Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
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Jun
11
Posted by Jennifer Allan
I just returned from a 3-day camping trip to… the middle of Kansas. Yeah, I know. I had my doubts, too. Why Kansas? Well, the LDR DBF was going to be in Kansas City for Rockfest 2008 (no, I wasn’t invited and that’s cause he really likes me), so we figured it made sense to meet halfway between KC and Denver for a little rendezvous.
He suggested Wilson Lake State Park. For those of you who have ever been stranded in Hays, Kansas during a snowstorm; it’s about 50 miles east of there, 8 miles north of I-70.
And it was WONDERFUL! I don’t know what it’s like during peak summer months, but on the first week of June, the lake was pretty much ours. We did “primitive camping” – that is – no water, electricity or plumbing, on our own private peninsula, for something like $6/day. We were right on the water, within walking distance to the “facilities.” The dogs could run and play to their hearts’ content and then go screaming off into the water to cool off. No fire restrictions, so we had a terrific campfire… although finding wood for it was a bit of a challenge (Kansas is not known for its lush forests).
The weather? Awesome. 80-85 degrees during the day; 50-60 degrees at night. A nice breeze (okay, often more like a gale force wind) kept us comfortable and more importantly kept the bugs away.
Wilson Lake calls itself the “Clearest Lake in Kansas” and yeah, I’ll buy that. No, it’s not the Caribbean, but at certain hours of the day, it was a lovely blue-green color. Fish jumped like crazy, so the Southern DBF had his fishing pole ready at all times.
So… if you’re like me and don’t care for mountain camping (I hate shivering), you might give Wilson Lake a try. You don’t have to camp “primitive;” they also offer RV hookups and cute little cabins, for incredibly reasonable prices…
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Jun
05
Posted by Jennifer Allan
Okay, so this blog has nothing to do with real estate or even Charming Old Denver. But I just wanted to share my delight in a Day All to Myself…
I had an appointment at 11:00 this morning - an interview of sorts - and it just got canceled. Was I dreading the interview? Oh, no, not at all! I was actually looking forward to it. But… it’s raining and chilly and I haven’t yet showered and have been feeling awfully comfy here at my computer.
I probably SHOULD shower and I probably SHOULD make other plans, but… nah…. I’ll just enjoy this unexpected free day and hit the bricks tomorrow…
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May
27
Posted by Jennifer Allan
Writing the book was the easy part…It’s all the details to manage after you’ve PUT your words on paper until you SEE those words on paper where you really earn your money.
But… it’s DONE and out of my hands. In about a month, Sell with Soul II will be a real live book, available to hold in your very own hands, all 72,110 words of it. It’s the second edition of Sell with Soul I, with about 50% new material and updated for today’s more challenging market.
Can’t wait for July 1st ?(my, am I full of myself today or what?) Well, you’re in luck! The unabridged eBook version is available on my website for immediate delivery - purchase it now and in late June, you’ll automatically receive one of the first 1,000 “real” books printed, complete with an autograph!
In all seriousness, I’m really proud of this book. While Sell with Soul I received outrageously positive reviews, there’s no comparison between that version and the new one. I had a fantastic team in place who pulled it all together and created a wonderful product to be… well….very very proud of.
Thanks to everyone involved in Sell with Soul II… Barbara, Jon & Inna, Peri, Peter, Diana and all my friends and clients who contributed their stories. You guys are wonderful.
Purchase Sell with Soul II in eBook form today and get an autographed copy of the Real Thing upon release! CLICK HERE for details.
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May
23
Posted by Jennifer Allan
I’ve been involved in several online discussions lately about the “necessity” of requiring a new buyer client sign a Buyer Agency Agreement upfront, before the real estate agent will agree to show the buyer homes.
For the uninitiated, a Buyer Agency Agreement obligates the buyer to the real estate agent for a specified period of time. If the buyer purchases a home during the contract period, he is contractually required to pay that agent a commission. Nothing really wrong with that; we don’t get paid until closing and it’s reasonable that we might want some sort of assurance that our efforts will be compensated at some point if we perform.
But it’s also reasonable that a buyer might balk at committing to a real estate agent he barely knows. I whole‑heartedly believe it is my duty and obligation to prove myself to you before even suggesting a formal relationship. And, once I’ve proven myself invaluable, you aren’t going anywhere unless you’re a flake… and then a piece of paper ain’t gonna change that.
You have the right to evaluate me, just as I have the right to evaluate you. We real estate agents carry on and on about how we shouldn’t waste our time with unqualified, unmotivated, unfaithful buyers, but we expect those very buyers to commit to us before they know a darn thing about OUR qualifications, OUR motivation or even OUR faithfulness. Do I know my markets, my contracts, my systems? Do I return my phone calls promptly? Do I have 25 other buyers taking up my time?
These are valid concerns you may have about me. And I can’t TELL you the answers, I have to demonstrate my worthiness. If I don’t convince you that I’m the man (er, woman) for the job, you should have every right to look elsewhere for assistance.
Besides, buying a home is an emotional experience. There is such a thing as a bad personality fit, even if both parties are terrific people. Good rapport is essential to a successful home-buying experience (for both of us!!).
So, Mr. Buyer, call me with confidence. We’ll check each other out and see if we’re a good fit. And, we’ll have some fun looking for your next home!
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May
15
Posted by Jennifer Allan
At the risk of destroying my reputation as a happy-go-lucky, always smiling, always cheerful, with never a harsh word to say (tee hee), allow me to say (shout) “I HATE SPRINGTIME IN DENVER!!!”
The rest of the world is enjoying mild temperatures, flowers in bloom and soft green grass. Snow? No, that ended long ago. Sure, many midwesterners and others suffer thru a miserable winter, but once springtime arrives, it is HERE to stay.
In Denver? Not so much. It’s not reliably spring/summer until June. It’s not uncommon for it to snow thru May; in fact, I believe that April is our snowiest month (or maybe it’s March). Anyway, I’ve had enough. I’ve lived here 14 years and every year I say it - “I HATE SPRINGTIME IN DENVER!”
And, every year I threaten to abandon ship and go somewhere warm for the season, returning to Denver for Memorial Day. Unfortunately (?), spring is also the busiest time of the year for a Denver real estate agent, so I kinda have to be here. I do about 75% of my annual business before July 4th.
Anyway, here’s my last week… last Saturday, I got on a plane at DIA bound for the Deep South. As the plane was taking off, it started snowing. Apparently, the mountains got dumped on overnight and Denver was just seeing its share. But I escaped. Got to Alabama - 90 degrees, beautiful, sunny, perfect. While I was gone, it snowed again in Denver. Got back on Wednesday… brrrrrrr. Very chilly. Woke up today to 45 degrees, wind and rain. Temps topped out around 55 degrees. Not nearly warm enough to suit me.
My furnace is still blasting and I haven’t yet retired my ice scraper. Such is life in Denver in the springtime… NOT my favorite time of year.
Okay, rant over.
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May
04
Posted by Jennifer Allan
I’ve bought (or tried to buy) real estate in various parts of the country… Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Carolina Beach, North Carolina; Dothan, Alabama to name a few… and y’know what? It’s done differently in different markets. Startlingly differently, in some cases. So, if you’re considering buying a home in Denver, whether it’s your first home or your last, and you’ve never bought here before, the process may not be quite what you’re expecting.
As a writer, I’m better at putting my thoughts down on paper than I am processing them through my vocal cords. So, if you contact me about purchasing your first Denver home, I’ll probably direct you to the First Time Buyer’s Guide I created - hope that’s okay. Want to see it? Just go to the Buyer section of my website and download it for free. Here’s the link.
Would love your feedback!
www.charmingolddenver.com
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May
03
Posted by Jennifer Allan
You may or may not know that I’m a published author as well as a Denver real estate agent… I write about real estate with the goal of helping improve the public’s perception of our industry. Blah blah blah. You can read more about my books and training materials at my website - www.sellwithsoul.com.
Anyway, I recently created a little book for home sellers called “What to Expect When on the Market: What to Do, How to Help and When to Stay out of the Way!” I find that when my sellers know what their role in the process should be and what I need them to do to help me get their homes sold, things go much smoother for both of us.
If you’re considering selling your Denver home, just shoot me an email to Jennifer@sellwithsoul.com and ask for the book. I’m happy to send it to you! (And I solemnly swear not to call you during dinner, or any other time, to pester you about hiring me.)
www.charmingolddenver.com
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May
02
Posted by Jennifer Allan
Y’know, it’s tough being a listing agent. No matter how good of a job we do, the margin for error is huge. If we sell the house too fast… we blew it on the price and “cost our seller money.” If the house takes too long to sell… well, we all know what happens then. We didn’t live up to our promises and we disappointed our seller.
Anyway, I just had a listing go under contract with multiple offers. Fortunately (for me), a good friend of mine had the same thing happen to him just a few days earlier and (unfortunately for him), his seller wasn’t prepared. She blasted him for underpricing her home and told him, rather snottily, that she had no intention of making any repairs at inspection.
So, Miss Smarty Pantz me, I warned my sellers up front about what I call “Seller’s Regret.”
Here’s the thing. In today’s market, almost every seller will experience Seller’s Regret. But it’s their choice (sort of) which type of Seller’s Regret they’ll experience.
Type 1: “Damn! We underpriced our home! We should have priced it higher! That darn Realtor – she cost us money!”
Type 2: “Crap. I wish we’d listened to our Realtor upfront. We should have made the repairs, staged it right away and priced it lower. Now, five months later, our listing is stale, we’ve paid $9000 of interest-only mortgage and are fair game for low-ball offers, if we get any at all. Let’s look into renting it out (heavy sigh).”
If a seller is lucky enough to experience Type 1, he may never know the pain and angst of Type 2 and he may always wonder if he should have/could have priced it higher. And that’s okay - pricing homes is an art and, especially in my Charming Old Denver market, there is no One Price for a home. Luckily, in our part of town there ARE buyers out there and if you do accidently (or even intentionally) underprice a home… it will likely still sell at market value - whatever that value may be.
www.charmingolddenver.com
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May
02
Posted by Jennifer Allan
Like we didn’t already know it, but we’re officially on 5280’s “safe” list of Denver neighborhoods that are still stable or 
even appreciating. The article even goes so far as to call us the “it” spot of the last five years!
Washington Park is also on the list, as are Bonnie Brae, Mayfair and Congress Park. But here’s the cool thing - check out these average home prices:
Highland/West Highland: $305,011
Berkeley: $274,000
Washington Park: $654,000
Bonnie Brae: $904,212
Mayfair: $671,000 (includes Hilltop which is very pricey)
Congress Park: $408,000
Hmmmm… looking for a “safe” real estate investment that won’t put you out half a mil or more? Throw in an urban lifestyle to die for and what do you see? Charming Old Northwest Denver!
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May
01
Posted by Jennifer Allan
Did you know that there are some topics your real estate agent can’t discuss with you? Topics such as crime rates, school ratings and general demographics? (Here’s a great blog by an associate of mine entitled “Questions that Can Get Your Realtor in Trouble“).
Anyway, just because I can’t legally answer your questions doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask them, or that the answers aren’t available! You should and they are!
Here is a fantastic website that will tell you just about everything you want to know about the demographics of Charming Old Denver. You can even compare neighborhoods!
Here’s a link to the most recent Denver Police Department Annual Report (2006). Scroll down to page 20 for detailed crime reports for each district.
Here is a website that offers parents an objective rating of public schools, including test scores and demographics. Here’s another one.
I hope this is helpful!
