Here is a fun event for Cherry Point Residents.  I sponsor this event each year and the good folks in Cherry Point usually sell quite a bit of stuff at their garage sale. 

Cherry Point Community Garage Sale
 
When:  Saturday, June 11th, 8:00am
 
RSVP:  To your neighbor, sponsor and Treasurer/Secretary Todd Groth at hotgroth@hotmail.com, please include:  Name, Address, Email, Items for sale
 
Advertising:  Signs will be put up along Happy Canyon and Dahlia 1 week in advance; Craigslist; Denver Post; Participation is free

For questions or comments call Todd Groth at 720.203.9634 or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com.

5280 Magazine profiles the most compelling residential areas to live.  This year they are:

East Washington Park - I've lived in this neighborhood for five years and sold many home in and around this area, such as Platt Park.  This neighborhood of course features the huge Washington Park, Bonnie Brae ice cream, and Gaylord Street festival.

South City Park - I helped some clients buy and awesome tri-plex Denver Square.  Its a favorite area of mine because of the transformation of Colfax Avenue.  The Tattered Cover on Colfax Ave, and the City Park Jazz in the summer are a draw for people.

Hilltop - Shown a bunch of houses there but never actually had someone buy one.  It's one of Denver's most expensive areas with an average sales price of $761,000.

Five Points / Curtis Park - This area is still a little transitional and can have a very urban feel.  Look into this area if you have a long term outlook for Denver's urban population density increasing.  It probably will.

Lower Highlands - I've helped several families in The Highlands and the Lower Highlands (Lohi) is so exciting because its a neighborhood that you can walk over the highway on a foot bridge to get to Downtown Denver.  Some of Denver's best restaurants are in Lohi.

Alamo Placita - Just north of Washington Park.  Its a nice alternative to Wash Park and a little cheaper.

East Cheesman Park - This neighborhood features some big older homes.  This is a good area if you like to go the the botanic gardens for the summer concert series. 

Arapahoe Acres - The mid century modern enthusiasts will love this neighborhood.  Its got the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired homes.  They are in a historic district now.  There are other areas like this around town such as Krisana Park and Lynwood.  However, this one is the most consistent and more centrally located.

For more information call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624 or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

There was an interesting article in the latest issue of 5280 Magazine about a home in Cherry Point of Southeast Denver.  This is the same neighborhood that I live in.  The article features a family that renovated their home to be "kid friendly" by making everything washable.  The homeowner is an Interior Designer and owner of M Street interior design.  The article has great pictures of this Cherry Point home and is worth checking out.

Some of the things she recommends is having slip covered couches, paint that is pearl finish rather than eggshell, and having accessories that are kid oriented and not easily broken.  Its nice to see how great this house looks after the renovation, and she didn't use very expensive materials.  I also love the dark wood flooring which is the stain color we used in our house as well.  My wife and I love Cherry Point and we are seeing a lot of young families moving into the neighborhood.

For more information about Cherry Point call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624 or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

Don't miss this charming bungalow in the heart of Country Club!  This home is located in one of Denver's landmark neighborhoods, and is a short walk to the shopping at Cherry Creek North, the Botanic Gardens and Bromwell Elementary.  You will love the private yard and lovely landscaping on this 6,250 square foot lot.  This home features abundant updates on the main floor, and a fully finished basement with fresh carpet.  The updates are extensive and fit perfectly with the time period in which this home was built.  They include crown molding, wood flooring, stainless appliances, granite and one of the best kitchens you will see.  Please don't hesitate to call for your own private showing!

466 High St, Denver, CO 80218

3 Bedroom / 3 Bath

1473 square feet with an additional finished basement

2 car detached garage

Price is $535,000

Virtual tour:  http://www.Obeo.com/658446

For more information call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624, or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

Please check out this new listing in The Knolls.  Its beautiful and much larger than the other homes in this neighborhood.  Additionally, it has quite a few handicap features that will make it exceptional for a handicap resident or family member.  These include an elevator and stamped concrete walkway.

The address is 7395 S. Garfield, Centennial CO 80122 and here is the virtual tour:  http://vt.realbiz360.com/Listing-670231.html

The Knolls is a fantastic pool and tennis community with Blue Ribbon schools and expansive greenbelts.  This home has a great kitchen, wood floors, updates througout, 2 master bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, and its located in a quiet cul-de-sac.  The use of the elevator makes this home very unique.

If you have any questions call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624 or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

Interesting article in the April 11, 2011 issue of Fortune Magazine that Real Estate is poised for a rebound.  Of course, we all know that real estate must be viewed in micro-economic terms, according to city or neighborhood.  It depends on jobs, level of foreclosures, rental climate, housing starts and many other factors.

This article points out that the companies that study the supply and demand of real estate believe that its poised for a rebound, especially in non-distressed markets like Denver, or Dallas.  The first reason is that housing starts are so low that they may not be able to meet demand.  There is always a certain percentage of home buyers that wants a brand new home and if there aren't enough available, the prices will get bid up.  The second reason is that the old rent vs buy analysis is leaning toward BUY.  There have been steep declines in prices, but rental payments have been increasing.  The net effect is that its starting to be cheaper to buy than rent for some.  These two things should lead to an increase in home values.

For more information call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624, or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

Here is a article I'm publishing in the Cherry Point Newsletter in Denver, CO.  Cherry Point is also where I live.  It's known to be a quiet neighborhood featuring large private lots, and ranch style homes.  Its located in Southeast Denver and is a nice alternative to the exclusive Cherry Hills neighborhoods. 

3 Factors in Selling - Location, Condition, Price

Today's hyper-sensitive buyers are especially critical of their purchase decisions because there's no longer a feeling that their home is automatically going to appreciate.  Accordingly, they consider location, condition, and the price of the home very carefully. 

Location - Buyers tend to pay a little more for homes that are deeper in the neighborhood and not on cut-through streets or close to commercial property.  Most buyers use Google Maps to view the satellite image of a home even before they go house hunting.

Condition -Most homes in Cherry Point were built around the 1960s and have traditional floor plans.  An updated traditional or mid-century theme throughout has been most successful in selling homes.  If you do nothing else, just be sure to de-clutter and update your paint with neutral colors. 

Price - Buyers will use the advice of their REALTOR when they make an offer.  Location and condition will be factors along with many other items.  There are huge variations in price for homes in Cherry Point because the homes are so unique.  Ultimately, the sales price must pass the test of the lender's appraiser.  If the home doesn't appraise the loan may not get approved.  Therefore, it's very important to set a price using the same technique that appraisers use. 

If you have any questions on pricing, or are considering some updating, please call me at 720.203.9624, or email hotgroth@hotmail.com, or check out www.BevGrothProperties.com.  - Todd Groth - Metro Brokers, Cherry Point Secretary/Treasurer.

I love this time of year and one of my favorite things to do is monitor my bracket in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  I live in Denver and its the time of year when the spring skiing is good, people start working on their yards, and spring break is upon us.

This year the usual bracket manager didn't send out an invitation to fill out a bracket, so I did.  I look forward to making this an annual thing.  We got about 30 brackets in the pool.  I sent out an email and several past clients, business partners and other Realtors in my office signed up.  My backet busted in the first weekend but my son is still alive.

It always suprises me how many real estate questions and leads result when I organize something like this.  Several people have requested a lunch appointment; and one old friend told me he'd been meaning to call me....which last weekend resulted in a signed listing agreement! 

The lesson here is to keep doing things that bring people together, have fun with it, and keep people coming to you.  Its a good way to connect with people especially if your helping them or providing something that they want to participate in.

For more information, look us up at www.BevGrothProperties.com, or call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624

Vacancy rates are at a low ebb in Denver and I think that multi-family housing is getting some new attention from investors.  There seems to be available lender money for the right amount of down payment and the terms seem are reasonable compared to years past.  I believe that some investors may feel that the stock market is likely to slide, and may want an asset backed investment instead.

Today, I was fortunate enough to spend the day with a client looking to make a purchase on an apartment building.  I've done a lot of research over the last couple of years to prepare myself just in case I could help someone with this type of purchase.  I've been reading book, studying the metrics, collecting financial analysis spreadsheets, and talking to people in the business.  I would love to do more of this in the future. 

I think multi-family real estate investments are especially good for someone with an interest in teaching their offspring a business.  You can teach your kids how to deal with people, basic accounting, basic construction, contracts, property management, and more.  How great would it be to give a multi-family investment to your heirs that is mostly/completely paid off, and have them trained to oversee operations!

For more information about this call Todd Groth 720.203.9624, or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com

This week we are finalizing and publishing our first company newsletter for Bev Groth Properties.  Its called the 'Real Estate Report' and its going to our people farm, The Knolls residents, and The Fairways residents.  Its purpose is the following:

1)  Advertise our listings to our network of friends, family and past clients

2)  Show our network that we are busy

3)  Show the range of services we offer such as buyer representation, investor representation, property management, and of course seller representation, etc.

4)  Give our network some sales statistics from the Denver real estate market

5)  Show the network what our buyers are looking for

6)  Write an editorial on helpful ideas for our clients

7)  Give our clients an update on what our business is working on

8)  Provide something that clients might want to save

We hope you enjoy it and our plan is to publish a spring, summer and fall edition.  For more questions call Todd Groth at 720.203.9624, or look us up online at www.BevGrothProperties.com