So… according to this morning’s Rocky Mountain News, my little piece of paradise here in Northwest Denver is the second strongest zip code in the city with an annual appreciate rate of… get this… 18.5%!!!!
Go, us!
What’s interesting is just yesterday I was doing an analysis of the number of Lender Owned listings here in my ‘hood compared to the number in other neighborhoods and came to the conclusion that if you’re looking for great REOs or Foreclosures… look elsewhere. Here in 80212, there are 19 lender owned properties on the market and all but two or three are on very busy commercial streets or right on top of I-70 (or both). In other words, these would be tough properties to sell in any market and not something I’d ever recommend to an investor.
So… we’re doing just fine here in 80212... I'm proud of my 'hood! Want to see why we like it so much? Check out my virtual tour here...
sqft. Well, life throws you curve balls sometimes and I found myself moving from my 2,500 sqft home-in-the-country to my Classic Bungalow-in-the-City.
I love it. I absolutely love it.
It’s a traditional Bungalow – living room in the front with fireplace, dining room in the middle, small kitchen in the back. Two bedrooms and a bath on the side. Stairs off the kitchen leading to the full basement. If you work in older neighborhoods, you’ve seen dozens just like it. The tract homes of the 1920’s.
I love it. I absolutely love it.
Why do I love it so much? Ah, let me count the ways. First, it’s bright and sunny and oh, so charming. Wood floors throughout, vintage fireplace, high ceilings, nice woodwork (albeit painted, bummer). It has a built-in linen closet and unbelievable storage in the basement. I redid the kitchen & 
bath and believe it or not, I actually have room to spare!
I compare my little Bungalow to a Toyota MR2 I owned in the early 90’s. It was a tiny car, but built so efficiently that there seemed to be a place for everything. That’s how I feel about my Bungalow – it’s small, but mighty. There’s a spot for everything, although I have to be a little flexible about exactly where the “spot” might be. For example, since the closets in the upstairs bedrooms are ridiculously small, I converted a bedroom basement into a walk-in closet. Works for me.
I’ve also discovered the joys of CLEANING a smaller house. Wow! I’m a bit of a princess and have always, always, always had a weekly (at least) cleaning service. Well, who’da thunk that Princess Jennifer could clean her entire house from top to bottom, herself, in less than an hour?
The downsides of living in a Classic Bungalow? Oh, the obvious suspects. Tiny bedrooms (10’x9’) and closets, abysmal shortage of outlets, random cracks in the plaster walls, drafty old windows, seriously reduced water pressure, low ceilings in the basement. But in Charming Old Denver, homeowners happily put up with these defects to enjoy the lifestyle, charm and ambience of living in one of our most popular architectural styles.
Stay tuned for more on the Classic Denver Bungalow…
I've been a real estate agent in Charming Old Denver for almost 12 years. About 7 years ago, I started taking pictures of Denver neighborhoods & amenities to use in my virtual tours. I'm an organized sort, so all the pictures I've taken thru the years are easily found in the My Pictures section of my computer.
So, for those who have been around a while - here are a few before & after photos you might enjoy...
Late 90's BANG! versus 2008 BANG!
Notice the name change from Sloan Lake to Sloan's Lake?
Cafe Brazil - new look, new location!
32nd Avenue, just west of Lowell
Sloan's Lake Victorian (that I used to own)
Like we didn’t already know it, but we’re officially on 5280’s “safe” list of Denver neighborhoods that are still stable or even appreciating. The article even goes so far as to call us the “it” spot of the last five years!
Washington Park is also on the list, as are Bonnie Brae, Mayfair and Congress Park. But here’s the cool thing - check out these average home prices:
Highland/West Highland: $305,011
Berkeley: $274,000
Washington Park: $654,000
Bonnie Brae: $904,212
Mayfair: $671,000 (includes Hilltop which is very pricey)
Congress Park: $408,000
Hmmmm… looking for a “safe” real estate investment that won’t put you out half a mil or more? Throw in an urban lifestyle to die for and what do you see? Charming Old Northwest Denver!
As you may have heard, the Denver City Council had a marathon session on Monday night - rumor has it that it finally broke up at 3am! I say "rumor" because I gave up around 9pm - I'm a lightweight when it comes to political events.
The topic at hand? Whether to approve a request to "downzone" two sections of my beloved Northwest Denver neighborhood in Sloan's Lake and West Highland. "Downzone" means, in this case, to change the zoning of an existing property from R2 to R1. Why downzone? To stop the destruction of existing single-family homes and the subsequent construction of multi-family homes, specifically duplexes and triplexes. In Denver, R1 zoning means that you can build ONLY a single-family home; R2 allows multi-family.
For those who live here, you know that in the last few years, there has been 
an explosion of such multi-family development in an area that has always been predominantly single-family. Is this development a good thing? A bad thing? Of course, it depends on your perspective. If you live next door to a new 5000 square foot duplex, you probably think it's a bad thing. I know I would. But many support and appreciate the new development, and I'm not just talking about the so-called "greedy developers."
I initially came out against the proposed downzoning for all the reasons discussed (for hours) on Monday night. But now that it's over, I'm okay with the outcome. That surprised me. But, truth be told, after listening to both sides of the argument, I can truly sympathize with those who support the downzoning. There IS an ambience to our neighborhood that is threatened by the development. There ARE serious inconveniences to those living near the construction sites and subsequent multi-family buildings. As much as I love modern architecture, some of it does look kinda silly mixed in with our Bungalows, Tudors and Victorians.
However, had the decision gone the other way, I'd have been happy, too. Our neighborhood needs more family-friendly homes. People want to live here, but for many, a 1000 sqft Bungalow just doesn't cut it, nor does everyone want to deal with the sloping floors of the larger Victorians. I would love to live in one of the new duplexes along Sloan's Lake and I'm a little disappointed that there won't be more built to accommodate ME when I'm ready to buy one.
So... I'm ambivalent. Unusual for me - I tend to rather opinionated on most matters. But I'm content. Life here will go on, real estate will continue to be built and exchange hands. I'll continue to rollerblade around Sloan's Lake and run to Sunflower Market for my lunchtime sushi. And, no, I won't be able to sell my 1927 Bungalow to a developer and retire. Ah well. Again, life goes on.
I take care of the details! As my FIRST priority, not as an afterthought when my prospecting is done. My clients get my full attention which is why... dare I say it...I've never had to prospect ;-)
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