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