Denver Real Estate | Denver’s Architectural Styles
January 3rd, 2009 categories: Life In Denver, Relocation Tips, Selling Strategies
When you’re selling your home in Denver, you may want to have the correct label on the house for it’s architectural style. I’ve seen homes that were clearly Victorian labeled Tudor, or Mid-Century Modern called International Style. Denver Real Estate is replete with fabulous architectural styles, and remember, marketing is everything. Your Bungalow may or may not be Arts and Crafts.
My home is a Tudor style, something my husband and I said we didn’t want when we were looking for a home. We tended to gravitate to clean lines and a more modern, warm feel. Our house was built in 1938, and many of the architectural details reminded me of the house I grew up in, built the same year. While we thought a Tudor home would be dark and choppy, we discovered that the house was perfect for our family’s lifestyle.
Another lovely style that’s been adopted as a Denver original is the Foursquare. Locals call this a “Denver Square” and these homes were primarily built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. They supplanted the more embellished Victorians found in many of our older neighborhoods.
Always a favorite of mine is the Modern Style home. Among “Modern” you’ll find Prairie and Usonian styles, and in some 
neighborhoods (Bonnie Brae for example) there are fine examples of International style homes. These tend to be devoid of decoration with clean lines and flat roofs. As a child, our coffee table books were Art or Architecture books. I clearly remember thumbing through my parent’s Bauhaus book and being enthralled with the artistry of the style.
Other typical Denver styles of architecture are Neoclassical and Georgian. These are often confused. The Georgians are very symmetrical and formal. They usually have a grand entryway or portico. The keystones above the windows are another giveaway that you’re looking at a Georgian style home. The Neoclassical style shows off the very prominent columns and you can’t mistake the look that was intended to mimic a Greek Temple.
Finally, we must admire the workhorse of Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood - The Bungalow. Bungalows in Denver are low slung and brick. They typically have lovely front porches with brick columns holding up the roof. Many bungalows have beautiful Craftsman style mill work inside, and it’s always a pleasure to find the warm wooden trim unpainted or restored.
Central Denver is a unique mix of architectural styles, and while some have been adapted with a western flair, there are elements of historic styles in new and older neighborhoods. Read today’s terrific article in the Rocky Mountain News if you’re interested in more information on Denver’s architecture.
Enjoy your search for a new home in Denver, Colorado!
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Heard on the Street - Denver Real Estate and the Mall
December 17th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
It’s just 8 days until Christmas, and even fewer until Hanukkah. What have I been doing? Baking cookies for 80 people. The agents in my office are hungry for cookies, and I’m accommodating them in their time of need.
I’ve also been asking around, observing and trying not to shop unless absolutely necessary.
One of my father’s favorite Christmas movies is A Christmas Story. He watches it every year and laments that he’ll miss it this year since he’s on a boat in the Antarctic channeling Ernest Shackleton. But I digress…
In A Christmas Story Ralphie tries to convince his parents that a Red Ryder BB gun is the perfect Christmas gift for him. He obsesses over the Red Ryder while his harried parents and goofy brother stumble through the movie with him. The parents are obviously not wealthy people, but want to provide a nice Christmas for their boys. Ralphie’s mother obsesses too. She’s chronically worried that Ralphie will shoot his eye out if he gets the gun.
That’s my dad’s favorite part. That Ralphie’s mom says he’ll shoot his eye out. I think Dad is reliving his own obsessive childhood warnings, but that’s another story. My favorite part is when the dogs run through the house and take off with the turkey (after Ralphie shoots his eye out, and sorry if I gave that one away.) Their family ends up eating Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
I think many Real Estate Agents might be just fine with eating out anywhere right now - Chinese for Christmas means disposable income for a meal in a restaurant.
Here are my observations over the past few days that lead me to think we may have already shot out our eye and are on the road to Christmas dinner out (my puppy is definitely angling for the turkey and he’s already dismantled our tree.)
I went to the mall a few days ago to return some birthday gifts. It was PACKED. Capitalized because I was literally elbow-to-elbow with people shopping. I thought I should pay attention to how many shoppers had bags - most did! Every store except The Art of Shaving was packed (now that’s a niche…) The Art of Shaving was empty. You may see some bargains there in the next few weeks.
Both of the Starbucks kiosks had lines snaking down the hall. The department stores were bustling. Regardless of the bad news in the press, Denver’s holiday shoppers are out and about.
So I thought, “who can I ask about real estate trends right now - trends as they’re unfolding underneath our noses?” I asked Jackie, our receptionist. Jackie is the most practical and no-nonsense person I know. She doesn’t get fired up about much, but when she does - look out! Jackie has a wonderful relationship with the sellers who have engaged our company. She calls like an old friend to let them know someone would like to see their house. Jackie is like a man-on-the-street, only she’s a woman.
I asked her, “Jackie, how are showings going this month?” To my surprise she said, “kind of busy for a December.” She continued to tell me that she’s been setting more showings this December than in the past 5 years she’s been with us. While December is always a slower month, Jackie feels like this December isn’t all that bad.
So I hope that my piles of cookies keep our agents fortified and working toward a better new year. Judging from the mall and Jackie, we’re turning a corner here in Denver.
Subscribe to this Denver real estate blog by clicking on the links to the right - by RSS or email. And have a wonderful holiday season. Don’t shoot your eye out!
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In Defense of the Turkey
November 26th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
I have a friend, Diana, who happens to be a vegetarian. Not like me, a partial vegetarian who doesn’t eat red meat or pork. Diana doesn’t eat any meat at all.
A few years ago, she told me they were going to have something called a “tofurkey” for Thanksgiving. It didn’t much surprise me, Diana has introduced me to the best vegetarian restaurants in Denver, so I thought she could whip up a mean tofu turkey. We’ve been to Water Course and found a lively delight of a restaurant. I was a bit concerned that the main course was going to be water, judging from the name on the door, but ate the most inventive dish of tofu ever on the planet. A couple of times, Diana has taken me to Govinda. I won’t provide you a link there - this happens to be the restaurant inside the Hare Krishna temple and it takes a strong sense of self to walk in there for lunch.
Growing up in Laguna Beach, California afforded me an intimate view of the Hare Krishnas. They danced around the town every weekend banging their tambourines and chanting. This was 1970’s California, so we just figured everyone was stoned. One year, I had to do a research paper on religion and chose the Hare Krishnas to study. I was curious about who they were and why they danced around in packs every weekend. The only thing I remember from my research is that they shave their heads except for the little pony tail in the middle so that God can yank them to heaven. I pictured how much that would hurt, God yanking you by a little pony tail, ripping out your hair as you fly up to heaven.
You can imagine that when Diana suggested we try Govinda for lunch, I had a little trepidation. I like my hair just like it is, thank you. I hoped we’d come out unscathed, since Diana is closer to a Southern Baptist rolled into a Zen Buddist, and not anything remotely resembling a Hare Krishna. Lunch was a buffet of unrecognizable lentils and vegetables that tasted absolutely fabulous. Truly a fun dining experience. No one proselytized us, no one came at us with a razor to shave our heads and everyone is welcome.
When I later asked Diana how the tofu turkey was, she said lousy. I couldn’t believe it - she couldn’t get the tofu turkey to cook up right, and she said the taste and consistency were disgusting. Their family has no plans for fake turkey in the future. They’re experimenting every year with how they can celebrate Thanksgiving “turkey free.”
I really don’t think you can. You can celebrate Passover brisket free and Christmas ham free, but you can not celebrate Thanksgiving turkey free. At least I can’t. I can skip the sweet potatoes, the pumpkin pie and even the mashed potatoes (if I really had to,) but the turkey and stuffing are beyond blissful.
My mother taught me to cook a turkey, but the first few attempts were a challenge. My father loves to remind me every year to “turn on the oven” with a grin. He lords it over me that my first turkey didn’t finish cooking until 10:30 at night. You can guess why. My sister cooked her first turkey upside down. I thought that was funnier than forgetting to turn on the oven, but she didn’t. The best way to cook a perfect turkey? Get a cooking bag and bag it up. It bastes itself and you do nothing until it’s ready to pull out of the oven.
So enjoy your Thanksgiving, remember to turn on the oven, and pass on the tofu this time of year.
Lifestyle Denver is a local Denver Real Estate blog loaded with real estate and lifestyle information about the Denver, Colorado region.
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Denver, Colorado is 150 Years Old!
November 21st, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Real Estate News
Denver will be celebrating its 150th anniversary tomorrow. We’re proud of our silver and gold mining roots, and of the much more diverse economy we have today. The Denver Board of Realtors was formed in 1886 as one of the first real estate trade associations in the U.S., so we are obviously ahead of the curve in promoting and protecting private property rights here in Denver.
The Denver Post has written a number of interesting and fun articles about where we’ve been and where we’re going. And Denver is certainly going places. Our Denver Real Estate market is in the news lately as one of the more stable and well-positioned markets in the U.S. Smart Money Magazine listed Denver as a city-to-watch in their November 2008 issue.
On Saturday, November 22 visit these Denver venues for a FREE day and help us celebrate our city’s birthday:
Denver Zoo, Colorado History Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
Enjoy your weekend!
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You Can Live in Spectacular Colorado
October 19th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
You must know that when you live in Colorado, you have breathtaking vistas every day. Sometimes it’s not enough to just enjoy the mountain views from a Denver freeway, you need to get out there and experience it for yourself.
Manitou Springs in the Fall
A dear friend gave me an overnight to the Cliff House in Manitou Springs last year. We finally got around to using it this weekend, and what a gorgeous weekend to get out of town! Denver’s weather the past few days has been in the upper 70’s, sun dappled with red and orange trees and clear. Driving to Manitou Springs we had sweeping views of the Front Range as we passed through the city of Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Real Estate
If you happen to be interested in what’s happening in Colorado Springs real estate - check out my friend Mariana Wagner’s web site, Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection. Mariana and her husband Derek offer a wealth of information and knowledge about their market and what’s happening in the city to Denver’s south.
Weekend Getaways
The greatest thing about Colorado is our proximity to so many world class getaways. You don’t have to hop on a plane for a weekend (unless you’re an ocean person) and you don’t have to spend a fortune filling up your tank. Plenty of places are an 
hour or less from Denver.
Manitou Springs still feels like an old west town (with plenty of kitschy gift shops hearkening back to the old days.) You can take the cog railway up to Pikes Peak, visit the Cave of the Winds, hike around the Garden of the Gods or just wander around town with an ice cream cone. There’s a fun arcade in the center of town with games I played as a child. I still love skee ball! Classic Victorian architecture is found throughout town, and most buildings are lovingly maintained.
When you’re relocating to Denver, remember to let me know ahead of time so we can plan your house hunting trip and build in plenty of time for your own weekend getaway.
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Lowry Glory Days is this Weekend!
September 5th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
Where else can you combine the Denver lifestyle in a new-classic neighborhood along with some good old-fashioned family fun?
At this weekend’s Lowry Glory Days festival.
The Lowry neighborhood is a prime example of infill development at its best. The old Lowry air force base was recomissioned in the 1990’s and turned into a premier area for Denver residents who prefer newer construction but still want to remain city-close.
Check out the many open houses that agents are likely to have going on. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can look for open houses in other areas of Denver on my website.
Have a terrific weekend!
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Denver’s Top 10 Secrets - Gretchen Faber’s too
August 24th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Real Estate News
Secret 1. We’re proud to host the Democratic National Convention here this week. The city is shiny, spiffed up and ready to go. Conservative and Liberal friends alike want Denver to shine and our fair city to dump the “cow town” rep. (If you like cow towns, come back in January for the Stock Show.) We even welcome the protesters, and acknowledge their right to protest their cause. Let’s hope they stay civil, though. We’re generally a friendly place, and there’s no room for hate or defamation here.
Secret 2. Denver Real Estate sales are clipping along at a steady pace. Yesterday, one of the agents in my office said an investment buyer she was working with decided not to buy in Denver because the market is, “too good.” While that might be a stretch, there are segments of the market that are faring very well. Other segments are still a little slow and we should continue to shake out a bit more inventory before the market is truly balanced.
Secret 3. Fall is the loveliest season all year, it’s still warm and comfortable, but not too hot. We have a crisp smell in the air every morning, and it’s the perfect time to go for a run or a walk. Washington Park is one of my favorite neighborhoods and parks to hang out in. I’m more of a walker than a runner, but not a wogger!
Secret 4. Denver is crazy for sports. We’re all glued to the Olympics right now, and the Denver Broncos are about to enter their regular season. We love to be outdoors, and it doesn’t matter if it’s the summer Olympics or the winter Olympics, we love sports! (Although I wouldn’t jump off a cliff on a snowboard.) The other night, my husband and kids were flipping between the Olympics and Mixed Martial Arts because the network wasn’t airing Olympic Twae Kwan Do (hubby is a black belt, kids are working on it), so I guess that’s our only sports beef right now - not enough martial arts! P.S. We certainly don’t condone kicking the ref in the head.
Secret 5. People in Denver love to eat out, and we have terrific restaurants. Our kids have very sophisticated palates and really like L’Asie. My husband and I love to walk to Washington Park Grille and 730 South (where we met). One of our high-end favorites is the Barolo Grille - perfect for a celebration. Our local Denver chefs and cuisine are as wonderful as any big city.
Secret 6. The Kentwood Companies. We have three locations (actually, it’s three distinct companies in a sense, I’m in the Cherry Creek office), and the marketing department we each share is cutting edge. We’re a locally owned and operated residential real estate brokerage with not only an in-house marketing department, but also a relocation department and professional sales associates. Actually, let me also say that there are many other esteemed real estate brokerages in metro-Denver, and I have friends and colleagues in nearly every company. That’s the beauty of our business, we work together, we cooperate, and we each hope to be better and better at what we do every single day.
Secret 7. Denver is the home to the best mascot on the planet. Rocky rocks! Need I say more?
Secret 8. Denver’s weather is CRAZY! We can be in shorts one minute and in a snow storm the same afternoon. It takes awhile to get used to - I moved here from California and truly thought the weather was schizophrenic. Now I kind of like it 
(some days…)
Secret 9. Green is in. Green housing, that is. I don’t know too many Brussels Sprouts fans. Most builders I know and talk to are very up to speed on green building, energy efficient housing, low VOC paints, and alternative energy. We may be getting slack for having the “greenest” political convention ever - but that just illustrates our local commitment to the environment.
Secret 10. Life is more enjoyable with a smile and a kind word for those less fortunate. Or as Roseanne Rosanna Danna used to say, “Be nice!”
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Colorado Spa Treatment You Can’t Miss!
August 17th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
One of my smartest friends, Donna, proved to be even smarter than I thought when she recommended we take an entire day to go to Tall Grass Spa in Evergreen.
We’ve been having a brutal streak of days above 90 degrees, and all of a sudden a cold front blew through with two solid days of rain and cold temperatures. I’m talkin’ 40 degrees colder than just a few days earlier!
So we headed out in an early morning down pour for the drive to Evergreen. As we drove along Upper Bear Creek Road we marveled at the lovely stream (my guess - Upper Bear Creek) and gorgeous homes. Donna exclaimed repeatedly, “I want to live here!” I reassured her that she could if she wanted to, but that I thought the summer lasts a little longer down on the plains of Denver. Judging from her tan, she likes summer.
We pulled into the parking lot (after missing it the first time while we watched the stream and the field of cows), and trudged into the lit-from-within Tall Grass Spa.
And so began our day of pampering.
The friendly receptionist gave us some slippers, took our umbrellas and showed us around. We changed into robes and never changed out until early evening. The waiting room was like a cozy living room with a fireplace, leather couches, books and of course tea, water and snacks. This was where we were to reconvene after each treatment, and where they served us our delicious lunch.
First up - the best facial I’ve ever had, bar none. It wasn’t just a facial - it was a total relaxation into pudding. She gave me a facial, rubbed my shoulders, put jojoba oil on my hands, massaged them and then put them into warm mitts. After this treatment we had a body polish. Sort of like an all over exfoliation. Then a warm steamy shower, then a full massage. Did I say I was pudding? By now I was melted butter.
I perked up a bit at lunch, a fresh and tasty salad with tuna (Donna had the salad with chicken, apples & cranberries) followed by chocolate fondue. Yum! If I could have stuck my tongue into the ramekin, I would have. Chocolate weakness.
What else was on the agenda?
Time by the fire reading, and then off to a manicure and pedicure. My third hand massage of the day (I thought about typing this up when I got home last night, but literally couldn’t). Hands and feet dunked into parafin, polish on 
both and then off to our hair appointments. We had our hair washed and styled, then professional makeup applied. Donna asked to look like a “trophy wife” for the Broncos game. They had Club Section tickets so I’m sure she fit right in.
I went home to referee a multiple 13 year-old-boy sleepover party and the boys and my husband all thought I looked fab! I stayed awake long enough to order Chinese food and drink a glass of wine, and then I crashed on the couch. I’ve never been so exhausted from a day of relaxation. It was heaven.
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Denver Historic Walking Tours
August 10th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Relocation Tips
Denver, the host of this year’s Democratic National Convention, is gearing up and gussying up. We’re happy to have so many visitors to our city.
I met my husband for lunch on Friday, and already the 16th Street Mall was buzzing. People were everywhere, and judging from the name badges hanging around their necks, many were from out of town. Another tell tale sign that we had strangers in our midst were the maps clutched in hands for reference.
A fun way to pass some time in the downtown area is to take Tom Noel’s walking tour of the area. Dr. Noel is one of Denver’s prominent historians and he has published many books on the history of the west, and Colorado in particular. His walking tour takes you from The Colorado History Museum, past the State Capitol and The Brown Palace Hotel.
You’ll also take in the Oxford Hotel, Union Station and Sakura Square, among other historic places. You’ll end up at Auraria Campus - just across the street from the Pepsi Center - where we’re making new history.
If you live in Denver now, or are thinking about relocating here, you’ll have fun getting in touch with some of Denver’s colorful past.
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L’Asie Fusion Bistro
July 19th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Restaurant Reviews
Our newest favorite Asian restaurant is L’Asie Fusion Bistro.
We’ve tried it twice and both times it was wonderful. My husband like Aisan food better than I do, but I’ve been pleased and lucky with all of the dishes I’ve ordered at L’Asie. The restaurant is in the old Emma’s space and has been open for a little over a year. Menu items are a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai. The eclectic blending of dishes and spices makes for an explosion on your palate.
They also have a fun and crazy drink menu of “fou fou” drinks that are sold two for one. You may want to consider splitting your drink order, they are large, sweet and for me had plenty of alcohol. Wine is two for one as well.
Order the appetizer sampler plate for a terrific variety of snacks, but remember to leave room for your main dish. The first time we went to L’Asie, I was so full I could hardly eat my fish, and it was delicious!
L’Asie is at 603 E. 6th Avenue heading out from downtown towards Cherry Creek. You can usually find parking on 6th or on one of the side streets. They say you don’t need reservations, but both times we went there we’d made them at the last minute, and were happy we did.
You may also want to try Devil’s Food Bakery on Gaylord Street.
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