Yeah, so now we are using sex to sell homes. Homes can be sexy but are they really going to help you find love? 

According to a recent poll of singles,  homeowners are more appealing in the dating scene. Here is the article on CNN Money.

“Over one third of women and 18% of men said they would rather date a homeowner versus a renter.”

I guess it wasn’t the case for my wife since she dated me when we were both living in apartments. I also have to say that one of the best parts of getting married and starting our lives together was struggling to save for our first home and going out and looking for that first home. The entire process was fun and exciting doing it together.

Male and Female Gender Signs

I think we would be much less appreciative if one of us already owned a home when we met. Trust me, there are no silver spoons in our relationship. We kicked it hard for everything we have and it was FUN.

Anyway back to the poll…here are a few highlights.

• Less than 5% of people polled said they wanted to date someone still living at home with Mom and Dad. We call these “Boomerang Kids” nowadays.
• Not having a roommate also increases your chances in the dating world.
• The biggest turn-on feature of the house for both men and women was the master bathroom.

It’s not NEWS that first-time home buyers will be the “savior” of the housing market. Reports keep coming out that the high-end market needs to get better before the real estate market can come back. Some even say investors will bring us out of this market. The truth is that first time home buyers must enter the market before this market will turn around. In order for that to happen jobs need to be created, loans need to be more and our younger generation needs to see value in buying a home of their own.

It’s a simple cycle but it begins with entry level buyers.  So if sex is your motivator then buy a house,  get more dates and help the economy. 

Clarke Farms is the most affordable neighborhood in Parker, Colorado.

Clarke Farms has a lot to offer anyone that might be a first time home buyer or even someone looking to move up into a larger home in the Parker area. Clarke Farms is located just off Jordan Road and Mainstreet and with the recently opened Mainstreet to I-25 cut through access to the neighborhood is now even easier.

Most Affordable Neighborhood in Parker, Colorado - Clarke Farms

Hover over the MAP pins to the right to see previews of every single family home currently for sale in Clarke Farms.

Clarke Farms even has an excellent Douglas County Elementary School right in the neighborhood. Cherokee Trail Elementary School is located almost right in the middle of the neighborhood. Children can easily walk or ride on the bike path to and from school without many road crossings.

Other amenities include a community pool, direct access to the Cherry Creek Bike Path and super convenient access to shopping, dining and recreation in Parker, Colorado.

Homes prices in Clarke Farms, Parker Colorado’s most affordable neighborhood, range from $165,000 to $367,000 in 2011.

Take a look at Clarke Farms Home Sales stats here.

• Total homes Sold for 2011 = 83
• Average Days on Market = 96
• Average Sold Price = $233,328
• Average Price Per SQFT = $116
• Average Price Per Finished SQFT = $100

When you buy a resale home for a finished price per sqft of $100 you are purchasing the home for less than the replacement costs. A builder cannot build and sell you a new home for under $100 per sqft in most cases and most neighborhoods in Parker, Colorado. So you can see why I say that Clarke Farms is the most affordable neighborhood in Parker, Colorado.

Notice the house below that sold for $81.83 per finished sqft foot. I challenge you to go have a builder build you a home for that price in Parker. Home buyers that make a purchase in Clarke Farms in 2012 will look back in a few years and realize they made an excellent decision.

Profit Cash from Real Estate

See video below.

“The Denver Metro housing market has passed the bumpy bottom and already started to head in the right direction.”

Here are some major clues the Denver housing market has indeed turn around.

1. Super low inventory. 
2. Renting is more expensive than owning a home.
3. Investors are reaping huge profits for rental properties.
4. History breaking low interest rates on the 30 year fixed rate. 3.875% as of today.
5. Huge pent up demand. People want homes and they want to make changes to either move up, down or sideways.
6. Millions of Americans are living with family from the recession. They want out and their families are ready for them to move on.

“Will you look back at 2012 and wish you had taken advantage of the prime market conditions.”

The super low interest rates, low inventory and a demand for housing is simple supply & demand economics. Home prices in many neighborhoods are already starting to move up. We are on the cusp of an upward pricing trend with the current market situation. Buyers want homes. Sellers that have been on the sidelines for the past 3 years will step out and sell this year to take advantage of the low rates on their new purchase.

Have you looked around at the new home communities lately? Builders have seen the lack of inventory for resale homes and they are primed and ready to capitalize on this short fall. There is building where there hasn’t been in years. Just the other day I was showing a new home to a client and we had to go inside to talk because of all the machinery working around the neighborhood. Activity is the buzz word for 2012. You will see more building. You will see sellers on the market that have waited patiently for turn in the market.

I believe that 5 years from now people who buy homes in 2011 and 2012 will look like geniuses.

Stonegate Village

The small field at Pine Grove Elementary School isn’t enough for all the sports activities going on in our neighborhood.  Think how nice it would be to have practices and games in the neighborhood versus driving around Douglas County to other locations.

February 3, 2012

Re: Proposed Ball Field Project

Dear Stonegate Village Resident,

Among its many duties and responsibilities, the Stonegate Village Metropolitan District provides recreational amenities to the residents within the District. With this in mind, the Board of Directors has been approached by a number of residents requesting that a ball field be considered and constructed in the Main Park adjacent to the Community Center and pools.

For the purpose of informing the residents of the District’s plans, a meeting will be held on:

DATE:     Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
TIME:    7:00 p.m.
PLACE:    Stonegate Community Center Meeting Room
10326 Stonegate Pkwy.
Parker, Co. 80134

The meeting will include a presentation of the ball field project describing the proposed location within the park, parking plans, hours of use and other possible amenities that are being considered. Following the presentation, there will be a time for comments and suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your interest and input on this project. See you on February 21st, 7:00 pm at the Community Center.

Sincerely,

Stonegate Village Metropolitan District.

For any questions please contact us at www.svmd.org or at 303-858-9909

Many people are trying to get their homes ready for the Summer selling season. I say why wait for Summer? Now is the time to prep so you can get the house out there on the market in the Spring and in front of home buyers prior to the Summer rush. Wouldn’t it be nice to kick back this Summer in your new home rather than just starting the selling process?

This is a staged home in Parker, CO

I encourage my sellers to get busy and get the home on the market early in the season so we can get it sold before all the competition hits the market. Late comers to the market will have to contend with more inventory and that means more short sales and foreclosures to drive you final sales price down.

Find out what your Parker, CO home is worth here.

Here are the CURRENT FACTS about the Denver Metro Real Estate Market.

1. Inventory is at an all time low. As of this posting the current inventory of single family homes active on the market stands at about 8,500. That is roughly 36% fewer homes on the market today than just one year ago.
2. Last Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 the interest rate on a 30 year fixed mortgage was 3.87%. An all time record low.
3. Last year in 2011 Colorado had a NET inflow of over 31,000 new residents. Factor that with move up and sideways movers and you have a substantial pool of home buyers.
4. New home communities are not building like before. So, less New Homes means buyers are forced to seek out re-sale homes. 
5. All of this means demand should be up while supply is way down. Yes, it’s a good time to sell a home in Douglas County Colorado.

Don’t take my word for it. I can tell you that over the past 14 years my stats show that the homes listed in the early Spring and that beat the competition to the market sold faster and for more money. Let’s face it. If there is less to choose from on the market then the seller will have some added bargaining power.

If you are ready to get the process started call Steven Beam at 303-941-4663

Real Estate Market Report Below. 

Custom homes and semi custom homes sold well in 2011. The Timbers is comprised mostly of Mountain Contemporary style homes. Expect to see a lot of quality wood and high end finishes and textures with homes located in thick pine forests with many lots enjoying expansive views of the Rocky Mountains.

• Total Homes Sold = 50
• Average Days on Market for The Timbers = 172
• Average Price Per SQFT = $200
• Average Price Per Finished SQFT = $146
• Highest Sales Price = $1.6 Million
• Lowest Sales Price = $320,000
• Total Volume Sold = $36,023,008

 Full Spreadsheet of 2011 Home Sales for The Timbers and High Prairie Farms 

Quickly see every home currently for sale in Horse Creek and Douglas 234.

Every year I like to post up neighborhood stats for most of the neighborhoods in Parker, Colorado. Basically I believe that you the potential buyer or seller must know what’s going on in your neighborhood to better determine a true offering price as a buyer or true selling price as a seller. At least this will give you a good idea for a starting point.

With the recent opening of Mainstreet to I-25 and Hess Road to I-25 opening in January 24, 2012 it’s certainly going to make Horse Creek just that much more popular with Parker home buyers. It’s obvious by looking at the numbers below that Horse Creek has and still is a very popular neighborhood. I’m sure many of the homeowners have enjoyed the super easy direct access to all the major roads and direct access into the Town of Parker.

Steven Beam is a Top local Realtor in Parker, Colorado and sell a lot of homes in Horse Creek and the surrounding areas.   Find out what your home is worth here.

Map of the sold homes in Horse Creek 2011

Map of all the sold home in 2011 for Horse Creek

• Sold in 2011 = 41 | 2010 = 37 | 2009 = 27 | 2008 = 51
• Average Days on Market 2011 = 107 | 2010 = 67| 2009 = 98 | 2008 = 80
• Average Sold Price 2011 = $304,223 | 2010 = $342,355 | 2009 = $341,434 | 2008 = $334,357 (Down 11.14% from the high of 2010)
• Average Price Per SQFT 2011 = $123 | 2010 = $127 | 2009 = $133 | 2008 = $132 (Down 7.52% from the high)
• Average Price Per Finished SQFT $117 | 2010 = $124 | 2009 = $128 | 2008 = $132
• Difference between asking and selling price 2011 = 93.13%
• Highest Sales Price 2011 = $402,000
• Lowest Sales Price 2011 = $196,572
• Total Volume Sold homes in Horse Creek 2011 = $12,473,134

See every home for sale in Canterberry Crossing and The Villages of Parker.

Believe it or not home prices in Canterberry Crossing are only down 6.53% from the highs of 2008. Just to clarify, I’m saying that the average price per sqft is down 6.53%.

Canterberry Crossing Entrance

2011 wasn’t very different from the last 3 years as home sales appear to the pretty normal. Nothing in the home sales data shows major changes. Canterberry has always been a top neighborhood for relocation buyers and move up buyers in the Parker area.

Every year I like to post these articles that show potential buyers and home sellers what to expect in specific Parker neighborhoods. If you or your Realtor don’t know the neighborhood you are moving into and don’t know the numbers then you could get yourself into trouble. Nobody wants to over pay for a home so you better learn the market.

Home sellers you can use the figures to set your expectations when you decide to sell.

Perched high on the East hill in Parker with big views of the Front Range and the private Black Bear Golf Course amenities are not something Canterberry is lacking. The original developers were smart enough to add plenty of open space and play areas to attract families to Canterberry.

There were a total of 116 homes sold in Canterberry Crossing in 2011. The average sales price was $289,917 with an average price per SQFT of $129. The average price per FINISHED sqft was $113. The highest sales price for 2011 was $515,000.

 Steven Beam, CRS  is a TOP Realtor in Douglas County and the Town of Parker, Colorado.

To list and sell your home Contact Steven Beam at 303-941-4663 or find out what your home is worth here. 

Link to the main Spreadsheet to print if needed. 

I keep hearing that the million dollar luxury and custom home market needs to improve to help the housing crunch. I guess the powers that be mush not be talking about Douglas County Colorado since from the sales data I see million dollar homes are moving at a pretty normal pace.

OK, I will admit that in 2008 we sold 132 homes  in Douglas County at or above $1,000,000 for a total volume of just over $202 million. I think it was an anomaly when you look at other years going back to 2007 which hover around the 90 homes sold mark with total volume ranging from $105 million to $131 million.

Douglas County Colorado Million Dollar Homes Sold

The true down year if you want to call it that would be 2009 with 70 homes above $1 million sold and a total volume of $105 million.

I think two things are in play here.

1. 2008 spoiled us in the million dollar home market. I think prices were at the top level and some of the homes that sold over $1 million were not really worth a million. Let’s face it a lot of people from 2005 to 2008 over paid at the top of the market.
2. As just mentioned in #1 the people that over paid and are now trying to sell think their homes are still worth a million when in fact they are not.

I show a lot of custom homes that once may have been able to sell for a million that are in no way worth a million now. The finishes, textures and amenities are just not there to classify the house as being worth a million.

Steven Beam is a Top Realtor in Douglas County Colorado that regularly helps high end clients buy and sell luxury custom homes. See Steven Beam’s Client Testimonials.

Many Realtors that don’t work the million dollar market cannot spot quality craftsmanship and real custom features in many of these homes. There are a lot of ways to cut costs in so called custom homes that the average person cannot see.

I recently had a buyer wanting to offer on a home listed at $1.225 million. I told him to offer $800,000. He thought I was crazy. We ended up getting the house for $300,000 off asking price and he bought the home for $925,000. I was able to point out to the seller what the real value of the home was. My buyer was thrilled.

Douglas County Million Dollar Home Sales Stats.

• Total homes sold over one million dollars = 2011 – 88 versus 2010 – 89 versus 2009 – 70
• Average Days on Market = 2011- 298 versus 2010 – 312 versus 2009 – 310
• Average Sales Price = 2011 $1.432 million versus 2010 $1.480 million versus 2009 $1.505 million.
• Average Price per SQFT = 2011 $322 versus 2010 $344 versus 2009 $348.
• Average Price per FINISHED SQFT = 2011 $229 versus 2010 $233 versus 2009 $245
• Difference between asking price and sales price = 2011 – 82.22% versus 2010 – 79.98% versus 2009 – 86.82%.
• Total Volume 2011 = $123 million sold and closed.
• Total Volume 2010 = $131 million sold and closed.
• Total Volume 2009 = $105 million sold and closed.

Top 3 Selling Million Dollar Neighborhoods for 2011 in Douglas County Colorado.

1. Castle Pines including Castle Pines North = 23 million dollar homes sold in 2011.
2. Heritage Hills in Lone tree, Colorado = 13 million dollar homes sold in 2011.
3. The Timbers in Parker, Colorado = 8 million dollar homes sold in 2011.

Douglas County Colorado 2011 Million dollar homes sold spreadsheet.

Look to the right and you can hover over the map pins to see previews of all the homes currently on the market in Newlin Meadows. Or, go here to see every home for sale in a list. 

Typical home prices in Newlin Meadows range from $300,000 to $400,000 with most in the mid to upper $300′s. Newlin Meadows is a newer home community with open spaces and great amenities.

Here are the numbers for home sales in 2011.   

Newlin Meadows Looks Good

• Total homes Sold = 19
• Average Days On Market = 180
• Average Sold Price = $ 349,486
• Average price per SQFT = $131
• Average Price per finished SQFT = $105
• Difference between original asking price and final sold price = 92.47%
• Lowest Sold Price = $279,000
• Highest Sold Price = $410,000
• Total Sold Volume = $6,640,230

Here is a link to the full sold home spreadsheet is you would like to print it for your records.

It was a fine year for home sales in Stonegate Village. Properties seemed to be on the move and prices held somewhat steady. Home buyers were very clear on what they expected if you wanted to get top dollar.

See every home currently for sale in Stonegate HERE. 

Stonegate Village Entry

Your Stonegate home better be in great condition and have current and up to date features.  Older outdated homes sat on the market or were sold well below the prices that updated homes sold for.

Keep in mind that new home communites around Stonegate are not pumping out the new homes like they used to so Stonaget will pick up a lot of buyers that normally would be buying new homes. So be prepared. They want nice finishes. Please don’;t think that 10 year old carpet, outdated colors and rundown exterior and interior paint is going to pull in that buyer looking at your home.

Buyers are picky and many are willing to pay more for better features. Buyers will also wait for a good home to hit the market and pass on your home if it isn’t updated.

Find out what your Stonegate Home is worth right now. 

Stonegate Home Professionally Marketed For Sale. - Sold in a week! Watch the VIDEO.

Here are the 2011 Home Sales for Stonegate.

• Total Homes Sold 112
• Average days on market = 113 – good homes will sell within a week or two. 
• Average NET sales price = $303,853
• Average price per sqft = $132
• Average price per finished sqft = $113
• Difference between asking and sold price = 94.41 This is the differnece between what you were asking for the home and what the buyer paid for the house. Sellers on average were coming down almost 6% off their asking price. Not too bad really.
• Lowest Sales Price = $184,000
• Highest Sales Price = $490,000
• Total Volume Sold = $34,335,375

This was a really good year for home sales in Pradera. The private golf community just South of the Town of Parker Colorado experienced another good year of real estate sales because buyers are still seeking quality.

One of the problems some Parker neighborhoods experienced was a lack of quality homes in good condition for buyers to choose from. Quality is the new hot button for buyers so anyone planning on selling a home better take notice. Quality not necessarily size. The majority of Parker home buyers want nice floor plans with top of the line features not the McMansion of years gone by.

Builders are not building like they used to so buyers wanting new and current features in a home are having to look at re-sale homes. This makes a newer community like Pradera a standout when buyers start their search.

Please also note that of the 47 total homes that sold in 2011 data shows that 6 closed in February and 5 closed in November and December…so who says winter is a bad time to list your home?

Here are the numbers for 2011 

• Total # of Sold Homes = 47
• Average Total Days on Market = 212
• Average NET Sold Price = $583,366
• Average Price Per SQFT = $165
• Average Price Per Finished SQFT $126
• Average Price Per Acre $1,072,081
• Average Ask Price vs Average Sale Price = 85.39% (Difference between the original asking price and final sales price. Obviously people were asking too much in the beginning of their listing term to have to come down 15% to sell a house.)
• Lowest Sale Price = $230,000 (Fire Damaged House)
• Highest Sales Price = $1,120,000
• Total Sales Volume NET = $27,418,194 versus $31,583,539 in 2010

If you are considering selling your Pradera home I urge you to take a look at the videos of what Steven Beam (303-941-4663) does for his seller clients. These are top notch professional videos done onsite in your home to showcase them in the best possible light. Find out what your home is worth right here.

See the Full Google Spreadsheet here of all the sold homes and stats.

 Highest sales price below in GREEN.