Highlands Ranch Real Estate blog at www.DenverRelocation.com

Great News! Sales highest since 2001 in September

2009-11-15T08:27:00.010-07:00

You can see the trend. If you are thinking it might be time to take advantage of the Denver Real estate market, it might be time.

I have watched and worked in the local Denver Colorado real estate market since 1985. I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@DenverRelocation.com

My Favorite Things. Yours?

2009-11-10T14:07:00.004-07:00

What are your favorite things about living in Colorado?
Mine starts with the dry air and fresh breezes.
Then to the mountains majesty. And the canyons & gorges.
Sunrises & Sunsets.
The narrow gauge trains that are here and still running in the mountains.
The skiing and horse back riding got me here.
The people kept me here.
How about you?
What do you LOVE about living in Colorado?

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Furnace Service Guest Blog

2009-10-23T06:56:00.001-06:00

Tom D'Agostino is a new friend in my life who has made an amazing offer to my friends and clients. He has run large heating, air conditioning and plumbing companies and when you shake his hand you know he is a craftsman. Now as the service manager for Kimmel Mechanical, he has made a great offer to those in the Denver area that need their furnace checked out and cleaned up. He can of course get you that new one that qualifies for the energy tax credits too. Here is what he has to say about furnace maintenance and the offer is below that

Although it is easy to put off, performing a routine maintenance on your heating system prior to the winter months is as important as changing the oil in your car. Without the maintenance, your furnace runs a higher risk of needing a costly repair later on.
Hiring a professional technician to come in and clean your furnace, change the filter and ensure it is functioning properly means that you can avoid a middle of the night emergency call when it is below freezing. A furnace that is too dirty can also cost you more money throughout the winter, because it will use more gas and drive your Xcel bill higher and higher. Homeowners who maintain their furnace regularly also have a better chance of lengthening the life of their furnace.
A regular maintenance should include a filter change and a thorough furnace cleaning. Technicians may also recommend additional repairs to prevent issues in the coming months. Scheduling maintenance during the months of October and November is a good idea, because heating contractors have more time before the severe cold weather hits.
The cost of the maintenance is typically well worth avoiding serious issues in the future, and they also ensure that you will not have to live without heat during the coldest times of the year when heating contractors are the busiest with emergencies.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR SERVICE TUNE-UP!
Kimmel Service is offering a $75.00 fall special that will tune-up your furnace. This service will include the following:
Clean flower motor and wheel. Vacuum any debris that has accumulated.
Check gas pressure to the furnace and make adjustments to meet standard operating pressures.
Perform combustion analysis on the flu gas leaving the furnace. Adjust fuel and air mixture so the unit runs as efficiently as it can, reducing over firing and under firing of the furnace.
Check for any CO leaks on the furnace.
Write up any deficiencies that you have noticed. Price up any work that needs to be done.
The above work could increase the efficiency by up to 25% and reduce your utility bill significantly.

If you need Denver or Highlands Ranch real estate help, give me a call. These are unprecedented times we are living through and experience will count for allot. I have been a Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

I am still the one!

2009-10-16T10:55:00.006-06:00

As A Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker since 1985 you get to see cycles and trends and after awhile you get to recognize when they start. I am starting to see another.

Each month I attempt to collect stats from the Metrolist and have found that it is a statewide database, so massaging the individual areas of metro Denver (and know what Denver encompasses) is pretty important.

Take a look at these 2 charts and tell me what you think...
IS there a trend of fewer homes and stable sales?

I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Can't you find a REAL job in Denver?

2009-09-25T17:19:00.002-06:00

Those words still ring in my ears from 24 years ago when I told my mother I was going to sell real estate. So what got you there and what has kept you there some folks ask. Well, long stories longer, here goes…

In 1984 I was a successful young Landman in the oil and gas business with the company car, the expense account, and all the benefits except one; a contract. Do not get me wrong. I had a great boss who was fair and kind, but who had said to me when he hired me in 1982 that “when the money runs out, the job runs out”. “Fair enough” I had responded. My work should cause the money to keep flowing! And I worked!

Well, sometime in the late summer of 1984 the price of crude oil fell to an especially low point. It was sometime in September or October, Vince poked his head in my office door and reminded me of our conversation and added “well the money has run out!” effective November 30th. Being the young confident guy I was, I decided I could do the oil business better and stepped out and sold some prospects to other companies that they drilled, all dry holes though. And there was that last prospect that just about broke us as it was bought by a guy who went bankrupt. Never a word! But just in case as a contract landman I had gotten my Real Estate license so I could collect in court.

And that young confident nature caused me to never file for un-employment either. My wife did daycare in the home, I plowed snow and did day work in the old office. I sold a couple of homes for my partner too as I had a brokers license. I even tried to manufacture and sell the next pet rock called a "What Knot". I was trying to do too many things and not doing any well! It was an unsettled time!

So I am “working at home” one day in Englewood Colorado in late 1985 or early 1986 and there is a knock on the door. I open it to find a foreclosure notice! Well, as you can imagine, my wife and I had some agitated words that night but we succeeded in formulating a plan: We could either sell the house and buy another smaller one and stay in Denver; we could take a job in Midland (and get laid off again there); or I could sell real estate. We needed some money to get out of hole we were in and so I called the first national bank of MOM the next day. We explained our alternative plans and she politely agreed the first 2 were not good at all but when I came to #3 I heard the words: CAN’T YOU FIND A REAL JOB?" There were no jobs in Denver at that time as we had just had about 40,000 folks lose jobs in the past 2 years in the oil business alone. It was a very depressed market and we had 16% home interest rates too!

That is what started my real estate career(there will be more to come). However,
I have been A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since then and I love helping nice folks buy and sell homes. I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Great Location Foreclosed Home

2009-09-24T06:51:00.003-06:00

Just popped up on the MLS a 2300 square foot bank owned home in one of the older parts of Highlands Ranch. Coming on the market on a Thursday is typical for a foreclosure as they can get offers throughout the weekend and present them all on Monday. Yes we have had some success winning the bids so if you want a 2 story traditional home with a 3 car garage that you can buy for the mid 300s and then do some fix up, give drop me a line, quickly, as it will be gone on Tuesday! PS: NOT MY LISTING. I would be a Buyers Agent for you.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Denver State of the Market

2009-09-18T14:41:00.004-06:00

There is a corrolary between the number of homes on the market and the number of sales. The number of NEW listings entering the market is another good indicator. The more the difference between the two shrinks, the more towards a Sellers market we move. Last year, 2008 was the end of the Buyers Market, but this chart only reflects August data since 2003. Tell me what you think.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Even Better...not JUST DENVER!

2009-09-16T08:24:00.002-06:00

The stats everyone is quoting as gospel from Metrolist, the Denver MLS service, are based upon statewide data, not Denver data. As an example the 15,302 active residential listings at the end of August include the Pikes Peak MLS (Colorado Springs) and Boulder MLS listings, two areas just a little seperated from DENVER. The real number for metro Denver is more on the order of 12,840, but no one knows for sure as Metrolist has not defined their core area of business as metro Denver. 90% of their data is from that demographic, but there is no "metro Denver in their searches. Gotta love an outfit that grabs data from all over and then , by default, it assumed that it is local data only. Therefore, understand that any data you see coming from Metrolist could be off by as much as 16-17%. Could that change a perspective or 2?
So I guess the purpose of this post is:
Be careful what dat you rely on.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Denver Statistic Bubble must be a federal grant!

2009-09-15T06:57:00.002-06:00

Statistics bother me, especially when someone else starts to tell me what data I can use...
Metrolist, the oft quoted Denver multiple listing service has decided that their back-end legacy system is too cumbersome to maintain and as of today, I can no longer do free form searches to discover how many single family homes really went on the market in August in Denver. I simply have to accept their definition. Sold properties are easier to come by and that data indicates about a 10% drop since JULY???? Well, Iguess it is time for a new data spike....geez these guys have not had a real bad one since???? lets see was it the year they decided ALL the listings were new July 1st? or was it the year they decided the entire state was metro Denver?
I have to give them some credit though...at least they are controling the data flow now and everyone is quoting the same crud!

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

2009-08-25T19:47:00.001-06:00

97 days or 2333 hours are left to close your first time buyer so they get their free $8000 tax credit

2009-08-21T18:12:00.001-06:00

I am off to evening of operating a model railroad, or if you will, puzzle solving. Great fun

Auburn Park In Highlands Ranch

2009-08-19T18:10:00.003-06:00

One of the benefits of working for a number of years in a market like Highlands Ranch is you get to know things about the neighborhood that other cannot remember or never experienced. Take a look at this AUBURN PARK page.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

3.6% of "Denver" is "For Sale"

2009-08-16T07:04:00.006-06:00

Checking the MLS yesterday in the "NORMAL AREA" known as Denver there were only 14,379 single family homes listed for sale. If there are 400,000 single family homes in Denver then we have fewer than 3.6% of the properties for sale. Not a huge inventory given there are about 2.5 million people living in metro Denver, and yes that includes the suburbs.

In the last few years Metrolist has added the Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and other multiple listing services to their data stream so it is harder and harder to find good data. Add to the the blending and "merging" of Boulder/Longmont into metro Denver, and the real estate statistics really get blown out of the water. It is just hard to see where the boarders are. So sometimes experience counts!

My latest experiences tell me I need to counsel more on the stress this market induces. I may enjoy negotiating (and winning), but some folks find this business much more intense and frustrating, especially when there are multiple offers, and with only one exception, every property we have dealt with this year has been a bidding war. Everyone wants a deal, and so do the other buyers. Listings are being priced low so they INDUCE multiple offers and an AUCTION atmosphere. Be ready before heading out into this market, especially the first time buyers.

Make sure to talk to a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker before you make any move. I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Do you REALLY understand the tax credit?

2009-08-12T07:57:00.003-06:00

We've had many clients asking great questions about the first time buyer tax credit, how it applies to the Denver Real Estate market...and I wanted to be sure you had the answers.

Some basics for you:

Q: If I’ve owned a home before, does that mean I’m not a first-time home buyer?

As long as it has been three years since you’ve owned a home, you are considered a first-time home buyer; even if you own a rental but it is not your residence and you have not lived in it for the last 3 years!

Q: Do I really get up to $8,000, or is it just a tax deduction?

It’s really up to $8,000-in your pocket! You get the money when you file your tax return. (Some restrictions apply...call Lori at 720-200-6868 today for more details).

Q: I’ve been thinking about buying, how much time do I have?

The program ends November 30. Now is the time to buy!
You do not want to be caught in the last minute rush in today's lending climate.
Only 110 days left to get your qualifying transaction CLOSED!

Feel free to pass this information on to your friends and family...while there is still time to take advantage of this great opportunity. As always, we're here to help - so please call me with any questions you have.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Time to Buy a First Home in Denver

2009-07-30T16:32:00.002-06:00

But there are only 123 days left to get the first time buyer tax credit. OR only 2960 hours.
A quick review says the FIRST TIME BUYER gets an $8,000 tax credit if they close BEFORE November 30, 2009. The program expires at midnight on that day.

You can even ammend you 2008 tax return to get the credit THIS YEAR! And here is a great idea! You can borrow the $8000 from Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa and pay them back when Uncle Sam sends you your check!

I am a Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 and I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

First time BUYER Denver Home only 127 days

2009-07-26T20:27:00.000-06:00

or 3,048 hours left.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

3,144 Hours or 131 days left

2009-07-22T20:16:00.004-06:00

to take advantage of the first time buyer's tax credit. Make the move now because the lenders do not have the ability to handle the new loans they are doing as it is. Do not wait until every one else is in the queue.

A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

2009-07-21T16:52:00.001-06:00

3176 hours left to take advantage of the 1st time buyers tax credit of up to $8,000

135 days left to take the tax credit in Denver

2009-07-17T21:29:00.001-06:00

139 days left

2009-07-14T21:42:00.001-06:00

to take advantage of the tax credit for first time buyers.
In Denver it is taking 45 days or more to close a loan.
Start your search for a Denver Home soon.
A Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985 I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

2009-06-23T06:40:00.001-06:00

158 days remain to buy a home and still get the tax credit from the stimulus plan

2009-06-22T19:47:00.001-06:00

only 159 days to close & get your tax credit. Details at http://ping.fm/9WXZ4

2009-06-20T16:50:00.001-06:00

3 weeks to go before the Garden Railway Convention in Denver www.2009ngrc.com Check it out

2009-06-17T14:17:00.001-06:00

Tax Credit only use CHFA's JUMPStart Program if you use a CHFA 1st mortgage. Those are .5-1% higher than other government loans, which limits the buyers ability to qualify.

Down Payment with Tax Credit is Available in Colorado

2009-06-17T07:03:00.004-06:00

From another lender friend:
The only place you can get a portion of the $8000 to use toward your down payment is CHFA. While FHA may say yes, I don’t know any mortgage lender that would advance the funds. CHFA’s program is called Jumpstart and you can get $6000 of the $8000 to use for your purchase. No interest or payments, but must be repaid by June 1, 2010 or payments and interest accrue.
See www.chfainfo.com for details. Biggest downside is CHFA’s interest rates are high.

Now for a note to any first time buyer: Take the FIRST TIME BUYER COURSE CHFA University offers online:
http://www.chfainfo.com/homebuyer/Homebuyer_Education_course_schedule.icm

Since 1985 I have been going to work every day for you and your friends, learning about our home town! Whether it is Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado, we offer real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, property listings, mls, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com