| National Open House Weekend April 10-11 |  |
It's National Open House Weekend, and we've got lots of great homes for you to see. Check them out here!
Got
your eye on a certain house, and itchin' to get in?
The door will be
open this weekend. Come on in!
We have open houses nearly every weekend in and around urban
Denver. Check back every Friday afternoon!
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| How Does Your Bluegrass Grow? |  |
How green is your lawn when it comes to eco-friendly care? "Weed killers?" The term itself conjures up images of harsh chemicals and unwanted dangers to plants and pets, and humans too. How can you reduce your risk, and live a better and more conscious "greener" life?
Green lawn care begins with cultural practices such as good soil, organic fertilizers - and the appropriate application, thereof - appropriate watering and aeration, twice per year - spring and fall.
There are no (zero, nada) weed killers that are eco-friendly, so your best path to green lawn care is one of defense: build a lawn that is so robust, so thick and healthy that you eliminate the need for weed killers. And, when they are necessary, spot application on visible weeds reduces the amount of herbicides used by 90%. And, that can only be a good thing.
For more intriguing, helpful information, read our blog at liveurbandenver.com
or contact Bob Anderson, The Natural Way, Inc. at 303.347.0988. Visit his website at thenaturalwayinc.net.
Penny Vesel is a LIVE Broker and is obsessing about her lawn.
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| Urban Denver Market Sales Statistics |  |
A glance at select urban Denver neighborhood sales data. Want to know about your 'hood? Call me today.
Belcaro & Belcaro Park
E. Exposition Ave. - Tennessee Ave. and S. Steele St. - S. Harrison St.
Active Listings: 5
Pending Sales: 2; YTD Sales: 1
2010 Avg Sold Price: $1.484M
2009 Avg. Sold Price: $833,950
2009 Avg. Price/Finished SQFT: $347
2009 Avg. Finished SQFT: 2412
(above ground sqft only)
2009 Sold Price Range: $450K - $1.825M
2009 # of Total Sales: 10
West Highland & Cottage Hill
Federal Blvd. - Sheridan Blvd. and 32nd Ave. - 38th Ave.
Active Listings: 45
Pending Sales: 19; YTD Sales: 27
2010 Avg. Sold Price: $284,216* (*built before 1954)
2009 Avg. Sold Price: $302,350* (*built before 1954)
2009 Avg. Price/Finished SQFT: $266
2009 Avg. Finished SQFT: 1139
(above ground sqft only)
2009 Sold Price Range: $128,100 - $553K
2009 # of Total Sales: 91* (*built before 1954)
Potter Highland
Zuni Blvd. - Federal Blvd.
and 32nd Ave. - 38th Ave.
Active Listings: 14
Pending Sales: 8; YTD Sales: 6
2010 Avg. Sold Price: $284,250
2009 Avg. Sold Price: $272,313
2009 Avg. Price/Finished SQFT: $209
2009 Avg. Finished SQFT: 1308
(above ground sqft only)
2009 Sold Price Range: $116K - $665K
2009 # of Total Sales: 29
Sales data from Metrolist & may not reflect all sales. SF figures do not include basement footage. Should only be used for comparison. Compiled by Lisa Hoskins, a LIVE Broker who loves to crunch the numbers.
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Featured Properties
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3210 West Scott Pl
Grandview
4 Bed/4 Bath, 3951 SF
$635,000
Check out all our current listing here.
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Your Neighborhood
Your Denver Real Estate Newsletter April 2010 |
Greetings!
This newsletter is just one of many handy guides available from LIVE Urban Real Estate. We're making the process of buying and selling real estate just a little bit easier. Want more good advice? Call me today or visit me online for more helpful real estate tips. |
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We Knew It All Along.
Demand for urban living is driving Denver growth.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Denver is one of the five fastest growing major counties in the nation. With a population now over 600,000, Denver grew at a rate of 2.9% for the period from July 2008 to July 2009. This growth puts Denver at the forefront of a return to urban centers in the U.S.
Mark Muro, director of policy at the Brookings Institution's Policy Program told the Post, "I think one of the major themes of the post-housing crash has been a retrenchment of population into urban cities."
This comes as no surprise to those of us at LIVE, and most of the people reading this newsletter. We've always known that Denver is a great place to live. With distinctive neighborhoods, charming historic districts, a vibrant downtown, great schools, world-class arts and entertainment, professional sports, temperate weather, and outstanding public amenities (such as parks, recreation centers, and light-rail transportation), Denver is one of the most livable cities in the nation.
What does this growth mean to those of us who already live and work here? It means that our economy will be stabilizing faster than most places, and along with that, our housing market will continue its' recovery. We're seeing evidence of it every day: Lower inventory of available homes; Multiple offers on great, well-priced houses in city-close neighborhoods; Lots of new faces stopping by our office in the Highlands!
To us, it means people are excited about Denver, and good things are ahead for the city we love. But you knew that.
Mark White is one of the Broker/Owners of LIVE, and is very enthusiastic. *Read the full article at www.denverpost.com/ci_14745419. |
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Select The Right Plants For Denver.
 Besides a solid design, one of the most important steps in a successful garden is planting the right plant in the right place. This means choosing plants that will survive-even flourish-in your specific garden micro-climate. Using specimens that are appropriate for Denver's urban corridor is effortless and cost effective. Since 1997, Plant Select® has provided many options for high plains city gardeners. This horticultural plant research and development program is a partnership between the Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University. Their goal is to identify, test and distribute plant materials that thrive in our dry air and mile high sun. Chosen for their stature, hardiness and xeric sustainability, these diverse plants are outstanding urban dwellers. These plants properly placed will grace your garden for years, and are readily available at independent retail garden centers throughout the season. Of the many Plant Select varieties favorites include penstemon, ice plant, phlox, salvia, sage, hyssop, veronica, lavender, daphne and yucca. Plant them in beds, planters and curbside beds. For a complete list of tried and true plants go to www.plantselect.org. For the more curious... many public demonstration gardens have incorporated Plant Select specimens in their design and grounds. Check out the many city parks, Denver Botanic Gardens, Hudson Gardens, Butterfly Pavilion, or the Betty Ford Alpine Garden in Vail.
Urban Roots, located in the Golden Triangle at 10th & Acoma, provides horticultural design solutions for small spaces. Serving Denver's downtown neighborhoods & city gardeners who have limited space but unlimited desire. Open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 4 pm. Visit UrbanRootsDenver.com for more information. |
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Mortgage Market News:
More Questions Than Answers.
What is the current status of the mortgage market? Unfortunately, there are still more questions than answers. With the minimal demand for new housing inventory, lenders and support industries like private mortgage insurers don't have much market pressure to loosen underwriting standards.
Banks and mortgage brokers are still lending, but a significant majority of mortgage loans originated in 2010 are in the safe realm of refinances. Regulators and investors are demanding less risk, so loan approvals are largely reserved for disciplined borrowers. Despite the uncertainty that homebuyers face today, they should not abandon hope. The lenders that are doing business today survived the last 18 months for a reason. Banks and brokers are finding creative ways to provide financing to disciplined borrowers, so calling around to lenders may pay dividends. Realtors seem to be working harder than ever to help their clients find financing.
Aside from the problems in the housing industry that are conditioned by broad economic factors, the other major issue right now is buyer financing for condominiums. Existing and potential projects are stuck without approval from Fannie Mae or FHA that must be in place before lenders will make loans. With those approval programs suspended, many condo developers have been forced to rent unsold units until the market stabilizes and condos buyers can get financing. When will that happen? More questions than answers.
Stuart Wright is with First Bank of Wheat Ridge. Contact Stuart at stuart.wright@efirstbank.com or call him at 303.456.2184. For informational purposes only. Restrictions apply when getting a loan. Rates subject to change. |
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How Important Is Curb Appeal?
Whether potential buyers are driving around scoping out "For Sale" signs, or flipping through listing photos online, curb appeal is everything. It's the difference between "I want to look at this house, it might be the one" and "No thanks, blah."
Most online listings feature the exterior view as the main photo - so it doesn't matter if you just installed a Million Dollar kitchen or a Master Suite to die for - if the front of the place isn't impressive, you are losing the majority of your audience before they even think about unlocking the door or clicking the link for more photos or information.
Here our my favorite quick tips that make a huge difference with very little time or money invested: - If the storm door is ugly or unnecessary, remove it. Nothing is worse than outdated wrought iron - it gives the impression that the neighborhood is unsafe, and it just looks awful.
- Paint the front door a bright, cheerful color & replace the hardware. It should say "Welcome home" not "Go away"
- Paint the porch. Whether it's made of wood or concrete, wrap-around or a simple step, it needs to look well-maintained, fresh, and clean.
- Paint the trim. Even if you can't afford to paint the whole place, a modern and crisp trim color will make not only home-shoppers but the neighbors stop and take a look.
- Replace the mailbox and house numbers.
- Hit the garden center. If you don't have various heights of plants and trees in your landscaping, place a few pots filled with both leafy trees and colorful flowers around the stoop for a professionally landscaped look without the digging.
- Mulch. Spread a thick layer of fresh mulch over anything that looks less than perfect. It's cheap and earth-friendly - and a lot lighter than rock.
- Stage a sitting area out front. Community ranks high with today's homebuyers, and even builders of new construction are adding friendly front porches to their plans. Even if it's just a couple of adirondack chairs or a little cafe table, it's a good idea to show buyers that they can hang out and get to know the neighbors!
And finally, are the homes around yours bringing your value down? It might be worth offering to spend an afternoon helping your neighbors improve their curb appeal as well. For more inspiration, additional photos or information, check out our Live Urban Blog at LiveUrbanDenver.com.
Stacie Staub is a LIVE Broker who has an eye for detail! |
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Best of Denver:
Friday Evening Art
Denver has a great art scene that you can easily experience on a Friday evening at many gallery openings in urban Denver neighborhoods. One of the oldest areas is the Navajo Art District, with five galleries located around 37th Ave & Navajo in northwest Denver's LoHi 'hood. A different gallery has an opening every Friday. And on the first Friday of every month, galleries and studios open their doors to the public.
The First Friday areas are Tennyson Street, Santa Fe Drive, the Golden Triangle and RiNo. Finally, the Denver Art Museum gets into the act with "Untitled" on the last Friday of the month with an offbeat encounter with art, theater, and even a glass of wine!
For more information, visit these local art district websites:
NavajoStreetArtDistrict.com
DenverArtWalk.com
ArtDistrictOnSanteFe.com
GTMD.org
RiverNorthArt.com
DenverArtMuseum.org
Rebekah Robinson is a LIVE Broker and is ready for a glass of wine.
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  Mary Lemieux Broker Associate, Realtor® 303.455.LIVE |
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