Costco will build in the Crown Point development southeast of E-470 and South Parker Road near Parker Adventist Hospital. Town council unanimously voted April 16 to approve the incentive agreement, which will share back sales, use and excise taxes over a maximum of nine years.The incentive is the largest Parker has granted, eclipsing the $6.1 million economic sales tax break given to Super Target in June 2005.
Town administrator Jeannene Bragg said the incentive package not only will bring in Costco to fill a service gap, but "help spur additional retail on the north end of town."One of town council's goals for economic development is to "provide incentives and support to encourage" the development of key community services that are lacking in Parker, including a book store, retail membership outlet and family entertainment venues, according to a memo to council from Bragg.
Crown Point also will receive a maximum of $3.6 million in tax incentives. The agreement is part of an amendment to an existing sales tax incentive package approved by town council several years ago, the memo says. Parker will retain a portion of future sales tax for general fund use. Costco must still go through Parker's development review process, and the incentive agreements are dependent upon the opening of a Costco store in Crown Point.
Tim Leonard, a representative for the Crown Point development, said his clients have been in discussions with Costco for more than three years. Costco, a Washington-based corporation, is hoping to open the store by Christmas.Ben Snow, executive director for the Parker Economic Development Council, said the planned location for Costco is of "critical geographic importance" in terms of future commercial development.Town council member Gary Lasater said that incentive packages are not awarded to everyone and said a retail membership warehouse was listed in a gap analysis of Parker.
Town council member Tracy Hutchins said "it is a lot of money" to grant in sales tax incentives, but town council has a "vested financial interest" to accommodate the needs and wants of Parker consumers. Hutchins said she respects the free enterprise system in Parker because it allows for competition in the marketplace.The town will share back 60 percent of sales tax collected at Costco during each one-year period of the agreement until the town has paid $4 million to the retailer. Once the $4 million is collected, the town will share back 80 percent of sales tax until Costco receives $8 million. Parker will share back all of the excise taxes once a certificate of occupancy is issued.Town council is giving $3.6 million in sales tax incentives to Crown Point for discounting the purchase price of the Costco property.
Contact Chris Michlewicz at 303-841-5497 or cmichlewicz@ccnewspapers.com.
For more info on Parker Colorado and Parker Colorado Homes, go to http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Subdivision's Residents Balk at More Drilling
This article below illustrates the tug-of-war we are having between developers and the public. Although the developers should have the right to develop their property, its all about making money for them, and nothing else. And they could care a less about the greater good of the communites they develop in and the bigger picture of scarcity of resources on our earth, and in Colorado. When will it end? When will we finally say "we don't have enough water for more homes, period, and we can't build any more of them?" I bet it never happens, and I bet we let them build and build until we have a crisis and we all lose, especially future generations.
By Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News April 25, 2007
Bear Mountain Vista homeowners are well aware why Jefferson County is weighing ways to govern new wells in mountain subdivisions.
The 1,000-acre subdivision south of Evergreen features broad meadows, mountain views, a wealth of wildlife and several hundred homes with individual wells.
It also features growing concern over shrinking water supplies.
Developer Ron Lewis had asked the state water court for permission to drill nine new wells on less than 35 acres within Bear Mountain Vista. But adjacent -homeowners concerned about their own wells objected.
The case is pending before the Colorado Supreme Court.
Unlike the vast underground water basins that Douglas County depends on, Jefferson County's mountain residents tap into unpredictable caches of water in random fractures of bedrock.
"Drilling wells here is like going to Las Vegas and shooting craps," said Jim Peterson, a former federal geologist and president of the Bear Mountain Homeowners Association.
Peterson said some homeowners in his area had monitored the flows from their wells since the late 1990s.
"We have evidence that the water levels were declining by up to hundreds of feet and there'd been well failures near us and around us," he said.
Peterson said the wells that failed were redrilled and some went to 1,100 feet before finding enough water for showers, washing dishes, cooking and laundry.
The prospect of new wells tapping into the same declining levels of water was troubling, so the homeowners went to water court, which agreed with them in August 2006.
"Lewis provided no evidence that there was enough water to supply the new homes," said Peterson.
Lewis, who for 50 years has developed mountain subdivisions that rely on groundwater, appealed to the state's high court.
"Not all of the wells up there declined. In some wells, the water levels rose," he said.
Nevertheless, Water Court Judge Jonathan Hayes denied Lewis well permits for his Cragmont subdivision, too, which now relies on water trucked from Bailey to a central cistern.
Lewis also is fighting the county's proposed new well regulations.
"The county should keep its nose out of the water business," he said.
Today, the most productive wells in Lewis' subdivisions are 1,000 feet deep or more - made possible in part due to new drilling technology.
"I've drilled 250 wells in Bear Mountain," said Lewis. "Each home I know of has well water from a limited supply to more than enough."
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
By Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News April 25, 2007
Bear Mountain Vista homeowners are well aware why Jefferson County is weighing ways to govern new wells in mountain subdivisions.
The 1,000-acre subdivision south of Evergreen features broad meadows, mountain views, a wealth of wildlife and several hundred homes with individual wells.
It also features growing concern over shrinking water supplies.
Developer Ron Lewis had asked the state water court for permission to drill nine new wells on less than 35 acres within Bear Mountain Vista. But adjacent -homeowners concerned about their own wells objected.
The case is pending before the Colorado Supreme Court.
Unlike the vast underground water basins that Douglas County depends on, Jefferson County's mountain residents tap into unpredictable caches of water in random fractures of bedrock.
"Drilling wells here is like going to Las Vegas and shooting craps," said Jim Peterson, a former federal geologist and president of the Bear Mountain Homeowners Association.
Peterson said some homeowners in his area had monitored the flows from their wells since the late 1990s.
"We have evidence that the water levels were declining by up to hundreds of feet and there'd been well failures near us and around us," he said.
Peterson said the wells that failed were redrilled and some went to 1,100 feet before finding enough water for showers, washing dishes, cooking and laundry.
The prospect of new wells tapping into the same declining levels of water was troubling, so the homeowners went to water court, which agreed with them in August 2006.
"Lewis provided no evidence that there was enough water to supply the new homes," said Peterson.
Lewis, who for 50 years has developed mountain subdivisions that rely on groundwater, appealed to the state's high court.
"Not all of the wells up there declined. In some wells, the water levels rose," he said.
Nevertheless, Water Court Judge Jonathan Hayes denied Lewis well permits for his Cragmont subdivision, too, which now relies on water trucked from Bailey to a central cistern.
Lewis also is fighting the county's proposed new well regulations.
"The county should keep its nose out of the water business," he said.
Today, the most productive wells in Lewis' subdivisions are 1,000 feet deep or more - made possible in part due to new drilling technology.
"I've drilled 250 wells in Bear Mountain," said Lewis. "Each home I know of has well water from a limited supply to more than enough."
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Weather an Impact?
Realtors love to come up with excuses on why the market is slow. Can the weather have an impact on housing sales? It can impact moods, schedules, access, and of course how well a home shows. With the wacky weather we had this past winter, its not a stretch to think it made a difference...
Bad weather in February led to slow sales of existing homes nationwide in March, according to a new report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Western states, including Colorado, were particularly hard hit.
But metro Denver fared much better than the West as a whole, based on preliminary data, according to NAR spokesman Walt Molony. "It wasn't down as much," he said.
Data on recent Colorado existing-home sales will be released on May 15, according to NAR.
The West reported the largest drop, by region, in the number of home sales from March of last year -- 16.7 percent to 1.2 million. Sales of houses in the region decreased 9.1 percent from February of this year.
Homes sales are seasonally adjusted to factor out variations in resale activity, including family buying patterns, according to NAR. But seasonal factors don't compensate for bad weather.
The West also saw the biggest decrease in median sales prices of existing homes, at 2.9 percent to $330,600. The Western median sales price was the highest among the regions last month, with the next-highest median being $268,600 in the Northeast.
Sales prices are not seasonally adjusted.
All regions of the country saw declines in the number of home sales in March, according to NAR.
Sales of existing homes -- including single-family houses, townhomes and condominiums -- dropped 11.3 percent to 6.12 million last month from the same month in 2006. March sales decreased 8.4 percent from February of this year.
The Northeast saw the least decline in sales at 5.1 percent.
Median sales price decreased 0.3 percent to $217,000 from March 2006. Only one region of the country -- the South -- saw an increase in median sales price, up 0.4 percent to $180,700.
Based in Washington, D.C., NAR is one of this country's largest trade groups. It represents more than 1.3 million members involved in residential and commercial real estate.
Go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net for the best local real estate information.
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Bad weather in February led to slow sales of existing homes nationwide in March, according to a new report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Western states, including Colorado, were particularly hard hit.
But metro Denver fared much better than the West as a whole, based on preliminary data, according to NAR spokesman Walt Molony. "It wasn't down as much," he said.
Data on recent Colorado existing-home sales will be released on May 15, according to NAR.
The West reported the largest drop, by region, in the number of home sales from March of last year -- 16.7 percent to 1.2 million. Sales of houses in the region decreased 9.1 percent from February of this year.
Homes sales are seasonally adjusted to factor out variations in resale activity, including family buying patterns, according to NAR. But seasonal factors don't compensate for bad weather.
The West also saw the biggest decrease in median sales prices of existing homes, at 2.9 percent to $330,600. The Western median sales price was the highest among the regions last month, with the next-highest median being $268,600 in the Northeast.
Sales prices are not seasonally adjusted.
All regions of the country saw declines in the number of home sales in March, according to NAR.
Sales of existing homes -- including single-family houses, townhomes and condominiums -- dropped 11.3 percent to 6.12 million last month from the same month in 2006. March sales decreased 8.4 percent from February of this year.
The Northeast saw the least decline in sales at 5.1 percent.
Median sales price decreased 0.3 percent to $217,000 from March 2006. Only one region of the country -- the South -- saw an increase in median sales price, up 0.4 percent to $180,700.
Based in Washington, D.C., NAR is one of this country's largest trade groups. It represents more than 1.3 million members involved in residential and commercial real estate.
Go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net for the best local real estate information.
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Timbers Will Rock Your World
If you want to see the most innovative floorplans, the best and newest finishes, and some unbelievable elevations on 1/2 acre wooded lots, come to The Timbers at The Pinery. There are usually from 8-14 Open Houses there every weekend from 11AM-6PM. The are simply gorgeous!
For more information about this area, call Jeff @ 303-717-1492. Go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net for the latest info on new construction!
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Parker Colorado Growing Up!
The natural evolution of the local economy is stretching Parker's borders and piquing the interest of office developers.
The Parker Economic Development Council is planning for the future and wants to strike a balance between residential, retail and office uses."We're at the point where we are large enough that office uses are in demand," said Ben Snow, executive director of the economic development council. "Office developers are taking notice because Parker is just at the threshold [of homes] needed to support that kind of development."The economy follows a natural progression that starts with a housing boom, Snow said.
People are soon followed by retailers and service providers and finally office buildings. But as it stands, Parker loses about 75-80 percent of its population every workday, resulting in a lagging daytime economy."The best places to live have good jobs, quality schools and a low crime rate," he said. "The quality of life things don't matter if there are no jobs. Jobs are the linchpin of the economy."Furthermore, as traffic congestion increases there needs to be alternatives for the local workforce, including an option to not commute out of Parker, Snow said.In the last six months, there has been an increase in the number of inquiries to the economic development council from large corporations interested in basing their headquarters in Parker, Snow said. As far-fetched as it might have sounded 10 years ago, there is a high probability Parker will be home to a large company.
The development council helped shape the economic development section of Parker's 2025 master plan, which the town updated in 2006. The document maps out land uses, including future commercial centers in Parker. Town council has pushed to make Parker a place where people can live, work and play.The largest amount of commercial growth is expected to happen along the E-470 corridor at the Chambers Road, Jordan Road and South Parker Road interchanges.
Parker is planning to annex American Furniture Warehouse in the ComPark development on the north end of town and has already annexed about 300 acres in the commercial hub.Retail and office developments will follow a path from I-25 to the E-470 corridor, Snow said. Several mixed-use developments will crop up along the toll road in the next five years, especially in the Crown Point development, which houses Parker Adventist Hospital and the largest office building in Parker, the 85,000-square-foot medical office building attached to the hospital.
The developments will include retail and office uses, and some will have residential spaces in the form of lofts. The development council helped plot out employment centers on E-470 that could provide a close workplace for Parker residents. Half of the 1,400 acres still available for commercial development is along E-470. Snow said that both sides of South Parker Road are largely undeveloped. The economic development council will reach out to local executives and ask them to consider the benefits of establishing offices in Parker, Snow said.
The town's proximity to two major highways and a highly educated population are selling points for enticing office developers. Parker's quality of life, executive housing and workforce housing are also attractive attributes."This has never been done. Parker has always been known as a place to live, a bedroom community," he said.Future offices could be scattered throughout Parker, and there are no immediate plans for "another Denver Tech Center," Snow said. Many of the office buildings in Parker would be smaller than those along the I-25 corridor, which average about 55,000 square feet in size.
A majority of the buildings would be between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet and have two or three stories.Medical office buildings will play a large role in the expansion of offices in Parker. There are preliminary plans to build a Kaiser Permanente facility on the northeast corner of South Parker Road and Stroh Road.
It will not be part of a larger office development; rather, it will have adjacent retail storefronts along the roadway.Parker has roughly 2.9 million square feet of retail space, 500,000 square feet of office space and 1 million square feet of industrial uses. The economic development council is expecting office uses to catch up in proportion to retail space but lag behind the housing numbers."It would be foolish for us to lose out on an opportunity to develop offices by just building more houses and more retail," Snow said.
Contact Chris Michlewicz at 303-841-5497 or cmichlewicz@ccnewspapers.com.
Go to www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net for more info on Parker Colorado Homes and Businesses.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Foreclosures are OVERSTATED
Colorado has made headlines over the past six months as the reluctant recipient of the dubious honor of being the nation's foreclosure capital.
According to RealtyTrac, one out of every 33 properties in Colorado is in foreclosure for a total of 54,747 foreclosures in 2006.
However, a study conducted by the Colorado Division of Housing, which inventoried about 95% of the state's foreclosures, found the number of foreclosures to be about half that, for a total of 28,435 foreclosures, translating to one out of every 58 homes.
That's a BIG difference!
Of course, RealtyTrac is in the business of selling foreclosure data, so the attention grabbing headlines that the company spews forth in every major US city (and that the mainstream media readily laps up and parrots) certainly don't hurt sales for RealtyTrac, or the newspapers for that matter.
All that said, whether it's 1 out of 33, or 1 out of 58, there is no question that foreclosures are up in Colorado and many home owners are in a bad spot.
However, the entire state's real estate market is far from imploding.
Good luck trying to score a "foreclosure deal" in Boulder, where tightening inventories, multiple offers, and selling for more than list price are coming back into vogue as we move into the Spring market.
Foreclosures in Colorado tend to be concentrated ina few pockets where new construction "starter" homes dominate the inventory. Places like Weld and Adams Counties.
One other important factor that RealtyTrac fails to mention when comparing foreclosure rates: the foreclosure process in each state varies dramatically.
Foreclosing on a house in Colorado is much different than foreclosing on a home in Texas. As a result, comparing one state's foreclosure rate against another state may be relevant, or it may completely false and misleading.
Comparing the rate of Colorado in one year to the rate inanother year is much more informative. According the Division of Housing study, Colorado foreclosures are up 31% in 2006 over 2005.
As a real estate investor or a home buyer, be sure you look at the specific market data and conditions for the exact area in which youhave an interest. A full time, local REALTOR who lives and breathes the marketon a daily basisis certainly not a bad place tostart if you wantinsight into what is really happening down on the street. These folks know where the real deals are, and they may or may not be foreclosure properties.
According to RealtyTrac, one out of every 33 properties in Colorado is in foreclosure for a total of 54,747 foreclosures in 2006.
However, a study conducted by the Colorado Division of Housing, which inventoried about 95% of the state's foreclosures, found the number of foreclosures to be about half that, for a total of 28,435 foreclosures, translating to one out of every 58 homes.
That's a BIG difference!
Of course, RealtyTrac is in the business of selling foreclosure data, so the attention grabbing headlines that the company spews forth in every major US city (and that the mainstream media readily laps up and parrots) certainly don't hurt sales for RealtyTrac, or the newspapers for that matter.
All that said, whether it's 1 out of 33, or 1 out of 58, there is no question that foreclosures are up in Colorado and many home owners are in a bad spot.
However, the entire state's real estate market is far from imploding.
Good luck trying to score a "foreclosure deal" in Boulder, where tightening inventories, multiple offers, and selling for more than list price are coming back into vogue as we move into the Spring market.
Foreclosures in Colorado tend to be concentrated ina few pockets where new construction "starter" homes dominate the inventory. Places like Weld and Adams Counties.
One other important factor that RealtyTrac fails to mention when comparing foreclosure rates: the foreclosure process in each state varies dramatically.
Foreclosing on a house in Colorado is much different than foreclosing on a home in Texas. As a result, comparing one state's foreclosure rate against another state may be relevant, or it may completely false and misleading.
Comparing the rate of Colorado in one year to the rate inanother year is much more informative. According the Division of Housing study, Colorado foreclosures are up 31% in 2006 over 2005.
As a real estate investor or a home buyer, be sure you look at the specific market data and conditions for the exact area in which youhave an interest. A full time, local REALTOR who lives and breathes the marketon a daily basisis certainly not a bad place tostart if you wantinsight into what is really happening down on the street. These folks know where the real deals are, and they may or may not be foreclosure properties.
For more info on foreclosures please go to http://www.Coloradodreamhomes.net
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The State of the Market
We are asked this all the time, and of course the answer differs all the time, because its a moving target. Right now the market in general is slow. With the combination of the snow, Easter, and the tax season upon us, its a triple whammy against buyers and sellers. But it can easily change on a dime and kick in when you least expect it. We had a surge in February when the snow melted, and there will be other surges throughout the year.
Interest rates aren't going up or down much, so that is probably not going to drive the market either way.
Go to http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net for the best guidance on the market.
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Interest rates aren't going up or down much, so that is probably not going to drive the market either way.
Go to http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net for the best guidance on the market.
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Monday, April 09, 2007
What Can you Buy for $155 Million?
Local Listing at 7251 Centennial Drive, Parker, CO 80134
$155 Million Estate Tops List of Country's Most Expensive Homes for Sale
Top Price for a home locally is $6,200,000 in Parker, Colorado.
A “spec home” still under construction in Big Sky, Montana tops the list of the 1000 most expensive homes currently on the market in the U.S., according to the just-released Unique Homes magazine's special issue, Ultimate Homes, 2007. Built by Yellowstone Club developer Tim Blixseth, the “Pinnacle” home sits on 160 acres and comes with four 4,000-square-foot guest houses, security and staff quarters, a retractable helipad (with helicopter and pilot lounge), and an underground garage stocked with a fleet of Suburbans.
By comparison, the most expensive home currently listed in the Parker Colorado MLS is a $6.2 million dollar residence with 25,000 finished square feet. For $155 million, one could buy 25 homes like this in Parker Colorado.
"The home prices on this year's Ultimate Homes list reinforce the fact that the national market in luxury properties has generally remained healthy above the $5 million level," said Laurie Moore-Moore, Founder and CEO of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, a Dallas-based organization whose members have hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the top properties on the list.
There are currently 116 properties in the Parker, Elizabeth, Franktown MLS system priced at a million dollars or more," according to Jeff Kroll, a member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and a Broker/Owner of Metro Brokers. "In this area we sell about 4 million dollar homes per month on average, so that is about a 29 month supply," says Kroll.
"The number of million-dollar-home sales isn't available yet for 2006," added Moore-Moore. "However, the number of million dollar homes sold in the country jumped from 10,000 in 1999 to over 109,000 in 2005, a reflection of the growth in the number of wealthy households. Although many marketplaces are seeing slowing appreciation, higher inventories and longer sales time, the top of the luxury market is outperforming the market in general."
New York leads the Ultimate Homes list with the most properties -- 240. Florida follows closely with a total of 234 properties, up from 183 last year, and California drops from second to third place with 205 properties on the list. Overall, thirty four states have properties that made the list. For more info on million dollar homes in Colorado, go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net.
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Friday, April 06, 2007
In the Hills Above Parker
Newly Listed!
This one is unique. Lovingly cared for by the original owner from 1969, this tri-level home features 4 beds, 2 baths, and sits on almost 3 acres of forested horse property. See more pix and experience this home at http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net
If you might be selling in the near future and want to take advantage of these deals, please visit our website at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.info/ and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.coloradodreamhomes.net/
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Parker Area Population Nears 1 Million?
The number of people living within 15 miles of Parker will approach 1 million in four years, the Parker Economic Development Council reports.
Using estimates calculated from census figures collected in 2000, the council recently released a detailed demographic report compiled by Claritas, a marketing research company that predicts population and economic growth.
Growth estimates for Parker and outlying areas include figures for areas within a 5-mile, 10-mile and 15-mile radius from the center of town at South Parker Road and Mainstreet. The number of residents expected to be living within 15 miles of the town center by 2011 is 901,500, the analysis shows. As of 2000, the number was slightly less than 687,000.
Between 1990 and 2000, residents living within a five-mile radius of the center of Parker rose by 181 percent from 15,900 to 44,700, the report says. The number is now in the neighborhood of 77,500. Roughly 90 percent of people now living within the 5-mile radius are white, while the Hispanic population is about 6 percent. About 2.5 percent of residents in the same area are black.
Of the estimated 118,000 households within a 10-mile radius, roughly 23 percent claim an annual income of between $100,000 and $149,999, the report shows. Nearly 2,300 households bring in more than $500,000 annually, while 2.5 percent make $15,000 or less. The average estimated annual income for the area is $111,500.As of 2000, women outnumbered men in all three radius zones surrounding Parker; there were 12,000 more female residents within the 15-mile area than men. Population estimates by sex were not available for 2006.The 2000 census shows that the majority of residents in the Parker area are between the ages of 35 and 44. However, there were 203,000 children and teenagers living within 15 miles of Parker seven years ago; those over the age of 55 accounted for only 110,700 of the people residing in the same area.
Nearly half - 48 percent - of the people living within 5 miles of Parker hold at least a bachelor's degree; 10 percent of those have earned a master's degree.In 2000, slightly more than 72 percent of the population above the age of 15 in the immediate Parker area were married. More than 7 percent were divorcees, while nine percent were men who have never married.
Look in next week's Chronicle for more on the PEDC demographic study and what it means for Parker and its future.
Contact Chris Michlewicz at 303-841-5497 or cmichlewicz@ccnewspapers.com.
For the best demographic info always go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Zillow.com Breeds Home Value Snoops!
This article from The Rocky Mountain News is a good read for any of you that have bought into the "Zillow Craze." If you believe the values in Zillow you have problems my friend. ZILLOW IS NOT ACCURATE AND CAN NEVER BECOME A CREDIBLE SOURCE OF A HOME'S VALUE. EVER.
Don't get that? Call us and we can have a chat about it...
From The Rocky Mountainn News 3/30/07:
Mary Winter:
Curious what your house is worth?
Who isn't?
Now you can get an instant estimate at Zillow.com.
Type in your address and within seconds the site spits out a dollar figure.
No passwords. No registration. No fee.
You can snoop around. See how much the homes you once owned are worth, what your boss' home is worth, what the guy-you-didn't-marry's home is worth and what all your neighbors' homes are worth.
Online voyeurism?
Yup. At least that's what Fortune magazine editors call it. And they claim it's fueling a "real estate revolution."
That could be hype, but the fact is, Zillow was founded by two very successful ex-Microsoft geniuses, one of whom launched the popular travel site Expedia.
Not that I'm convinced Zillow will change the real-estate industry as we know it. But yes, it's very cool place for a one-time visit, despite its shortcomings.
It doesn't include all 50 states yet, for example (although in Colorado, Zillow says it lists 80 percent to 100 percent of homes). Overall, Zillow has mined government data to come up with estimated values on 57 percent of housing in America, according to Fortune.
And accuracy?
I plugged in my Denver address and the "Zestimate" it gave me is what I believe my house to be worth. Three co-workers tried their addresses, however, and said their Zestimates were at least 10 percent under what they think their homes would sell for. Another co-worker told me Zillow lists his older home as a one-story, when in fact it's a two-story, so his Zestimate was seriously off.
Denver real estate agents Nancy Brauer and Patrick Finney told me they haven't found Zillow especially useful.
"My impression is, it's more of a cursory check to see what a ballpark (value) on your home would be," said Finney, who uses sophisticated, customized real estate software in his business.
I also have reservations about Zillow.
How many times will users actually revisit the site after they've played on it once or twice, taken a trip down memory lane to see what their old houses are worth and checked out what their ex-husband's new digs are listed at?
Zillow, in other words, could be a flash in the pan: the citizen's band radio of the modern age.
On the other hand, I, like many others, suffer real estate anxiety, and I think Zillow could get us hooked.
With foreclosures at record numbers and the subprime mortgage industry giving Wall Street the heebie-jeebies, a person would be foolish not to worry about real estate investments. What if the market tanks like it did in the mid-'80s in Texas when the oil patch hit hard times and I took a bath on a cute little home that took me years to unload?
Zillow can only rekindle that fear.
Sleepless nights will see me logging on in the dark, feverishly checking to see whether the Zestimate on my home has dropped another $5,000, as it did once already this month.
It's possible that Zillow will make a gazillion dollars on advertising sales, but I don't think it will ever be a place where I go and pick out a home to buy. I mean, how can you buy a home virtually?
A home purchase requires boots on the ground. Before I buy, I want to check out the water pressure, inspect the roof, poke around in the backyard, look for cracks in the ceiling.
I want to make sure the guy next door doesn't keep a couple of old trucks on blocks out front and six barking Rottweilers out back.
How can you do that online?
The answer is, you can't. In my humble zestimation.
For a more information about what is needed to get a homes true market value, go to http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net
This Blog is dedicated to Parker Colorado Real Estate, Parker Colorado Homes, Elizabeth Colorado real estate, Elizabeth Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado homes, Franktown Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado real estate, Lone Tree Colorado homes, Highlands Ranch real estate, Highlands Ranch homes, Castle Rock real estate, Castle Rock homes, and metro Denver Colorado real estate property listings. Search the Denver MLS directly for properties and homes at http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.info and access a huge real estate resource at http://www.ColoradoDreamHomes.net
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