The beautiful views, active lifestyle and sunshine bring many retirees to Colorado.

Loveland Colorado has been voted as one of the best places to retire, including being recognized by US News.

Some of the most popular neighborhoods in Loveland include:

• Boise Village North
• Kendall Brook
• Mariana Butte
• Alford Meadows
• The Cottages At Enchantment Ridge
• The Enclave At Enchantment Ridge

Think Colorado right be the right place for you?  There are several age restricted communities, also known as 55+ communities.  They include:

• Valley Hi in Colorado Springs
• Ridge at Stony Creek in Littleton
• Anthem Ranch in Broomfield
• Gate N Green in Broomfield
• Mackenzie Place in Colorado Springs
• West Point Village in Longmont
• Windsor Gardens East in Denver
• The Centennial at Riverwalk in Littleton
• Sunflower in Fort Collins

We recently learned of a really cool fundraiser that is in it’s second year to benefit a couple of Superior Colorado schools.  Brad Klein, an 8z Real Estate broker in Superior is organizing this spring lawn aeration school fundraiser.  Not only can you have a healthy water efficient lawn, but you can support your local schools.  Read more from Brad…

Hi Folks, I am always looking for ways to serve this community. Last year I started a lawn
aeration program that also served as a school fundraiser. The program was incredibly suc-
cessful. The beauty of it is that it is so simple. Each spring most of us hire someone to
aerate our lawns as a way to ensure great looking and healthy turf all season long. By
scheduling this service through my program you get the job done professionally and help
our local schools. I want to double last year’s success but to do so I need everyone’s help. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past weekend Coloradoans, Americans and the world have watched as the Japanese in Honshu Japan are trying to find what’s left of their family and homes after an 8.9 earthquake sent their ordinary lives out of order.

The 8.9 earthquake, which I heard one report will be upgraded to a 9.0 on the Richter scale, is one of the biggest earthquakes of all time (or at least since they started being measured in the 1900s).  The largest earthquakes of all time are within the vicinity of the Pacific Ocean where there has always been more seismic activity. Read the rest of this entry »

Motor vehicle crashes is the #1 killer of children ages 1-14.  Established in 1999, Colorado Children’s Automobile Safety Association-Foundation, a 501c3 organization, is dedicated to safety education for the safe transportation of children. Their primary focus is safe transportation in personal automobiles. Read the rest of this entry »

Every neighborhood needs a local coffee shop.  Some neighborhoods even have a convenient neighborhood caffeine joint.  It is the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, or boot up the laptop.  While it seems that there’s  a Starbucks at every other street corner, there is a novelty that can’t be denied of the neighborhood coffee shop. Read the rest of this entry »

It feels pretty far from Spring and Summer with multiple nights below zero in Colorado.  But for those who are ready for gardening season, it’s none too early.  As our Boulder neighbor reminds us in an 8z Real Estate article- an indoor garden is easy and fun to do.

All you need is:

• Pots
• Potting soil
• Herb seeds such as Basil and Parsley
• A south facing window

For more information about gardening visit your local CSU Extension Office or Master Gardeners group.

For those who enjoy gardening and are looking for a Colorado homes or Colorado land for sale, be sure to visit COhomefinder.  If you find your perfect Colorado property now, you should still have time to plant the first seeds in your garden for the season.

The South Boulder neighborhood of Martin Acres has its own story and history, which starts with the Martin Homestead Farmhouse.  It’s located at 35th and Moorhead and became a City of Boulder Landmark in 1977.

The Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation noted on its Historic Building Inventory Record that the Martin Farmhouse has significance because of its type and period of construction, affiliation with significant persons and its association with meaningful events.

It all started in 1875 and is a Vernacular wood frame (New England) style home. Regarded for its High Plains Farming, the home was originally surrounded by nearly 400 acres of timothy hay fields. Martin purchased the land and constructed the property with funding made from Caribou Mine and Poorman Mine, silver mines that he had helped to discover.

“Billy” Martin was born in England and moved to the United States with his father when he was a young boy after the death of his Mother. In the early 1860’s they moved to Colorado.

The Farmhouse was occupied by the Martin Family until the early 1900’s. Shortly after WW II William Martin’s heirs saw an opportunity and sublet the family farm and this area became what we now call “Martin Acres.”

Northwest Denver and the Highlands neighborhood have been the place to be for several years now.  The real estate reflects the neighborhood hot spots- eclectic. So if you’re planning what to do this weekend, here’s a list of Highlands Happy Hours from the local Denver real estate agent Ryan Carter on the places to be.

If you live in the Denver Highlands neighborhood, you don’t have to go far to find an extraordinary happy hour. Here is the list of the Happiest Happy Hours in the Highlands.

LoHi SteakBar

Happy hour—3:30-6:30 p.m. daily

And if you miss it stop in for the late night happy hour from 10 p.m.-midnight

It has been named as the 2010 Best Happy Hour by Westword and the Top New Bar 2010 by the editors at 5280 Magazine.

LoHi SteakBar, known for its creative cocktails and specials, takes top honors for a few reasons, such as the cool ambiance, stellar specials, and delicious happy hour food, but most notably because the expert mixologists simply pour great drinks.

Coral Room

Daily happy hour from 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m., happy hour at the Coral Room offers 2 for 1 appetizers, $3 drafts, $6 glasses of wine, and $4 Svedka cocktails.

The Coral Room is a local Highlands favorite and located in the heart of Highlands Square. The horseshoe-shaped bar has a fun atmosphere to mingle with friends. On a nice day the patio is a hit for happy hour.

Lola

Happy Hour at Lola runs all night on Mondays, Tuesday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. and on the weekends from 2-5 p.m.

Lola is a hip spot for Highlands residents to see and be seen enjoying tasty après work cocktails. The interesting Mexican-fusion menu offers something for everyone and the creative drink list will have you coming back for more.

If this neighborhood insight on things to do is helpful to you, you should be sure to check out HighlandsPulse.com.  Find out the best things to do, shared by a Highlands neighbor and our Highlands area REALTOR.

The Western slope of Colorado has its own unique offering to both visitors and residents. Of course some activities vary seasonally, but there are a few must attend events and activities not to miss out on throughout the year.

Wine tasting

Grand Junction is full of orchards including grape vines for delicious Colorado wines.  Local wineries often have a tasting room open year round, which also allows you to taste and purchase your favorite local wine.

Orchards

Don’t let summer pass you by without picking up some local produce from Grand Junction and the western slope.  Popular Colorado produce include peaches, cherries and corn.  Many of these locally owned produce stands have local products including jellies, jams, ciders and snacks from the produce.

Skiing

While Grand Junction is anything but a ski town, it does have great access without the front range I-70 traffic.  The nearest ski area, albeit, a smaller one is Powderhorn.  Otherwise still relatively nearby alternatives include Sunlight outside of Glenwood Springs, and Beaver Creek in Avon.

Camping and Hiking

Public land is abundant on the western slope.  Whether you have a few hours or a full day there is a hiking destination nearby.  The book cliffs are a popular but deceptively hard  hike – if you’re considering them be sure to come prepared.  You can also look up hikes and camping spots on the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service websites.

And, if you still find yourself looking for something to do while living in or visiting Grand Junction, don’t forget just west of the Colorado border, Utah has several national parks that are a great weekend escape including: Moab, Arches & Canyonlands NPs as well as Lake Powell.

A fresh start to a new year and all the talk is-is the market up? Is the market down?  As I wrote on my real estate blog Denver metro real estate closings were up in December 2010, but under contracts were down on month-to-month and year-to-year comparisons.

No matter how stable or unstable you think the market is – there are several factors that can influence our front range economy in 2011.

One of the most important are Jobs

It’s all the talk on the news.  Job growth, and companies moving to Colorado will positively impact the metro area.  Not only does it bring more buyers to the Denver metro market, but gives residents the stability and security to purchase a home.

In 2011 the purchase of Qwest will be complete that could pull jobs away from the metro area.  Certainly it is in the forefront of Mayors and Governor on how to make Colorado and cities attractive for companies to come to Colorado…  As we get new news, I’ll be sure to update you!

At HighRGround we’re fans of Colorado and the Colorado lifestyle.  One city along the Denver-Boulder corridor that allows residents to enjoy the best of Boulder and Denver is Westminster.

Westminster Colorado has over 100k residents and nearly 40k homes as reported by city-data.com.

Not just a commuter’s town Westminster has luxury neighborhoods too which draws residents in, including The Ranch Reserve and Lexington Shores.

According to COhomefinder data there are 978 properties listed in Westminster ranging from  $32k to $2.69-million.

But Westminster is still more than just homes, its about the community. A few popular highlights to Westminster for families include:

The Butterfly and Insect Pavilion which is entertaining for family of all ages.

Westminster also has several golf courses including Legacy Ridge, Hyland Hills and Heritage at Westmoor.  (For those who want to live on or near a golf course, there are lots of homes that add convenience for golfing too)

As Westminster has grown in the past several years so have the number of trails, recreation centers and shopping for everyone in the family.

And if Westminster is right for your, meet your local 8z Real Estate brokers to take a look at the homes and neighborhoods best for you.

It’s December and it’s about time to start recapping 2010 and making our predictions for 2011.  The final weeks of the year are always worthwhile as families gather at home for the holidays.  Some families continue annual traditions in their home and some are starting new ones in a new residence.

For months now, real estate experts have been talking about the bottom of the real estate market.  Answering the common question: ‘Have we hit it?’

While the stats vary from area to area within Colorado, as you would not expect Denver real estate to be the same as Grand Junction, Boulder or Fort Collins.

In general however many real estate experts saw a lot of activity in the first half of the year as first time buyers looking to close on their home before the tax credit expired.  These home buyers will be spending their first Christmas and New Year in their home without restrictions from landlords about adding a few extra holes to hold up the decorations.  These buyers will spend at least two more holiday seasons in this home to fulfill the residency requirements of the tax credit.

Other homeowners may be less fortunate and are spending the holidays away from their once home.  Recently Colorado foreclosure data has improved.

For those who are no longer in their homes or are reluctant to begin homeownership, rental vacancy rates have decreased this year in Denver and Boulder.

No matter wherever you may be celebrating the holidays and ending 2010 at, HighRGround and 8zRealEstate wishes you Happy Holidays.

It’s the Eve of Thanksgiving, and seems as if the holidays started even earlier this year, doesn’t it?

If you live in the Denver metro area and haven’t started to take a look at the holiday schedule, it’s best to plan ahead and keep from missing out on the best attractions.

This year visitors to the Denver Downtown area will have a new free public ice arena to enjoy – it’s the Southwest Rink at Skyline Park in the 16th Street Mall vicinity, and Arapahoe.  Of course Boulder residents have known now for several winters how much fun a trip to the local ice rink is just off of Pearl Street.

And coming up soon, is Denver’s Parade of Lights – it’s always the first weekend after Thanksgiving.  The themed parade is free to watch along the route, or you can purchase tickets for the grandstands by the City and Capitol buildings.  People from across the state visit to kick of their holiday spirit.

This year popular Denver venues will also be exhibiting their light displays for the holidays including The Botanic Garden’s Blossoms of Light, The Denver Zoo’s Zoo Lights, and the Butterfly Pavilion’s Living Lights.

So just remember that there is a lot more to the holidays than bumper to bumper shopping center parking lot traffic and be sure that you stop and enjoy the Holiday spirit this year!

Like the Colorado weather which can change in just a couple hours, the demographics of Colorado can vary just as dramatically when embarking on a couple hour drive across the state.

There are a lot of reasons to relocate to Colorado.  Some prefer the dryer climate.  Others are seeking the 300+ days of sunshine each year.  Some come for retirement, some for adventure; others relocate because of a job transfer.

If the location of your Colorado relocation is flexible you have a great decision to consider – will it be the city or the country?

If you crave the conveniences of nearby shopping and schools, and particularly if you have a young family communities including Highlands Ranch, Parker, and Castle Rock are popular choices.

But when it comes down to it, if the country is calling for you there are plenty of options near and far from the Denver metro area.

Just west of Denver, if you prefer the foothills and don’t mind the colder winters, a few places to check out include Bailey, Conifer, Evergreen and parts of Golden and Morrison.  Best of all these communities are still within commuting distance for those who are willing to trade a drive down to Denver for the beautiful scenery and overlook of the foothills.

But if you’re still preferring to be a little further out Colorado won’t disappoint you.  Popular communities further away from Denver include Estes Park and Red Feather Lakes to the north of the state.

And if you choose to be even further away you just may like the western slope.  Grand Junction is the largest town on the western slope and is the nearest city to many who live within the smaller Western slope ag-communities including Delta, Olathe and Montrose.

Of course if you take the Colorado road less traveled there are several small communities nestled across Colorado, in the plains or in the mountains that just might be what you’re looking for!

Have you ever been looking at homes for sale in Colorado with a “local REALTOR” to later find out they’re no local expert? If you have, then you probably know the frustration when you’re questions weren’t immediately answered about neighborhood trends, property comps, and more.

A home is a huge investment. Just as you wouldn’t get recommendations for your retirement portfolio from your bank teller, you shouldn’t buy a house with anyone who isn’t a local expert.

When done right, it’s more than a house in Colorado, it’s your home.  Who better to find your home than someone who has the experience to see the faults and assets, and point them out to you while you are touring Colorado homes.

A local expert will be able to tell you:

• The difference in investment potential of one home and another home a few blocks away.  In popular Denver neighborhoods, a few blocks difference can influence the resale, walk ability, and overall investment.
• Advice on upgrades and updates and how much affect they will have in appreciating the home if you’re looking for more of a fixer-upper, or perhaps a foreclosure property.
• How the market has been in this local area and predictions for the near future by looking at inventory, % under contract, price per square foot and by comparing these with past data.

I think we both recognize an experienced Colorado real estate broker can make a huge difference in your real estate search.