Are you looking for something to do this weekend to honor St. Patrick’s Day in Highlands Ranch?  Well, besides celebrating with traditional “green beer” and shepherd’s pie, why not try the 5th annual St. Patrick’s Day 5k Walk/Run in Highlands Ranch.  This is one of the Highlands Ranch run series certified races.  You can register here for this race online.  Whether or not you’re an experienced runner or just out for fun with the family, this event is sure to please.

However, if St. Patrick’s Day means partying like a leprechaun to you, then maybe swing over to Town Center and visit Lansdowne Arms where you will certainly enjoy delicious Irish food and drink.  I know you can get traditional shepherd’s pie here and plenty of beverages.  I’ve had it and it is very good!

So get out, celebrate and enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day here in Highlands Ranch.  Remember to be safe, responsible and have fun!  I have always been a fan of St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Denver, and tomorrow will be no exception.

Steve Scheer, Denver Realty Partners
Real Estate in Denver & The Suburbs

Search all Denver & Denver Suburb Homes Here

If you would like more information on the Denver area or more information on Denver real estate, contact Steve at 720-849-6101.

The weather is starting to turn here in the Denver area – cool crisp mornings and evenings are still warm enough on most days for shorts & T-Shirts. So before the weather completely turns we decided to take a much needed adventure to Chatfield State Park.

This wasn’t our ordinary visit with fishing in the south ponds, or a picnic on the beach or an afternoon on a boat or a hike on the trails – this time we decide to bring our dog for his first swim! It was also an excellent time for me to share an afternoon with my son.

Chatfield has a wonderful Dog Training Area that is an off-leash area for dogs and includes a very popular pond for the dogs to swim. I found out quickly that my 6 month old is a complete natural. A full swim off the bat and was retrieving in minutes. (Side note – Dogs must be leashed in all other areas of Chatfield State Park.)

The pond is extremely popular and I can see why – the dogs love it.

If you have recently moved to the Denver area, specifically the south Denver suburbs and you have a dog, you have to check out Chatfiled.

Chatfield State Park is only about an 8 minute drive from my home on the west side of Highlands Ranch. It is easily accessible from all parts of the Denver South suburbs and it is right off of C470. The dog training area is located on the north side of the park and will be most easily access from the Wadsworth entrance to the park.

Chatfield is a State Park, so there is a daily entrance fee of $7. You can also choose to purchase an annual pass for the Colorado State Parks for $60, which if you plan on going often, is well worth it.

We plan on heading back to the Chatfield Dog Training Area a few more times before the water is too cold.

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Real Estate in Denver & The Suburbs

Search all Denver & Denver Suburb Homes Here

Copyright © 2008 By Steve Scheer, All Rights Reserved. ~Living in Denver – Chatfield State Park – Dogs Love It Too 9/14/2008~

Steve Scheer is a REALTOR® in the Denver area – serving Denver Colorado and the south suburbs including Denver, Highlands Ranch, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Littleton, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Englewood, Aurora, Castle Pines North, Castle Pines Village, Castle Rock. Steve is a Denver native and has been licensed in CO since 1994.

If you would like more information on the Denver area or more information on Denver real estate, contact Steve at 720-849-6101.

So here we are on Labor Day Weekend.  And I can tell you without hesitation – The question of the summer that I received – whether it was at a backyard barbecue, in the church parking lot, at a soccer game, at the pool, in an email or on the phone – was…

Well, Steve, really, how is the Denver real estate market, really.

And of course I tell people the truth.  There are parts that are doing better than others and those are doing well.  And then there are some areas doing worse than others, and those need some help.

Yes we have all heard the media hype of the nation wild housing crisis – and yes – there are some serious problems.  And then there is the whole mortgage mess.

But if someone asks me, Steve- really – should I buy a home now?  The answer is, it depends. 

It depends on so many factors.  We then spend time talking about if they have an idea how long they may stay, their price range, area of town interested it, and oh so many things.  I want to make something clear – it is a good idea for many to buy right now.  But there are some circumstances where I will tell you it is not.

And if they ask me, truly, is the market as bad as everyone says is it, here in the Denver area, specifically the Denver suburbs.  I have to say no.  Even my Highlands Ranch neighbors have been under the impressions the sky is falling and that just is not true.

Just this week the Case -Shiller Index was released – and even through this report, it stated that the Denver real estate market is the top market of the 20 metro markets in the index of top markets in the country.  In fact, the headline in the Denver Business Journal was just that "Denver Home Price Rise Top 20 City List".  In a time period that ranged from April through May, the real estate home prices in the Denver area actually rose 1%.

Here are some additional articles from the media that you can read more about the Case-Shiller Index

Denver Business Journal

Rocky Mountain News

After nearly 3 months for my children to play in all of the pools of the Highlands Ranch Community Association, I asked my children this morning which were their favorites this year. You have just a few days, and in the case of Westridge – today, to enjoy the outdoor pools.

Here is my kids recap:

Both of the kids loved the Eastridge Outdoor Pool. First place no doubt. It seemed to have the most options, with a bit deeper water, possibilities for lap swimming, racing each other down the side by side slides and then escaping indoors for the giant slide.

Neither was willing to put the Northridge pool at the top of the list – they said it was great when they were a bit younger as the kiddie pool was better than most but they felt that the teenagers “own” the Northridge pool, so they would wait a few more years to call that their home.

The Westridge Pool was a toss up. My daughter still seems to enjoy the slide there but my son is ready to move on to bigger & better things. The Westrdge Outdoor Pool has a zero entry and is pretty shallow all around – its great for a quick dip in the neighborhood or for those with little ones to keep a close eye on.

Southridge did get thumbs up from both kids, and they both agreed it could be a second place winner. They couldn’t really put their finger on it but I am sure it had something to do with being able to escape inside to the lazy river.

The pools are closing this weekend and by Tuesday all of the HRCA outdoor pools will be closed. You can view the schedule here. If you live in a Highlands Ranch neighborhood with its own private pool, you may have a little more time, depending on the neighborhood. Some of those will stay open through the month of September, weather permitting.

Next week I will ask my kids to help me write a review on the indoor pools.

New Listings in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

High School Football in Highlands Ranch is big. Really big. With 4 high schools in the area, 3 of them play each other in football and as you can imagine the rivalries get big. You know I love attending football if you read my post bout football in Highlands Ranch last year as well.

Fall is crisp with cool mornings and breezy nights and the lights at Shea stadium in Highlands Ranch are on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights through the end of October.

High School Football in Highlands Ranch is a chance for my own family to get out together for some affordable family bonding & fun and cheer on the teams. Gotta Love it!

Here are the varsity schedules for the 4 high schools in Highlands Ranch for the 2008 Fall Season. Most tickets can be bought at the door, but for big games, contact the schools to buy them in advance – especially some of the cross town rival games. They are often sold out.

ThunderRidge High School – Grizzlies

Thursday 8/28 @Douglas County High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/5 Mountain Vista High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/12 @Rampart High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 9/18 Arapahoe High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 9/25 Ponderosa High School 7:00 pm (HOMECOMING!)
Friday 10/3 @Highalnds Ranch High School 7:00 pm
Friday 10/10 @Palmer High School 7:00 pm
Friday 10/17 Chaparral High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 10/23 Doherty High School 7:00 pm

Mountain Vista High School – Golden Eagles

Friday 8/29 – Highlands Ranch High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/5 @ThunderRidge High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/12 Chapparal High School
Saturday 9/20 @ DOherty High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/26 @ Douglas County High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 10/2 Palmer High School 7:00 pm
Friday 10/10 Rampart High School 7:00 pm
Saturday 10/18 Mullen High School 7:00 pm
Friday 10/24 @Ponderosa High School 7:00 pm

Highlands Ranch High School – The Falcons

Friday 8/29 @Mountain Vista High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 9/4 Rampart Hgih School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/12 @Grand Junction High School 4:00 pm
Thursday 9/18 @Ponderosa High School 7:00 pm
Friday 9/26 Palmer High School 7:00 pm (HOMECOMING!)
Friday 10/3 ThunderRidge High School 7:00 pm
Thursday 10/9 @Chapparl High School 7:00 pm
Friday 10/17 @Doherty High School 7:30 pm
Saturday 10/25 Douglas County High School 7:00 pm

Rock Canyon – Jaguars

Friday 9/5 @Fountain-Fort Carson 7:00 pm
Friday 9/19 Coronado 7:00 pm
Friday 9/26 @Woodland Park 12:00 pm
Saturday 10/4 Montrose 3:30 pm
Thursday 10/9 Mitchell 6:00 pm
Friday 10/17 @Sand Creek 7:00 pm
Friday 10/24 Widefield 6:00 pm
Firday 10/31 @Pueblo West 7:00 pm

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Real Estate in Denver & The Suburbs

Copyright © 2008 By Steve Scheer, All Rights Reserved. ~Living in Highlands Ranch – High School Football is Ready to Kick Off~ 8/23/2008~