Alice Downie

Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in Denver

2012-02-20T00:51:15Z

Are you planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Denver this year by attending the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Golden Jubilee? Celebrating its fiftieth year, the Parade is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 17, 2012 in Lower Downtown Denver.

The history of the Denver Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is long and exciting, and the Parade committee plans to highlight special golden moments from throughout the years by producing a concise pictorial history of the Parade to commemorate the Golden Jubilee. Denver residents who have enjoyed the Parade over the years are being asked to donate memorabilia associated with the Parade to the committee for publication. Memorabilia may be submitted to the historian, Maureen Caldwell by email to mobasketcase@comcast.com.

Don’t be late for the Parade! It steps off at 10 a.m., and normally lasts until 1:30 or 2 p.m. The route starts at the Coors Field parking lot, steps off at 27th and Blake; turns from Blake west to 17th, from 17th to Wynkoop, and from Wynkoop back to Coors Field. Parade viewing is good anywhere along the route. Have fun celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in Denver this year.

If you are in the market for a new home, why not contact the real estate professionals at Alice Downie and set up appointments to visit a few houses after the parade. Call Alice Downie at 800.856.9004 today!

Visit the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Denver

2012-02-20T00:40:40Z

There are so many wonderful outdoor cultural venues in Denver worthy of a relaxed day trip where you can enjoy the whole venue in one visit. That is not the case with the Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA). The MOA is a collection of over 200 pieces of outdoor art that is selectively and artistically placed in office parks, botanical gardens and city parks throughout Denver. It would be very challenging to visit the whole destination art “Museum” in one day!

The MOA employs art, architecture, performance art and landscape design to create its site- specific sculpture. The “…Museum of Outdoor Arts believes in ‘making art a part of everyday life’ by integrating the arts into public spaces accessible by all.”

The MOA offers indoor galleries, studios and special events and is located at the Englewood Civic Center. The upcoming event, ‘Destination Art: Mardi Gras 2012’ will be on Saturday, February 25, from 6 to 10 pm. First time visitors, newcomers or people relocating to the area may contact the MOA office for more information.

The Light Bulb has Come a Long Way

2012-02-20T00:34:35Z

Metropolitan Denver residents welcome the recent changes across the U.S. in light bulb technology, focused on maximizing energy and cost savings. Huff Post GREEN has written an article highlighting new lighting innovations including information on advances in light bulbs. The article entitled, “Green Innovations and Advances Of 2011” notes that the U.S. is beginning to phase out certain types of older style incandescent light bulbs, replacing them with newer, more efficient incandescents, CFLs and LED bulb types.

One of the side effects of the lighting technology changes is that jobs are being created in manufacturing, marketing and sales of lighting products. HuffPost blogger Rocky Kistner wrote, “…there are other jobs being created as more and more efficient lighting products hit the market. More and more manufacturers are switching to new money saving technologies. And that means more jobs for installers too.” These changes benefit metropolitan Denver area residents who are seeking a greener and more energy efficient lifestyle.

If you are located in the metro Denver area and interested in information about buying or selling a home, please contact Alice Downie by telephone at 800.856.9004, or visit the Alice Downie website.

Choose Your Denver Interest Rates Carefully

2012-02-20T00:22:39Z

Are you a Denver area resident who is buying a new home or refinancing your current home? As you contact a few different sources for mortgage rates and quotes, be sure to carefully consider the balance between interest rate and points when you make a decision about your mortgage package.

Read this excellent CNNMoney.com article highlighting house buying tips and offering the following advice. “When picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points — a portion of the interest that you pay at closing — in exchange for a lower interest rate.” If the home you are purchasing is one in which you plan to stay for an extended period of time, such as four or more years, it is usually best to take the option of paying additional points. In the long run, you will save more with a lower interest rate.

For more information about Denver area interest rates and mortgage tips, contact the Coldwell Banker residential broker Alice Downie by telephone at 800.856.9004, or visit the Alice Downie website. Our office is located at 8490 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 100, Greenwood Village, Colorado, 80111.

Record-Setting Mortgage Rates Hit Denver Again

2012-02-10T22:41:42Z

We have great news for home buyers — record-setting mortgage rates are hitting Denver again, and now is an excellent time for home buyers to enter the market. A recent Realty Times article entitled, ‘Average Mortgage Rates Ease Setting New Record Lows’ highlighting the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported that average mortgage rates recently dropped to record new lows. The 30 and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, and 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage averaged new lows, while the 1-year Treasury-indexed adjustable-rate mortgage increased 0.6 of a point.

Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac commented: “Most mortgage rates eased to all-time record lows this week as fourth quarter growth in the economy fell short of market projections. …One bright spot, however, was that fixed residential investment increased for the third consecutive quarter and residential construction spending rebounded in December, rising 0.7 percent.”

If you have been thinking about beginning the search for a new home, now is the time to start! Contact the Coldwell Banker real estate professional Alice Downie for professional assistance with your new home search in the metro Denver area, by telephone at 800.856.9004.

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