Monday, December 28, 2009

What to do when it hits ZERO!

From Tom D'Agostino
Plumbing – when it starts to get below 20°F, begin the preventative practice of opening your bathroom vanity cabinet doors so the heat in the room can transfer to the area where your pipes are located. This is a very simple procedure and it can help your pipes from freezing, unless there is a gap in your outdoor siding where the cold air can blow directly on your pipes.

One very important thing to know is that even if you have not experienced frozen pipes, be aware that they will freeze when no water is moving or circulating. If you have experienced frozen pipes at a particular plumbing fixture, such as your toilet or the bathroom lavatory, you should turn on the hot and cold water in the lavatory so that there is a small stream of water coming from the faucet. Make sure that you have the water mixed by turning on the hot and cold water so that it comes through in an equally mixed small stream. It may cost you a few dollars on your water bill, but this simple step can also help save you a large sum in repair bills for frozen and broken pipes. This should be done only on the coldest days and nights to conserve water. Raising the water level in your toilet tank during the frigid weather can also help so that it barely goes over the top of the overflow tube in the tank.

Heating - Saving money on your heating bills is not only good for the environment, but also gives you a break in high energy costs. There has been a lot of discussion about making your home almost airtight to keep the heat or cooling in to save money. Believe it or not, this approach can actually be dangerous to your health. The reason is that there is naturally occurring CO (carbon monoxide) in our home. It comes from many sources including the gas cook top or oven, even though the amounts can be small. If we tighten up our homes to the extreme, we eliminate the infiltration of fresh air and that can result in more CO retention in our homes.

When the temperature dips below zero and you are confident that you have sealed up all of the windows and doors as much as possible, also remember that there may be cracks in the siding next to your hot and cold water pipes still exposed. The home generates heat (or to say it in another way, it the cold chases the heat in your home). To prevent a catastrophe such as frozen and broken plumbing, you may not want to turn down your thermostat, but do turn it up just a couple of degrees. The coldest days and nights will test the tightness of your home and the ability of your furnace to heat all corners of your home. So just keeping the thermostat at 70 degrees during the coldest times may prevent a plumbing catastrophe.

Take a few moments to go around your home to try to locate cold spots. Sometimes a little space heater will help to warm up a cold corner. There are some very safe models out there, but do take caution when choosing a heater. One good tip sheet to read is this one from the Underwriters Safety Laboratory: http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/newsroom/storyideas/homeheating/spaceheater/
Keeping the temperatures a little warmer than usual, and following the plumbing procedures listed above can help save you from costly service calls for frozen and broken pipes. In the event that you do have frozen and broken pipes, please call Tom at 303-952-8668 or 303-800-3781 at Kimmel. We answer the phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our number is 303-952-8668.


Pete Doty has been a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker since 1985. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado." Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Carbon Monoxide in Your Home?

From my friend Tom D'Agostino at Kimmel Mechanical:

After several deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in Colorado last winter, Governor Bill Ritter helped pass new laws surrounding carbon monoxide detectors in new and resold homes. However, many homeowners who purchased their homes before the new laws went into effect on July 1, 2009, may have concerns about how to protect their families from carbon monoxide poisoning during the cold winter months.

First, what is carbon monoxide or CO? It is a toxic gas that is completely odorless, and can be fatal to both humans and pets within minutes of exposure. Some people will experience symptoms with lower levels of carbon monoxide, but others have no idea that it is in their homes. If your home uses gas, wood, fuel, coal or kerosene as its major heat source, you should make sure your home is safe from carbon monoxide.

How do you protect yourself and your family? You can purchase carbon monoxide monitors from any HVAC contractor or hardware store, but you want to make sure you are purchasing one that is effective in monitoring the levels of CO in your home. If you have questions about which CO monitors are the best, contact Kimmel Service at 303-952-8668 or email Tom at tomd@kimmelservice.com.

It is also important to have maintenance done on your furnace or boiler each year to ensure that it is not emitting dangerous levels of CO. This is especially important if your furnace is over 10 years old. A trained service technician can determine through the maintenance if there is cause for concern.

Also, if you experience any symptoms such as repeated headaches, flushed cheeks, nausea or shortness of breath, be sure to leave your home immediately and call either Xcel Energy or the fire department to come check your home to make sure it is safe and determine the source of the CO. Your furnace, water heater or other gas appliance could be the source, and needs to be checked out by someone with a trained eye.

For more information or with other questions regarding CO in your home, please contact Kimmel Service at 303-952-8668. Be sure your home and family are safe this winter!

Pete Doty is a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker working in the south metro Denver area. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, Aurora, Lakewood, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado". Talk to Pete for real estate advice, properties for sale, Denver property listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. OR drop him a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The GAP Narrows sales to listings

Watching the statistics about the Denver Real Estate market can make you cross eyed. I have been attempting to make sense out of it for over 24 years now, however, in 2003 I saw the 2 numbers that made the most sense for indicators: Closed SALES and New Listings.

Closed sales is pretty obvious but the choice of Denver's new listing count was harder to come by, especially choosing to use ONLY the single family home statistics for Denver Metro. And then the data base got changed to include the entire state of Colorado and the metro area has grown. So one needs to finesse these data point a little...but not too much.

The truth is there are some reports that say there are 23xxx listings on the market in Denver today leading one to believe every other house is for sale in Denver! We know this is not true as the signs telling us all those houses are for sale are not there. The physical signs in the front yard. Actually, this morning, there were 12,311 single family homes listed for sale as active listings in the Denver MLS system known as Metrolist.

And then the final part of the question: How do you 'chart' the data to give a true picture of the Denver area's economic real estate health? That hit me a few months ago...look at how this month compares to the same month in 2003, 2004, 2005, etc. I know rudimentary, but now some of it looks like it makes sense. As an example the red bars are the closed sales and it looks like they are the best we have seen in over 4 years for November in Denver. The purple bars are the competition, the new listings coming on the market and they are down. Think of it like this: Red bar is demand (UP), purple bar is supply(DOWN). That is good for Sellers and buyers need to know to act quickly, before prices start to edge up any more!




Pete Doty has been a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker since 1985. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town!" It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Home Staging… The Art Of Preparing A Home To Sell

A Guest Blog from Pam McCormick, Home Stager and Interior Designer
This can help you make more money when you sell your home!


Hiring a Staging professional is now a vital part of the selling process.
Marketing a property at its best first impression is now recognized as crucial to securing the best price in the shortest amount of time.

Staging will create a warm inviting environment that causes people to connect emotionally to the space. By de-cluttering it eliminates distractions, so buyers can focus on and remember the home and not the stuff. Staging neutralizes the space so that the home can appeal to the widest audience possible. It will highlight the home’s positives and downplay the negatives.

In an April 2006 AOL Money and Finance poll of over 15,000 people, 87% said that home presentation makes the difference in most sales.

The Master Bedroom is the most private room in the house, but when you are selling your home it becomes public and it should be well staged to look like a retreat for two. It needs to look like a relaxing bedroom and not a multi-function room. The buyers will get a different message if they see exercise equipment or work-related items such as a computer and reference materials.

The bed is not always the focal point. Look at the room and see if there is something you want to sell such as a view or maybe an adjoining deck. Then position the bed so it draws attention to the focal point. Keep the colors neutral and use bedding that conveys luxury and softness. Use lots of pillows and shams on the bed. It should convey a cozy feeling, like you can relax and have a good night’s sleep.

Please contact Colorado Stage to Sell, LLC if you have any questions about staging your home. We have over 22 years in the interior design business and we offer many different staging plans to fit your budget. We also do Senior-downsizing. If you or someone you know is thinking about down-sizing, please give us a call. We can help with staging the current home, deciding what to take to the new home, and setting up goals to accomplish it all, such as clutter management, organizing and motivation along the way. We will come out and give you a free estimate.

Pete Doty has been a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker since 1985. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com"

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Why Highlands Ranch? Guest BLOG

This from coach Shana Hubert:
Someone asked me an interesting question recently; Why do you love Highlands Ranch? In that moment, I began to realize that what seems like such an obvious choice to me is not in and of itself always so obvious to others.

I had no idea what a quest that question would set me on, but when I started thinking about how exactly to explain my answer, I realized there was so much about it for me that I couldn’t put a finger on it. It is not explainable, or factual, or something you can list in an MLS listing. It is just what this community is.

There are many things in one’s life, business, family and community that are that way. I found out that Highlands Ranch was one of those things to me. I absolutely love my community, but when asked to put it into words, it was very difficult to do. I went looking for an explanation and started talking to my family and friends, many of whom also call this community their home. What I received in answers was so much more than I could have ever explained. No matter what backgrounds and family styles you may come from, there are many reasons to call Highlands Ranch home.

The “stuff” is a logical place to start and really it is what most people immediately start discussing in terms of reasons to settle here. Whether single or married with kids, young or old, Highlands Ranch really does offer a lot to do and take advantage of. Where else do you pay a minimal fee to access your pick of four of the best recreation facilities around. They offer fantastic pools whether for adult or child, great workout facilities, racquetball, tennis, programs, tracks, etc. I could go on and on. However in a time when most of us our pinching our pennies anyway, what better way to spend some quality time than to grab your rec. center card and for no more money out of pocket, really go enjoy some time on the court or in the pool as a family.

Many other amenities topped the list of “stuff”. If you don’t feel like spending your time in the gym, what about taking advantage of the miles of open space and trails or taking a walk up to the Town Center. Speaking of the Town Center, the addition of this community gem has brought new life to Highlands Ranch. From enjoying a cocktail with friends, partaking in one of the many annual festivals with the family, becoming a local vegetable connoisseur at the farmers market, or just having a convenient place to get the basics- the Town Center offers something for everyone. Watching it all come together with the amphitheater, park, common areas, and the even more recent addition of some fantastic stores (yes I am a Target fan), it has been amazing to see the design and precision they have had in mind for our beautiful community.

Let’s not forget that there are also many other community shops and conveniences throughout. The design has been splendidly done to make this a living breathing sustainable place to live, without a lot of travel involved. When you look at everything that has gone into, and still continues to go into the community there are a lot of things that you can put a name on and associate a value to in order to explain what makes Highlands Ranch a great place to live.

So let’s pretend for a moment that you didn’t have all the stuff? Why Highlands Ranch then? I will not fib, I am a person who appreciates convenience and certainly can appreciate what this community has strived to offer its residents, but what if you take away the stuff? What else does Highlands Ranch have to offer? Highlands Ranch is one place where, I am convinced, we have a population of caring, civic and community minded people.

I can only truly speak for myself, but I believe at the heart of this community lies people who are looking to make the community better and they are looking for ways to improve the lives of their families and those around them. My bet is on the fact that the “community” would still come. We would find ways to create events and togetherness, we would find ways to enjoy the outdoors and make it a part of our everyday lives and we would certainly still create ways to make this one of the best places to live. So why Highlands Ranch?

Where else can I step out on my deck to such a brilliant view of the Rocky Mountains and still enjoy the many conveniences we take for granted every day? Where else do I get the small town feel that I enjoy when visiting a Hometown Holiday celebration and afterwards I can drive 30 minutes to some of the best theatre performances offered in our nation? Where else offers the kind of entertainment that we can go enjoy without pulling out hard earned money at every turn? Where else can you go to a gourmet restaurant on one side of the street and swing by Super Target on the way home, because “Oh shoot, I forgot to pick up cereal for breakfast and socks for the kids.”? And finally, where else can you go on a walk on Saturday morning and run into your neighbors and the kids, grandma and grandpa out for a stroll, a marathoner running with their dog, and end up at Starbucks with a hometown sports hero enjoying some family time as well?

Highlands Ranch is partially explained by the opportunities and the things that we get to take advantage of every day, and partially unexplainable by the everyday actions of those within our community and the “feel” you get when you walk down the street. So next time someone asks you why Highlands Ranch and you search within for the best way to say it, a simple reply of “because it’s Highlands Ranch,” may suffice just fine!


I work throughout the Denver community (of course including Highlands Ranch!) as Business Growth advisor with OneCoach. My professional goal is to bring value to our clients by assisting business owners in attracting new clients, increasing their revenue, and help them to focus in on the goals they started their business to begin with. My family and I happily live and play in Highlands Ranch.

Shara Hubert
OneCoach of South Denver
http://www.5280businesscoach.com
720.219.3383


Pete Doty is a Full Time Licensed real estate broker since 1985. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town!" It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado. Talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

Monday, December 07, 2009

My hobby and relaxation


Not sure this belongs on a website about Denver Real Estate but seeing as it is something that some folks consider when buying a home, maybe it does.
I am a TRAINAHOLIC. My basement is full of model trains and even my rock garden has track and trains running through it. I enjoy the aspect of building stuff that looks real. I am not sure I enjoy counting all the rivets, nuts and bolts, but I do enjoy the realism versus the whimsy of trains.

Take a look for your self www.denverrelocation.com/trains.html .

And if you know anyone who would like to talk trains, especially the Colorado narrow gauge roads or the Great Northern, please make that introduction.

Now of course, when you hear of someone who needs to buy or sell a home in Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado, please make that introduction too.
They can talk to me for real estate advice, properties for sale, multiple listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. Just drop me a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com