kristal kraft realtor: Sunday Travels - 05/05/08 07:23 PM
Sundays when I am not out with clients are days I try to spend with my husband. We both work selling Denver real estate and enjoy taking time to explore the area when we can.
Yesterday was a bright sunny spring day, so I begged to go take a few pictures to replace some sadly done old shots on my website. Among the places we visited was the Littleton train station for the RTD Light Rail.
This lovely station actually was a real rail station, or should I say is and still is! Only these days the trains that stop are the … (42 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Real estate and relocation, not as hard as it looks... - 02/22/07 12:07 AM
It is time to talk real estate.
Relocation to Denver or any other place can be exciting and/or scary. Some people embrace change, taking it on like a new suit. They study and analyze it, pondering over every minute aspect until it becomes a natural for them.
Others approach moving to the new location with trepidation and fear. They analyze it to the nth degree only to find the only decision they can make is not to make a decision.
Oh my.
Either situation is very familiar to me. Each month I work with customers who have decided or are in the process of making … (29 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: SunBelters...The Time to GLOAT is Now!....UPDATED...Updated again - 12/20/06 02:35 PM
Part of my job as a relocation specialist to the Denver Metro area is to dispel myths. The biggest myth I deal with is the one that Denver is "hip-deep" in snow all winter long. Out-of-staters are generally very skeptical of my words when I tell them Denver enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Why that's more than San Diego and Honolulu areas, that are known for the outstanding weather.
My clients either believe me or not. Once they take the plunge and move here, they are convinced. I love the telephone calls I get from these skeptics telling … (118 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Home Inspectors ~ Do you have to justify your existence? - 12/15/06 11:21 PM
Lately I have been lucky enough to work with sellers who either pay attention to their home and keep it extremely nice OR listen to me and properly stage and package their homes for market.
I have learned the importance of educating the seller so there are no surprises. We take the time to be sure the home is in mint condition. By this I mean have all the systems inspected or cleaned. We do "pre-inspections" to verify the buyer will have no issues.
The home shows amazingly well, we sell it and then The Inspector comes in. Now most inspectors are … (25 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Two Laws of Real Estate - 12/14/06 11:17 AM
We all know the law right? When it comes to real estate the 3 most important things to focus on are;
locationlocationlocationWhat about the second law? Everyone knows that;
timingtimingtiming Actually everyone doesn't know the second law. In fact I have investors tell me all the time how they have the bad habit of buying high and selling low. Sad but true, sometimes we make mistakes that can be avoided.
The market actually does present us with clues. Of course clues aren't hard set rules, but they are indicators that have been tested over time and found to have a certain amount … (39 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Are you serving up discontent? - 12/09/06 09:56 PM
Are you serving up discontent?
As humans we all have a basic need to be wanted and liked. Sometimes our jobs require us to do things that are contrary to our basic needs.
It's really tough to have to tell a buyer you can't help them because their expectations are out of line with reality. Or even though they just got a wonderful raise, they still can't afford a home in their dream neighborhood.
We have to dish it out to sellers too. Particularly when sellers have the notion that property values always increase in double digits year after year. Telling them it … (15 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: REALTOR...It's NOT about you! - 12/09/06 05:47 PM
Throughout history we can trace changes in society, brought on by cause and effects of certain events. Our country went from agrarian, to industrial to the information age. Each transformation of society brought with it new practices and ways of living and going about our daily lives.
The progression of real estate practices has been effected by societal and economic changes too. For those of us that have been in the business for 20 years or more, we have personally witnessed and experienced these industry changes. Let's explore these changes.
Owner Centric ~ many old timers will recognized this period of … (42 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: The S Files are Closed - 12/09/06 04:29 PM
For many years the X Files was a popular TV show that explored the possibility of beings from space. Sometimes it was almost believable, more often than not is was just plain scary.
S Files are not scary, nor are they a TV show but a real live location and a preferred destination of all my homeowners who want to sell. The S Files are SOLD Files...a very safe and successful place to reside!
How do you get into my S Files?
That's easy...listen to me. You are a homeowner who loves your home and granted you know a lot about it. Now that its time … (3 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: In my next life... - 12/02/06 11:14 PM
In my next life I have decided I want to come back in a different form. It would be nice if I could live in a beautiful place, have people to wait on me, groom me, take care of my daily diet, accompany me during exercise.
Then I work, I want to draw crowds. Huge crowds that wave and stare in glee and admiration. I will march in Parade for these crowds, of course I will have my hair braided quite lovely with pretty bows in it and I shall like to wear nice fluffy boots.
I would like to be dressed in … (16 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Thanks to Art on the Rail - 12/01/06 10:57 PM
Quality of life improves when there are lovely things to look at. Citizens along the front range of the Rockies have the incredible back drop of the mountains. For most folks the view is inspiring enough, each day one only has to look west to see the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
In recent years the Denver metro region has been involved with a modern day rennaissance. Areas that were forgotten and best avoided are now hot spots for real estate; Lodo, Ballpark, Riverfront, Golden Triangle, Capitol Hill and many more. The rennaissance has reached out into the suburbs, soon to be referred to as … (21 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Let's Compare My Apples to Your Oranges... - 11/30/06 12:47 AM
Foreclosures are a hot topic these days. Some people say Colorado is #1 in foreclosures, others say it's not so! Who do we believe and why?
The Denver Business Journal featured a good story on this very topic, "Is Colorado really worst in foreclosures?" The answer to this question is, "It Depends who you ask!"
Who Keeps the Stats on Foreclosures?
There are three sources on Colorado foreclosure statistics. What is surprising is none of them agree! RealtyTrac out of Irvine, California has given Colorado the dubious distinction of being the #1 State for foreclosures for 8 months straight! The folks at the Mortgage … (11 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Was my face red? - 11/27/06 05:05 PM
Sometimes working with buyers that aren't on the same page is challenging. My buyers were both looking to move, but not into the same house obviously. Each time I showed them a home, one would like it the other would hate it.
By the third house it became abundantly clear the couple needed some serious time around a table, talking about their expectations. It was not my job to tell them that, I was hoping they would figure it out soon enough.
The 4th house we looked at, the wife ended up in a tizzy of frustration. On the second floor she … (24 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Desperation Sales... - 11/25/06 10:56 PM
Desperation salesSales in our market continue at the same pace as last year. In October we sold 4,133 units. Last year in October we sold 4,006 units. Our days on market is longer last year it was 89,65 days but this year it is 102.6 days.
Why the change in days on market?The Denver metro market currently has 29,722 units on the market, a 10.79% increase over same time last year. This higher number of homes on the market means more homes to look at. The amount of buyers and sales are almost equal.
It is estimated that 30% of our listings are … (17 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: You Can't Get There From Here! - 11/24/06 11:35 PM
Ever wonder why things happen the way they do? I am always amazed at certain things. For instance our new Light Rail line just opened last week. The service is running well, but...
The Light Rail goes by the Park Meadows Mall. It's one of the area's most popular malls, people come from miles around to visit. The Light Rail has a stop at the County Line Station, it's even on the same side of the interstate as the mall, but you can't get to the mail from this stop.
I was poking around at the County Line Light Rail Station taking a … (19 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Denver burbs town talk...Centennial Airport - 11/21/06 08:21 PM
Denver burbs town talk...Centennial Airport
Located in what we call "City Close" Centennial Airport is tucked away in southeast Arapahoe County. When it opened in 1967, this location was considered to be far enough away as to not disturb anyone, but close enough to downtown Denver to be very convenient.
Today Centennial Airport is one of the busiest private jetports in the world. Every 80 seconds a plane takes off or lands, none are scheduled flights. Centennial consistently ranks the second busiest airport in the nation among airports that are not certified for airline services. When compared with all airports, including LAX, … (6 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Denver burbs town talk...exploring Southeast Aurora, Colorado - 11/20/06 11:20 PM
Denver burbs town talk...exploring Southeast Aurora, Colorado Real Estate
Once considered too far away, Southeast Aurora is now more convenient thanks to E-470 the highway around the city's outskirts. The highway had the concept of build it and they will come. And come they did; developers, builders and merchants have changed the scoop of this high plains dessert into a modern nostalgic urban village with a charming town square.
The Square, framed by shops, restaurants and entertainment opened at Southlands last month. Billed as the largest shopping center in Colorado, this wonderful place is alive with excitement.
Let the Shopping Begin!
Located atop Smoky Hill Road overlooking Denver, the area is conveniently … (15 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: What are your odds of selling? - 11/16/06 08:31 AM
Pricing Your Home to Sell...Since the real estate market seems to be getting slow on many fronts, now more than ever it is important price a property right. Sellers need to have a clear picture of the market and what the competition is selling at (or not!). Graphic illustrations of the market on a Competitive Price Line Sheet, is extremely helpful.
How can a listing agent go about graphically showing the seller where the list price should be? We use a very simple tool to do this. See Illustration to the left...
As you are compiling your Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) take the … (34 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Grow like a tree - 10/21/06 11:43 PM
Amid volumes of openness a single tree stands tall.
When faced with adversity are you like the tree?
Reflect and grow...
Dig your roots in deeper for strength.
Look to the heavens for enlightenment.
Sway in the breeze for flexibility.
Stand tall and proud for you are unique individual...and that is Okay.
<photo was taken on top of a New Mexican mesa on the south end of the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos>
… (10 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Graffiti as art...or vandalism - 10/21/06 10:37 PM
Tagging has become a major problem in many areas. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought all tagging was graffiti and all graffiti is vandalism.
Vali, my daughter quickly set me straight on this. In her opinion graffiti is street art and not to be confused with tagging.
In my old fashioned head, I see anything painted where it doesn't belong as vandalism. Yes, some of it looks very good, but just the same it's there without permission, someone has defaced either public or private property.
I can see the difference in tagging, it's not very artistic. Taggers in the Denver metro area … (10 comments)
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kristal kraft realtor: Urban migration... - 10/19/06 09:36 PM
Across the country we are experiencing a migration of people moving back to the city. The urban "sprawl" has run it's course, folks who so desperately wanted to live in the country are now reversing their decisions and returning to the city.
Why? Long commutes, gas prices and the feeling of dis-connectivity all attribute to the growth our our urban villages. Distance and expense are obvious factors, but the not so obvious is our society's desire to be connected again.
The pendulum has swung as far as it could now we are on the back swing, back to the city. Lucky for us the … (14 comments)
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