Million Dollar Baby |
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You look like a million bucks! Or so say the buyers that have purchased Million Dollar Plus properties in the Denver area. In recapping January of 2012, buyers have purchased $56,193,722 in single family and condominium Million Dollar Plus properties compared to last year at this time of $49,760,083. This resulted in an increase of 14.7 % in transactions and a 12.9 % increase in volume...now this is "news you can use!". As the inventory has decreased so has the number of days on the market from 264 to 211. All of this information is from the Kentwood marketing department and it is good news.
The Million Dollar Baby is making a comeback, so get started and climb aboard before the train leaves the station. If you are thinking about listing a property email me at judy@kentwoodcity.com. If you are thinking about buying a property let's get started while the interest rates are still low. If you have a property that is listed, this is not meant as a solicitation but a congratulation and let the momentum continue.
www.judy@kentwoodcity.com
posted: February 16, 2012
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To Your Health |
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Struggling to get back to a healthy economy...housing, recovering and showing signs of health...a healthy retail forecast for the holidays...
so many predictions and forecasts, but are we headed back to health or wavering on the brink. The best way to insure that your home and home marketing is on the positive health side is to do the work, afterall, when it comes to health, the path is diligent.
Get the house healthy, as you would your own body, to present it to a housing market where the healthy houses get sold. A pre-sale routine should include a pre-inspection. Sellers that conduct a home inspection prior to launching the home to market are well rewarded at the time of a sale. Any issue that might arise from the inspection can be thoughtfully addressed without the pressure of a contract deadline, and once the inspection items have been corrected the house can be marketed as a "healthy" house. Another step towards good health for your house is to do the heavy lifting! Just as in weight training, put some muscle into the yard work by extracting dead or unhealthy shrubs, trim the trees, manicure the lawn, weed out the gardens and seasonally prepare, just get it "buffed" up! Nothing suggests health more than a refreshed face, so give the front of your house that face lift by fillers in the home's hard wrinkles....caulk, caulk, caulk. Also, if the roots show, color it, nothing freshens a home and projects good health like fresh paint and crystal windows.
If this seems overwhelming, start with the easiest task and build or get a trainer! Contact a realtor to help be the trainer for a healthy home, it will pay off with a healthy sale. The slippery path that many home owners take is to assume that the buyer will want to make changes or corrections, but do not go down that path or your home may wind up as a nominee for the Biggest Loser.
Get busy and get going, afterall it's your health.
posted: October 2, 2011
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Festa delle Donne |
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March 8th marked the International Women's Day, bella signore and auguri! In Italia, the day is more of a celebrated holiday honoring women the Italian way. It is not uncommon to see a blossoming mimosa sprig on the counter of the local Bar for the barista that prepares your daily cappuccino. Internationally the day is devoted to discussion and focus on issues that address political and social issues relative to women, or health and economic issues.
It is uncertain if there is an International Men's Day, if it exists, it exists without fanfare. As they say in the south..."if Mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy". And, so it goes with the home buying experience. Many decision makers in the purchase of a home are women, eventhough the men make decided opinions on pricing and per square foot values it is the women that carry along the tape measure to make sure the furniture fits. This is the yin and the yang of the home buying process, trust the trained professional.
While the internet is a convenient tool for searching neighborhoods and homes, the actual process should be left to a trained professional. Choose a realtor, a realtor that specializes in the neighborhoods you are searching. The realtor you choose should know where all the schools are located and the names, the shopping areas that include stores from dry cleaning to flowers. The chosen realtor should be informed and up to date on issues that involve the values of homes in the neighborhood such as zoning and redistricting.
As a Denver native, I have lived in several neighborhoods and have specialized in selling real estate in these neighborhoods. I have lived in Park Hill, Hilltop, Denver Country Club, Cheesman, Lower Downtown and as far south as Castle Pines Village. If I do not specialize in the neighborhood, I do not hesitate to refer a realtor that has that specialization, my priority is the client/clients.
email me today at judy@kentwoodcity.com
posted: March 9, 2012
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Home Chic Home |
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If STAYING HOME IS THE NEW GOING OUT TO A FANCY PLACE, does your home qualify?
Today's economy does not have to take a toll on your leisure downtime. Picture a Sunday morning, lolling around with French press coffee and stacks of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or that electronic book or book you have earmarked. Are you picturing yourself in that outdoor living room with autumn foliage and a water feature or on a comfy shabby chic couch in front of a cozy fireplace readying for a day of football? You can create these spaces in a 1000 square foot house or a sprawling estate, it only takes a wish list.
Rather than spending the bank at a local steak house, open that special bottle at home and fire up the grill, indoor or outdoor. Kitchens are now more coveted than a luxury auto, and with a little networking with the cooking network, you can stun your friends and family for a quarter of the cost. Put that on your wish list.
Is your home ready to be the new great place to entertain or hang out?
There are options to update and "chic" the home front, with interest rates at an all time low, the possibilities are endless for purchasing the home that fits the wish list. If you purchase soon, you could be in for the next round of holidays.
Contact me at this website or at judy@kentwoodcity.com. I work with buyers and preferred mortgage lenders to make the home buying process easy breasy. So, Got Gourmet? If not let's chic you up!
judy@kentwoodcity.com
View homes at www.denverrealestate.com
posted: October 3, 2011
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Teaching A Cat To Bark |
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In John Maxwell's "Leadership Gold" he states there are three reasons not to try and get cats to bark...you will frustrate the cats, you will frustrate the dogs and you will frustrate yourself. This phrase is used in many leadership training workshops and as a model for hiring and keeping the right people for the job. The saying is also common in the world of real estate, it is about finding the right house for the right time in your life.
If you have been in a home a while, you have probably experienced the typical seven year itch...itching to upgrade the appliances or countertop or look at a major kitchen overhaul. Remodelling a home is a project, and can be well compared to teaching a cat to bark. So you remodel that kitchen with a sexy six burner stove with that flashy blue smile as you open the oven door. You can't take the prom queen to the dance with old countertops, or perhaps the space is tight because you gave up or added that island along the way. You are now in the business of teaching a cat to bark.
Once that kitchen is completed, the rest of the house will take on the look of your high school yearbook. The bathrooms will look dull and dated, low countertops will need to be replaced or the shower expanded to accommodate the spa dream. And what about those fixtures!!! Out with the old brass and in with the new. Now you're talking real time and real money during the best buyer's market this country has seen in a decade. Before you begin the process, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the homes that are available that are still well below market value. If you can't find the home that fits, take a look at some of the build to suit opportunities that are priced well below market value. Make the silk purse out of the silk purse, now is your chance.
The lot at 89 Indigo Way is listed below a recent appraised value and is the last great lot available on the golf course of the Castle Pines Golf Club. Architectural plans have been completed and approved for a spectacular home sited on the existing foundation, but the lot is available to purchase without the plans if a buyer so desires. This is the perfect opportunity to start anew. Don't spend time teaching that old dog new tricks or the cat to sing.
Email me at judy@kentwoodcity.com
posted: March 11, 2012
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A Perfect 10 |
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Another average day in Paradise, or so the new owner of 89 Indigo will say every morning, noon and night!
Picture views back up the Castle Pines Golf Club's Fairway #10 from the morning deck with a fresh cup of coffee. This is your view! Or sip an afternoon glass and watch the stillness of the pond on the edge of the green on #10. Lounge on the deck off the Master Suite and listen to the rippling waters of Cally's Creek or the distant train whistle while gazing at the Indigo blue night sky. All angles and corners of the site on #10 seductively present picturesque views as it is the premier spot in Castle Pines Village.
Number 10 of the internationally acclaimed Jack Nicklaus signature golf course leads from the club house towards a spectacular pond near the sloping green. It is the number one handicap hole on the prestigious course. It is the perfect 10!
For more information or to schedule a tour email:
judy@kentwoodcity.com
posted: October 21, 2011
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Casa |
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The best, the first, the biggest...the significance of a word can take on a new meaning by adding a superlative or diminutive to the end. There is nothing theatrical or affected by the use of superlatives, they are just a way of making language more colorful and a truly colorful language is Italian.
The Italian word for house is casa, the same word in many languages. As small house is a casina, casita in Spanish. A simple little cottage is a casupola while a farmhouse is a casale, the shed and the little shed are the casotto and casottino appropriately. If you live in a casetta, you live in an insignificant house. A casino is a bordello, hmmmm, wonder if Vegas knows that term; a casino there might prove lucky for you and you could end up in a castello or castle. Hopefully your castello is bello and not a casona, which is a big and slightly ugly house as opposed to a casaccia, big and really ugly.
Whatever type house you have, the Italians probably have a word for that house and that word would make it more interesting.
In real estate the marketing words used to describe houses are also colorful. For instance, in describing a small bungalow in Wash Park you might see the word "cream puff" or "dollhouse"; a new home on an old lot in the Highlands might receive words such as "urban mod" or "contemporary chic". The more exclusive suburbs have homes that are "estate like" or "old world" with a touch of "Euro". The descriptive word for a home can be the defining selling point.
Give me a call to stop by and see your house, let's brainstorm words and perhaps take a look at some other marketing strategies for you or your neighbors. There is a considerable drop in inventory in homes for sale in the Denver area, might be a "primo" time to sell!
Email me at judy@kentwoodcity.com.
The Italian terms for houses was researched in the book "Italianissimo" by Louise Fili and Lise Apatoff
posted: December 4, 2011
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Jumbo Shrimp |
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The jumbo shrimp of real estate is the micro mansion. It is the ultimate example of an oxymoron and oxymorons do occur in the real estate industry. Have you ever driven by an installed real estate sign and been distracted by the "coming soon" rider at the top? How could it be coming soon when it has a sign in the front yard...isn't it here? Is that your only choice? Pardon the oxymoron!
There are many oxymorons tossed about in the industry and many are seen in the advertising...."a remodelled mid-century (in the first part of this century) with a genuine imitation hardwood floor." In my unbiased opinion, oxymorons are used almost exactly as often as facts. Did the comparative market analysis give you an exact estimate? Is this house your only choice or a definite maybe? Same difference!
I read the other day that an expert was giving even odds that interest rates would remain low for the larger half of the year. This is almost exactly right, if it didn't make one clearly confused as to the constant variable in making the decision to buy now. I'd say buy now, you never know when a minor crisis will take the economy to a rolling stop.
This is seriously funny, but one thing is crystal clear...the real estate market has changed. It has changed for buyers and sellers. This is not an open secret. Now is the exact time that you should connect with a realtor that specializes in your marketplace, a realtor with years of experience and a wide network. Email me at judy@kentwoodcity.com.
By the way...
COMING SOON... 61 Indigo Way, ranch walk-out home with a main floor master and an oversized guest room in the walk-out level with two additional rooms. The home sits on a 1.27 acre lot in the heart of the old village and is a quick golf cart ride to the 10th tee box of the famed Golf Club of Castle Pines. Email me for details at judy@kentwoodcity.com!
posted: April 16, 2012
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Sold and Sold! |
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A full moon and Halloween, tricks or treats, and multiple offers?
Tis true, 61 Indigo Way announced a price reduction and days later multiple offers came knocking on the door. No surprise, the house sits on a lot that is gently sloping and over one acre. The professional landscaping and multiple decks and patios capture views of the ridges, mountains and the forest of scrub oak and ponderosa pines. The house is solid construction of stucco and natural stone that was locally quarried. A main floor master suite and large kitchen family room adds a contemporary vibe for today's lifestyle. Plantation shutters add a rich flair to the home.
61 Indigo Way is within walking distance, or a short golf cart ride away from the Castle Pines Golf Club, once home to the famed International Golf Tournament.
But wait, if you missed this great opportunity, the home at 2715 Castle Glen Place sits right on the number one fairway of the Castle Pines Golf Club and the price on this house was just reduced TODAY! This spectacular home sits on two of the lots at The Glen with professional landscape and multiple decks and patios. The construction is of stucco and the same natural stone locally quarried but it has a copper roof and copper gutter system, trex decking and retractable awnings. The main floor master opens to a deck that captures mountain and fairway views. The living, dining and kitchen are open offering that same contemporary vibe for today's living. The wet bar and walk-in wine closet are perfect for entertaining and the main floor solid wood library/study is both elegant and functional.
This home is a car lover's dream, with a pristine and designer finished garage. This is a must see, must buy, but don't wait as multiple offers are becoming the norm in Castle Pines Village.
For more information on this home or any other homes in the metro Denver area please contact me at judy@kentwoodcity.com.
I work with buyers and sellers to show and sell my native city and the surrounding communities.
Judy Fahrenkrog
Kentwood City Properties
posted: October 29, 2012
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Twas the Night be...FORE! |
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The New York Times Magazine's cover story on Sunday was titled, "Is There Anything Wrong With This Economy That A Jack Nicklaus-Designed Golf Course Can't Fix?"
The answer is NO! The article centered around reviving an area in Michigan by giving it a second life with a golf course community. If you build it they will come, the recurring motto for areas across America.
Castle Pines Village, just south of Denver but within the metro area boasts two Jack Nicklaus signature golf courses, one famous for the many years it hosted the International PGA golf tournament. The advantage of living in a community with a beautifully designed golf course is the acre upon acre of open fairways and greens, lush landscaping and manicured boundaries. Most golf courses offer a clubhouse for entertaining and traditionally great food. In Castle Pines Village, the golf courses offer fields of deep white virgin snow on this first day of winter. You may see an occasional animal or human track, as many of the residents will enjoy snowshoeing on a wintry morning.
Both courses in Castle Pines Village are member only, but the Country Club at Castle Pines has both golf and social memberships available.
The community is near complete so premier lots are unique, especially lots with location and views.
89 Indigo Way is offered as a near two acre lot located at the green of the Castle Pine's Golf Club's number one handicap hole, a long par 5 sloping fairway with a spectacular pond at the green. It is offered below the appraised value, and is available with approved architectural plans if so desired.
For more information on building the home of your dreams on a spectacular lot in an established community, contact me at:
judy@kentwoodcity.com
Your dream house is just a tee shot away!
posted: December 22, 2011
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