Thanksgiving Weekend Activities for the Whole Family

In just a few short weeks we will be gathering with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. With that being said, you might be staying in Denver for the holiday and might have a number of travelers heading to your home for the big turkey-eating day. If you are having a big gathering for the holiday, it probably means you will be having a few extra people spending the weekend at your house and you of course want to be the host with the most! We have compiled a list of fun things to do around the city after you have stuffed yourself full and need to get out for some exercise and adventures:

 

1.    Denver Christkndl Market – Nov. 18th – Dec. 23rd at Skyline Park – This one-of-a-kind market includes vendors from Ukraine, Ireland, Germany and many other countries (along with many talented local artists). Each of these vendors offers high-quality gifts and there will also be plenty of delicious food to keep you full as you shop.

2.    Mile High United Way Turkey Trot – Nov. 24th at Wash Park – After having a delicious Thanksgiving meal, head over to Wash Park for the Mile High United’s 43rd annual Turkey Trot. The four-mile race and quarter-family fun run is one of the favorite Thanksgiving Day weekend activities with a little over 10,000 participants lacing up their running shoes.

3.    Blossoms of Light – Nov. 25th – Jan. 1st – Denver Botanic Gardens – The Botanic Gardens in the winter is quite a sight for anyone to see. With over one million colorful lights draped in elegant designs throughout the whole garden, you will see why this is a place many families go to every year.

4.    Downtown Denver Grand Illumination – Nov. 25th – Downtown Denver – At 6:00pm on Friday, Nov. 25th, the holiday lights will be turned on from Denver Union Station to the City and County Building at Civic Center Park.

5.    A Christmas Carol – Nov. 25th – Dec. 24th – Denver Center for the Performing Arts – This is one of those family holiday tradition events, like going to see the Nutcracker ballet every year. This loved Christmas story about what is important in life is a great place to take the family, especially after the Thanksgiving holiday.

6.    Extreme Mammals – Sept. 23rd – Jan. 8th – Denver Museum of Science & Nature – If you have some mammal lovers in your family, especially the kiddos, this is a great exhibit the whole family can enjoy.

7.    Star Wars and the Power of Costume – Nov. 13th – Apr. 2nd – Denver Art Museum – Some people have a tradition of watching the whole Star Wars series over the Thanksgiving holiday or over the Christmas holiday. Either way, this exhibit at the DAM is one for all the force lovers in your family. See some of the costumes from the movies, including Leia’s famous gold bikini.

8.    Southwest Rink at Skyline Park – Nov. 22nd – Feb. 14th – Skyline Park – Call me an old romantic but there’s something really lovely about lacing up some ice-skates and being able to skate in the middle of Downtown Denver. Located at 16 Street Mall and Arapahoe, this ice-skating rink is a great place to bring people of all ages to enjoy the lights and brights of the city.

 

To those of you traveling over the holiday, we wish you safe travels. To those of you hosting over the holidays, we have you have a great turnout and a delicious meal. From our family to yours, we want to take a second and say how thankful we are for you our amazing family, friends and clients. Have a blessed Thanksgi

First Time Home Buyer Questions To Ask Your Realtor

 

Getting into the real estate market can be an intimidating one, especially for first- time-home-buyers. As a real estate agent, it is my job to help my clients feel the most comfortable when they are getting ready to look for their first home or when they are deciding to sell their first place. I thought I might take this blog to sit down and answer some questions I have been asked over the years by my first time homebuyers to help those thinking about buying a home prepare to get into the market (and hopefully work with me!).

 

Homebuyer: This is the first time I am buying a home and I have to say, I don’t really even know where to start! Between finding a lender, choosing an area live and starting to look at homes, I am feeling a bit like my head is all over the place. Where would you recommend I start the process?

 

My Answer: Start with finding a REATOR who really knows the market and works full time on and in their business.  Ask for referrals in your sphere but also search online in the area you think you may want to move to and find a specialist in that area.  I recommend interviewing three different REALTORSand asking how long they have been in the Business, if they work with first time homebuyers, why they are a realtor and what types of Buyers they like to work with.  Then from there I would search all their profiles online, like LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to see how they market themselves and what type of person they are to see if you have the same interests.  Working with likeminded people can really help the process go a lot smoother.  Once you find the REALTOR you want to workwith then ask that REALTOR who they recommend for a lender.  Ask them to give you three referrals and then do the same thing with these lenders that you did to find your REALTOR.  Once you find your lender then work on getting pre-qualified so you know how much you can afford.  Once you have done all that you can start looking at homes. 

 

Homebuyer: I have heard in this market, if you are a cash buyer, you have a better chance at getting the home, is that true? I also have read that many lenders recommend you come to the table with the ability to put 10% of your loan down, what if I currently only have about 7% I can put down, should I wait? I also have some credit card debt and am thinking about buying a new car but some friends told me that I should hold off on making a big purchase before my house and try my best to pay off my credit cards, would you agree with that?

 

My Answer: No, it's not always true that you cannot win a bid if you don't have all cash.  There are ways to win a bid other than just making a cash offer.  I recommend hiring a REATLOR who has a lot of experience in negotiations like one who holds a MCNE designation.  Regarding buy now or wait... I am a huge believer in owning real estate instead of paying rent so If you are able to buy then I would do this before a new car if your car is still able to get you to where you need to go.  Talk to a lender to see where you stand on your credit and if you can get pre-qualified for a mortgage. 

 

Homebuyer: This market seems to always be changing and I keep hearing people talk about the “bubble” that they believe is coming sooner than later. What is your opinion on this “bubble” and should I keep waiting to buy a place or should I try to get in the market when I have the means to do so?

 

My Answer: The Denver market and economy is very strong and the local and national economists don't see a bubble in our future but more of us evening out.  We actually don't have enough housing for our population which is why our prices continue to rise in the Denver market. 

 

Homebuyer: How long does the average buying process take in Denver’s market? From the day I go under contract to the day I receive my keys to my house, how long should I expect?

 

My Answer: This depends on the lender and when they can get the appraisal done and through the approval process.  Every borrower is different on how they get qualified.  We only have about 600 appraisers in the Denver area and with refinances and purchases on the rise there is a shortage.  Again, I recommend hiring a great REALTOR and Lender who know what they are doing and how to get you to the closing table.  To answer your questions thought I just closed on a transaction and we got in done in 24 days from contract to closing.   Most of my contracts have been 30-60 days this year but it all depends and there are different variable for each transaction.

 

Homebuyer: If you were a first time homebuyer, what part of the city would you look in? Where is the area you think you can get the best bang for your buck or where do you think is the next hotspot?

 

My Answer: Oh gosh there are so many different areas but I feel like if you want to stay close to the city I would look anywhere that is close to our mass transit system and light rail. The neighborhoods I would look at are Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Sunnyside, Berkeley, Chaffee Park, Edgewater and even into Wheat Ridge, Arvada and Westminster.  If you are looking at a little farther out and what to get the biggest bang for your buck I would look at going north east of the city as there is a lot of development happening in the north area and you can get far more for your money.   I would look at Northglenn, Thornton and Brighton and downtown Brighton as there is going to be a lot happening in downtown Brighton in the next several years. 

 

Homebuyer: Why should I hire you as my agent? What can you do for me and what can I expect from you?

 

My Answer:  You should hire me as your agent because I am a REALTOR with Denver Metro Association Of Realtors and work in and on my business full time.  Not only am I am member of DMAR I also serve on the Market Trends Committee so I make sure that I have my pulse on the market and what the current market trends are.  I also have a coach, I am a MCNE (Master Certified Negotiation Expert), I make sure to continue my education in real estate by taking real estate related courses.  Additionally I run my real estate business like a true business where I have an assistant and a transaction coordinator to assist me through the process so I am able to give you my full attention from start to finish.  My service doesn't stop there as I will continue to service you needs even after you have closed.  I will make sure to stay in touch to make sure if there is anything you need that I am always available to answer questions or give advise.

 

I hope these questions and answers have given some insight to some of you new homebuyers out there about this Denver real estate market. If you have more questions or want to chat more about looking for a home, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call today I would be more than happy to meet with you! 

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Redfin’s 1% listing fee not applicable in this Denver market

 

Just this week there are changes coming to the Denver real estate market thanks to Redfin, a Seattle based real estate brokerage. Redfin has decided to roll out a new commission platform in which Redfin will drop its listing fee for homes in metro Denver to 1%. With the average listing percent of a home ranging from 2.5%-3%, this change could put more downward pressure on area real estate commissions.

 

Redfin first entered the Denver market back in 2011 with a listing fee of 1.5% while newer flat-rate firms such as Redefy and Trelora charge a set price of $2,500 to sell a home. But Redfin does have some particulars when it comes to this new listing price commission: they will charge a minimum-listing fee of $3,000 on homes priced at $300k or lower. But above that level, every property will have a guarantee of 1% of the sales price.

 

When asked what would all of this 1% entail when it came to the work put into the seller’s home, Redfin says the lower listing fee includes a full-service agent, open houses, professional photography, printed brochures and a digital marketing campaign that allows potential buyers to see a virtual-reality scan of the home.

 

This isn’t the first company to offer a 1% listing fee, many firms have come and gone in the Denver market, none of them surviving long term. As a seasoned REALTOR®, I can understand why a firm might not make it that long at those listing prices for various reasons.

 

In today’s market, the average real estate agent’s commission is 6%. Now, that does not all go to one agent, it is split between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. The buyer’s agent gets around 2.8% while the seller’s agent gets 3.2%. Many people do not understand that even after that split, the money is then divided out again. When you hire a REALTOR®, you are paying for their time, energy and dedication. With those commissions, your agent is paying out their firm, using the money to market your home and is going towards all the blood, sweat and tears they put into your property with writing contracts, dealing with other agents, hosting open houses, taking you to look at houses and so much more. How can a REALTOR® negotiate, be your advocate and dedicate their time and attention to your transaction for only 1%?

 

If you are an expert in your market then there will be a demand for your services. I always tell my clients, it would be like if you went into your work tomorrow and your boss asked you to do the same amount of work you are doing now but have your paycheck cut by 40%, would you be ok with that? In real estate especially, this is a line of business that buyers and sellers cannot do alone. There is a reason all real estate agents are required to attend 180 hours of school and have continuing education every year because Colorado believes in grooming good real estate agents to help the public. When you pay for a REALTOR®, you are paying for so much more than just their expertise and they can be the best agent they can be for you because they are being paid accordingly to their skill set. If any real estate broker was making 1% of the transaction then they would not be able to sustain their business efficiently as they would be working hard to make deals close quickly so they could make more money which would cause quality of service to go down and client relationships to suffer.

 

In this world, you really do pay for what you get. If you want to work with a REALTOR® who can give you top notch service then hire a REALTOR® and pay for all their time and efforts that will in turn make for a smooth transaction. If you feel you are ready to put your place on the market, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a phone call and let’s grab a cup of coffee and discuss how I can help you as your real estate broker.