My Thoughts About Highlands Ranch Issues, Events and Local Gossip
Discount Listings
Sell your home for just a one percent listing commission. (plus the standard 2.8% buyers agent commission). See my comments on why you should avoid over paying commissions to sell your home.
Updates List of Local Contractors
I've updated my list of local contractors. Things are starting to need updating and there are some companies I prefer to work with with. Click here to see my updated list of local contractors.
Lots of Showings Already
Well, the buyers are out early this year. The showing service reports strong activity, especially on the weekends. That's a great early indicator of a strong selling season. Let's hope the banks cooperate.......
Short Sales Causing Problems
Short sales have been always been a royal pain for Brokers. The negotiations can drag out for months and 50% of the attempted deals fall apart because the bank just never approves them. Buyers get mad at the brokers and the brokers get mad at the banks. I've avoided the headaches by not taking any short sales listings. However, there's a new twist happening here. The Realtors listing the short sales are pricing them 30%+ below recent neighborhood sales and some of tem are getting sold. Then, when someone nearby wants to sell their home, these short sale 'comparable's' bring down the market value of everything nearby. Suddenly, a home is worth $50,000- less and potential buyers can't get financing for what would have been a 'fair market price'.
Retirement Living - Over 55 Communities
There's a few nice retirement communities in the area. One of the newest Active Senior Living developments is Verons Homes, located on the north west side of Highlands Ranch. New, modern and a park like setting.
HGTV House Hunters - Highlands Ranch
Want to star in your own reality show? It could happen. Producers for HGTV has called me twice this year. They want an 'interesting' story of first time homebuyers. I've been invited to audition, but have not yet found anyone willing to expose all their financial details to a national audience.....
Yard Sales
This is just the best place - for both buying and selling. Man, the deals I've got on kiddie clothes and furniture. I even bought a working lawnmower for twenty bucks. If you are going to have a garage sale just remember to start early. Folks from all over Denver will be working the sales. Here's the rules for placing yard signs in Highlands Ranch.
Indulge Wine Bar
This is probably the coolest place in town. A great atmosphere with excellent wine and desserts. Send the kids for a sleep over and go. It's open till 10PM or later with live music on the weekends. See their website for the best Highlands Ranch entertainment available!
Fix and Flip in Highlands Ranch?
As my clients know, I do some fix and flip investing. This always requires a spread of at least $50,000-beteween the purchase price and the planned exit (selling) price. In Highlands Ranch, it's rare for anything to sell at such a discount. Often, foreclosure properties can be had for $25,000- below market price, but they definitely need some updating. Thus, not much fix and flip activity occurs here. But if something ever does pop up, it will be interesting to see how the numbers work out. Here's fix & flip I did in Aurora. It netted the investor $25,000- after all expenses and closing costs.
2008 closes out as a down year
The total number of sales in Highlands Ranch was down 19% for the year with the average selling price down by 12% (mostly from slower sales of higher priced properties) See my Highlands Ranch market analysis. For the entire metro Denver market selling prices were down by 16% for the year.
The Foreclosure Market
Out of almost 30,000 homes in Highlands Ranch, there are usually less than 10 foreclosure properties available. They are never priced very low (compared to other Denver area neighborhoods). And although they are usually in good structural condition, they typically require a full updating. Common total expense for a full update is $15,000- So, trying to get a good foreclosure deal is tough here. The Denver Post and Daily News has interviewed me several times about the current state of the Denver Foreclosure market and available foreclosure homes. The current foreclosure rescue bill being considered is getting mixed reviews.
Fence Replacement Project Continues
It's a big project to replace 41 miles of old wood fencing. But what has been done so far looks great. It better look great - this Trex synthetic fencing will last 50 years.
Clock Tower Lofts goes into Foreclosure
Seems that the Clock Tower development has been shut down and been foreclosed on. This is quite unusual in Highlands Ranch. There are legal notices posted on the sales trailer and the one completed (unoccupied) building. I had noticed some real shortcuts in the construction process. I photographed some of the problems assuming that these would be problems for the eventual homeowners. But for now, it's been completely shut down and there is no response to numerous messages.
Best Place To Live, Again
This time, Relocate-America has listed Highlands Ranch as one of the best places to live in America. Not sure what all their rankings were based on, and they did pick 99 other cities......but once again, Highlands Ranch makes the list.
Richmond Homes Siding Settlement
Many Richmond homes in Highlands Ranch used defective hardboard siding. You can see the 'waves' in the wood if you look closely. There was a lawsuit and settlement. Any homeowner can file a claim. The settlement ends up being a few thousand dollars - just about enough for a good paint job. And that's really all you can do if your siding is bad. Contact the siding supplier at abtco.com and start the claims process. (I got $5,000- for my claim) If you can't connect with the manufacturer then contact Nat'l Claims Recovery at 866 640 3611 (they'll take 30%)
4th of July Fireworks
There is an annual fireworks show near town center every year. Sometimes we go and sometimes we have a block party. One neighbor gets stuff from Wyoming and puts on his own show for the neighborhood kids. It's much more up close and personal. This year the police raided the party and shut him down. Seems that a house nearby caught on fire! (but just a little bit) Good thing we stayed home this year.......
Summer, 2008 - Water Those Trees !
Trees around my neighborhood are starting to stress from the hot, dry summer. Just 20 minutes with a garden hose a couple times a week will help a lot. The trees will be much happier.
Spring 2008 - Civic Green Happenings
The association has been doing extensive upgrades to the park all winter. It's getting a personality! Last week was the Highlands Ranch Veterans Memorial dedication - We attended along with politicians, the Highlands Ranch Choir, and a local motorcycle club.
This week is the annual Ice Cream Social at Civic Green. Arrive early, there was a 30 minute line to buy the $1- tickets last year....
Highlands Ranch Farmers Market
Every Sunday from 10AM till 2PM in Town Center - all summer long.
Winter 2008 - Busy Market
For a January, it sure has been an active market. I've been a busy Highlands Ranch Realtor! Lots of open houses and buyer traffic. It will be interesting to view the statistics in a couple months to see what the market actually did.
September, 2007 Tree Trimming Time
Now is the time. Trim those trees hard. They will survive the first heavy snowfall and come back strong in the spring. Remember, if it's a dry winter, be sure to water the trees a few times. Homes with 'nice' trees sell easier.
Fall, 2007 - Fence Replacement
It's official, the Metro District will begin replacing fences along the parkways. 41 miles of stained cedar fence will be replaced with Trex! Very nice and long lasting. However, this project will take years to complete.
Top 100 Best Places to Live
Another national publication, Relocate-America, has placed Highlands Ranch in their top 100 list. Rated features include the views, outdoor amenities, nearby light rail and the excellent school district.
Water Problem at The Hearth
Actually, not uncommon around town, but the local association is taking aggressive action.
Click here to see the report from The Hearth at Highlands Ranch Home Owners Association.
Summer, 2007 - Activities
Here's a few activities around the community this summer; 9 Health Fair, Arts Live, Home Improvement Expo, Taste Of Highlands Ranch, Hooked on Fishing, 4th of July at Town Center, Highlands Ranch 5K & 10K run, Big Top Circus, Farmers Market every Sunday, Summer Concert series, Classic Car Show, Symphony at Civic Green, Movies at the Park, HRMA Music and Arts Festival, and endless (excellent) Garage Sales! (TIP: the concerts at Civic Green Park are much more comfortable that those at Heritage Hills park, where the afternoon sun will be directly in your eyes)
Richmond Homes Class Action Suit
Not uncommon in subdivisions around the country - Richmond Homes in Highlands Ranch used some bad siding in a couple of their projects. There is a settlement fund available to homeowners that know how to claim it. We got a cash settlement of $2,200- and used it to paint our house.
There were also some bad roofing materials used by Richmond Homes but they would not stand behind those claims. Homeowners will only see about a 15 year life from the roof shingles, as opposed to the 50 years claimed when they were selling the homes new.
Summer, 2007 - Need a Night Out...
What's the first thing a middle-aged man thinks when he sees a teenage girl walking down the street in Highlands Ranch? Answer: Wow, I wonder if she does..... babysitting ?
Babysitting is the main industry for school girls in my neighborhood. Rates seem to vary from $3- to $8- per hour. I use a local girl who takes my son to her house. He has a great time and is usually exhausted when we retrieve him. I found her from posting an ad on the local mailbox.
Spring, 2007 -Current Market Conditions
Looks to be a strong selling season for Highlands Ranch Homes. The technical charts show an improving market. Specifically, the days on market are shrinking as inventory levels drop a bit. Statistically, that would indicate an upcoming sellers market. To discuss your home value call me at (303) 791 7817
Fall, 2006 - Light Rail is Cool !
The light rail at Mineral Station is quite a hit. In fact, most of the parking spaces are gone by 8AM. Then it becomes a ‘drop-off and ride’. By noon spaces open up and it’s a quick and fun ride to downtown. Much cheaper than parking downtown (about $5- round trip), not to mention the gas savings……
Winter, 2006 - Snow Shoveling is a Community Activity
Well, this was like a camping trip, except we camped out at home. We got about 4 feet on our block. But it was passable. I was actually surprised to see some major construction equipment plowing our minor side street within a couple of days. Oh well, we survived, and got to spend some quality time cuddled up next to the fireplace. The only thing the local Safeway ran out of was eggs.
Summer, 2006 - Child Labor is Cheap
I hired a couple of local high school students to pressure wash and stain my fence. Well, I definitely saved some money, and it turned out good. There’s always some teenage labor around. Best place to advertise seems to be on the mailboxes. But just be sure to set the expectations up front - and pay when everything is complete.
4th of July - Fireworks and Thunderstorms
The local fire department held an impromptu celebration in the middle of our street. They let the kids sit in the truck and play with some of the equipment. They spent about an hour visiting and then headed off to the big fireworks event, which was postponed one day because of the incredible thunderstorm at dusk.
Spring, 2006 - Yard Sales
Yard sales. In Highlands Ranch these are just amazing. We have bought everything from (very nice) baby furniture to kiddie clothes and shoes (even some brand name stuff) It will be sad when our kid no longer wants to wear 'used' clothes…….
Best plan is to head out early on a Saturday morning and drive down Highlands Ranch Parkway and then up and down Broadway, University, and Quebec. Don’t forget Wildcat Reserve Parkway on the south side.
The best shopping seems to be north of Highlands Ranch Parkway and west of University. I always go there first.
Summer, 2005 -Civic Green Happenings
Civic Green Park just opened and it’s fabulous. They are showing free movies and occasionally a politician will stop by and make a speech. Also, there was an ice cream social one weekend. We go there almost every weekend. Check the community newsletter for the calendar of activities.
How to Become a Real Estate Broker
I get asked about getting licensed, so here's the info: Real Estate Training
Winter 2005 - Sales Are Strong
Highland Ranch real estate has been selling well. Seems that most houses sell fairly quickly if staged right. Homes with just a bit of a ‘wow’ factor sell first. That usually means professional landscaping, some nice widow treatments, and a freshly painted fence. i.e.; good curb appeal. I think that professional tree trimming is a great long term investment. Everyone loves nice, healthy trees.
Spring, 2005 - Paint Me Now
The local homeowners association seems to do a good job keeping the neighborhoods clean and up to date. It’s not common, but they do send out notices to homeowners with obvious deferred maintenance issues. The monthly newsletter always mentions the occasional citing for a code violation. Out of 28,000 houses, they seem to average 2 violations a month. (parking a commercial truck overnight, leaving a camper in the driveway for more than 3 days, etc) My buddy just received a ‘Notice to Paint’ letter….. He admits it’s time for a paint job, he just didn't have the motivation, until now…… And that's why you don't ever see a trashy house around the Ranch!
Winter, 2005 - A Grand Piano ?
Our Highlands Ranch Home is much bigger then where we moved from. I didn't have enough furniture to fill up the front room. Well, I never thought about it before, but a grand piano would fit nicely there. I happened to visit a neighbor who had a piano in their front room and it looked great! I did some surfing online and found a nice used piano for $500-. Every so often, one of our visitors surprises us with their musical skills. Very cool.
Gangs and Graffiti in Highlands Ranch ??
Yep, even here are some gangs and graffiti. But it's a bit different. The 'tagging' takes the form of chalk drawings in almost every other driveway. Names and numbers mostly. The gangs; typically a group of 8 year olds on bicycles circling the block looking for who knows what......
