Denver Lofts

I have heard it many times lately - that the horrible real estate market, the massive forecloseures, and the economy have all made being a successful realtor right now almost impossible.   I am sure it is a lot tighter for most realtors, and they have to probably work many times harder than they usually do for the same return they were getting a few years ago.

How dire is it?   I have personally dealt with 2 different realtors over the past couple of years.  The most recent one has been in the business for about 20 years, so she is most certainly a “veteran.”  I asked her how business is, and she said it is certainly not as good as it was not too long ago, but  since she is established, and has proven herself, she is doing just fine.   Fortunately, she has saved a lot of money over the years, and I am sure she has learned that being a realtor is cyclical, and that it isn’t always going to be a gold rush.

On the other hand, I have had some dealings with another realtor a few years ago that I have learned is now out of a job being a realtor, and has opted to do childcare until things get better.  She is very young and hasn’t been in the business for more than a few years.

I think the realtors who have been around for a while, and who have developed the contacts, and the relationships will do fine.   It is the younger ones that I believe you will see moonlighting as restaurant workers or who are in the unemployment line.

Of course, this is only an observation based on limited evidence, but I do think it can hold water.   I do wish all of the realtors out there the best of luck during these challenging times.

My sister owns a slopeside condo up at Copper Mtn.   I am fortunate enough to be able to use this condo frequently, and due to the amazing powers of wireless, I actually manage to get some work done while I am up there.

This week was very mellow in Copper - which was perfect for me - I needed some peace and quiet.  I slept in a bit, worked a few hours, and then did a nice run up the path towards Vail Pass.  This is an amazingly beautiful trail, even though it is straddled on each side by I-70.  You don’t really even notice the traffice once you are down there.

The flowers were in full-bloom, and there was a nice drizzle in the air.   I stopped at the bridge that crosses the creek about halfway up and just listened to the running water cascading over the granite rocks.   Beautiful.

I feel very refreshed after such a nice week!

Tomorrow it is supposed to be 102 degrees in Denver.   This is quite amazing, and it is also going make a record for the longest 90-plus streak ever - the old record was something like 100 years ago.

Today it feels just darn hot and I swear people are getting grouchy and crazy around town.   I was at the post office today and everyone in line seemed like they just wanted to bicker.

I am thus taking the day off from being in public, and working in my basement where it is nice and cool.   I may even take a nap.

Lofts are great - if you are single.   They offer a hip lifestyle with a hip sounding name.  Telling your friends that you live in a “Loft in LoDo” couldn’t sound more cool.     Lofts also offer immediate access to the downtown attractions and nightlife.

The problem with lofts are that in many cases, the buyers market is made up of couples and familes with children, and having a wide-open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows doesn’t leave much for family privacy from outside, and from within.   It’s also very challenging for a family to live in a loft since usually there are lots of stairs, and hauling small children out of the loft building and to the nearest park can seem like a trek up and down the Hillary Step.

In response to this, builders have been shifting to loft-condominium style units in recent years to try to accommodate these folks who don’t like to live in an urban fishbowl.    The word “loft” is left in there in many cases for marekting reasons - that word alone can help jack the price up significantly, and many builders are starting “loft” properties in the suburbs to try to appeal to this family, or “non-single” market.   There are a handful of these popping up near where I live (in the suburbs) and from what I can see, they aren’t selling like hotcakes - which can also be a sign of the times with the terrible housing market.  Only time will tell if these projects can attract young families away from the spoils of having a suburban home with a yard, a fence, and privacy.

My sister signed my son up for an account with the Young American’s bank in Denver as a birthday gift.   My son is only 3 years old, but he now has $70 in his account, and a checkbook.  Pretty cool.    The great thing about this bank is that it is geared just for kids, and you can even bring jars of change in for a deposit.    I hope to let this account grow, and as soon as he is old enough, I’ll show him how it works, and how to balance his checkbook.

You can visit the Young American’s Bank here

I live in Broomfield, just outside of Denver. I have some great open-space behind my house where I run almost every day. On my run, I pass by Vantage Pointe Lofts. This is a really nice looking property, but I often wonder how construction is going - it seems (from my vantage point) that not a lot of activity is happening over there. I wonder if this soft market is affecting their progress, or cash flow?
I hope I am wrong, and I hope that with the new purchase of the Storage Tech site recently will change things for them. This is a really nice property - I hope that it is successful!

I don’t know why I decided to write about this one - perhaps because my stomach is starting to gurgle and grumble with those mid-afternoon cravings. I am also thinking about good food because my wife and I happen to have a babysitter for our 3-year old tonight, so I am thinking of where we should go to enjoy our temporary childlessness.
We both love Thai Food, and there are a lot of options in the Denver area. Tommy’s Thai is a great choice, but a little more fancy than we care for. We always fall back on Swing Thai because it is very casual, and superb food. There are 3 locations in Denver, and we go to the one on Pennsylvania street. They have a little outdoor area if it is nice out, and the inside is quite nice and we never have had to wait for a table. My wife always gets a Thai Iced Tea and the Massaman Curry. I always get the Egg Plant Pud Gra. The spring rolls are always excellent.
Swing Thai is also good because my wife has a cornstarch allergy, and many Thai Places use this cheap ‘filler’ ingredient. Swing Thai does not, as far as her tummy can tell. Swing Thai also delivers, and they are usually very, very fast. We have done this on several occasions. Anyways, I am getting too hungry to concentrate, so I’ll just say that Swing Thai is our favorite in Denver, and you should definitely give it a go.
More about Swing Thai here

A very powerful thing at your disposal to help detect if a potential “renter” is a fraudster is their IP address. The user’s IP address is essentially their signature when they surf online, and will you exactly where they are in the world. Naturally, you will want to be careful if someone is contacting you from Nigeria, or from out of the country.

A typical IP address looks like this: 41.220.75.3

To track where a user is from, I like to use this tool:

www.ip-adress.com/ipaddresstolocation/

It usually gives you one lookup per day without having an account. I signed up for an account (it is free) and you get several lookups per day. It is a great tool that will provide you with a map of where the IP address is from, and other valuable information.

IF YOU DO suspect that a fraudster or scammer is contacting you, please send us the information (IP address) and we will block them from using the site.

Go back to Denver-Lofts.net here

Today feels like we are living in the Northwest somewhere. It has been cool, drizzly, and just really pleasant. I love it when it rains here because there are times when we can go seemingly months without a drop. It also seems to mellow people out a bit, and cleans up the air! I’d have to say this is also my favorite time of year. Not quite stinkin’ hot yet, and everything is about as green as it gets.
For a fun thing to do in Denver on a day like this, Go to REI’s flagship store down on I-25 and Speer - you can’t miss it. It’s an awesome multi-level building with a Starbucks and even a climbing area for little kids. Great people watching too. There are several loft properties within walking distance from REI.

A lot of folks looking for a home or a loft may be doing so from out of town. Many of my listings mention neighborhoods. I found a good but simple map of Denver that breaks down the neighborhoods. This might help people to visualize where in the city the prospective home or loft is.