The lucky people who bought one of the houses in the Bonnie Brae and Belcaro area have a great view of our fall colors right in the neighborhood. Only one house in the area closed in August.

Here is a quick summary of August 2007 sales in the Bonnie Brae and Belcaro neighborhoods. The east and west boundaries are Colorado Boulevard and University Boulevard and the north and south streets are E. Exposition Avenue and E. Mississippi Avenue. It is a wonderful neighborhood with a eclectic selection of homes. From historical homes to custom contemporary construction, the neighborhood offers something for everyone. The neighborhood is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, parks and transportation routes.

Google Maps

If you missed out on purchasing one of these houses over the last few months, there are 39 other homes currently on the market in the Denver Bonnie Brae/Belcaro neighborhoods ranging in price from $379,900 to $3,900,000. If you’d like to get your house on the sold list so you can move on to your next adventure, or to purchase one of the available homes, I’d be happy to help. Give me a call.

Related Articles:

July Market Activity- Bonnie Brae and Belcaro
June Market Activity- Bonnie Brae and Belcaro
May Market Activity- Bonnie Brae and Belcaro

The astericked (*) properties were listed and/or sold by other companies. Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period of August 1, 2007 to August 31, 2007. Note: This representation is based in whole or in part in content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

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September is preparedness month where families are advised put together a 72 hour ready kit with supplies on hand in case of an emergency. A family communications plan and an emergency car kit are also things that families will want to discuss and take some action on. For a list of items to include in your kits, visit READYColorado. Once you are done preparing your family, it may be time to “Make a Difference”.

How do you make a difference? It is easy. Look at your schedule and see what fits. We can make a difference with less an hour every six weeks up to as 16–24 hours a week. I’ve put the list in order of the amount of time you may want to spend on contributing to the safety of the community.

1. Donate blood. Your donation may save a life. It takes much less than an hour and you can donate every six to eight weeks. It is a simple process that makes a huge difference. For more information on making a donation, visit Bonfils and make an appointment.

2. Get to know your neighbors. When the next big snow storm or other bad weather hits, you’ll be ready to assist someone by shovelling their sidewalk or taking them to the grocery store. Some of the people who live just down the street would love to have a little help.

3. Take CPR and First Aid classes. These classes usually run about eight hours and you can find them at your local Red Cross. You never know when this could come in handy. Your life may be saved by someone who has taken a class and knows how to help.

4. Participate in Emergency Preparedness classes. Your local Citizen Corps Councils have classes that range from eight hours up to thirty-two hours. Where do you turn off the gas or water to your house? How do you use a fire extinguisher? What are some basic first aid steps you can use to help someone until first responders arrive? These answers and more are found in these fun, but informative classes.

5. Volunteer to be a Disaster Responder with Red Cross. When a fire destroys a family home, Red Cross has volunteers who are on the scene to help families relocate and provide them with clothing and the supplies needed until they get back on their feet.

6. Volunteer with  Citizen Corps. Their volunteer programs include Volunteers in Policing, Fire Corps and the Medical Reserve Corps. Your first responders from police officers to medical personnel can use your help as a regular volunteer to assist them on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis.

7. Become part of a Community Disaster Response Team (CERT). CERT members assist first responders as they practice their skills during exercises. They assist their communities by providing preparedness talks and handing out information at community gatherings. When a disaster occurs, they can help their community by checking on people and providing emotional support and basic first aid. The CERT Games are going on this weekend in Parker for teams of dedicated people from around the state. If you are interested in getting involved, check out the CERT web site.

“Make a plan. Make a difference.” It doesn’t take much time for us to be prepared and to help our community, but it makes a big difference.

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Here is a quick summary of August 2007 sales in the Lowry neighborhood. The area is generally located between Yosemite Street (east) and Quebec Street (west), E. 11th Avenue (north) and Alameda Avenue (south). There is a small pocket that juts out to the west side. The Lowry neighborhood was developed as a result of the Lowry Air Force Base closure. It is a wonderful community that has a variety of parks, the Lowry Town Center and neighborhood activities that are scheduled year round.

 Lowry “Glory Days”, the neighborhood main event, is a wonderful success this year. Lowry living opportunities range from historical homes that have been renovated to areas still waiting for the soil to be turned before construction begins. The Lowry neighborhoods are within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, parks and transportation routes.

Google Maps

If you missed out on purchasing one of these amazing homes, there are 60 other homes currently on the market in the Lowry area ranging in price from $244,900 to $1,595,000. I’d be happy to help you find a home in this vibrant community.

The astericked (*) properties were listed and/or sold by other companies. Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period of August 1, 2007 to August 31, 2007. Note: This representation is based in whole or in part in content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

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If you’d love to live in a great home within walking distance of shopping, dining, trails and schools, 498 Sylvestor Trail in Highlands Ranch is just the place.

It’s a beautiful and open home with lots of natural light. Step into the entry way and overlook a spacious great room with vaulted ceilings and a gas fireplace to enjoy on cool fall evenings. This home is also pet friendly with custom flooring designed to look great while still being easy to maintain.

The spacious master bedroom will be a wonderful place to relax with a five piece master bathroom where you can climb into a hot bath and enjoy a glass of wine.

The backyard is large and open with lots of grassy area to play. With two separate, yet wonderful entertaining patios, you can host lots of neighbors and friends.

• Three Bedrooms
• Spacious Master Suite with Five Piece Bath
• Upstairs Laundry Room
• Corner Lot
• Douglas County Schools
• 1530 Square Feet
• $265,000

Warning: Your house may become the local gathering place for friends and neighbors who will enjoy taking a break in the lush park-like backyard. The scents of a well cooked barbecued meal will draw them over, so grill extra steaks. You are going to need them.

Virtual Tour

Schools

I’d love to show you this fabulous home which may be the right fit for you and your family. For a private showing, contact me at 720–260–3133.

Or if you’d like your home featured on www.CentralDenverBlog give me a call.

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The Mortgage Porter featured this video in one of her posts. It is funny and just points out that police officers don’t just write tickets, respond when they are called and work when most people are home sleeping, they also do their best to help in unusual circumstances.

Talk about multi-tasking. They serve, protect and tutor kids in math.

Enjoy!

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Here is a brief summary of August 2007 sales in the Denver Country Club and North Country Club neighborhoods. The east and west boundaries are University Boulevard and Downing Street and the north and south streets are 6th Avenue and 1st Avenue. It is a beautiful area with historical homes and mature trees. The neighborhood is within walking distance of Cherry Creek dining and shopping, Cheesman Park, the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Cherry Creek Bike and Walking trail. If you want to live close to downtown, but in a fabulous neighborhood setting, this is a wonderful choice.

Prices are dropping, so this might be a good time to consider buying in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Denver. The houses that sold averaged $444.63 per square foot and 178 days on the market.

Google Maps

If you missed out on purchasing one of these houses, there are 26 other homes currently on the market in the Denver Country Club/North Country Club area ranging in price from $399,900 to $3,295,000.

The astericked (*) properties were listed and/or sold by other companies. Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period of August 1, 2007 to August 31, 2007. Note: This representation is based in whole or in part in content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

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Through my travels over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some truly wonderful people. One of my favorite new colleagues is Joanne Hanson. Joanne is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Summit County. After a hiking trip a couple weeks ago where I got stuck in the famous Sunday I-70 traffic jam, I asked her about her experience with Denver area residents buying vacation homes. Joanne was kind enough to address the topic with her first guest post, “Own a Summit County Vacation Home and Spend Less Time on I-70”. I think some of you will really appreciate this article after you get back through the traffic from the Labor Day weekend. Welcome aboard Joanne. I look forward to you sharing your beautiful community with us. Joanne also has a wonderful blog if you are interested in keeping up to date with the happenings over the hill.

Has the commute back from Summit County got you down?  Many people leave early or stay late on Sunday so they avoid the worst of the traffic.  They eat dinner in Frisco or Breckenridge and then go home.  Others stay over until Monday morning and get up early and leave, but that means getting a hotel room.  Some manage to make mid-week trips or come up for a day trip on Saturday.  Still others buy a condo so that they can come and go as their schedule allows. 

About 15 years ago, when we lived in Evergreen, we bought a condo in Wildernest and would come up Friday night, stay Saturday and Sunday and go home after dinner when the traffic had died down.   The condo was small and inexpensive so that we could use it ourselves whenever we pleased and not have to worry about renting it to help pay the bills.  We didn’t have kids at home, so we could spend every weekend in Summit County in the winter and every other weekend in the summer.  We seldom worried about traffic. If a storm blew in, we left the next morning. 

If I still lived in the Front Range, I might buy a little more expensive condo and rent it part time to help cover the expenses.  Many “rental by owner” websites allow you to book the rentals yourself and keep the majority of the income.  I now own a condo at Copper Mountain and am coming very close to breaking even on it, even with a mortgage and dues to pay. However, I do not use it myself as I live in Summit County full time.  If I used my condo a lot, it would cut into the income enough that it would have a negative cash flow, but the rental income would help to cover part of the expenses and the tax breaks and appreciation still might make it worthwhile financially.  Be aware that if you plan on renting your condo, you will pay a slightly higher interest rate for the mortgage if you have one.  As a general rule, you will need access to a hot tub in order to maximize your income.  If you are not renting, you simply need a condo or home that suits your personal needs and has a location that works for you. 

Many types of vacation homes are available, from quarter shares, (owning a week each month), to places you could buy with family members.  When you buy an existing quarter share, a management agreement is usually in place, and you must sign off on it.  When buying with friends or family members, it is a good idea to have an attorney draw up an agreement that covers potential issues like someone leaving the partnership, not doing their share, or a myriad of other possible problems.  If you are simply looking for an inexpensive crash pad to buy on your own, you can still find a one bedroom condo in Dillon for about $135,000.  However, 46% of the  Summit County transactions are between $200,000 and $600,000. There are many other options for second homes, from slopeside condos at Keystone, Copper Mountain or Breckenridge that sell from a low of about $250,000, to multi-million dollar luxurious, single family homes near golf courses, ski lifts, or in more secluded spots in the woods.  Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne and Dillon offer year round activities from snowshoeing and hiking to sailing and biking and many people like living within walking distance of the towns.  Of course, you are never more than 20 minutes from a ski resort!   

If you are wondering how much a condo might cost you, The Mountain Living website  can give you a feel for price ranges and what your money will buy.   

With complete information on what expenses might be, what appreciation could be and how to manage it yourself, you could own a Summit county vacation home, spending less time on the road and more time enjoying an outdoor lifestyle.  Joanne and the Mountain Living team will be happy to help you look at your options and see if a Summit County second home might work for you.  Just tell Joanne that Jennifer sent you!

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One of the Fox news shows last weekend on the real estate market put things into perspective. Over 97% of homeowners are paying their mortgages on time. That leaves less than 3% of homeowners struggling and facing a possible foreclosure. It is definitely a tragedy for those families. While it it difficult to look over the horizon when things are in crisis, there are still places for them to live and opportunities in the future for them to buy. It may be more difficult, but it can still be done. In other words, there is hope.

These difficulties and the current real estate market slowdown create opportunities for people wanting to buy in the Denver market and especially for investors. Prices are down and incentives are up.

Forbes just published their list of the ten “Best Renters’ Markets”. It’s not a surprise to find Denver high on the list. Families having to leave their homes have to move somewhere.

Forbes’ list identifies the following cities as having the best renters’ markets:

1. Atlanta
2. Denver
3. Phoenix
4. Las Vegas
5. Tampa, Fla.
6. Houston
7. Cincinnati
8. Indianapolis
9. Sacramento, Calif.
10. Dallas

There are two things that investors should take note of, one that Denver’s vacancy rate has declined by 11% during the last year, and two, while rental prices have grown at lower rates than the other cities listed, at some point supply and demand will require increasing rental rates.

What is crisis for some homeowners will create opportunities for others. These opportunities, in turn, will help our market recover. Homeowners and investors buying now, may benefit from that recovery.

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September is Citizen Preparedness Month across the nation. What exactly does that mean? It’s time to sit down with you family and create a plan of action to put into play in the event of a disaster. In Colorado, you will soon be introduced to B. Ready. ReadyColorado is our statewide citizen preparedness program. They have launched 100 B. Ready “guys” that will be traveling around the state during the month of September to encourage preparedness. What exactly is preparedness? It’s as easy as this:

Make A Plan

1. Build a home 72 hour kit. Your kit will include things like food, water, a first aid kit, battery operated radio and flashlight and many other items you and your family may need if we get snowed in for three days. Some programs suggest having supplies for a week or more, but 72 hours worth is a good place to start.

2. Equip each of your cars with a kit. A Car Kit may include items like a shovel, kitty litter (in case you get stuck in the snow), water, snacks and any other things that will be useful if you get stranded.

3. Put together a list of important phone numbers and make sure each family member gets a copy. When natural or man made disasters occur, it is easy to get separated. While cell phones may not work for a time, each of your family members can call an out of the area relative on a land line. That way your family members will know that everyone is safe whether you are all together or not.

Make a Difference

1. Get to know your neighbors. Who may need help if the big snowstorm hits? Who can you rely on to help if you and your family need assistance?

2. Donate blood. The blood supply is critical during all times of the year. By scheduling a regular donation, you can help hundreds of people throughout your life time.

3. Take classes through Citizen Corps and Red Cross. First Aid and Readiness Classes are offered year round in our state.

4. Volunteer. When a fire destroys a home, volunteers from the Red Cross are quickly on scene to help families with support. Citizen Corps has five component programs and many of those have volunteer components. Would you like to be a Volunteer in Policing, a member of Fire Corps or part of the Medical Reserve Corp?

So while B. Ready travels around the state to encourage preparedness, take some action to keep you, your family and your community safe. Make a Plan, then Make a Difference. It’s not meant to be frightening, it is just good planning. Your family can encourage others to prepare by writing a story on the B Ready Blog at www.BReadyBlog.com. Include your pictures. You’ll be in good company with Mayors, Police and Fire Chiefs, Congressmen and Congresswomen and everyday people just like us.

For further information on packing your kit, communications plans, donating blood and volunteering, you can visit the following sites:

READYColorado

BReadyBlog

Citizen Corps

Red Cross

It is never too early to get prepared. B. Ready. Pass it on.

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