Parts of Denver Are Appreciating

A recent article in US News reported that although many areas of Denver have experienced a reduction of home values during the past two years, homeowners in select neighborhood have actually seen APPRECIATION of home values. This color coded map shows in blue (0 to 5%) and green (5% +) where owners have been experiencing an increase in their property values over the past two years.

If you are thinking of purchasing a home in Denver you might want to first consider looking in the areas that have bucked the national and local trend. After all, the reasons these pockets of areas are and have shown appreciation while other areas have not, will continue to exist in the future. You too can benefit by owning a home, or investment property, in one of these appreciating areas.

Good Trend For Denver's Housing Market

Denver's housing market appears to have turned the corner.

Supply and demand always determines the value of a product or an entire market. The breaking news is that the supply of currently listed homes for March 2008 is 3.5% less than for the same month in 2007. This is a very significant number indicating the Denver housing market is improving as compared to a year ago.

Another interesting point is that Denver is one of only five major markets to see a decrease in available homes as compared to the same period last year. Denver has only a 6.4 month supply of homes available today; one of the lowest numbers of all major housing markets nationally. In contrast, Miami has a 35 month supply of homes and other areas like Las Vegas, Tampa, and Detroit have close to an 18 month supply.

Other indicators that Denver has turned the corner can be found in a recent Forbes article stating that local builders had reduced building by nearly 50%, Denver has seen a 20% drop in the number of vacant homes and new jobs has increased by 2%.

If you are considering buying a home in Denver, you might want to do so before the prices start to increase. And, before the inventory of available homes decreases further.

Want A Volume Discount With Your Next Moving Company?

We at RE/MAX are always working for our clients to get them the best possible pricing with their entire relocation. We have just established an affiliation with MoveSource which can provide moving services from various major van lines, including Atlas, Mayflower and United. Due to the high volume of business we refer these van lines, we can pass along the volume discounts to our clients.

In addition to the discounts available to you, MoveSource also offers you the following benefits:
* Guaranteed pricing in writing prior to your move
* Guaranteed pick-up and delivery dates
* Up to $75,000 full value replacement coverage at no additional cost
* A relocation coordinator to counsel you throughout your move
* Post-move assistance in case of a claim

You can also contact MoveSource by calling 800-991-6683

Here is a helpful Moving Check List you may find helpful when planning your next move.

Your Money Can Grow On Trees

Improving your landscaping is the absolute single best way of increasing the value of your home for the money you invest. All other things owners do to their home like kitchen or bath remodeling will only return a portion of every dollar invested; and actually loses some value each year thereafter. Well designed landscaping will actually increase in value each year.

Home buyers always value a landscaped home more than a non-landscaped or under landscaped properties. The Society of Real Estate Appraisers state that 95% of the appraisers believe that landscaping adds to the dollar value of residential real estate by improving your homes’ appearance.

Landscaping Tips:

1. Consult with a professional landscape design firm or even your local nursery to insure you purchase landscaping that will thrive in your climate.

2. Plant flowers that will bloom at various times throughout the spring, summer and fall months of the year to maximize the color and appearance of your property.

3. Be sure the space will be adequate for the fully mature tree you will be planting. (For example: A Colorado Blue Spruce tree can have a 50 foot diameter when mature. So, be sure the area selected will support such a tree in the years to come.)

4. Drive your neighborhood as well as fully mature subdivisions to see what others have done with their landscaping. There is nothing wrong with coping great landscaping ideas of other owners.

5. Add water features. The sight and wonderful sounds of a water feature can greatly increase the value of your landscaping and set your home apart from others in your neighborhood. A comment from a viewer of my March 20, 2008 blog mentioned that: "Flowers that attract the butterflies will attract the hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles as well. To attract the songbirds, a birdfeeder usually works best." So, you might also consider adding a birdfeeder and perhaps a birdbath to your landscaping as well.

6. Go online to find landscaping ideas. Here are a few excellent sites to consider:

Free Landscaping Design Ideas

Water Features On Any Budget

Landscape Designs To Create A Beautiful Back Yard Retreat

UNDER CONTRACT HOMES INCREASING

Under Contract and/or SOLD Signs are popping up all over the place!

I have been quite busy lately showing many different price range of buyers around both older and newer neighborhoods. The one significant, and exciting, change I have noticed in even the past three weeks is the number of Under Contract sign riders there are on Realtor's for sales signs. Homes are starting to sell again in the Denver market. Buyers are actually buying again; instead of just out looking like they were for most of this past winter.

With increased buyer interest (demand) will result in a reduction of the available inventory. Reduced inventory and increased demand will result in prices moving up on Denver homes. My guess is we will see prices firming up and start moving upward in the most desirable neighborhoods by June or July. Other neighborhoods will see price movement by the end of this year.

Metro Denver MLS Two Letter Description Codes

Have you ever been searching through various Denver MLS listings and wondered what all those two letter description codes mean. Well, you need not wonder any longer. I have provided you answers for how to interpret the metro Denver MLS Codes.

Are Woodpeckers Damaging Your Home?

Woodpeckers can be a real head ace to homeowners. If your home has wood siding or EIFS stucco, (exterior insulating finishing system), you very likely have experienced the damage caused by woodpeckers. They generally favor nesting locations high up on the side of homes; like the Flicker in the photo. Chimney chases and columns of decks clad with stucco are other highly desirable locations for these birds because they resonate like hollow dead trees when they are drummed on. When a woodpecker finally opens a large enough hole to pass through, they discover a wonderful new home for themselves has been created.

Although this may not appear to be problematic for you as the homeowner, it really is the beginning of what may be a very expensive problem. When rain or snow goes through the hole, water damage inside the wall of your home is inevitable. Stucco siding has been know to completely delaminate and fall off of the home. Additionally, mold can also start growing inside the walls of your home. (See Mold - Mold - Mold And YOU and Mold - What You Should Know) Total repair expenses of such damage starts in the hundreds of dollars and can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars.

There are two effective ways to repair woodpecker damaged areas. First, hard coat the repaired hole – over the existing softer EIFS finish. Woodpeckers will not enjoy pecking through the much harder exterior finish the second time. A second method might be to install Hardie Board over the damaged areas and then finish with hard coat stucco texture. Once the wall has been repaired and repainted, they will look like they did when they were first installed.

See additional information on Preventing Woodpecker Damage at
WOODPECKERS BOTHERING YOU? ? WHAT TO DO

Learn more about Woodpeckers .

Top 5 Cost-Effective Remodel Projects

According to “Remodeling Magazine” there are five home improvement projects that consistently gave back the most return for the money invested. ServiceMagic.com just completed a video report discussing the Five Best Home Improvement projects nationwide. They asked me to participate in their video as their 30 years in the business Real Estate Expert. Be sure to check out there video and my comments.

If you are thinking of doing some home improvements for the purpose of selling your home, be sure to see my article titled REPAIR TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFITS WHEN SELLING

AND the one I wrote titled "STAGING" YOUR HOME FOR A QUICK SALE.

As always, let me know if you would like to discuss the sale of your home. I am always available to assist you with helpful ideas as well as the actual marketing of your home.