Welcoming Fall to Colorado

If you were out this weekend you might have noticed a little bit of a chill in the air. The early mornings are crisper these days and the evenings are quite pleasant with a touch of coolness. This Friday, September 22nd, marks the first official day of fall and I, for one, am excited for the weather to not be so hot anymore, not to mention pumpkin spice lattes and trips to the pumpkin patch. Denver is such a beautiful city in the fall and we are spoiled with the quick trips to the mountains to see the beautiful changing of the trees from green to stunning golds and oranges and reds. If you are looking for some great fall activities to do with your friends and family check out the list below:

Oktoberfest Denver – Sept. 22nd – 30th – Ballpark neighborhood

What better way to start off fall then with an amazing tradition like Oktoberfest? Enjoy two weekends full of German attractions, live music, international dancers, children’s activities, booths with German goods and of course, authentic German drinks and cuisine.

Autumn Gold Festival – Sept. 22nd – 23rd – Estes Park

If you are wanting to get up close and personal with the golden-hued Aspens, take the drive to Estes Park and don’t forget to drop in for the Autumn Gold Festival with live music, food and drinks, kids’ activities and a classic car show. There’s also a raffle with the winner taking home $5,000 cash.

Denver Zombie Crawl – Oct. 7th – Downtown Denver

The Denver Zombie Crawl holds the Guinness World Record for the largest zombie crawl event in the world. Get yourself looking as dead as possible and enjoy this fun event where all ages are welcome.

Pumpkin Harvest Festival – Oct. 7th – 8th – Four Mile Historic Park

It’s never too early to get your pumpkins and the Pumpkin Harvest Festival is a great experience for the whole family. Pick your perfect pumpkin, ride in a horse-drawn wagon, build a scarecrow, enjoy live music and have some great drinks and eats while you do it.

Apple Fest – Oct. 7th – 8th – Cedaredge

It’s only a 274 mile drive to get to Cedaredge and trust me, for the Apple Fest, it is worth it. There are over 150 booths, car, tractor and motorcycle shows, a chili cook-off, 5k run, live music and a gala dance. Oh, and there might be a few apple dishes to enjoy as well.

Breckenridge Fall Fest – Oct. 14th – Riverwalk Center, Breckenridge

If the kids want to take their costumes for a spin before Halloween, head to the Breckenridge Fall Fest where they can trick-or-treat, get their face painter, decorate a pumpkin and munch on some delicious fall snacks.

The Bloody Mary Festival – Oct. 22nd – EXDO Event Center

This one is for the adults only but what a fun day to be had by all! Grab tickets and enjoy three hours of unlimited tastes of Denver’s most creative and innovative bloody marys (don’t worry, they will also have food trucks so it won’t just be a liquid lunch kind of day!).

Denver Arts Week – Nov. 3rd – 11th – Denver Metro area

This event is based off the popular event from Paris and is a wonderful week-long celebration of all things art in Denver. The city’s top museums, art galleries, theaters and concert halls offer free or discounted admission and special performances throughout the week.

There are so many great events going on this fall so make sure to get out and enjoy the weather because before you know it, winter will be here! The Denver real estate market for the fall is looking like another strong one so if you are wanting to find a place before the winter or get your house into this amazing seller’s market, contact me today!

Lakehouse is taking shape

Hard to believe it was a little over three months ago that construction finally began on Lakehouse with an amazing groundbreaking ceremony filled with developers, construction workers, realtors and members of the community. Now as we start to head into fall, one can see just how much work has been done of the development over such a short period of time. This incredible, one-of-a-kind condominium complex is not for the faint of heart but for the owner who wants to be part of some of the biggest things to happen to Denver real estate in quite a while.

This 12-story complex has condos that range in size from 675 square feet to 2,285 square feet with 1, 2 and 3 bedroom floor plans available. And if you want a little something more, there are street level row homes along 17th Street and Stuart Street that range in size from 1,300 square feet to 2,473 square feet. The great thing about these condos is also the price range, which is from under $500,000 up to around $2 million. There are also a few coveted retail spots at the entrance to Lakehouse but if you haven’t gotten one of those already you might have missed the boat, many of these have already been taken.

Don’t even get me started on all the great amenities that go along owning a spectacular place in Lakehouse. There will be a 7,000 square foot wellness center, an outdoor pool, hot tub and ‘mist lounge’ overlooking the lake, perfect to catch those mountain sunsets. There will be an organic urban farm to get produce from as well as a juice bar, sauna and yoga studio. All of these amenities are part of what is called WELL certification, the first of its kind in Denver, which focuses on resident health and wellness through air, water, light, comfort, nourishment, fitness and mind.

If you haven’t gotten a chance yet, take a drive over to the location right next to Sloans Lake on the 17th Street side. You can also go visit the Lakehouse headquarters where schooled agents from Kentwood can show you interior choices, floor plans and walk you through the amazing 3-D model.

If you are thinking this might be a spot for you to buy, contact me today and I would love to show you the space and talk about what I can do to help make Lakehouse your new home.

We will never forget 9/11

It’s been 16 years since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. But for many Americans, lasting memories of that terrible day are still very present and that day changed the lives of many forever. What started off as a normal, clear sky day ended in tragedy as terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York and into the Pentagon. The remaining jet crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers. By the end of it all, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, a day that will always have a mark on it throughout history for the United States.

It’s hard to believe September 11th happened over a decade ago and Aaron Blake of Washington Post sad that one-quarter of Americans were too young to remember it but that does not mean we should forget about it. This was a horrible attack against our country and while our country was distraught for a while, we also bonded together as a nation to help those you were affected by the tragedy. Firefighters and policemen from all over the country made their way to New York to help with search and rescue and also rebuilding. Citizens who were once strangers were offering up their homes as refuge for people and also collecting and donating much needed items. Widows and Widowers found comfort with one another, being able to share in the love of their loved ones to help ease the pain.

If there’s one thing you can say about our country, we really come together when there is a threat. People open their doors, their hearts and give their time to help others in need. And to this day, there are still people raising money and helping support people and causes that arose from 9/11. If you are looking to give back, looking at these 7 non-profit organizations that deserve your support:

1.     The Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation – Michael was a firefighter who lost his life in the World Trade Center. This foundation grants educational scholarships to the children of firefighters and other victims of the attacks.

2.     Tuesday’s Children – This was initially founded to help children who had lost a parent in 9/11 but since then it has expanded to help families who endure traumatic events. Their programs include everything from widow/widower support and youth mentoring.

3.     H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 – This organization is made up of volunteers from the PAPD, NYPD and the FDNY who travel around the world to help communities in times of crisis.

4.     New York Says Thank You Foundation – This is a “pay it forward” organization that sends volunteers around the country to help with disaster relief.

5.     VOICES of September 11th – This group addresses the long-term needs of 9/11 survivors and victims’ families and also works to improve responses to other crises.

6.     9/11 Day – The non-profit MyGoodDeed created a law that designated 9/11 a Day of Service and Remembrance.

7.     Wounded Warrior Project – This organization helps any veteran who was severely injured after September 11th 2001. The project aids veterans and their families, helping with PTSD and career coaching.

September 11th 2001 will be a date many of us will always remember and for the future generations, something we will teach them about. How our country went through a terrible tragedy and came together to rebuild.

Buy vs. rent: Guiding clients through the age-old dilemma - Inman News

With millennials’ preference toward a mobile lifestyle, the question of “buy versus rent” is prevalent among a demographic that constitutes a large segment of our first-time homebuyers.

Furthermore, baby boomers are confronted with the same question for varied reasons that include a newfound desire to be mobile and investing in a market that is appreciating from the aftermath of the recent housing bubble.

Real estate agents well-versed on the variables that determine whether a client should pursue homeownership instead of a lease, are positively guiding people through this major life decision.

So posed with the question of whether to buy or rent, what is the answer?

If you do the math, buying in booming markets such as San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and my hometown of Denver becomes less expensive than renting over time; plus, with property values rising, it is generally favorable to purchase a home as a long-term investment.

“Renters who want to become buyers hear the buzz that there is a frenzy in the real estate marketplace with multiple offers, over list price and low inventory, so they are nervous to enter into the homebuying market, and they are sticking to renting,” said Denver-area Realtor Brigette Modglin.   <<Read More >>

Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in Colorado this year

I feel weird writing about Oktoberfest but the truth is, we are only a couple of days away from September and that means Oktoberfest will be here faster than you think! With Labor Day weekend approaching, I am looking ahead to the fall and getting excited for such things as apple cider, pumpkin spice everything, the leaves changing and of course, celebrating Oktoberfest.

First, let me give you a little history lesson on this wonderful event. The origin can be traced back to October 12th, 1810, which was the wedding day of Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Unlike tradition of only nobles and clergymen attending the wedding, the couple invited all of Munich’s common people to participate in the day’s festivities. The event was a big success spanning over five days and bringing around 40,000 people to help the newlyweds celebrate and every year on that day, a celebration is held to remember that special day.

Fast forward to today, and put a marker on Colorado, and you will find there are so many great ways to celebrate the event starting of course in Denver:

Denver Oktoberfest – Sep. 22-23 & Sep. 29-30 – 11:00-Midnight

Taking place in the heart of downtown, this is the 48th year that this event has gone on in Denver. In 1969, Fred and Hertha Thomas owned two shops in Larimer Square and had a tradition of tapping a keg and serving pretzels and white radishes. Until 2007 the event was held there until it was moved to the block of Larimer Street, on 14th and now 20th Street. It attracts around 350,000 people during the six days. For more information and to get tickets, check out their website: http://thedenveroktoberfest.com/

Keystone Oktoberfest – Sep. 2nd

Admission is only $35 for this event in Keystone with event goers getting a free stein, three free drink tickets and all the craft beers from New Belgium your heart desires. Or if you would rather work for your stein, there is a 5k you can participate in with a stein waiting for you at the finish line.

Breckenridge Oktoberfest – Sep. 8th-Sep. 10th

The town closes down Main Street for this event with live music, German food, keg tapping and lots of activities for the whole family.

Loveland Oktoberfest – Sep. 15th – Sep. 16th

If you have a good outfit for the event, might want to head up to Loveland to celebrate since they are holding a contest for best-dressed dirndl and lederhosen. There will also be games for the young and old ones in your life with mini golf, hammerschlagen, corn hole, ladder ball, washer toss and much more. The event is free to attend.

Colorado Springs Oktoberfest – Sep. 22nd – Sep. 24th

There’s a keg tapping ceremony to get things started on Friday night at 6:30 followed by a weekend full of fun with a 5k, dachshund dash, brat eating contest, German costume and stein hoisting contest.

Because there are so many places celebrating Oktoberfest this year (and I can’t possibly write about all of them) check out this awesome website for more info and make sure to hit up one (or a few) of the celebrations next month!

https://www.funtober.com/oktoberfest/colorado/