Mark your calendar for the Mile High United Way’s 38th Annual Turkey Trot in Washington Park! The event features a walk/run along a four-mile course, along with a 1/4 Mile Family Fun Run. It is a great way to offset some of those calories that will be coming later in the day! Plus, there is no better place to run (and walk) than in Denver’s beautiful Washington Park.
Proceeds from the 4–mile run/walk go toward Mile High United Way’s School Readiness, Youth Success and Adult Self-Sufficiency Initiatives.
Here are the details:
-Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 10:15 AM
-Washington Park (1700 E. Louisiana Avenue)
-The Family Fun Run is at 11:00am
-Click here for more information or to register for the event
FindMyHomeDenver hopes to see you there! For information on life in Washington Park, or regarding Washington Park homes, please contact Drew Armbruster at 720-840-1182.
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Washington Park is marking a major milestone this weekend. On October 15th, 500 volunteers (led by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado) will give Washington Park’s running trail a much needed makeover.
The 2.5 mile trail was first constructed in 1993, but hundreds of thousands of people have used the trail since then, resulting in major wear and tear. The volunteers will restore the northwest alignment, as well as the park’s east side and its southwest edge. The goal is to create a more sustainable state and prepare the trail to withstand future decades of visitors.
There are no additional volunteers needed to help at the event, but everyone is invited to celebrate! The public is invited to join the celebration, to be held from 12:30-2pm Saturday, October 15, on the lawn north of the Dos Chappell Bathhouse (near the corner of Downing and Marion). It will include a live local band, lawn games, Wash Park trail historical displays and snacks and drinks.
Washington Park is easily one of the most beautiful recreational areas in the Denver metro area. Regardless of the season, or the time of day, you will find many walkers and joggers circling the park’s perimeter, taking advantage of its natural beauty. The park is one of the many reasons that Denver homebuyers are attracted to Washington Park homes.
For information on Washington Park homes, please contact Drew Armbruster at 720-840-1182.
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Looking for a fun Halloween activity? Grab your costumes, dress up your little monsters (and dogs!) and come out for the 12th annual Scream Scram 5K Halloween Run/Walk through Washington Park. Proceeds from the event- slated for Friday, October 21st at 6:00 p.m. - will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.
Prizes will be awarded for top runners and best costumes (race in costume if you choose). Kids will love the 100M Spooky Sneak where every paid finisher gets treats and awards. Everyone is invited to walk the orange carpet beginning at 5:15 p.m. for the costume contest. The race starts at the southeast corner of the park. After the run, be sure to stay for the Trick or Treat Street, featuring food and prizes.
We can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday night than running through beautiful Washington Park. We hope to see you there!
For information on Washington Park homes, please contact Drew Armbruster at 720-840-1182.
Click Here for More Information and to Register for the Event
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Denver has been ranked among the fastest growing metropolitan areas for children. According to a new study by NewGeography.com, Denver is the 14th fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation for children. The study, which analyzed Census Bureau data from 2000 to 2010, revealed that the number of children in the Denver area (5 to 17 years old) rose by 12.8 percent, which is 237 percent higher than the national average of 3.8 percent.
This finding is no surprise to FindMyHomeDenver since Denver has so much to offer families. The city boasts a wide range of recreational and cultural opportunities, a nationally-recognized park system, a top-notch quality of life, well-regarded public and private schools, and much more!
The big surprise of the study was that Las Vegas was named the second fastest growing city for children. Not quite sure about that one!
A father to two children himself, Drew is very familiar to navigating through Denver life with kids in tow. For tips on finding the best Denver neighborhoods for children, please contact Drew at 720-840-1182. FindMyHome Denver specializes in Washington Park homes, City Park homes, and much more!
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Spring has finally arrived! Our attention has turned from football and hibernating in the house to spring landscaping projects. It’s the best time of year to focus on your home’s curb appeal. Regardless if you plan to sell your home in the near future or not, a few easy steps can vastly improve your home’s curb appeal.
If your home is on the market, it is very important that your home’s curb appeal is in perfect condition. First impression is everything to potential buyers and many of them will drive by your home before deciding if they should request a showing or not. If your home’s curb appeal is not adequate, these buyers will never get to see your home’s top-of-the-line cabinets, or your remodeled master bath. To sum it up – curb appeal is everything.
Here are a few suggestions to do to improve your home’s curb appeal this spring:
- Trim overgrown shrubs, bushes, trees, and plants.
- Get out the power washer and give your home a good exterior cleaning to remove all of the dirt and grime that accumulated during the winter.
- Consider adding some container plants. While it may be a bit too early to plant flower beds, consider purchasing some pretty container plants for the porch and sidewalks. In another month or so, plant some pretty flower beds to really spice up your home’s exterior for summer.
- Clean your windows until they sparkle.
- Clean all debris from your gutters.
- Store any unnecessary tools and supplies. Homebuyers do not want to see your lawn mower or your trash cans.
- Your mulch is probably looking a little tired after the winter months, so consider adding a new layer of it to freshen up your home’s curb appeal.
- Consider adding classy exterior lighting to your home.
- A fresh paint job always does wonders to a tired-looking home.
- If a new paint job is not in your budget, consider adding a new coat of paint and hardware to your door. Your home’s door is a focal point and should not be in shabby condition.
- If your mailbox is looking a bit shabby, replace it or repaint it.
- Add some inviting brick or stone to your walkway.
You can drive around well-maintained neighborhoods to get ideas on improving your home’s curb appeal. Consider taking a trip to Denver’s University Park neighborhood. University Park homes and Washington Park homes are absolutely charming and well maintained. FindMyHomeDenver wishes you the best of luck in improving your home’s curb appeal this spring!
For more tips on how to improve your Denver home’s curb appeal, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182.
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Tour several stunning University Park homes at one of FindMyHomeDenver’s favorite events – the annual University Park Home Tour. This year’s tour – scheduled for May 1st, from 11:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – promises to live up to the high expectations set for it in previous years.
The tour starts at the University Park Elementary School, located at 2300 South St. Paul. Stop by the school to pick up the Home Tour Directory, or to buy some baked goods and refreshments. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door with all proceeds going to the school.
Here is the University Park Home Tour lineup:
- University Park Elementary School – start here!
- Mediterranean – Tuscan Style Solar Home
- Modern
- Concrete
- Two-Story Victorian
- Cottage Bungalow
- The Fitzroy Mansion
- Chamberlin Observatory
Washington Park Home Tour
The Washington Park Home Tour is slated for Saturday, May 7th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The tour – a fundraiser for Steele Elementary School – begins at any home or at the Steele Elementary School, which is located at 320 S. Marion Pkwy in Denver. In addition, 5 percent of each ticket sold is donated to the Denver Public Schools Educational Outreach Program (EOP) that helps homeless DPS students attend school during difficult times.
Here is the Washington Park Home Tour lineup:
- 1058 South Race Street (historic new build)
- 1067 South Race Street (updated Victorian)
- 1030 South Franklin Street (contemporary remodel overlooking Wash Park)
- 1193 South Williams Street (original tudor that has been beautifully preserved)
- 1100 South Franklin Street (Craftsman style bungalow)
Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased in advance directly from a Steele student, on-line, at Steele Elementary, or at the First Bank of Cherry Creek at 1st Ave. and St. Paul. Tickets can also be purchased for $20 on the day of the event at any home on the tour or at Steele Elementary.
Regardless if you are searching for University Park homes or Washington Park homes, we highly recommend taking advantage of the tours since they are a great way to get ideas on remodeling, decorating, furnishing, gardening, and landscaping.
For more information on Denver real estate, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182.
Happy touring!
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Selling a property through the “For-Sale-By-Owner” approach is frequently debated within the real estate world. We certainly don’t blame you for trying to sell your home yourself, versus enlisting the help of a Realtor. Upon first glance, it seems like a smart idea to put up a for-sale sign in the front yard to see if you get any interest. You avoid the hassle of selecting a real estate agent and avoid paying out any commission. However, most of the time, the “For-Sale-by-Owner” approach is not nearly as successful as using a Realtor, especially in a buyer’s market like the Denver housing market.
According to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, home sellers are avoiding the FSBO approach. FSBOs decreased last year, making up only nine percent of total home sales, versus 14 percent of home sales in 2003 and 2004. More sellers are enlisting experienced real estate agents for help with selling their properties, since they are coming to the realization that it is hard to sell their own homes. FSBO sellers often have a hard time with pricing, marketing, and staging their properties without the help of a real estate agent.
A large number of FSBOs are transferred between friends, relatives, or neighbors, which does make sense in many cases, but if you are not doing this, consider using a real estate agent for the following reasons:
- The Metrolist (MLS) is king. If you are listing your home yourself, you will not be able to put your home into the MLS, the Denver area’s database of homes for sale. Only real estate agents are permitted to list homes in the MLS. This dramatically cuts down your home’s exposure to potential buyers and to their Realtors.
-FSBOs are also locked out of many powerful home listing sites, including Realtor.com.
-Many Realtors won’t show FSBOs. In addition, if you try to sell your home yourself, you miss out on the tight community of Realtors, who often show homes because they know the listing agent.
-You miss out on a Realtor’s professional advice on determining your property’s listing price, along with how to stage the home for a quick sale.
-Realtors understand the twists and turns of everything involved in a real estate transaction, including listing the home, marketing the home, negotiating with potential buyers, closing the transaction, and the list goes on!
-Potential buyers are often intimidated by FSBOs and prefer homes attached to a listing agent. They prefer to have some sort of buffer between them and the seller – someone who is able to seamlessly negotiate and close the transaction.
Regardless if you want to sell your home yourself, or list it through a real estate agent, we wish you the best of luck in selling your Denver home. For infomation on selling Congress Park homes, Baker homes, or Washington Park homes, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182. Happy home selling!
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photo by JasonTromm on Flckr
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FindMyHomeDenver is pleased to report that Denver is becoming a safer place to live! The Denver Post reported last week that the number of reported crimes in Denver decreased an average of 5 percent over the past year, dropping to levels not seen in over a decade. The city has seen a downward trend in crime over the past ten years.
According to the article, the number of Denver murders decreased 13 percent from 2009 (39) to 2010 (33). In addition, the number of aggravated assaults and sexual assaults also decreased year-over-year. In addition, the article reported that “burglaries dropped by 6.3 percent, robberies by 5.6 percent and motor-vehicle thefts by 8.9 percent.”
All of these numbers are based on data from the Denver Police Department. They measure actual crime numbers, not taking into account population growth.
Decreasing crime is a nationwide trend that Denver is following, thankfully. We realize that neighborhood safety is an important determinant in a Denver home search, so we are happy to report that crime is decreasing in Denver. We will continue to follow Denver crime rates for our readers.
For information on Congress Park homes, Park Hill homes, Washington Park homes, or regarding other Central Denver neighborhoods, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182.
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Photo by Larry Johnson, flckr.com
Allied Van Lines released a report this week, naming Colorado as the second most popular relocation destination in the country. The report calculated the number of households (2,190) arriving in Colorado last year versus households (1,786) leaving Colorado last year, resulting in a net gain of 404 households.
Only Texas beat Colorado out as the top relocation destination. Florida, South Carolina, and Arizona also made the list of popular relocation destinations.
Recently-released U.S. Census numbers also reveal that people are moving to Colorado. The state’s population has passed the five million mark, and it grew 16.92 percent from 2000-2010.
FindMyHomeDenver is not surprised by these findings – Colorado is a great place to live. It offers an unparalleled quality of life, a relatively low unemployment rate, and an entrepreneurial business climate that is very attractive to businesses.
For information on Denver homes, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182. A central Denver resident himself, Drew specializes in Washington Park homes, City Park homes, Park hill homes, and many other Denver neighborhoods.
If you are relocating to Denver, Colorado, please visit FindMyHomeDenver.com for helpful Denver neighborhood information, or to search the Denver MLS using our state-of-the-art system.
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It is hard to believe that we are already wrapping up the year and looking to 2011. The past year (2010) has been an interesting one for both the local and national real estate markets. A sampling of occurrences in the housing market includes: the homebuyer tax credits, historically-low interest rates, rampant foreclosures, home prices struggling to rebound and the list goes on. Since we have been asked repeatedly about our expectations for the Denver real estate market in 2011, we thought we would share our outlook with you.
Interest Rates: We saw historically-low interest rates in 2010 – rates so low that we may never see them again in our lifetimes. Where are interest rates headed for 2011? While it is hard to know, we expect low interest rates to stick around for the first two quarters of 2011. However, most industry experts expect rates to adjust upwards in the second half of next year.
Home Prices: Home prices continued to rebound in most Denver neighborhoods this year. Unfortunately, the trend was mainly due to artificial market stimulation from federal housing credits. We expect 2011 to bring real buyer demand from improvements in the job market, along with the low interest rates through Q1 and Q2. We hope this demand will lead to real home value appreciation through the second half of 2011.
Housing Inventory: The good news is that the inventory of homes for sale in the Denver area has decreased in 2010, which is good news for sellers. A lower inventory of homes on the market means that prices will remain stable since there are fewer homes on the market to compete with each other.
What does all of this mean for perspective homebuyers? Now is a great time to consider purchasing a Denver home. Take advantage of the low interest rates, and the great selection of homes for sale before they are gone forever. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for homebuyers.
For information of the Denver real estate market, please contact Drew Ambruster at 720-840-1182. We specialize in Park Hill homes, Washington Park homes, Cherry Creek North homes, and many more. We specialize in assisting our clients with real estate transactions in all central Denver neighborhoods. Good luck in your Denver home search!