Acitivities to keep you busy this Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day is already here (can’t say where the month of May went but here we are!) and I just wanted to take a minute to thank all the military men and women out there serving our country. To the families and friends of fallen soldiers I especially want to send a sincere and loving thank you for everything your soldier did for our country. This is an official holiday where we take time to remember those soldiers who lost their lives fighting and protecting our country.

There are so many activities going on this coming weekend for families and friends to participate in, from the Memorial Day tribute to the countless concerts and sporting activities. Many people take this long weekend and head out of town for the mark of the beginning of road trips and summer adventures (even though it still is a bit cold in the mountains so make sure to check out the weather before you go). Below is a list of activities around the city as well as in the mountains that will be a good time for family and friends alike:

Veterans Memorial Day Tribute – May 27th 10:00-12:00 POF Hall, 1340 Sherman. St – This is an annual tribute that honors all the fallen Colorado heroes and their families. There will be music, storytelling and ceremonial activities.

Denver Day Of Rock – May 27th 2:30-9:30 16th Street Pedestrian Mall – This is the 8th year the Day of Rock has shut down 16th Street Mall and is not a day you want to miss! This is a huge fundraiser that raises money for the youth organization Amp the Cause, donating to over 50 organizations. Enjoy a beer, some amazing food and of course the music of some of the biggest names in Colorado.

Aspen Mountain Will Open for Skiing – All Memorial Day weekend – If you haven’t put the skis away quite yet then grab them and head up to Aspen for one last powder session.

Final Weekend: The Secret Garden – Stage Theatre at Denver Center for the Performing Arts 1101 Speer Blvd – A beloved classic story is brought to life and enhanced with enchanting musical numbers. This is the last weekend it will be running so if you are hoping to catch a play, grab tickets and head on over.

Butterflies at Chatfield Seasonal Opening – May 27th 9:00-4:00 Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms – With the changing of weather comes the spring creatures arriving and this weekend you can go encounter native Colorado butterflies and plants in a one-of-a-kind butterfly house. Walk amongst swallows, monarchs, mourning cloaks and painted ladies.

Water World Seasonal Opening – All Weekend 10:00-6:00 Water World – If you have been keeping an eye on the weather you will have seen we are supposed to have some sun and heat. Water World, one of the largest water parks in the United States, opens up again for the season this weekend offering an array of fun water attractions.

Denver Arts Festival – All Weekend 10:00-6:00 Conservatory Green at Stapleton – Enjoy walking around these beautiful grounds while perusing fine arts and crafts by some incredibly talented Colorado artists and the nation’s best artists.

BolderBoulder 10k – May 29th starting at 5:45am Folsom Field – This is one of the most famous runs in Colorado with over 50,000 participants who done outfits fit for a king.

Odesza & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – All weekend (check schedule for specific dates of each) 7:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Red Rocks season is upon us and what better way to enjoy this beautiful weekend then being outdoors at the best music venue in the US? Catch either one of these incredible music acts this weekend.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend and if you are around this weekend and wanting to look at homes or chat about putting yours on the market, please contact me today!

What It Means to Be a Mom

This is a blog for all the moms out there. While we celebrated Mother’s Day this past weekend, I thought it was important to write a little bit about motherhood from my own perspective and how being a mom has made me a better person, worker and friend.

Let’s start with what society says to women who have children and also want to have a career; it’s an almost impossible task and at the end of the day you are going to have to choose one. While I know many people look at motherhood a career ender, I myself have found that being a mother has increased my work ethic and makes me work double as hard so my daughter can have a good life and also see what it means to be a strong, independent woman who has a good job and can be a good and attentive mother at the same time. It is very possible to raise a family and have a career; more women do it then we give them credit for.

I have always believed that the hardest career out there is bring a parent, a job no one gets paid for but stakes are high and it is all on you to figure out how to raise a good kid, kind and smart child. When Reagan was first born, I understood quickly that I would need to figure out how to make my schedule work to balance the time I spent with her and the time I spent doing my other jobs. I have been lucky enough to choose a career that allows me flexibility on when and how much I work so that meant when Reagan had a dance recital or needed to be picked up from school, between my husband and I, one of us would always be able to be there. As she continues to grow up I find myself working even harder in my career so I can be an example to her to show her that a woman can have it all, and really have it all.

One of the greatest days of my life was the day Reagan was born, everything changed for me that day. My husband Jay and I became parents for the first time and there is nothing like that feeling of holding a little bundle of joy that is part of both of you. From that day on I have felt the greatest responsibility towards my daughter to raise her to be a good person and help guide her along the way as she continues to try new things on and experience different parts of life for the first time. Being a mother is amazing and challenging but it is my favorite “job” of all my “jobs” and I hope to keep showing Reagan how she can be a mother one day too and have the career of her dreams at the same time.

A little lesson about the current state of the Denver real estate market from yours truly

Recently I was asked by 5280 Magazine to give my two-cents in regards to the real estate market of Denver. The article that was recently published is titled “Everything you know about Denver’s real estate market is wrong” – which is both true and false. This article focuses on the truths and the myths, what is good about the market and what is bad about the market and what buyers can do to stay in this competitive seller’s market.

5280 journalist Natasha Gardner starts with some good news: if you own a house in Denver, its value probably has gone up in the past few years. If you are looking to sell your house, there are plentiful buyers out there willing to pay at asking price or above asking price meaning sellers get to pocket some extra cash. And if you are a buyer, the sooner you are able to buy the sooner your house will grow in value in this every growing appreciating market. Denver used to be a city you could buy a stand-alone home with a yard in a central neighborhood for less than $350k but those days are long behind us with the average house price around $420k.

So that’s where myself and other real estate agents came into the picture, to help pass along out real estate knowledge to help buyers and sellers survive and thrive in this market. With 200 years of collective experience between us, we came up with this list of rules for buyers and sellers to live by:

1.     Understand the impact of record-low inventory levels - Lots of people want to buy homes and right now, Denver is at an all-time-low for inventory. Prices continue to rise because there are not enough inventory to go around so while demand keeps building, so does prices.

2.     Target traditionally quiet times to buy and sell in what’s not a yearlong season - The ups and downs of the market used to be predictable but that isn’t the case anymore, as I expressed, the selling season was off to an early start this year picking up in February.

3.     Don’t count on rising interest rates to stall Denver’s market - Take this for exactly what it is, the interest rates cannot stay at the level they are now and they will continue to rise but that will not hinder the market here.

4.     Get the right app - You want to be as informed as your agent in this market so get out there and find the best apps like Homesnap to keep you updated daily on the new homes on the market.

5.     Find a rock-star agent and be prepared to offer more than list price - This should come without saying, you need an agent who is going to put up a fight for you and has your best interests at heart. Have some money put aside in case you do need to offer more than asking price because when you can close the gap between and appraisal and offer price you are a much better buying candidate to the seller.

6.     Embrace the backup-buyer trend – In February 2016, one in five first offers fell through due to bad-timing, shaky financing or appraisal and inspection issues. I suggested that sellers get pre-inspections so they know if there are big-ticket items to fix. Using a buyer backup, in case the first offer falls through, is a good choice for both buyers and sellers.

7.     Beware of buyer fatigue – There are so many offers and buyers get discouraged which causes them to decide to leave the market and sign another leasing agreement while hoping for the market to settle out more.

8.     Think beyond the house – You might not be able to have the yard you want, or a perfect patio in the back. If you want to live close to the city, you need to realize you might not have all of these things marked off your list.

9.     Assume the seller is listening – Don’t expect you are having a private conversation while in a house, make sure to wait until you are outside with your agent to discuss such matters.

10. Ignore conventional geographic boundaries – Neighborhood lines are being blurred as buyers focus on the metro area as a whole. You might not be able to be in your first choice or even your second but keep an open mind when looking.

11. Increase your budget to decrease stress – This speaks for itself, the more money you have to work with, the more inventory you will have to work with too.

12. Love the one you can afford – We all fall in love with our dream homes that are out of our price range but the goal is to find a place in your budget that you can fall in love with.

13. Consider buying new – A key way to increase inventory in Denver is by infilling and repurposing old places and by looking at the new builds.

Check out the full article at the link below and if you have any other real estate questions I can help answer please just contact me today!

http://www.5280.com/2017/04/everything-know-denvers-real-estate-market-wrong/#

Three real estate condominium developments to keep your eye on

There is something pretty amazing coming to Denver and it has already begun and that is the building of condominiums again in the city. For the past few years, there has been a hold on building condos which has led to a lot of angst for developers and making the housing market even that much more competitive with a true lack of condos to purchase. For all my clients, from the new time homebuyers to my experienced buyers, condominiums allow a range of prices to buy at that can fit everyone’s budget.

There are three huge projects being built in the next few years that I am really excited to share with you all because they are such unique buildings and offer different types of living for every person out there.

1.     The Coloradan – Located at 1750 Wewatta Street, this $200 million, 334-unit condo project is slated to be completed by September 2018. Located adjacent to Union Station, this condominium is the perfect place for buyers wanting that luxury downtown living for a good price. The condos will be sold starting mid $200k all the way up to the penthouses ranging from $1.6M-$3.0M. I recently attended a luncheon about the project and have so much other information to share about this stunning structure. Feel free to contact me today to schedule your private showing.

http://ewpartners.com/the-coloradan-to-complement-union-station/

The Coloradan

2.     Lakehouse 17 – If you are looking for a modern build a little further away from Downtown towards the mountains, head to one of the hottest neighborhoods in Denver currently, Sloans Lake, and find the highly anticipated Lakehouse 17. This condominium is the first WELL registered project in Colorado which focuses on the attributes of the building that impact resident health by examining air, water, light, comfort, nourishment, fitness and mind. It combines best practices in design and construction with evidence based on scientific and medical research to make your living space a happy and healthy home for both your body and mind. They are currently taking contracts and are represented by some wonderful agents at Kentwood City Properties. If you think this might be a better fit for you, let’s chat today and get you over to see the amazing possibilities they have in store for you. http://lakehouse17.com/

3.     The Colossus – Would seem about right to have a Miami developer coming to town with plans to develop two 40-story, 800 condominium units situated right in the heart of Denver. These towers are to be located at 1901 Arapahoe and would represent the single largest condo project ever built in Denver. Units are going to be going from the mid-$200k to more than $1M. The developer, Renzo Renzi, said that Denver is a very exciting city and it is one of the top cities in the United States for its economy and quality of life. His hope is that these beautiful one-of-a-kind buildings will help that grow even more. This is a perfect opportunity for investors to get in with some great condos for very reasonable prices. If you are thinking it is time to put your hat into the ring and buy some investment properties, let’s connect today and figure out the best plan for you to make the most bang for your buck.

http://crej.com/news/condo-collosus-coming-downtown/

How to keep yourself safe from wiring fraud in your real estate transactions

As much as I wish I could say that when it comes to dealing with money and real estate every part of the transactions are 100% safe that just isn’t the truth anymore. In the last couple of years, especially with the rise of real estate doing so well, we have seen a rise in wiring fraud unfortunately and many fraudsters targeting real estate transactions and clients. Because there is a lot of money being moved around, fraudsters see real estate transactions as an easy place to confuse clients and have money wired to made up banks and title companies. Because of these fraudsters, I are keeping a close eye on every deal I do as well as my company Kentwood working twice as hard to make sure this doesn’t happen to any of our clients.

To take further steps, I am working to educate my clients on how to handle any situation they might find themselves in in regards to their finances and real estate. I think it is imperative to make sure every client understands that unless directed directly by me or someone on my team to take some sort of action like sending money or cutting a check, they should never take action without consulting with me first. Below are a few pointers I have come up with as guidelines for my clients to work off of when it comes to handling their money during our real estate transactions:

1. No email is secure not even if it's encrypted.  Fraudsters can intercept an email and wiring instructions can be changed. If you get an email and do not feel it is correct or information seems fishy, contact me directly.

2. We have been targeted in several states by fraudsters who are convincing clients to change where their wire goes at the tail end of a transaction. 

3. Thieves are calling the buyer and say that they are from the title company or lender.  It’s getting very serious, and we are increasingly concerned for the safety of our clients and their money transfers.

4. One of the most important actions I am taking to help prevent wire fraud is by having sincere conversations with my clients about the subject.  We have all heard the horror stories, and it's up to me to inform my clients that people are going to great lengths to steal their money.  My clients should be suspicious of anyone they don’t know attempting to provide instructions on where to wire money.  This is becoming very serious and the thieves are getting bold and creative!

5. To help protect us as agents the brokerage I work for Kentwood City Properties has implemented a new Wire Fraud disclosure.  We have started to use this disclosure and it is required for all my closing files. 

These are just a few precautions I want my clients to take as we work on closing real estate deals together. Like I said, never be afraid to reach out to me or if you are working with another real estate agent, reaching out to them. We are here for a reason, to help guide you throughout this process and make sure to do our best to keep you safe from the day your offer is accepted until the day you move in.