Our Bloggers
Denver & Suburbs
Larry Hotz - Selling nearly 1000 homes since 1978, Former Managing Broker and Faculty Member, Colorado Association of Realtors. Follow Larry on Twitter
Littleton & SW
Dennis Martin - Another Dad/Daughter Real Estate Team sells homes throughout Denver's Southwest Suburbs. Dennis also managed a real estate company and sold homes for over 30 years.
Erie, Niwot, Northwest
Paula King
- a Certified Residential Specialist helping folks in Denver's north suburbs.
Downtown Denver
John Ludwig - Lo-Do, Business District, City Park, John lives in and knows the city.
West Denver
Melody Rivera
- and Rivera Team sell homes in Highlands, Lakewood, Westminister. She is also President of The Denver Board of Realtors.
Longmont & North
John Callis -
Broker since 1982 in Denver's northern suburbs. Lives in Boulder.
First Time Homes
Elizabeth Hotz
- Purdue grad and broker since 2005, Liz has lived in both the City and Suburbs. She know the best places for first-time buyers.
Douglas County
Doug Hutchins - Doug lives and works throughout Douglas County including Castle Rock and Parker. He's a long-time Realtor with local knowledge about issues in Douglas County.
Our Next Blogger?
Promote your position as a Top Realtor in your area. Just apply to blog for free and be referred to Buyers and Sellers interested in your neighborhood.
Is Denver The Best Real Estate Market?
By Larry Hotz, Senior Editor
You hear it from bankers. You hear it from real estate brokers. I hear it from people trying to buy or sell a home. And, everyone hears it at cocktail parties.
It’s common knowledge throughout Denver and the suburbs that Denver’s better than the rest of the country. At least, our home prices have depreciated the least and home sales have held up the best.
Denver Home Price Are More Stable Than Most Cities
Over 1000 heard good news about the Denver Real Estate Market at The Kentwood Company Forum.
These facts were just confirmed at the Colorado Real Estate and Economic Forum hosted by the Kentwood Companies. Over 1000 folks showed up to hear a variety of speakers including Erik Davidson Senior Director of Investments for Wells Fargo Private Bank not only repeat the mantra but prove it! Read more
Great Pumpkin
by Montana Gray - Guest Blogger
The first secret is that his place of permanent residence is right here at The Ken-Caryl Ranch in suburban Denver.
The Great Pumpkin Roams In Ken Caryl Valley
The Great Pumpkin is a very special being with an amazing history. And he’s really magic. That’s why the only ones who have actually seen him (besides the forest animals) are the ones who still have a child’s heart - the kind of heart that believes in wishes, dreams and fairytale endings. Read more
School Bond Issues
By Doug Hutchins, Douglas County Realtor
ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch
Two weeks ago I received a phone call from a neighbor in
Castle Pines North who is helping the Douglas County School District hold
informational sessions about their proposed bond issues that will be on the
ballot this November. She asked a simple question that I hear frequently:
How much are home values impacted
by the quality of the local school district?
The Douglas County School District recently mailed a
promotional piece on the bond issue stating that 2% to 10% of your home value
is directly tied to the quality of the school district and that not passing the
bond issue could adversely impact home values. Read more
Avoiding Home Pests
by Carl Brahe, Certified Denver Home Inspector, CHI, CCI
(Ed: We are grateful to have Mr. Brahe contribute guest blog posts from time to time. He is a respected Denver home inspector and his advice is helpful. If you enjoy this article and wish to talk to him about doing a home inspection, do so at Inspection Perfection, Inc - 303-816-5556 info@inspection-perfection.comHe also provided this interesting quiz: How Green is Your Home?)
Carpenter Ants Can Be Pests in Colorado
In Colorado we have few pests compared to most places. Our dry climate make it harder for moist environments to exist that most pests require to survive. For pest to live in our homes they must have a way to enter, sufficient moisture and food to live. The food is usually other pests. Read more
September Home Sales
by Larry Hotz, Lead Editor
September Home Sales For Denver Metro Area
Denver homes sales soared 15% in September compared to the year ago period. And, homes placed under sales contract went up 20% over that same period. There were dramatically fewer homes on the market too. So, why then did the average price of a home drop by 15%?
I don’t think it really did. You see, it depends on what you mean by the average price. Read more
Why Use a Local Lender?
Dennis Martin, Littleton Real Estate
What does your mortgage lender look like?
When is a deal on an internet mortgage not really a good deal? The answer is: When the loan never closes.
Every once in a while I have an experience which I feel I need to share with my clients. Here’s one of those horror stories I just went through.
Recently, another broker brought me a contract on one of my listings. As is the custom, they included a lender prequalification letter. The letter was from an Internet-based loan broker.
Kentwood Expands Marketing Department
By Larry Hotz, Kentwood Company Broker
- Brokers Larry Hotz, Sonia Scott and Mary Carole Albi with Peter Niederman, COO of Kentwood Companies
The Kentwood Companies is the only Denver real estate firm that operates its own, in-house Marketing Department. The philosophy of the Company has always been that marketing separates average from superior real estate firms.
In an unexpected move the marketing department has announced that it is nearly doubling the size of its office space. So, we did what l we always do when there’s an announcement. We threw a party! Read more
Riverfront Prices
By John Ludwig, Downtown Denver Specialist
In an exclusive presentation for Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty Brokers on October 3rd, East West Partners’ own Chris Frampton spoke with sincere realism about the market forces at work. “Prices have been reduced,” he touted.
Since their initial projects back in the late 90s, I have not seen East West go public with price reductions even once. They have a reputation for creating and selling some of the most expensive real estate in Denver, but even the luxury markets don’t seem to be immune to the overall market forces at work. Read more
Homebuyer Tax Credit
By Elizabeth Hotz, Denver First Time Homebuyer Specialist
When President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, many questions arose. One of the most frequent questions I get from my first-time homebuyer’s is regarding the first-time homebuyer’s tax credit. Many real estate blogs across the country have written about this credit. Some have been favorable and some financial blogs have yawned their way through a review. Read more