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SUMMER TIME….it’s a state of mind.  Being wild and free, relaxing in the sun, lemonade and bbqs, splashing in the pool.  

Well, it is that time of year again!

All of us here at TJC Real Estate and Management Services have been waiting anxiously for the last freeze to pass and the board shorts and tankinis to come out.  Pool season is upon us and whether you live in Central Park (formerly Stapleton), or the greater Denver area, you live in a great place to be for the summer! Not only do we get over 300 days of sunshine per year and have tons of great biking and hiking trails, but we also have a plethora of outdoor public pools to make a splash.  Let’s dig out our goggles, flip flops and floaties, it’s almost time for that first canon ball of the season. Denver Parks and Recreation alone service 16 outdoor pools that will open on June 4th and Central Park (formerly Stapleton), which is by our home office, manages 6 outdoor pools that will open at 12 PM on Saturday, May 26th.  

Central Park (formerly Stapleton) Pools

Whether you own or rent in Central Park (formerly Stapleton), one of the perks of living in this awesome community is the resident membership to one of our six pools.  The fee for each pass is only $20 for the season. For Non-Residents, you can still enjoy the Central Park (formerly Stapleton) facilities for a daily entrance fee. For more information on fees and schedules, visit the Central Park (formerly Stapleton) MCA website at www.StapletonCommunity.com.   You can also pick up this season’s pool schedule magnet that features the Family Nights at your choice Central Park (formerly Stapleton) pool or at our office located in the 29th Avenue Town Center!

A few quick notes to remember about our pools:

• You can BYOB – alcohol is permitted, but remember, NO GLASS.
• Be prepared for random closures:
  • Summer’s storms can lead to short closures and delays, but keep in mind the weather changes can be fast and furious in Colorado  — if you can wait out a weather closure you may end up with the entire pool to yourself.
  • It’s not a Baby Ruth® – when you pile hundreds of kids into a pool, the swim diaper mishap is bound to happen every now and then.
  • Glass violators – see first bullet point above.  Don’t be the guy who closes down the pool because you had to have your Corona® bottle with a lime, but you dropped it while adjusting your…sunglasses.
  • Pool Parties are a great way to celebrate! You can reserve the pools for your own private parties (for a fee).  I have been to birthday parties and fundraisers at many of the pools and they are always an excellent setting for your summer soiree.

Which pool is right for you?  Each pool brings its own unique attributes, but here is a little breakdown of some of the benefits of each:

• Aviator – the original, like Coors®, the Banquet Beer, is still a classic.  With dedicated swim lanes, a generous kid area, and nice shade spots, this pool is a favorite of Central Park (formerly Stapleton) residents old and new.  It can get packed on the major holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc.).
• Puddle Jumper (aka the “Nanny Pool”) – excellent water features for the kids, no swim lanes, and a cool sandbox feature make this a pool of choice for nannies to while away the summer days.  Coincidently, the pool seems to be a favorite for dads who are taking the kids to the pool on their days off. Hmmm.
• F15 – let’s hear it for the East-side.  Located on a huge parcel of land, this pool is excellent for parties, barbeques, and volleyball games.  I have found that it is sometimes a little quieter, but I think that could be changing as all the new Bluff Lake residents start discovering its charms.
• Jet Stream – another pool with dedicated swim lanes, this pool serves as the refuge for the old-north-siders.  With the arrival of Conservatory Green, I’m not sure we can call it the north-side any more. The crowd here may be a little younger than you will find at Aviator, and may feel more intimate and hip.
• Runway 35 Pool – the home of future Olympians. This pool is designed with a focus on competitive swimming.
• Maverick Pool – the home of future leisure seekers.  Designed as a family friendly pool this pool will have some great places to play, relax and soak in the Colorado sun.

Denver Public Pools

Denver Parks and Recreation offer numerous aquatic activities for kids and adults of all ages and abilities at their 16 outdoor and 13 indoor pools.  Fun in the sun includes open swim times, lap swim, aqua fitness classes, swim lessons and private instruction.  You can obtain admission by having an annual membership, pay a daily fee, purchasing a season pool pass or having a My Denver Card (available free to Denver kids ages 5-18).  For more information on fees and schedules, you can visit the following website: Denver Rec Centers Outdoor Pool Information.

A few quick notes to remember about Denver public pools:

• NO ALCOHOL at any facility.
• Food is permitted in designated areas, but please, NO GLASS.  Of course, no food or beverage allowed in the pools at any time.
• As above, the pool closures can happen such as summer storms and/or the random Baby Ruth® incident.

A few fun things to mention about the different Denver Pools:

• Many indoor pools such as Central Park and Montclair have the 0 – 3 feet feature with an indoor water playground for those not ready to give up their water wings yet.  
• La Alma has undergone a recent renovation with an addition of a lazy river, diving board and a great slide.
• Outdoor water playgrounds are a big hit for kids of all ages and can be found at Barnum, Globeville and Mestizo pools.

More Outdoor Water Fun!

Below are some more options for outdoor water fun on the Front Range.  Don’t forget about the swim teams, paddle boarding, kayaking, white water rafting, water parks and natural springs.  We might live in a land bound state, but we have water!

Brighton Oasis Water Park

Boulder Resevoir

Chatfield Resevoir

Cherry Creek Resevoir

Eldorado Natural Spring Pool

Pirates Cove Aquatic Park

Splash at Fossil Trace

A couple extra tips…wear your sunscreen, put your phone in a waterproof bag, hold onto your sunglasses and wait to enter the water until 30 minutes after you’ve eaten. There you go….get ready to dive in!  

Brought to you by Sondra Lockett-Cameron, Marketing Coordinator for TJC Real Estate and Management Services.  Thanks to Jeff Stahlhut for many of the clever pool descriptions.

TJC Real Estate & Management Services • 303.324.6988 • info@tjcrealestate.com

Your Neighborhood Realtors® Since 2005

© 2018

Home shopping in today’s extremely competitive real estate market, such as Denver, can dampen the excitement that usually comes with searching for a new home. With the challenges of increased housing cost, low inventory and bidding wars, it’s somewhat customary to lose out on your first few deals before you finally hit home, pun intended.

So where do you start? Sometimes just jumping in head first and hoping for the best is a good tactic, but for a situation as emotional and arduous as the current housing market can be, it would serve you well to be prepared. Read further for essential information and direction to assist you on this adventurous journey.

1. Move Quickly.

Colorado’s population growth has helped build one of the strongest sellers’ markets in the country, and this is especially evident in the Greater Denver area. While supply and demand can certainly vary by neighborhood and price point, it almost never pays to drag your heels when you find a home you love. Remember that the home-buying process typically provides time and multiple opportunities to back out of a contract if you feel compelled, but you’ll never get that chance if the home goes under contract with another buyer because you took too long to submit an offer.

2. Know your Seller.

The old law of “know your customer” works the other way in real estate: Know your seller — as well as you can. This is difficult to do as an individual, especially since many listing agents are tight-lipped about an owner’s true reasons for selling. But a well-connected buyer’s agent can often clue you in about changes in the neighborhood or other area like changing family situations, financial struggles, relocation, or general desires to upsize/downsize. These factors can help frame your offer in terms that are most likely to resonate with that seller, whether it’s sale price, closing date, cash vs. financing, or a guarantee of appraisal deficiency (offering a certain level of cash to cover any variance between the sale price and the appraisal value).

3. Secure Financing Now.

In many scenarios where a seller receives multiple offers, the price will be weighed against the perceived security/legitimacy of the financing. Cash is typically king, but if that’s not an option for you, it’s still possible to strengthen your offer by demonstrating a lower level of risk. At a minimum, include a pre-approval letter with your offer. When possible, also have your institution’s loan officer reach out to the listing broker immediately. This will show that the involved parties will be proactive in the deal and could give the seller the added confidence necessary to take your offer over one that’s similar (or even slightly lower).

4. Be Flexible.

Whether due to bidding wars, timing, or other factors that are frequently outside of your control, be prepared to lose a few deals before ultimately going under contract. Understanding this will help you make prudent decisions when formulating or increasing an offer. Just like getting caught up in the excitement of a live auction, convincing yourself that any home is “perfect” can easily lead you to offer an amount or terms that you may regret later.

Often, the inventory in certain neighborhoods ends up being more expensive than you hoped/expected, and those prices may be continually climbing. An experienced real estate agent can help navigate these challenges, but can also suggest alternate neighborhoods that have similar benefits with a lower price tag. Staying open-minded will provide more options and increase the likelihood of finding the most house for your money.

5. Befriend an Experienced Realtor.

This may sound self-serving or even obvious, but many buyers make the mistake of waiting for attractive homes to come across Zillow, on a weekend drive through the neighborhood, or through word-of-mouth. By the time these opportunities appear, those with the best value, best condition and/or best locations often have pending offers. This puts you at the back of the line and unlikely to secure any deal at all, let alone a good one.

Remember, too, that not all real estate agents offer the same value. To maximize your likelihood of getting advance notice on upcoming listings (especially “pocket listings” that are never officially listed on the open market), work with an agent who has a proven track record of buying and selling in the area you’re interested in.

Brought to you by Creation Chamber and Sondra Lockett-Cameron, Marketing Coordinator for TJC Real Estate and Management Services and the Distinctive Team.

TJC Real Estate & Management Services • 303.324.6988 • info@tjcrealestate.com

Your Neighborhood Realtors® Since 2005

© 2018

2013 is here and, as difficult as that is to comprehend, it is indeed a reality.  If you are still contemplating selling your home and buying a new one I strongly encourage you to give it some very serious thought, right now.

There were more home showings in the Denver Metro area the first weekend of 2013 than ever before.  Consider that a true phenomenon since there were multiple football playoff games and a few more of the collegiate bowl games to watch, day and night, all weekend long!

Inventory remains low so if you are considering selling now is time.  Interest rates remain ridiculously low, so if you are considering buying, now is the time.  I have several first time buyers who are talking to their lenders and putting their own wish list together to begin the house hunt immediately.

If you are cruising the realtor.com spaces and not finding what you want in some of the more popular areas of Denver I strongly encourage you to look at living on the west side of the Denver area.  The “burbs” are not the typical “cookie cutter” houses they were once known to be.

I was in Golden over the holidays and totally charmed by the ambience of downtown Golden in all of its holiday dress.  What I really marveled at was all the trendy, cool condos and townhomes that have made the downtown Golden area an “it” place to be.  The same goes for the Belmar area in Lakewood, Old Town Arvada and downtown Littleton.  Trendy, GOOD restaurants, shopping, wine bars and so much more populate the streets of all of these west side place hubs.  There is even a wine bar, along with a host of excellent restaurants, in downtown Morrison!

Not only are there trendy places, as I mentioned above, on the west side of Denver some of the suburban area neighbors are now forty and fifty years old.  These charming neighborhoods offer homes with character, sprawling, mature yards and a sophisticated ambiance that comes with those homes built in another era.  Consider a trip through Applewood, Bow Mar, Thraemoor and so many more for a quasi-vintage home at a tremendous value.  Visit the foothill areas of Willow Brook, Willow Springs, Gennesse and Look Out Mountain for gorgeous homes with spectacular views.  The west side has so much to offer that you may have never considered.  Make 2013 your year to seriously consider living on the west side of Denver.  If this appeals to you, call me!  I have lived and worked on the west side of Denver for many years and I know I will find that perfect Distinctive house for you.

Look for my advertisement of a beautiful executive home in Willow Springs coming on the market in February.  This home is WOW and will be offered at an excellent price!

Debra Arp, 303-506-7229, Debra.Arp@gmail.com

– See more at: http://distinctivedenvernews.com/2013/01/15/679/#sthash.XMGkzY17.dpuf