Archive for the ‘Denver Affordable Housing’ Category

Denver Homes for Sale: The Capitol Hill Neighborhood

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

The Capitol Hill area is Denver’s most densely populated neighborhood.  Bounded by Seventh Avenue, Downing Street, Broad way, and Colfax Avenue, this neighborhood is located in the eastern part of the city and is considered to be a separate neighborhood from the one referred to as “North Capitol Hill”, which is located on the other side of Colfax Avenue.

Denver homes for sale in this area often exhibit a style of architecture known as American Foursquare.  Historically, Capitol Hill was a place where the elite of Denver resided, but in the modern age, the neighborhood contains apartments, lofts, and condominium complexes as well as historic mansions.  Some of these mansions have been converted for use as office space, and the general commercial nature of the area means that parking spaces can be difficult to find.  Therefore, a key consideration in any home purchase in this area is to be sure in advance that the unit comes with sufficient dedicated parking spaces for your use.

Artists and bohemians lend the Capitol Hill area a rich and diverse culture, making it more cosmopolitan than many areas in the city.  Restaurants, clubs, bars, stores, concert venues, and art galleries are but a few of the cultural amenities lining the streets in this area.  Colfax Avenue in particular has a reputation for a lively round of concerts at night, with the two key venues being the Ogden and the Fillmore.  During the daytime, the area is characterized by politics as lobbyists congregate in bars and coffeehouses, wheeling and dealing with local politicians.

 

Housing Market Profile: Denver vs. Other American Cities

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

People who are looking for a home to purchase can either pay all cash up front or secure a mortgage.  Most people must of course opt for the latter option, but whether you are a cash buyer or in need of a loan, one thing that should be of paramount importance to you is the stability of housing values in the city and neighborhood you are considering.  Should you need to sell your home in the future, particularly if you must sell it on short notice due to a job change or other unforeseen event, you will want to be able to recoup at least its full value so that you do not lose your cash investment or end up “under water” on your mortgage.

Fortunately for those considering purchasing Denver homes, this Colorado city has one of the most stable housing markets in the nation.  The “Great Recession”, as the events since 2007 have come to be known, took a large toll on housing markets nationwide, and in some cities the effects are still being felt.  According to a study conducted by S&P/Case-Shiller, home valuations in Miami, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada have fallen by a whopping 50% or more in the last five years, and are continuing to decline, although at a slower pace than in 2008 and 2009.

Denver, in contrast, has experienced only an 8% decline during the same period.  Considering that house values fell nationwide beginning at about the same time that the Dow Jones lost about half of its value, an 8% decline represents a strong showing.

Denver: Fourth of July Celebrations Galore

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

denverLike many American cities, Denver hosts a traditional American Fourth of July celebration each year.  Unlike most cities, however, they include activities and attractions that are as far from typical as they are patriotic.  The 2011 celebration in Four Mile Park, for example, is slated to include visits from impersonators portraying both Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson as well as Uncle Sam himself.  The park celebration will also feature a reading of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson’s masterful explanation of the colonies’ reasons for rejecting the authority of King George III.

In the Four Mile House Museum, Denver’s oldest intact structure, visitors can observe the ways that Colorado pioneers celebrated the Fourth of July.  For those that prefer the arts to history, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival offers a celebration of the performing, visual, and culinary arts.  This festival draws more than 350,000 visitors to Denver each July and includes performances of dances from several different world regions.  Another opportunity for music lovers is at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which hosts an “improvised rock” music celebration that lasts the entire weekend.

If patriotic music is your preference, Denver has something to meet that need as well.  The Colorado Symphony will put on a free concert in Civic Center Park during the 2011 celebration of the Fourth.  This event will be accompanied by a light show and to cap off the evening, a fireworks show.

Buyers considering Denver homes for sale can have confidence that their new hometown does the nation proud each year for Independence Day.

Media Outlets in Denver, Colorado

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

denverIn some senses, Denver, Colorado is a mid-sized city; its greater metropolitan area is not as large as that of New York or Los Angeles, for example.  When it comes to media outlets, however, Denver has all the hallmarks of one of America’s great cities.  Denver homes provide residents here with a wealth of television stations, radio stations, and print media outlets.

Denver Television Stations

According to the rankings from Nielson Media Research, Denver is the 16th largest market of television viewers in the United States.  In this day of streaming video, local stations are failing in some areas of the nation, but Denver remains strong in this sector.  The city boasts affiliates of all the major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, and CW.  It also offers two stations that participate in the Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision and a Christian station owned by the LeSea Broadcasting Group.

In all, Denver has more than nine local stations.

Radio and Print Media Outlets

There are more than 40 radio stations in Denver, which according to the Arbitron rankings is the nineteenth largest market for radio in the nation.  Denver has both AM and FM stations that offer a range of formats from music and news to political talk and commentary.

Denver’s two largest print dailies merged operations over a decade ago, forming the Denver Newspaper Agency.  There are also numerous alternative and special interest newspapers published in Denver, including The Onion, providing a satirical take on the news.

Jefferson Park: Citizen Action Improves Neighborhood

Monday, May 16th, 2011

DenverDenver, Colorado has two neighborhoods named after parks that honor a beloved president: Lincoln Park and Jefferson Park.  Denver homes in Jefferson Park offer residents an urban lifestyle with a short commute in to the city to work.  The recent history of Jefferson Park includes successful efforts on the part of residents to stop a proposed development that would have destroyed the park after which the neighborhood is named, in favor of building an amphitheater instead.  The development would also have razed a large number of 19th century homes.

In 2000, residents banded together to form Jefferson Park United Neighbors because the former neighborhood association had failed to act against the development.  JPUN fought the company proposing the development, talking to the mayor of Denver as well as representatives on the Denver City Council.  Eventually, JPUN prevailed and the development was halted.

This success encouraged residents in the Jefferson Park area to turn their attention to other ways in which they could improve their neighborhood.  In the past 12 years, Jefferson Park residents have formed partnerships with the city and other entities such as the INVESCO Field at Mile High.  With funds garnered from these efforts, the neighborhood has seen many improvements in infrastructure such as paving alleyways, planting trees, repairing crumbled curbs, and generally beautifying the area.

Thanks to these efforts, Jefferson Park is currently considered one of the fastest-moving real estate markets in Denver despite the relative poverty of some of its inhabitants.

 

Denver Crime Statistics

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

denver crimeNo major American city is free from crime, and even small towns have their share of problems.  When it comes to large metropolitan areas, though, some are much more riddled with crime than others.  Denver, Colorado is an example of an American city with relatively low crime rates.

If you ask Denver residents about crime in their area, they may have some complaints to share.  Visitors to the Denver region, on the other hand, almost uniformly perceive it as an area of very low crime.  When compared to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and other major metropolitan areas, Denver stands out as a place with low crime rates.

Even some Denver natives are able to see their city’s benefits when it comes to standard of living.  A longtime resident of the Washington Park, Golden Triangle and Cherry Creek area, for example, commented on a Denver crime statistics forum that he has never “felt unsafe,” although he does take common-sense precautions such as locking his car and securing his garage door.

Numbers give a more accurate picture than anecdotes.  Denver is approximately the same size as Oklahoma City in terms of population.  Although Denver has slightly more people, in 2006 it had fewer murders and aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.  Denver also had fewer forcible rapes.  The most dramatic difference was in crimes related to theft; Denver had about one-third fewer burglaries and more than 40% fewer larceny thefts.

All of this means that Denver homes are likely to hold their value as Denver will continue to be a good place to live.

Both Traditional and Alternative Medical Care Available in Denver

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

DenverDenver, Colorado is a city with a very high proportion of college graduates, and an educated population  means that when it comes to medical care, people are aware that there’s more than one kind of treatment option available for many conditions.  Residents of Denver have the advantage of easy access to choices when it comes to medical care because health care professionals there offer both traditional and alternative therapies.  Sometimes, both kinds of treatment options are available at the same business site.  This is the case with the medical group known as Advanced Integrative Medicine.

The practitioners at Advanced Integrative Medicine don’t discount the scientific and technological advances that are part and parcel of modern medicine, but they believe that both Western and Eastern treatment techniques can be of benefit.  They offer services such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and therapy involving therapeutic massage to patients who can benefit from them.

They also offer psychological services such as life and grief counseling to assist patients as they deal with various life issues as well as serious causes of stress such as a death or trauma in the family.  A full stress management program is available in conjunction with nutritional counseling whose foundation is the idea that a healthy body promotes a more healthy outlook and lifestyle.  Internal medicine and family practice work to understand your full medical history to better offer you appropriate treatment.

Americans considering Denver homes for sale can rest assured that in this city, patients have access to a wide range of medical care.

Denver Properties Offer Excellent Relocation Prospects

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

DenverDenver, Colorado has been growing at a startling rate since before World War II.  Decade after decade, its population growth rate has exceeded that of the United States as a whole.  In the ten years prior to 2007, for example, the growth rate in the region climbed an average of two percent per year, giving it a current population of nearly three million people.  Analysts at the Denver Office of Economic Development estimate that the population of the metro area will increase by nearly 50 percent by 2030.  Projections include a population of almost four million and 800,000 additional jobs by that time.

It seems clear that the Mile High City, as Denver is widely known, is one of the busiest relocation sites in the nation.  Perhaps that is because the median household income in the metropolitan region exceeds the national median by almost 16 percent.  Denver real estate is another strong attraction; even during the recent recession, it maintained its value far more than real estate in other large western cities such as Las Vegas.

People relocating to Denver can choose a neighborhood to match their interests.  Cherry Creek North, for example, is a haven for shoppers.  It has hundreds of independent stores and over a hundred more in the local mall.  The uptown district is near the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the zoo, while art lovers might prefer the Golden Triangle Museum District, an area filled with galleries and theaters.

Open Space and Recreation in Broomfield

Monday, April 4th, 2011

BroomfieldBroomfield, Colorado is located along Highway 36.  Located midway between Denver and Boulder, Broomfield is an ideal home base for commuters to either city, since the drive only takes about 20 minutes.  Although Denver International Airport is less than an hour away, Broomfield offers its own Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport operating 24 hours a day.

Families living with children will appreciate the educational opportunities in the area.  Both public and private schools serve the K-12 age range, and there are several college options including Metro State College and Front Range Community College located nearby.  Colorado University campuses operate in both Boulder and Denver, and private universities within driving distance include Regis University, Devry, the University of Phoenix, and Denver University.  About one-third of Broomfield residents have earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Broomfield has long been noted for its commitment to maintaining open spaces and outdoor recreational opportunities.  Over 63 parks dot the local area.  These include amenities such as baseball and soccer fields as well as tennis courts and developmentally appropriate playground sets.  The Open Space and Trails Division of the city government maintains a system of hiking trails for residents and visitors to enjoy, most of them located in the thousands of acres of natural habitat maintained by the city.  In the summer, the city sponsors open-air concerts and cultural festivals.

The city is committed to a controlled growth model that will enhance and maintain the feeling of community that residents share. Search for Broomfield homes for sale now!

Housing Trends in Denver, Colorado

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Denver Housing TrendsAfter three years of negative growth in appreciation, housing stocks in Denver posted positive growth in 2010, climbing 0.12%.  This placed the Denver-Aurora area in the 74th percentile in terms of house price appreciation, meaning that 73% of major markets performed worse during the 2010 calendar year.

These numbers are not overly impressive, considering that Denver posted double-digit appreciation increases in both 1999 and 2000.  Still, given the ongoing economic problems in Colorado and the rest of the country, these results are encouraging and mean that Denver may have pulled out of the price slump that affected much of the nation from 2007 to 2009.

In terms of housing stocks, Denver had about three times as many houses as condominiums on the market in December of 2010.  Completed sales of condominiums in the same month hovered around 25% of house sales, however, suggesting that those moving to Denver or changing residence in the city may prefer single family homes.  These figures represent the latest data available for real estate in the region, since it takes some months to collect and assemble information from many different sources.

Since Denver homes appear to be rising above the recent economic turmoil to recover their previous values, this may be a good time to invest in the market.  Historic homes in the area are particularly resistant to large declines in value and are often at a premium due to their scarcity.