Centennial, CO

This is a re-post from my Get Home Denver Team Blog, and was written by Rebecca Hansen, a guest Author who contributes frequently on the site.

For Colorado as a whole, prices rose by 1.82% in the past year and by 0.32% in the second quarter please see the attached article from the Denver Business Journal for more detail.

As a mortgage professional in the industry I have the opportunity to talk with all parties involved in the transaction- both buyers and sellers and Realtors. The vibe is positive out there. People are feeling good about the inventory going down and the increased number of “SOLD” signs in their neighborhoods.

As rates remain in the low 6’s for a 30 year fixed mortgage it is a wonderful time to take advantage of Real Estate in Denver. Consult your Realtor and your Mortgage Professional on how to buy with 0% down before the down payment assistance programs are no longer available.

Seller funded down payment assistance programs

will be available until September 30, 2008.

YES- we can close the loan this fast!

First-time buyers and people who have not owned a home in the past three years may get a $7,500 tax credit if they purchase a home on or after April 9, 2008 or if they purchase one before July 1, 2009.

Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions you might have.

Happy house hunting.

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Tony's Market is a well known popular market in the south Denver area where you can shop for those gourmet cheeses, fine meats, specialty prepared foods and deserts, imported foods, fresh seafood, produce, gift baskets, baked goods, gourmet coffee and candy and giftware. Anyone new to the Denver area, quickly learns about Tony's.

Tony's was started in 1978 by Tony Rosacci. His three children have helped all along the way to make this a great company with 3 locations now in the Denver area. It started as a meat market and quickly became very popular for their completely natural meats. Because of Tony's desire to please they began to offer more than meats and have continued to add other products through the years.

Tony's also has a wonderful catering departement. They cater everything from the smallest event to huge events at some of the largest locations such as Phipps Mansion and Butterfly Pavillion. They work with you to create the party that you want with suggestions for menus and themes. Lissa Rosacci, one of the 3 children, is an expert in decor and will help you to develop your event decor.

Mick, another of those children, is the chef who creates recipes, teaches nutrition, contributes to the weekly newsletter of Tony's Market called "Buon Appetito" and appears on a special section of Channel 7 News on Sundays at 7 and 10 am where he shares great ideas for meals.

Tony's now also has a wine market called Tony's Wines. It is a separate store because of liquor laws. The one I shop is just outside the market side door on Dry Creek. There they will help you with suggestions for wines. They have always hit the mark on what I am looking for. They personally taste each wine before they sell it. If it does not meet their approval, they don't sell it.

All of these things make Tony's Meats stand out as a superior place to shop, but there is more to Tony's than these. Tony's also sponsors a cooking school and culinary exploration trips.

I have found Tony's Meats and Wines a great place to get a gift basket -- if you want both wine and food in your basket. You must buy any food items at Tony's Market and then buy your wine at Tony's Wines. Both the market or the wine shop carry a variety of baskets from which you can pick the appropriate one for you special person and then either shop can build your basket, shrink wrap it and add a bow. The charge for this, in my case, was only $10 for basket, wrap, bow and "building." You can get a great basket for giving on any special occasion like housewarmngs, graduations, promotions, anniversaries, new job or just "Thank You."

Tony's locations:
4991 E. Dry Creek Rd, Centennial
7421 W. Bowles Ave, Littleton
874 W. Happy Canyon Rd, Castle Rock
Websites: www.tonysmarket.com
Tony Rosacci's Fine Catering, 12001 E. Caley Ave, Littleton
Website: www.tonyrosaccicatering.com

Buon Appetito!

Greenfield is one of those neighborhoods that suits lazy sunny days and a tall glasses of cool lemonade. The long winding greenbelts, surrounding trail system, swimming pool, park, and large comfortable homes all combine to create a a great neighborhood.

Greenfield is located in Centennial, a few miles north of E-470, off of Smoky Hill Road. The is plenty of recreation nearby, including Aurora Reservoir and several golf courses. There is also some fun places to spend money, the most popular being the Southland Mall area.

The homes in the community range in price from approximately 250-550K, and there are around 700 homes, so you are bound to find one on the market at any given time that you would like. The school district is Cherry Creek, which is one of the reasons that people initially seek out the area to live in. To find out more about the community, you can go to the Greenfield HOA website, where you will find helpful information, including information on their youth swim team...in the event you have a young Olympian in training in your family!

LET ME KNOW if you would like additional information regarding Greenfield or any other area located in Centennial or South Aurora.

Stefan Geyer

Realtor | ECO Broker | Certified Appraiser

www.StefanMax.com

As a Realtor® in Denver, I see many homes throughout the Denver metro area all of the time as I have been very busy with home buyers. Lately I have been to homes in varying price ranges and in different areas and neighborhoods. My car has taken us through Highlands Ranch, Parker, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Castle Pines North, and Centennial in just the last 10 days or so. The price range has varied from buyer to buyer from around $320,000 to just under $1,000,000.

For the most part, with some exceptions, the homes when you walk in the door are in stellar shape. They have been cleaned from top to bottom and most would certainly pass the white glove test. Most of them show beautifully.

But lately I have seen something across the board - even in one of the higher end properties. Lack of curb appeal. Not even lack of, but negative curb appeal. I know its getting hot and it gets harder to keep the grass green in the Colorado heat. My own yard is needing some TLC - but I am not selling my home.

Here are some tips.

1. You have to figure out a watering pattern that is going to work for you and keep you within watering guidelines as well. Buyers do not want to buy a home with dead grass. If its getting brown already, don't give up, you can bring it back. Grass can be resilient unless you let it go too long. And if need be, bring out a professional to have your sprinklers adjusted. If they are missing spots, they can help you correct that.

2. If you haven't sprayed or pulled weeds, especially the dandelions, do it now. They are starting to take over in many cases.

Read the rest of the list and post here: Curb Appeal Could This Be Why Your Denver Home Isn't Selling?

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
Denver Real Estate