The WSJ, not to be outdone by pubs like Money/CNN, Outside Magazine and others, have printed a list of the Next Youth Magnet Cities. I wondered, while reading the list: Do people really use these guides when conducting their relocation research? Are they helpful, or do they just sell papers? I’ve asked the same question when the college polls are published, especially when I was lured to to GQ’s rundown of America’s 25 Douchiest Colleges.  (Looks like GQ took a page out of the of The Onion playbook.)

In any case, the folks who put their heads together and opined for the sake of rankings put Seattle in first place in a tie with Washington DC.  Denver and Raleigh-Durhum tie for seventh.  Here you can read what one of the judges/contributors, Richard Florida, had to say about the major Front Range town at his blog, Creative Class.

Just as a side note, I think it’s interesting that Richard put these two cities into the same slot.  However you feel about the Boulder v. Denver debate, I think a lot of locals would agree that, while the two places are close in geography, their independent flavors are as far apart as possible.

How do you consider Boulder vs. Denver? Just another symptom of sprawl, or two distinct cities with different styles?

Lane Hornung, a top Boulder REALTOR and my blogging partner here, recently pointed out that most home owners with Boulder real estate and Denver real estate are putting their homes on the market only because they have to. So what, you say?

So smart home buyers are presented with an interesting opportunity that accompanies such a phenomenon. Lane calls it hyperlocal buying. I call it real estate locavorism or crossing the price point gap. Here’s how it works.

Say you live in a neighborhood of a few different price points, like the example neighborhood in the graph. The average asking price in 2009 of the homes in the yellow zone is $3M; the homes in the pink zone are at 900; the homes in the purple are in the 600s. Knowing that homes in the sub-650 market are still selling relatively well in Boulder, for example, at closer to asking price than higher end properties, sub-650 home owners can put their properties on the market and stretch their closing times. Knowing that homes above 700 are struggling more, they can make an offer on that next-level home a few streets over at a more lateral price, with vertical benefits in square footage that the buyer is likely to capitalize on later. Because the neighborhood is familiar, there’s none of the pain or expense that accompanies a crosstown or cross-country relocation.

Whatever the numbers are–selling into the 300 market and buying into the 500 one, for example–hyperlocal buying is a new take on the old concept of upward mobility, at a deep discount. It’s selling on one side of the chasm, and buying into the other, without spending the same amount it would have cost you five years ago.

What do you think about hyperlocal buying? Have you experienced any of the benefits or drawbacks of the multi-tiered neighborhood? Comments, as always, are open.

One of Boulder’s most distinctive homes is for sale again, and this time, it’s price reduced. Get out your checkbook, because the price has been whittled down from 2008 to only $4.75M. I’m talking about 700 Highland Ave. Boulder, CO 80302

The home is one of my favorites in town, although Highland Ave. in Boulder is a plum street in the historic district. (In fact, there are two other great homes on the market on Highland, also beautiful, and huge: 410 Highland Ave, known for its impressive tree swing, and 403 Highland Ave, known for its buttery location at the foot of the foothills.)

One of the reasons this spectacular street is so coveted is because it’s in the Mapleton neighborhood, but I like Highland because it’s a short street with “T” intersections at both ends; through traffic is not an issue. They’re only a block apart, but Mapleton Ave. is busier than Highland, especially during the summer months, when tourists and hikers head up Sunshine Canyon, or stop at the Sanitas trail head. Highland is hidden enough from the main drags that Pearl Street and downtown parking poaching is limited.

But 700 Highland is notable because it’s perhaps the biggest on the block. At more than 10,000 square feet, plus a generous lot size, you can get your groove on Boulder-style, with room to spare. It’s so huge that it was once a school house. Built in 1906, it’s got history, and where there’s history, there’s character. (Even though the character’s been tastefully refurbished over the years.)

Even if you’re not shopping Boulder’s luxe market right now, there are 18 photos of the property at COhomefinder. Take a peek inside. The home is listed by Goodacre and Co, the local brokerage famous for its family ties to ’80s-’90s Victoria’s Secret model and Harry Connick Jr. spouse, Jill Goodacre. Who knew Colorado real estate and celebrity gossip would ever end up at the same blog?

You might remember the Using Walkscore in Your Home Search post (but if you don’t that’s OK.) And now there’s some new conversations about how “walkability” is more apt to make an impact on home buying and home selling decision.  From the gist of this Money/CNN article, it looks like people are putting their money where there feet are.  Read Putting a Price on Walkability and feel free to enter your comments here about whether walkability really is worth more.

Peach season in Colorado was sweet this year.  We took a break from the Front Range and brought in a nice haul from the Western Slope at the tail end of the harvest this year. You?

After you’ve eaten all you can, and frozen some, maybe you’re not sure what to do with the rest of your Colorado peaches.  I was pleased to find a nice recipe in the monthly newsletter we get from our milk delivery service, Longmont Dairy Farm, called Poached Peaches Served with Chantilly Cream.  And then a friend who wants to see me gain 47 pounds suggested that I skin and saute some pitted peaches in butter, and add cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and then serve them over ice cream. You’re welcome.

And there are about a million other things you can do with them, I’m sure, including grilling, and that old standby: Making pie.  If you do, call me, my hobby is pie tasting.

For more sweet ideas, try the Colorado Proud recipes section.

Here’s some really spectacular video of a ladybug swarm in the mountains not far from Boulder.  My guess is Nederland, Rollinsville in Gilpin County, or the Ward area. Enjoy.

P.S. Here’s what the Daily Camera had to say about this year’s surge in ladybug populations.

5D and EX1 Lady Bug Swarm from Michael Ramsey on Vimeo.

There’s an old joke about Colorado.  (No, not the one about waiting ten minutes for the weather to change, the other one.) Colorado has two seasons: Winter, and Construction.

There’s been some noise around Boulder this summer about the road improvement/widening projects going on, some of which is stimulus packages at work.  However you feel about all the roadfoolery going on at both the major north-south through ways of Broadway and 28th Streets, think back to Denver T-Rex project of yore, and how that screwed up the daily commute for anyone traveling between central/downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center.

Still, T-Rex is considered a triumphant achievement in “transforming the way people in the metro Denver area commute within the areas of Interstates 25 and 225, then the Country’s 14th busiest intersection.” (Wikipedia)

To keep up with what road is being ripped apart, and where, visit these links to the City of Boulder’s Cone Zone.

• North Broadway Transportation Improvements Project – Iris to Norwood
• Broadway (Pine to Iris) Reconstruction Project
• Valmont Road lane closure west of 28th
• 28th Street and Valmont Road area closures(Transportation Work)

It’s official: It’s fawn season. Case in point, this little family of deer seen hanging out on a lawn in North Boulder’s Dakota Ridge neighborhood, at the corner of Lee Hill Road and Dakota Blvd.

For real estate and home slash architecture enthusiasts, summer means sampling some of Colorado’s finest homes by way of a home tour. In the past, Colorado home tourers flocked to the Parade of Homes. This year, the Parade has become the Denver Luxury Homes Tour . Still a great tour and flagship happening, the tour will feature custom homes all over the Denver Metro area, instead of sticking to a single neighborhood. The Tour will feature 27 homes from north (Niwot) and south (Castle Pines), and takes place June 5-July 5 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

If you find yourself outside the Colorado Front Range, you might want to visit the Healthy Homes Tour and Fair in Avon, CO (in the Vail Valley). The Tour and Fair takes more of a whole-life approach, with ideas, products, and information on how to live sustainably beyond the structure of one’s home.  The fair is free, and so is the transportation, provided by the Town of Avon bus system.

Even while summer is waning, you can still see some great homes in Colorado, as the Denver Tour of Solar Homes takes place on October 9, and is a showcase of what’s new and possible in  the realm of solar living.

Enjoy!

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by pnwra

One of the ways a seller’s agent earns her commission is  by bringing prospective buyers to a client’s home.  Another way is by knowing the market and the area so well, that she advises clients to set the right asking price right from the start.  Understanding that there’s no formula, no calculator that spits out exactly the right number, finding just the right number the first time is an art that takes a combination of factors into account.

Of course the agent looks at data, such as the number of similar homes that sold in the same area, the number of days it takes similar homes to sell, how many other similar homes are for sale at a given time, and other measurable factors.  That’s all good.

But then there are intangibles, such as the shape the home is in, it’s layout, and whether it’s considered desirable or not.  All these factors determine the art of the sell. And a very important part of the art and science of selling a home in today’s market comes down to price.

The Object of the Seller’s Game
Remember, the seller’s agent is trying to get the highest possible price for her client’s property, within the shortest amount of time.

Why Price Plays Such an Important Role
When a home is priced too high, it sits on the market.  The fact that a home has been on the market for 30, 90, 200 days alone is enough to make it undesirable.  Shoppers will look at a home’s days on market (DOM) column without even seeing it and wonder what’s wrong with it, even if the answer is “nothing.”

What to do About it. And What Not to do About it

• Don’t test the market, and don’t throw numbers out to see which one sticks.
• Price reductions are nowhere nearly as effective as new listings.
• Withdrawing a house from the market or re-listing it draws attention to its having gone stale, or makes buyers wait to see how low they can make their offer.
• Do consider carefully the advice you receive from your agent, balanced against your own research and instinct.

Pricing right, right away can save you time, energy, and money down the road.  And consider that money you may have lost due to market conditions will translate to savings on your next home, even if you’re trading up or laterally.

There are regular debates on the forums and discussion groups about mountain living. On the up side, it agrees with some folks for obvious, natural beauty and lifestyle reasons. And depending on the exact location, mountain home prices are cheaper than most premium city sites. On the down side, it requires some adaptation, depending on where you’re from.  Today we’ll discuss the realities of living in a mountain town that’s 17 miles west and 3,000 feet up from Boulder. Formerly called Middle Boulder, it’s the former tungsten mining town called Nederland.

The properties: Land, single-family homes, farms/ranches, some income property, no condos/townhomes to speak of. Average home price: about $377,000 today, compared to Boulder’s average price of about $806,000.  Homes either are fitted for city water, sewer, gas, or some combination of well water, septic, propane. Lots of homes are designed to exploit passive solar heat. It’s doubtful there are lots with in-ground irrigation systems, as there are a mere 59 frost-free days for gardening and greening.

The commute: 17 miles from Nederland to Boulder. About 60 miles to Denver. About 30 miles to Golden. About 35 miles to I-70 on ramp. About 16 miles to Black Hawk/Gilpin County. About 40 miles to Estes Park.

The lifestyle: Slow down. Way down. A little more. Are you from New York, New Jersey, or anyplace with a “scene?” You’ll be either happy or disappointed to know that the person in line in front of you at Happy Trails Coffee will want to chat with the barista after ordering, and vice versa.  It once took the person at the Business Connection 45 minutes to prepare a FedEx shipment. Considering it was going to Denver, I almost could have driven it there in the same amount of time. The speed limit is 25, and it’s enforced. If you like to take your time, relax, and leave the road rage in the flat land, this is the place to do it.

The wear and tear: First off, there’s the wind and the weather at 8,500 feet above sea level. That means you’re going to do a bit more exterior home maintenance. You’ll have to take care of your roof, and keep your deck and siding stained/painted.

Peak to Peak Highway is the north-south road that passes through Nederland, and winds up (and down) the Indian Peaks range to and from places like Ward, Gilpin County, Black Hawk. It’s one of the more elevated highways in the US, and even when it’s well-maintained and ploughed in the winter, it’s still slow going on snowy days. That means good tires, an all-wheel drive vehicle, and a temperament for driving in bad weather. Nederland is also accessible from Boulder by way of Sugarloaf, which has a small community of its own, and Magnolia Road (with neighborhoods, land, and farms/ranches.) Both are smaller roads, about half of which the distance are dirt, and are much steeper and vulnerable to extreme conditions. Even during mild winters, the winding roads take a special toll on tires. You’ll be looking at a new set each year.

The transportation: When the going gets rough, some folks opt to take the RTD bus that runs regularly all day between Boulder and Nederland, and goes on to Eldora, Nederland’s own ski mountain.  Chances are, if the bus can’t make it up the mountain, neither can most everyone else. The canyon road, however, is well-maintained by Boulder County, and only the big-big storms have shut it down for any length of time.

Here’s some video footage of what the commute is like.  (Seconds later, just after I had put down the video recorder of course, a young bear ran across the highway.) Watch for deer, foxes, racoons, and other wildlife crossing the road. There are mountain lions in them thar hills, but Boulder has experienced many more negative incidences with them than anyone in Nederland.

Boulder Canyon Drive to Nederland, CO from CO Homefinder on Vimeo.

The Front Range has had such wet weather this spring, that it’s just green and gorgeous out there. The locals haven’t seen this much spring moisture in years, which is great for the vegetation and for reducing summer fire risk, but lousy for cabin fever.

The amenities: 9 restaurants/bars, a mid-sized grocery store, one grocery co-op, movie rental, an ACE hardware store, and 2 coffee stops (to speak of).  There’s an Elementary, Middle, and High School within the city limits. One dental office, two medical offices, no medical or urgent care facility. A large and well-staffed post office; almost no home mail service, however. The majority of residents pick up mail at a group mailbox stand at an intersection or at their PO Box. The volunteer fire department is an admirable squad of committed residents who do a great job of keeping the public safe. Full time police department within the city limits. Well-stocked community library and new/used bookstore with summer time ice cream shop. Liquor store. Frozen Dead Guy Days festival and Fourth of July parade and fireworks display (that isn’t always held on July 4th). Eldora Mountain Resort, a modest ski mountain by Colorado standards, but adequate for most skiers and families who want to avoid the I-70 congestion and save time and money. There is no swimming or boating on Barker Reservoir, but the fishing is dandy.

The news: The new youth center skateboarding park is the result of seven years’ work, and according to all sources, the best skate park in the state. In fact, the big news is Tony Hawk plans to make a much publicized visit this summer. (Jumbotron and all.)  Also coming soon, The Carousel of Happiness Project. Happy Trails, once located in the train car in the middle of town, has moved across the street, into what was once known as the Good Karma Garage. For all the local news and views, see The Mountain-Ear, Nederland’s own independent press.

If there’s anything else you wanted to know about Nederland, but were afraid to ask, make a visit! With the beautiful summertime weather coming, and the wildflowers blooming, take a drive, and maybe a hike down one of the hundreds of great trails there. Stop at the Visitors Center on the main drag for a wealth of information on the town, its people, and its homes.  If you’re hot on the Nederland trail, you can always take a ride with a local Nederland REALTOR in the know.

Feeling nostalgic? If you’ve spent more than a few decades in Denver, you might find yourself reminiscing about the old Denver of yore. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking about the people, places, and things you knew either while you were growing up or raising a family, you’re sure to remember most or all of the then-and-now mentions I’m about to make.

Dining

• The Organ Grinder pizza had a pipe organ in it, and showed movies on a screen.
• Casa Bonita–still there on Colfax, still awesome (except for the food).
• Jims Burger Haven on Federal in Thornton–the neighborhood has changed, but Jim’s hasn’t.
• The Yum Yum Tree, the Hungry Dutchman, and the Northwoods Inn–all long gone, except for the memories.

Entertainment

• Lakeside Amusement Park opened for its 100th season May 2nd, 2009–Some of the historical homes in Lakeside are being preserved, too.
• Big Mac Arena and Rainbow Music Hall–Replaced by newer, fancier venues with commercial names, no doubt.
• Celebrity Sports Center–Gone since 1994, it was one of Glendale’s more, um, wholesome forms of entertainment.

Shopping

• Villa Italia and Cinderella City–If you’ve ever wanted to live in a mall, now you can. Both of these are now real estate developments and full-fledged communities.

Other

• Cruising Colfax–Although you can probably still do it, you’re going to feel awfully lonely.
• The Daniels & Fisher tower–Still standing, although there’s no more May D&F there. Now the renovated tower hosts offices and lofts, and in the basement you can find Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret.
• Lowry Air Force Base–Now “Lowry” is a neighborhood and urban community.

Photo courtesy of Shankbone, under the Creative Commons license.

Over at the SoBo Talk neighborhood group, a moderated discussion forum specifically for folks living in South Boulder (or SoBo, or the 80305 zip code), there’s a lot of discussions about the recent and repeated mountain lion sightings, the Shanahan Ridge “shooting range,” whether or not Boulder real estate really is impervious to the forces causing other markets to collapse, and, of course, The Economy.  That’s great, because in these modern times, when families and friends are so busy all the time, it’s nice to be able to connect once in a while, even if it is through a broadband connection and a keyboard.

How do you connect with your neighborhood peeps?

In 2007, Oxford Dictionary chose “locavore” as its word of the year. Meaning “someone who eats locally grown food,” the word soon became a movement. It all began in San Francisco, when four women committed to eating only foods grown or harvested within a 100-mile radius of their homes. You may have also heard the concept referred to as foodshed, slow food, sustainable food, local first, or eating locally.

The good news is this: The principles founded in San Francisco are easily applied here in Colorado, since just about everything you could want—besides sea food—can be found all around the state. Think of the abundance of foods that Colorado produces: Corn, wheat, trout, bass, beef, chicken, lamb; winter, spring, and summer vegetables.  Game meats of wide variety, eggs, milk, juices, wines, herbs and spices, delicious green and red chilis and more. And don’t forget those famous Colorado peaches. What luck!

Getting Started

• Read the 12 key points of locavorism at the Locavores.com Web site
• Find information about Colorado’s locavore movements at LocalSustainability.net or PeakToPlains.com
• Attend farmer’s markets
• Join a locavore group, either online or in person, or both. Read locavore periodicals and blogs such as eatlocalchallenge.com
• Turn your backyard into a garden, or raise chickens
• Look for slow food or locavore dinners at your local restaurant. If there aren’t any, approach your favorite neighborhood bistro and ask!
• Shop at food co-ops
• Call or write Colorado State University’s Division of Continuing Education and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute about its course on locavorism.
• Get your friends involved for a locavore bar-b-que or party.

Happy eating!

In another attempt to ease the financial crisis heard round the world, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-7) announced a new mortgage program to help Coloradans leverage Federal First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit into a down payment. If you’re not familiar with the tax credit afforded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it effectively “lends” borrowers the credit of up to $8,000 at 0% interest, which would have to be paid off by June of next year.

To learn more about the tax credit and how it may apply to your situation, ask a Colorado mortgage company or lender for more information.