Barbara Salisbury

I have written before about the abundance of wildlife in this cool place we call Highlands Ranch. I have also written before about how important it is to be cautious in sharing this cool place with those animals.

On that note, we had an unusual visitor in Highlands Ranch this week, a young female bear. I can't ever remember hearing a report of a bear actually in the heart of Highlands Ranch. I have only heard of bear sightings in the areas much more open to the south of Highlands Ranch. This young lady was definitely in the heart of Highlands Ranch in the Dad Clark Park!

That's too close for comfort! You see that park sits behind the houses across from my son's house! Thank goodness the bear was spotted quickly and my grandsons' school, Heritage Elementary, which is just across the street from Dad Clark Park, was put on lock down. The Douglas County Sheriff's Department placed reverse 911 calls to the area residents, Highlands Ranch Community Association sent out an emergency email to all residents on their email list and the school sent emails to all parents. The Division of Wildlife came in to observe the bear which finally went back into the wilder unpopulated area. Had she not left, the Division of Wildlife would have tranquilized her and removed her to the wild.

No one was ever in danger because the bear apparently stayed in the open space areas. This time of year bears are hungry and looking for food. Hopefully, since she found none, she will not be back. She was apparently only about 300 pounds and was thought to be of the age that she is on her own for the first time. (I don't care if she was just 300 pounds, I'm glad I didn't run into her).

There are a tremendous number of acres dedicated large open spaces in Highlands Ranch. It is quite easy for deer and other wildlife to subsist in these areas. The bear probably does not stay in the area, but followed the open space areas from the south back country, crossing maybe only one to three streets to get to Dad Clark Park which is in an open space.

More exciting news from

Your Highlands Ranch Expert

Barbara Salisbury

Kenna Real Estate

720-884-6040

Barbara@kennarealestate.com

Douglas County Housing Authority (DCHP) has developed a mediation service that is available to Douglas County Residents at no cost. The Douglas County Public Trustee;s Office cooperated in establishing this program. The purpose is to decrease the number of foreclosures in Douglas County by providing borrowers with tools and resources to use during the foreclosure process. Through the program DCHP will educate borrowers about their rights as consumers and also will act as a mediator between lenders and borrowers.

The program goals are to prevent mortgage defaults, assist home mortgage lenders and borrowers in working out mortgage defaults, and resolve foreclosure actions that are either initiated or threatened by lenders.

All borrowers' homes must be located in Douglas County. For more information please contact Travis Andereson at 303-784-7856 or write to: Douglas County Housing Partnership, Foreclosure Mediation Program, 9350 Heritage Hills Circle, Lone Tree, Colorado 80124.

About 7 or 8 miles down C-470 from my house is a wonderful little reservoir named Chatfield. In the summer it's a great place for summer activities like swimming, boating, picnicking, camping and fishing. It was created as a flood control measure on the South Platte River and the water height varies extremely depending on the amount of precipitation or drought the area is currently experiencing.

I recently began to learn much more about the Chatfield Basin in which this reservoir is located. It is an expansive area that takes in part of Highlands Ranch, the area along both sides of Santa Fe (Highway 85) from north of C-470 to south of Sedalia, part of Pike National Forest, Roxbourough State Park which I recently wrote about, beautiful Waterton Canyon, Deer Creek Canyon Park, Cherokee Ranch, Hildebrand Ranch Park, South Valley Park, Daniel's Park, Back Country of Highlands Ranch, South Platte Park, Dupont Park, Sharptail Ridge Park, Chatfield State Park and Nelson Open Space.

I've learned the Basin has many things to see. Denver Botanical Gardens at Chatfield has hundreds of acres of grassland, riparian forest of Cottonwood and boxelder and ten acres of wetlands. Visitors can checkout self guided Discovery Packs to help them through the Gardens and the Hildebrande Ranch which is nearby. I've learned there is an Audubon Center and its wetlands ecosystem that is home to 25 species of mammals and more than 350 species of birds. I've learned that there are so many trails to hike and open space to see that it would take months of hiking to see it all.

What I already knew was that Cherokee Ranch with its Castle and Daniel's Park sitting atop a ridge that overlooks Chatfield Basin and has a view of the mountains from Pike's Peak to Long's Peak were really cool places to visit. I did not know that they were considered part of the Basin.

Chatfield Basin is an ecological crossroads. This basin that holds the South Platte from where it emerges from the foothills and Plum Creek which is the only naturally flowing, undimmed stream of its size remaining on the Front Range from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins. Chatfield Basin straddles 3 ecelogical regions; Southern Rockies Ecosystem, desert-like Southwater Tablelands Ecosystem and Western High Plains Ecosystem. These 3 ecosystems combine to make the area one of the richest for flora and fauna in the entire state. Large open spaces and dramatic scenery including the granite walled Waterton Canyon, the foothills and the red rock formations of Roxborough make Chatfield a popular place.

Chatfield Basin is a treasure of natural wonders. On a single day in the summer you can see more kinds of butterflies than almost anywhere in the U.S.-over 100 kinds! The Basin's unique habitats create a home for rare and imperiled plants. Each year hundreds of birds raise their young in Chatfield Basin. Four areas have been designated Important Bird Areas by the National Audubon Society. It is a great spectacle to watch over 4000 birds of prey follow the nearby Dakota Hogback on their travels.
There are many rare species found here, also. The peregrine falcon, bald eagle, plains sharptailed grouse are three of these. Considered even vulnerable globally are four species of minnows, one mammal and at least ten species of butterflies.

Now it's your turn. Come visit the Chatfield Basin and see what you can learn!

The following parks and places of interest have educational programs and/or guided or self-guided tours available for the public

Roxborough State Park, 720-497-7600

The Audubon Center at Chatfield State Park,

Chatfield State Park, 303-791-7275

Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 303-973-3705

South Platte Park, 303-720-1022

Cherokee Ranch, 303-688-5555

Denver Water and Thorne Ecological Institute at Waterton Canyon, 303-499-3647

If you don't live here in south metro Denver, but are interested in possibly relocating here, I will be glad to help you with any information I can about the area. My website is a wealth of information on relocation including area info, moving helps, economy, schools, communities and free market updates. You can also request my Relocation Package. I'd love to help you!

Barbara Salisbury

Kenna Real Estate

720-884-6040

Barbara@kennarealestate.com

The Denver Housing market is improving monthly just as it usually does this time of the year. March saw improvements over the last two months in the average list price, median list price, number of houses active, under contract and sold, days on the market and sold price as a percentage of original listing price. Most of these areas, however, are still not performing as well as last year at this time. The exception being days on the market which showed improvement at 106 days in March compared to 110 days a year ago and 107 last month.

The low interest rates and the $8000 first time homebuyer credit are helping to improve the market. The question is how much? According to HUD, refinancing activity is up 88% and purchase activity is up about 20%. Many consumers just are not able to buy or refinance at this time either due to one of the following:

Many have credit scores too low

Many do not have the 20% down payment

Many don't qualify because they owe more than their homes are worth

Many don't have jobs and, therefore, don't qualify

The recovery will be slow because of these deterrents.

Inventory is still very low. This means, when a home goes on the market that is priced right, there are more people interested in buying it. We are seeing some bidding wars, not only on bank owned properties, but also on homes that are in great shape and priced right.

Single Family Detached Homes in the price range $200,000 to $299.999 are the hottest selling market today. Attached Single Family Homes are seeing most activity in the

$110,000 to $149.999 range, but the $150,000 to $299,999 range is not far behind. As I search for single family detached homes for my customers, I am finding many more listings in the over $275,000 price. The under $275,000 market has less available inventory and, therefore, prices are holding more steady.

Foreclosures have hurt the market. We certainly have not seen the end of the foreclosures. They do seem to be slowing down and news reports have indicated that the numbers are down. Mortgage companies are working with customers and trying to save mortgages that they can. Modifications are being made and this might be helping the foreclosures to decrease.

Unemployment is going to be the biggest constraint on the housing market for the remainder of the year. There is better news recently in this area, also. The large lay-offs from companies in Colorado have been down in the last 2 months. This is seen as a good sign.

Advise to sellers:

Pricing your home correctly is extremely important. Otherwise it can be on the market for a while and that always hurts. Find a realtor who really knows the market and then listen to what they tell you about pricing your home. Take a look at this article about pricing your home.

To get the best price in your area, your home needs to be the best. Take the time and spend the money to make it the best. Not only do most buyers not want to have to do the work themselves after buying, but seeing your maintenance, painting or carpeting needs, but they usually wonder what else might your home need that they can't see. Here are some previous blogs that might help you to get your home ready for sale.

Don't wait for potential buyers to ask, offer in your listing to pay some closing costs for the buyer. This will attract more offers. Just be sure to allow for this when you price the home.

Advise to buyers:

Get pre-approved. Mortgage companies are getting very picky and you want to know for sure you will be approved and for how much. Your seller wants to know, too. They do not want to waste time taking their home off the market for a contract that will not go through.

I am ready to help you with your home purchase or with selling your home. Please give me a call, today, and let me answer any questions you have about buying or selling. I am committed to your best interests.

Barbara Salisbury,

Kenna Real Estate

720-884-6040

Barbara@kennarealestate.com

We here in Colorado have seen it many times on TV. A bear makes himself at home by entering someone's home and rummaging for food or a mountain lion frequents a local neighborhood and feasts on its pets. These situations and others just as dangerous present themselves because someone has, deliberately or not, left food outside only to be found by hungry bears, deer, elk, coyotes or others.

I'm going to explain why these dangerous scenes take place and why we say, "Don't feed the wildlife" here in Colorado. People in Colorado love the animals and love to feed them. After you have lived here for a while, though, you learn that this is dangerous for both humans and animals, both wild and not. It is also against the law. Here are some reasons why.

We must realize animals are animals, not humans. The foods we eat are often not good for them. As a matter of fact, it can make them sick or kill them. Deer, elk, pronghorn and sheep are ruminants. That means they have 4 chambers in their stomach which serves as a fermentation vat. They can eat large amounts of vegetables, but human food can stop their system. Eating non-natural foods can cause nutritional problems for them, also.

When food is left out for animals it draws many animals to that area. Bringing these animals together can help to spread any diseases that are present in any of them where as, leaving them to search for their own food causes them to naturally migrate and distribute themselves. They can also spread certain diseases to other species, pets and even humans.

Another problem is that wild animals, once attracted to developed areas, become very comfortable with humans, although we may not be comfortable with them. I am speaking of bears, mountain lions, coyotes and foxes. There is also a problem with attracting deer and elk. They are natural prey for mountain lions. Where deer and elk go, so do mountain lions. Then the mountain lions may find they like your pets as well as deer or elk.

When wild animals, especially deer and elk, start frequenting developed areas because of the food available there, they put themselves in danger of being hit by cars when crossing streets and highways.

The Division of Wildlife in Colorado does encourage using feeders for backyard birds. This is not a good idea in bear country, however. Hummingbird nectar is especially liked by bears.

There is one more reason for not feeding the wildlife. It is against the law in Colorado! That means no feeding deer, elk, pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions and bears.

We can enjoy the wildlife in Colorado without feeding them. We love to watch them, photograph them, hunt them and learn about them. We want to also protect them and ourselves by not feeding them.

Barbara Salisbury

Kenna Real Estate

Highlands Ranch, CO

720-884-6040

Barbara@kennarealestate.com