Did you know that this Saturday the Thornton High School Band is having a garage sale to raise funds? You can visit the sale at the Five Star Stadium located at 9351 Washington Street. Were you aware that there is a computer desk and some children’s clothing available for sale on Saturday and Sunday at 1511 S. Fillmore?

For garage sale aficionados, have I got the web site for you.  Nate Denning contacted me about a new site that combines garage sales found on other internet sites into one easy to use Google mapping site. Click here for Denver Area Garage Sales. Not only can you locate the garage sales, but with Google Mapping you can also map your driving routes.

I’ll add the link on the left hand side of the page so you can visit any time when you need a garage sale fix.

Happy garage sale-ing!

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In today’s market with thousands of houses for sale, many home values have remained the same or in some cases, have dropped. In years past, real estate appreciated enough to cover the difference in what was owed and what the house would sell for. Unfortunately, that is not currently the case in most areas. If you are in a position where you can no longer keep your house because of financial difficulties or another emergency situation, there may be an alternative to foreclosure in the form of a short sale.

What is a short sale?

A short sale occurs when a lender agrees to accept an amount less than what is currently owed by the borrower including closings costs.

What information will the lender want to consider before approving a short sale?

Lenders may require a great deal of information before agreeing to accept a loss on the property. They may ask for information on current employment, tax returns, a balance sheet showing assets and liabilities, bank and stock statements, a hardship letter and a comparative market analysis. Your Realtor can assist with the comparative market analysis and a preliminary net proceeds sheet.

Your hardship letter should include what circumstances have led to the financial difficulties where you need forgiveness on a potion of your debt. Most lenders understand unforeseen tragedy and may be willing to work with you.

What is the impact of selling your house in a short sale?

There are ramifications to selling your house through a short sale including the possibility that the lender will require you to pay the total amount of the loss in the form of a collection. If it is forgiven by the bank, the IRS may treat it as income and tax the amount of the forgiven debt.

Short sales can drag on for months. Lenders can take up to sixty days to respond on a contract offer. This process requires patience on the part of the buyer and seller.

A short sale may not impact your credit as heavily as an actual foreclosure. Remember to ask your lender not to report the short sale to the credit bureaus. Most of them will still make the report, but it can’t hurt to ask.

What are the alternatives?

Your lender may be willing to work with you so you can keep your house. The possibility exists that they will extend the loan for you so you can make up any missed payments or even refinance from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate loan. The best alternative, if you can do it, may be to work with your lender to keep your house. The real estate market runs in cycles. In the next few years it is bound to recover and provide the possibility you can sell your home for a profit.

 

Your Realtor can assist you through the short sale process. I also recommend speaking with your legal and tax professionals to ensure that you have all of the information on what a short sale will mean to your and your family. That information will allow you to make an informed decision.

Is a short sale the answer? It may be a good alternative in this tough market if keeping your house is not an option.

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It’s the time of year to grab your lawn chair, fill the cooler and head to any one of the many free events occurring in parks and shopping centers across the Denver metropolitan area. Feel free to add any events I may have missed to your comments. Don’t forget the date, time and location. 

Several of the concerts may have been rained out tonight, but we still have many more events to come. From penguins to poems, jazz to country, there is something for everyone. It’s almost August and summer will be coming to an end along with our opportunity to spend a beautiful night serenaded under the stars. Don’t miss your chance to share it with family and friends.

The only problem will be how to choose between the events being hosted on the same night. Remember to bring a blanket in case it gets cool, and don’t forget your favorite lawn chair. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Whether it is your parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary, your wedding or a birthday party for your skating teenager, having just the right location for a party sets the stage. With 205 parks, Denver has the nations largest park system and amazing settings for a host of events.

Picnic permits are available for private gatherings at sixty metro and eleven  mountain picnic sites. The permit is required for gatherings over 25 people and reserves the site. The fees range from $45 for standard picnic sites to $85 for sheltered sites. 

There are five “Special Occasion Sites” that have capacity up to 350 people. Alcohol may be allowed with a permit. The fee is $230 without alcohol and $390 with alcohol.

City Park– Flower Garden and Meadow Area

Confluence Park

Skyline Park

Centennial Park (Permit through the Denver Botanic Gardens)

Washington Park Boathouse

 

The Facility Use Permit Application can be completed on-line and emailed, faxed or mailed. The only exception is that Special Occasion Site requests must be hand carried to the permitting office which is located at the Webb Building, 201 West Colfax Avenue on the second floor. There are some special requirements for larger events. Please read the full application.

Here is a list of links to reserve parks in other Denver metro area communities:

Aurora

Highlands Ranch

Littleton

Englewood

Thornton

Arvada

Lakewood

Arapahoe County

Adams County

Jefferson County

Hosting a party at one of the local parks can not only save you money, but create a wonderful and memorable event.

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I knew it was almost time throughout the winter and then last weekend we needed to take Bailey, my golden retriever, to the vet. She was really struggling with her bad hips. Some pills and steroids and she was back up walking with that wagging tail of hers.

Bailey was with us from the time I first saw her at the Aurora Animal Shelter over twelve years ago. She was our dog. The animal control folks had picked her up and no one ever came to claim her. Lucky for us and a terrible mistake for them. When I had to move in with friends while my house was being built, Bailey and our yellow lab, Courtney Love, headed up to the mountains to stay at doggie camp. Bailey was the dog they introduced to new dogs who had never been there before. She loved everyone and especially every dog.

While Courtney is fast and focused, Bailey was a roamer that took her time making sure she didn’t miss any detail. She was the welcome wagon at the front door. She would have been the first one to meet and greet any bad guys breaking in. It just wasn’t in her nature to be mean. She hated the camera, so I don’t have any good photos, but this one looks just like her.

Today was finally the day. She must have had some kind of stroke this afternoon because she could no longer get up and her eyes were a little unfocused. My son and I put her in the car and took her to the Alameda East Veterinary Clinic. Thank goodness for the professionals that work around the clock to help us and our animals in a time of need. They were kind and understanding. I stayed with Bailey and we were outside as they put her to sleep.

It was time for my funny, loving, happy girl to be released from her pain. Goodbye my furry friend, I love you and I will miss you.

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I admit it. I bought the latest book yesterday morning and spent all day on the couch enjoying every moment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. It was a day off of work to read the last of a series that has become classic.  I can tell you, I wasn’t the only adult who spent their weekend reading. A radio personality was talking about the release of the book. A caller said one of his friends, who is an Aurora cop in his fifties, stood in line for the midnight release. As far as the book goes, I’m not sure how she did it, but J. K. Rowling did the story justice. I am sad that the saga has come to an end and will be waiting for the next amazing writer to come along. At least we know we have a couple of movies left.

A couple of years ago, my girlfriend Gail and I drove to Des Moines to meet her father and uncle to see that year’s Harry Potter movie. Everyone agreed to wait until we could meet to see it together. We drove from Denver and the guys traveled from Illinois. Harry Potter isn’t just for kids. Gail’s dad and uncle are in their seventies and she and I are….well, let’s just say we aren’t kids anymore either. It was a wonderful time.

The Order of the Phoenix came out a couple of weeks ago and being true to my friend, I waited until Friday night to get my popcorn and milk duds, scrunch up in my theater seat and see it. I had to wait until Gail got back from her trip. How could she schedule vacation at a time like this? We’ll have to plan it a little better next year. I haven’t heard the reviews yet from Gail’s Dad, but I’m certain he will have loved this latest movie just like he has all the others.

Sometimes it is nice to take a break from the busy world to get a cold iced tea, settle down into a comfortable chair where you can leave it all behind and dig in to a great book. It was that kind of weekend, even for us adults.

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The Central Denver Blog has been recognized on Poshd.com as an innovative real estate website that breaks the mold.

It is a real honor to be included in with such incredible company. Thank you for the wonderful vote of confidence!

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 I’ve found myself over the last week thinking about my favorite places to take family and friends when they come to visit. It’s also a reminder that we have other special places across the state where we can get away.

When I wrote the post Colorado High Altitude Vacation Tips, I included some suggested places not to miss. There are so many wonderful sights to see it’s hard to choose.

When I have friends visit, one of my favorite places to take them is Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The beautiful rock formations and the history of musicians that have played there make it a fascinating location to include in a traveler’s itinerary.

So, here is the challenge. I’ve added a poll to this post where you can add and/or vote for places you’d like to suggest for people who are visiting, or for us Coloradans who want to experience another slice of what our wonderful state has to offer. For people who love to visit Colorado, you are invited to participate too. Now, it’s your turn.

You can add more information about your selection with a comment. Thanks for participating!

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One of the most popular real estate bloggers is Athol from REAgent in Connecticut. Athol does lots of things well and one of his most popular features is the Bad MLS Photo of the Day. While the quality of these photos is laughable, it is tragic that a desperate seller has unprofessional and unflattering pictures of his house featured in home searches all over the internet. These pictures don’t entice buyers, they actually chase buyers away.

Athol explains how he finds many of the photos in his article, How to Find 10 Bad MLS Photos in 10 Minutes. He starts by searching for expired listings. These listings are houses that were taken off the market because they didn’t sell. Bad photos may have contributed.

With more than 70% of homebuyers using the internet, beautiful pictures of your house play a critical role in a successful sale.

How can you help?

Whether you hear it from me or the HGTV crowd, declutter the house. The house appears more spacious when the counters are empty of all the extra appliances.

Replace all the light bulbs. When the photographer comes through, she will turn on all the lights. Buyer’s want to see what they are buying and good light is a key.

Dress up the outside of your house. Curb appeal will play a big role and that is the photo most buyers see first. While you can’t judge a book (or a house) by it’s cover, first impressions are important. Mow the lawn and this time of year, add flowers. If you aren’t an avid gardener, most of the nurseries and home improvement stores already have beautiful pots of flowers.

Make sure all the rooms are presentable. The more photos, the better.

Open the curtains and shades and dust the window sills. Once again, lighting plays an important role and natural lighting is the best.

Visit your house as a new buyer would. As you park in front of the house does it invite you in? When you walk in the front door are the floors and carpets clean? Is the furniture staged to highlight the wonderful features of the house?

Even though I love photography, I hire a professional photographer to take photos of my clients’ houses. The photographer has the right equipment to showcase your house in still photos and on the virtual tour.

Sorry, Athol. Pictures of my clients’ homes will not be featured on your site. Still, as unfortunate as it is, I think there are plenty out there to choose from.

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From the Lawn Chair is a regular feature. This current post covers free neighborhood events scheduled for the second half of July.

It’s the time of year where you get to grab your lawn chair, fill the cooler and head to any one of the many free events occurring in parks and shopping centers across the Denver metropolitan area. Feel free to add any events I may have missed to your comments. Don’t forget the date, time and location. 

Last week, I missed Flap ‘N Jacks because of weather, but we still have lots of great ”from the lawn chair” events to come.  

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Due to recent changes, I am eligible for a new lending program with payments based on a 1.25% mortgage rate. How about that? While the rest of you are paying a little over 6%, I’m special, so I only have to pay less than a quarter of that rate. Today I received an offer in the mail to refinance my house. Usually I just throw them away. With all of the foreclosures and short sales on the market, I thought I would take a closer look and this is what I found.

The fine print:

This offer is made by xxxxxxxx Mortgage who is not affiliated with your current lender nor is it an agency of the government. This is not a commitment to make a loan. All approvals are subject to underwriting guidelines. Minimum and maximum loan amounts apply. By refinancing total finance charges may be higher over the life of the loan. Rates and programs are subject to change at any time. Loans subject to borrower qualifications, property evaluation and credit approval. All rates and program guidelines subject to change without notice. “Loans based on an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), loan amount calculated from original liens on property, 30 year term one month start interest rate of 1.45%, 2.6% margin, 12 month monthly treasury average (MTA) index at 1.3% and 4.95% A.P.R. Based on $240,000 loan amount. Blah, blah, blah…blah blah blah.

Say what?

1.25%
1.45%
2.6%
1.3%
4.95%

What is my interest rate?

The predators are still out there.

Rather than applying for a loan over the phone, I prefer personal service. I want to see the whites of their eyes when I do business with someone. When we get these ads, we shouldn’t just set them aside for review, we should stomp on them, crumple them up, tear them into little pieces and use them as liner for the cat box.

If you are looking to refinance your house or financing for a new one, give me a call. I will refer you to some wonderful local mortgage professionals that I trust to work with clients, my family and friends. If you don’t understand what language someone is speaking, don’t do business with them. Professionals will take the time to explain things and to put together programs that fit your needs. Lots of small print may mean lots of trouble. Don’t let the predators put you into a position where you may lose your home.

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The Tour de France, one of my favorite sporting events, started last Saturday with a Prologue in Londres, England. This week has been mostly flat stages where the fastest of the fast men, the sprinters, have won most of the stages. Professional cycling is like a chess game on wheels. The tactics and strategies along with the unwritten race rules, make a fascinating athletic event.

Tomorrow, the race moves into the French Alps. On Saturday, the racers climb the Col de la Colombiera to 5,308 feet above sea level. Sunday, the highest climb of the day is the Montee de Tignes at 6,784 feet above sea level. The final day in the Alps is on Tuesday, when the riders climb the Col de I’lseran at 9,087 feet above sea level. A little over a week from now, the riders head toward the Pyrenees and the challenging mountains of that range.

Compare this to our own “Triple Bypass” which is a one day road ride that starts in Evergreen and travels to Vail over Squaw (11,140), Loveland (11,990), and Vail (10,560) passes for a total of 120 miles and more than 10,000 feet of gain in elevation. The ride is tomorrow. Good luck to all of those incredible riders who are up to the challenge.

As I watch the professionals in France, my mind always wanders to Colorado’s incredible mountain passes. Why is it with all the amazing terrain that we don’t have a “Tour de Colorado”? Several years ago, Colorado had the Saturn Cycling Classic which was a one day race from Boulder to Breckenridge over some grueling Colorado passes. The race no longer exists. Professional cycling now rides tours in Georgia, California and even Utah. Denver and the surrounding communities have worked to create a world class marathon, maybe the next step is to work on a statewide professional bicycling tour highlighting some of the most beautiful and challenging terrain in the world. The French have perfected the race, maybe now is the time to create one in our backyard.

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How many months’ supply of homes are currently on the market and what does that tell us about the health of the Denver real estate market?

I wrote an earlier post, Translating Denver Days on Market, reporting what the average number of days each home was on the market before it was under contract and what that means to people considering a sale. Another way to measure the health of our real estate market is to compare how many months of supply are on hand, or absorption rate (AR). The larger the supply, the more competition there is for sellers and the higher likelihood that prices will drop or concessions will be offered.

For a great overview of Absorption Rates, check out Keith Jeppson’s article, Buyers or Sellers Market? Absorption Rate is the Key! Keith is a wonderful Realtor who blogs out of Salt Lake City.

More Months of Supply = Buyer’s Market = Possible Reduced Prices and/or Concessions

Fewer Months of Supply = Seller’s Market = Possible Price Increases and/or Bidding Wars

The commonly accepted separation between markets is:

Seller’s Market          1-4 months of supply

Neutral Market          5-6 months of supply

Buyer’s Market          7 months and above

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You’ve been planning your Colorado trip for almost a year and the family is looking forward to visiting several of the beautiful state and national parks in the area. The plan includes driving the “scenic wonder road of the world”, Trail Ridge Road, at over 11,000 feet above sea level. If you live at lower altitudes, its always a good idea to be prepared for the demands of high altitude.

1. Take it easy the first day. Your body will need a little time to adjust. You may want to spend your first day visiting a few Denver attractions. It’s much easier to adjust to being a mile over sea level than at 10,000 feet. This allows a gradual adjustment.

2. Drink lots of water. Dehydration can be a big issue at higher levels.

3. Eat more carbs. Shelve the protein diet over your vacation and energy up with a good selection of carbohydrates.

4. Limit your alcohol and caffeinated drinks. Caffeine and alcohol can contribute to dehydration.

5. Use sunscreen. Remember, visitors are much closer to the sun and could experience severe sunburn if they are not protected.

6. Take aspirin if your doctor approves. It may help thin your blood a bit and give you a little more energy. This tip comes from one of my high country friends who is used to dealing with us low-landers.

Your body will eventually adjust, but you don’t want to be sick during your first, and maybe only, week of vacation.

If you are planning on visiting Colorado, here are a few suggestions on places to visit:

Rocky Mountain National Park

Great Sand Dunes

Denver Zoo

Mesa Verde National Park

Denver Botanical Gardens

The Denver Mint

Royal Gorge Bridge

I know I’ve missed a large number of attractions and places to see. If I mentioned them all, this post would be pages and pages.

Resources:

Colorado.com

Denver Tourism

Preventing High Altitude Sickness by following these tips and you will have a memorable Colorado vacation.

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What excuse do you use when friends and neighbors accidentally see the open garage with boxes and stuff stacked from floor to ceiling? If the neighbors roll their eyes every time you make another excuse, it may be time to finally tackle the garage. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to use it for what it was intended for?

Caution: Most “how to” articles call cleaning the garage a “moderately easy” task. We all know it may be fairly easy to do after you actually get started. What the experts don’t take into consideration is that it is “difficult” to begin. There are other activities screaming for our attention: Barbecues, Ball games, Hiking, Biking, Napping, Concerts, Movies, Napping, Taking the Kids to Games, Water world, Elitches, Napping. If you’ve decided that now is the time, here are a few steps you can use to make tackling the garage “moderately easy”.

1.  Create three piles: The throw out pile is for things that are broken or that nobody, including strangers, will ever use. The keep pile is self explanatory, but remember that everything doesn’t go in this pile or you’ve defeated your purpose. The donate or garage sale pile is for those things that you no longer use, but someone else might.

2. Put like things together: Tools go in one area and bicycles and sports gear in another.

3. Make a plan: How much can be stored up on the wall and how much can fit into stackable boxes or on shelves? Now that you know how much you have to store, head to the nearest home improvement center and purchase the needed racks, bins and shelves. Remember to purchase storage items that can handle the load. Some things are very heavy and you don’t want to risk having a shelf collapse. If you still have more things than the garage can handle, you may want to consider purchasing a storage shed for the lawn mower and weed eater.

4. Hang all of the storage units: Before you hang it, remember that heavier items should be stored in lower areas and items you use the most should be stored within easy reach.

5. Put everything in its place: Hang the tools on the wall, including shovels and rakes. Hang bicycles from the ceiling with strong hooks. The more items that are stored off the floor, the easier it will be to move around. Don’t forget to pull your cars in every now and then while you are organizing to ensure that you have room to get in and out of the car and can actually close the garage door.

6. Label your areas: It’s easier for the kids and the rest of the family if they can easily recognize where everything belongs.

7. Monthly check: Things will always get a little out of order. A monthly check will help put things back in place when they have migrated to unusual locations.

Now it’s time to celebrate. Invite the neighbors over for a beverage. They will be green with envy and rush back to their garages to make them as beautiful as yours. Isn’t it time for a nap?

More resources:

How to Organize the Garage

The Family Garage Cleanup

The Queen of Clean on How to Organize Your Garage

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