June's Positive Real Estate Perspective

I know that it's been a while since I've sent out any interesting real estate news, it's been a little busy here, but I came across some interesting articles recently and thought you might enjoy them.

Denver Tops Rebounding Housing Markets Barbara Corcoran highlights Denver as the number one recovering housing market on NBC's Today Show saying, "Everything about Denver is pointing Up, Up, Up!" read more here

Jobs May Recover First in Colorado: If you want to be in the right place when the recovery starts, that place may be in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas or Washington. The recession didn't start at the same time in every state, and it won't end at the same time either. A new forecast from Moody's Economy.com predicts that jobs growth will return first in those five states, starting in the last quarter of this year. read more here

Pending Home Sales Increase Nearly 7 Percent: The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in April, rose 6.7 percent to 90.3 from a reading of 84.6 in March, and is 3.2 percent above April 2008 when it was 87.5.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says buyers are responding to very favorable market conditions. “Housing affordability conditions have been at historic highs, but now the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit is beginning to impact the market,” he says. “Since first-time buyers must finalize their purchase by November 30 to get the credit, we expect greater activity in the months ahead, and that should spark more sales by repeat buyers.” read more here

Denver in the Top 10 Growing Cities

Denver is one of 10 U.S. cities on a new Forbes magazine list of cities where Americans are relocating.

Denver ranked No. 10 on the list.

“Unemployment is on the rise, credit is tight, and consumers aren’t spending — which means they aren’t picking up and moving much either. Very few places in America saw significant population growth in 2008,” Forbes said in its report.

“But the buzzing metropolitan area of Denver bucked that trend,” Forbes added. “Its population increased by 2.17 percent in 2008. In 2007, it increased by 2.09 percent. In 2008, Denver was the 10th-fastest growing metro area in the U.S.”

The Forbes report notes that Denver was listed as the most popular city in America in an October 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center, “so it’s no surprise that this metro area still attracts newcomers.”

It also cites lower unemployment rates in Denver than the national average.

The magazine based its list on U.S. Census Bureau data for population growth among metropolitan areas.

New Orleans, at No. 8, is a surprising entry on the list, but Forbes said the hurricane-ravaged Crescent City has been regaining population the last two years and rebuilding efforts are boosting employment.

The 10 cities on Forbes’ list:

• 1. Raleigh, N.C.
• 2. Austin, Texas
• 3. Charlotte, N.C.
• 4. Phoenix
• 5. Dallas
• 6. San Antonio, Texas
• 7. Houston
• 8. New Orleans
• 9. Atlanta
• 10. Denver

Denver also recently ranked No. 14 on Forbes’ list of the best U.S. places to do business.

The Wall Street Journal's Home of the Day

This post doesn't really have any relevance to today's economy, real estate market, or happenings. I thought that it would be fun to take a look at some really cool homes throughout the country. The Wall Street Journal has a great web page called "Home of the Day". It features a photo tour of some very unique, expensive, and well designed homes throughout the country. If you're bored at work and need a break take a look! Click Here...

New Name. New Look. Same Great Service.

Pennington Real Estate is now the new name of my real estate brokerage company! I am excited for people to now know what it means, how to spell it, and more importantly...how to pronounce it. As you have probably already noticed it includes a whole new logo and look for the company. Please stay tuned for new additions coming from Pennington Real Estate and as always I look forward to serving you.

Sincerely,

Luke

Mortgage Rates DROP!

BIG NEWS! I just received word from Sean Sedita at Platte River Mortgage this afternoon that the bond market had a huge upswing today which caused mortgage rates to drop to around 4.5% for qualified buyers. Those of you who know me know that I'm not a hardseller, but if you've been thinking about buying real estate now is the time to do it. If you would like to talk with Sean about refinancing you can reach him at 303.433.9902.

MORE Positive Perspective in Denver

A "Half Full" glass perspective to give you a break from the "Half Empty" perspective of the media on our current market condition. Aaaahhhhhhh refreshing!!


I Dream of Denver: If you jumble together the five most popular American metro areas - Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, Orlando and Tampa - you get an image of the American Dream circa 2009. These are places where you can imagine yourself with a stuffed garage - filled with skis, kayaks, soccer equipment, hiking boots and boating equipment. These are places you can imagine yourself leading an active outdoor lifestyle. Read more here...

Homebuilders a bit more upbeat: Index shows that builders were slightly more optimistic in February compared to January. Read more here...

Colorado foreclosures fall in 2008 for 1st time in years: Colorado foreclosure activity fell last year for the first time since the state began collecting data in 2003, according to a report released Monday by the Colorado Division of Housing. Read more here...

S&P: Denver had smallest 2008 home-price decline of 20 U.S. cities: The monthly S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices said average prices of existing homes in Denver fell 4 percent between December 2007 and December 2008, less than any of the other 19 cities in the report. Read more here...

Denver ranks 7th on EPA list of most energy-efficient buildings: Denver ranks No. 7 among U.S. cities with the most buildings rated highly energy efficient by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under it's "Energy Star" program. Read more here...

Green Home Improvement Ideas

Green homes are designed, built, renovated, or improved in ways to more efficiently use natural resources. While many newer homes are built green, even small improvements to an older home can help reduce impact on the environment, promote the health of those who live there, and use energy and water more efficiently.

By adding green features to your home you can enjoy lower maintenance costs & monthly expenses, health benefits like lower emissions & better air quality, and improve your home's resale value & marketability.

Here are some ideas to make your home more green:

* Caulk windows and doors * Landscape responsibly * Install a programmable thermostat * Install low-E windows * Install low-flow showerheads and toilets * Consider adding storm doors * Install ceiling fans * Install tankless water heaters * Use low- or no-VOC paints and materials * Choose LED lighting * Take advantage of smart-irrigation technology like evapotranspiration controllers