Hot Copper
The rising cost of metals is fueling crimes being committed around the country. People are stripping buildings and construction sites of copper.
Home builders deal with thieves all the time. The vacant homes are vulnerable to such stripping because no one is around to question the thief.
Jim Lee a Realtor in Tennessee was in the process of selling a home when the thieves struck, stripping the home of all the copper.
The issue has become so troublesome in Colorado Rep Nancy Todd, D-Aurora is sponsoring HB-1141. The bill will require a commodity metal buyer to record the seller’s I.D. and get a statement from the seller about where the metal was obtained.
The question is, "will thieves tell the truth?"
When builders, insurance companies and home owners are faced with costs to cover replacing copper in homes, the consumer ends up paying too.
As a good neighbor, remember it’s ok to call the police when something doesn’t look quite right. Let’s do our part to enforce the law. All it takes is a telephone call.
<photo credits Jon Helgason - FOTOLIA>
Denver foreclosures help lower vacancy rate for apartments.
Denver’s apartment vacancy is at a 5 year low. Currently at 7% the last time it was lower was in 2001. Since then 25,000 apartments have been added.
In 2006 a record 19,425 foreclosures were filed. This number while high is not nearly as bad as it was the last go-round in the 1980’s. Since then the population has grown and homeownership has increased.
Watching the market, one can see the "special deals" for apartment leasing disappear. The renters are seeing rents increase with the increasing demand. This strikes a thought in the minds of first-time home buyers, who begin to realize, they can purchase a home.
First time buyers jumping into home ownership are a welcome sign for the rest of the market. Real estate is cyclical, constantly moving.
Everyone wants to own something, why not real estate?
Art Lovers Alert!
Ideas, entertainment, inspiration all shall be fulfilled on the First Friday Art Walk. Saunter over to Santa Fe for the traditional cultural fest of enjoying the local art. Vastly popular and getting more-so every month, the Art Walk is supported by many of the Galleries, restaurants and book stores along the six block stretch of Denver’s Santa Fe Drive.
Walking from gallery to gallery is easy, as they are gathered within close distance. You will enjoy seeing art from local, national and international artists in over 30 studios or galleries. The Art Walk boasts many regulars, but welcomes newcomers. It is held all year round.
Getting there is easy; ride the RTD Light Rail to the Osage Station and look for the shuttle with the big orange dot The time varies, usually activities begin at 5 but depending on the Galleries ends between 8 & 9.
If you are like me and never remember events until you read about them after they occur, get up right now and mark you calendar…
I’ll see you on Santa Fe!
<The photo is Americo Makk dedicating his piece of art ~ taken in Breckenridge 2007>
Blocks to beauty
Yesterday we took a drive up to Breckenridge, one of Colorado’s famous ski towns. Breckenridge is a distinctive Victorian style town that has turned into a very popular place. Each year they host the International Snow Sculpture Championships.
In 2007 there were 14 teams, hailing from Breckenridge, Canada, Idaho, Czech Republic, Alaska, Mexico, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin, Switzerland, Turkey, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canon City. Each team is provided with an uncarved block, a blank canvases of snow to sculpt into a creative master piece. The blocks are carefully molded from Breckenridge’s secret "snow recipe" then using a giant snow blower the snow is blown into a 10 feet by 10 feet by 12 feet tall wooden form.
When the snow fills the form volunteers jump into the form to pack the snow down with
their feet. This manual operation creates a block free of cracks or holes that can destroy the integrity of the snow block and the future creation. Once the form is full, the wooden frame is removed and placed at the next location. The whole process begins again to form yet another block.
This year there were 15 blocks, 14 teams and one sample block. (This is by my count, not an official count for certain!)
The entire town of Breckenridge comes together to offer assistance during this event. 
The Town of Breckenridge Public Works Department and volunteers offer their time, equipment and expertise to bring the event to life. The community spirit is alive and well in Breckenridge.
Living in the Denver metro area it’s easy to drive to the mountains to enjoy celebrations such as these. The Rocky Mountains are America’s playground all year ’round.
Denver real estate and relocation
Defining Your Own Success
When packing your boxes to make the big move it’s important to keep your goals in mind. Getting caught up in the excitement and pressure of the move is easy, but you can still make it on "your terms."
Defining "your terms" means first figuring out what is most important to you. Often times relocatees have difficulty with a move because of this lack of clarity. They want everything one specific way and refuse to budge or they budge on everything putting themselves out on all points.
For instance say you have 5 terms that are important to you, but they don’t all rank at the same level of importance. Knowing your ranking preference will help you when it comes time to make decisions and negotiate.
I can’t tell you how often I end up being able to negotiate a settlement on a home in my buyer’s favor, because they shared with me their order of preference on terms. As luck has it, sometimes your terms are the exact opposite of the terms ranked by a seller.
Knowing your preferences clears the path and brings the important items into focus.
Before you take the first step in a relocation, be clear on your objective. Seek a consensus between partners so when it comes time to make decisions everyone is on the same page.
Kristal Kraft specializes in helping people relocation to Denver and the ‘burbs.
Make it easy
For a buyer looking for a home is stressful. From the seller’s perspective it probably doesn’t seem as bad as their side. Keeping a home in marketable condition while living in it has got to be on the top of the stress list. Selling Denver real estate these days is a challenge for both parties.
33 days of snow on the ground is just one more task to the "honey do list". Keeping the sidewalk & driveway clear of snow and ice is always appreciated. Not just by the people who travel the sidewalk, but for the homeowner who has to clean the floors inside.
Keeping you home in "show home" condition during the winter months takes more care, taking the effort to make showings easy will pay off in the long run. So many homeowners aren’t doing their part. If you do yours you’ll be way ahead of the game.
Knowing your numbers
Our lives are filled with numbers, phone numbers, speed dial, security codes, social and credit card numbers. Those aren’t the only numbers important to know. When you start to purchase a home it’s important to know your numbers … before you start looking.
Buying a home is a major investment and there are many things to consider. The worst thing a buyer can do is go looking for a home before knowing how much he can afford (assuming the buyer is on a limited income, needing to use a mortgage to finance the home). OK, cash buyers can stop reading now. Please leave the room, we don’t want you to see the envy in our eyes! 
Home buyers who are the happiest are those that know their limitations. When you know how high you can look, you don’t waste time looking at homes that will only discourage you from looking at the ones that fit into the budget. It’s the old adage, beer vs champagne budget. Start off with champagne and you are ruined for beer for good!
Start with a good lender
Most lenders these days can get a loan PRE-approved in a short time. Be sure they know all the pertinent facts about you, don’t without any obligations, thinking what they won’t know won’t hurt you. It will.
As the lender/loan officer asks you for information, s/he is building a file on you and your ability to pay. They will review your credit report, and check your employment references. Validating your file fully prior to you finding a home is really in your best interest.
Once the work is done, you are ready to start looking for a home. Having a pre-approved loan puts you in a strong negotiation seat. The time you took to get prepared should and will save you time and possibly money on your purchase.
Knowing your numbers, all of them is an investment in your future.
32 Days of Snow on the Ground
Typing out the name of this post reminded me of the song we used to sing on school trips, 99 bottles of beer on the wall….you know the words. Well in the bottles in the song get progressively less, while the number of days on snow on the ground is increasing.
We are so OVER it! In my many years in Colorado I have never seen snow stick about this long. Each week over the past 5 weeks we have been getting a significant amount of snow. The only good news is the more efficient manner in which the snow is being removed. This morning my street had actually been plowed prior to my leaving the house.
The snow is effecting the construction crews. With such depths they are having a hard time meeting schedules and finding a place to put the stuff. I’ve seen big trucks hauling the snow away. I have no idea where they are going, but like most people I’m so glad to see it gone.
We need some nice normal sunny Colorado days. The weather man almost promised the worst is over…I hope he’s right!
Watch your step…
After a snow storm every week, with little rise in temps we are dealing with lots of snow. The side streets (as pictured) are dangerous for pedestrians and challenging for cars.
I got stuck merely traversing this in my car. A little rocking back and forth got me out, thankfully.
Accident numbers are increasing, people are checking into the emergency room for falls with injuries to wrists, hips and legs. Be careful out there!
A day at the hospital
It’s been a long day. My hubby went in for surgery and as things sometimes go, nothing went as quickly as "he had planned." Of course being the patient is not his best strength.
The hospital experience itself is good. We noted the difference between this facility at Skyridge and the one where his Mother has been at Aurora Medical. There is really no comparison. One is old the other is new and modern. The attitude from the front door to the recovery room was outstanding. The people there care. They care about helping everyone and it shows.
We’ve got a few more days of recooperation before returning home, but so far I have no compliants, but then I’m not the one lying in a hospital bed….check back later.
This site brought to you by Kristal Kraft, a licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker
