• Cinco de Mayo Festival Civic Center Park May 8-9
• Washington Park Home Tour Begins at any home or Steele Elementary School May 8
• Tesoro Annual Indian Market and Powwow The Fort restaurant May 15-16
• Annual Downtown Denver Festival of the Arts Denver Pavilions May 28-31

As always,
thank you for
your business
and referrals
of people
considering buying
or selling a home.

Signs of economic life blooming in Denver metro area

While unemployment has risen to double digits and real estate prices have dropped precipitously in many states, Colorado continues to hold its own. And Denver, far from declining, is emerging smartly from the economic crisis, much like the tulips now emerging from our long winter.

Metro home prices here are among the most stable in the nation. In addition, we are hearing good news on the job front. Consider the renewable energy bill Gov. Ritter recently signed into law (see back page) and, even more encouraging, the thriving business hub that has been created by the development of the Fitzsimmons medical campus.

The success of this area was recently highlighted in an article in the Denver Post, which reported that the site - which hosts the University of Colorado Hospital, The Children's Hospital, The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes and the School of Denver Medicine - has generated thousands of jobs. In the process, it has become a boon to the local real estate market.

Fitzsimmons was originally an Army post that accounted for 2,904 jobs when it closed in the mid-1990s. While its loss was a blow to the area, local officials acted boldly to transform the area into a medical hub. The campus is now expected to employ a whopping 44,569 people once fully built. What's more, bioscience companies have flocked to the region as a result of the development, bringing even more jobs with them.

"What was a fledgling industry suddenly became a real industry," economic development expert Tom Clark told the Post.

For local real estate, this means especially good news: more people looking for homes that offer easy access to Fitzsimmons - now and well into the future as development of the area continues.

While much attention has been given to the struggles we've all faced recently, it's nice to celebrate the victories that are appearing as quietly as those tulips.

Let's all enjoy the hopeful signs that things are coming back to life - in the garden, as well as in our economy - as we are graced with another glorious Colorado spring!

Metro Market At A Glance

Sales

Average Price

Inventory*

Avg. Days on Market

* Includes active and under contract. Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period 3/1/10 through 3/31/10. Note: This representation is based in whole or in part on content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

The view from your windows may help sell your home

If you're thinking of putting your house on the market, don't just consider how buyers will view your home inside: think about how things will look from the inside out! The view of your yard from your windows, especially in spring and summer, can make a big difference in its marketability.

As gardening season gets underway, here are a few tips from Realtor magazine on how to make your patio or yard more attractive:

• Plant mature trees: Buying large trees is often an expensive option, but this year, many nurseries are overstocked, according to Realtor. Take advantage of the resulting lower prices and enhance the curb appeal of your home at the same time. (One caveat: Be sure to consider how tall the trees will grow over their lifetime to ensure they won't block the sunlight or the view of your home from the curb.)
• Add texture and color: The right plants can add visual interest over many seasons. Ornamental grasses, for example, offer colors that transform from green, blue or reddish purple in spring to red, orange or tan in the fall, making for a subtly beautiful display over time. You might also consider planting trees with interesting bark texture or branches, or shrubs with colorful berries for visual delights that extend into fall and winter.
• Plant in mobile pots. To add versatility to your exterior decorating options, plant flowers, vegetables and small trees in pots that are easy to move around. You can then place them strategically around your yard or patio, as needed. For example, you might line up several pots as a visual barrier to an unsightly spot on your patio, or spruce up bare spots in your yard with a burst of color. Best of all, you can move the pots inside as the weather turns, extending the enjoyment of your moveable garden.
• Install new focal points: Architectural elements, such as fireplaces, fire pits, birdbaths, fountains and gazebos are wonderful options for spicing up a backyard - as long as you make certain they are appropriate for the size of your yard. A large gazebo, for instance, can dwarf a tiny backyard and look out of place.
• Add interest to the path to your front door: Combining interesting natural materials for your walkway - such as brick or stone - with attractive perennials can greatly increase the curb appeal of your home. Consider plants with fragrant smells, such as lavender and mint, and walkways that offer angles or curves for greater visual appeal.

Generations living together, overcoming challenges

If your empty nest is filling up again - with parents and grown children - don't get your feathers ruffled; you're not alone.

According to a recent survey, 37 percent of real estate practitioners noticed an increase in buyers looking for space to accommodate three generations. Nearly 70 percent noted that they expect an increase in this kind of demand in the future.

In addition, the Journal of Financial Service Professionals reports that while in 1990, only 25 percent of young adults ages 18-24 lived with their parents, by 2000, the number had jumped to 52 percent. The figure, according to the journal, is still rising.

The result, say many, can be a challenging set of emotional issues for all concerned.

Fortunately, many authors and other resources are ready with advice. If you're considering allowing your grown children back under your roof, for example, Elina Furman, author of Boomerang Nation, offers these tips:

• Establish rules: Will there be a curfew? Can your child use your car? "The more specific you get now, the less likely that conflict will erupt later," Furman said in a recent interview.
• Charge rent: Even if it's just $50 a month, your child should contribute to paying household expenses. Furman suggests parents save this money for the child, investing it so that he or she can use it on a big expense later, such as a first home or an apartment.
• Require that the child work, even if the job isn't in his chosen field: "Too many young adults think that if they can't find a job in their chosen career, they don't have to be working," says Furman. Young adults should take jobs in retail, food service, child care or other fields while looking for a job in their discipline, she notes. While these fields may only pay minimum wage, they will still allow young adults to earn spending money and contribute to the household.
• Set a time limit: Specifying a move-out date will help motivate your child to look for a job - and you'll feel better knowing that nest may not be quite so crowded one day down the road.

Thanks to those who helped us help others

We would like to extend a hearty thank you to those of you who participated in our recent charitable activities. Our December Holiday Party, featuring the crafts of local artisans, raised $3,000 for the Gathering Place, a shelter for women and children. The funds allowed us to buy Christmas presents for 100 families.

Our recent Chocolate Fantasy and Valentine's Day Market, where we sold chocolate desserts and wine samplings, raised $2,500. The money was donated to Operation Smile, a charity for those suffering from cleft palate and other facial deformities. The event made it possible for us to offer corrective surgery to ten children.

Thanks again to all of you who helped us make a difference in our community!

Renewable energy bill good news for business

In a move that's sure to enhance Colorado's standing as an environmentally friendly state, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter recently signed into a law a bill that will significantly raise the state's renewable energy standards - and potentially attract new businesses to the area.

House Bill 1001 will require Xcel Energy and other investor-owned utilities serving Coloradans to generate 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. This is a 10 percent increase from the current standard of 20 percent and will be the highest renewable energy standard in the Rocky Mountain West, according to the Denver Post.

Highlighting the bill's potential to attract green business to the state, Ritter held the signing at SolSource, a solar business in north Denver begun in the owner's garage six years ago.

"This is a commitment to clean energy that is unparalleled in the country," said Ritter, who noted that the measure should help the state attract companies on the cutting edge of the new energy economy.

The bill also has provisions to encourage small-scale, home-based energy production. The Governor's Energy Office predicts that the new program will result in the installation of solar panels, small wind turbines and other energy-producing devices in as many as 100,000 homes. In the process, it's expected to create plentiful jobs for companies that install the devices - good news for the economy, as well as the environment.