In the Denver metro area, showings / active listing in April 2011: 10.2, up from 9.3 in March. Bodes well for sales activity over next 60 days. However, inventory is down a lot, so total sales volume will still likely be less than last year. With showings being up & inventory being down, could mean it might be a good time to sell??? 05/03/2011

After looking over the past few years, I have determined that the CRS Network is money making machine!  Not necessarily for me, but for brokers who value my opinion and look to me for guidance. Over the past few years (too many to  count), I have received so many calls from peers who know that I have been and am still active in the CRS network.  The Council of Residential Specialists consists of the top 3-4 % of Realtors in the United States. Those brokers who have earned the CRS designation make substantially more than the typical real estate agent....for more information on getting your CRS. The calls I have received are from peers who have clients in other parts of the country that either need to sell or buy and want to be connected with a good, professional REALTOR.  I am so happy t... 04/21/2011

Welcome home, Mama Robin!  Last year, a robin built a nest in one of our flowering pear trees in our front yard. Sure enough, soon she had two babies peeking their beeks over the edge of the nest. Watching them from afar was truly fun and I was able to photograph them as they developed.     It is mid-April, crocus, tulips and daffodils are making beautiful displays in our gardens. I sure hope Mama Robin will return this year. Her presence in my yard enhanced my life. 04/17/2011

Check out Belmar! I found this video featured by Denver Doings about the Belmar neighborhood. Belmar is a new diverse neighborhood in Lakewood CO with restaurants, entertainment, shopping, condos, nighlife, art and outdoor activities. Located just west of Denver and right at the foothills of the rocky mountains you will find something to like about this area. Access is great and the new Fastracks lightrail will soon be runnning. Check out the Belmar website: http://www.belmarcolorado.com/ To search available Belmar realestate: www.housefitz.com 03/22/2011

I just read a good article about the present market and the way buyers are looking at value. "Location has long been touted as the most important variable affecting the value of residential real estate. Recently, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices suggested that location is still a front-runner in terms of determining valuation." Location is, of course, #1 yet location can be on both sides of the spectrum. Similarly, your competition has much to do with selling price.  Our market is much different today with many different factors mixing the big picture.  As always, your local market is just that, local.  This article covers many of the factors that affect home value regardless of your market and some tips to consider when buying.   Looking for Lakewood, CO real estate, need to sel... 03/08/2011

Green Mountain has so much to offer its residents!  Situated at the foot of the foothills, trails for mountain biking and hiking can be accessed in 5 - 10 minutes.  The close proximity to 6th avenue allows you to access downtown within 15 minutes.  There's lots of buzz around the new location of St. Anthony's Hospital just off Union Street.  That whole section of retail businesses has been under revitalization for the past few years.  Hutchinson was the main builder in Green Mountain during the 60s and 70s.  The majority of homes in the area were built during this time as a planned urban development.  If you're looking at Hutchinson homes, you will quickly learn to recognize the four most common floor plans. There are neighborhoods that have been built more recently.  These neighborhood... 02/07/2011

Lakewood CO real estate is located in Jefferson County, Colorado, about 7 miles west southwest of downtown Denver CO homes. Pictures will be added so check back soon! Lakewood CO homes is a great place to call home. Check it out! Denver CO Home Search Lakewood CO Home Search Nearby cities and towns: Littleton CO Homes 11 miles Wheat Ridge CO Homes 4 miles Thornton CO Homes 16 miles Arvada CO Homes 7 miles Looking to buy or sell a home in Lakewood CO? Let me know how I can help! 12/22/2010

This snapshot of the real estate market in Lakewood, Colorado provides info on homes for sale, under contract, sold in the past six months, and days on market using information taken directly from Metrolist on November 4, 2010, for single family homes. Absorption rate is an estimate of how long it would take all the houses currently on the market to sell, if no new ones were added, based on how many sold in recent months. It’s an artificial number, of course, but a good indicator of market trends. I think it’s one of the most useful statistics we can be aware of. I believe absorption rate is more valid than ‘days on market’, because DOM is quite skewed by short sales, which stay on the market considerably longer. If you want to know more about your neighborhood between Denver and Boulde... 11/06/2010

Lakewood Colorado Cider Days This Weekend Lakewood Colorado Cider Days is here! Date:  Saturday & Sunday October 2nd and 3rd, 2010 Time:  10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Location: Lakewood's Heritage Center in Belmar Park - 801 S. Yarrow St. Fok art and craft booths, antiques and more.  Bring your own apples or purchase Colorado grown from Ela Family Farms at the event and use the Heritage Centers vintage cider presses.  For the kids - mule-drawn wagon and barrel train rides, magicians and baloon artists, hayrides, apple-themed games and crafts, a petting zoo and live entertainment for the whole family. Cost:  $6.00 / adults - $3.00 / children More Information:  City of Lakewood Cider Days 10/01/2010

Free Dance in the Park : Lakewood Colorado Free Dance in Addenbrooke Park Date:  Friday October 1, 2010 Time:  10:00 a.m. Location:  Addenbrooke Park - 600 S. Kipling Ave., Lakewood, CO More Information:  Dance Exporation Free Dance in the Park Creative Dance Ages 3 - 6.  Come take a free dance lesson with Dance Exploration, LLC outside int he sun!  Fun music, props and costumes make this event more exciting for the kids!  Kids can wear loose comfy clothing and tennis shoes.  Class will be held on the grass.  Look for the Dance Exploration T-shirts. 09/30/2010

The Emotional Lives of Pets Art Exhibit Lakewood Cultural Center The Emotional Lives of Pets: Becker's Animal Paintings of Intense and Intimate Moments This ongoing exhibit wraps up on September 30, 2010 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado 80226. Admission is free for this fundraising event benefiting the new Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colorado.  10% of the artist's sales will be donated.  View 28 intimate paintings of dogs, cats and horses, plus a wide variety of matted prints and note cards.  Lakewood Cultural Center hours: Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (open during most performances).  Call (303) 987-7877 for more information. The Artist, Susan Becker of Golden is the September 2010 Artist of the... 09/27/2010

1197 S Allison sLaPorta Stephen LaPorta | ERA Herman Group Real Estate | (303) 525-0640 1197 S. Allison Street, Lakewood, CO Great Home close to Belmar Park and Lakewood Commons! 2BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $230,000 Year Built 1998 Sq Footage 1,724 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 7,885 sqft DESCRIPTION GREAT HOME. MAIN LEVEL MASTER. CLOSE TO BELMAR PARK & LAKEWOOD COMMONS. VAULTED CEILINGS. CENTRAL AIR. FIREPLACE. GREAT FLOORPLAN. CUSTOM TILE. LOFT AREA FOR HOME OFFICE. FULL BASEMENT WITH LOTS OF POTENTIAL. VIRTUAL TOUR A MUST SEE. Take The Viretual Tour Here: (CLICK HERE) MLS# 923082 ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5... 09/20/2010

Thousands of people joined in the celebration of Italian culture as Belmar hosted the 7th Annual Festival Italiano this past weekend in Lakewood. The event offered an exotic flavor of Italy with its wide variety of music, food, art and entertainment. Highlights of the festival included the GLI SBANDIETORI - flag throwers from Florence who delighted the crowd with their expertise and the ever popular Children's Grape Stomp sponsored by local winery Balistreri Vineyards. With several stages throughout the event, there was ongoing music and entertainment for all ages. A large crowd of family, friends and toe-tappers gathered to watch members of Dance Boulevard perform numerous routines. At the end of their perfomance, members of the troupe invited the audience to participate in a final, li... 09/13/2010

7th Annual Italian Food and Wine Festival at Belmar : Lakewood Colorado Saturday and Sunday September 11th and 12th, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. The seventh annual Festival Italiano Food and Wine Festival at Belmar will feature over 70 of the finest Italian food, wine and artisan vendors from the area who will sell ceramics, gelato, sausage, baked goods, pasta, flowers, herbs, sculpture, antique maps, produce, pizza and much more.  Festivities include flag throwers from Florence, Italian wine tasting for adults, chef demonstrations, live Italian music and dancing, Balisteri vineyard's children's grape stomp, a bocce ball tounament and much more. Belmar is located in Lakewood Colorado at Wadsworth Boulevard and Alameda Avenue and has ample free parking!  Utilize the garages for fast... 09/11/2010

Lakewood Homes For Rent Looking for homes for rent in Lakewood? I certainly understand wanting to live in Lakewood. A wonderful "little" city (fourth largest in Colorado according to Wikipedia) nestled near the foothills of the Rockies, about ten minutes from Denver. But what I don't understand is why are you looking for homes for rent here when it is so easy right now to buy a home in Lakewood? Let's look at a few comparisons between looking at homes for rent vs homes for sale. Typical move in cost for homes for rent usually require upfront deposit and first and last months rent. Did you know to buy a home there are financing programs (subject to qualification, of course) that allow you to purchase with practically no down payment? Now, there are going to be closing costs, but we have ... 09/10/2010

Lakewood Colorado Chile Harvest Festival August 28 & 29, 2010 The Chile Harvest Festival is presented by Chicano Humanities and Arts Council and the City of Lakewood's Heritage, Culture & Arts Division.  The event features and celebrates Spanish Colonial traditional, folk, indigenous and contemporary art and is scheduled in honor of the harvest of the chile pepper.  This year's event includes: Fresh Roasted Green ChilesSpanish Colonial ArtMusic & EntertainmentKid's Art Activities including PinatasContemporary ArtMuseum ToursChile Cook-OffCultural Art DemonstrationsSalsa LessonsAztec & Flamenco Dancers Admission: Proceeds from the event support HCA and CHAC Programs.  Cash, Visa, MC & Discover accepted for admission$5.00 adults$2 children (ages 3 - 12)All children's activities are free w... 08/27/2010

Since becoming a real estate professional and working for Royal Kingdom Associates, I had forgotten that vegetable gardening can be hazardous to your health! I decided this year that in addition to all of my perennial flowers and potted annuals, I would plant some squash. I picked out zucchini and acorn squash and was surprised to see spaghetti squash plants as well.  So, without truly thinking it through, I planted 3 spaghetti squash plants, 2 zucchini plants and 1 acorn squash. These thriving plants have now taken over half of my garden....spreading in all four directions. They don't seem to be bothered by the concrete patio creeping under the table and wrapping themselves around the charcoal grill.  The squash blossom is lovely, but notice all of the threatening tendrils.... The plan... 08/21/2010

This snapshot of the real estate market in Lakewood, Colorado provides info on homes for sale, under contract, sold in the past six months, and days on market using information taken directly from Metrolist on August 3, 2010. Absorption rate is an estimate of how long it would take all the houses currently on the market to sell, if no new ones were added, based on how many sold in recent months. It’s an artificial number, of course, but a good indicator of market trends. I think it's one of the most useful statistics we can be aware of.  I believe absorption rate is more valid than ‘days on market’, because DOM is quite skewed by short sales, which stay on the market considerably longer. Lakewood is showing the expected trend, which is for lower-priced homes to sell more quickly. 4.9 mo... 08/03/2010

My clients are shopping for a home in Lakewood or Arvada, so I thought I'd write about what I'm showing them. That way, you could contact me if you have questions about homes in these towns, or specific questions about the homes I write about. Today, we saw two more Lakewood homes and one in Arvada.  One of the Lakewood homes was a ranch-style with a basement, no garage, built in 1934 on over half an acre. The house had a good floor plan, except that there was only one bedroom on the main floor. There were two more bedrooms in the basement, but the ceiing was short, so not livable space for my tall client.  If you're looking for a 25,000 square foot lot to build on, this house could be scraped.  The other Lakewood home was a bi-level built in 1962. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 1-car garag... 07/24/2010

Yesterday, I took my clients to see a house they were interested in, in Lakewood, Colorado.  I had a little trouble finding it - I drove right by it the first time. Can you see why?          And yes - the inside was just as lovely!  (Evidently, the family room functioned as a dog kennel, with no cleanup service.) This is a foreclosure, so I'll bet the lender is going to get it cleaned up. Plus, I doubt the city of Lakewood would allow it to continue to fester with weeds if someone lodges a complaint. But the seller should remember that it's extremely hard for buyers to envision a house like this as their home. The place did have a nice hilltop location, large lot, and some views. Would be a nice property for someone who had the money to remodel after closing. It's a tri-level, the garag... 07/23/2010