So, I recently went on a bike ride with some friends along the Platte River. Now, by definition, a “river” tends to be a low spot, as opposed to at the top of a hill. But anyway, I told my friends I’d meet them near the river for our ride. I rode my bike to the appointed meeting spot, rode around for an hour or so, and then headed home.

OMG. Up… up… up… Do I live on a friggin’ mountain? No, I just live in HIGHlands. Now I get it…

Rumor has it that Pferdesteller Park just two blocks from me is the highest point in the City of Denver, although I couldn’t find any verification of that in my exhaustive 2.5 minute web search on the topic. But anyway, yeah, I live in HIGHlands and there’s a REASON it’s called that.

Now, I just gotta find the Lake and the Woods in Lakewood.

So, I’m doing a fun little analysis this morning. I’m comparing the average price per square foot (psf) and the average and high/low sales prices of each vintage. For example, I just ran a search on my MLS for ranch-style brick homes built between 1920 and 1930 (i.e. the Bungalow), with square footages of between 900 and 1100. Came up with 46 Bungalows with an average psf of $322, a high price of $419,000 and a low price of $220,000.

Did the same thing with Tudors built in the 1930’s. Surprisingly, the results were almost identical - $322 average psf, high: $415k; low: $235k. Why am I surprised? Because I’ve always thought that Tudors commanded a higher price due to their more elaborate architectural detailing. They always seem to, anyway. Interesting to find out that statistically, they’re no more or no less appealing than Bungalows.

I kept going – analyzing the stats for 1900-1910 cottages and 1945-1960’s ranches. In case you’re interested, cottages command a much lower psf than Bungalows or Tudors and 50’s ranches are somewhere in between.

Good to know. I’m not sure how I’ll use this knowledge (outside of writing a blog about it), but I’ll betcha’ it comes in handy sometime soon!

 The Denver Square - In other cities, this style is called a “Four Square.” Thousands were built between 1894 and 1920 and, even though many “offer” the same floor plan challenges as the Victorian, a well-preserved Denver Square will usually sell quickly, for top dollar. Denver Squares usually feel structurally sound and often offer amazing interior detailing, such as tile fireplaces and custom mantles, wood floors, doors & trim, vintage light fixtures, high ceilings and leaded glass windows.

The 1950’s Ranch - This style appeared on the scene after World War II. Some say that homes built during this era are some of the best built homes in Denver. Ranches typically offer brick exteriors and are often on larger lots. Inside, the floor plans are family-friendly with 2-3 bedrooms upstairs and a full, usable basement below. Total livable square footage of a 1950’s ranch often exceeds 2000, large by Denver standards. Most ranches feature oak floors, often untouched after years of being protected under carpet. While the 50’s Ranch has never been as popular as the Tudor or Bungalow, it seems to be gaining favor in Denver as “Mid-Century Modern” becomes vogue.

Frankly, neither do I. I’ve made the executive decision that the Foreclosure market is not my thing. In the late 90’s, I worked with a lot of investors, but that was a different world – one in which the sellers actually seemed to want to sell! I’ve heard so many horror stories of deals that seemed too good to be true… and were. Or sales that dragged on and on for months only to eventually disintegrate after wasting an incredible amount of time and energy.

Nonetheless, today’s market does offer incredible opportunities for the amateur or professional investor and I’ll bet a lot of us will wish we’d taken advantage of one or two of them… I know if I had a couple extra hundred thousand lying around right now, I’d be picking up some real estate…

Anyway, I wanted to pass on the name of a guy I met a few weeks ago who has created a dandy little niche for himself in this Foreclosure market. What he does is purchase a foreclosed home, renovates it, procures a renter and then sells the house at a cash-flowing price. I’ve seen his work and it’s decent! I’ve never done a transaction with him, but my impression was that he’s a straight-up guy offering a win/win proposal. His tagline is “We Always Pass the Deal on.”

If you’d like an introduction, just get in touch with me and I’ll hook you up.

Don’t believe me? Then check out my new listing (HOT HOT HOT off the press) at 2786 West Denver Place (that’s just one block north of 38th between Eliot & Decatur).

It’s over 1000 sqft with a nice yard, a two car garage and lots and lots of CHARM! Hardwood floors, vintage fireplace (decorative only), unpainted doors & trim, 2built-in bookcases and really high ceilings. The systems are all updated and there’s great storage in the basement. Oh, and a nice, big yard, too. The price? $229,900… Better hurry!

Click Here to Visit the Virtual Tour…

Listed by:

RE/MAX City Horizons 303-947-1335

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES

Patio Dining- I love to sit outside on a shaded deck or patio, sipping a margarita. You, too? Here are a couple of links to some “Best of” outdoor dining spots in Denver.

• http://denver.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2005/outdoor_dining
• http://www.gayot.com/holiday/outdoordining/denver.html
• http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=5&pid=14

My all-time favorite is Highlands Garden Café- but only when I have a bunch of dollars burning holes in my pocket

Dog-Parking  - Since my last Denver summer, I have three new dogs in my household. We moved from a country home on four acres to a city home on, uh, 4,670 sqft, so going to the dog park helps my country dogs burn off some excess energy. My favorite is the one at Berkeley Park (roughly I-70 & Sheridan), mainly because it’s just up the street from me. But there are others! Click here for a list. If you ever want a dog-parking partner, just let me know! I’d love to hook our furry friends up.

Rollerblading - When I lived in Alabama, I SO missed the bike paths in Denver. I didn’t realize that other cities aren’t criss-crossed with roller-bladable trails and paths the way Denver is. My preferred spot is Sloan’s Lake, but I can be easily convinced to drive over to Confluence Park to pick up the trail there and cruise thru the city.

Did I mention how much I LOVE the Summertime???

“What exactly do you mean by being a “good” real estate agent?”

Ahhhhhh…. I’m SO glad you asked.

Our industry celebrates production. Therefore, if you have lots of that (production), you are “good.” Eh, I don’t agree so much. I’ve known many a successful real estate agent who I would not in a million years accuse of being “good.” Oh, sure, they get plenty of business, but what they do with it after the paperwork is signed? Not much.

So anyway, back to the question from my audience. “What makes a real estate agent GOOD?”

My mouth could barely keep up with my brain. What I said was something like this:

“You know your market, your systems and your contracts. You are a good negotiator. You put your clients’ needs above your need for a paycheck. You know how to properly price a home. You know what your seller needs to do to get his home ready for market. You know how to build rapport with your seller so that he trusts you. You know how to take decent photos. You know how to write an appealing MLS description. You return phone calls promptly. You preview listings so you don’t waste your buyer’s time. You know how much it costs to replace a 50 year old furnace. You have a handyman, a cleaning service and a good HVAC contractor. You’re pleasant to other agents so they’re happy to show your listings or accept your offers. You keep your brochure boxes full. Your lockboxes work…”

To me, THIS is a good real estate agent.

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…

The Victorian - Denver Victorians were built before 1900. While most old house lovers profess affection for the Victorian, they are not nearly as popular as Bungalows or Tudors. Why? Several reasons. First, they tend to have sagging floors and roofs which can make the home feel unstable. They are typically built on smaller lots, often with another two story home next door blocking the sunlight. The floor plans tend to be rather formal and choppy which conflicts with today’s urban dweller’s desire for open entertaining space. Basements are small and cramped, good for storage only. And while many homeowners like the idea of a second floor, they soon realize that the sometimes elegant stairwells use up a lot of their square footage. All this said, the Victorian is one of the few architectural styles in Charming Old Denver that offers a second floor and certainly has a place among Denver’s favorites.

Stay tuned… more to follow!

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…