The biggest surprise for visitors to Denver is the climate.

Thanks to Denver's 300 days of blue skies and sunshine each year, the forecast is almost always a good one.

Winters are mild with an average daily high temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit and days reaching 60 degrees are not uncommon. Snow doesn't stay on the ground long in Denver so golf courses and outdoor cafes are able to stay open all year.

In summer, Denver enjoys low relative humidity, making for beautiful, sun-filled days and cool, comfortable evenings. The average daily high temperature in August is a mild 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The mild weather is due in part to the city's altitude: 5,280 feet above sea level.

Bob Bandy
Schools in Denver

FasTracks is RTD's 12-year comprehensive plan to build and operate high-speed rail lines and expand and improve bus service and park-n-Rides throughout the region.

With the Denver region currently serving as home to 2.5 million people and another 1 million expected to move to the metro area by 2030, improvements in transportation are critical to maintaining the quality of life that attracts so many to this area. In the past 10 years alone, RTD ridership has increased more than 28 percent.

Commuters throughout the Denver region have embraced transit and  voted a few years ago for a $4.7 billion investment to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to provide for our projected growth and future needs.

FasTracks includes:

• 122 miles of new light rail and commuter rail
• 18 miles of bus rapid transit service
• 57 new transit stations
• 21,213 additional parking spaces at transit park-n-Rides
• Enhanced bus service and FastConnects throughout the region

However, the Rocky Mountain News most recently reported there is no way RTD FasTrack can be finished on time, and on budget.  RTD general manager Cal Marsella says "no one could have predicted" that rising steel, concrete and energy prices would drive up the cost of FasTracks from the promised $4.7 billion to the current estimate of $7.9 billion. Marsella now says RTD has three choices: scale back construction, delay completion of FasTracks until as late as 2034, or raise taxes again. But there is a fourth choice: cancel FasTracks. A series of public meetings are being planned to get the public's input on the options that are on the table. 

Until next time,

Bob Bandy

What, am I crazy? Just hear me out. 

If you are thinking of selling your present home and buying up, read on. Say your home is worth $400,000 and the home you want to buy is $600,000, and we've had a 5.4% drop in prices from 1 year ago.  Your home lost $21,600 (ouch), but the one you want to buy lost $32,400.  You're actually $10,800 ahead if you sell now and buy up.  If you are selling, this is not the time to price your property with a "hopeful" price tag.  The market is rejecting properties that aren't priced competitively for their condition and location.

Actually, the market is reacting to a tension that has been slowly building for the last 5 years; excess inventory and decreased demand.  It was bound to happen.  The good news is that Denver led the nation in a softening of the housing market, so should lead the nation in a recovery. 

Buyers - if you can scrape money together from wherever, NOW is the time to buy. 

 

Bob Bandy

Search for a new home!

Autumn is the perfect time of year to explore and enjoy Denver. The colorful leaves, crisp air and unique attractions make fall the best season of the year.

Corn Maze at Chatfield
This huge corn maze includes two illuminated observation bridges that provide a bird's eye view to help you navigate. Kids under 10 should check out the free mini maze and a corn box to roll around in. Barrel train and hay rides will be available on select weekends. There is also a winding haunted trail and haunted house to be enjoyed by all

Rocky Mountain National Park
Throughout its 416 square miles of raw, untainted wilderness, this park is gorgeous in the fall season. It's a great time to explore everything this unique national treasure has to offer, from hiking, spectacular vistas and incredible wildlife. Look for elk in the meadows. Also don't miss Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the world crossing the Continental Divide at over two miles above sea level.  Estes Park is a resort town on the edge of the park with restaurants and shops.

Central City and Black Hawk
Once called the "Richest Square Mile on Earth", Central City and Black Hawk are two historic mining towns from the 1870s that have come alive with limited stakes casino gambling. The two towns offer more than 30 casinos with over 10,000 slot machines, blackjack tables and poker games. The two cities are also known for having some of the best-preserved Victorian architecture in the West. Other attractions include the Teller House Hotel where President Grant once stayed and the Central City Opera House, which still features an outstanding summer season of opera.

 

There are also 41 Colorado State Parks where you can go camping, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, or water sports.

 

Bob Bandy

 

Denver Metro Area Homes

Denver is a geographically isolated city sitting exactly one mile above sea level and over 600 barren miles from the next closest major city. Concealed from the west by bold foothills and towering 14,000-foot peaks, and protected to the east by an expansive and unforgiving high desert terrain, it is a place where everybody seems to be from somewhere else.

When you live in Denver, adventure awaits. If you're looking for a chic and sophisticated afternoon, visit any of the hundreds of museums and galleries that make Denver the Arts Capital of the West. Indulge your inner shopper or spend a blissful afternoon at a spa. Bike paths throughout the city are a great way to explore major attractions, or escape for a day-trip into the majestic Rockies.

Take in a concert in the great outdoors at the spectacular Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, or visit the monkeys at the Denver Zoo. There are plenty of attractions, including, Pikes Peak Region, Colorado State Capitol, US Mint and the Molly Brown House Museum.

Don't forget about the Colorado Rockies. Since the opening of Coors Field, home to baseball's Colorado Rockies, this 20-block district of 19th-century brick buildings has come alive with energy and entertainment. The original commercial core of Denver underwent a major renovation and now sports a seemingly endless variety of trendy pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, shops and luxurious loft apartments. It is an experience you don't want to miss.

Bob Bandy
Denver Area School Information

Whatever food you crave, Denver's great restaurants have it. From the humblest taco stand to the finest New American cuisine, the city boasts eats from around the world for every taste and budget.

 

Looking for the perfect cut of meat? Try Sullivan's Steakhouse. In the mood for something raw? Sushi Den has an impossibly fresh piece of fish with your name on it. And what if only the sweetest, most decadent dessert will do? Head to Devil's Food Bakery in the Gaylord shopping district.

 

Early risers love Denver's many outstanding breakfast options - everything from spicy huevos rancheros to a full champagne brunch is within reach. A bevy of hip coffee spots, like the DU hangout Stella's, complement Denver's wide range of eateries.

 

Virtually any kind of cuisine can be found in the Mile High City. Yes, even vegetarians can find plenty to keep them satisfied.

 

If it is ethnic you are looking for, with the exception of Mexican and Italian food, most good authentic ethnic cuisines are found outside the city center.

 

Be sure to read the annual "Best of Denver Issue" of Denver's weekly newspaper Westword. The selections, ranging from "Best Thai Food" to "Most Romantic Restaurant" to "Best Restaurant to Go When Someone Else is Paying" are all available on Westword's website. More dining suggestions and reviews can be found in the the dining sections of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.

 

The website OpenTable is very useful for booking reservations at many of the best restaurants in town.

 

Bob Bandy

Search Denver Homes

 

 In light of the U.S. Department of Treasury's action to place government sponsored enterprises, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, into a conservatorship, people will soon ask "What does this mean for me?"

Many experts have speculated that this decision could lead to lower rates on various mortgage products. Thus far, there has been no significant change in rates overall. Over the past week, the average rate 30-year fixed rate mortgages offered by major financial institutions have dropped 22.6 basis points from 6.761% to 6.535% according to Informa Research Services. If rates continue to drop due to this takeover, this may create some excellent opportunities for homeowners and prospective buyers alike.

For homeowners who have been waiting to refinance their mortgage, this may be a good opportunity to take advantage of lower rates. Make sure to shop around for the best deal!

To qualify for the best rates, be sure to maintain excellent credit. Keep tabs on your credit by  looking into free credit monitoring tools, such as Credit Karma. Credit Karma allows users to securely check and monitor their credit score on a regular basis.

No one can say for sure exactly how the takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will affect rates long term, but the best way to stay on top of rate trends is to check rates regularly. By using online rate comparison tables, checking rate trends is only a click away!

Source: Informa Research Services, Inc

Bob Bandy

Castle Rock Real Estate

Denver has many fine older homes, large and small. The craftsmanship, details and materials are hard to match today. From the mansions of Five Points to the Washington Park Denver Square you can find unexpected beauty. These houses can be a joy, if you understand, and are prepared for, the investment of time, money and energy to properly maintain them.

Foreclosures and older homes offer great opportunities for home owners looking for fixer-uppers and investors with the resources and knowledge to professionally renovate properties. With so many foreclosures available, banks are beginning to accept lower offers. The craftsmanship, materials and detail of work on some older houses are very expensive to match today. Older homes are often in established neighborhoods that are more stable than newly developing neighborhoods. Older homes also depreciate slower.

Older homes, and foreclosures, have their own special issues. Age proves the integrity and strength of a home, and the forgivingness of the soil they are built on. Denver's mild climate and dry air cause houses to deteriorate more slowly than in most of the world, but in most homes there is at least one area of maintenance that is overlooked.

The longer maintenance is deferred, the more damage is likely to result. A dripping hose bib can put thousands of gallons of water into the soil next to the foundation. The more saturated the ground becomes, the more likely foundation movement or damage becomes. When more water reaches the foundation, more water will penetrate the concrete, more rust is likely to weaken the rebar that holds the concrete together, mold is more likely to grow inside from moisture that has migrated through the foundation, insects and rodents are more likely to find your home hospitable, structural rot accelerates, and on and on. A leaking roof can have similar dynamics involving walls, ceilings and floors.

Common reasons for deferred maintenance include ignorance, apathy, lack of resources and physical inability to discover problems or do repairs. Foreclosures may add reasons that have to do with anger and fear. A desire for revenge, and an attitude of, 'If I can't have it, no one can', may compound problems for people who buy foreclosures. The problems that can be caused may not be easily found. Plaster of Paris in main drains, or other passive/aggressive sabotage is not meant to be found until the saboteur can longer be held responsible. Some people even believe that the misery, fear, anger and anguish, that often goes with losing your home, lingers making the house hard to sell and hard to be happy in.

Vacant properties may deteriorate quickly. Older, vacant properties deteriorate even faster. The damage of deferred maintenance accelerates. Empty houses are appealing targets for vandals. A small problem left undetected can grow large if there is no one to intervene quickly. Defects may be hidden by turned off utilities. One foreclosure I inspected spewed water from a broken pipe in the wall as soon as the main valve was turned on. Rodents and insects find vacant houses inviting.

Before you buy an older home or a foreclosure, have it thoroughly inspected. Make certain your inspector will go into crawl spaces and attics. These are areas that will show signs of major damage and must be inspected. Have the property inspected regardless of if you have a refusal on inspection clause. Know what you're facing.

The best return financially, and in enjoyment of your home, will usually come from a house that has no major defects and requires no additions. Cosmetic repairs can pay back well, while a new foundation doesn't add value, but adds significantly to the cost. Unexpected costs can blow budgets and profits.

Buyers today demand better kitchens and bathrooms. They want storage and office space. Houses with small rooms laid out like a maze aren't conducive to todays living. Pleasant outdoor living space and curb appeal increase value.

If you are planning on reselling the property make sure all repairs are done in a professional manner. Amateur workmanship raises warnings for inspectors and buyers. If one outlet is improperly wired, the whole system becomes suspect.

One house I inspected had a gas water heater crammed into an attic space. The vent was covered with a piece of sheet metal to protect the roof sheathing it was shove against. The tank leaked, it had no drip pan and a sewer exhaust vented next to the burner. The buyers were so frightened by the potential danger that resulted from the poor workmanship that they balked on buying the house.

Bright, or dark colors, can look great, but can give an amateurish look if poorly done. It is not uncommon for clients to grimace and shake their heads on entering a room painted in this manner. It doesn't make them feel good and that diminishes the value for them. It also puts me on alert, as an inspector, to look very closely for poor quality work.

There are additional environmental concerns with older houses. Homes were built with little insulation or regard for heating and cooling efficiency. Single pain windows provide only an R-1 insulation factor. Metal frames make them even worse.

There are environmental dangers as well. Asbestos insulation was manufactured in Denver until 1994 and used in area homes in attics. In the 1940s and 50s asbestos was used for siding, roofing, insulation, flooring and ceiling covering. There are still many post war, cracker box houses around the Denver area with asbestos siding. Lead may be found in plumbing and paint. Lead can be filtered out of water easily, but removing lead paint poses greater problems. Abandoned fuel tank and cisterns can be expensive to remediate.

Electrical service is often a problem with older houses. Knob and tube wiring, ungrounded circuits and outdated fuse boxes maybe found. The main service to the house may be inadequate for modern living. Two hundred amp service is normal these days. Older service boxes can be as small as 50 amp.

Upgrading the basic service is usually fairly easy. A basic service upgrade can run $700-1200 according to Freddie Mac estimates. The bigger problem is often in the rewiring. Two strand wiring must be replaced with three to provide a ground for the circuit. Some wiring can be accessed through attics and basements. Other replacement requires putting holes in the walls and/or ceiling.

Plumbing in homes where maintenance has been deferred, or poorly done, can reveal surprises. Car parts, duct tape and wire are some of the repair materials you might find holding together leaking plumbing systems. Even a small leak left for any amount of time will cause big damage and may attract insects and rodents, or grow mold.

In some homes you may find galvanized steel, polybutylene or lead pipes. In most cases these will have to be replaced. Lead drain pipes are still usable sometimes. Galvanized steel and polybutylene pipes may be functional, but they will eventually need replacement. Polybutylene pipes are expected to last about 10 years when used with a community water system containing chlorine. Galvanized pipes can last 40-50 years. Both corrode from the inside out.

Heating systems in older homes are probably obsolete unless recently replaced. Many older systems are dangerous and no longer allowed. Asbestos was a favorite insulation wrap for heating ducts. Some systems had burn hazards and/or fire or explosion danger. Even well designed systems that are functioning properly are no where near as energy efficient as those built after 1994. The same is true for cooling systems.

Venting for heating systems and fireplaces was commonly done through unlined chimneys. Current code requires chimneys to be lined. Unlined chimneys can allow CO to leak into the living areas. Exhaust from modern heating systems vented into unlined chimneys can condense acid on the inside walls that can eat away the mortar. This can allow CO to enter living spaces and eventually crumble the chimney itself.

A great appeal of older homes is often the landscape. Huge, old trees sometimes canopy the yard and house. These trees are often magnificent, beautiful and doomed. Trees planted too close to the house can crumble foundations as roots grow outward. Overhanging trees are a threat to the roof and possibly overhead electrical lines. A 40' tree 8 feet from a house will have to come down at an expense of around $2000. Roots can also lift and break driveways, sidewalks and fences.

Tree roots can be a menace to old tile sewer lines. Sifting soil can open gaps at joints where tiles meet. Root seeking water will penetrate the sewer line, clog it and possibly break it. The problem is never solved until the sewer line is replaced, or relined with plastic pipe.

Over time soil settles and may cause drainage patterns to change to channel water toward the house. Water meant for plants in the yard, and storm runoff from roof and landscape, can migrate to beneath the house. Foundation movement, wood rot, mold and termites can result. If the soil has settled enough next to the foundation to drain toward the house, you can expect that some long term damage has occurred.

Crawl spaces in older homes may be unlined and unvented. Crawl spaces are now fitted with plastic water barriers that prevent moisture from migrating from the ground into the house. Until recently, vents were placed at each end of a crawlspace to allow moisture to be dried with air flow. The new thinking is that the vapor barrier should extend to the top of the foundation, with foundation walls insulated, to bring the entire crawlspace within the thermal envelope. Plan on updating crawlspaces.

Roofs on older houses may have up to 4 layers of roofing. Only three layers are allowed now. To replace a roof with too many layers requires a complete tear off of the roof. Some houses will have a mixture of roofing materials, such as shingles over wood shakes. The more layers and more kinds of materials, the more likely it is to leak. Unless the roof has been completely replaced recently, plan on a complete rebuild. Half way measures will cost in the long run.

Brick and block work can last for thousands of years. Unfortunately, the mortar that holds them together needs to be maintained and replaced when it crumbles. Replacing the motor is called tuck pointing. It is expensive, about $35-50 a linear foot.

Older homes and foreclosures can provide great values, but you must understand that maintenance will need to be caught up and kept up. This requires a real commitment in time and money. Maintaining the woodwork in a Victorian mansion may be the equivalent of a part time job.



How Long Should Things Last in Your Home? Estimates by Freddie Mac
Appliances Life Estimate in Years
Dishwashers 5 to 12
Disposals 5 to 12
Washers and dryers 8 to 12
Water heaters 8 to 12
Refrigerators 15 to 20
Stoves 15 to 20
Gutters and Downspouts Life Estimate in Years
Galvanized 15 to 20
Copper Life of home if well-maintained
Heating and Air Conditioning Life Estimate in Years
Warm air furnace 8 to 12
Heat pumps 8 to 12
Air conditioning compressors 8 to 15
Gas chillers 8 to 15
Hot water boilers 30 to 50
Plumbing Life Estimate in Years
Gas hot water heater 8 to 12
Electric hot water heater 10-15
Private disposal systems (septic) 15 to 25
Galvanized water pipes 30 to 50
Roofs Life Estimate in Years
Selvage or asphalt roll 12 to 20
Wood shake and shingle 15 to 20
Asphalt 15 to 20
Fiberglass 15 to 20
Asbestos shingle 30-50
Slate 40-75

Copyright Carl Brahe - Inspection Perfection Inc. www.inspection-perfection.com 2006 all rights reserved.

Bob Bandy

Denver Property Search
Information for Buyers
Parker Real Estate