According to the Denver Post:"Castle Pines North took a big lead Wednesday in the race to become the newest municipality in one of the metro region's wealthiest and fastest-growing areas. Douglas County District Judge Vincent R. White approved the incorporation petition for Castle Pines North, the last legal hurdle for a vote in the community of 10,000 residents. Neighboring Castle Pines Village must redraft its incorporation paperwork to accommodate a tax-sharing deal it reached with Castle Pines North last month, then return to the courts for approval." This is an interesting development in the Douglas County area.  It just shows how rapidly Douglas County is growing.  Lone Tree became an incorporated  municipality in 1995, and now Castle Pines North.  The judge approved it, now they ... 11/29/2007

  Annual Carriage Rides in Castle Pines North, Castle Rock, CO   Castle Pines North in Castle Rock, CO is hosting their Annual Carriage Rides Tradition. Come enjoy this event held at the Ridge Golf Course in December (Dec. 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th).View the holiday lights in Buffalo Estates and the Pine Ridge Area and top the evening off relaxing at the Ridge Restaurant with a delightful dinner. Also hot cocoa and cookies await after a joyfyl carriage ride at the Ridge.Ticket reservations are available online www.cpnhoa.org/carriagerides For more information visit http://www.cpnhoa.org/ Ridge Golf Course http://www.theridgecpn.com/1414 Castle Pines Parkway, Castle Rock, CO 80104   Disclaimer: Kenna and Co. Blog does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for the accuracy ... 11/16/2007

Join the Thanksgiving Turkey Rock-Trot in Castle Rock, CO Come and enjoy a family run/walk on Thanksgiving morning in Castle Rock, CO. The run/walk starts at the Grange, located in the Meadows, 3692 Meadows Blvd (from I-25 take exit 184). Start time 9:30AM. The run benefits the Douglas/Elbert Task Force. Happy Thanksgiving. Disclaimer: Kenna and Co. Blog does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for the accuracy of the information provided herein, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. Blog posts on the Kenna and Co. Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Kenna and Co. Blog does not express the views of Kenna and Co. or those of the broker. Copyright 2007.© Kenna and Co. Rita Burke. All Rights Reserved. 11/16/2007

  Castle Rock, CO holiday tradition, Star Lighting   Holidays are here! Come celebrate the start of the holiday season.To welcome the holidays Castle Rock CO, will have their annual Star Lighting scheduled for Sat. Novemver 17th. The 72nd annual Caste Rock event features carriage rides, trolley rides and more.Don't miss the visit from Santa, he will be at the County Building between 1pm and 4 pm and then head to the Perry Street Firestation (5:30pm - 7:00pm).The festivities will take place from 1pm to 7pm.The Star Lighting is planned between 5:00pm - 5:30pm and will be followed by Fireworks. You can find more details at www.castlerock.org Disclaimer: Kenna and Co. Blog does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for the accuracy of the information provided herein, and provides said... 11/16/2007

Castle Pines North, situated in Northern part of Castle Rock has been incorporated and is now City of Castle Pines North. The polls closed today at 7PM so election results are just of the press. More news to follow in the upcoming days as how this is going to effect the life of the Castle Pines North residents - if at all. Disclaimer: Kenna and Co. Blog does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for the accuracy of the information provided herein, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. Blog posts on the Kenna and Co. Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Kenna and Co. Blog does not express the views of Kenna and Co. or those of the broker. Copyright 2007.© Kenna and Co. Rita Burke. All Rights Reserved. 11/06/2007

One of the top the places to live for families is Castle Rock CO Her is the Article by Family Circle magazine I couldn't agree more. You can find all the necessities from groceries to gasoline, and enjoy living without the big city stress. There are so many beautiful trails nearby and mountains are within a hour- two drive away. Views are spectacular from many areas of Castle Rock; Surrey Ridge, Happy Canyon, Keene Ranch, Daniels Gate, Castle Pines North just to name a few.There are areas that makes you feel like you live in the mountains; you are surrounded by Pine Trees and can hear the birds singing and crickets chirping. At night the sky is brightly lit with shiny stars.If you are thinking about relocating and moving to wonderful place, put Castle Rock, CO on your list. 11/03/2007

If you are considering a relocation to Castle Rock, CO, you will be please to know that there is a terrific Outlet Mall located right in the heart of Castle Rock.   Located so conveniently off of I-25 and Meadows Parkway, the Outlets at Castle Rock are a nifty way to do some shopping without regular mall prices and remain outdoors enjoying the beautiful Colorado outdoors. Some of the stores included are the Gap Outlet, Polo Ralph Lauren, Timberland, Haggar, Samsonite, Guess, Fossil, Columbia Sportwear, Brook Brothers Factory Store, Coach Factory Store (my wife likes that one says the Visa bill), Nautica, Liz Claiborne, Mikasa, Farberware, Harry & David (Yum!), Nike, JCrew, KBToys, Levi's, Off 5th - Saks Fifth Avenue, Tommy Hilfiger...and many more.        We have found some unbelievable... 10/06/2007

 Welcome to the Town of Castle Rock, home to slightly more than 42,000 people who love our small-town atmosphere, low crime rate, abundant parks and open space and clean air. Located midway between Denver and Colorado Springs, Castle Rock encompasses 33 square miles and sits in the East Plum Creek Valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 6,202 feet. The Town is traversed by Interstate 25, is home to the Outlets at Castle Rock and is the seat of Douglas County. Our climate is known as among the nation's best, with more than 300 days of sunshine  Well folks here it is!! We are on the map!! Our town is growing strong so take a look at the write up.The population of Castle Rock is expected to nearly double in the next five years, and why not?With our prime location, affo... 09/14/2007

CASTLE ROCK, CO - HOMES SALES NUMBERS FROM AUGUST 2007 REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT Douglas County, CO and Castle Rock in particular have received a great deal of media in the last few months.  It is still an area of extraordinary growth and has been called "Most Family Friendly?  Has this effected the home sales in the Castle Rock rela estate market?  Maybe.  Inventory is still high, however there is a balance between new listings and those under contract and sold.  Pricing and conditon are still key to selling your Castle Rock home.   Here are numbers from August 2007 regarding the activity in Castle Rock, Colorado for Single Family residential homes. On September 1, there were 1044 homes that were Active Listings - Homes for Sale.  202 of those listings were New Listings of Homes for Sa... 09/03/2007

Real Estate Market Reports for JULY 2007 - DOUGLAS COUNTY WEST CASTLE ROCK -  Douglas County, Colorado - STATISTICS FOR HOME SALES IN THE AREA Oh Castle Rock!  What a wonderful place to live.  However, if you plan on selling your home here any time soon you may want to look at these numbers and plan accordingly.  There are a lot of listings and more coming on the market than selling or going under contract.  Of course, there is a lot of new construction which also makes it tough to compete with when selling your home.  The number of expired and withdrawn listings also suggests the frustration of sellers in this market.  Remember to get your home is showing condition and most importantly, price it to compete and sell! This report includes all areas of the MLS known as DCW : Douglas Count... 08/18/2007

Wow!!  Every day seems to be more exciting than the last.  Just today (8/16). The headlines warned that Countrywide could end up in bankruptcy (I don't necessarily subscribe to that), and even the institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could have solvency issues.  What is important about this is not that it could happen (I just don't think it will), but that it's being bandied about.  This kind of talk creates panic and, as a result, markets overreact, creating more panic.What opportunities this creates!  It's actually very exciting in a good way.So, what is happening with rates?  Conventional rates are actually doing OK.  They are staying steady in the mid sixes without much fluctuation.  I will come back to this when I discuss Treasury movements.  Nonconforming products continue to t... 08/16/2007

This one sort of falls under the "gotcha" column, but in the midst of all the mayham going on right now, I thought it might be a bit of a comic relief.Happy Reading!Very Important- Guideline Changes Effective August 13, 2007*     All borrowers must have one blue eye and one brown eye to qualify.*     LTV > 65% SIVA requires minimum credit score of 849.*     For all LTV > 65%, 360 months of payment reserves are now required.*     Borrower's must have no previous bankruptcies in their family history going back three generations.*     A minimum of 25 years self-employment history (at same location) now required for all NIV Programs.*     Minimum credit score for Subprime Loans raised to 720.*     All non-arm's length transaction borrowers (mortgage, real estate professionals, family member... 08/13/2007

Do you read often?... regularly?  Reading, is essential for those of us related to the Real Estate industry.  I am amazed at how often I talk with people and learn that they don't read often.Here's the thing - as industry professionals, we have to convey to our target that we are knowledgeable.  Ultimately, what will seal the deal for us getting business is the value proposition that we have something nobody else can offer.  Deep knowledge is core to that premise.It is a given that a client would expect me to know about home mortgage interest rates or that you, if a Real Estate Professional, know about home values.  That's expected.  We are not going to "wow" anyone by our in-depth knowledge in those disciplines.Where reading comes into all this is in becoming knowledgeable along, as I ... 07/27/2007

The Denver metro area consists of 7 close by counties.  One of the most popular counties to reside in this decade is Douglas County, home to Highlands  Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Larkspur and Sedalia. Currently Douglas County is the 6th fastest growing county in the U.S. down from #1 of previous years.  Growth has slowed down a little, but the popularity of Douglas County has  not slowed at all. National media agrees, read on: Castle Rock of Douglas County is featured the August 2007 issue of Family Circle Magazine for being one of the 10 Best Towns for Families.  The criteria for being considered was to "blend affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces, and a lot less stress." Castle  Rock certainly qualifies with all those features! Ca... 07/24/2007

Town of Castle Rock, Colorado residents stood up to take a collective bow on Tuesday, July 10, the day that Family Circle magazine unveiled its "10 Best Towns for Families." That's because the Town of Castle Rock made Family Circle's list - the first of its kind for the national  magazine celebrating women and families. The magazine's 10 Best Towns for Families article appears in the August edition, which hit newsstands nationwide on July 10. The article shares the results of the magazine's quest to identify "the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm" and "an ideal blend of affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces and a lot less stress." "That describes Castle Rock perfectly," Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed sai... 07/23/2007

Real Estate Business Modeling - adapted from The Millionaire Real Estate Agent) - Part IIYa know, we're pretty much all in Sales and most people would give the "Duh!!" answer when the subject of Lead Generation comes up.  It's almost like they're implying, "Obviously, leads is important to being successful."  And those folks are absolutely right.  But Leads, as described in The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, is much more than just knowing that Leads is important.  In our industry, having not just enough leads, but MORE than enough leads is critical.The discipline of obtaining Leads is more than just the old, "Who do you know..." question.  The Leads concept begins with the general premise that we are professionals in the sales industry and that, as professionals, we must have a solid Le... 07/20/2007

My mother in law called me this morning from her home in Maryland.  I wasn't home, but she relayed to my wife that she had just been watching The Early Show and they were doing a piece on The Most Family Friendly Towns in the country as determined by Family Circle Magazine, and she thought it was so great that Castle Rock, CO was amongst them.  She is familiar with Castle Rock, as several times she has visited we have brought her to Castle Rock - to the outlet stores and various restaurants.  She knew that I, being in Denver real estate, would want to know.  And she was right. So many areas in the Denver Metro Area are great places to raise a family and it is no surprise to me that Castle Rock would be recognized as one of the nation's best.  After I was home today, I checked out the st... 07/18/2007

Thinking of buying a home in Castle Rock, Colorado?  See what CBS News has to say about this town, and how Castle Rock ranks amongst the nation's most desirable locations to raise a family!  Search all homes that are listed for sale in Castle Rock at www.DenverSmartBuyer.com to find this town's best priced homes for sale.Click below to watch the CBS News story:http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/18/earlyshow/living/parenting/main3068911.shtml?source=mostpop_storyBuy a home for the least amount of money with the least amount of hassle at www.DenverSmartBuyer.com or give us a call at 303-814-3684.    07/18/2007

Leveraging Knowledge and Expertise in Your Real Estate SpecialtyWHY?  That's the big question that must be answered in any real estate industry related profession.  Why should someone do business with you or partner with you?  The ability to effectively answer the "why?" question is in the knowledge and expertise you possess that sets you apart from everyone else.I heard a friend recently say that in order to set yourself apart, you must develop a market opinion that people are willing to pay money to get.  Part of the beauty of this philosophy is that it requires that you possess special knowledge.  In order to have a valid market opinion, you must have a high level of command of facts.  And in order to get facts, you must educate yourself to a degree that nobody else does. Why does ha... 07/02/2007

Press ReleaseCastle Rock, CO - Greg Polashock, a home mortgage consultant with Cherry Creek Mortgage Company, has passed the qualifying exams to earn the Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS) designation granted by the CMPS Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan, a training, certifying and ongoing membership organization created to help mortgage professionals integrate financial planning concepts into the mortgage process.  CMPS designees can offer clients strategies that encompass mortgages, debt, home equity and real estate investment.  There are only approximately 3500 mortgage bankers and brokers nationwide, representing less than 1% of all mortgage originators, who have obtained this prestigious certification"My focus is to help my clients build and protect wealth by better managin... 06/28/2007