A new shift. Anew!

Good day bloggers!

Well, everyone has a blog. Even me. But, I am going to shift my blogging to a bit more passion driven, than shape driven. I have now discovered my passion, and that passion is wine.

Starting at 5 years old, I remember vividly writing a menu for my family- a simple meal, hamburguesas. To you English speakers, hamburgers. I framed how many tomatoes, lettuce, and condiments we needed to have, etc.

At 12, I tried to invent my own cookie recipe. Didn't work. But, not long after that, I was making pizza from scratch, then on to Mexican food, having high school friends over for dinner. I would not forget my spaghetti dinners by my lonesome self, while everyone else was at the high school football game. I made espresso, and even imbibed on a small glass of hearty burgundy...(I would never do the hearty burgundy thing again). These thoughts of food weren't necessarily cultivated as a child, so I opted for a business degree, complimented by Spanish. I abhorred the frozen, then unfrozen tomatoes, the hot dish, and their forms of chili. When I say their, I mean a small lunchlady land of bumpkins in Decorah, Iowa.

Come Sophomore year in college, I was buckled down with school, work, choirs, and a family. But I would still invite people over for a feast of my own making, sometimes 8 or more people, in the span of a 500 square foot apartment. This tradition continued three years afterward, in couple, single, and divorced forms.

So what has changed? I must say, the day that I thought that Nathanson Creek or Yellow Tail was good, is long gone. We all have those stories of drinking bad wine. My days of drinking cooking sherry at the end of the meal are gone. But, if it wasn't for 9/11, I would have never had Spaghetti dinners with a good friend of mine from New York, or sipped (YES, SIPPED) Tequila from Cabo Wabo, with my best friend Phil.

Wine taste has changed. I am so much more educated and in tune with my palate. I can remember tastes and flavors much better. My style of cooking has refocused itself to cast iron and European country style of cooking, like stews and soups, rather than elaborate or somewhat involved procedures. I have started using fresh vegetables and wine, with very little use of cooked veggies. I guess my style is a mix of rustic Colorado and country french cooking.

So, wine. Wine is not a Panacea, according to the ATF. It is a social lubricant, an open invitation, and a taste of humanity, as I have stated for the Burgundy School of Business and for the Royal Agricultural College. It is history, flavor, and terroir.

Pick of the week: Portugal or Austria. These wines are lesser known, but have a quality about them that many people in the US do not understand. Austrian wines are excellent with your heartier winter fare, while portuguese wines are a great sub for anything Spanish or even Argentine.

Back on the beat!

Good Day, Bloggers!

So much has happened in six months- various companies have gone bankrupt, layoffs have ensued, unemployment lines have done nothing but gotten longer! What is the silver lining?

In my three years in real estate, I have taken my licks- moreso in the panic driven self-employment scheme, and seeking comfort in corporate America and a steady paycheck. But, I must divert away from comfort only and seek opportunity. Lo and behold, it has come in small pieces to me.

I am currently working about 4 real estate deals. One is an old friend...lesson: NETWORKING. She and I have been friends since middle-high school-ish. She is not a first timer, but has a few plans in the works to get a post-grad degree, and I think she trusts me. We have scoured Cap Hill and Highlands for a hip, young place, and we are ready to drop an offer on a cool place near Colfax and Emerson.

Looking at the inventory in 80218, 80206, 80203, 80202, and all of the zip codes that include Potter Highlands and Highlands Square, there aren't massive homes for sale. They are slightly below listing prices, and if they are foreclosures, they require a decent amount of work.

The second deal that I am working is from a CRAIGSLIST posting! I was asked to put a property at 1534 High Street on CL to get a buyer. I had a couple of great hits, and one young lady took me up on looking. In scouring the same area, there were some really good deals to be had, with little work needed. This one is a little harder to nail down. When I showed her the Highlands condo at 3145 Tejon, she fell in love with the neighborhood. The good news: Homes are on the market longer, and the inventory is up. Better news: Prices are pretty good. They might get better, they may get worse. Real estate is an investment just like the stock market. I recommended some good lenders to her, and here she is, contacting them.

Deal #3: Investor. We submitted an offer on a home well below list price- bank owned, near Federal and Mississippi. We were on the low end of 12 offers. Someone is buying real estate. I am going to show more property today, hopfully find something. He wants something he can fix. The kicker- I have seen the boulevard of broken dreams and foreclosures. Great stories of horror in walking into wrecked homes, which only an investor would like. You see: Opportunity requires some backbreaking work. The listing at 3503 Tennyson only needs about 10-20K put into to make it a great rental, or first home. FYI: The price has been dropped ANOTHER 14K since I showed it last week. The bank is going to entertain any REASONABLE OFFER! Buy! Buy! Buy!

Deal #4/4.5: Deals that are going to take a little time. My brother. Ben, buy a house. I don't care if I have to rent a bedroom from you. Now is such a great time. Another lady: soon to be divorcee, wants to buy a place to replace the place her not-so-nice ex was going to sell. This one will be creative because (DARTH VADER MUSIC): Self employment. There is a way to get the deal done. Just a matter of time.

On to pressing matters: 1400 block of Franklin was posted as a home that was being renovated. It was vacant and terribly downtrodden for a very long time. Investor came in, rehabbed it and now, listing 4 units for: 299,900. I believe it was purchased for $750,000. ROI: roughly 62.5%. I would say this area is great. Buy one here now.

See previous posts on 1400 Franklin. You will be amazed as to what they have done.

More tomorrow! Happy New Year!

Edward A Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
303-875-4450

Local establishments

Today's blog will be about local establishments, located in: you guessed it- Cheesman Park.

The first of two that I will be highlighting will be Lik's Ice Cream. Located at 13th and Vine, this little local beauty is an establishment that you have to try! Check out their website here: http://www.liksicecream.com. From what I can read, it is handmade 14% butter fat ice cream, in many different flavors. It starts with vanilla to espresso almond fudge, and everything in between. A great try, and of course, Colorado Local.

The second, several doors away is Wyman's #5. With no actual website, it is the epitome of your local joint. The owner is the proprietor of The Irish Hound, the Elm, Three Dogs Tavern, and Spot Bar and Grill. With decent food, and a variety of beers on tap, there is little you wouldn't like about it. It isn't busy, but pays the rent- which means it is a bar, that is open. If you live in Cheesman or Cap Hill, an easy, safe walk gets you in and out, sans problem.

My apologies on lacking in the blogging field. I have been tied down with the DNC and doing some bike racing. I am sitting at the 2nd place spot in the Summit Mountain Challenge Mountain Bike series, which means I will get a neat photo, if I finish well next week! Hooray!

Thanks for reading!

Ed Martin
Showcase Properties
apexofdenver.blogspot.com
303-875-4450

Marion Street problem fixed!!!

In an earlier post, I reported that a specific lot was completely neglected. It was overgrown, poorly maintained, and a complete eyesore on the block.

Great news!

The lot has been mowed. Still awaiting any development plans or actions, but at least it doesn't look like the Amazon Rainforest anymore.

Short and sweet!

Edward Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
303-875-4450
apexofdenver.blogspot.com

Observations about re-urbanization

With doom and gloom that the news media is feeding you, I have to insert a question:

What if times are great, and we don't even know it? What if this is as good as it gets?

In doing some reading and thinking about the current state of life, real estate, Denver, and Colorado, things may not be as bad as they say. I hate to be a non-believer in the news-media, but in working downtown the other night, people seemed pretty happy to be out.

Like all things, we are interconnected. I have yet to see statistics (unbiased statistics? Everyone has an agenda...there is a statistic for everything) that link the emotional health with news, or anything, for that matter.

When people ask me what is going on with real estate, I naturally back off and let them know that there are a lot of factors to summarize the current, past, present, or future real estate trends.

Just as Best Buy sells electronics, McDonalds sells hamburgers, news-media sells news, many real estate brokers sell homes. There are some markets that are doing better than others. There are some markets doing worse than others.

Many people are on edge about an incoming president, high gas prices, summertime heat, and stressors associated with things like money, house payments, and foreclosures. My advice: be informed and learn as much as possible about these things- it will put you in a better position to make informed decisions and cope with all types of stress, and deal with the ups and downs of a turbulent real estate market.

Thanks for reading!

Edward Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
apexofdenver.blogspot.com
303-875-4450

The Colfax Events Center

In perusing the most recent issue of Life on Capitol Hill, one columnist brought attention to an error made regarding the new Colfax Events Center.

This historic building, built in 1929 (zoned L2-Interdenominational Church with Missionary Emphasis), purchased in 1995, is now being rented for small venue concerts.

This church has embraced the idea of revenue (nonprofit) on the Colfax Corridor. I believe this venue has been used by sponsors like Swallow Hill Music Association and the Tattered Cover. It is a 500 seat auditorium. While I can't see huge name acts on the former playbill, it is just adjacent to the Lowenstein Theatre. The nearest venues from there are the Bluebird Theater.

It would also appear that it is going to be the site of the Velvet Elvis Gospel Revival, which looks to certainly be an interesting act.

The interesting thing about this, is when it comes to space, it is very difficult to find space for anything. In articles and reviews, people are asking why the Church is not restricting use and access?

As the Colfax Corridor grows, they realize that with 5 theaters within 2 miles of each other, they should really 'cash' in on the arts culture along Colfax- with local artists, and a live venue that could be great for any kind of intimate arts atmosphere.

Real Estate value? Neo-urbanization is dependent on the arts, culture, and those who are willing to open their doors (and their hearts) to something people want. Colfax seems to be 'concert row.' It encompasses local acts, the odd, the strange, and the well-known. This is a great addition to Colfax, and I should tell you, also, that it is nearly across the street from the new Esplanade project, on the Church in the City site.

Thanks for reading!

Edward Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
apexofdenver.blogspot.com
303-875-4450

Pedicabs, DNC, other topics!

Hi Bloggers,

In working my side job yesterday, I was pleasantly informed that I made the Rocky Mountain News! I was riding my pedicab on the mall and was asked to have my picture taken. Lo and behold, I made page 7 press. Read the article.
I love it!

In other news, the biggest news-maker has been this debacle of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Just to be clear, there is so much to know about this, so in this post, I will outline the origins and why it is having such a large effect on our real estate market.

Fannie Mae was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1938, to provide liquidity to the mortgage markets. It received federal funding until 1968, when it was converted to a privately held corporation.

Its use in current day mortgage market is that it provides guarantees (for a charge) of loans, more specifically, of the secondary market. The secondary mortgage market is in a bit of trouble, due to sub-prime lending practices.

It should also be said that the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve (not a government agency, mind you) recently granted low interest loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to sure up confidence in many failing and problematic mortgage backed securities in the U.S. stock markets. It is an interesting political note, as well, that the prohibition of the U.S. Treasury Department to own stock of Fannie Mae, has been removed.

What are the implications for this thing? We don't know, ultimately. We are noticing an enlargement of government power, which won't allow the market to fail, then correct itself. I believe that this may be necessary to get us back to a nursing point, but I am a fan of Laissez-Faire- in other words, the market must correct itself. It has been proven many times over that the second the Government gets involved, it can create a larger mess. I suppose you could make the argument of its similarities of the separation of Church and State...Enter the small business person and entrepreneur, who may just save the world!!!

Thanks for reading! More tomorrow!

Ed Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
303-875-4450