I recently asked one of my favorite mortgage brokers, Scott Mulvany of Cherry Creek Mortgage, for a behind-the-scenes look at the mortgage application process from his point of view - and he delivered!  I think this is a great way for first-time buyers to understand the system - and they can even use it as a checklist as they wait for closing!

How Purchase Loans Are Made

A Step-By-Step Walkthrough

Still have questions, or ready to jump in?  Give Scott a call! 

955 S. Corona will be open Saturday, April 12 from 2-4 p.m. and Sunday, April 13^th from 1-4 p.m. Come by this sun drenched Denver Square just one block off of Washington Park this weekend. For more pics and information visit www.955southcorona.com .

I often hear from clients who say they need more space. Often during these conversations my mind wonders to Nick Park’s “Creature Comforts” from way back when….1998…even way before kids. Visualize those cute little claymation critters in their cages…complaining (with British accents) about their crowded little zoo digs.

So, you have a few kids, you have lots of stuff, your in-laws visit all too often, and you want those in-laws to stay on a different floor than you. Basically, you, the former care-free ski bum, have somehow morphed into a family.

Depending on your budget, there are lots of great deals out there all over Denver. Yes, I am talking about brand new large and lovely homes selling for a lot less than just one year ago. Brand news homes in Washington Park, Park Hill, Stapleton, Lowry, Montclair, Mayfair and University Park. Name your neighborhood. They are out there and lots of developers are trying hard to sell them. Now is the time to get lots of space for a good price.

For example, there are over 50 active home listings for houses built in 2007 or later on the market in zip code 80220 (Montclair, Mayfair and Hilltop area), and well over 100 homes on the market built in 2007 or later in Washington Park, Bonnie Brae, University Park area. Yes, you got it…a surplus of new construction.

I recently helped some clients purchase Brand New construction in Lowry. Choose your very own finishes in Lowry and Stapleton right now for the same price as older homes being resold.

Get that space you need and WANT… and lots of it….NOW for a great, shall I even say, bargain price! Even space for all your favorite Wallace and Gomit dvds!

Many inner-city Denver neighborhoods are currently embroiled in a battle to curb graffiti and fortunately the city has come up with a FREE solution to this problem. By granting authorization to the city via a waiver located at http://www.denvergov.org/Default.aspx?alias=www.denvergov.org/DenverPartnersAgainstGraffiti, home and business owners can have the city come out and clean up their grafitti free of charge. By signing the waiver anyone can call to report the graffiti on the property and the city will promptly come out (usually within 48 to 72 hours) and clean it up for you. You might have an older or disabled neighbor who can’t maintain their property for themselves; simply print out the waiver, have them sign it, send it back and let the city do the rest. I have used this service for years and recommend it to anyone who is facing this problem.

Heres’ a quick glance at select urban Denver neighborhood sales statistics for 2007. Contrary to what you might read in the national media, many of Denver’s urban neighborhoods saw an increase in value in 2007. Remember, all real estate is local. Want to know about your ‘hood? Let us know. We have sales stats for all of urban Denver.

East Washington Park
Boundaries: Alameda Ave. – Louisiana Ave. and Marion St. – S. University Blvd.
Total # of Solds Jan ‘07 - Dec ‘07: 114
Avg. Sold Price: $641,671
Avg. Finished Square Feet: 1826
Avg. Price/Finished Foot: $352
Avg. Days on Market: 72
% Orig. List Price Rec’d by Sellers: 95%
Lowest Priced Sale: $213,500
Highest Priced Sale: $2,280,000
% Appreciation change ‘06 to ‘07: +9.5%

West Highland
Boundaries: 29th Ave. – 38th Ave. and Federal Blvd. – Tennyson Street
Total # of Solds Jan ‘07 - Dec ‘07: 135
Avg. Sold Price: $342,693
Avg. Finished Square Feet: 1339
Avg. Price/Finished Foot: $257
Avg. Days on Market: 57
% Orig. List Price Rec’d by Sellers: 96.8%
Lowest Priced Sale: $112,000
Highest Priced Sale: $665,000
% Appreciation change ‘06 to ‘07: +7.06%

Congress Park
Boundaries: 8th Ave. – Colfax Ave. and Josephine St. – Colorado Blvd.
Total # of Solds Jan ‘07 - Dec ‘07: 109
Avg. Sold Price: $391,783
Avg. Finished Square Feet: 1461
Avg. Price/Finished Foot: $269
Avg. Days on Market: 77
% Orig. List Price Rec’d by Sellers: 89.2%
Lowest Priced Sale: $190,000
Highest Priced Sale: $859,900
% Appreciation change ‘06 to ‘07: +2.3%

Sales data is from Metrolist and may not reflect all home sales, and is for residential sales only. Square footage figures do not include basement footage. Information should be used for comparison purposes only.

I’m going to be on TV! It seemed it was bound to happen. With all of the home-improvement, real-estate, fix-and-flip, decorating, and get-rich-in-real- estate shows on the tube, I had to end up in one of them. And as luck would have it, I was chosen to be the guest “expert Realtor” on the an episode of the DIY Network’s “Sweat Equity” home improvement show.

But apparently, something happened when I wasn’t around. The show’s online synopsis teased me the other day. It read… “Charlie and Julie Buchanan drop more than $20,000 finishing their attic bedroom. But a surprise mid-construction costs them thousands more. Will their dramatic choices help or hurt the homes value?” Hmm. I guess I’m in for a big surprise.

Now, way before I got involved in giving homeowners advice on television, I used to think that all of this stuff was planned out in advance. Surprises? What surprise? I don’t know anything about any surprise. It all seemed so predictable. Isn’t television production supposed to be rigorously scheduled, perfectly planned, and specifically timed to the second.

It certainly seemed that way. I filmed two separate segments at the property in northwest Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood. Once last spring, and again in the fall. I came prepared with market research, comparable sales, and renovation budget numbers dancing in my head from the current fix-and-flip project I was doing at the time. And I oohed and aahed on cue. The homeowners, who I only knew as aquaintances, were very nice, and had big plans for the house. The crew were professional and confident in their duties, and deftly directed us amateurs to “…say that one more time, but don’t look in the camera” and “…can you pick that lint off your shoulder”. Most impressive was the on-air host of the show, Amy Matthews. What a whiz. This gal can seemingly do it all. Wield a saw with finesse, grout tile with grace and speed, and I bet even mix and pour concrete like a home-improvement-crazed Martha Stewart.

But I still don’t know what the big surprise was. Did Julie paint Autumn Red instead of Buttermilk Yellow and have to start over? Did Charlie improperly reinforce the rafters and fall through the ceiling on second floor? They certainly didn’t give me any clue to what had happened. When I returned to film the second session in the fall, I got to do the “big reveal” to see their finished product. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I was truly impressed with the result. You’ll have to tune in for yourself to see how their hard work paid off. Meanwhile, I’m going to watch very close for what I missed! And maybe make a few calls.

Check out “Sweat Equity” on the DIY network, in Denver on Comcast 277. My episode, titled “Attic Attack” debuts on Wednesday, March 26th at 7pm, and again that evening at 11pm. And if you miss it that evening. Don’t worry, its on A LOT in the next few weeks. You can find out the complete schedule at http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dseq/episode/0,3110,DIY_27280_54490,00.html.

The headlines scream at you from the newspaper, your home page, and the talking heads on television. All the “experts” have something different to say. New home construction is down… that’s bad. Housing inventory is down… that’s good. Median prices; average days on the market; Las Vegas this; California that; blah… blah… blah.

There’s one bit of information essential to helping you make sense of all the random statistics coming at you about the Real Estate market. It’s your key to making smart decisions about your home: All real estate is LOCAL.

You need to know what’s happening in Colorado, what’s happening in Denver, and MOST importantly, what’s happening in your neighborhood. The top economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Lawrence Yun, said it just a few days ago when he was in Denver, “It’s nonsensical to concentrate on a national figure. Local information is far more relevant.” In short, you need to look beyond the headlines.

Let’s take a single example: MSNBC reported in January that “Sales of existing homes fell in December, closing out a horrible year for housing in which sales of single-family homes plunged by the largest amount in 25 years.” Are you ready for the big “plunge” in that “horrible year?” Read on. Housing prices were down 1.8 percent nationally for 2007 according to NAR. 1.8%!? Hardly a “plunge.” And what does that number tell us about Denver? Exactly nothing. If you lived in West Highlands you might want to know that the average sales price there was up 7%, and in Sloan’s Lake, the average price is up 5.1%. If your home is in Chaffee Park, the average sold price there was down 9.4% over last year.

If you’re interested in what’s happening in your neighborhood, dig a little deeper by doing some research. There are great online tools available to the public. Or talk to a smart Realtor. Read beyond the headlines. Tune out all the noise. The real estate news that affects you most is local, and that’s what this blog is all about. Stay tuned.

The weather is going to be great this weekend, and as a result, a great time to check out some open houses. Click here to see the list of all the great homes we’ll have open this weekend all over urban Denver, many of which are brand new listings!

Welcome to Live Urban’s shiny new blog!

Our team of super-knowledgeable agents are coming together to share what they know — from insider info on the hottest neighborhoods in town to the latest real estate and mortgage industry news and updates, you will soon find it here, so check back often — it will be well worth the trip!

If you have a local event or important industry-related article that you would like to share, email us - it takes a village to build a good blog!