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

What attracts people to an area like Cheesman Park, Uptown, or Capitol Hill?

Why are people attracted to Cheesman Park, Capitol Hill, and Uptown?

There are many reasons, many of which have been posted here- like proximity to urban centers, diversity of life, safety, etc. But, I have to add in- really cool places to hang your hat, for a good meal, a fine ale, or a cultural center.

Over the last 5-10 years, Central Denver has become a place of cultural wonders. This could be Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art, (located in LODO), the Vance Kirkland Museum (a contemporary of Jackson Pollack),














or the new wing designed by Daniel Liebeskind designed Denver Art Museum, near the State Capitol.

Denver is becoming a wonderful cultural hub, where one can find plays, art, and sports. It is experiencing a restaurant renaissance, and due to the Democratic National Convention spending time here, in August, there is a lot going on in Denver. I do believe that it has potential of becoming something like a San Francisco, but hopefully not as expensive. I implore ye to visit these museums! They have certainly had a lot of money poured into them, and the work is incredible. All of which are different, and you could see them all in a day.

Spotlight on local, cool hang-outs: The Cheeky Monk, located at 534 East Colfax Ave, at Pearl. it is a Belgian Beer House, from the owners of the Royal Hilltop in Aurora. Here is a picture of it. I can also say that it is a great food house, as well. I have yet to engage their full menu, but in Belgium, beer is king. As with wine in France, beer is what Belgians drink.

Where does this involve real estate? It has everything to do with the attractiveness of an area- why people settle in specific areas. Yes, they want a cool place to live, yes they want proximity to that which is 'cool'! But, all said and done, they need places to spend time and money to enrich an area. Places like the museums and the Cheeky Monk are pretty cool places.

Thanks!

Ed Martin
Showcase Properties Unlimited
303-875-4450

Spotlight on networking, community volunteerism, Capitol Hill!

Hello, bloggers.

In today's installment, I wanted to spotlight on community involvement. Over the last several years, I have been involved with Rotary, Rotaract, The Optimist Club, and The Boy Scouts of America. All have a special component of urban development- volunteerism.

When it comes to networking, especially for young real estate professionals (like moi), it is necessary to build a network of people in whatever capacity is possible. This means staying in touch with previous colleagues, creating a solid customer database, and always prospecting for business.

Urban development is a renaissance in Downtown Denver, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, and Uptown. It is experiencing a movement of younger, professional people moving into urban centers. Community involvement is necessary in these centers because it creates a sense of community and vibrancy. For anyone interested, I would highly recommend Rotary International. I would recommend because it is truly a community group that wants to help, and isn't just a networking-socializing tool- people are there because they want to be there. More about this later.

Secondly, I did a Capitol Hill Real Estate tour yesterday, which started on Logan and went all the way to Franklin, roughly 15 blocks. I saw homes I didn't know existed and a community that was incredibly interesting.

Take a look at two houses, directly across the street from each other. These are undoubtedly the same builder. I am positive this was some prominent Denver historical figure. But, what this tells me is that there are wonderfully valuable homes or converted condominium projects that add to the character of an area.
Why are these two homes so valuable? There is aesthetic value in these homes, which is what sells them. But why do people keep these homes? Because they offer an urban oasis into historical sophistication, and they grab so many elements of a city-dweller.

These dwellers don't need an entire yard, or their very own garage. These dwellers need some space, but are aware of their restrictions. They are aware of the costs of living where they do, but don't mind paying for it. They like the idea of an easy commute or a work from home scenario.

Business opportunities abound, like this one in Cheesman Park, right next to The Park Tavern. This is right next door to a Laundromat, and has been remodeled. It could be any variety of things, considering there is a grocery store right across the street, a tavern next door, a couple of restaurants right near by. What does this area need? Maybe it needs a real estate office? Maybe it needs a bookstore? Maybe it needs a bona-fide coffee shop. These are all great businesses, especially given that it is directly next door to a Laundromat.

Thanks for reading! More on the Capitol Hill house tour tomorrow. Then, the Fourth of July weekend. I am going to try to post Thursday, but take the weekend off, more than likely. Here is a wonderful 4th of July festival, in Fort Garland, outside of Alamosa. The most striking thing to me was a 19th Century baseball game, in Victorian era baseball uniforms. Awesome!

Thanks for reading!

Edward Martin, Real Estate Professional
Showcase Properties
303-875-4450

Spotlight on Single Family Homes!

Good Day all.

Many people think of my four zip codes as small homes (1,000 square feet or less), condominiums, or townhomes. Single Family Homes are important to our urban development- simply because it adds an additional demographic of people to our new-urbanization. I think of a single family as a free-standing building, not a condominium or townhome. A duplex could be considered a single family home. A triplex is venturing into condominium territory.

Courtesy of Trulia.com, there are 121 single family residences for sale in the 80218 zip code. There are 115 single family residences in the 80203 zip code. There are 361 homes listed for the 80205 zip code. Keeping in mind the sizes of the zip code areas, 80205 certainly has more geographical area than 80218 or 80203.

Nevertheless, single family homes are a great indicator of new-urbanism. Many of the homes are remodeled, more than likely an 1880-1950 vintage. Some of these homes have the Queen Anne style, others are ranch-style homes, built after World War II. The 80205 zip code includes Hyde Park and Five Points, Whittier, and Curtis Park, the area known as Denver's first actual neighborhood. Here is Denverinfill's take on Curtis Park and Whittier The square footage is roughly $120-170 psf, for single family homes.

Take a look at this beautiful stone single family residence, located at 35th and Marion. This home was built by an Irish immigrant, per the listing information, which is a part of Denver history.
This listing is for sale for $317,000, as of today. It is located in 5280's newest-hottest neighborhoods. I think I can also say that Five Points is one of Denver's only neighborhoods that survived the 1960's and 1970's destruction of historic buildings, and maintains some truly wonderful architectural history.

The 80203 zip code is truly Capitol Hill, and its listings are small bungalow style, with the exception of one home, which has been meticulously restored, with 9 bedrooms. It is being offered at $850,000. There is a tin ceiling and a carriage house- superbly done.

The 80218 zip code is going to encompass Country Club, Cheesman, and some of West Washington Park. For all intensive
purposes, we are going to stick to my favorite part, Cheesman.

There are still many homes that are affordable in these zip codes, especially in the bank-owned and foreclosure realm. The 80218 zip code has a lot of more contemporary homes, so it is more likely that you will find updated kitchens, and more contemporary models and furnishings. The days of cheap houses (unless you want to deal with remodeling a home) are coming to an end, for this area. If you absolutely want to buy here, buy a townhome of condo, or find an investment opportunity with a business partner.

Great stuff! I was speaking with my tenant, Jeff, who has done a great job with maintaining my condominium at 1401 Franklin. He is an aviation nut, and in looking at some historic maps, he found pictures of my building, probably dating back to the 1920's. More to come on this!

Best,

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!

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.

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

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