Is a new home in your future?
Here are some things to consider…
Prep yourself
for the financial side of the purchase. Most home builders offer huge
incentives to use their lenders. These incentives may or may not be a
benefit to you, the only way you will know for sure is to talk to an
outside lender or two to compare the numbers. The only way to compare
is by requesting a “good faith estimate” from each lender.
Develop a strategy
– a game plan that works to your benefit is very important. When
negotiating with a builder, you must be prepared to follow your plan
and not let emotions take over. Get the prices for the home,
elevations and upgrades, go home to review them. Add up what you need
and can afford. Make a plan and stick to it.
Be on the same page
– Both you and your partner must agree to agree. Don’t sit in front of
an on-site sales rep and show your weaknesses. If you need to excuse
yourself from a negotiation, do so.
Keep in mind
– The builder’s representative in the model home works for the builder,
not for you. They do not have the ability to make decisions without
approval.
Enlist a REALTOR
– hiring a professional brings experience and control to the
transaction. An experienced REALTOR will guide you through the
process, without costing you a dime. In fact, you may find that your
REALTOR will save you time and money. First find your REALTOR, you
will be glad you did.
Breakfast Park at Cherry Creek Mall
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 miniature
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 cushy so the munchkins can run wild without getting hurt. Mom
and/or Dad can relax and watch the fun.
Read more about Things for Kids In Denver.
Golf Course Properties in metro Denver, Colorado
Colorado has many existing golf courses and many more being
developed each year. If you are a golfer or just enjoy living in a
country club setting you will be happy to know the Denver Metro area
has many choices for you.
To the southeast the neighborhood of
Pradera has a very challenging course surrounded my custom homes priced
in the high $600’s and up. The area is elevated so homeowners can
enjoy the views to the east.
The fastest growing part of town is
at the E470 and Smoky Hill location. Currently, Southlands the largest
shopping village in the state is being built. Due east a new golf
course, Blackstone being developed. Here you can find a Lennar home
right on the course. These are priced fairly low in the high $400’s.
These
are just a couple of the many golf course neighborhoods available to
homebuyers in the Denver Metro Region. If you are interested in
knowing more…just call, I have a spread sheet with all the Denver metro golf courses so we don’t miss any!
Thank you.
Making a door to door move…
Often times Denver buyers are also sellers in another state.
Overwhelmed by the prospect of moving from one home to the next, they
make a plan to rent instead of buy. At first this may seem like the
best solution, but in reality this only adds one more move to the mix.
UGH!
The way to make a door to door move is to plan ahead. Once
your home goes "under contract" you should be prepared to hop on a
plane to relocation, spend a few days to find your replacement home. Once
you find the home, the contract dates can be blended with the dates
back home, so you can move from the old place to the new without a
hitch.
Details are more readily worked out when you request on
the origination end to have a "replacement home time" schedule built
into the contract. Typically this can be about 10 days, enough time
for you to find a home in Denver, negotiate and complete inspections.
Planning a move in advance is not as difficult when you co-ordinate it up front.
For additional information regarding Denver Real Estate and Relocation Information visit my website.
Google yourself…
Sometime ago I wrote an article on Active Rain, a real estate blogsite about the importance of protecting your good name. Most will agree, our reputation is very important. These days it is so easy for someone to go on the internet and damage a reputation.
Glenn Roberts Jr. of Inman News picked up the blog and discussed it in Part 3: Web trends: Who’s keeping track? (I’d link to the article, but it is a subscription based site).
Roberts discussed how another real estate blogger, Don Fabrizio-Garcia with Prudential Connecticut Realty in Danbury, CT was wrongfully accused of making a comment. Don went through a week of pain before the comment was removed.
Don’s example is one we should all heed. Setting up a RSS feed to track when your name, your company’s name is mentioned on the Internet is a wise thing to do. It is easily done, and Google offers a service that is free. So there is no excuse not to do it!
Anyone who’s going to be in touch with consumers needs to know what is being said about them. Whether it’s in the real estate business or another industry.
Rich Jacobson who writes part of the Soundbite Blog and is with Windermere Real Estate/West Sound Inc. in Silverdale, Washington feels it is important to monitor web content. Doing so can uncover things said about you, but also plagiarism.
Thanks to Glenn Roberts and Inman for making us famous for 15 minutes. I hope you will follow through with the links and set up an RSS feed to protect yourself.
Do it now.
Fun at the Farmer’s Market
An old tradition is new again with urban Farmers’ Markets showing up all over the city and the ‘burbs. Nothing is more pleasurable than being able to pick your own fruits and vegetables and cook them up fresh. Aurora’s Farmers’ Markets offer more than Farmer wares, gourmet prepared foods, arts and crafts are now regulars at the Markets.
Many locations even offer specialty foods cooked on location. Not only can you pick out your dinner, you can enjoy an open air breakfast of fresh baked goods and coffee brewed just right.
Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy people (and pet watching) at your local Farmers’ Market. Don’t be surprised if you see me there, picking out my fresh flower bouquet of the week! Say "hi" and let’s exchange notes…
Here are few locations to get you started:
- Boulder - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, May 19 through Oct. 27. Smokey Hill Road and E-470 (Southlands Retail Center). Market Schedule for Tri-County Farmers’ Markets
- Lakewood - 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, through Nov. 3; 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, through October, 13th Street between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder Farmers’ Market
- Denver - 7:30 a.m. to 1230 p.m. Saturdays, through Oct. 27, First Avenue and University Boulevard. Colorado Fresh Markets
- Denver City Park Esplanade - Sundays June 3 through October 28, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sullivan Fountain at Colfax and City Park Esplanade (Across from the Tattered Cover, Denver, CO) Colorado Fresh Markets
- Denver Civic Center - Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 in downtown’s Civic Center Park at 14tyh and Bannock. June 14th through September 27th (no market August 30th and September 6th) Market Schedule for Tri-County Farmers’ Markets
- Denver Littleton - Sundays June 17 through October 14, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 29thth & Quebec in the parking lot just north of the E 29th Avenue Town Center Colorado Fresh Markets
- Lone Tree - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, through October, Civic Green Park (between Lucent Boulevard and South Broadway). Metro Denver Farmers Market
- Parker’s Heritage Center - 11:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.Thursdays, June 20 Ohio & wasdworth in Lakewood’s Heritage Center parking lot. Denver Farmers Market
- Westminster - 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, through October, Southwest Plaza. Denver Farmers’ Market
- Stapleton - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, May 12 to Oct 27. South Yosemite Street and Maximus Drive (behind Treo’s restaurant). Market Schedule for Tri-County Farmers’ Markets
- Denver - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13 to Oct. 28Mainstreet Center (Mainstreet on south side of road). Market Schedule for Tri-County Farmers’ Markets
- Southwest Plaza - 8:00 - 2 p.m. Saturday beginning May 5, 2007. Wadsworth and Bowles Denver Farmers’ Market
- Tamarac Square - 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday beginning June 18, 2007. Located at Tamarac & Hampden. Denver Farmers’ Market
- Highlands Ranch - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, through October. West 105th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard
Picking produce can be tricky. Ask the vendor for help. If you prefer you can bone up on
the Colorado Department of Agriculture site. They have prepared a perfect primer for you.
Favorite veggie crop calendar
April 2007 ~ Denver home sales
April 2007
Metro Denver Prices:
| Single Family Average Price: (Detached Dwelling) |   | Apr 2007 | $322,510 |
|   |   | Mar 2007 | $302,084 |   |   | Apr 2006 | $318,949 | Condo Average Price: (Attached Dwelling) |   | Apr 2007 | $182,451 |   |   | Mar 2007 | $183,451 |   |   | Apr 2006 | $188,146 | Combined Average Price: |   | Apr 2007 | $293,016 |   |   | Mar 2007 | $275,465 |   |   | Apr 2006 | $288,621 | Percent of Sales Price Change: from April 2006 to April 2007 |
  | Single Family: | 1.12% |   |   | Condo: | -2.97% |   |   | Combined | 1.52% | Total Combined Number of Homes for Sale: |   | Apr 2007 | 27,858 |   |   | Mar 2007 | 26,430 |   |   | Apr 2006 | 29,045 | Percent of Change in Available Inventory: (Apr 2006 vs. Apr 2007) |   |   | -4.09% | Number of Combined Homes Sold this month |   | Apr 2007 | 4,399 | vs. previous month |   | Mar 2007 | 4,274 | vs. same month last year |   | Apr 2006 | 4,300 | Average days on Market: (Combined Sales) | Apr 2007 | 109.90 |   |   | Mar 2007 | 119.24 |   |   | Apr 2006 | 102.78 | Absorption Rate: (number of weeks necessary to sell current combined inventory at current rate of sales) |   | Apr 2007 | 27.44 weeks |   |   | Mar 2007 | 26.80 weeks |   |   | Apr 2006 | 29.27 weeks | Median Sold Price:Single Family | Apr 2007 | $248,000 |   |   | Mar 2007 | $240,000 |   |   | Apr 2006 | $250,000 | Condo |   | Apr 2007 | $148,900 |   |   | Mar 2007 | $153,000 |   |   | Apr 2006 | $157,400 |
Denver real estate sales
Across the board the average list/sale ratio is 97% in Boulder
metro. Douglas county to the south it is 98%. Interesting the stats in
Denver (for the Denver listings) are 96%. Boulder has it’s own MLS
but many agents are members of both. I don’t know it the Denver stats
match those of Boulder’s own.
These year to date stats show to
the public the homes that are selling are priced right. We still have
27,858 homes on the market (-4.09% than same time last year).
Our average price is $322,510. The absorption rate is 27.44 weeks.
Lone Tree Average Price
| Lone Tree Real Estate - Trulia |
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