Denver Real Estate Market Strengthening

There are concrete, solid stats that support everyone’s hopes-the Denver real estate market is recovering. According to the Real Estate Market Trends, released by the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, as of September 2012, there is the lowest inventory per capita that Denver has ever seen. In general, there are only about 2.7 months of inventory and more buyers than there are sellers. And compared to 2001, there are about 20% more people in Denver, but we still have the same inventory levels as 2001. And for the first time since the housing market crash in 2008, the September average sale price has beat levels from six and seven years ago, surpassing those levels from 2005 and 2006. These are sure signs that the market is making a strong comeback! So if you wanting to sell your house, now is the time!

Ten Things To Do In Denver

We all have our reasons as to why we love Denver. Maybe it’s the 300+ days of sunshine a year, the short drive to world-renowned ski resorts, or just the amazing food downtown that has to offer. But most people would agree, there are certain things in Denver you have to do before you leave. Here is our Denver Bucket List.

1. Attend a Rockies game on a perfect summer’s evening. There is nothing more American than enjoying a beer and a hot dog, while watching America’s favorite past time.
2. Be sure to stroll through the Botanic Gardens when the flowers are in full bloom.
3. Eat to one of the participating restaurants during 5280 Restaurant Week. For one week, over 90 amazing restaurants offer a meal for two for just $52.80. It is a great deal at some of Denver’s best eats.
4. Drink your fill at Denver’s own, Oktoberfest. It is one of the largest of its kind in the nation and promises a good time, time-honored German heritage, and more beer varieties than you can imagine.
5. Gather the family together and spend a few days at A Taste of Colorado, the annual festival offering a variety of musical performances, local food vendors, and artisan booths. Located in Civic Center Park, the city practically shuts down for this event.
6. Take a stroll up 16th Street Mall when all of the street performers are out. It is free entertainment and the perfect place to people watch.
7. Spend a few hours in the Museum of Contemporary Art. Offering a different array of art than your typical museum, this experience is unique to Denver. And the building alone is worth seeing, designed by famous architect, David Adjaye.
8. Go on a Denver brewery tour. Colorado has one of the largest beer cultures in the country and is home to the nation’s largest brewery, Coors Brewery in Golden. But there are plenty of others in Denver that are sure to broaden your beer horizon.
9. Catch a show or ballet, or even a concert, at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Showcasing some of Broadway’s finest plays, this gorgeous theater is a timeless experience. With famous shows on a regular basis, there is something for everyone.
10. Go to any of the bars, dance clubs, shops, or restaurants on Denver’s chic, Larimer Square. With Victorian buildings and a trendy appearance, this street as been one of Denver’s hot spot areas for over 40 years.

And because Colorado itself is so great, here are a few other things you have to do around the state:
• Attend a concert at Red Rocks. This is a must and with hundreds of concerts each year, there is no excuse.
• Hike the Maroon Bells in Aspen. The area offers trails and hikes of all difficulty level and views to die for.
• Go skiing. Colorado is known for its ski resorts and for a good reason-they are some of the best in the world!
• Take a trip down to the Mesa Verde National Park and see the cliff dwellings that date back to 600 AD.

Another Reason to Love Denver:

Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit at DAM

Few names top the list of fashion icons like Yves Saint Laurent. The French-born designer is often described as one of the most influential designers in the last fifty years and upon his death in 2008 at age 71, the New York Times described him as “the designer who arguably did more to advance fashion than any other of his generation pointed the way to the future by consistently reviving the past. His enduring fascination with more gracious or, perhaps, more vital times, informed his refined, theatrical aesthetic and made him the most influential designer of his day. His celebrated fashions of the '60s and the '70s continue to inspire younger generations.”

To celebrate his life, a sweeping retrospective of the designer’s 40 years of creativity, Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective features a stunning selection of 200 haute couture garments along with numerous photographs, drawings, and films that illustrate the development of Saint Laurent's style and the historical foundations of his work. And the Denver Art Museum (DAM) happens to be the only venue in the U.S. that will be hosting the exhibit.

Organized thematically, the presentation melds design and art to explore the full arc of Saint Laurent’s career, from his first days at Dior in 1958 through the splendor of his evening dresses from 2002. The exhibit runs through July 8 at DAM, so plan your trip there soon to catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime presentation.

If you’re planning a night out to see the exhibit, you might also consider making reservations at Palettes, the on-site restaurant at the museum. In honor of Yves Saint Laurent, the restaurant is featuring a three-course prix-fixe Retro-French Tasting menu for $26.

Another Reason to Love Denver—Tour de B-cycle

We all have our “active” Colorado bucket list items: hike a fourteener, plan a hut trip, take an epic mountain bike ride, etc. Well, there’s another challenge to add to the list that takes place within Denver and can be done any weekend you want—the Tour de B-cycle.

Most locals are aware of the Denver B-cycle program that offers people the chance to temporarily check out bikes at stations spread across the city. Denver B-cycle charges a membership fee to gain access to the system plus additional charges for any trip lasting longer than 30 minutes. An annual pass costs $80 and ride data such as distance, duration, calories burned, and carbon offset is captured and uploaded to your personal page at Denver.Bcycle.com if you register online for an account.

The Tour de B-cycle is a challenge where you have to visit all 52 stations in one day and all rides between stations must be under 30 minutes. The other rules for this include:
• E-mail info@denverbikesharing.org letting them know your intention to “conquer” the Tour de B-cycle (put “Tour de B-cycle”in the subject line). Include your full name and date of your planned attempt.
• You must check-in and out a B-cycle at all stations. (This ensures you’re tracked in your trips report for going to each station.)
• You MUST return to the B-cycle station that you started from for a complete loop.

Wine & Art—“Uncorked” Event at the Denver Art Museum

Mixing wine with art is always a solid pairing, and the Denver Art Museum (DAM) will be hosting one of the city’s premier events for wine lovers—the twelfth annual DAM Uncorked Wine Tasting on April 20, 2012.

The event is a great evening where guests get to sample and enjoy more than 300 wines from vintners around the world. There will also be helpful tasting guides available and delicious hors d’oeuvres at this popular annual fundraising event.

Tickets are $90 for DAM members, $125 for non-members and $45 for designated drivers. If you want to beat the crowds and be part of the First Taste, which begins at 5pm, you can pay an additional $35 per person to be there when the first bottles get uncorked. All tickets also include admission to the museum that day (April 20) during regular hours.

It’s a great event to support the museum’s efforts and a chance to enhance your palette for fine wines while taking in DAM’s world-renowned art collections.

Downtown Denver’s Fourth Quarter 2011 Economic Report -

The fourth quarter economic data indicates that Downtown Denver’s economy is on an upswing, consistent with national forecasts that 2012 could be a “gear year,” where consumers are more comfortable spending. The fourth quarter of 2011 emphasized several strengths and weaknesses in Downtown Denver’s recovery. For example, while many of the indicators are positive, such as low retail and office vacancy rates, high retail sales tax collections and increasing hotel occupancy rates and room rates, the retail and office lease rates still haven’t returned to pre-recession levels. Read the full Downtown Denver economic report, online.

Don’t have time to read the whole report? Check out the first page (the executive summary) to catch up on the highlights.

The Downtown Denver Partnership produces an array of research to support Downtown’s overall economic development, retail and housing efforts. The research can be found on DDP’s website. As part of its research portfolio, DDP produces comprehensive reports each quarter that provide a holistic perspective on the overall economic health of Downtown. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Cole Judge, Downtown Research Coordinator, at cjudge@downtowndenver.com.

Kentwood Real Estate Unveils Newly Enhanced Website Showcasing Lifestyle Information About Metro Denver

Denver- Kentwood Real Estate, Colorado’s premier Real Estate Company, has unveiled newly enhanced website showcasing informative “Lifestyle” information about the Metro Denver area and other new upgrades that take the online home searching experience to a whole new level.

This website is already one of the most visited Real Estate websites in Colorado, and now it offers comprehensive information on special events, restaurants, things to do , music, concerts, and even details on Colorado’s professional sports teams.

Carol Ihli, Marketing Director for Kentwood Real Estate says,” To our knowledge, we are the only leading real estate website in the country to expand its website to include lifestyle information about metro Denver and Colorado in general.”

For those who enjoy arts and theatre, you can find details on www.DenverRealEstate.com including special exhibits and acclaimed artists performing. You can even find information on varieties of cuisine.

Sports enthusiasts will get details on the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Avalanche.

Website visitors can search featured listings, view city statistics, and weather information, open houses, photography, communities, and neighborhoods.

Kentwood Real Estate is comprised of The Kentwood Company in the Denver Tech Center, Kentwood Company at Cherry Creek, and Kentwood City Properties.

Rocky Mountain West Urban Leadership Symposium

The Downtown Denver Partnership released a new research report, Downtown Denver: A Magnet for the Future Workforce, last week at the 2012 Rocky Mountain West Urban Leadership Symposium in Denver. Details of city building efforts- including amenities, transportation infrastructure, educated population, residential growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, and emerging green economy-that make the urban core of the Mile High City an attractive spot for a new generation of workers are outlined in this report. The strengths and opportunities for Downtown Denver are also discussed in this report.

Our city’s long term commitment to comprehensive and collaborative planning strengthens our position to reap economic benefits of the millennial generation. In recent reports by the Brookings Institution analyzing U.S. Census Bureau data notes, “To the extent they are moving at, all young adults are headed to metro areas which are known to have a certain vibe like college towns, high tech centers, and so-called ‘cool cities’.” These “cool cities” are places where it is easier to consume less and live more sustainably. They are places with transportation infrastructure, an educated population, and innovative business climates. Brookings has named Denver the number one most attractive city in the entire country for young people or the future workforce to live and work.

Employers are recognizing on a national scale that the millennial generation is more likely to choose to live and work in or near an urban center. Mountains and oceans have become secondary to downtown locations or proximity to downtown locations. Strategically minded companies are leveraging downtown locations or closeness too these locations as way to attract candidates. This is important to the economy because this means that downtown locations will continue to be a hub for infrastructure and growth.

The Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc is a non profit business organization that creatively plans, manages and develops Downtown Denver as unique, diverse, vibrant and economically healthy urban core of the Rocky Mountain region. For more info, visit www.DowntownDenver.com

Union Station's Latest Renderings

Latest Projects In Denver's Hottest Neighborhood

Lohi Row

Dramatic townhomes in the heart of Lohi. This is a new project by Sprocket, one of the city’s leading architectural and Design/Build firms known for their mastery of form and function and quality! The project consists of 12 town homes ranging from 2 bedrooms + study and 2-3 bathrooms, 1300-1485 square feet, and priced from $399k-$439k.

More features for Lohi Row:
• Fabulous open floor plans
• 10-13 foot ceilings
• European finishes
• Oversized windows
• Chroma Quartz Slab Countertops
• Euro Style custom cabinetry
• Stainless steel appliances
• Attached garages
• Hardwood floors
• Prewired rooms for surround sound
• Fireplaces
• Media center
• Amazing design nuances
• Private rooftop decks
• Jaw dropping views of Denver’s cityscape and Rocky Mountains
• Prewired outdoor entertainment spaces plumbed w/ gas and water to accommodate hot tubs

Free Trees Offered to All Denver Residents This Spring

Applications Due Feb.15, 2012

Denver, CO- This spring only, all Denver residents are eligible for free trees regardless of where they live within the city. All Denver areas including but not limited to City Park, Washington Park, Highlands, LOHI, and Sloans Lake. This rare opportunity is made possible by two different tree distribution programs: The Park People’s annual Denver Digs Trees street tree program and the City’s Mile High Million tree planting initiative.

The Park People’s Paige Heydon says, “We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting partnership that is sure to add thousands of trees to Denver neighborhoods across the city.” She goes on to say, “The trees are being offered at no cost. It’s a win for the city’s urban forest and a win for Denver residents.

Any City and County resident of Denver can apply for free trees to plant along the street in the public right of way. Those who have space for trees on the west side of their homes in front, back, or side yards along the street are eligible to have trees ordered and planted for them.

According to Sara Davis, the program Manager for Denver Parks and Recreation’s Mile High Million Program, trees planted on the west side of houses not only offer wonderful shade, they also reduce energy consumption, “With that in mind, we are happy to offer the trees and the planting free of charge.

Availability will be limited, so apply no later than February 15, 2012. Visit www.theparkpeople.org or call 303-722-6262 for application information.

Denver’s City Forester Rob Davis says, “Trees beautify neighborhoods, improve property values, provide environmental services, and support good health by encouraging people to spend time outdoors. This is a great opportunity for Denver residents to enhance their neighborhoods.”

The Denver Digs Trees program is able to offer free street trees to all Denver residents this spring thanks to a partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation Forestry Division and the sponsorship of Xcel Energy Foundation and the City of Denver’s Office of Economic Development. The Mile High Million’s Trees for Energy Savings program is made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Young Adults Choose “Cool Cities” During Recession

In an article written by William Frye, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution, the Average Annual Net Domestic Migration by Metropolitan Area Among Persons Aged 25-34 according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data mid decade is compared to the results at the end of the decade.

It turns out that the top gainers in 2005-2007 Riverside Metro Area, Phoenix Metro Area, and Atlanta Metro Area have changed as the destination hot spot for young adults by the end of the decade. Riverside moved from first to eighth in the nation gaining less than one quarter of the young adults it drew from the mid decade numbers. Phoenix went from second to seventeenth and Atlanta fell from third to twenty third.

It seems young people are moving less than before, it is interesting to see where those who did move chose to move. Heading the list are Denver with 10,429 new young residents, Houston with 9,366 new young adults, Dallas with 8,731, Seattle with 7,451, Austin with 7,099 new young residents, Washington D.C. with 7,044 and Portland with 6,656 new young adult residents. It can be said that the top three areas and our nation’s capital fared relatively well economically during the recession. All seven of the top gainers are places where young people can feel connected and have attachments to colleges or universities among highly educated residents.

Young people’s destinations differ sharply form the top migrant draws for all ages combined-where Phoenix, and Riverside still rank in the top three. Two on the 2008-2010 U.S. Census generated list gained tremendously in rank among young movers. Denver which moved from twelfth in 2005-2007 to first in 2008-2010 and Washington D.C. which improved from forty fourth to sixth in the same years time. There is no doubt that the current economic doldrums are leaving many young people in limbo, waiting for employment and housing opportunities to emerge. When the economy does eventually pick up, they follow the jobs, no doubt, wherever they become available. In the meantime, a select group of metro areas with modestly growing economies, and strong youth cachet, seem to be the places where they are riding out the downturn. Which makes Denver the number one destination for ages 25-34 among any where else in the nation as this decade turns.