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June 30, 2008 Author: John Skrabec
Weather you buy or sell a home in one of the Denver neighborhoods, chances are the outside of the home is an impression you never forget. Well groomed landscapes affect the bottom line of the home prices. Typically, beautiful outdoor environments can fetch between 8-10% of the purchase price. Consider these tips that boost curb appeal:
1. Minimize the grass – especially the hell strip – the narrow strip of between the sidewalk and the street. Unkempt, barren strips are the first thing people see when they approach your property.
2. Plant Trees! Through Denver Digs Trees & The City, The Park People offer discounted & free trees for those who will plant in them along the parkways and hell strip. Old established trees need to be pruned and kept healthy. Check out theparkpeople.com
3. Work with what you have! Hire a landscape designer to identify what is valuable and what to discard. Have a big picture of the garden & tackle it area by area. A phased approach is always smart. Hire yourself, or students to turn soil, weed, & divide plants. Remember choosing the right plants are the secret to a garden transformation. Check out plantselect.org
4. Plant foundation plants first—trees, large shrubs & perennials. These materials frame the house, deck & walkways. Try fragrant shrubs or fall color specimens near windows & doorways. This will immediately welcome potential buyers!
5. Creating a landscape map with the type of plants in your garden tells the story of your investment & is a marketing tool.
6. A well planned landscape will decrease heating & cooling bills saving long term costs. It can also reduce unwanted noise & protect your asset from nosey neighbors or unsightly messes.
7. Make a statement - purchase a few significant planters. Place them near the entry ways and fill them full of colorful seasonal annuals!
8. Bring fresh cut flowers from the garden inside. Place them in the – entry, bathroom & bedside. Bringing the outside in denotes the importance of both spaces.
My favorite source for urban gardening tips? Urban Roots, located in the Golden Triangle at 10th & Acoma. Owner Diane Stahl provides horticultural solutions for small spaces. She’s serving Denver’s close in neighborhoods & city gardeners who have limited space but unlimited desire. They’re open from Monday- Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10 am – 6pm.
June 26, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
 We’re lucky to have Scott Mulvany of Cherry Creek Mortgage with us again as a LIVE blog contributor… Scott’s great with first-time and seasoned buyers alike, and he is always available to answer a question, even if you aren’t his client!
The Art of Home Purchase Negotiation
There is much give and take involved in negotiating a property purchase. That’s why it’s important to have a checklist of what you want to get out of the deal as a buyer. Bear in mind, the home must be appraised and the lender will be looking at the fair market value on a given property. Since property values fluctuate, your Real Estate Agent should do a comparative market analysis so you are aware of what the trends are for the area in which you are shopping. This will give you an idea as to whether the seller’s asking price is realistic. You will also want to know how long the property has been on the market, and if any price reductions have occurred during that time.Make sure your Real Estate Agent is on the same page with you so he/she is able to represent you properly. You also want to know that you are working with an agent that is experienced in representing the buyer. Not all agents have the ability to provide strong representation for both a buyer and a seller. If you have not yet selected a Real Estate Agent to represent you, anyone at LIVE will be happy to help!
Remember a good deal is mutually beneficial.
The seller will also have a wish list of what they want out of the negotiation. Listen attentively to determine what their hot buttons are. You can use this information to leverage what you want out of the deal at some point along the way.
Find out if the seller has a deadline. Perhaps they have already purchased their new home, or have to relocate because of a commitment to a new employer. Find out what the seller’s current mortgage balance is and use this to your advantage.
You would also want to know if the seller is planning this move because there are problems in the neighborhood. Take a walking tour of the area and ask the residents what the neighborhood is like. You can also ask the local police department about the crime rate, or check the local newspaper for crime listings. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
When the seller is intent on getting their way on a certain point, make sure you are getting something in return. Typically the built-in amenities such as the dishwasher and garbage disposal will stay with the home. You can negotiate other items in exchange for something that ranks high on the seller’s wish list. Be prepared to split the difference so everyone involved is satisfied with the negotiation. A win-win situation for both the buyer and the seller is critical to a smooth close.
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June 23, 2008 Author: Rachel Gallegos
Rental-home vacancies drop to 7-year low
By Margaret Jackson
The Denver Post
The vacancy rate in for-rent condos, single-family homes and other small properties dropped to its lowest point since 2001, according to a survey released today.The vacancy rate was 2.7 percent for the first quarter, according to the report prepared for the Colorado Division of Housing.The lowest overall vacancy rates were in Douglas and Arapahoe counties, at 1.1 percent and 1.6 percent respectively.Average rents increased to $985 during the first quarter, up from $966 during the fourth quarter of 2007 and $937 during the first quarter last year.Rents were highest in Douglas County at $1,385 and lowest in Denver County at $965.
June 17, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
Stop by and say hi - the LIVE Urban team will be at PrideFest this weekend, and we will be giving away another 3G iPhone!
Our booth will be between the Main Stage and the Community Stage from 11 to 6 on Saturday and 10 to 5 on Sunday.
June 15, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
The LIVE Urban team was happy to participate in the Highland Street Fair yesterday. Visitors registered for an iPhone, and checked out LIVE’s new marketing campaign, LIVE well.
If you missed the Street Fair, visit our booth at PRIDE Fest next Saturday and Sunday!
June 9, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
 I wrote in this blog a couple of months ago about the Multiple Offers that are prevalent in today’s foreclosure market….and the national news FINALLY caught wind of this situation, which is really unavoidable if you are looking at anything that is lender-owned.
My advice to buyers: submit your best and final offer initially. This will at least get you into the bidding war - otherwise, you probably won’t even get a counteroffer. Believe it or not, there is a ton of competition for these homes, because they are priced SO SO LOW.
Don’t lowball the bank, or you won’t even get in the game.
Read yesterday’s MSNBC article here.
And, there is good news for sellers as well…
Pending home sales unexpectedly increased in April to the highest reading since October, an industry group said Monday, but they remain more than 13 percent below a year ago.
The National Association of Realtors’ seasonally adjusted index of pending sales for existing homes rose to 88.2 from a March reading of 83.0, the lowest since the index was started in 2001. The index stood at 101.5 in April 2007.
Author: Sue Perrault
2008 Film On the Rocks
It’s not really summer until you’ve packed up your picnic and headed to Red Rocks for an outdoor movie experience! Arrive around 6:00 or 7:00 pm, spread out your blanket, and then enjoy the great bands that get the crowd rockin’ before the movie starts at dusk. Enjoy one the best places to view a sunset around, people watch and then settle in and enjoy a blockbuster movie under the stars. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the box office. You can pick up tickets at any King Soopers store or online at www.redrocksonline.com. The 2008 Film on the Rocks Schedule is below. See you there!!
FILM ON THE ROCKS 2008
RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE
Friday, June 20: FIGHT CLUB
Band: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Monday, June 30: SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Band: Boulder Acoustic Society
Wednesday, July 9: 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
Band: TBD
Wednesday, July 16: LABYRINTH
Band: Ukulele Loki and the Gadabout Orchestra
Thursday, July 24: BREAKFAST CLUB
Band: TBD
Friday, August 1: BLADE RUNNER: FINAL CUT
Band: Bela Karoli
Featuring an ultra-special presentation by Mile High Sci-Fi!
Friday, August 8: PURPLE RAIN
Band: U.S. Pipe
Monday, August 18: ZOOLANDER
World’s Largest Guitar Lesson
June 6, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
 LIVE Urban is psyched to participate in The Neighborhood’s biggest event! Always a great time, the Street Fair is free and fabulous, lasts all day, and promises to deliver the best from local businesses and popular vendors. Stop by the LIVE Urban booth and register for great giveaways including an iPhone!
This year’s date: Saturday, June 14, 2008
- Live music on 3 stages
- Tasty food
- Beer and cocktails
- Over 150 vendors with arts, crafts, and more!
- A special fun zone just for the kids, a classic car show, and more!
General Information
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Watch for your Street Fair Gazette in your mailbox or at 32nd St. stores for more about the street fair including a full list of vendors
Quick Facts
- Free Event–
no charge to attend the fair
- Held annually for 26 years and counting
- Attracts over 40,000 visitors
- Live music from local bands play a variety of music throughout the day on 3 stages
- Tasty food from a variety of cuisines
- Beer and other liquid refreshments available
- Over 150 artisan vendors of jewelry, clothing, home accessories, and all other kinds of fun stuff
- Classic Car Show
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June 4, 2008 Author: Stacie Staub
 Even Ed McMahon is getting foreclosed on. Did you think that the mortgage meltdown was only hurting deadbeats and down-on-their lucks? NOPE. Good ol’ Uncle Ed, spokesperson for the American Family Publisher’s Sweepstakes is losing his mansion due to unpaid mortgage payments.
(Read the article in USAToday here.)
Celebrities from The Hamptons to Beverly Hills are facing the same issues as the rest of us - they get a couple of payments behind, their ARM readjusts, their show gets cancelled and BAM, the foreclosure sign is in the front window before you know it.
I think that Denver has really seen its peak as far as foreclosures are concerned, at least that’s what it feels like on the street. Of course, there are still tons of short sales and foreclosures on the market, but it does feel like most neighborhoods are starting to see the light at the end of that dark, dreary tunnel.
Poor Ed, I hope it turns out OK for him, that the bank works out a payment plan so that he can catch up…just like they should be doing for the rest of the families who are losing their homes due to shady lending practices and a struggling economy!
June 3, 2008 Author: Sue Perrault
With the downfall of the economy and the dollar at an all time low, travel abroad is becoming less and less affordable. A great way to still get out and see the world is through a home exchange. I have done exchanges a few times, most recently on a fabulous trip this spring to Holland. I stayed for 2 weeks for free in a wonderful apartment in Delft, and took day trips to Amsterdam, the Hague, the North Sea, the tulip gardens and Belgium. It was a fantastic experience that was relatively inexpensive as there were no nightly hotel charges.
Sometimes exchanges are done simultaneously, you go stay at their place and they stay at your home during the same time period. Other times, people with second homes are willing to have you come and stay whenever it is convenient for you, and they plan to visit your home at a future date. The home exchange process is simple, you just put pictures of your home up on a site such as homeexchange.com, along with the places you would like to visit. Through e-mail correspondence you then narrow down locations and dates and then pack your bags and you are off to a new adventure. I have found that as a general rule those that participate in home exchanges are adventurous travelers that love to see the world from a local environment as opposed to a hotel. And save money while doing it! You can travel around the world or just to the next town, whatever suits your fancy. 
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