Real Estate & Relocation ^ Colorado

Denver Children's Hospital Moves Up in Rank

Denver, Colorado

U.S. News & World Report lists the top 30 hospitals in the U.S. Denver's Children's Hospital moved up to the #4 place after being #7 last year.  Children's Hospital will be relocating to the Fitzsimons Medical Campus in Aurora this October 2007.

The top 10 hospitals are:

1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children's Hospital Boston
3. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
4. The Children's Hospital, Denver
5. Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland
6. Texas Children's Hospital, Houston
7. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
8. New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
9. Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle
10. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.

Congratulations to Children's Hospital for all the fine work you do for Children and their families!  You service has not gone unnoticed.

Home Values Increase in Cherry Creek High School District

The actually home value increases aren't in yet, but since John Elway has agreed to be the Football Coach at Cherry Creek High School, values are bound to increase.

How many kids want to be coached by #7?

Alot.

Operators are standing by to take calls for the neighborhoods of Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills and Centennial.  Real Estate values will be spiking...throw that ball John!

Visit the HBA Parade of Homes at Southshore

Whether you are in need of a new home or not, the Home Builders Association Parade of Homes makes for an enjoyable afternoon.  Checking out the latest design trends and getting to see Aurora's newest and hottest subdivision at Southshore is worth the trip.

The Parade is manageable this year with five homes being featured. The custom home builders are:

• Remarc Homes presenting "Celebrations" at 7,200 square feet
• Hollyberry Homes showing off "The Boat House" with 3,800 square feet
• Village Homes with "The Shore House" at 6,168 square feet
• John Laing Homes scored well with "Trade Winds" at 3,796 square feet
• Rocky Mountain Custom Homes inspired us with "Montauk Point @Southshore" 6,200 square feet

Not surprising the designs this year focused on integrating out door living, due to the site's unusual and lovely setting at the shore of Aurora Reservoir.  Gracious decks, covered patio's complete with full outdoor kitchen's will encourage a homeowner to spend more time in the fresh air.

Media rooms and multiple flat screen TV's are still popular.  Granite finishes are being replaced with styled concrete, glass and other finishes.  White cabinets are making a reappearance (I question this, but then what do I know?).

My favorite feature are the wonderful closet finishes.  The closet has grown into a classy dressing room experience.  What gal wouldn't love to primp around in style with drawers and space for every cherished item and mirrors to help make sure "the look" is just right?  Closets are now part of the luxury experience, not just a dark, dingy place to hide the laundry!

If you want to make a trip to the Parade, be sure to schedule enough time to peruse the many vendors offering services and samples. You can purchase a lunch or snack on site. Parking is plentiful. 

If the Parade is not enough house looking for you, continue on to visit the many model homes offered throughout the Southshore area.  Make it a day of Lookie Louing.

The Parade of Homes runs now through Labor Day. Time 10:00 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday is "date night" and open until 9 p.m. Take E-470 to Smoky Hill Road, go east and follow the signs to the "Parade of Homes at Southshore"

Primal Scream Catch 22

Denver Relocation Tips

Moving to a new area brings horrors of it's own. The biggest horror of all is having a Catch 22 problem you cannot solve.

The most common problem I see is when the transferee packs up all his belongings. As the moving van pulls away from the curb the Denver lender calls, asking for documentation for the new loan.

No problem the transferee says, I'll fax it to you, then he remembers...

OH NO! It's packed away in the truck!

What happens now? The moving van does not arrive until next week sometime, just after closing.

But closing can't occur until there is a loan. The loan won't occur until there the documents are delivered.

What a predicament.

The solution? Get your loan in place before you pack.  Separate all your important back up data from the items to be moved. Keep them with you, this might even mean HIDING them from the moving guys, who have been known to be extra efficient in packing!

This Denver Relocation Tip works in every part of the country whether you are buying Denver Real Estate or not!

(Photo of Norway's most famous painter, Edvard Munch's emotional Primal Scream. Painted in th 17th Century were obviously the artist experienced a distraught moment in relocation!)

Be careful of what you say!

Cruising around the blogisphere this morning brought me to a very good post on Real Estate Undressed.  Mr. Larry Cragin posted photos of bears playing on a children's playset.  I loved the photos of the adorable bears having a wonderful time! They must have thought the playset was provided just for them.

Naturally I brain traveled back in a time to an earlier date this year when I was showing homes.  My clients and I arrived at a lovely home on Bell Mountain in Castle Rock. The owners were home and proudly showed us around, describing every detail of their obviously loved home.

Our conversation turned to the large lot that backed up to open space. Mr. Seller  shared with us his experience with a bear in his back yard.  His exciting rendition of how the bear rambled across the back yard one morning triggered the fear factor in my clients.

Being from the city they failed to understand the beauty of having a large wild animal appear at random in their back yard.

Needless to say, without any question Mr. Seller talked himself out of selling his home.  Oops!

The good intentions a seller may have many times are not received as intended.

In the past I've had sellers meet us at the house and droll on about home features my buyers absolutely didn't want.  Of course the buyers would never be so bold as to tell the homeowner the feature was not their preference, they politely let the seller continue.

As an agent for the buyer, we seldom need the seller to step in for a tour.  In fact, I would rather not have the seller there, at least the first time.  Later when the transaction turns to reality, the buyers and sellers can and should get together to discuss the finer details of the home.  But certainly not prior to the decision to buy.

To a seller letting go of your home when you feel so strongly toward it is difficult.  Yes, you know it well, but the best thing to do is leave.  The pain of not being able to say anything for fear it is the wrong thing may be too great to bare.

No pun intended...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Colorado is  home to many wild animals, having them in your back yard is not a common occurence, but it does happen.  When faced with a bear the best thing is to not turn and run.  The last thing you want to do is look like food!

Bear cubs as adorable as they are, should never ever be approached. Mama will be near by and she will most assuredly object to her babies associating with a two legged creature.

Bear meetings should be avoided at all costs.

Mortgage broker screws up...

Some clients of mine have  moved away.  They closed on their home last week after a traumatic few weeks of house hunting.  The story I am about to tell is real.  The names will not be mentioned, but the facts are the facts.  Take them for what they are worth.

They bought a very expensive home, the day before closing they learned the out of state mortgage broker neglected to tell them (probably because he didn't know) there was a "LUXURY TRANSFER TAX" of 1% and several thousand dollars of fees he forgot to list in the good faith estimate.

1% doesn't sound like much, but in this instance it all added up to $26,000!  OUCH!

At the last minute they were calling family for a quick loan.  Yes, they had the funds, but just couldn't access them by the next day.

Everyone makes mistakes, but why is it that mortgage brokers seems to make them more often?

Once again I must repeat, real estate is local.  When you are moving from one area to the next, never assume things are just like they are back home.  Chances are you will be wrong.

Why blame it on the out of state/area mortgage broker?  Well had they used a LOCAL mortgage banker, that person would have been more likely to be familiar with the local custom (the 1% tax was a STATE law!).  It would have come up much sooner than the day before closing.

Using an out of area lender is always risky.  Mortgage brokers often are licensed to do business in many states.  More states than they could ever possibly know all the rules and regs.  To  most, it's a crap shoot, they win some they lose some.  Mortgage brokers have NO VESTED interest in the consumer or getting the job done right. They  take applications and send them off to  investors and mortgage BANKERS to  process. This means they do not control the process, even though they tell you they do. (that's another blog)

Why do I say that?  Well time and time again mortgage brokers have ignored important dates in the Colorado approved contract.  Dates that if missed could possibly mean the buyer would lose every penny of their hard earned earnest money.

The person held responsible is the real estate agent.  The agent is required by law to represent the best interest of the buyer so he does.  But when it comes to the mortgage broker who is responsible for meeting the dates and delivering the money, they have no fiduciary to the buyer.  In fact many mortgage brokers refuse to even speak to the buyer's agent.

So the agent is left in the dark, writing extension after extension to be sure the buyer is covered. 

The best strategy for a consumer is to use a tried and true mortgage banker who lives and works in the area.  Don't rely on some friendly voice in a faraway state to handle the transaction.  Go with a professional who knows what they are doing and can advise you from the beginning.

As my daughter quipped, "You don't want to be a casualty at their first rodeo!"

Denver's Famous Sleeper House

Looking to the south while driving on I-70 just west of Denver in Genesee, one cannot miss the famous house on the mountainside.  Movie buffs and fans of Woody Allen will recognize this home as being in the famous 30+ year old movie, "Sleeper."

When the home was first built, it was considered to be an "eye-sore" by the neighbors.  Now after nearly 40 years on the mountainside it's a landmark.  Many a conversation has been started in my car about Denver's famous futuristic house.

Built by Charles Deaton in 1969 it wasn't until 10 years later it was discovered by Woody Allen as he looked for a place to film Sleeper.  On a limited budget the Hollywood production company could not travel to far. Finding the unusual sculptured house was a stroke of luck for the company.  Most of the film was shot outdoors, so the fact that Deaton hadn't managed to finish the interior yet was not so significant.

The "habitable sculpture" home as it was described by Charles Deaton, stands as a familiar curiosity today.  It has been extensively updated by the new owners, keeping in mind the affinity for Deaton's design.

The views of the city, plains and mountains are unsurpassed.

If you are interested in reading more about the history of the home, including the most recent sale, follow the links I've included below.  The articles include some fabulous photos of the home, including some scenes from the movie!  Enjoy!

Read what others have to saw about The Sculptured House , Decorating Sleeper, Screen Grabs of the Film, "Sleeper,"  For Sale at just under $8million, 
House Sold in April '06 undisclosed price

Thinking Globally ~ Douglas County Schools

The Douglas County School District is in the preparation stages to offer a World Language initiative that will teach Spanish and Mandarin Chinese at the elementary level.  The District is preparing a curriculum that will provide a strong foundation for the students as they carry on with language training into the upper classes.

Phase one of the initiative includes 13 schools in the program.  More schools will participate in the coming years.

ASL, American Sign Language will also be taught at several Douglas County high schools beginning in the 2007-2008 school year.

Beginning a new language early in life is much easier than later.  With today's global economy our students need to know at least one additional language other than English in order to compete.  Douglas County should be commended in their efforts to prepare kids for the future.

An information meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 23, at 5 pm in the Wells Fargo Room of the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock.  All interested citizens are welcome to attend.  More info can be found at the District's web site.

Where do you want to live? Consider Douglas County...

The Denver metro area consists of 7 close by counties.  One of the most popular counties to reside in this decade is Douglas County, home to Highlands  Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Larkspur and Sedalia.

Currently Douglas County is the 6th fastest growing county in the U.S. down from #1 of previous years.  Growth has slowed down a little, but the popularity of Douglas County has  not slowed at all. National media agrees, read on:

Castle Rock of Douglas County is featured the August 2007 issue of Family Circle Magazine for being one of the 10 Best Towns for Families.  The criteria for being considered was to "blend affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces, and a lot less stress." Castle  Rock certainly qualifies with all those features!

Castle Rock is located south of Denver on I-25.  It is midway between Denver and Colorado Springs making it an excellent choice for families who may work in each of the major Colorado cities.

Douglas County was  featured in Money Magazine as one of the "skinniest" counties. It ranked 18th on the list for job growth.

Parker, another popular Douglas County hometown, was ranked 30th on the "100 best Places to Live" list.

Douglas county as a whole offers a nice blend of both town and rural living.  Residents enjoy close proximity to the recreation in the mountains and the sizzle of Denver culture, all never more than 60 minutes away.

The Douglas County School District is headquartered in Castle Rock and is officially the 3rd largest school district in Colorado. As a result of the influx of new students, the district is in the process of building more schools.  Students in Douglas county can almost count on attending a new or fairly new facility.

Academic achievements of students in the Douglas County school average well above the overall Colorado state averages in all grades.  Douglas County is a destination for parents wanting to place their children in an excellent learning environment.

Need more information about Douglas County real estate visit my website!

So many houses for sale so little time

House hunting is very intimidating when there are so many homes to choose from.  I've been working with a buyer, let's call her Mary.  Mary is moving to the Denver metro area and was very concerned about "finding the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood."  Mary's desires are very typical of just about everyone moving into a new home, particularly when they are relocating from a different part of the country.

When we first started working together, long before we actually met, Mary felt the only way she could ever feel comfortable about making a decision was to move here and rent a home for a few months. That way she could investigate all the areas, see all the homes that were available before ever committing to purchase one.

The rent now-buy later strategy is a very popular one.  Typically first time transferees find comfort in this plan, because they have never made such a major transition before.

However Mary, being an experienced mover, had relocated more than once. She was a savvy mover, but for some reason was letting the "bad press" about foreclosures in the Denver metro area get to her.

We talked on the phone on several occasions and I could feel Mary was being to feel more comfortable with the move and less comfortable with her plan of torture of making a double move.  Her dream was to be able to visit Denver for a few days or more and find the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood and make a door-to-door move when her home sold back east.

I agreed with Mary that this was the perfect situation and we should try to make her dream come true.  I assured her I would never push her to make a decision.  My part in her plan was to supply her with as much information about the potential areas as possible.  She would have time prior to the move to study her top priorities, which were good schools, a youngish neighborhood where children would have plenty of playmates and she really didn't want to travel more than 7 minutes to a grocery store.

No problem!

Mary scheduled a 4 day trip. She was still apprehensive about getting the job done in 4 days.  I knew by her description there were several areas that would fit the bill.

The first day out was the usual reality check.  Mary learned quickly what the Denver 'burbs had to offer. 

Day Two the whole plan came together beautifully. We were able to target 2 homes she would be perfectly happy in.

Just for grins on Day 3 we looked at the other competing  homes in Mary's favorite neighborhood.  We wanted to be sure we weren't missing The House.

On Day 3 we were finished looking and ready to write an offer.

As it turned out Day 4 was not necessary for house hunting, but Mary used it to visit the schools and the mall.

Mission accomplished!

The reality is we have 30,256 homes on the market in the Denver metro area (as of June 2007).  This is a combined number of both single family detached and attached homes.  The metro area is geographically huge, probably more than 40-50 miles in each direction. 

When you take that many homes, divided them up by price range, number of bedrooms and other criteria there may only be a total of 20-40 homes that fit a buyer's needs.

Once you start house hunting, it is important to continue the search at a pace to be able to make a decision before the home you like gets sold.  Stretching that decision over weeks or months only means you become a career looker.

Mary learned the best strategy is to push forward, learn quickly and make a decision in a timely fashion.  She will be making a door to door move.

And just for the books, Mary is delighted with her decision.

I love it when a plan comes together! :)

Help Me...I'm Lost and I can't find the right neighborhood!

Brave people who plan to  move to Denver occasionally figure they can fly in, rent a car and drive around until they find the right neighborhood.

Well, brave might not be the proper word, perhaps brave should be replaced with practical.  The plan certainly does seem to be practical.  I mean why bother a real estate broker when you don't really know which way to turn?

Driving the city and the 7 adjoining counties can't be that difficult now can it?

You bet it is!

Finding a place to live is so very important.  Locating the right neighborhood is much easier when you have someone with some background and experience in the price range of homes, age, style, schools and other amenities.

The truth is, real estate brokers who deal with relocation assignments work with people who arrive in the city having very little knowledge of the area.  More often than not our clients have never been to Denver or it's suburbs before! 

Is this a bother?  Absolutely not! Showing off our city to newcomers is  one of our favorite things to do!  When you love an area like I and my Group does, work becomes pleasure!  We love to help you make the right decision.

We help home buyers relocate:

• by providing area tours (whether you are just considering or have accepted the job transfer)
• showing a wide selection of areas based on YOUR needs not ours
• by suggesting alternatives that might fit your lifestyle (one size does NOT fit all!)
• by saving you time with providing relevant facts

Moving to Denver? Call us because we know the territory. Really!

What about a contingency?

Common questions I hear almost daily are those that come from people relocating to Denver from  other parts of the country.  Many housing markets are soft, the days on market numbers are increasing due to the lack of buyers.

Our job market in Denver is strong and getting stronger. Each day we have people trying to sell in another market and move here.  The hitch for so many home buyers is the inability to sell their homes.

Most people don't want to be stuck with two mortgages.  Heck most people can barely afford one mortgage much less two! Having a home in one city and a job in another causes enough stress. 

There are solutions.

• Get tough on price with the old home.  Reduce the price to make it more attractive than anything else on the market.
• Get a bridge loan
• Find a home where the owner will do a "rent back" until closing.  Some homeowners will do this if you sweeten the pot by putting down "non-refundable" earnest money.  That means if your home never closes, you lose your earnest  money.  If it does, you get to put the earnest money toward the closing costs on your new home.
• Rent your home in your old neighborhood until the market improves.  Things will get better over time.
• Consider buying less of a home on this end and moving again in a couple years when the other home has sold.   This way you can be settled and focus on the job.

Most home owners in the Denver metro market are not willing to accept an offer that is contingent upon another property selling, unless it is already under-contract.  Going into a deal that has no end in sight is not a good way to do business. 

But...

Most homeowners are willing to work with a contingency if the buyer's home has a buyer.  So when your home sells and is what we call "under-contract" waiting to close, you can go find a home and write an offer.  Be sure you specify in the contract the closing is "contingent upon the successful closing of your home that is currently under-contract."  This clause will protect you if by some sad chance your home fails to close.

Contingent offers are a way of life. They aren't a sure thing for either side, but with the proper actions they do become a sure thing and just another path to get to closing.   under-contract.

Negotiation where to start...

So you have found the home you want. You and the spouse have both kicked the various "tires" to make sure there are no problems. The neighborhood looks terrific. The grocery story is within 5 minutes as is the school and Spot's veterinarian.

As each new fact falls into the "yes" column of the Ben Franklin list, you are more and more certain, this home is for you.

What comes next?

Finding the right home is just the beginning of the process.  Now we go back to my office to crunch the numbers.  We need to make an offer (most people don't pay full price) so where do we start?

The listing price on the home is typically the one the seller would like to get.  Sometimes the price is based on actually sold comparables in the neighborhood, sometimes it's a number pulled from a hat.

We want to know what the home should sell for, based on our OWN research, not someone else's! 

To do that, I look for sold comparables in the area that match the home as closely as possible.  This process is very much like the process a fee appraiser uses.  We look at style, age, condition and size.

Most neighborhoods and price ranges in the Denver metro area have sold comps that will give us a good idea of what the house should sell for.  I find most of the buyers I work with, get very good at recognizing value. We look at enough homes that by the time my buyer is ready to make an offer, they have a very strong feeling of confidence about the home's value.

Pulling up the facts on the computer validates our findings.

How much LESS can we offer?

The trickiest part of negotiation is the price a buyer wants to offer.  Many buyers hear about how bad the real estate market is and assume they are going to get tens of thousands off the price of a home.  This just simply is not true.

MetroList the MLS service covering the Denver metro area publishes statistics on "price to sale ratios".  These statistics are based on actual list prices and the amount the home ends up selling for.  My favorite list of stats is the Year to Date Summary by MLS Area.  This summary gives the percent of list to sale ratios on our MLS areas.

Consulting this list results in a better understanding of where to position your offer.  Obviously if the area you want to buy is showing a 98% list/sale ratio, offering 85% of the list price on a home will not fly.  In fact it may very well alienate the seller!

Let's face it, as a buyer you have no responsibility to "make the seller happy" but you also don't want to annoy  him to the  point of negotiating higher than he would have had you been more realistic! 

I see this scenario all the time.  Some people just have to "do it their way" and they end up making a mess of things.

Being reasonable, showing you have done your homework, providing proof that you are a well intentioned buyer (pre-approval letter and solid earnest money) will get a seller's attention every time.

Seller's like to know they are dealing with a real player, not a wishy-washy deal maker that might disappear into the sunset before closing.

BYOHT

Occasionally my imagination gets a workout when I'm driving down the highway.  I see a moving van and wonder who's possessions are inside. Where are they going?  Where are they coming from?  How long (if ever) will it take them to sort through the boxes to assemble order to their lives?

I've personally moved more times in my life than I care to count.  Most moves were only from one neighborhood to another nearby.  Two, no three  moves were across country.  Never were these moves made easier for me and my family by us having professional help.  We always did the "do it yourself" thing, packing, driving and unpacking ourselves.

Moving for us was always an adventure of sorts.  I remember being excited about driving the enormous U-Haul truck by myself.  No, it wasn't so much the driving the truck part that excited me, it was the "by myself" part.  My three little kids, who I love dearly were also a pleasure to be separate from at times!

On that same trip I came close to it being "my final destination." After stopping for food, I restarted the journey with the emergency brake on.  Not having deep experience of feeling for the truck, I didn't even notice!  It wasn't long until my trailing husband cut me off, making me  pull off the road.  He motioned me out of the truck and jumped inside. He drove off through a huge mud puddle, thankfully putting out the fire that had started from the burning brakes!

Adventure like this is one I can live without!

Moving to a new home should be an adventure, maybe not as wild as my experience, but an adventure of finding a new neighborhood with new friends and new activities.  So bring your familiar possessions, the spouse, the kids and pets (if you have them), then embrace the experience as a mission in making memories.

BYOHT means Bring Your Own Hot Tub (see the photo above) my inspiration for this post.

The cost of elbow room

Homeowners from parts of the country where the lots are large always want a large lot.  "I need elbow room," they say.  But of course it is natural to want to duplicate the conditions they are used to. 

But let's discuss this first.  Denver and the metro area is high plains desert.  What that translates to, is a different kind of climate than most people are used to.  We have places not to far from the city where there is vacant land as far as the eye can see. But the land is dry.  Yes, dry and dusty.

So my friend if you want land you can have it.  But if you want anything green you will need to water it.

Mr. Transferring Buyer the green acre you want will need to be 1) on an automated sprinkler system. 2) mowed 3) watered.

Last year I sold a home to a couple who had to have an acre in a nice neighborhood.  We found them the home, they bought it.  5 months later they called me to resell it. Why?  There was nothing wrong with the house, it was the water bill they couldn't live with.   At a clip of $300-$400 a month, they decided the cost of elbow room just wasn't worth it.

The good news is...

Denver metro neighborhoods are planned communities.  Most of the lots have been scaled down to allow for a modest yard that offers some space at an affordable, sustainable cost.  The county planners also provide many parks and open spaces throughout the neighborhoods.  In fact some counties pride themselves on maintaining a large percent of land designed as "open space" never to have buildings on it.

My job as a relocation specialist is to help transferees find an acceptable home that allows them to feel comfortable with the Colorado lifestyle and still be able to manage the budget.  Finding the right home in the right neighborhood is a process.  Like putting the pieces of a puzzle together until you  have the  whole  picture, we take one step at a time.

Colorado Swimming Pools...a home amenity or not?

Backyard swimming pools as nice as they are when the weather is hot, aren't necessarily a hot commodity across the country.  The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was answering a question in his blog today.  Questions like this are ones I deal with frequently when hearing about homeowners wish lists who are relocating to Colorado.

It is a natural tendency for people to want to have a home that is better if not equal when they move to a new place.  Homeowners transferring to the Denver metro area often come with plans to have a nice back yard swimming pool like they had back _________ (fill in the blank).

Now there is nothing wrong to want to improve your homeownership position, an owner must consider that some things aren't considered an "improvement" here.  Swimming pools are often considered a negative amenity in the Denver metro area.   Why?

Our season isn't long enough to warrant pool maintenance for just a few months.  Year round maintenance is very expensive.  Pools take up a lot of space.  Most neighborhoods have community pools, which are included in the cost of HOA dues therefore others take care of them.

Of all the reasons above, I do believe because of Colorado's climate, pools just aren't as necessary.  When the sun goes down in Colorado, so does the temperature.  The temps drop low enough to be refreshing, we don't need to jump in a pool.

I have listed homes, perfectly lovely homes that did not sell until the in-ground pool was filled in.  Homeowners seldom want to assume the cost of maintaining a pool.  Finding a buyer that does is  difficult to do in a timely manner, so the pool ends up being an albatross to the seller.  It is easier to make it go away then to wait for a buyer who desires a pool.

Other parts of the country a pool is a huge asset.  Two homes side by side, the one with the pool would sell sooner than the one without.  Not so here in Colorado!

Once again this twist of reality proves that real estate is local.  Moving to a new area takes more research than relying on what worked well in the past.  Maybe it will, maybe it won't.  It is always good to ask.

Win-win wins

When negotiating a residential real estate contract, there are typically 4 items we "fight" over.  Those are; 1) price 2) terms 3) possession 4) personal property.   

Buyers and sellers should consider these items and rank them according to importance.  Sometimes the best transactions occur when we find the buyer and seller have matching needs.  For instance a seller may not want to close until a date in the future, but is willing to take less for the house, just so he doesn't have to move twice.  If the buyer is price sensitive but has the time to wait, this could be a win-win situation.   

Terms include seller concessions to the buyer.  This could be in the form of paying closing costs, prepaids or even buying down a point.  Buyers who are "cash poor" but well employed welcome and need a seller's concession to make the transaction workable.   

Personal property should never become an issue in a contract negotiation.  If a seller wants to exclude personal property, i.e. a  light fixture, it should be replaced prior to a buyer seeing it.  Many real estate transactions have gone sour, due to the disposition of personal property. A wonderful divorce attorney once advised me not to fight over the toaster, since paying him by the hour was much more expensive than buying a toaster!  Same holds true in real estate, don't be fighting over the curtains.   For want of curtains you can lose the whole house!

Sometimes learning the position of the other side is difficult.  Oftentimes it doesn't matter when you do, but frequently it makes out for a very smooth and delightful real estate transaction. 

Change Your Perspective ~ Change Your Mind

Perspective , what an interesting word.  It relates to so many things, visual, graphical, cognitive and point of view.  Today I was trying to gain some perspective on where my current client is coming from.  She is moving here from New York, the Borough of Queens.  I've been to this area, but I can't say that I paid attention to the real estate there. So with the help of my trusty computer, I pulled up some comparables.

After about 5 minutes or so, I now have a reasonable perspective of where my new client is coming from and what her expectations will be.  I love being able to speak to her needs.  Understanding where a buyer is coming from helps me help them.  Helping people by making them happy is what I try to do.

Denver Real estate and relocation is sometimes about changing a person's perspective. When people relocate to Denver, I try to learn what the biggest transformation will be for them.  Depending on where they are coming from, I usually  nail it on the head.

The east coast people like trees.  We don't have trees (from their perspective) in reality we do, just not enough.  Well I change their perspective by telling them to look at our HUGE sky.  We can see for 100 miles, now if we had tons of trees we'd  miss that awesome view!  Have you ever seen 100 miles of snow capped Rocky Mountains?

BAM!  Perspective changed.

<Photo is of The Yearling, by Donald LIpski taken by Kristal Kraft, Realtor>

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.

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!

Making a door to door move...

Often times relocation 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 Denver, 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.

Commuting as a way of life

The Denver metro area consists of not just the City and County of Denver, but seven other nearby counties. Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Broomfield, Adams, Weld, Boulder are the closest surrounding counties and are all within a comfortable commute of Downtown Denver.

Denver has more than one business center, so working Downtown is not always a guarantee.  Other business areas are Cherry Creek, Denver Tech Center, Inverness, Interlocken, Denver Federal Center and Buckley Air Force Base.

If a relocation to Denver is on your horizon considering the location you work and where you want to live is very important.  As the metro area continues to grow so does traffic and travel times to and from work. Most people find living and working in the same general quandrant of the metro area the best bet for a more comfortable commute.

The Denver metro area has a few choices in public transportation.  RTD has buses and light rail.  Buses serve the entire metro area, but currently only the south is served by Light Rail.

Currently FasTracks is working at a swift pace to put another 119 miles of Light Rail into place all over the Metro Area.  Projected completion dates are well into the future at 10 more years.  Buying a home near the projected lines will not provide immediate effect, but long term benefits will be had, if the home purchase is a long term one.

Savvy home searchers have discovered using Google or MapQuest to plot the distance from a specific neighborhood to the work address is a good way to guessimate the commute.  Such techical tools provide quick and easy answers to distance, but not always the actual commute time. 

Relos coming from high traffic areas such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. Boston or others are seldom phased by Denver traffic.  Others coming from smaller cities find traffic and general city life are overwhelming. Relativity wins, most folks adapt to doing what is necessary and find after all the compensating factors, commuting in Denver is really not so bad.

Which comes first, the job or the house?

To those dreaming of making a lifestyle change that includes a new hometown, the initial endeavor can be overwhelming.  If moving has never been a part of your life, or at least not in awhile, deciding which decision to make first is confusing. 

There isn't a day that goes by where my phone doesn't ring with some sort of slightly confused person wants me to help them.  Sometimes the questions are inquiring of neighborhoods with good schools, shopping, acreage or you name it. 

More often than not the caller is getting ahead of themselves.  How so? Well buying a home usually for most requires a loan.  A loan requires a source of income.  To most American home buyers, a source of income means a JOB.

JOBs are good things.  They come with a paycheck attached.  The paycheck enables the acquisition of many fine things, food, clothing and shelter! 

The shelter part is where I can help, well that is if you plan to purchase a shelter.  Most people like to purchase a shelter conveniently located to the JOB.  Do you see a natural pattern here?

The Denver metro area is not as large as many cities in the U.S. It is large enough that if you value your time, you will need to consider your commute. 

Working in Golden and living in Castle Rock, could easily be a 50-75 minute drive, multiple that times 2 and you have lost 100-150 minutes out of your day.  (times 5 days a week times 52 weeks a year times how long you plan to keep doing this insane thing!)

Now if you have to commute to a variety of places where you live won't matter so much.  Or better yet you are one of Denver's many telecommuting non-commuter's your address will be where ever you wish.  Commuting from the bedroom to the den is never long, unless you buy a mansion.

Enough said as the point was more than illustrated...

Moving to the Denver metro area is an exciting proposition.  When you start to formulate the plan, or when you want to test out if it would work or not or if you are coming and you know you are coming, call me.  Let's talk.

I can help you iron out a strategy. Denver is a big place, but you could also live in Littleton, Englewood, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock,  Parker, Broomfield or any number of the very fine communities that comprise the Denver metro market.  We can talk about your lifestyle and the variety of housing options there are available.

So think job first, house next.  Call me first last or in between. 

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.

House Hunting Preparation

Relocating to Denver?

Denver is nick named The Mile High City for a reason, it is 5280 feet above sea level.  The 'burbs are even higher in altitude.  Many people who fly into to the city find they don't physically feel very good for a day or two.  Headaches and fatigue are usually the worse symptoms. This is not uncommon and with some preparation, can be avoided completely.

Prevention is the key!

Altitude illness is usually preventable if ascent to altitude is slow.  Symptoms can range anywhere from annoyance to life threatening.  Unlike many thing, being in excellent physical condition has no bearing on one's ability to acclimate to altitude.

• Relax, take it easy! Don't overdo it the first day or two. That could ruin the rest of your week. Stop early when you start to feel fatigue or any prolonged breathlessness.  Just relax and don't rush it.
• Drink Lots of Fluids...especially water!
• Avoid Alcohol, tranquilizers and sleeping pills for the first two nights if possible.  All of these things slow your body's adjustment to higher elevations.  This is critical if you exhibit any of the symptoms.
• Take Medication that's available to prevent altitude illness, its symptoms and to speed acclimation.  There is prescription medication which helps prevent and treat symptoms associated with altitude illness and speeds up elevation acclimation.

The Reality is...most people fly into Denver and expect to spend the rest of the day looking at houses.  While that may be a good plan for getting more done in a short amount of time, it doesn't always work.  The first day house shopping is stressful enough on its own.  The best plan here is to take it slow so  you don't end up with a stress headache that takes you out for another day.  Save the big day for Day 2 when you have had time to acclimate. 

Taking this advice will assure you are relaxed and ready to make good decisions in your home purchase.

Longs Peak

Boulder  County has a great view of Longs Peak