The most popular Aribnbs in Denver

If you ever heard a great comeback story, the story of how Airbnb came to be would definitely rank up there as one of the best stories. The three men who started it actually presented the idea a few times before anyone picked investing in the company and started it because they were living in San Francisco and were having a hard time paying the rent. It took them nine years to get where they are today spanning all over the world and catering to college kids, travelers and businessmen alike. The company is worth over $25 billion dollars and continues to grow. People use the website when traveling for fun or for work and love the experience of getting to stay in some unique homes. Airbnb is working to roll out a new program called Airbnb Select that will target high-end vacationers with specialty listings. The company also recently paired up with WeWork, the co-working space company found in many cities, offering people traveling for work a place to stay for however many days while also having the ability to use the shared work space during their stay.

In Denver alone this year, Airbnb’s occupancy rate increased from 10% to 61% according to an October report on the city’s hospitality market from broker service CBRE Group. The latest report from November 1st shows Denver Aribnb’s had 310,000 guest arrivals and 3,200 active hosts who earn and average of $6,800 per year. Many people find Airbnb a great way to make a little extra money or to help pay their mortgage. I have clients who stay with their significant other on the weekend while renting out their place. For my clients who travel a lot for business, they find Airbnb a great way to keep cash flow coming on their homes while they are out of state.

One thing to be weary of though is if you live in a condominium complex. Many new condo buildings are putting rules regulating just how many people can provide Airbnb services or if they will allow the service at all. I help many clients buy investment properties and one of their first questions always is, can we use this space for Airbnb? I always make sure to check with the HOA board as well as research into the building. If they are a homeowner, there is no problem I would just recommend if they are traveling a lot to have someone they trust be able to clean the home and check on it after visitors have left.

So what are the popular Airbnb’s in Denver? It seems the most popular places for people to stay when visiting is in carriage homes, row homes and lofts. The Denver Business Journal was able to pull the most popular Airbnb rentals in Denver so take a look to see what appeals to visitors coming to our city:

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/11/28/carriage-houses-lofts-row-homes-here-are-the-top.html#g/424993/1

Conforming loan limits are going UP in 2018

From the title of the blog, some of you may be jumping up and down with excitement over the news that conforming loans limits are going up which we know means more purchasing power to the borrower aka you! But for those of you who are sitting there going, sounds great, but what exactly is a conforming loan and what does it have to do with me, let me explain.

A conforming loan is a mortgage loan that conforms to GSE guidelines (GSE is Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). The most well-known guideline is the size of the loan, which for this past year the limit was around $424,100 for single family homes in the US (even though it could vary in certain areas). So, the limit is how much can actually be borrowed and coming in 2018, loan limits are going to go up which means a lot of good things for borrowers.

Investopedia describes conforming loan limits as the following: The limit on the size of a mortgage which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase and/or guarantee. The conforming loan limit is set annually by Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's federal regulator, The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). OFHEO uses the October to October percentage increase/decrease in the average house price in the monthly interest rate survey of the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) to adjust the conforming loan limits for the subsequent year.

What does this mean for a Borrower?  More purchasing power! Mortgages, which exceed the conforming loan limit, are known as jumbo mortgages. The interest rate on jumbo mortgages can be higher than the interest rate on conforming mortgages. A borrower whose mortgage amount slightly exceeds the conforming loan limit should analyze the economics of reducing their loan size through a larger down payment or possibly using secondary financing to qualify for a conforming mortgage verses a jumbo mortgage.

The new base limit for single family homes in the continental US is $453,100 but her are the limits for the different cities and counties in/around the Denver area:

Denver $529,000

Boulder $578,450,

Broomfield $529,000

Adams County $529,000

Jefferson County $529,000

Douglas County $529,000

So that makes for some exciting times for borrowers next year! If you were thinking it is time to buy in the market, there is no better time then the present. With interest rates still low and now the conforming loan limits going up, you have much more purchasing power and that is an exciting thing. Contact me today and let’s grab coffee and chat about your loan options and how we can get you the house you want in the New Year!

Fun things to do in Denver in December

Hope everything had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now we are only a few days away from December (hard to believe with these 70-degree days we are still having, what is this Colorado?) but the holiday seasons are upon us and with that there are tons of amazing things to do around the city with your friends and your family.

Denver Parade of Lights – Dec 1 – Dec 2

Join the Downtown Denver Partnership along with 9News for the annual parade of lights through downtown Denver. This free parade will feature marching bands, ornate floats and an appearance by Santa himself. You might not need to dress as warm this year as previous years but having some hot chocolate along for the ride never hurt anyone.

Denver Zoo Lights – Dec 1 – Dec 31

Spanning over 60 acres, the Denver Zoo lights is a different way to experience the zoo. Every night the zoo will close at 5:00pm and reopen at 5:30pm and will include a meet and greet with Santa, illuminated animal sculptures, nightly entertainment and of course encounters with some of the zoo animals.

Santa’s Village at Chatfield Farms – Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays starting Nov. 24 – Dec. 24

Head to the Botanic Garden’s other property Chatfield Farms to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus while they lead their reindeer throughout the colorful holiday lights that illuminate the farm.

Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens – Now – Jan 1

Every night until January 1st, you can head over to the Botanic Gardens for the Blossom of Lights which transforms the gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland complete with an interactive LED light and sound display as well as warm drinks and tasty treats for purchase.

The Nutcracker Ballet at Ellie Caulkins Opera House – Nov 25 – Dec 24

This has been a tradition with many families for years, taking everyone to see the Nutcracker ballet. These performances sell out quickly so make sure to get tickets sooner then later or you will miss out! The Colorado Ballet has been performing this experience for over 60 years now, selling out almost every performance they have.

Denver Pavilions Holiday Carousel – Dec 15 – Jan 2

For just $3/ride, you can enjoy the lights and sounds of this stunning carousel while enjoying the views of downtown Denver. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Food Bank of the Rockies so you are helping to give back this holiday season to those in need.

Ice Skate at DIA – Nov 25 – Jan 1

That’s right, as soon as you deplane at DIA you can head to the skating ring to have a few laps before you get picked up (or have a little skate before you take off). Open from 9:00am – 9:00pm daily is located between the airport’s main terminal and the Westin Hotel.

Denver Christkindl Market – Nov 17 – Dec 23

Located on 16th Street Mall at Skyline Park, this market changes the space into an “old world” European Christmas village with wooden vendor huts, twinkling lights music and an authentic German Bier Hall.

Denver Ice Rink at Skyline Park – Nov 22 – Feb 14th

Right across the street from the market you can find the ice rink set up right by the clocktower downtown. Take friends or the whole family, it’s only $6-$8 for skate rentals except on Sunday, rentals are free!

A Christmas Carol at Stage Theatre – Nov 24 – Dec 24

Presented by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, this classic Charles Dickens’ novel is brought to life over the holidays. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge is a classic story of his journey to redemption, finding the true meaning of the holiday season.

There are plenty of other great activities to do this December in Denver and the surrounding areas. Check out the links below to find more fun things to do:

https://www.denver.org/events/

https://303magazine.com/calendar/

http://www.thedenverear.com/holiday-events-denver-winter/

Where to find the best furniture in Denver

I love that moment when buyers walk into an empty house and you can see their face light up with anticipation of what they could do in that space. Every buyer has that moment when they walk into the right now and start to picture their lives there, they see what color paint they would do the walls, they start thinking about the stuff they have and also what new things they can purchase to fill up the space. They have already started to make that empty house a home just with their imagination and a little bit of vision. That is one of my favorite things about walking into a home that is empty; it really gives buyers a chance to picture themselves living there.

As someone who is constantly making interior changes to my own house, I like to think that I can offer some great ideas when showing clients new homes. Sometimes, buyers just need to see past the ugly paint colors and the bad carpet, when a house has good bones, cosmetic changes are the easiest and usually cheapest way to turn that house into their own. I recently had a client ask for recommendations of some of the best places to get furniture around town so I decided to compile a list for those of you looking for a great place to buy furniture and accessories around Denver:

Big Box:

Restoration Hardware - Cherry Creek and Castle Rock Outlet

Scandinavian Designs - Westminster and Denver

West Elm - Cherry Creek North and Boulder

Crate And Barrel - Cherry Creek North, Flatirons Mall and Park Meadows

Pottery Barn - Flatirons Mall, Aspen Grove, Park Meadows and Briargate Lifestyle Center

Pier 1- Locations All Over Metro Denver and online

American Furniture Warehouse -Thornton, Westminster, Firestone, Aurora

Designer:

Room And Board - Cherry Creek

Mitchell Gold - Denver Design Center

HW Home - a Colorado Company

The Showroom @ Furniture Row

Howard Lorton Galleries

Lulus Furniture & Decor - LoHi

Element - Larimer Square, Denver 

Mid Mod Livin - RiNo & E Colfax

Online Furniture:

Overstock

Wayfair

Amazon

Joss & main

RH.com

Project 62 @Target.com

AllModern.com

econd Hand:

Habitat Restore

Revampt Cherry Creek

Mod Mood - Wheat Ridge

Decade - S Broadway

Junkspiration - Arvada

Buffalo Exchange - Capitol Hill

Mid Mod Livin - RiNo and E Colfax

Vintage Garage - Santa Fe Art

Whether you are a fan of vintage or like the big box stores, Denver has everything you could want.

Things to do with the family on Thanksgiving

This time of the year is a time to be thankful for friends and family. Whether you are spending the holidays at home or traveling to see loved ones, may you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving filled with good food, laughter, love and memories for a lifetime. We all have our Thanksgiving Day traditions and I know my family and I try to make new traditions every year. So for your family day, I have compiled a list of things you can do as a family and even some ways you can give back if you are in the Denver area.

Volunteer together – There are so many ways to give back over the holidays around the city. You can help provide meals, deliver meals, prep meals, provide homes, purchase presents and much more. If you are interested take the family and check out one of these great organizations:

·      Denver Rescue Mission

·      Thanksgiving Dinner for Parker Task Force Clients

·      Volunteers of America – baskets of joy

·      Denver Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen

·      Operation Turkey

·      Safehouse Denver

·      Project PAVE

·      The Delores Project

·      Rocky-mountain youth clinic

·      TLC Meals on Wheels

Get outside – the weather is looking great for Thanksgiving Day around Denver with temps reaching in the 70s. Get outside and play a good old family game of football or maybe have the kids of the family help set up a scavenger hunt around the yard.

Go get a Christmas Tree – The weekend after Thanksgiving many people take the opportunity to start their Christmas decorating and that includes grabbing a tree. Find a great local tree farm or organization such as a local church or the boy-scouts selling trees and take the family to get the perfect one for your home.

Family game night – What better to bring the family together, or throw some serious competition into the mix, then having a game night with the whole group? There are so many great games to choose from these days that the whole family can play from Pictionary to Apples to Apples there are so many great games for family members or all ages.

Share family memories – Sometimes, the holidays are the only time people see members of their families during the year. Different generations gather and it is a great time to share fond memories people have with one another, open up picture albums and recall those who came before and cherish the new members.

Have a sing-along – Karaoke is not dead and what better way to break the ice with everyone then busting out some instruments and a holiday radio station and having a good old sing-along?

Prepare food together – There is always a lot of food prep that goes into Thanksgiving Day and it can take a team to make sure everything gets made. Designate family members to help with certain dishes and have a good time while cooking them all!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!