http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest story posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5Have you checked out Observatory Park lately? In my opinion, it's one of the neighborhoods that make Denver so appealing. This gem of an area started it's rebirth in the late 1990s, when Denverites rediscovered its wide streets, mature trees, larger lots, great location, and oh yes, the magnifi...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~434133.aspx2/26/2008 9:34:04 PMDan Polimino According to Peter Blank and Craig Mayer from the Mile Hi Modern Team, for the first time ever in Denver there are five houses on the market that have historic mid-century modern significance. "Great," you say. "So what?" What is mid-century modern? Who are Craig and Peter, and why is t...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~442410.aspx3/15/2008 9:52:42 PMDan Polimino It's tough being objective about your own home when it comes time to sell. After all, it is your castle and you may think its worth more than it is. How do you know if your home is ready to enter this challenging market? Answer: Take a hard, objective look at your home's condition. Start w...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~443770.aspx3/18/2008 8:20:40 PMDan Polimino I interviewed Tamara Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, not too long ago. Every time I speak with Tamara I get really excited about what's happening in downtown Denver. According to their mission statement The Downtown Denver Partnership was created "to focus on any aspe...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~446817.aspx3/25/2008 8:23:04 PMDan Polimino In the early 80s, members of the Maytag family wanted a getaway in the scenic hills of Colorado. Apparently they were golfers and enjoyed playing the Broadmoor course. They were also pilots that flew their own plane into Centennial airport. When it came time to build their third home they settle...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~452174.aspx4/6/2008 6:47:09 PMDan Polimino Imagine this. An investor goes into a new high rise in 2003 and buys about a dozen luxury condominiums. He never sells any of them or even moves into one. He just lets them go to foreclosure. Or this: A new luxury condo never once lived in valued at $1,000,000 sells in foreclosure for $605K. Ano...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~457128.aspx4/16/2008 8:55:01 PMDan Polimino A near-zero energy home - given the current soaring energy cost, who could possibly object to that? Harvard Communities President John Keith is banking on the fact that no one will object, but rather they'll be knocking down the door to find out more. Keith and his Denver-based group have recei...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~463202.aspx4/28/2008 6:20:28 PMDan Polimino Fuller Towne and Country Managing Broker George Leonard is frustrated. So are a lot of other Denver area realtors. It seems the media reports of Denver's real estate market are, shall we say, on the dark side. Like others, Leonard is ready for a few positive stories about Denver real estate. How...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~467894.aspx5/8/2008 8:32:33 PMDan Polimino Media reports say that Weld County suffered from a high rate of foreclosures in 2007, which is true. But what most people don't know is the majority of these foreclosures concentrated in one area. According to MetroList, Greeley did lead the nation during part of 2007 for foreclosures, but areas...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~472977.aspx5/20/2008 8:46:06 PMDan Polimino Eric and Ian Sachs took a vacation in Costa Rica not too long ago and ever since then they've been mesmerized by the place. Prompted by a client who told them that Costa Rica was not only a great vacation spot but also the next real estate Mecca, the Sachs brothers decided to check it out. After...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~472980.aspx5/20/2008 9:00:31 PMDan Polimino I recently completed an informal survey of a group of realtors who have been in the business from one to 30 years asking them this question: "Is there a perfect house?" Their answer: A resounding "no!" Perhaps the best response from the group was that "a perfect house is in the eye of the behold...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~477819.aspx6/1/2008 6:18:19 PMDan Polimino What is a "short sale," exactly, and why are some folks looking to purchase a short sale home? A home that is being sold as a short sale is one where the homeowner is still living in the house but may no longer be making payments to his or her lender. In most cases the lender has begun the forec...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~485418.aspx6/18/2008 1:16:15 PMDan Polimino The buyer found the right home, in the right location. The seller even agreed to the terms and price, but there's still a good chance this deal will never make it to closing. Why? Because more real estate deals than ever before are falling apart at the inspection. Buyers maximize their leverage ...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~485426.aspx6/18/2008 1:26:04 PMDan Polimino Last week I started a two-part series looking at considerations when purchasing a home being sold as a "short sale." If you missed the first installment, go to www.coloradodreamhouse.com and click on the "News" button. Now, picking up where we left off last week, we continue with a few mor...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~489294.aspx6/26/2008 8:22:25 PMDan Polimino The current housing market has people looking at a multitude of economic indicators in an effort to predict what's going to happen next. One commonly overlooked housing market snapshot is the relocation end of real estate business. While it doesn't often make headlines, relocation constitutes a ...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~491002.aspx7/1/2008 9:41:03 PMDan Polimino In answer to this question, one appraiser I recently spoke with jokingly said, "How about a dart board?" Seriously, though, a lot of people are ready for a dart board. Since the mortgage crisis began last August, every lender in the good ole US of A is sweating bullets over home values. Most ana...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~498315.aspx7/21/2008 5:16:09 PMDan Polimino I bet you've had realtors use the old "It's truly a one-of-a-kind home" line on you before. But indulge me for a moment, because in this case it's true. If you're an antique aficionado, you may recognize the name Eron Johnson. He's been an antique dealer, importer, retailer and wholesaler in Den...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~501814.aspx7/30/2008 10:29:54 AMDan Polimino Four years ago Steve Brooks worked in the renovation business converting apartment buildings into condos, yet his dream was to build custom homes. Good thing he followed that dream because four years later it's clear that Steve Brooks of Brookstone Builders has a real knack for constructing high...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~501826.aspx7/30/2008 10:43:13 AMDan Polimino I recently crossed paths with a gentleman executing a creative buying tactic. Since it's a buyers' market, he figured this would be his opportunity to cash in on a great deal. So he came up with an innovative plan for getting what he wanted. First, he and his real estate agent selected three h...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~506136.aspx8/8/2008 3:28:08 PMDan Polimino In the last few years, you may have noticed a trend toward using aerial shots to market real estate. It wasn't too long ago that you'd have to rent a helicopter or a plane in order to get photography of large ranches or luxury homes with acreage. Today, thanks to technological advances, it's muc...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~507373.aspx8/12/2008 8:55:58 PMDan Polimino There's no question that this summer's gas prices have taken a chunk out of everyone's wallet. We're no different. This is the first time I can remember that our family has made a concerted effort not to use the car. We've been walking and riding bikes to the nearby grocery store and using light...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~510350.aspx8/19/2008 6:45:57 PMDan Polimino It's been a full year since the credit crisis began, and what a painful time for everyone associated with the real estate industry. But I think it's time for all of us - sellers, buyers, real estate agents and lenders - to take a deep breath and change our mindset about this situation. I'm talk...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~520560.aspx9/12/2008 3:37:26 PMDan Polimino Whether you're thinking about remodeling your kitchen in order to put your home on the market or you're buying a new home and need appliances, the decision for what to buy is a big one. With so many choices available and much money involved, you definitely need to make choices carefully in orde...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~523543.aspx9/19/2008 5:21:49 PMDan Polimino I picked up the phone, said "hello," and the first words out of my fellow realtor's mouth were, "Wow, that's a low offer!" She was referring to the contract I sent over on behalf of a client earlier in the day. She genuinely seemed surprised, but I was puzzled by her comment. I wondered if she'd...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~526639.aspx9/28/2008 1:25:54 PMDan Polimino I love new technology, especially when I think I've found something cool that helps people sell their homes. Today, I'm excited about a company called Access U2 Global Property Info. It launched about three years ago, and here's the scoop. Let's say your home's for sale with a yard sign out fron...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~526644.aspx9/28/2008 1:48:41 PMDan Polimino Have you ever heard a trainer say, "Come on, feel the squeeze!" We wonder how many people understand what that means. To the uninitiated, perhaps it sounds like some jargon that rolls off every trainer's tongue. Although it's not a concept taught in personal training education programs, we enc...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Sports/Story~526646.aspx9/28/2008 1:58:54 PMDan Polimino I love new technology, especially when I think I've found something cool that helps people sell their homes. Today, I'm excited about a company called Access U2 Global Property Info. It launched about three years ago, and here's the scoop. Let's say your home's for sale with a yard sign out fro...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~539868.aspx10/25/2008 11:17:17 AMDan Polimino From this title, you may already suspect that I'm going to suggest updating your bathrooms and kitchen. And you're right. If you plan to sell your home in the near future for top dollar, updating these spaces is a given. But what else can you do to boost your home's value? We'll get to that in a...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~539869.aspx10/25/2008 11:19:14 AMDan Polimino These past few weeks we've witnessed a collapse of credit in this country like most of us have never seen. Former Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan in a recent interview called it a "once-in-50-years event." Greenspan failed to mention that he's partially responsible. But you know what? We al...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~539870.aspx10/25/2008 11:20:16 AMDan Polimino Quite a few folks responded to my column entitled "The Credit Collapse Blame Game." And that's a good thing. It's always nice to know someone's listening, whether you agree with me or not. In response to your comments, I have a couple follow-up notes of my own. First, a number of readers told ...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Business-News/Story~539871.aspx10/25/2008 11:21:11 AMDan Polimino