The Perrenoud- 836 17th Ave.

Uptown and Swallow Hill Historic District!

Hello Bloggers. Today's spotlight is on The Perrenoud, located at 836 E 17th Ave. Built 1901, it screams Neo-Classical Victorian apartment house- something you could find in New York or Boston. I fell in love with this building about 3 years ago, with a client. Units seem to be valued anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000.

These units are all very spacious units, ranging from 1-2 bedrooms up to 3-4 bedrooms- about 1200-2000 square feet. This building was built in 1901, supposedly by 3 sisters, from Switzerland. History is a little spotty on this landmark, but it is a beautiful building. The architecture is amazing, beyond anything else.

Enter the building, and notice the restored angel stained glass atrium skylight, four stories above the circular lobby. In bewilderment, you actually feel like you are in a museum. The handrails and tap of the floor is not unlike walking through a church.

This is a church of urban existence, enduring over 100 years of history. The vintage penny tile design, embedded in the floor is a welcoming of new and old, to all who enter this building. It states 1900's Queen Anne elegance.

As you walk through the lobby, you find that there are two ways to get to your second, third or fourth floor apartment. You can haul your goods up the several flights of stairs, or you can take the functional birdcage elevator, of 1901 vintage. It is fully functional and fully operational. What a work of art, seen in the lower right corner of this photo.------------------------------------------>

The Swallow Hill Historic District has been in existence since 1988. Quite a few of the buildings in this district are designed by Frank Edbrooke, a very well known Western Architect, with two of his major works being the Brown Palace Hotel, and The Oxford Hotel. His residence is one block away from the Perrenoud. I am a huge fan of the Swallow Hill Historic District!

Where does this fit into real estate? Apart from beauty and an appreciation of fine architecture and art, these types of buildings serve valuable purpose in urban planning. They create character, a 'buzz'; They attract people of similar interests into one area. These areas cause us to think about our mixes of old and new.

Buildings like the Perrenoud are well built and have kept their character over a long period of time. This brings us to sustainability: while these buildings may be expensive to maintain, and aren't 'green' certified buildings, they are absolutely functional and stand a test of time. Far beyond that, there is some nostalgia and elegance to these areas- Cheesman Park, Capitol Hill, Uptown, Swallow Hill, City Park.

Our connection to history must coincide with our functional needs to live, grow, and progress. But that connection to this history must keep a certain tradition, or at least the memory, thereof.

I believe that people move to areas like this for a variety of reasons- proximity to an urban center, ease of transit, and a diversity of people. There are economic opportunities to be had, and urban centers have traditionally been the starting hubs of small business and entrepreneurship. The connection of buildings like the Perrenoud and its surrounding area is necessary for our new-urbanization.

Thanks for reading!

Ed
Showcase Properties
303-875-4450

Addition, Correction!

Just so you know. There is a difference between Colfaxave.com and Colfaxavenue.com

While they function as parallel sites, they are different. Make this distinction. Also, the news about the Denver Detour, was taken from Colfaxavenue.com.

Colfaxave.com is the Business Improvement Entity for Colfax. Glad I caught that one!

ed

In interest of urban development and Generational Shifts

Good day!

Yesterday, I skipped the blog, in hopes of finding inspired material for today's blog. I came across some pretty good stuff.

Firstly, I found colfaxave.com, which seems to be another site about all things Colfax. I have learned that the former location of the Denver Detour Bar, will be the site of an 8,000 square foot retail and 99 unit housing collaborative- for chronically homeless people. My understanding is that it will address the ever-growing homeless population of Denver- to move to more stable housing. It will be under the name of The Renaissance Uptown Lofts, operated by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

My second topic has to do with generational shifts. I have been noticing a very interesting shift of homebuyers entering the market. In our last 20 years, we have seen mass production of things like cars, Starbucks Franchises, and Walmart-ization. These are all signs of a growing economy and a maturing set of businesses that seem to grow and continue to grow. But, we may be coming into an interesting shift in business.

It would seem to me that the Generation-X and Generation-Y are at a crossroads. These generations have been raised on technology and raised on mass consumption. However, now we are seeing a more personalized style of business- greater focus on the customized individual and a furthering away from mall-shopping home buying. These two generations (at least the latter halves) are the re-urbanization generations. They want customized service without the smarmy business card photos and the junk-mail mailers.

Take this as you may, but there is a lot of talk about how to reach the new homebuyer and seller. The key- networking and relationship building. It has nothing to do with email blasts and articles. It does have to do with Facebook, Myspace, Craigslist, LinkedIn, and a personalized email. No one wants to feel like they are a number, and in a community like re-urbanized Denver, it is possible to feel more community-oriented than in the suburbs. Lest we say that the suburbs offer larger house for less money, but urbanization offers proximity housing, with a real touch of community development. People also want to feel a part of something. Suburbia offers this, but your urban centers are the hubs for this.

I reserve the right to say I am wrong, but my opinion is that with the world embracing technologies that make business easier, there are people who embrace that, but actually prefer an easier way to do business. My opinion is also that the most recent cries of recession, foreclosures, and mass media programming, I hope to think that people are beginning to trust those people WHO THEY KNOW will do good business.

Sally Forth!

Ed
Showcase Properties
303-875-4450

1600 Colfax Ave- Update

Good day!

I have a bike race in the mountains, but I have to post something today. Here it is:

I called the Bordy Real Estate company, owner of 1600 E Colfax. I took a few pictures of the backside, and found out a few things.

This property is zoned as MS-1, which I will assume is mixed use. It is being LEASED, as is, and can be virtually anything. The stats, which may be subject to change: 6,000 square foot building, the agent gets about 3 calls a day on it. He is leasing it for $2,500 per month, which works out to be about $2.40 per square foot. It was formerly a flower shop, vacated about 4 years ago.

Thinking about opportunities, I see a couple of things going on here. Firstly, parking is going to be necessary. I do not know who owns this parking lot, or if it comes with the building, but this will be necessary for success. Secondly, it is going to need a boat-load of work- I would say anywhere from 50-100K in capital improvement- inside and out.

I see a Mexican Cantina here. It has a bunch of space, it would be grand for an outdoor patio on the lower floor and the upper floor. The top could be the residential unit, with deck. This would give the residential and commercial feel on Colfax.

I see a venue very similar to Mezcal, sitting at Colfax and Adams. This building is so unique! It was built in the early 1900's. I love the location, so I am going to do some entrepreneurial work and try to find someone to buy or lease the location!

Directly across the street is the First Bank- a completely newly-built banking hub. This lot sat completely vacant for at least 3-4 years, then they built a great new facility. It could also be a grocery-convenience store. But, whatever goes there, it must be ready for traffic passing by quickly.


That is all for the day. Keep your eyes out for any other business opportunities.

Ed
303-875-4450
Showcase Properties Unlimited

Eye at the Apex- 1600 E Colfax Ave.

With Colfax being redeveloped, the Apex has a great opportunity at the corner.

Formerly Fanny's Flowers, this property seems to be a great opportunity. It is vacant, and is a bit of an eyesore. I was thinking a bar/restaurant mix- just as a rooftop patio, or a mixed use building- maybe a small grocery store below, and a living unit above.

Doing a little work on one of my favorite websites- photoswest.org, I was able to find a picture of the property a few years back.

The date on the photo is 1989. I doubt that this photo was taken in 1989, especially seeing the vintage neon signs and the vintage car in the nearby parking lot.

However, I also have a photo of 1928 Denver, right at the Apex, courtesy of Denver Public Library, Western History Collection., right below.

This is re-urbanization! Colfax is a great artery through Denver (26.2 miles of it...). In searching public information of this property (The City and County of Denver allows a person to see chain of title on a given property), I was able to figure out that the property is assessed at a value of about $400,000- annual taxes on it are about $9100. My guess on the purchase of the building: $500,000.

I can only gather that there was a personal representative's deed, which probably means that the owner of Fanny's flower shop passed away and title was ceded to a close family member. I think I am actually going to ask to view this property and see what is going on inside of it.

The building itself was built 1903, which makes it a true Denver Landmark. Now, we have to get an owner or a tenant in there! It is 5000 square feet inside. I would imagine it is top and bottom. If mixed use was the option, there would be a bit of a zoning change battle. I see so much opportunity here! It has every bit of opportunity that the Lowenstein Theatre had, and Tattered Cover and Twist and Shout moved there! I like this property, a heckuva lot!

For ye who do not know the difference in Cheesman Park, Wyman's, and Uptown, there are 5 zip codes that peak my interest: 80203, 80205, 80206, 80209, and 80218. My favorite area, as you can guess is Wyman's Historic District- which is in Cheesman Park. Nevertheless, check out these zip codes and get an idea as to what is going on in real estate.

This does it for today! I am going to check out this property and get some ideas!

ed

On the beat!

One of my jobs is to be informed about a particular area. It matters, when you are selling real estate to know what is going on at a particular property.

I decided to do a little detective work on a property, which was an eyesore for at least 4 years. It had warning signs, asbestos signs, and all sorts of nastiness associated with a declining value property.

At the Apex, I found a property that fit in perfectly in my interest of urban renewal. Supposedly a 4 unit, victorian (neo-classical) style, with painted Ionic columns. I am not sure of what went down for this deal, but rest assured, public records tell me that it was purchased in May for about $540,000, by a holding company.







You can really tell that the workers inside were there to make the thing look great. Along the same lines as the urban renewal, you look for remodels and completely gutted homes as a sign of buying right.




I am going to see what I can do to contact these remodelers and try to get in on the deal- at least find out what is happening with this property. Here is a peek inside:







This post is a little picture heavy, but in concern with getting to downtown on time, I must be going. More on Monday!

ed

Cheesman spotlight-

Browsing my favorite free advertising medium (http://denver.craigslist.org), I decided to spotlight one really great property in Cheesman.

This property is on the market for almost $500,000. It is 4 Bed, 2.5 bath, remodel. This property appears to have been built in the 1890's. It is a Victorian home in Cheesman Park. It appears to have a great open floor plan, stainless appliances, and apparently, remodeled everything. View the ad here.

You are going to see more of these remodels, if you haven't seen them already.

Have a great day!

Denver is doing great!

Hello Denverites!

Our 80218 corridor seems to grow larger, by the day. I believe that this is because of the transient and interconnected nature of a city.

In doing my rounds of talking and schmoozing, I have come across a few very encouraging things, for once. Your mass media is feeding quite a bit of 'scary' information about hellfire and doom of the American experience. The truth is that the United States isn't all gloomy.

In talking with a lender today, he said that he is actually seeing some more relaxed restrictions on conventional loans. This means that over the last year, conventional loans have been harder to get, namely Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. Supposedly, the requirements have been very difficult, more specifically, in the realm of down payments. The most recent word on the street is that the key to getting into a home is to go through the government FHA or CHFA homeowner programs.

Back to the original idea of this post. What makes up this city of new urbanism? What kinds of things are encouraging and bringing people to Denver? As mentioned two days ago, we are noticing a great influx of activity in Denver. In working in another capacity downtown (being a pedicab driver downtown) on Tuesday night, there were people everywhere! There was a filmshoot being done right in the middle of the 16th Street Mall! This is a sign of vibrancy to me!

What else contributes to vibrant, urban living? Is it geography? Is it multiple places for things like mixed use development? One must keep in mind that there is quite a bit of change going on in Denver, but it isn't all new construction! Updating older, gentrified buildings is one indicator. I also believe that urban living is not only urban (downtown areas, mixed use, commercial real estate), but residential areas nearby an urban center. Neighborhoods are the sensory receptors of our urban areas.

A mortgage broker told me once: if you are looking at buying a home, it should be on a block where there are things like dumpsters in the street, for remodels. Look for quality of homeownership- flowers, landscaping. As I said- buy right. As a real estate professional, you have to look at the opportunity, not the current condition. Opportunity must be seized!

On the cool website section of the day, is the music festival everyone loves to talk about: The Mile High Music Festival. I am not a huge fan of these gatherings, but they are indicators of larger name musical acts coming to Denver for a 2 day event, which includes big name acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Dave Matthews Band, and John Mayer.

The medium name acts are what I am more interested in, but when it comes to bringing revenue and people to Denver, to experience Denver, I am a huge proponent. The festival is located at Dick's Sporting Goods park, near the new Colorado Rapids soccer stadium. It is also touting its environmental impact. Seeing how it is 30 days before the Democratic National Convention, it will no doubt be a primer for people to exercise their rights and become all fired up for the convention.

Spotlight on 80218- Capitol Hill and its resources

Good day, bloggers.

Spotlight on 80218- In case you all didn't know, this is the Cheesman, Uptown, and Capitol Hill.

According to Trulia.com, a newly rediscovered website, there are 104 homes for sale in the $75,000 to $200,000 price range. These are mostly condominiums, ranging from 500-1000 square feet. I did see quite a few properties in the foreclosure process, which is a sign of the times. Buyers and Investors of Denver, bring hard money- unless you know someone in the banking industry.

Another facet of Trula.com was that they can actually crunch necessary statistics for you- by the week. This is truly a great tool, some great updates regarding growth and trends in the Capitol Hill, Cheesman (NO 'E'), and Uptown neighborhoods.

As far as homes for sale in the 80218 neighborhood, with no price range, there are close to 300 homes for sale in this area. In looking at the statistics, prices throughout the area have gone up and down over the last several months.

They have heavily fluctuated, which is indicative of our economic times- sometimes things are good, other times, the economy is bad. There is such a thing as stable growth, but stable growth cannot always sustain itself.

This means that as a real estate professional, you have to be frank and honest about your business and be able to speak about the bigger picture in buying real estate- buy right, and limit your speculation, and cater to the goals of your client. Money is a motivator, but if you do good business, good business will never let you down.

The next website that you really should use is Zillow.com. This site gives a great look at not only sold comparables, but also what is on the market. With enough information, a buyer or seller can make an informed decision about their home. By Zillow, there are about 276 recently sold homes (within the last 6 months) in the 80218 zip code.

Let's talk about Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill, once known for its residents Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, was cultivated as the location of Denver's 19th Century Elite.


It is one of Denver's more popular and densely populated areas, it is a great mix of urban culture and urban renewal. It is nearby Downtown Denver, and is the location of numerous historic mansions, namely the 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown House(known for her heroism on the Titanic, amongst other things).

Many people do not know that Mrs. Brown had a home located in the farmlands of Bear Creek. It was her summer home, built in 1897. It gave the Browns a much needed retreat from Denver society- which never truly accepted them. It is named the Avoca Lodge. The address is 2690 S Wadsworth Ave, in Denver. Worth a visit.

As for the site recommendation today, I highly recommend http://www.hauntedcolorado.net. If you like Denver history, check this one out. It has everything from the Brown Palace to the Molly Brown House, and everything 'haunted' in between. It isn't Halloween yet, but it is still valuable. Who knows. You might buy a haunted house.

Congress for New Urbanism Update!!!

Courtesy of Denverinfill.com, the Apex blog has learned that the Congress for New Urbanism will be hosted by Denver in 2009. With all of the things that are happening in Denver- it would seem that Denver really is becoming a place with things happening.

There is a burgeoning art culture, film culture, and events specifically planned here. The NBA All Star Game was here several years ago. I am excited to see what else is coming- such as the Democratic National Convention and the CNU.

This one is short, but I can say that Central Denver is starting to benefit from all of the urbanization and the cultural centered activities that people are taking advantage of. If you ask any transplant, they can't get enough of Denver- I love it too.

Thanks for reading!

The Center of Denver Comprehensive Planning- Colfax Avenue.

Good Day!

After a long weekend of bicycle racing, beaver-pond fording, backpacking, skiing, and a beautiful Australian Cabernet blend (with Rib-eye steak), I am ready to blog again. Yes, I did all of these things in these last 3 days. I suppose this is what Colorado is all about...

When it comes to urban planning and neighborhood planning, there are many things to consider. I believe that Denver's new urbanization is creating a city which is on the cusp of being progressive, sustainable, and vibrant. These are buzz words, but in reality, urban planning is exactly this.

I want to introduce the public resources that people can use to determine where to move, and why. Central Denver is quickly becoming a place where urban plans are becoming the norm- how we want our city. Enter website: Denver Small area plans.

Following in the same vein as Denver Infill.com, we are seeing the revitalization of places gentrified and newly urbanized- and a planning process as to what is the best use of the land for the present and future. Typically, these plans have components of transportation, land use, pedestrian use, and future planning.

One of the best sites that gives a person a great introduction to urban planning is The Congress for New Urbanism. These sites also give a real estate person something to show progress and a true future of an area.

Places like Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, and virtually any other city in the USA have embraced this idea of architecturally sound, quality planning. This is not to say that this has not been a standard, but it does tell your real estate professional that cities are hubs for new or re-urbanization.

The master planning of Denver is absolutely vital to its growth and sustainability. A perfect example is the redevelopment of Colfax Avenue.

Under the authority of the Colfax Business Improvement District and a cooperative effort with the City and County of Denver, this the main transport vein of urban Denver is bustling with mixed-use updates, new buildings, changes to infrastructure, and a new-bohemian character that speaks of revitalization and a vitalization of the urban centers.

The East Colfax plan gives a 26.2 mile account of revitalizing Colfax, courtesy of the City and County of Denver. View the plan here. The Mixed Use plan, courtesy of the CBID can be viewed here.

I believe that the urban plans should also speak to the necessary vibrancy and diversity that the area must have in order to continue to sustain growth, popularity and development. It cannot turn into a suburbanized track-mall area, where large corporate business takes over the character of the area.

I suppose you could use the Haight-Ashbury area in San Francisco an example. There are differences between Denver, and Haight-Ashbury. For our purposes, Haight is being used as an example of vibrant and diverse urbanized life.

It has diverse population, small business, mixed use development (characteristically built in the Victorian era and style), and a vibrant culture affiliated with it- namely the arts (visual, performing) and many different restaurants, cultures, and food.

The area itself is sometimes affiliated with the San Francisco Hippie movement, but for all intensive purposes, it is a good example of vibrant urbanization.

Thanks for reading! The last tidbit that I will leave today is an article I found on the 9news website: Colfaxlove.com. Taj Moore fell in love with Colfax the second he stepped foot on it. Read the article here. The goal of this site is to bring lovers of Colfax to the street itself. Enjoy!

Best!

Ed Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
303-399-5777

FHA Limits.

I just came across a great article on FHA loans. Please read.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902645_pf.html

Foreclosures in Denver, etc.

Good day Bloggees!

Today's post will be fairly short, and sweet. It has to do with a very close thing to every dealmaker's heart- the latest and greatest on foreclosures.

Colorado state legislation just changed the Foreclosure laws in Colorado, which means:
1. Colorado is a Public Trustee state. This means that a Non-Election of Demand (NED) is filed with the public trustee, starting the foreclosure process.
2. All things said and done, the changes to Colorado Foreclosure Law is this: instead of the sale taking place no less than 45 days and no more than 60 days to the Public Trustee. However, under the new law, the owner has a longer period of time to cure- no more than 125 days. The new law also takes away a redemption right after the sale. Here is a good explanation of this new change: http://www.cohoalaw.com/money-matters-the-new-foreclosure-laws-and-the-right-to-cure-and-redeem.html

Any Title Company and Title Rep will be able to explain this process.

So many people have caught the fever of buying incredibly low ("hey, I am looking at a deal! I want a full list of foreclosures!") Foreclosures are a difficult piece of the real estate market. I like to call it the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. The radio and newspaper ads aren't lying, but anyone looking for lists of foreclosures, it isn't like a list of doctor's offices.

Now is a great time to buy, but trying to find a "steal"- you may not want to subject yourself to the headache.

There are a lot of time frames and laws that you need to follow to make sure it is done correctly. Additionally, people are not quite ready for what they walk into. Many foreclosures are a result of poorly structured loans. Someone said that the current market conditions took renters, made them homeowners, then made them renters again. This is exactly true.

The foreclosure process is painful, and really difficult. Other than the legal and real estate side of things, there is a lot to consider. How much work are you going to put in to this home? Do you want to put this much work in this home? Is it possible to even subject yourself to the kind of things you will find in a foreclosure?

This picture was taken yesterday at a foreclosure. About $40,000 (that is right, I said 40) worth of work needed to be put into this house. This picture was taken of the boiler, which was completely rusted out. A new boiler needed to be put into a tiny crawlspace, littered with rat droppings. The plumber working on this thing said: "I will not do this boiler, nor subject my employees to this kind of envionment." 'Nuf said.

You can find certified foreclosure experts, but make sure they have an active real estate license, and make sure that they know what they are talking about.

Thanks for reading- I am heading to the mountains to do some ski-camping! More on this stuff later!

Ed

Apex of Denver- Spotlight on Transportation

Good Day!

Today, I began to think about transportation in Cheesman, Capitol Hill, Uptown, etc. As mentioned yesterday, 60+ years ago, people were walking to work, riding bicycles into urban areas, and taking public transportation.

As mentioned yesterday, with the suburbanization, people began to buy cars, motorcycles, and hence, we are in a bit of a pickle, when it comes to dependency on oil. Highways are well-funded, and seemingly getting wider. But what about the urban centers?

I experienced a great thing yesterday. In my spare time (of which there is none), I am a pedicab driver. I have been riding pedicabs for 4 years. In the downtown area, people commute on all things wheeled- skateboards, bikes, wheelchairs, etc. Pedicabs have long been a staple of urban transit, specifically, in India and China. As of the early 90's, Steve Meyer, owner of Main Street Pedicabs, capitalized on an idea of having urban transportation, in a unique way.

As a pedicab driver, we provide transportation for short distances. We are never in competition for horse-drawn carriages or taxicabs. Cabs do not want to drive a short distance and horse-drawn carriages are more of a novelty than anything. In the downtown micro-economy, Pedicabs are the perfect mix of pedestrian vehicles disguised as cars. http://www.pedicab.com

My trip into downtown got even better- a 10 minute bike ride on my spiffy road bike on the Cherry Creek bike path. It was a seamless transport, clipping along at a good 25 mph. My brother followed me downtown and rode his bike to the Colorado Rockies baseball game. Lets examine the effectiveness of transportation, in the context of Central Denver.

One of the reasons I named this blog the Apex of Central Denver, is because the neighborhoods that I love so much are Cheesman Park, Capitol Hill, Hale-Mayfair, City Park, and Uptown. All of these areas are close to Downtown Denver, all of which being a maximum of 3 miles- which would make an easy commuting bike ride to 15 minutes.

The embraceable idea of bicycles as "green" transit is a little far-fetched, in my opinion. "Green" seems to be the hot marketing thing, which I don't necessarily like. I think that if The Cosmopolitan has now changed its latest summer colors to green, and people are buying it, the message is being perverted. But, I only change things I know how to change.

Riding a bike just makes sense. It takes relatively little money to maintain, fix, and operate a bicycle. You aren't pouring money into a car that eats oil, tires, and other things. You can find a bicycle for under $500, which is perfectly functional, and fun. For the money, $500 car repairs are far more headache-worthy. If you are a garage-craigslist junkie, look at http://denver.craigslist.org.

The next step up would be a mo-ped, Vespa, Scooter, or one of those really cool old trail motorcycles- these are also very easy to get into for under $2000. Unless your job requires you to drive, take a bike. It will make things much easier for you.

I am not advocating the jettisoning of one's car. I am a proponent of things that just make sense, like being able to have a vehicle that gets me to my favorite mountain biking or skiing spot. However, as an urban form of transit, it is almost moot to have a car.

Ahhh! The all important weather question. In Minneapolis, there is a movement to ride a Snow-bike. I am told that anywhere a snowmobile can go, a snow-bike can go.

Knobby tires, studded tires, and frame materials that resist corrosion (like my favorite, Titanium, or steel) are all alternatives. If it snows 3 feet, no one is getting to work. Don't give me the "reliable car" excuse.

Below is the photo of a company near and dear to my heart- Surly. They make primarily steel bicycles. This little gem is the Surly Pugsley model. It is a super-strange modified frame that requires special parts. However, notice the large, studded tires, and the 4" of snow on the ground. Enterprising? Yes. Absolutely.

A friend of mine said: Metal is too expensive to just go throwing away- FYI, I found 2 perfectly usable bikes in the garbage yesterday...

Bikes just make sense!
Here is where this ties to real estate. With new urbanization, people are starting to think about taking bicycles to work. They want a reliable form of transit, with low cost. A one car garage, off-street, or on-street parking might be a viable alternative. One must be careful of those parking restrictions, though.

However, a bicycle can be stored, locked, and secured within a relatively small space. It doesn't take an entire half-lot to store. In urban space restrictions, a bike just makes sense!

With current lending trends and the careful screening of buyers, sellers, and borrowers,
people are hopefully speculating smarter on their investments, therefore, buying within their means.

Therefore, these people are buying property in which they can afford the payment and maintain a reasonably good, stable lifestyle. My point is that for all of the foreclosure reports your popular media is feeding you, there are good people out there certainly buying within their means.

In perusing current foreclosures in Colorado, a majority of the mortgages and properties filed with the Public Trustee, are properties where few, if no principal payments are made. Lesson: buy within your means. And, I should add, buy smart. Always buy smart.

Thanks for reading!

ed

Try this again

If you must go to the site, it is from Realtor.com. If I were you, I would just Google:

Cheesman Park Property Values.

There is much free information out there, which gives you a lot of the stats you need. Please contact me directly for more!

Ed

Cheesman Park Housing Statistics

Sorry for the re-post, but my housing statistics page got messed up. Here is the correct link:

http://neighborhoods.realtor.com/CO/Denver/Cheesman-Park/477006/Heat-map/

Day two!

Day two!

First things first. I currently hang my (active) license at Showcase Properties Unlimited. It is a small real estate company, located at 4106 E 8th Ave. It is a small office made up, primarily, of former Keller Williams agents.

Nothing to knock the competition, but, I just like the smaller office better. There are about 25 agents here, which is a great number. It will probably grow.

Website: http//www.spurealty.com. I am noticing that there are many small companies popping up all over Denver. I can't tell if agents are more interested in "doing it better" than big companies, or the big companies are becoming far too big! Gordon Christensen is the managing broker, and honestly, has started a great concept office- no frills, no politics, just business.

Spotlight: The Cheesman Park Story.
Here is the scoop on Cheesman Park. As with much of the land surrounding Denver, the land legally belonged to the Arapaho Indians. In 1858, 320 acres was set aside for the Denver Cemetery, then named Mt. Prospect Cemetery.

This photo is the Catholic section of the cemetery, taken 1903. If you look closely, you can see the Dora Moore School, located at 9th and Corona.

The first person interred in the Cemetery was a person named John Stoefl, who died of a lung infection. However, the more talked about person, famously interred around the same period was a Hungarian immigrant, hung at 10th and Cherry Creek Street. Of course, he was tried in an old-West style court of his peers, and buried.

In 1872, the land was officially bought from the federal government (ceded from the Arapaho Indians), and sold to the City and County of Denver for $200. I would love to buy 320 acres for $200.

Over the course of time, the Cemetery fell into disrepair, and reserved for vagrants, paupers, and criminals, and the extremely sick (Tuberculosis, Smallpox, etc.). In the spirit of beautification, Henry Teller (Senator), lobbied for a park, and won approval for his idea- rather than a poorly used cemetery. Thus, the name was changed from Mt. Prospect Cemetery to Congress Park, then later to Cheesman Park.

Shown in picture, ca. 1940- if you look at the lower right hand corner, you can see the abandoned cemetery, directly behind the pavilion.

Next of kin were notified to remove the remains of their loved ones, and word has it that the bodies in the Chinese section of the cemetery were meticulously disinterred, and sent back to China. The rest, were disinterred and stuffed into children's caskets, to be transported to Fort Logan. This resulted in a huge scandal, and investigation, and somehow, silently settled.

Through various chains of events, ground was broken and graded for the park- finally completed in 1907.

Nice little factoid: it is estimated that 2000 bodies still remain buried in the park. Any time a person is disinterred, expect that you will find bad JuJu- numerous stories of spirits and hauntings abound. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CO-CheesmanPark.html.

Real Estate- Re-Urbanization
New urbanization is taking place. In looking at general trends, driven by the dollar, you are finding people are driving less, commuting less, and buying closer to centralized areas. Cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Denver have become hubs of urban culture- lots of people crammed into vertical living space. It could be said that there is an Urban Renaissance happening right now!

People in urban areas are having fewer children, living in smaller spaces, and limiting their living horizons to a small area. Does this mean that larger families are moving to the suburbs, where housing is cheaper?

Does this also mean that the gentrification that is going on is becoming a new social classification- well-to-do socialites move to the city, where life is a little more expensive, versus the strip-malling of suburbia, where life is cheap?

With the demonization and avoidance of using gas, does this mean that those who cannot readily convert to sustainable energy, will be doomed to use the $5.00 gasoline, regardless of price?

High rises, bodegas, outdoor markets, and locally owned shops were normal, until 1945. People relied on mass transit, carpooling, and bicycles to get around. Sound familiar?

World War II hit, and all of the sudden, a new culture became that of consolidation for the war effort- example: grey paint for homes (a gift from your United States Navy), war bonds, urban factory work for metals and all things related to war.

In the post World War II world, the government came away with a surplus (war can actually be good for an economy, despite what many people say), which caused, to a degree, suburbanization.

People could build homes away from cities, courtesy of cheap VA loans, have a yard, and settle areas where growth could mean stable home values. Suburban America was born. It was cheaper to buy a new VA home, than buy an old pre-20th century Victorian home. White Fence America was becoming the norm.

In the 1960's, you began to see truly beautiful pieces of architecture destroyed, in the name of Urban Renewal- the Denver Urbal Renewal Authority got rid of landmarks like the Tabor Grand Opera House, (16th and Curtis, demolished 1964 and replaced by the Federal Reserve Branch).

In 5 years, pieces of Denver history were becoming things of yesteryear. Even the Historic Molly Brown House was up for some urban renewal. It was saved in 1971, by Historic Denver Inc.

The Denver Historic Landmark Commission took shape and started to preserve the Urban Core of Denver. Buildings in Lower Downtown, Baker, Auraria, Capitol Hill, and Cheesman Park were to be preserved. For a better detailed description of the new urbanization of Denver, go to: http://www.denverinfill.com.

Cheesman Park Housing Statistics
The average home value in Cheesman Park is $201,500. Average price per square foot: $220. There are 1,489 owner occupied homes in Cheesman park, alone. Renter occupied dwellings, show about 3,870 Renters. The statistics show that prices are average to above average, but there are more renters than owners. Surrounding areas show an above average to high price per square foot, price, and high homeownership. Lesson here: Buy in average areas surrounded by well made neighborhoods. The other lesson, buy low, sell high. http://neighborhoods.realtor.com/CO/Denver/Cheesman-Park/477006/Heat-map/

Thanks for reading!

Ed

Welcome to the Apex of Denver Blog!

Good day, bloggees of Denver!

This blog was created to enhance awareness of the Apex of Central Denver, which includes Cheesman Park, City Park, Capitol Hill, and Uptown. These areas are the apex of urban life and urban real estate in Central Denver, and thus, must be talked about. There is so much going on here!

Cheesman Park, named for Walter Cheesman, a Denver Water Baron. It has 80 acres of expansive grass, not demarcated for any sporting fields. Its pavilion echoes of Neo-Classical revival, where you can actually see 150 miles- from Longs Peak to Pikes Peak. There is some real history to the park, to be reserved for another day.

Lets start with me: I am a real estate agent, recently moved back to Denver, from the kingdom of Summit County, Colorado. I own a small condo at 1401 Franklin St. It is in an 1892 Victorian (named after Queen Victoria- and there are many different styles of it, if you must know) built Denver Square (or foursquare designed), 786 square feet. While the unit is still a bit under-dated, it does have some neat features: Claw foot bathtub, 85 year old toilet, hexagonal ceramic tile, wainscoting, crown molding, and hardwood floors.

Upon researching, this home was built by Frederick O Vaille, who was a founding member of your favorite Denver corporation, Qwest. He was a graduate of Harvard, who got together with a couple of his buddies, and started Denver Telephone Dispatch Company.

They bought the franchise (Rocky Mountain Bell) from American Bell, out of Boston. It ran lines to Golden, Blackhawk, Georgetown, and Central City. He sold four of his franchise contracts to Horace Tabor, which ultimately hit a franchise in Salt Lake City.

Rocky Mountain Bell stretched their contracts to surrounding states. Overextension and poor management caused them to scale back, then ultimately form a new company- Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph company, known in the latter 20th Century as Mountain Bell, then becoming ...bell-QWEST!

Mr. Vaille was in business with the Wolcott Family, who was associated with the Wolcott School, located at 14th an Marion. Here is the photo:

Hence, doing more magic on the internet, I did find that the Wolcott Family ranks up there in prestige...ooh...back to the Declaration of Independence. They were a very wealthy family in Massachusetts. When Mr. Vaille chose his business partner, he did quite well! The Harvard connection had something to do with it, as well.

Moving on the Real Estate, it can be said that Denver is becoming the place to be. Yes, folks, there are news agencies, media, and everyone else saying the the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Not necessarily true. I think it is an unfair conclusion to say that we all need to "hunker down" and deal with poor public policy.

I believe that bad public policy is a scapegoat, and that somehow, people seem to believe we live in a monarchy. I disagree. With Mr. Newton, every action receives and equal and opposite reaction. Thus, where some are losing money for unfortunate investments, others are collecting a good dollar for every bad one. So, as with change, adaptation is necessary.

One of my real estate contacts said: "Buy and Hold." I will add to that: Buy smart, and hold. One of the finest resources out there for what is going on in Denver is the city itself- http://www.denvergov.org.

FYI: There are 17,856 residents in the 80218 Zip Code. Over half of those residents live in Cheesman Park.


Good Day!

Ed