See Arvada Homes for Sale under $200,000 See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) Read on for a report on Arvada home sales: The percentage of Arvada homes selling for $200,000 or less as short sales or foreclosures is still in the 60s. Distressed sales play a big role on days on market in this category. However, with 14 homes on the market right now, and 40 sold last month, lack of inventory is an issue.  75% of the homes sold last month went for asking price or above, some as much as $10-15,000 above! Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories. This report includes only detached single family Arvada homes listed or sold for $200,000 or less.  (I'm using the term 'distressed sales' to refer to short sales and for... 05/01/2013

Woodland Valley is a mature Arvada neighborhood, located in west Arvada.  Woodland Valley is a complex of 640 single-family detached homes built between 1966 and 1972.  80% of Woodland Valley homes are owner occupied. 60% of the current owners have lived in Woodland Valley for more than 10 years.  There is no homeowner's association. The neighborhood is bordered by 74th Ave. and 65th Ave. to the north and south, and is west of Simms St. Right now, there are only two homes for sale in Woodland Valley.  Listed at  $259,900 and $259500, they've  been on the market for seven days and thirty-one days, respectively. There is currently only one Woodland Valley home under contract, it was listed at $340,000 and was on the market for seven days before going under contract. Thirty-three Woodland ... 05/01/2013

Ralston Estates is a mature Arvada neighborhood, located in west Arvada. Ralston Estates is a complex of 703 single-family detached homes built between 1972 and 1995, the newer homes are west of Deframe St..  89% of Ralston Estates homes are owner occupied. 59% of the current owners have lived in Ralston Estates for more than 10 years.  There is no homeowner's association. The neighborhood is bordered by 72nd Ave. and 64th Ave. to the north and south, and is west of Ward Road to Eldridge.   As with most Arvada neighborhoods, Ralston Estates residents enjoy a nice park with paved paths, grass and trees, and a play set.   Right now, there are only two homes for sale in Ralston Estates.  Listed at  $299,900 and $580,000, they've  been on the market for two days and sixteen days, respective... 04/29/2013

Located in north Arvada, just south and west of Standley Lake, The Landing at Standley is a complex of 559 single-family detached homes built between 1987 and 1995.  88% of Landing at Standley Lake homes are owner occupied. More than half of the current owners have lived in The Landing at Standley Lakes for more than 10 years.  You can hear how much they love living at The Landing at Standley Lake if you walk the neighborhood and strike up conversations with anyone who happens to be around. There is a homeowner's association, fees are $70 to $74 per quarter. The neighborhood is bordered by Alkire St on the west, Simms St. on the east, 84th Ave. on the south, and 86th Pkwy. on the north. View Right now, there is only one home for sale in The Landing at Standley Lake.  With a list price o... 04/26/2013

When I started writing this series I thought April would be a good time to work on the exterior of your home in preparation for selling it.  But so far, THIS April (2013) has not been conducive to getting outdoor chores completed.  Right now, it's snowing pretty hard, on top of the fourteen inches we've gotten over the past two days. So save this list until we get some 'normal' spring weather - which is supposed to be 65 and sunny.  Gather materials, and be ready when the weather improves to tackle that always important curb appeal and exterior condition. 1.  Paint the exterior of your home, if needed.  Yes, it's a big, expensive job - that's why buyers will hesitate to choose your home if the job isn't done.  At the very least, repair and touch up any peeling paint. 2.  Focus scrutiny ... 04/17/2013

Thinking of selling your house?   How exciting!   You're sure to have a lot of questions, things have surely changed since you last sold a house, and you may not even know what questions to ask. So I've gathered several of my posts into one convenient place.  Feel free to click away on the links below, and be sure to contact me if you have any other questions, or for a market evaluation of your home. Planning to sell, but not right away?  Here's some articles that will help you prepare your home for sale. Fresh Paint - (here's an article on choosing paint colors) Why Did That House Sell so Fast?  It's About 'Eye Candy'   (Keep in mind, I wrote this article before MOST houses were selling fast!) How Much Will it Cost to Sell My House? You Have a Great House For Sale - Why Have You Gotten... 04/16/2013

Tennyson Park in Arvada Colorado has a lot of unique features to offer. Built in 1999-2001, homes in Tennyson Park are newer than other Arvada homes in the vicinity, yet established enough to have full-sized trees lining the streets and shading the grassy yards. Most of Arvada's newer neighborhoods are on the more-expensive western side. But in Tennyson Park, you can get more newer house for the money. Plus, if you will need to get on I-25 to head to Denver, Fort Collins, or you'll be at the airport more than a couple of times a year, this is a better location than neighborhoods farther west. Tennyson Park has 2-story and ranch-style homes. There are 103 2-story homes, and six ranch style (one level homes). They range in size from 1,356 to 2,147 square feet. Some of the lots are quite s... 04/09/2013

This is a monthly market report for Arvada home sales. Arvada is a small town between Denver and Boulder. Arvada's real estate market is not the same as Denver or Boulder, but is very similar to Westminster, Broomfield, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge. See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) I hope that issuing these reports every month will help give you an idea of the real estate market, in case you want to buy a home or sell a home in one of the best places Denver to Boulder! Click the underlined text to read the report for Arvada homes February 2013. See all of 2012 Market Reports for Arvada Homes, plus a graph of foreclosure/short sale activity. I've categorized my Arvada homes market reports by price range. You can see the categories below.... 04/05/2013

See Arvada Homes for Sale between $400,000 and $500,000 See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) Read on for a report on Arvada Home Sales: Out of the thirteen Arvada homes that sold in this price range last month, four sold at or above list price.  Surprisingly, none of the thirteen sales were new construction. This price range is burdened with a 3-month inventory.  Homebuyers in the lower price ranges are in desperate need of homes to choose from, but they can still take their time and be picky if shopping above $400,000. Check out the line graph below for the huge increase in number of days on market compared to the past two years. Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories. This report includes only detached s... 04/04/2013

See Arvada Homes for Sale between $300,000 and $400,000 See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) Read on for a report on Arvada Home Sales: One-third of the Arvada homes sold last month in this price range closed at asking price or above. That's not surprising when you see 13 homes on the market and 28 sold last month! What does that tell buyers:  If you're looking at the best of what's out there right now, be prepared to make a full price offer. What does that tell sellers:  Don't forget that 2/3 of those homes sold below asking price.  So it's still important not to overprice your Arvada home in the $300-400,000 price range, especially if it's not in pristine condition. Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories... 04/04/2013

See Arvada Homes for Sale between $200,000 and $300,000 See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) Read on for a report on Arvada Home Sales: The word, 'inventory', doesn't really apply for Arvada homes in the $200-300,000 price range.  Once again -  home buyers in this, the price category where most Arvada homes sell, will have to bring their 'A+ game' if they want to buy a house. Half of the Arvada homes sold in this price range closed at or above list price, some for $10,000 or more higher! Sellers - If you don't have any real reason to wait for spring, put your house on the market now! Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories. This report includes only detached single family Arvada homes that sold between $200... 04/03/2013

See Arvada Homes for Sale under $200,000 See current market reports for Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield CO (click the link) Read on for a report on Arvada home sales: The percentage of Arvada homes selling for $200,000 or less as short sales or foreclosures is still in the 60s. Distressed sales play a big role on days on market in this category. However, with 14 homes on the market right now, and 40 sold last month, lack of inventory is an issue.  75% of the homes sold last month went for asking price or above, some as much as $10-15,000 above! Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories. This report includes only detached single family Arvada homes listed or sold for $200,000 or less.  (I'm using the term 'distressed sales' to refer to short sales and for... 04/03/2013

Last week I took a new listings .. a great townhome in Arvada, Colorado. We had previously listed this property for sale but had no buyers. The market was down a bit in the area and townhomes were just not appealing to many buyers. This time, however, is a DIFFERENT story.   I listed this home in the MLS on 03/29/2013 AND I got an offer, the SAME day. The offer has now been accepted and we are getting ready to close! Talk about a turn around!   This home is a great example to buyers of why now is the time to sell. Even if your house didn’t sell before, it will now. If sellers take the right steps to get their homes “market ready” then we know the right buyer will come along.   Congratulations to the sellers of this Arvada Townhome! Can’t wait to close!   Be sure to visit our website ...... 04/03/2013

Water restrictions are a part of Denver to Boulder life, so what will become of your vegetable garden? Arvada follows Denver Water watering restrictions, so I was happy to learn recently that watering restrictions do not apply to vegetable gardens. I learned that tidbit on ArvadaListens.com, btw.  The same applies to flower gardens.   However, that 'anytime' veggie watering must be "by means of a hand-held hose or low-volume non-spray irrigation. These areas may be watered by spray irrigation on the assigned watering days only and not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m." Got that?  So if you water gardens by spray irrigation, you need to stick to the watering restrictions.  But IF your gardens need it, you can supplement with hand-held hose watering. A well-tended garden actually needs less wate... 04/01/2013

Denver weather is a never-ending topic of conversation.  It can literally be 70 degrees one day and snowing the next day.  In October, or in May, or any month in between. Weather swings like that are tough on all of us Colorado gardeners, but we learn to live with it, and sometimes even laugh at it - like the photo below illustrates. We haven't gotten a lot of snow in winter the past few years.  But sometimes, spring storms make up for it.  Here's the snow so far on March 23,2013 - the first weekend of the 'official' beginning of spring, and the first day of spring break for many. The first photo was taken at Solid Grounds Coffee House in Littleton, CO.  Mmmmmm ... what a great place to get a warm coffee or tea on any Colorado day - snowy or not!  They posted it on Facebook and the capt... 03/23/2013

West Woods Market Trends, West Woods, Arvada, 80007, Jefferson County Recent market trends in the West Woods neighborhood in Arvada indicate an active market shifting a bit in characteristics, but remaining steady. Over the past three months, West Woods homes have slowed down in their time on the market but more total homes are being sold.     West Woods presently has 22 homes actively listed after an average of 112 days on the market.  These listings are mostly 2 story and story and a half homes with three car garages,  3-6 bedrooms, 3-5 bathrooms, ranging in size from 2,439 square feet to 4,476 square feet, and are listed at an average price of $542,312 or $173 per square foot.   All of these homes were built between 1994 and 2013. Search for homes in West Woods There are currently 1... 03/17/2013

Just a few days ago, it was nearly 70 degrees here in Arvada* Colorado and I got a little gardening done in my Pomona Lakes backyard.     While giddily playing in the gardens, I stumbled across the first bloom of the season – a Lenten rose blooming way before Lent!             Since then, we've had a BUNCH of snow!  Here’s where that lovely bloom was – and really, where she still is.      There are a lot of plants that won’t grow here, but many early bloomers do quite well.I’ve planted a lot of early bloomers, because I’m always so eager for spring. Here’s a few I recommend for high country gardens:   Glory of the Snow Snow Crocus Snowdrops Siberian Squill Winter Aconite Lenten Rose Crested Iris   When buying perennial plants, bulbs, or seeds for your high country gardens, be sure they ... 03/13/2013

It's true - Arvada homes are more expensive the further west you go.  There are a couple of reasons for this phenomenon -   1. The Rocky Mountains Beautiful, awe-inspiring mountain views are more likely to be a daily encounter in west Arvada than they would be further east.  The photo to the right was taken from one of The Village at Five Parks five parks.  (Not a typo - there really are five parks!) That is, unless you're lucky enough to get one of the hill-top homes in neighborhoods like Huntington Heights or Sierra Vista. Proximity to the mountains is also desirable for people who spend a lot of time recreating in the wilderness - everyone welcomes a shorter commute after a weekend of hiking, biking, skiing, camping, fishing or rafting. Many people are willing to pay more for a grand... 03/12/2013

West Woods Neighborhood, Arvada Colorado, Jefferson County, 80007 West Woods is a neighbored in West Arvada featuring modern luxury homes that were the highlight of the annual Colorado Parade of Homes because of their beautiful and timeless architecture.  These homes range in price from the mid 300’s to over 1 million, in size from 2,000 – 4,500 square feet,  and have 3-6 bedrooms and 3-5 bathrooms.   Search for Homes in West Woods         Majority of the West Woods neighborhood is located between 64th Ave and Quaker to 72nd Ave and Easley, and is within Jefferson County Public School District.    Specific schools for the area include West Woods Elementary, Drake Middle School and Ralston Valley High School, with West Woods Elementary in the heart of the neighborhood.  There is also th... 03/11/2013

'Less lawn, more garden' is the goal of more and more suburban folks these days.  Specifically, people want to grow their own nutritious, chemical-free food.  If you don't believe me, check out the Facebook pages for Grow Food, Not Lawns, Learn to Grow a Straw Bale Garden, and Chicken Forum. 'Less lawn, more garden' was my mantra long before it was trendy!  And, long before I had any 'extra' money to spend on the plans I harbored in my heart for my suburban lot. Luckily, I was young, strong, and had lots of energy. These days, I know a lot of ways to get started quicker, on a smaller scale at first.  'Like' the Facebook pages linked above to learn more, but you can get started growing vegetables and herbs in burlap bags, large buckets, or raised beds made from various materials.  The th... 03/11/2013