People are passionate about living downtown. Many love the great abundance of restaurants. Others talk about the high energy lifestyle filled with sporting events, art performances, festivals, and generally anything you could hope to do on the weekend.

But being the center of everything also means that you are surrounded by a lot of activity. In the article from the Denver Post titled, “Owners of Spire condo units struggle with noise across the street” the writer talks with residents about their objections to noise that can be heard from adjacent buildings.

The comments that followed are where the dialogue begins to get interesting.

Downtown living is amazing. Does a choice to live in the heart of everything mean accepting that noises are going to be encountered?

In some ways yes, and in some ways no. Clients who live downtown tend to do so because they love being a part of a community. Many get to know their neighbors and share invitations back and forth for happy hours, events, and generally sharing a laugh in the elevator or lobby.

It’s funny to look at the different situations that arise. Residents at SPIRE are literally in the heart of Downtown and want for little in terms of what is outside their door. However, those neighbors still have to operate within the legal noise and other “being a good neighbor” guidelines.

We guess it depends on the expectations of the individual, which as we learn through life can vary from one person to another. Isn’t that part of the wonder of living in a city, the diversification of ideas. Many of our clients moving from larger cities such as New York, Chicago San Francisco, London or some other great destination have shared that it is just such a “melting pot” that thrills them. It creates great new restaurant openings, fun events, and the growth of the arts.

Riverfront Park residents covet the downtown Denver lofts and condos that look out over the Architectural beauty and gathering spot that is the plaza. Yet while a vast majority love when the space fills up with Fashion Show attendees or those creating a film (such as the Eddie Murphy Film a few years ago) there are still those who feel that they would rather not have the intrusion.

This is part of why we work diligently with all of our clients to help them identify where their priorities lie and what will make their new Downtown Denver loft or condo a dream home. Of course from time to time Downtown living means having a little chat with the neighbor next door, but buildings such as SPIRE or those in Riverfront Park have great associations to manage these not so enjoyable tasks.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this discussion. Or if you are considering a new Downtown Denver loft, condo, or single family home please contact any member of our New Era Team. We can help you understand all the opportunities in Downtown Denver real estate.

Cheers!

Downtown Denver condo and loft residents sing the praises of their Downtown lifestyle. Denver offers hundreds, no let’s make that thousands, of excellent restaurants, shops, bistros, wine bars, coffee shops, and more to keep any culinary fan happy.

However there is one thing downtown residents celebrate with every new opening. Grocery stores are the lifestyle amenity that generates a part with every new location.

Years ago it was the opening of a Vitamin Cottage on Platte Street to serve Riverfront Park and LoHi. Then the neighborhoods of Highland and Berkeley welcomed Sunflower Market. The most recent celebration was a short lived Deans Market downtown and the announcement of the new planned grocery in the Union Station Neighborhood.

Today, we celebrate the announcement of a new Trader Joes coming to Denver. One has been planned for the Boulder community but Denver was just a wish.

Now that wish is coming true. The announcement from the Denver Post Article Denver Trader Joe's developer races to open before Boulder - The Denver Post shared.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based specialty grocer confirmed Wednesday it will open a second Colorado location — in Denver in 2013. As expected, that 14,000-square-foot store will be located at the southeast corner of East Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

Not only is Colorado getting two Trader Joes Grocery Stores… they are both racing to be the first one to open.

Our mile hi city is a food lovers paradise. Many of our restaurants and local chefs are recognized nationally as the BEST. It only makes sense that our city needs as many excellent grocery options for those of us who love to cook at home.

The Downtown lifestyle is full of entertaining, and we don’t always go out. Downtown condo residents invite their neighbors over from within the building high rise dining. Those in historic Denver Square homes from Wash Park to LoHi entertain with gourmet back yard barbq’s. Whatever dinner party you plan to throw, Downtown Denver residents now know that one more great grocery option is coming to town.

To learn more about the great Downtown Denver loft and condo lifestyle option and Denver real estate in your favorite neighborhood, please contact anyone at New Era Realty today.

Cheers! Welcome Trader Joes!

There are so many reasons why our clients choose downtown Denver as a home. With enough recreation and real estate opportunities to make your head spin, the light-headed feeling you get is not just the altitude. It's the fact that time and time again Denver has proven to yield some of the most ideal living. The food, the view, the rise of Denver real estate, Denver lofts and condos, not to mention the incredible people, are all factors in Denver's ability to take your breath away. You can access great green spaces on foot from some of the fastest growing neighborhoods in downtown Denver. 

They are numerous, well equipped with mature trees, lush grass, recreation, and smiling Denver faces. The incredible neighborhoods surrounding these parks are full of wonderful real estate opportunities in the form of lofts, condos, high rise apartments and more .

Washington Park, located off of Downing St. and East Louisiana Ave, offers nearby residents a chance to escape the hum of the city and enjoy some fresh air. With two a two-lane paved path encircling the park   that totals two miles, you can cruise the park on your feet or your favorite non-motorized wheels.

Cheesman Park, located at Williams St. and East 8th Ave, has wide expanses of grass, perfect for frisbee or relaxing. There is a white-columned fountain perched atop a hill, majestic and perfect for anyone looking to seize a photo opportunity in Capitol Hill.

Commons Park, located on 15^th and Little Raven St., takes on a more updated appearance. The residents of the nearby high-rise apartments and Denver lofts in Riverfront Park can walk their dog, watch the hustle and bustle of the skate park or relax and watch the South Platte River flow past. The industry of Riverfront Parks meets the lush greenery, mixing into a perfect combination.  

Civic Center Park located at Broadway and Colfax is nestled in the heart of downtown Denver. It has some of the most stunning architecture and resides in the midst of government buildings. It's conveniently located near the Art Museum, Colorado History Museum and the Convention Center, which makes it a reasonable stop when sight seeing with your family and friends when visiting downtown Denver. Close to Capitol Hill, and a destination in and of itself, it proves to be a lively place just about any day of the week.

City Park, located at Colorado Blvd and East 23^rd Ave, is a massive green space that encompasses a Museum a Zoo and a golf course. Though these elements attract most of traffic in the park, that should not stop you from taking a stroll or jog through the lush greenery. The real estate in the surrounding area is among some of the oldest and most prominent in Denver.

Though this is not a comprehensive list of all the parks in Denver, it is a glimpse at a few of the most  enjoyed green spaces within the city limits. A quick gaze to the west will always prove beautiful, but there is much to enjoy within the city itself in terms of the outdoors. To learn more about the great Denver loft living opportunities in the surrounding neighborhoods please contact the New Era Team today. 

The Downtown Denver condo and loft market has continued to outperform most areas of the country.   Those areas in the heart of our most popular Downtown Denver condo and Downtown Denver loft neighborhoods such as the Lower Highlands (LoHi), Riverfront Park, Washington Park, Lower Downtown (LoDo) and others continue to have short days on market often with multiple offers.

Denver is growing and our real estate market reflects it.

This creates a unique opportunity for both buyers and sellers.  Those homes that are in the low or mid range price points appeal to a greater audience.  There are many more buyers with access to sub $500K home budgets than the $1 million plus range.

It also becomes a real estate analysis of the best per square foot pricing in many of these Denver loft and condo markets.  It is here that we have seen some of the greatest opportunities.

New Era Realty has a team focused on the many Downtown Denver high rise condo and loft offerings.  Buildings such as SPIRE, the Glass House, Riverfront Tower, ONE Lincoln, and more offer the best in high rise living.

One of these Downtown Denver condo hotel high rise buildings has generated a very unique opportunity for our value oriented buyers.  The amazing Four Seasons in downtown Denver was built with incredible attention to high quality finishes, luxury hotel amenities, restaurants, spa, and fitness services.

The building is amazing.   And the developer has created buying incentives up to 60% in an effort to move the remaining inventory.

It seems that with SPIRE just a block or so away offering lower price points the team at the Four Seasons decided to do a huge sales incentive in order to  compete.

For our buyers that means unique opportunities.  In the article “A Rocky Mountain Low” the Wall Street Journal reports “Developers of a posh Four Seasons hotel-and-condominium project have come up with an effective strategy for turning around condo sales in a tough market: cut prices by as much as 60%.”.

Developers who still have inventory are one of our targeted searches for buyers.  This is just one reason why. 

Learn more about our dynamic Downtown Denver real estate opportunities or to speak with anyone on the New Era Team please contact us today. 

Denver’s real estate market continues to show signs of being a leading market in virtually every category.  A recent article titled “Denver Real Estate Market Continues to Sizzle” from the Wall Street Journal Marketwatch is a lengthy report praising the great fundamentals and vitals of our market.

You can read the article here.  Our cliff notes version taken from the article is the following…

• Total sales for single family residences in the Denver residential market are now running 20% ahead of the same period last year
• Average days on market (DOM) fell another 8% to 72 days, a full 32 days shorter than June 2011
• We're nearing inventory levels that are about 40% under last year's available units while sales continue to run well ahead of 2011 figures
• The average sales price for single-family homes rose to $297,597 in June, a 5% jump from May and a 12% increase from last year

It’s hard to miss all the reasons why we see this growing trend.  The downtown Denver loftand condo lifestyle has been growing through the addition of new restaurants, shops, and amenities.  The Lower Highlands (LoHi) area has been a strong leader in new restaurant growth along with the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood.

Transportation within our city is undergoing a rapid development plan with the new Union Station Neighborhood hub.  Have you visited this area nestled between LoDo and Riverfront Park Lately?

They are building a new modern destination for Denver on these city blocks that were once just dirt and grass.  The main light rail station is completed along with the central boulevard.  New buildings are being added to the master plan and leasing signs for these blocks are awaiting their new occupants.

This all means more great restaurants, shops, and amenities are on the way as well.  City planners are looking for the new Union Station Neighborhood to have some of the highest foot traffic in Downtown Denver. 

To learn more about the amazing growth in Denver and the amazing opportunities in our downtown Denver real estate market please contact anyone on the New Era Realty team today.

Cheers Denver, another check up and your vitals look amazing!

Today the weather in Denver is moving towards the triple digits as our local forecasters tell us to expect daily high temperatures in the 100’s.  There is one building amenity that is coveted in these hot days of summer.  That amenity is the swimming pool.

Those few fortunate Downtown Denver loft and condo residents who have a pool suddenly find themselves more popular than they were during the winter.  Friends seem to magically pop out of the woodwork asking “so… what are you doing this weekend”.

We have many many clients that live in these coveted amenity buildings and we are here to tell you.  They know who their real friends are.

But, the pool amenity is more than just a fun feature for summer months.  It is a huge value addition for a modern Denver loft or condo high rise.

A swimming pool can have a major impact on property values and rental incomes.   We always remember the classic real estate philosophy of “location, location, location”.

Equally important is “amenities, amenities, amenities”.   High rise residential Denver condo and loft buildings without pools, fitness centers, club lounge or movie theaters have a difficult time competing with great buildings like SPIRE, Glass House, or ONE Lincoln.

Those looking at investment properties can understand why.  When we run a rent comparison for a Downtown Denver building that has amenities it factors into a significant increase in the per square foot rental rate.

A building with a pool is not that much different than a ski in ski out condo at the Ski Resort.  The easier it is to have fun, the more it rents for.

Here are just a few of the pool friendly residential or investment property opportunities in our great Downtown Denver condo area.

• Glass House (maybe one of the biggest pools)
• SPIRE (smaller pool, but also hot tubs)
• ONE Lincoln
• Brooks Tower
• Larimer Place
• One Cheesman Place
• Landmark Tower

To learn more about these great Denver lofts and condo opportunities please feel free to contact anyone on our New Era Team today.

FHA qualified programs are a great thing for many first time home buyers.  FHA or Federal Housing Administration, is a program that creates an additional funding/mortgage loan resource for many home buyers who ordinarily might have difficulty qualifying.

Terms for FHA loans are almost always much more attractive than those of conventional loans.  FHA Insured Mortgages have low interest rates and more friendly qualifying terms for entry level downtown Denver condo and downtown Denver home buyers.

Perhaps the greatest aid FHA loans give to home buyers is the low down payment requirement.  FHA insured mortgages have a low 3.5 percent down payment and more flexible underwriting rules.

What many don’t realize is how difficult it can be for a condo developer to qualify for FHA financing.  FHA financing is not an automatic option.  It takes time, money, and many steps for a building to qualify for FHA financing.

So many wonder why a developer would opt to take on all the cost and time involved with getting their Denver loft or condo building qualified for FHA loans?  The answer is simple…. More sales.

FHA qualified buildings can appeal to a much larger range of buyers.  SPIRE, the Downtown Denver condo tower located in the heart of the Theater district launched during what would be considered a rough patch in the real estate market.  By allowing FHA buyers to qualify they were able to attract numerous first time buyers and that most likely contributed to the rapid sales of the lower priced residences.

In comparison, the building most consider the biggest competitor to SPIRE is the Glass House.  Similar amenities, similar architecture, and both were even built by the same general contractor… they are vastly different in terms of financing.

The Glass House launched during one of the strongest real estate markets in Denver.  The developer had no need to apply for FHA financing and the building sold out quickly.  In comparison, SPIRE still has inventory to sell after years of sales.  Although it is certainly one of the most popular downtown Denver condo buildings in Denver the timing of it’s launch benefited greatly from the FHA offering.

Unfortunately, FHA rules are getting tougher and developers are finding it more difficult to qualify as reported in the Denver Post article.  There are still may great FHA properties in Denver and New Era Realty is your expert to help assist in your first time home buyer search.  Contactanyone at New Era Realty today.

Downtown Denver condo and loft owners often discuss why they love living downtown.  They love the hundreds of restaurants that surround them.  They enjoy walking from their downtown condos and lofts to our three downtown located sporting arenas to catch any of the games for the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, or Denver Nuggets.  They love the great entertainment, theater and shopping our city has to offer.

Whether they are a sports fan, arts buff, comedy lover, or foodie they all share one thing in common.  They love that they have the convenience of walking or biking to enjoy whatever their passion is.

From a Denver real estate perspective clients seeking this car optional lifestyle usually target key neighborhoods such as Riverfront Park, Downtown Denver, LoDo or LoHi.  The density of neighborhood amenities in these Downtown Denver condo neighborhoods is enhanced by access to the many existing and recently added pedestrian bridges, the expansive bike and jogging trail systems, and the 16^th street shuttle.

Denver’s new transit oriented development is expanding the reach of car optional living throughout Denver.  As each new light rail line is completed a pattern of transit oriented development soon follows.

The Downtown Denver life style is not just for those living downtown.  It’s also just a short light rail ride away from those who live within footsteps (or bike pedals) away from these great new light rail stations.

In this regard Denver’s transit development is creating a new extension to Downtown Denver, and the city is celebrating.

This past week the new Union Station plaza held their opening celebration.  The new Union Station Plaza is the entry point for these new light rail lines and acts as the hub of our city, whether you are coming in from Golden or returning from your beach vacation at Denver International Airport.

Today the news got even better.  RTD Announced that the new light rail line to Golden will be opening 8 months early. The line starts at Denver's Union Station, travels through parts of Denver, Lakewood and stops at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. The line is expected to serve an estimated 19,300 riders per weekday and will run every five minutes along most of the line during peak hours.

Denver’s transit just keeps getting better.  Contact us today to learn more about downtown Denver living or any of these great transit oriented locations.

The Denver Union Station Project is picking up steam and it’s time for an opening celebration.

This Friday, May 18^th the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) and the Denver Regional Transportation District will be holding a Lunch Time Grand Opening Celebration.

It’s not quite time for Downtown Denver loft and condo residents to celebrate the new light rail line from Union Station to Denver International Airport, but it certainly is time to celebrate the plaza that will eventually serve as the hub.

From 11:30 to 1 PM the public will be able to enjoy live entertainment and a short program to be held just before 12:30. Visit the Denver Union Station website for more information about the grand opening celebration.

Denver Union Station is a pretty special project.  For Downtown Denver loft and condo residents of LoDo and Riverfront Park, this project will put the new transportation hub of Denver just footsteps away.

It also means new restaurants, shops, and downtown Denver loft and condo opportunities in and across the many city blocks that compose the Union Station Neighborhood.

Transit for our city is becoming more and more important for Downtown Denver condo lifestyles and for the transportation benefits.   For those who live downtown the new Union Station network of lines will provide access throughout the city and to the airport.

For visitors to Denver the new Union Station plaza will be the welcoming point when they arrive at our city.

For those who commute to Downtown Denver for their work days or nights this will provide a method of transportation to avoid traffic jams, congestions, pollution, rising parking costs, and rising gasoline prices.

Of course, the best way to avoid all these headaches is to enjoy the Downtown Denver condo and loft car-free lifestyle with a residence in Downtown Denver.   That is part of what the new celebration is all about.

Come join us celebrating the new Union Station light trail plaza opening and please contact anyone on the New Era team to learn more about the great Denver real estate opportunities.

The Denver area is expanding with new restaurants, shops, and amenities throughout our great city.

Perhaps no area has experienced as much growth as the amazing Lower Highlands (also known as LoHi) neighborhood.  Connecting Riverfront Park and the Historic Highlands neighborhood, this prime Downtown Denver condo and residential area is booming.

What was once a buyers market has transitioned into a solid and fast moving market for those who are quick to act.  With a demand side that hasn’t been seen for many years informed buyers are finding that the best listings and those under $500,000 don’t stay on the market for long.

With our own New Era Realty office located in this thriving neighborhood, our agents are constantly studying and monitoring the rapid growth  and general trend of this neighborhood.

As the market continues to evolve it has been noted that the positive market trend for LoHi has been expanding to follow the Platte River line.   Downtown Denver, as a city, offers one the largest opportunities for waterfront and riverfront development.

Areas within walking distance to the Lower Highlands or any of the new light rail transit stations are drawing an interest for Downtown Denver condo and Downtown Denver home shoppers looking to find a value and potential developers looking to buy in areas that will be the next to grow.

Businesses are also looking to take advantage of the market growth in these areas including the new Prost Brewery going in near the I-25 exit on 20^th just steps from Riverfront Park.

Within the Riverfront Park and Platte River area thousands of new rental units are expected to be delivered within the next 3 years.  This influx of additional density is considered to be another driver for additional restaurants and lifestyle amenities.

As prices continue to strengthen for LoHi and other Denver loft and condo markets we are working actively with clients with the intention of buying in these growing neighborhoods while pricing opportunities are still attractive and rates remain low.

To learn more about the growing Denver LoHi neighborhood or any of the great downtown Denver lofts and condos, please contact anyone on the New Era Realty Team.