Fair Bear Warning

This isn’t one of those jokes that starts with a rabbi, a priest, and a minister walking into a bar. It does involve bears, however.

Into the Wild (Kind of)
When relocating to Estes Park, Boulder, Evergreen, Lyons, and other towns with lots of lurking wildlife, new residents find themselves charged with the task of making slight lifestyle changes to accommodate their more rugged environment.

To wit…
The Bear Wagon recently made the rounds in the South Boulder neighborhood, or SoBo as we’ve been known to call it. It’s mission: educate residents and renters on what kinds of attractants can lure bears and other wildlife, such as mountain lions, into the neighborhood, thus endangering people and the bears themselves.

Why?
Bears who are found making a nuisance of themselves in residential areas are transported back into the wilderness, unless they become repeat offenders, in which case they are eventually destroyed. To prevent such a lose-lose situation, residents in areas with high wildlife populations are encouraged to leave their trash containers inside garages and sheds, or to bear-proof them.

The Bear Basics
Leaving food out is always a no-no, and in towns farther into the mountains, such as Nederland, it’s recommended that residents take extra precautions to protect not only their disposables, but their domestic animals and livestock as well.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by ground.zero

View of Estes Park looking west

In the spring of 2008 Estes Park homes and property owners were thrilled to learn that the town had won four different and important honors as a top place to spend a day or a vacation. They were: The Weather Channel, Kids Pages, the Greeley Tribune and TripAdvisor.com, all of which touted Estes as a top travel destination. It would stand to reason, then, that Estes Park is a pretty nice place to live, too. (Here’s a map of where the 100 newest Estes Park home listings are.)

Geographically, it’s not far from Fort Collins, which was named as one of Money Magazine’s best places to live in 2006. And with the Estes Park climate, amenities, and accessibility to Boulder to the south, Fort Collins and Windsor to the north, and Loveland and Greeley to the east, Estes Park lives at the residential intersection of outdoor recreation, the arts, and business. By the way, how many towns can say they’re home to a 14-thousand-foot-peak and a national park (Rocky Mountain National Park) full of the flora and fauna Colorado is known for?

Take a spin by some Estes Park homes and real estate, and see its surrounding areas for a virtual taste of what the press and visitors have known since before the (in)famous Stanley Hotel broke ground: that when it comes to accessible mountain living, Estes Park marks the spot.

Photo by –Creative Commons, by rjones0856

There are hundreds of grout colors, it’s true, but according to everyone’s favorite flooring expert, you can simplify your choices in grouts by:

• matching your tile color
• choosing contrasting grout color
• choosing a neutral grout color

Keep in mind that darker grouts tend to hide stains better, while lighter colors can showcase the tiles or accent a design. In any case, re-grouting is bound to improve and freshen the overall look of your home, and therefore is a great addition to any home seller’s strategy. Happy home selling.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by juhansonin

If you’ve never been to South Boulder, or SoBo as Boulderites have started to call it, it’s the end of Boulder off closest to Golden, and is also sometimes referred to as the smaller neighborhood components of Table Mesa, Martin Acres, Devil’s Thumb, Shanahan Ridge, and others.

Here’s who lives in SoBo, according to Zillow:

• Fab Families - High-income, high-profile couples with children.
• Corporate Cats - High-income, high-expense, “upwardly mobile” urban singles.
• Bright Lights, Big City - Very mobile, well-traveled singles from the city.

That’s pretty interesting, considering:

• The high concentration of retirees there.
• A higher concentration of residents hailing from the Northeast.
• SoBo-ites tend to get to work by bicycle, and make good use of the South Boulder Recreation Center.

Take a personalized tour through SoBo and draw your own conclusions.

It’s short for “lower” and “Highland,” of course, which is why you’ll find it between Speer Blvd (map of Speer), I-25, 38th Ave (map of 38th Ave) and Federal (map of Federal), near Hishorn Park and the also new-new LoHi Marketplace.

Maybe we’ll see you there. Wouldn’t it be great if the nearby hangout Lola Coastal Mexican Restaurant started throwing luaus?

An aerial view of the 80108 zip code with active listings

Today there are over one hundred listings in Castle Pines Village for sale, which makes it one of Colorado’s most active neighborhoods; it’s a top Colorado neighborhood with land offerings, single-family homes, patio homes, and condos/townhomes galore in sub-neighborhoods including Castle Pines North Castle Pines Village Filing, Castle Pines Village proper, and more. Priced higher than the Colorado median, the median price here is $1.2 M, the minimum price is in the high 400s, and the maximum price is up over $6M.

Castle Pines Village is known for its natural scenery, its access to both Denver and Colorado Springs via I-25, and its wide-open spaces. Looking for a gigantic custom home with acreage? You’ll find it in Castle Pines Village. Looking for horse property large enough for multiple barns, dwellings, and income facilities? Ditto. Single-family homes the size of small hotels are fairly common here, but you’ll also find more traditional smaller homes that boast spectacular mountain views from every window. Luxury is the watchword here, in all sizes and configurations.

For numerous other hot offerings in areas near and around Castle Pines Village:

• Castle Rock
• 80108 zip code
• Larkspur and Perry Park
• Sedalia
• The Pinery
• Lonetree
• Highlands Ranch
• Parker

A photo of the Denver Botanical Gardens (Flickr–Creative Commons)

Among Colorado home owners, the phrase “water, water everywhere” isn’t a phrase often thrown around. With summertime lawn watering restrictions in Denver, it isn’t always easy to keep things green when temperatures rise into the 90s and higher. But with homebuyers out in force this season, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to wow them with your Colorado home simply because your yard wasn’t all it could be.

Most Colorado consumers are concerned with rising gas prices, but if you’re buying a home in the Colorado Front Range, you probably have some ecological and financial concerns about water, too. Here’s a short list of things you can do this summer to keep your home looking great from the curb, whether it’s on the market or not.

1. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure it’s properly maintained. Leaks and inefficiencies can cost you both dollars and dead spots. Carefully research installers, and look into receiving an irrigation system audit that measures and evaluates your system.
2. Follow your neighborhood’s water restrictions (if there are any). Not only will you save the communities water supply, you’ll avoid fines or additional fees.
3. Water before 9:00 AM. Watering before it gets too warm outside raises the bang for your watering buck because you’re not losing as much moisture to evaporation. Avoid watering at night, however, because doing so can increase the molds and fungi that can take hold.
4. Ask your water department for literature or material on landscaping in a dry climate; further, ask an expert about landscaping/xeriscaping options.
5. Careful care and management of grasses can make them more water-wise.

With homes starting in the mid-400s to the mid-600s, Boulder’s Country Club Estates is one of the more active neighborhoods in the area’s portfolio - see a map of the 80301 zip code to orient yourself to the overall area.

Located between Lookout Road (to the north), 75th Ave (to the east), Jay Road (to the south), and 63rd (to the west), Country Club Estates is a part of Boulder often referred to as Gunbarrel.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Sunnyvaledave

Between the mountains to the west of Boulder, US highway 36, Dartmouth Avenue, and Greenbriar Blvd/Lehigh Street, is a network of neighborhoods that are as varied and unique as a homebuyer’s personality. It’s South Boulder, otherwise known as SoBo or Table Mesa, and consists of winding roads that go in all directions, including up, if you happen to be heading west - see a map of the 80305 zip code to navigate the area yourself.

SoBo is gaining favor with all types of demographics, including families, because of the great public and private schools in the area. But it also boasts a long and beneficial relationship with the scientific community, because of its proximity to institutions like NOAA, NCAR, and NIST. Also, it’s just plain pretty.

Your search in South Boulder will take you to these fine neighborhoods and more:

• Martin Acres–Single-family homes and properties here are located east of Broadway
• Tantra Condos–also east of Broadway, the Tantra Lakes area is known for its popularity with first-time buyers and those who prefer a condo/townhome arrangement
• Devil’s Thumb–gorgeous views and beautiful single-family homes in SoBo’s higher price bracket
  
• Table Mesa–SoBo’s umbrella neighborhood that covers miles of area and as many kinds of lifestyles, ages, cultures, and demographics.
• Shanahan Ridge–Duplexes, patio homes, and condos
• Frasier Meadows (map of area)–Between hwy 36 and Foothills Parkway for unparalleled access to Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Denver, and surrounding areas.

Median home prices in the Boulder Heights neighborhood, which consists of all kinds of single-family homes, are in the mid-$500s. Most homes boast spectacular views, generous lots or acreage, and a wilderness atmosphere just five to ten minutes from the town of Boulder–specifically the Dakota Ridge, Pinebrook Hills, Wonderland, and NoBo–and all of its amenities. Mapping Boulder Heights gives newcomers an idea of the lay of the land and the wide open spaces that this tranquil neighborhood is known for.