Urban Real Estate
Everyday challenges of selling Denver urban real estate…
Nuts! Was it the second from MY left or Your left?
Denver Real Estate ~ the sky is not falling
A note to consumers from the pages USA Today and NAR’s Chief Economist:
Lawrence Yun: Consumers need to find out what is going on at the local level and not necessarily take national headline numbers as a point of reference. Sellers tend to be more stubborn in facing the reality of the market, so people who really need to sell need to come down on prices, given the high inventory and seller competition.
Denver real estate consumers need to ignore the National News and look to the statistics in the individual areas they are living or buying in. The real estate market is local.
Our prices never experienced the insane appreciation that happened in other markets. While others were shooting for the moon, we traipsed along at a slow and even pace. Now when other locals are experiencing a sharp decline (read price adjustment) we are not seeing the same in the market.
What we are seeing is a lack of consumer confidence (thank you media) and the inability of people relocating from other areas to be able to purchase a home here, until their home’s sell.
This doesn’t mean All of our Denver real estate is priced well. Much of it is NOT priced to sell, nor is it in show home condition.
What I continue to see are homes that are priced to sell and in great shape, selling. In fact 20% of our sales sell in the first 30 days.
The sky is not falling.
At least not today.
Lies, damned lies and statistics…
Denver Real Estate ~ Take a close look at the sales statistics for real estate sales in the Denver Metro area. At first glance the average sale price has dropped $55,251 from a year ago ($267,259 from $322,510). That is a huge drop that would indicate values have dropped considerably.
But Wait! Let’s look at the Percentage of Sold Properties by Price Range:
Notice the lower prices ranges (single family), everything under $150,000 has seen an increase in volume this year.
Now notice the drop in sales of homes over $500k. We are selling the same number of homes, we are just selling them in the low end of the market.
The decline in value is due to the number of lower end homes we are selling coupled with the decrease in the higher end. A glut of low end sales will skew the average price, pulling it down and giving an inaccurate picture of the market.
Interestingly the middle of the market has not been effected.
First time home buyers, investors are in the market. They are scooping up the low end real estate. Savvy buyers know how to buy (low) and sell (high). People who continue to put their trust and faith in the news media will be saying in a few years, "Gee I coulda bought that for $xxx, but now the market has passed me by and I can’t afford to purchase a home."
Why is my house not selling?
As I go about my daily routine selling Denver real estate, I get asked by home sellers, "why doesn’t my house sell?" That is the $64,000 question.
I wish there was one simple and complete answer, but alas there isn’t. In today’s real estate market we are dealing with factors beyond what I’ve seen in my 24 years in the business. We are seeing sales occur in the first 30 days and others that take 6 months or more.
Typically the reason the home is not selling is either price, condition or location.
What most seller’s don’t take into consideration, they are competing with the market as a whole, not just their neighborhood. True when pricing a home we look to the area for valuation. That is normal and accepted.
What isn’t realized is buyers have many choices. They might like a particular neighborhood or any of the other hundreds of neighborhoods in the Denver metro area. Seldom do buyers (or at least the ones I’ve worked with) hang around waiting for a home to go up in one specific neighborhood.
Most buyers are going to buy based on 1) their budget 2) personal tastes 3) proximity to work and/or schools. These requirements often times have multiple solutions, so your house may work or maybe not.
Condition of the home is a huge factor.
Today most savvy agents and homeowners take the time to prepare the home by hiring a professional stager. We learned a long time ago "the way you live in a home and the way you sell a home are two different things." Hiring a professional to come into the home and either work with your belongs or augment some of their own, works miracles. Simply said.
It has been my personal experience the expense of hiring a stager often comes back in multiples by shortening the listing period and increasing the homes potential. (a great resource for staging is found at Staging rants & ravings)
Another factor that makes a home more difficult to sell is the "dated aspect". A homeowner must consider who the potential buyer will be. In the year 2000 home styles changed. We went from gold fixtures to chrome. Some age demographics will not purchase a home with anything gold in it! Changing out the fixtures is usually a fairly easy fix. However if your home has 1970’s vibrating through it, the makeover my be more than one will want to do. The only way out maybe to price it accordingly and let the buyer bring it up to date.
Homeowners who want to "update" a home, be sure you are up to doing the job, not just right, but complete. There is nothing sadder than having a seller update part of their home. Buyers will come look and the only thing they will see is the undone updating. Yes, buyers are cut from the same "the glass is half empty" mold.
Location is so important.
Buyers shop for the best of everything. If your home has a location with a glitch, say an apartment building next door, or a messy neighbor, barking dog, busy street, backs to a freeway, a blinking sign glaring through the bedroom window or railroad tracks in the back yard, you may have a problem.
Location issues can be overcome. Sometimes the best thing to do with a bad location is tackle it head on. Some buyers actually LIKE homes on a busy street, because they crave the "pulse of the city" nearby. Others might be looking for a home next door to the soup kitchen, because they are into volunteering. Creativity is part of sales. Get creative with a solution.
Pricing is the most important factor.
When all else falls reduce the price. Statistics have shown a property that has 10 showings and not offers is over-priced. Homeowners who insist on a price that home buyers aren’t grabbing need a reality check, or to remove their home from the market.
Overpriced homes that get shown and are getting good feedback maybe being used as an example. Buyers are comparing values and if one home isn’t selling and the other one is, perhaps being the bridesmaid again and again means it’s time to adjust for the market.
When it comes to real estate there is a mathematical equation that works time and time again.
Price=Sale.
Find the right price and find the sale.
Light Rail services Universities in Denver metro
College students and parents are always pleased to learn LIttleton has a great public transportation system. RTD
Light Rail has stations at the University of Denver, Arapahoe Community College and the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver.
Typically universities and colleges whether they be live-in campuses or commuter have issues with parking. Finding a space and getting to class on time can be an very big challenge. Coupled with the fact just having a car on campus is yet another expense, it makes good sense to utilize the RTD Light Rail.
Students find they can easily commute to a station near their home, hop on the train and in a few minutes be at school. The trip allows time to relax, listen to some tunes or catch up on studying.
Parents also appreciate the fact their children won’t be trapped without transportation when they are living near campus without a car. Having the option to ride the light rail to travel to other locations is a convenience not offered in smaller cities.
Light Rail expands housing options
The Light Rail currently has three lines completed, the original line to Lone Tree-Mineral Station runs down Santa Fe Drive, Southeast line that flanks I-25 ending in Denver and the spur that follows 225 to the Nine Mile Station. Student housing options are increased since they can use the rail line to live either in the city or the suburbs.
RTD offers a Bike-n-Ride program so students can combine their personal bike with a transit ride to shorten the commute. Bikes are allowed on both Light Rail and buses. Of course there is always the "space available"problem. If there is an event going on, there might be a problem loading a bike onto an already full train. Typically this is not an issue.
RTD park-n-rides also offer bike lockers for storage of the bike. The lockers are available on a first come, first-served basis. One does need to rent a $20 RTD special padlock. Designated leases are available.
Students with a college I.D. from participating colleges may purchase a College Pass to ride the RTD Light Rail.
CyberPros
I’ve just returned from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I spent 2 solid days with associates from around the
country. The Cyber Professional group meets twice a year to discuss real estate issues and network among industry professionals.
My experience with this group tends to enhance my business perspective. When I return home, I have a briefcase full of new ideas that will help my buyers and sellers.
Communicating with brokers from other parts of the country only substantiates how much better off we are in this Denver real estate market. Yes, I know we have some very difficult spots, but in comparison to other areas, we have very little to complain about.
Home Inspection
Saturday evening, most people are relaxing after a satisfying work week. Some may even be popping the corks off wine bottles celebrating a moment or just enjoying life.
Tonight I was at a celebration of a different kind, a home inspection. This week I worked with a buyer who is relocating here from the Washington D.C. area. It was her second time out and the first time to seriously look at homes.
We spent two days touring all the homes that fit her specific criteria in the Denver area. On Thursday night we wrote the offer which was accepted late Friday. With one full day left before she went home, we scheduled a home inspection!
Much to my surprise, John Braddock the inspector who I can always count on agreed to do it Saturday night, the first time he had available! We were delighted at the prospect of my buyer being able to return home with her mission accomplished! So we accepted the appointment.
My hat goes off to the family with young children who agreed to leave us in their home for 3 hours on a Saturday night! They were most gracious and accommodating, in fact they left us fresh, home-made chocolate chip cookies! Yum!
The inspection went quickly as John called in his partner, Ryan. At the end we celebrated by clinking our water bottles in a toast to us and all the people that pull together to make a real estate transaction happen.
Thank you to the buyers, sellers, inspectors, listing agent, relo manager (who accepted the offer at home after hours), assistants and the future helpers; appraiser, title reps, closer and the neighbors who will welcome the new comers to Colorado!
Oh I forgot the mention Frances Wehner, the loan officer who took time out of her Saturday to travel to Park Meadows Mall to meet with the buyer as a convenience as to not interrupt her shopping!
Tomorrow my buyer goes home satisfied. She visited all the schools, registered the pre-schooler, shopped in her future grocery store, got a pedicure, went to the mall and purchased a home! All in 5 days.
Now that is what I call a productive week!
Welcome to Highlands Ranch!
Sellers, you have to sell three times not once!
Putting your home on the market these days seems to be so complicated. Resale homes have to complete with builder models and the rest of the resale competition. The competition is rough!
Savvy Colorado brokers make sure their homeowners know the value of staging the home, so they hire a stager to provide professional advice to the seller. Stagers arrive at the property with a bundle of suggestions to help make the home more marketable.
Yes, that means yet another "to do list" for the homeowner. Once the staging is compete, the photographer comes in to perform their magic for the MLS.
The home goes on the market and hopefully the phone begins to ring with requests for showings.
BUYER SALE #1
If the seller is lucky the showings provide a ready, willing and able buyer, who wants to buy the home.
The offer is written and accepted, then the inspections begin.
INSPECTOR SALE #2
Now if the seller has maintained the home the SECOND SALE to the home inspector will be a piece of cake. If not, the seller may end up having to do some repairs. Either way the if the seller can get through this process with the buyer still willing, the next step might be the toughest.
APPRAISER = SALE #3
Yes, the last and final step is to make sure the seller’s home value is in line with the market. The current real estate market has been effected by foreclosures and the liquidity crisis in the financial industry. Appraisers are being required to be very conservative in their values plus the fact many areas of Colorado have been designated as "declining" by the private mortgage companies.
In my office we are seeing appraisals come back lower than the sale price. When this happens the seller has a couple choices.
- The seller (or seller’s agent) has the right to provide comparables that might better fit the property. It is up to the appraiser to determine if the new comparables are better suited to the property, if so the appraised value can be adjusted.
- The seller doesn’t have to sell the property if the value is not equal or greater than the appraisal. The seller can keep the property and lose the buyer.
- The seller can reduce the price of the home and sell it to the buyer at a reduced price.
- If the buyer feels the appraisal is out of line and doesn’t mind paying more for the home than it appraised for, they can do so. But the additional amount must be over and above the minimum down-payment required by the lender.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
- Appraisers are generally looking at no more than 90 days back for sold comparables. Sold comps older than 90 days are likely to be irrelevant.
- The lending rules are changing every day for every loan. Our company is advising buyers to have 2 loan options, maybe with 2 different lenders. Plan A and Plan B.
- Lenders and their support system are at the mercy of the market.
- This too shall pass.
WHAT SHOULD A SELLER DO?
First it is important to know that homes ARE selling. In fact we sold more units this year than last. The issues we are facing can be resolved, but it means some sellers may not get the price they want for their home. The best way for a seller to know where they stand is to do a very realistic analyst of the homes sold in the neighborhood.
- Track homes sold and update every 30 days.
- Watch the current and seasonal trends. Realize the market has busier times of year, so this month’s numbers should be compared to the same season last year.
- Consider the absorption rate. If it is increasing that means longer days on market with more homes competing. Most likely that means values will decrease.
- If values are declining, make a decision to stay with the market or GET OUT.
GOOD NEWS
Even though the Denver real estate market seems to be taking a big hit in values, much of the metro area is not that bad off. In fact 20% of the homes that sell, do so in the first 30 days.
As a seller the goal should be to be one of those that sell in the first 30 days. The homes that are selling typically are in mint condition. The sellers have taken extra care to price and package the home so it is very attractive to a buyer, inspector and the appraiser.
When selling a home, be sure to speak to all three buyers, and the home will get sold.
Sold! What does that really mean?
Yesterday my cell phone rings. On the other end was an inquisitive voice stating she was
sitting in front of my listing at 9654 XYZ Road. She said her agent told her the house was “sold” and she wanted to know why my sign was still up.
“Well,” I explained, “The house is actually under-contract waiting to close.”
“But your sign is still in the yard.” she protested.
“Correct. It will stay in the yard until the house is closed. Then I will have it removed.” I replied.
“Oh. Thank-you.” click.
This conversation got me to thinking how often we use words that aren’t technically correct. The caller’s agent told her the house was “sold.” When in fact it was “pending” or “under-contract.”
Pending is not sold
Pending and under-contract mean the same thing. When a buyer writes an offer on a house there is a period of time between the offer being accepted (under-contract) and the actual sale or closing of the house. That time can be a matter of a couple weeks to months.
During this time the buyer completes inspections and finalizes financing details. If there are items on the inspection the buyer and seller cannot come to terms on, the contract could “fall.” Actually the contract doesn’t fall, but rather buyer can opt not to purchase the house.
It is for this reason we don’t remove the “for sale” sign. The sign will stay up until the home does officially close.
One thing consumers may notice, a rider saying “under-contract” or “pending” might get attached to the sign. This typically lets the consumer know there is an interested party who is working toward purchasing the property.
It is important to note, a buyer can still place an contract on a property in what we call a “back-up position.” This would mean if the first contract did not work out, the offer in second position would than have a chance to purchase the property.
Is writing a Back-Up Contract wise?
Most listing agents and sellers LOVE having a back-up contract. It helps their negotiating position with the 1st contract and gives a feeling of security if the 1st contract doesn’t work out at least there is a “plan b.”
So as a consumer should you consider putting in a back up contract? Maybe.
Let’s work through this scenario. The seller has two contracts. The first contract just completed their inspections and they are now requiring the seller to do repairs. The seller can say, “no!”
This could force the buyers into accepting the house “as is” knowing that if they didn’t they would lose it.
Sometimes the buyers love a home enough and realize the only way they will get to buy it, is on the seller’s terms. This wouldn’t happen if the seller didn’t have a second contract.
So as a back up contract, you just helped the seller force the buyer to buy and you walk away empty handed.
Of course every situation is different. It could just as easily happen in reverse with a buyer who refused to go forward and walks away, leaving you with the house!
Saturdays Golf Course ~ Arrowhead Golf Club
Today was a semi-nice day with warmish temps yet the snow is still dotting the ground. Instead of posting dreary winter golf course pictures, I thought I would share the shots of Arrowhead, taken at the end of golf season 2007.
The day we played here was most memorable for the amazing range in change of weather. Over the course of a few hours we experienced all four seasons! Luckily Mother Nature saved winter for the last half hour!
Avid Golfer magazine designated Arrowhead as the top winner in the "Most Scenic Course (Public or Private)" category. One look down just about any Arrowhead fairway will confirm this course is a perfect choice. Jutting, jagged, gigantic red sandstone monoliths decorate the landscape lending the most incredible accents to the rolling foothill terrain. Arrowhead located south of I-470 in Littleton’s furthest most southwestern boundary is only 45 minutes from downtown Roxborough.
Looking through the red rocks one can view Denver in the distance. This hole was nearly our last on this particular fall day. Soon the gray clouds began to drop nasty cold rain, then sleet on us. Being the dedicated golfers we are, we continued to play in the wet, until we were frozen to the bone and shaking. Brrrrr!
Finally we caved in, running for the shelter and warmth of the car. Despite the weather it was a memorable day. Filled with the joy of the moment we went home wet, but satisfied.
Any day with golf in it, is a good day.
Snapping back to reality, (this is a real estate blog after all) the community surrounding Arrowhead Golf Club is called Denver. There are various plats within this gated community. Most homes are custom or semi-custom. At the entrance to the community the homes are wedged in at a higher density. As the road winds around the the west and then south the lots get bigger.
Many homes have views of the golf course, some are even high enough to have a view of the plains toward Denver.
Roxborough Real Estate
The price of homes in the gated section of Roxborough start at $400k and go up and up from there. Outside the gate there are a variety of subdivisions some old, some brand new with reasonably priced homes starting in the high $200’s.
The area has a unique beauty that makes the extra few miles to get there worth the trip. Now that more people are opting to live in the area, the close in daily amenities are easier to find. There is a strip shopping center in the Roxborough community with a grocery store, several fast food restaurants and filling station.
Just outside the entrance to the gated community is Roxborough State Park. Once voted one of the most beautiful state parks by National Geographic Magazine. The untamed terrain within the park resembles the terrain at Arrowhead. So if only half of a couple plays golf and the other half is a hiker or photographer, this neck of the world would be a good match for a day playing outside.
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This site brought to you by Kristal Kraft, a licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker