-world charm. No doubt as the sun sets over the Rocky Mountains the homes will be bathed in the very same golden light of Tuscany.
Sigh. (note to self: don’t forget to buy lotto tickets!) For those who enjoy photos, I’ve created a slide show of our rainy day visit. Photo Tour of Denver HBA Parade of Homes.
Labor Day Weekend is the last weekend before the Parade of Homes closes. Hurry up, before you are too late!
FYI the eight HBA Builders offering custom homes at Solterra are:
9 One 5 Custom Homes ~ La Belle Maison
Ades Design Builders ~ Casa Vecchio e Nuovo
Brookline Homes ~ Il Campanile
Cline Design Group ~ Bella Vista
Element Custom Builders ~ Sede Felice
Gregg Design Custom Builders ~ La Bella Vita
Wall Custom Homes ~ The Villa di Vita
Waterstone Homes Colorado ~ La Maison des Vues
FHA Downpayment Assistance
The financial industry is in a flux, each day there seems to be changes in guidelines, new rules, and other issues to make finding a home loan more difficult. The latest from one of my lender consultants is this:
FHA Seller Down Payment Assistance ENDS soon. If you have cash-strapped buyers who’ve been “waiting” for the bottom of the real estate market, the time is now! I’d be happy to speak with you or your buyers to educate them about their options, but this program was eliminated by the legislation passed this week. I have seen several marketing pieces from the DPA programs suggesting that new legislation will be passed to restore DPA–do not be mislead by these solicitations, the same legislators that introduced, ran and passed the bill to eliminate the program are the ones who introduced the new bill to restore it!
I agree, if you are home buyer who is “sitting on the fence” waiting to purchase, now is a good time to reconsider your options. The Denver metro market has been seeing strength in values, days on market and a lessening of inventory every month since April 2008. This might mean we “hit bottom” in April. Time will tell, but the longer one waits the more likely they will be buying on the “upswing.”
First time buyers who are counting on receiving Seller Downpayment Assistance…Act now! If you have questions about the Denver real estate market, home financing or real estate in general, please call me.
I welcome your call!
Street View
Technology continues to deliver new and better ways to assist in the sale and purchase of real estate. The latest WOW tool is being delivered via Trulia and Google, called Street View. Lucky for us Denver is one of the top 20 communities to have the service.
Naturally, I had to look up my latest listing at 2622 Gaylord Street in City Park. The system delivered for me, big time. See for yourself…
Be sure to move the cursor around to view the street in front of the home for sale. Too bad Google didn’t take the photos AFTER my real estate sign went up!
Wow this is very cool. Now I can show people the neighborhood around my listing and the lovely City Park Golf Course (see bottom photo).
Thanks Trulia, this is the best!
Here’s City Park Golf Course
Denver-area homes prices fall 3.1% in Nov.
The Rocky Mountain News Reported today on home prices:
Home prices in the Denver area fell by 3.1 percent in November compared with November 2006, ranking it No. 7 out of 20 top markets in the country, according to a national report released Tuesday.
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices showed the average one-year change in November for all 20 markets was a 7.7 percent loss, more than twice the Denver-area drop.
From October to November, the Denver- area market fell by 2 percent, compared with a 2.1 percent overall drop in the year-ago period. And from September to October, Denver-area prices fell by 1.7 percent, slightly worse than the 1.4 percent for the 20 cities.
Larry McGee, president of the Berkshire Group, said he found the year-over-year report encouraging and consistent with earlier local reports.
While Metrolist data for the entire year showed about a 2 percent drop in prices from 2006 for the Denver area, the S&P/Case Shiller analysis uses a different methodology.
McGee said most experts agree that “because Denver did not have the big run-up in prices, there is no reason to think we are going to have a big ‘run-down,’ ” like other formerly hot markets across the country.
McGee predicted that “sales are going to be OK this year but not fabulous. And that is not all bad.”
The overall national home market is not pretty.
“We reached another grim milestone in the housing market in November,” said Robert J. Shiller, chief economist at MacroMarkets LLC.
“Not only did the 10-city composite post another record low in its annual growth rate, but 13 of the 20 metro areas, each with data back to 1991, did the same. Eight of these (metro areas), in addition to the two composites, have had more than 12 consecutive months of falling prices. Fourteen of the 20 (areas), in addition to the two composites, recorded their single largest monthly decline on record in November.”
rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207
The Berkshire Group compiled statistics in graph format. Looking at the actual numbers demonstrates the Denver real estate market isn’t in as bad a shape as one might expect!
A few points to ponder:
The Metro Denver resale housing market was better in 2006 and 2007 than perceived.
- The graphs demonstrate the available resale housing inventory, homes sold, and the absorption rate in the Metro Denver real estate market for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
- The absorption rate is the number of weeks it will take to sell the available inventory at the current rate of sales, with no additional inventory coming to the market.
- The absorption rate improves as the sales increase in the warm months from March to October.
- The market for 2006 and 2007 were very similar with regard to sales, while available inventory was less in 2007 than 2006.
- As home builder inventory decreases, the existing inventory sales will incre4ase and Resale inventory will continue to decrease.
- The number of foreclosed properties did not have a noticeable effect on available inventory, total sales, or the absorption rate in 2006 and 2007.
The graphs were developed from information suppplied by Metrolist, Inc, the Metro Denver MLS provider.
toilet seats are
New home construction continues to build in conveniences Grandma never had.
There was a time when Grandma looked forward to in-door plumbing as a new and modern convenience. Fast forward conveniences today…
We now have toilet seats with Easy Close hinges. No more annoying slams of the toilet seat. No more pinched fingers.
Of course Grandma isn’t the only one who want s tranquility in the bathroom. Every woman would appreciate a toilet lid that closes quietly.
I have one for sale! In fact I have 5 of these lovely, quiet toilet lids for sale, buy them and get a stately, brand new house to go along with them. $719,000.00
3135 Soaring Eagle Lane, Castle Rock, Colorado
Real Estate Contingencies
Common questions I hear almost daily are those that come from people relocating to Denver from other parts of the country. Many housing markets are soft, the days on market numbers are increasing due to the lack of buyers.
Our job market in Denver is strong and getting stronger. Each day we have people trying to sell in another market and move here. The hitch for so many home buyers is the inability to sell their homes.
Most people don’t want to be stuck with two mortgages. Heck most people can barely afford one mortgage much less two! Having a home in one city and a job in another causes enough stress.
There are solutions.
- Get tough on price with the old home. Reduce the price to make it more attractive than anything else on the market.
- Get a bridge loan
- Find a home where the owner will do a "rent back" until closing. Some homeowners will do this if you sweeten the pot by putting down "non-refundable" earnest money. That means if your home never closes, you lose your earnest money. If it does, you get to put the earnest money toward the closing costs on your new home.
- Rent your home in your old neighborhood until the market improves. Things will get better over time.
- Consider buying less of a home on this end and moving again in a couple years when the other home has sold. This way you can be settled and focus on the job.
Most home owners in the Denver metro market are not willing to accept an offer that is contingent upon another property selling, unless it is already under-contract. Going into a deal that has no end in sight is not a good way to do business.
But…
Most homeowners are willing to work with a contingency if the buyer’s home has a buyer. So when your home sells and is what we call "under-contract" waiting to close, you can go find a home and write an offer. Be sure you specify
in the contract the closing is "contingent upon the successful closing of your home that is currently under-contract." This clause will protect you if by some sad chance your home fails to close.
Contingent offers are a way of life. They aren’t a sure thing for either side, but with the proper actions they do become a sure thing and just another path to get to closing. under-contract.
Washington Park Home for Sale
Located just 6 blocks from Wash Park and walking distance to the Broadway Light Rail, this charming home has a lot to offer. Built in 1905 the home has all the period features one would want, wood floors, high ceilings, wide molding and an Updated kitchen. The basement has been renovated into a lovely area that can be used as additional space for the home, a mother-in-law apartment, or with a simple close of the upstairs door it becomes a private unit to rent out for extra income. There is an outside entrance to the apartment, so it is truely private.
The second story is finished into a bedroom (with a mountain view), full bath and a modest sized area for a library or sitting room. The home has abundant storage, both on the second level and in the basement. There is a 1 car garage, but if necessary one could build a two car.
The yard has been landscaped with grass, roses bushes, an arbor and patio. Yes, there is a front porch with a swing!
To view this home online visit the website at 748 S. Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80209
This home is priced to sell at $389,900. The square footage is 1641 above ground, plus 595 in basement making the total finished sq. ft. 2236. 4 bedrooms, 3 Full bathrooms.
To see this home call your broker or call Kristal Kraft today. 303-589-2022
Home for sale in Golden Colorado
Newly listed for sale, a great home in an awesome location! Yes, a close-in Lookout Mountain address offers unobstructed views of both North & South Table Mountain and the city lights of Denver. Visit the home’s website at: Lookout Mtn. Rd. Golden, Colorado
1/4 acre lot has a very private back yard, a perfect setting for the hot tub.
The updated kitchen has Hickory Cabinets and slab granite:
Interested in seeing this home in person? Call your broker, or call Kristal Kraft 800-319-7738
Denver real estate and relocation
Denver home for sale
Hey folks, It’s been a long time coming, but after many false starts and multiple procastinations, I’ve finally launced a "single property website."
OK, you may be asking yourself, "what is a single property website?" Well that’s a reasonable question, as many agents are not into marketing so comprehensively. It seems like such a natural for me.
As part of the marketing "mix" if you will, I will now be placing a sign rider on the "for sale" sign with the URL of the single property site. This will show the neighbors and the passer’s by the location of the "single property site".
The site will serve as an online brochure, complete with search engine optimization for the listing. It will also have a copy of the brochure that is typically found in the brochure box on the sign. There’s a virtual tour, single shot photos (for those who don’t have the time for virtual tours) and all the Colorado State Required Addendums necessary for brokers to write an offer.
I even have a section translated into Spanish, to assist our Latino market.
Whew! 17 pages in all…my seller likes it. What do you think?
2977 S. Wabash Street, Denver, CO
I love technology!!!
Someone has combined the technology of Google Maps along with the most popular Craig’s List for Denver housing. Be sure to check it out…
This site brought to you by Kristal Kraft, a licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker
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