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Get Your Denver Home Ready for Fall
Happy Labor Day! Like it or not, summer is almost over, and fall has arrived. While you may have been focusing on your landscaping and gardening projects all summer, it’s time to turn your attention to getting the inside of your home ready for fall and winter entertaining.
Here are a few tips that will make your home cozier this fall:
-Consider giving your home a fresh coat of paint to give it a lift. If it is in a low-to-mid price range, and you plan to sell it in the near future, you might consider painting it a more neutral color. If it is in a higher price range, you might go a little bolder with your color selection.
-Add seasonal scents to your home. There is nothing like fall candle scents, including pumpkin and spice. They will make your home cozier in an instant.
-Replace worn drawer hardware. This is an easy, inexpensive fix that will freshen up your home and give your kitchen or bathroom a new look.
-Get your carpets professionally cleaned, since clean carpets will give your home a lift.
-Add warmth to your home through darker accessories, warm throw blankets and accent pillows in rich colors.
-Add seasonal accents throughout your home, including pumpkins and pine cones.
For information on getting your Denver home ready to sell, please contact TeamCox Realtors – Denver real estate specialists – at 303-400-6060. Fall is a great time to sell your home, since there are buyers in the market, but less competition from sellers.
Should You Rent or Buy a Home in Denver?
It’s an age-old question. Should I rent a home or buy a home? Traditionally, buying a home has been part of the American dream, but renting is becoming increasingly popular in the Denver area as the recession lingers on.
The Denver Post recently reported that the number of apartment vacancies has decreased throughout the Denver metro area, decreasing from 9 percent in 2009 to 6 percent this year. Rents are also rising – the average rent in the Denver metro area is now close to $900.00. This means that many people are renting, but is this always the best decision?
Here are a few pros and cons of renting versus buying in Denver:
Why Buy a Home in Denver?
- If you rent a home, you are missing out on the lowest interest rates in 50 years. A Denver homebuyer’s buying power is greatly increased right now, since interest rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage are lingering around 4.5%. We may never see interest rates that are so low ever again.
- You can deduct mortgage interest paid from your income taxes. With a 30-year fixed mortgage, you are also paying down the loan’s principal every month.
- There is something special about owning your own home – it’s a feeling of pride that just doesn’t come with renting a property.
Why Rent a Home in Denver
- If you don’t like risk, renting may be for you. As recent years have proven, home values can decrease. However, if you rent, you may miss out on future appreciation opportunities.
- If you are renting a home, you don’t have to pay for home maintenance items, which can add up.
- Renting gives you more flexibility – if you want to move, all you need to do is pack up when your lease ends, versus needing to sell your home if you own it.
For more advice on the differences between buying and renting a home in the Denver area, please contact TeamCox Realtors – Denver real estate specialists – at 303-400-6060. We will help you make the best decision, regardless if it is renting or buying.
Denver Real Estate Update – August 2010
TeamCox Realtors – Treating our clients’ real estate transactions as if they were our own.
Which Denver-Area High Schools Have the Best ACT Scores?
The Colorado Department of Education recently released a report, revealing Colorado High Schools’ average 2010 ACT composite scores. Since this is a very important indicator of educational quality, TeamCox Realtors combed through the data to determine the top 25 highest scoring high schools. This year, there seems to be many Denver-area charter schools topping the list, which seems to be a trend that is here to stay as charter schools are growing in strength and popularity.
Top 25 Denver Area High School Average ACT Composite Scores:
1. Vanguard Classical School (Denver): 27.8
2. ‘D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School (Jefferson County) – 26.1
3. Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette): 26.0
4. Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village) – 24.4
5. Fairview High School (Boulder) – 24.1
6. Denver School of Science and Technology (Denver) – 23.9
7. Boulder High School (Boulder)– 23.5
8. Monarch High School (Louisville) – 23.4
9. Rock Canyon High School (Littleton) – 23.3
10. Arapahoe High School (Littleton) – 23.3
11. Expeditionary Learning School (Denver) – 23.0
12. Mountain Vista High School (Highlands Ranch) – 23.0
13. Jefferson Charter Academy Senior High School (Broomfield) – 22.9
14. Evergreen High School (Evergreen) – 22.8
15. Denver School of the Arts (Denver) – 22.6
16. Broomfield High School (Broomfield) – 22.5
17. Ralston Valley Senior High School (Arvada) – 22.4
18. Niwot High School (Niwot) – 21.9
19. Dakota Ridge High School (Littleton) – 21.9
20. Chatfield High School (Littleton) – 21.9
21. Lakewood High School (Lakewood) – 21.8
22. New Vista High School (Boulder) – 21.8
23. Thunderidge High School (Highlands Ranch) – 21.7
24. Wheat Ridge Charter School (Wheat Ridge) – 21.6
25. Ponderosa High School (Parker) – 21.6
For information on Denver-area high schools, please contact TeamCox Realtors – Denver real estate specialists – at 303-400-6060.
TeamCox Realtors – Treating our clients’ real estate transactions as if they were our own.
Six Reasons to Buy a Home in Denver – NOW!
Why Should You Buy a Home in Denver?
1. Tax deductions – Mortgage interest and property tax obligations are a homeowner’s best friends on April 15th. For both federal and state income taxes, these payments are tax deductible.
2. Appreciation – It’s hard to talk about this one at the moment, but we still firmly believe that over a ten-year period, real estate is a great investment. The Denver housing market is already showing stability. We believe the Denver market will lead other housing markets around the country.
3. Equity – This one’s easy. Why throw away money on rent when a portion of that payment could be going towards building equity?
4. Borrowing Power – For owners who opt to stay put, home equity is powerful. Did you know that if you apply for a job, the human resources department is likely to check your credit report? When they see you are making mortgage payments, extra points will be added to your resume!
5. Stability – As a renter, you have no idea what you’ll be paying for a few years from now. Stability also comes from the sense homeowners get to being anchored to their community.
6. Freedom – No need to worry about the downstairs neighbors complaining you’re too loud. It’s your house. Okay, we don’t want the next door neighbors to have to call the Denver cops when you have your housewarming!
For more information on Denver real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.
Denver Real Estate Update – August 2010
TeamCox Realtors – Treating our clients’ real estate transactions as if they were our own.
Denver Real Estate Update – August 2010
As the summer winds down, there is good news and bad news for the Denver real estate market.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. The Denver housing market continues to feel the hangover effect from the homebuyer tax credit that expired at the end of April. The number of homes sold (3,259) in Denver last month dropped 26.6 percent from July 2009. It seems that the buying frenzy leading up to the tax credit expiration is going to take awhile for the market to absorb.
What is the good news for the Denver real estate market? The Denver median home price increased 4.4 percent last month to $240,000. The other piece of good news is that new foreclosure filings in Colorado, 4,890 or one out of every 432 homes, decreased 9.3 percent last month from July 2009. This landed Colorado in the 13th spot nationally for number of foreclosures, which is better than the 10th spot the previous month.Foreclosure filings are down 8.6 percent in the Denver area.
Although there has been a lull in home sales this summer, there is still much to be grateful for, especially that interest rates are at historical lows and that there is a great selection of homes to choose from. Prospective Denver homebuyers do not want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
TeamCox Realtors – Treating our clients’ real estate transactions as if they were our own.
