TeamCox Realtors was involved in some tough negotiating for our relocating buyers this past week. We were a bit surprised at how little the sellers were willing to budge in the midst of the Denver buyer’s market. You are probably wondering about the home that was in such demand? It was Highlands Ranch home, priced under $300K.

Highlands Ranch, a popular Douglas County community located only 12 miles south of Denver, continues to thrive in the midst of an overall sluggish Denver real estate market. Homes in Highlands Ranch have held their values well during the Denver real estate market’s slump. The Rocky Mountain News reported in March that 80126, the primary Highlands Ranch zip code, saw a 13.9 percent year-over-year home price increase last year, which was the third largest increase in the entire Denver metro area. Highlands Ranch is also showing signs of improvement more quickly than other areas in Douglas and Arapahoe Counties. Highlands Ranch homes – especially those that are priced under 300K – have recently been selling quickly for at or near full asking price.

It is hard to believe that Highlands Ranch will be celebrating its thirtieth birthday in a few years. The 22,000-acre master-planned community’s popularity stems from its superior quality of life, panoramic views, convenient location, and endless recreational opportunities. Highlands Ranch was also recently ranked 12th among Money Magazine’s, “Top 100 Best Places to Live,” The magazine completed its rankings based on numerous factors, including: financial, housing, quality of life, education, health, meeting the neighbors, etc. Parker, another popular Douglas County community, was ranked high in last year’s report.

For more information on Highlands Ranch real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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Homebuyers are always interested to hear which Denver metro area neighborhoods are thriving and which are flopping. I came across a very interesting article written by John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain News this week, which revealed the hottest (and coldest!) zip codes in the Denver housing market. 

If you are looking for a hotbed in an otherwise stagnant Denver real estate market, consider heading to the 80202 zip code that encompasses the trendy Denver neighborhoods of LoDo and Riverfront Park. Homeowners are in high spirits as their property values appreciated a whopping 16.2% from 2006 to 2007. This impressive figure is no surprise as scores of ultra-stylish loft and condo projects are popping up everywhere in Downtown Denver. The top three were rounded out by 80112 in Englewood and Centennial (+15.8%) and 80126 in Highlands Ranch (+12.8%).

Aurora’s 80010 zip code, close to the flourishing Anschutz Medical Campus, saw a 12.8% increase in property values that likely stemmed from the new medical facilities are breathing new life into surrounding neighborhoods. Other Denver area zip codes that saw increases include the Southeast Aurora zip code of 80016 (+12.8%), Evergreen’s 80439 (+12.2%), Boulder’s 80303 and 80305 (+10.8% and +8.6%), Littleton’s 80127 (+7.5%).

The list of "colder" zip codes included parts of Adams County, Jefferson County and Denver. Please click here to read the article in the Rocky Mountain News. For more information on booming neighborhoods in the Denver real estate market, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

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Christmas has arrived early in eastern Highlands Ranch! The Douglas County News Press reports that a home at 10111 Brady Place in Highlands Ranch is truly a Christmas spectacular. People from all over Douglas County are coming to see this impressive display. According to the article, the home’s Christmas display includes a 15-feet-tall north pole boasting Santa and his reindeer, a Nativity set, a ginger bread home and much more!

Do you know of a truly spectacular holiday display in the Denver metro area? Please share the information in our comments section.

Happy Holidays to you and your family from TeamCox Realtors!

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TeamCox Realtors begins every new client meeting with an orientation in front of a large metro Denver area map. During this initial orientation, we take into consideration the daily work commute of family members, school considerations and access to light rail and shopping. Often the relocating family will want to know about recreational facilities, churches and quite specifically crime statistics.  These are very normal concerns for a relocating family who is unfamiliar with Denver area neighborhoods.

As Realtors®, we must be a bit guarded in our answers.  While we cannot guide or steer clients to or from a particular neighborhood, we can direct them to information that is easily accessible online including information on child predators or sex offenders that can be found on the National Sex Offender Registry.

Please click on the following links for more information on crime in specific Denver area neighborhoods. If you have questions about safety in a specific Denver community, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

Aurora

Castle Rock

Denver

Englewood

Golden

Greenwood Village

Highlands Ranch

Larkspur

Littleton

Parker

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TeamCox Realtors had an interesting occurrence this weekend. On Friday at 6:00pm, our client, who is under contract to purchase a home in Highlands Ranch, called with a question concerning their community covenants or deed restrictions. The title company had e-mailed them the controlling documents but one of the pages was missing. The buyer went online to print the missing page (most HOAs now have the deed restrictions available online) and found that the missing page was the one that addressed household pets. In this instance, the number of household pets is limited to two, which could be a problem since the buyers have two cats and one dog. 

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Many of our clients with school-aged children seek out neighborhoods with high schools participating in the coveted International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The IB program is an intensive college preparatory program that requires its students to take courses in six subjects in addition to completing many community service hours and a culminating 4,000-word essay. The IB program offers its students a rich educational experience that results in superior critical thinking and superior oral and communication skills. Some Denver area high schools with well-known IB programs include Smoky Hill High School, Douglas County High School and George Washington (GW) High School.

The Douglas County School District is implementing its second International Baccalaureate Program (IB) at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch. The new program slated to begin during the 2009-2010 school year. ThunderRidge High School’s feeder area, which is bounded by Town Center Dr. and Lucent Blvd to the north and Broadway to the east, includes multiple subdivisions in Highlands Ranch and Roxborough Park. Please click here to view ThunderRidge’s specific boundaries. The following is a list of other Denver area high schools that have IB programs:

Adams 12 Five Star Schools:      

Thornton High School (Thornton)

Aurora Public Schools:

Hinkley High School (Aurora)

Boulder Valley School District:

Centaurus High School (Lafayette)

Fairview High School (Boulder)

Cherry Creek Schools:

Smoky Hill High School (Aurora)

Cherokee Trail High School (Aurora)

Douglas County School District:

Douglas County High School (Castle Rock)

ThunderRidge High School (Highlands Ranch) – 2009-2010

Denver Public Schools:

George Washington High School (Denver)

Iver C. Ranum High School (Denver)

Jefferson County Public Schools:

Lakewood High School (Lakewood)

Littleton Public Schools:

Littleton High School (Littleton)

For more information on Denver area high schools, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

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Contrary to its name, “Oktoberfest” is a German festival that is traditionally held in September. TeamCox Realtors has been busy planning our 5th annual Oktoberfest celebration to be held in mid-September. We love putting on this event for our friends and clients and have a great time every year. Please be on the lookout for photos!

All of this planning inspired me to research other Oktoberfest celebrations across the Denver metro area and throughout Colorado. Mark your calendars – Oktoberfest is right around the corner!

Denver’s 38th Annual Oktoberfest

September 21-23 & October 5-7

This event is moving from its former home on Larimer Square to its new site in Denver’s Ballpark Neighborhood, between 20th and 22nd.

Free Admission

Rapids Oktoberfest Celebration

September 13^th at 5:30 pm

Invesco Field (prior to the Colorado Rapids soccer game)

Highlands Ranch Oktoberfest

September 15, 2007 from 2:00-10:00 pm

Highlands Ranch Town Center

Free Admission

Parker Oktoberfest

September 15, 2007 ~ 1:00-8:00 pm

O’Brien Park in Parker

Free Admission

Castle Rock Oktoberfest

October 6, 2007

Wilcox Square in Castle Rock

Breckenridge’s 13th annual Oktoberfest

September 14-16, 2007

Main Street in Breckenridge

Vail Oktoberfest

September 7-9 & 14-16, 2007

Lionshead and Vail Village

Snowmass Oktoberfest

September 8, 2007 from 11:00-5:00 pm

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August is a great month for family time since the kids go back to school soon and the cooler tempratures will arrive before we know it. What better way to spend some quality family time than a relaxing outdoor summer concert? TeamCox Realtors has compiled a list of FREE summer concerts around the Denver metro area.

Denver:

The Shops at Northfield Stapleton
Fridays – 6:00-9:30pm

August 10 – Nina Storey and Jubal (jazz, reggae, funk, blues)
August 17 – Nacho Men Classic (variety) with Martini Shot (progressive rock)
August 24 – Conjunto Colores (Latin jazz) and Railbenders (alt. country rock)
August 31- 31 Chris Daniels (rock, blues, swing) and The Trampolines (acoustic pop rock)

City Park Jazz (17th Avenue and York Street)

August 6, 2007 – 6:00pm-8:00pm

The Sheryl Renee Band

Summer Free Concert Series

Fridays in the Park- 4:30-7:30pm

Sculpture Park (Located behind the Denver Performing Arts Complex)

August 3 – Angie Stevens

August 10 – Buckwild
August 17 – Rubber Planet 

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Things are going well down in Douglas County! With its top-notch schools and superior quality of life, Douglas County continues to be one of the most sought after areas in the suburban Denver real estate market. Two national magazines have recently singled out Douglas County as a great place to live.

Money Magazine: Money Magazine’s newly released "100 Best Places to Live," ranks Douglas County 18^th in job growth (38.3%) and 14^th among the "skinniest" counties. Parker is also ranked in the top 30 of the "100 Best Places to Live," which is based on economic opportunity, schools, safety and sense of community.

Family Circle Magazine: Family Circle Magazine’s August Issue selected Castle Rock as one the United States’ "10 Best Towns for Families." It is easy to understand why Castle Rock is a great place for families with its top-notch schools, pristine natural beauty and impressive safety record. Castle Rock has also recently appeared on national lists recognizing affordability and job growth.

For more information on Douglas County real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors. Our team is has extensive knowledge of all Douglas County communities including Castle Pines North, Castle Pines Village, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker , Roxborough Park and Sedalia. Please click here to search for homes in Douglas County.

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Believe it or not, even though it is only mid-July, many Denver area elementary schools are already in session. The start of a new school year always sparks the debate of which Denver area school districts are truly the best. Here is a run-down based on TeamCox’s extensive experience with both relocating buyers and local buyers with children:

In the Denver suburbs, Cherry Creek Schools and the Douglas County School District are generally considered to be the best in the area. Cherry Creek Schools, which encompasses Centennial, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, south Aurora, etc., is more requested than the Douglas County school district, which inclues Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch, etc. This is simply because when you want a tissue, you ask for a Kleenex. Although Cherry Creek Schools has been well regarded for a longer period, Cherry Creek and Douglas County are fairly equal since one district always has a particular program that is better developed than the other. Jefferson County Public Schools lags behind the other two southern suburban districts but has some bright spots. The Boulder Valley School District takes the prize in the northern suburbs followed by the St. Vrain District.

What should you do if your dream home isn’t in your desired school district? Colorado follows an open enrollment policy where under state law, students may attend any public school at no cost, whether it is in a different neighborhood or even a different school district. However, there are limitations based on space availability and each school district has different rules regarding how students can enroll in a school that isn’t in their neighborhood.

For more information on Denver area schools or regarding Denver real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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