This past week I accompanied my daughter to Seattle.  Vali was attending a Partners for Smart Growth conference and I was along for the  trip.  Seattle is one on my favorite cities.  I’ve never had enough time to explore it in the past, so this was a nice opportunity to do so.

As I toured the city, I continued to play Four Square, the fun in real life game.  If you don’t know about Four Square, it is a geo-based, social networking game where the players check-in to venues, get point, leave relevant comments and sometimes connect.  In cities where Four Square is established you might get a coupon offer from an establishment that sees you are in the neighborhood. 

 

Social Networking Reaches Out and Connects

 

Anyway while exploring Seattle, I got an Twitter DM from Bob Stewart.  He and Jonathan had noticed I was in Seattle and asked if I would like to stop by Active Rain!  

Of course I was delighted at the invite!  I hopped on the Seattle Streetcar, using my FREE transit pass provided by the Smart Growth people (thank you!) and found my way to AR International World HQ!

Located right on the Streetcar line, Active Rain is in a very nice urban neighborhood. Their building is a Leeds Gold certified Green building, recently built by some very smart and savvy architects. 

 Jonathan took some time to show me around, obviously very proud of his new office and rightfully so!

The entire office is open with no interior walls.  This allows the natural light to flow through.  Unlike most buildings with stationery windows, these windows all open allowing fresh air when necessary.  The design also allows for lower heating and cooling bills thanks to the solar properties.

The desk units are very high end and efficient for work.  I chuckled at a file folder on one of the employee’s desks.  It has labeled “dead trees" and it was not briming with paper!  Obviously Active Rainers are thinking of the environment beyond the Green building!

I must say I was impressed with the total atmosphere.  The office has such a positive vibe.  The openness produced a nice hum of activity, that would inspire anyone working there to be busy.  It was nice to be able to sit at a desk and have everyone clearly visible. 

The exterior of the building is mostly glass.  When I was yet on the Streetcar, I knew I was in the right neighborhood, but didn’t know for sure which way to look for the building.  That problem was quickly solved when I spotted first Jon then Bob sitting at their desks.

I had to blink, at first not believing my eyes and good fortune in finding them so easily!

The photo to the left is of the courtyard.  Standing opposite the Active Rain office I took this picture so you can see the corner section of the first floor is the Active Rain office.  Isn’t that a terrific setting? I love the way the building seems to reach outside.

The Location

 

Life at work is so much nicer when work is located in a pleasant place, not just the physical building, but the location as well. 

Active Rain Employees must really love going to the office! The neighborhood is charming, filled with interesting buildings.  In fact Jon mentioned Amazon is moving in across the street, taking up about a million sq. feet!

Check out this street photo of the building, see the Space Needle in the background!  That's how close the office is to Seattle's downtown.

Oh and there's a gym right across the street.  No excuses now folks!

 

 

The Past is Rewarding the Future

 

This visit was my first and only visit to Active Rain HQ.  I've been a member for a longtime, in fact Bob told me I was #990 joining early in July '07 (correction '06!).  Back then we didn't know exactly what Active Rain was or how it would form the future of many people. It was a silly little site that gave points for performing certain acts.  Points as we all knew could be traded in for SHOES and helped us rank higher in our State.

These days Active Rain has grown into more of a mentoring position.  They are focused on providing value to the members of the community by offering training via Rain Camps and online training all for the mere cost of membership.  Such a deal!

When I think of all the things I've learned from networking on Active Rain, plus all the wonderful friendships and the business I've garnered, it certainly seems that Active Rain is continuing on the right path.

There is nothing more powerful than a group of minds, sharing, colaborating and enjoying each other's company.  Active Rain has provided a great platform to do just that.

Thanks for the invite guys, I certainly enjoyed my visit!

 

kk

p.s.  I just had to add one last photo.  Seattle is so rich in scenic beauty, it's  no wonder the brain trust of the country is attracted to it's shores.

 

The most festive building in Downtown Denver can be found across from the State Capitol Building. Each year Denver's City and County Building is dressed up for a show! 

Traffic moves slowly so you have plenty of time to drive the family car by.  Or if you are a serious photographer, be sure to visit on a night when the turn off the street lights on Bannock.  Otherwise the ordinary lights ruin the festive colorful lights in your shot.

Here's another angle that is my favorite.  The building is too huge to be able to capture it completely close up.  One has to walk about halfway across the Civic Center Park to be able to get the entire building.

This one was shot looking over a soldier's shoulder on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol Building.  I like to think this soldier came home to a wonderful warm welcome, the city all aglow with thanks for his service!

Here's wishing you a wonderful holiday, no matter where you are!

kk

The holidays are just around the corner.  This year Denver merchants are offering special pricing on everything from hotel rates to museum tickets. How does $52.80 (starting at)  sound for a hotel room? Wow!

The prices aside Downtown Denver has become a great place to spend and evening or a weekend.  Shop, take in a show, watch a game, dine or party, the choice is yours!

For me, I'm content just walking the streets accompanied by my tripod.  There always an interesting scene to capture. 

So if you end up in Denver and see me on the streets, stop and say "hi!"  I'd love to meet you!

 

Dreams of Colorado usually include living in a mountain home, with spectacular reaching views, tall evergreens and the sweet sound of a gentle breeze whistling through the trees.  Of course most people still enjoy the conveniences of nearby stores, schools and other important things, like Starbucks and good dining establishments. 

Mountain living doesn't always include this, but Conifer, Colorado does!  This charming town has all the necesssities of everyday living plus it is a reasonable drive to Downtown Denver.

If you would like to explore the possiblity of buying a Conifer home, you will be happy to find this Conifer home search website.  Just follow the link to preview the lastest Conifer listings!

Lone Tree, Colorado is a great community that offers annual events for all residents.  Each year the 4th of July Celebrations are worth staying home for.  In fact the celebration has been so popular in years past the City of Lone Tree has had to restrict attendance in order for the citizens of Lone Tree to be able to attend. 

This means an extra step for residents in the weeks prior to the 4th. It is necessary to visit the Lone Tree Civic Center to obtain a FREE wristband in order to gain entrance to the Celebration.  In order to receive the wrist band, one must provide I.D. with a Lone Tree address.  Each address is entitled to 4 wrist bands for FREE and can purchase an additional 4 for a small donation.

After waiting a couple minutes in line, I can tell you the wristband are very popular.  It seems everyone wants their 4 and 4 more!  (This year I have an extra one, maybe I should sell it on eBay?)

Festivities begin early on the 4th with a 5K Firecracker Run/Walk beginning at 7:30 a.m.  Registration includes the highly coveted Firecracker Run Cotton T-shirt!

A little later in the day, staging for the Parade begins with a free bike decorating event.  Residents will meet at Lone Tree parkway and Club Terrace to pimp out their bikes for the big Community Parade.  Parade Staging begins at Jubilee Fellowship Church (9830 Lone Tree Pkwy) at 3:15 p.m.

The Parade will march down Lone Tree Parkway and over to Sweetwater Park where the action begins at 4:00.

The crowds will gather, grabbing whatever grass or tree shade they can find.  Food vendors line the park, so there is no need to bring food, just your wallet.

The kids have a ball with all the activities, rides, face painting and all sorts of other activities will keep them busy. 

Live bands; High Country Brass, Deja Blu and Hot Lunch band will be blasting sound from 4:15 until 9:00. Sweetwater Park will be the place to BE on July 4th!

At 9:00 the fabulous fireworks begin. They are guaranteed to be good, as long as it doesn't rain or they don't set the field on fire (like last year UGH!).  Of course if they do watching the Firefighters put out the fire is almost as much fun...almost.

See you there Lone Tree! 

Happy Birthday America!

 

100 Real Estate and Relocation Tips in 100 Days (Day 93) With the advent of summer, it’s time to get outside, The Denver area has all kinds of places to swim and play. Topping an expansive list is Water World the enormous water park in the northern suburb of Federal Heights. For something unique, the 104 year old pool at Eldorado Springs is filled with natural sprig water. Broomfield Bay Aquatic Park has lots of fun features and expansive grassy area for picnicking. For folks out west, there is The Splash at Fossil Trace in Golden. The new pool and play facility in Lone Tree’s Cook Creek Park opens early this summer. The area abounds with recreation centers, which I have been told are a "Colorado thing". Highlands Ranch has 4 huge facilities, all with pools and every type of indoor activity you can think of. The South Suburban Parks District operates a dozen great facilities, including the Lone Tree Recreation Center and the Family Sports Center near Centennial Airport. The Trails Recreation Center, located in the Piney Creek area of southeast Arapahoe County is a first class facility. Denver operates recreation centers all over the city, and Commerce City and Northglenn each have their own indoor sports facilities. Many suburban neighborhoods have their own community pools, and the area has over 400 developed parks and expansive open spaces. Bicycling, amateur ice hockey, soft ball for all ages, pretty much everything you can do outside is part of the exciting background of Metropolitan Denver.

100 Real Estate and Relocation Tips in 100 Days (Day 93)

Value is in the mind of the buyer. How to find the best value for you is a process, a search if you will, but not as much of a discovery as enlightenment.

Let’s look at value from the seller’s perspective. A few sellers set a price based on what they want, and not on what the market is indicating. Most sellers set their price based on market information, known as comparable sales, with that information usually being provided by a Realtor®. Because appraisers determine value based on certain well defined strictures, most Realtors® attempt to provide their selling clients with market data similar to what an appraiser will use at the time of sale. Simply stated, that means very similar houses, in close proximity to the subject house, and sold in the past 90 days. A seller can gain a small edge by offering a house in very good condition, staged for showing, with the best terms of purchase available.

As a buyer, the value proposition starts with that well maintained house offered at the market price. Prices set arbitrarily by a seller because that is what they want do not represent a good value. As a buyer, you must first become acquainted with prices as they generally apply to house of the same type, size, and area as the most likely house you wish to buy. That will provide a framework for pricing, a component of value. A your search narrows, your agent can provide you with recent sold information, which will help you further define a most likely offering price.

With the pricing component coming into focus, other value concerns must be considered. Timing is of considerable importance. If you cannot move into your dream house until 30 days beyond your most convenient date, then the cost of that delay must be considered. If the house has deferred maintenance, then the cost of any repairs must be factored into your decision. Locational convenience must be considered. 5 minutes further from work is ten minutes a day, or 48 hours in a year. Children walking to school are preferable to a 30 minute bus ride. How far to shopping, parks, and all of the other things in you and your family’s life that require a venue other than your home?

There is of course value in a stable neighborhood verses a declining neighborhood. Proximity to transportation systems, top rated school districts, police and fire protection, all of these things affect value. While the final price is important, use care in not making price the sole deciding factor. Such a decision would definitely not represent good value

100 Real Estate and Relocation Tips in 100 Days (Day 91)

In Colorado, the Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate is generally prepared by your Realtor®. While consumers are free to retain legal if they wish, most home sales are consummated without involving attorneys. The Contract Form, with attendant addenda, disclosures, and amendments, is drafted by the Colorado Real Estate Commission, with blanks and check boxes designed to make completion relatively easy. That said, there are 250 different boxes and blanks in the basic contract, so there is room for error. As a consumer, you must pay particular attention to any contract you sign, and if you do not understand the many variable and ramifications of the document, you should stop and take whatever steps necessary to ensure your understanding.

(Please excuse the shameless commercial here, at The Berkshire Group; every consumer is presented with a Buyer Orientation Book which includes a sample copy of the contract with explanations of the contract. We think the more the consumer understands, the better the consumer's decisions.)

Before you instruct your Realtor ® to prepare your contract to buy, there are a few things you can do to place yourself in the best position. First, read and try to understand the contract before you are placed in the emotional moment of having to sign a contract proposal under pressure. Study values during the search process, become aware of what a reasonable offer should be. Your Realtor® will help you with this educational process. Before you even look at a house, you should select the mortgage lender you will be using, and complete the loan application and credit approval process. You lender can then provide you with a loan pre-approval letter, which will strengthen the offer you make. The seller wants to have confidence that any offer they accept will close, so a strong lender letter lifts that confidence.

It is true in many cases today that disclosures can be obtained prior to submission of an offer. Reviewing those disclosures may give reason not to make the offer, saving time and effort for everyone, and signing off on the disclosures and returning them with your offer provides an indication that you are serious and forthright in your dealings. Consider the time needed to conveniently move household goods, register children for school, complete the loan process, and transfer utilities.
Make the offer as simple as possible. Complicating your offer with hard to comprehend contingencies creates doubt with the seller. Seller's want simplicity, efficiency and timeliness. The more complicated you make, the less likely the seller will accept the offer, or even return a counter that you can accept.

100 Real Estate Tips in 100 Days (Day 90)

After all of the research on the internet, deciding on which Realtor® to work with, interviewing lenders and making loan applications, and getting more advice from friends and family than you really need or want, it’s time to look at property. Whether you are looking for condos, lofts, houses, new homes or classic craftsman, you are going to get in a car and hit the streets. Here are some tips:

• Dress comfortably. You may end up really looking a house of you find one you like, meaning peeking into every corner, and checking every nook and cranny. Wear slip off footwear. Many home owners would rather you did not track the outside all over their carpet, so honor their request for no shoes on the inside. Bring a camera for outside shots, but respect the homeowner’s privacy regarding inside shots. Bring water and stay hydrated, especially if you are from out of the Denver area. Bring a notepad, and take notes. Finding the right house to call home is a process, and you will need to have notes to refer to as you search. Take a break after every six or seven houses. Your Realtor should do this, but if not, you should control this process. Looking at houses is exciting, but it is also hard and emotionally difficult work. Taking a break for lunch or coffee help to reorganize your thoughts and redirect the search as necessary.
• Searching for your new home can be stressful. If you have children, try to arrange for child care. By all means, when it gets down to the home or a choice of two or three, involving the children can be a good thing for the whole family. However, dragging children through 20 homes in 2 days can be an excruciating experience for parents and child, so if at all possible, try to make house hunting an adult activity.
• Communicate your likes and dislikes. There is not sense plowing through a dozen 2 story homes if you discover early on that the only type of house you want is a ranch. If you have to have a main floor master, stop looking at upper level master suites. If you do not want to spend more than $400,000, it makes no sense to look at $500,000 houses. You agent is not physic, so expressing you likes and dislikes makes the process better and more efficient for you.
• Bring a positive attitude. You will view many homes that are not right for you, but you are only looking for one. As much as the search has been aided by the internet there is still a need to visit and compare a collection of the most likely homes.
• Most of all make it fun. Enjoy the experience as a unique opportunity to discover and learn about neighborhoods, schools, shopping, and all of the things that come together to make a house a home. Laughter and levity will help ro make a very serious activity a little easier for you and your family.

100 Real Estate Tips in 100 Days (Day 89)

Real estate licensees continue, as they have always done, to agree to market a home for a price in excess of what the comparable market indicates is a reasonable sales price. Of course, many homeowners do the same thing when they attempt to sell their homes without professional assistance. Why does this happen, considering the time, expense, and emotional hassle that must be devoted to selling a house?

Some real estate licensees will list a home at what the seller wants to sell it for, regardless of the apparent market value. The fact is that home market listings, even over priced ones, can create traffic that may generate a sale, just not a sale of the overpriced listing. Pressure from management or family to do something, anything, can lead to sticking a for sale sign in front of hopeless opportunity.

For Sale by Owners (FSBO's) tend to price their home based on what they want, without knowing or caring about the market environment. In many of those situations, the disappointment is double, the take less than what they expected, and they usually list their home with a licensee and pay a sales commission.

Today's well informed buyer can determine a reasonable price for a home quickly, even in unfamiliar markets, based on the volume of information available to anyone just by asking. Sellers are well served by studying the market, or having a professional study the market, and price their home at a competitive price. That approach saves a lot of time and emotional damage, and gets the homeowner down the road quickly.