COhomefinder takes the fear out of buying a home in Colorado

‘Tis the season…

with Halloween just a few days away, and the fall festivities coming up, it’s time to take the kids through that time-honored rite of passage in Colorado.  It’s time to go to the corn maze and pumpkin patch.

Where the Maize Is

You’ll find the corn mazes in communities where there’s–what else?–plenty of room for the Great Pumpkin to roam and the corn to grow tall enough to make things interesting.  Among some of the top runners:

• Brighton, in Adams County
• Thornton, at 104th and Riverdale Rd.
• Henderson, and if you want to really get roomy, Strasburg.

And for those who want to get out, without getting way out there, there’s a slightly more urban garden experience to be had in Littleton, at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.

Boulder, Broomfield, and Longmont feature a handful of “U pick it” farms between them, some with a hayride and petting zoo thrown in. But if you’re looking for something spooky, you’re going to have to make a trip to Colorado Springs‘ Haunted Mines.

Be safe, and pick a winner, kids.

Recently MSN’s real estate channel named Colorado Springs as one of the Sixty Six Cities where Buying Makes Sense .  One of the criteria MSN used to determine where it made sense to buy was whether average three-bedroom rental costs were higher than the cost of a 6% loan for a typical low-priced house.

Why Colorado Springs?
Central Colorado Springs consists of many unique homes built at the turn of the century, and also homes that were built as late as the 1960s. Most homes in the Northeast, East, and Southeast were built between the 60s and the 90s, with the average price per square foot in these areas falling between $95-$115, with the Southeast being one of the least expensive areas in the city locals know as “the Springs.”

Colorado Springs is second only to Denver as Colorado’s most populous and widespread area.  It’s home to countless business enterprises, thousands of households, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Colorado College.

Today there are 189 Colorado Springs property listings
Min price: $15,250
Median price: $330,900
Avg price: $497,064
Max price: $4,300,000
(Check Colorado Springs listings often, as data changes daily.)

What Next?
An important consideration for renters looking to make the leap is credit history.  Contact a Colorado mortgage professional today to ask whether it makes sense for you to buy, and when.

According to a slew of experts who keep tabs on trends in home design, furnishings and remodeling, what’s hot in 2008 is, well, not all that surprising in some ways.

From the “no duh” files: experts claim that the Colorado home of 2008 will be smarter, greener and sleeker.   The kicker is that homeowners want a home that will work, not just now, but ten years from now.  If trendiness is in, it sounds like long-lasting features that will hold up over time is more so.  Colorado homebuyers and homeowners are becoming more committed to the choices they’re making, perhaps because of changes in the economy.  But the other trend that came as a complete surprise to me is that new homebuyers are ditching the formal living room in favor of, wait for it…

The destination bathroom.

Apparently, homeowners want a bathroom they can really spend some time in, doing…whatever they want, I guess.  Are you part of the destination bathroom set? If so, spend some extra time taking virtual tours of Colorado homes before you make appointments for showings with your Colorado REALTOR.

Upon taking a swing by the COhomefinder Web site, you’ll notice the specific mention of certain Front Range/Denver Metro area cities, such as Arvada, Boulder, Broomfield, Estes Park, Castle Rock, Englewood, Evergreen, Fort Collins, Parker, Westminster and many more.  Although COhomefinder serves a whole host of other cities, here’s a round-up of each of those featured communities, with a link to a Google Map of where current Colorado homes for sale are.

• Arvada–West of Denver, Arvada is a suburb of generous area and flavors. From the more rural areas, to the quaint center of town, Arvada is a bedroom community popular with commuters who want a more wide-open family-friendly appeal than an urban offshoot.    (Map of Arvada homes for sale)
• Aurora–Southeast of Denver, Aurora is a rapidly growing area with its roots in industry and healthcare.  It also covers a good-sized geographic area, and therefore, a widespread variety of offerings. (Map of Aurora homes for sale)
• Boulder–20 minutes northwest of Denver, Boulder and its northern Colorado cousins make up a cluster of towns and cities popular with outdoor enthusiasts, mountain dwellers, naturalists, college students, knowledge workers and professionals in the tech industry and more.  (Map of Boulder homes for sale)
• Broomfield–Broomfield has been called both a suburb of Denver and of Boulder, mostly because it’s in between.  What families find appealing about Broomfield is its affordability, along with the option of participating in close-knit communities that aren’t too close knit. (This isn’t Mayberry, after all.)  Broomfield is also popular with those who work at one of the scores of Interlocken office buildings or on the Sun Microsystems campus. (Map of Broomfield homes for sale)
• Castle Rock–Midway between Denver and Colorado Springs sits at the East Plum Creek Valley at the foot of the Rockies. Known for its outlet shopping and convenient access to both larger cities via I-25, Castle Rock is home to both acreage spreads, ranches, and luxury homes in the heart of Colorado.  (Map of Castle Rock homes for sale)
• Denver–Colorado’s proud capital and the canvas behind all of Colorado’s dramatic changes over the years.  What else is there to say? There’s pretty much everything the modern homebuyer is looking for in Denver, with its many and varied neighborhoods. From historic homes to vacant lots, Denver is just like its citizens: A diverse collection of personalities.   (Map of Denver homes for sale)
• Englewood–As a distinct reflection of its colorful, gold rush history, there is still a focus on transportation, education, and the arts. Developments are rising from the ground to help boost the area’s economy, and Englewood boasts more jobs and businesses per square mile than any other city in the Rocky Mountain region.  (Map of Englewood homes for sale)
• Evergreen– Just a quick jaunt to Evergreen Lake and charming downtown Evergreen, it’s an area with something for those straddling the fence between town and country The 100 newest listings at COhomefinder show that the variety of Evergreen offerings is as wide open as the blue sky. Because Evergreen is a bit of a mountain metro area of itself, you’ll find it has small satellite towns of its own, including: Conifer, Bailey, Indian Hills , Idledale, Bergen Park, Genesee, Idaho Springs, Pine, and Kittredge. (Map of Evergreen homes for sale)
• Fort Collins– Fort Collins was rated #1 in the 2006 CNN / Money Magazine Best Places to Live in the USA survey. The magazine stated that “great schools, low crime, good jobs in a high-tech economy and a fantastic outdoor life make Fort Collins No. 1.” Young people, families, commuters, and more make their home here, which is also home to Colorado State University. (Go Rams!)  (Map of Fort Collins homes for sale)
• Golden–Their motto “Where the West Lives!” is true to form, since Golden still maintains just the right amount of old west meets new world. From the Coors Brewery to the Knock Your Boots Off Chili Cookoff, Golden is a community where commuters, mountain lovers, horsemen, and plain old folks gather to be themselves.  (Map of Golden homes for sale)
• Greeley–Where can you snow ski on Saturday and play golf on Sunday? What’s just an hour away from Rocky Mountain National Park and an hour from our Colorado’s capital city, Denver ? It’s Greeley of course, and here are a few more facts about that northern Colorado town with its spectacular views of the Rockies and charming and unhurried neighborhoods. (Map of Greeley homes for sale)
• Highlands Ranch– Don’t let the name fool you; Highlands Ranch is no cow town. It’s a 22,000-acre master-planned community just twelve miles south of Denver with a population of over 80,000. It’s a place where commerce and community, work and play, families and singles live and work together under about three hundred days of sunshine.  (Map of Highlands Ranch homes for sale)
• Lakewood–Lakewood, the land just west of Denver with 99 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces throughout the city, includes over 36 miles of trails for walking, biking, and horseback riding.  (Map of Lakewood homes for sale)
• Littleton–Just as Littleton is traced to the “Pikes Peak” gold rush of 1859, today homebuyers are racing to find their own modern-day gold and piece of Littleton history. Beat the rush with COhomefinder, and you’ll experience firsthand why the view from Littleton’s Municipal Courthouse was named one of the top five scenic lookouts in the area.  (Map of Littleton homes for sale)
• Longmont–A Boulder suburb that bridges the gap between central and northern Colorado towns.   (Map of Longmont homes for sale)
• Loveland–The jewel of Northern Colorado, Loveland is still a bargain, and a hit with families, artists, and small town lovers of all kinds.    (Map of Loveland homes for sale)
• Parker–According to the Town of Parker’s core values statement, ” Parker is committed to maintaining a friendly, home town atmosphere. We place a premium on teamwork and participation while encouraging creativity and individual initiative.”  (Map of Parker homes for sale)
• Westminster– Close to Broomfield and Denver, Westminster is the up and coming community that makes the most of its previously undeveloped areas.  (Map of Westminster homes for sale)

Q: Where in the World is the Front Range?

A: The Colorado Front Range is an informal, colloquial term for Colorado’s most populated region.  It’s just east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and contains the state’s largest cities and suburbs.

From north to south, Colorado Front Range communities include:

As well as:

Centennial, Larkspur, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, Colorado Springs, Fountain, Pueblo, Estes Park, and others.  View a complete list of cities Colorado HomeFinder serves.

Here’s a COhomefinder how-to in three words: Map these listings.  Try it out now using these simple steps.

1. Head on over to COhomefinder.com and click any one of the photos in the middle of your browser. We call these our “Featured Listings.”
2. While you’re looking at the details of the listing, you’ll find a link to “map this listing.”

Easy, right?  But let’s say that you want to see where a whole cluster of listings are located on a Google map in any given Colorado neighborhood, Colorado city, or metro area within the Colorado Front Range.

1. Take a look at our Featured Listings, where you’ll see a list of Colorado areas COhomefinder serves.
2. Click the link “map” associated with your desired area. Here’s a map of Estes Park listings, for example.
3. With individual home listings on the left side of your browser, and the map on the right, you can click through to individual listings’ details while sorting the results of your search.

Using these and other techniques, you can stay in the know about homes that are available in one of hundreds of areas in Colorado, at any time, from anywhere you have an Internet connection and a browser. Happy hunting.  Some of the more active areas in Colorado right now are Loveland, Fort Collins, Denver, Boulder & Nederland, Greeley, and Sedalia.

When I was moving my family from the Vail area back to Boulder, CO, I learned just how important Colorado real estate was to me.  On one level, there are the conversations we all have about the real estate market and its ups and downs. But on a deeper level, real estate is one of the most personal purchases most of us will ever make.  And although we work in tandem with other professionals who are there to help us get what we want, most of the onus is on the buyer; no one will care about your search as much as you will, and the end result won’t matter as much to anyone but you, either.

While I was searching the Boulder homes market, we were strapped for time. (We also had moved three times in 18 months, so finding a place where we wanted to stay a while was key.) We needed to move ASAP, but home inventory in Boulder was relatively low at that time.  I’m not a doctor or a psychologist, but I’m pretty sure that what I was feeling in the midst of it all was a lot of anxiety and maybe a little depression. Whenever I consider that most conversations about Colorado real estate are financial, I remember back to those times when real estate had a lot to do with my mental health.

While I owe a debt of gratitude to our Boulder REALTOR for doing us a good turn, I also thank my lucky stars that a big part of home buying today includes the use of technology that empowers the individual. This is often overlooked by those who don’t remember or who are too young to remember “the old days” of real estate, when luck played too big of a part in finding the right property, the right home.  While homebuyers still have to be largely self-reliant while home hunting, self-reliance has never been easier to embrace, or more results-oriented. What a relief.

What worked for me
I relied heavily on COhomefinder while looking to buy a Boulder home. In particular, I found that the following features were instrumental to our success.

• Signing up for HomeAlert and asking a client care coordinator for assistance when I needed it
• Finding the Boulder REALTOR that was right for us
• Using Google maps of Boulder houses to pre-screen locations we were or weren’t interested in
• Researching Boulder property values

If you’re home shopping, home selling, or just getting familiar with the Denver real estate market, you might want to check into where the top Denver listings are, which includes top Denver subdivisions (such as Cherry Creek and Park Hill), top Denver single-family home neighborhoods (such as Hilltop and Washington Park), top Denver zip codes, and today’s focus: top Denver streets.  These are today’s top Denver streets:

• Garfield
• Lincoln
• Monroe
• Monaco
• Grant
• Madison
• Lafayette
• Downing

You’ll find some of the best of the more than 7,000 Denver homes for sale here.  And here are some tips about what you can find at other Denver street locations.

Where the eats are:
Arapahoe, Wynkoop, Larimer and 16th Street are homes to some of Denver best and most boisterous downtown restaurants.

Where the shows are:
Ogden, Broadway, Fillmore, and Colfax are the little centers of music and arts venues where some of today’s best acts can be seen.

Where the parks are:
Washington (Wash Park), Bellaire Street (Cranmer Park), Franklin Street (Cheeseman Park) Colorado Blvd (City Park), and Saint Paul (Congress Park).

Where the schools are:
Of course, there are lots of them.  But these particular ones were featured in 5280 Magazines “best schools in Denver” edition for 2008.

• Denver School of Science Technology on Valentia Street
• Denver School of the Arts on Montview Blvd.
• Colorado Academy on South Pierce Street
• Bruce Randolph School on Steele Street
• Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning on South Holly Street
• Wyatt-Edison on Franklin Street
• PS1 Charter School on Delaware Street

Sunset Behind Boulder

Near coveted Sunset Blvd in Boulder, where most residents enjoy sweeping views of the flatirons and foothills is one of Colorado’s premiere neighborhoods: Boulder’s Sunset Hill neighborhood.

The Beginning of Sunset Hill
Earliest Boulder maps refer to the undeveloped area as Lover’s Hill, but in 1944, Boulder contractor Ted McPherson formed a corporation known as Sunset Hill Improvement, giving the western part of the bluff a new name. Several homes designed by the architect Huntington were erected on the north side of High Street. (See a map of High Street in Boulder.)  Most of those homes have since been demolished and replaced, but Huntington’s work exists all over Boulder. He designed the Boulder County Courthouse, Boulder High School, a number of churches, and several sorority and fraternity houses.

What’s There Now
In 1950, Sunset Hill was considered the most rapidly developing, most possible residential section of Boulder. The cost of the homes (including lots) were pricey at the time and ranged from $15,000 to $20,000.  Today, the homes are still considered high-priced items, with single-family homes, luxury condos/townhomes, and land listed at $1.2 M to $2.9 M.  Today listings are few, with about six listings on the Boulder MLS, but data changes daily; check often for fresh listings, prices and more.  And if you’re willing to extend your search beyond the Sunset Hill area proper, there are more homes on the market with proximity to the same ammenities and schools. (Sunset Hill’s public schools are Whittier Elementary, Casey Middle School, and Boulder High.) These homes are in the 80304 and 80302 zip codes, and include Boulder neighborhoods such as Mapleton, Hillcrest, Silver Maple Village, Boulder Old Town, the homes at One Boulder Plaza, and many more.