Real Estate in Denver and the Suburbs

As a REALTOR® in Denver, I see many homes for sale throughout the Denver metro area all of the time as I have been very busy with home buyers.  Lately I have been to homes in varying price ranges and in different areas and neighborhoods.  Lately I have been working with buyers throughout the Denver metro area - including Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Denver, Centennial, Littleton and more.  The price range has varied from buyer to buyer from around $320,000 to just under $1,000,000. 

For the most part, with some exceptions, the homes when you walk in the door are in stellar shape.  They have been cleaned from top to bottom and most would certainly pass the white glove test.  Most of them show beautifully.

But lately I have seen something across the board - even in one of the higher end properties.  Lack of curb appeal.  Not even lack of, but negative curb appeal.  I know its getting hot and it gets harder to keep the grass green in the Colorado heat. My own yard is needing some TLC - but I am not selling my home. 

Here are some tips if you are selling your Denver area home in regards to curb appeal.

You have to figure out a watering pattern that is going to work for you and keep you within watering guidelines as well.  Buyers do not want to buy a home with dead grass.  If its getting brown already, don't give up, you can bring it back.  Grass can be resilient unless you let it go too long. And if need be, bring out a professional to have your sprinklers adjusted.  If they are missing spots, they can help you correct that.

If you haven't sprayed or pulled weeds, especially the dandelions, do it now.  They are starting to take over in many cases. 

A potted annual for about $15 at your doorstep could really help make things a bit cheerier - but only if you are going to water it.  I have already seen a few dead ones. 

Filthy doors or door knobs?  Wipe them down.  I think I saw pink frosting from little fingers on one this week.

Cobwebs on the outside of the house, take care of them.

Bird droppings on the windows?  Get them washed. 

Dead tree in the yard.  Get rid of it.

Curb appeal is the first impression of your home.  It is where the emotion of the buyers begin.  If they have a positive vibe as they walk in that front door, that is a good thing.  No vibe, or worse yet a negative one - not so great. 

And here is something else to consider - a bonus tip if you will.  Curb appeal doesn't start at your doorstep.  More likely than not, a buyer is not going to pull into your driveway and walk the path that you always walk to the front door.  They more likely than not will park at the street or across the street - or if you live on a corner - around the corner.  Take a few steps in these directions, turn around and see the home your are wanting to sell from that viewpoint.  Perhaps a look from another angle could shed some light on a hidden item you need to address.  If you are on a corner, are there weeds along your fence?  Is there a ton of debris in the street in front of your house - sure the street sweeper will come eventually but why not just do it now?  Are neighborhood dog walkers leaving presents on your grass near the sidewalk?  On on the sidewalk?  That would be a turn off.

And here is one more tip.  If you have children, do your curb appeal check often.  You never know what hidden little jems you are going to find that they have left laying around, especially after a weekend of playing in the yard.

What the heck is that you may ask?

Snow?

No, its June.  (Which doesn't mean it can't snow in Colorado in June.  But it is not snow).

Dust from your camera? 

No, although it may look like it.

It is a photo of me pointing my camera to the sky in my own back yard. 

I live in Highlands Ranch near the High Line Canal.

The High Line Canal runs through the area with a wonderful bike trail along it.  It is lined with Cottonwood Trees.  Every year, in early June for about 10 - 14 days the seedlings from the Cottonwood trees blow throughout the area. 

It almost looks like its snowing in June at times if the wind is strong enough.

Summer is here.

Homes along the High Line Canal are available in Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village and into Denver, Aurora and up north into Commerce City.

If you would like to live along the High Line Canal, you can start searching right now.

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Real Estate

If you have lived in Littleton any length of time, you know that the Wild on Littleton Block Party has become quite the event.  And if you are new to Littleton, CO - this is definitely the place to be tonight.

Head down to Main Street tonight, 6/14/08, in Old Littleton from 6:00 - 10:00 pm.  The main 4 blocks of Main Street in Old Littleton will be closed to traffic and the 4th annual Wild on Littleton Bloc Party will be taking place. 

There will be food, music, entertainment and even fireworks at 9:30.  And according to the web site, over 60 booths will line Main Street from local businesses and attractions.  Thinking about taking the Ski Train this summer for a summer time adventure?  Find out more there.  Interested in finding out more about what you can do to recycle and help the environment - info there as well.  There will be something for everyone.  This is a fun filled event for the entire family.

Get there early to park so you don't have to walk too far!

More shopping options just opened in South Metro Denver - Lone Tree to be exact. Park Meadows is finishing up is renovation/addition and the stores are beginning to open.

The Vistas at Park Meadows is part of Park Meadows Mall, but it adds onto the mall some open air shopping options that seem to becoming more common in the area.

Residents of the South Denver Metro Suburbs now have new stores to choose from - including Arhaus Furnture, Lucy, Borders, Ann Taylor Loft, Bath Junkie, Austin Antler, Lululemon, AT&T Mobility, Chicos, Coldwater Creek, and Ecco.

Stores that will open later in the summer are Fish City Grill, White Chocolate Grill, Brio Tuscan Grill, La Dandia, The Counter, Mikuni, Cru Wine Bar, and Snuggle Bugs.

Park Meadows Mall & The Vistas at Park Meadows are located in Lone Tree, Colorado at County Line Road between I-25 and Yosemite and is also easily accessed from C470 eastbound at the Yosemite exit.

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Real Estate

So you are probably as irritated as the rest of us at the price of gas.  Around town its nearing the $4.00 mark and I hear a few places in the Denver area have now surpassed that. 

Here is a quick & easy way to find out where in the Denver area has the cheap(er)(est) gas prices on any given day at any given time.

Go to Denver's page of Gas Buddy.

It will even tell you the highest prices around as well, in case you were wondering that too. 

Here's a screen shot from this morning (6/10/08).

Spotters around town update at what the current prices are.  You can even sign up to be a spotter if you like.

And if you are reading this from out of town or are traveling and need to find prices elsewhere, just go the the main page of Gas Buddy and enter where you  are at.  

I have found personally that the lowest prices in the South Denver Suburbs are generally at the Sinclair at Broadway and Dry Creek, the Diamond Shamrock at Broadway and Plaza or the Diamond Shamrock at near County Line and University. That can vary from time to time though, so its not a bad idea to check once in a while. 

We are actually lucking living in Denver, we still have one of the cheaper gas prices in the country.  But we're catching up.  

Steve Scheer, REMAX Masters, Inc.