I’ve received a bunch of phone calls of folks looking to reach the Downing St. Bar & Grille.  They are located at 305 S. Downing St and their phone number is 303-733-3923.

I was their second customer (really wanted to be first) and stop by often for an awesome omelette or cold beer.  Pam (the owner) is usually around in the mornings for the breakfast crowd and Paul (the owner) is usually always around for the evening crowd.  They have some great food, beer and servers.  They have some cool surprises in store, so stop by often.

Give them a try if you haven’t already.  BONUS:  Breakfast is served ALL DAY!!!

Enjoy!

Kirk A Hartshorn 720-244-5454    RIDE ON!

Perry& Co   www.perryandco.com   

 khartshorn@perryandco.com

So perhaps you’ve been thinking of doing some home improvements and curious about the return you’d receive when you sold your home.  Well I’ve put together a list of improvements with the job cost, resale value and the cost % recouped.  This info is taken from the Cost vs. Value Report 2009-10.  For the complete list of cost vs value go to www.costvsvalue.com.

These prices are for the Mountain region and the Denver market in particular.  They are for a midrange job (vs. an upscale job).   So if you are about to take on a minor or major home improvement project have a look at your return and consider if it’s worth the time, money and effort.

                                                 JOB COST          RESALE VALUE         COST RECOUPED

ATTIC BEDROOM:               $46, 239                       $34,902                            75.5% 

BASEMENT REMODEL       $58,743                       $45,170                            76.9%

BATHROOM ADDITION    $36,987                       $21,410                             57.9%

BATHROOM REMODEL     $15,296                        $10,765                            70.4%

DECK ADDITION (COMP)  $15,145                       $10,620                            70.1%

DECK ADDITION (WOOD) $10,608                      $8,395                               79.1%

FAMILY ROOM ADDTN     $78,525                      $53,169                            67.7%

GARAGE ADDITION            $56,141                       $35,192                           62.7%

MAJOR KITCHEN REM       $55,336                      $40,382                           73.0%

MASTER SUITE ADD            $98,595                      $65,628                           66.6%

MINOR KITCHEN REM        $20,805                     $15,944                            76.6%    

ROOFING REPLACE              $17,727                     $12,531                             70.7%

TWO-STORY ADDITION      $150,260                  $105,494                          70.2%

WINDOW REPLACE(VINL) $10,239                     $8,006                               78.2%

WINDOW REPLACE WOOD  $11,156                     $8,888                                79.7% 

Hopefully this gives some insight into the bang for the buck in home improvement projects.  If you need any assistance on any other home value  matters and how it relates to your resale, please feel free to call or email me anytime.  Or if you are in the Denver Metro area and would like a price valuation on your home, give me a ring I’d be happy to do this free of charge.

Kirk A Hartshorn    720-244-5454   RIDE ON!

www.perryandco.com   khartshorn@perryandco.com

Here is an update on the past 30 days sold activity on the West Wash Park real estate market along with the total currently active for sale properties and properties currently under contract.  The simple boundaries I used for this update are S. Downing St. west to S. Lincoln St. and E. Alameda Ave. south to E. Louisiana Ave/I-25.  The boundaries of West Wash Park vary from person to person, these boundaries are for simple, easy analysis of the neighborhood.

• Total currently active for sale properties – 63
• Solds properties within the past 30 days – 14
• Under contract properties – 7
• Median sale price as % of  last list price – 99.76%   (possibly not reflecting original list price)
• Median days on market for solds – 31
• Median days on market for all currently active listings – 81
• Median price for solds – $411,000
• Median price for currently active listings – $456,000
• Average price per sq ft SOLD – $324  (note: represents total avg. p/s/f  not finished  avg. p/s/f)
• Average price per sq ft ACTIVE – $325  (note: represents total avg. p/s/f  not finished avg. p/s/f)
• Average price per sq ft UNDER CONTRACT – $312  (note: represents total avg. p/s/f  not finished avg. p/s/f)
• Lowest sold price – $170,000
• Highest sold price – $1,007,500
• Lowest currently active list price – $165,000
• Highest currently active list price – $875,000

I last posted the WWP statistics on January 7, 2010.  I have changed the format somewhat and now, among other changes,  include all actives and not just active in the past 30 days. 

But I’d like to make a few comparisons between that post, 6 months ago, and this most recent post, of all that can be directly correlated.

• Sold within past 30 days – then 8, now – 14
• Median sold price to most recent list price - then - 96.2%, now – 99.7%
• Median price for solds – then – $380,000, now – $411,000
• Median days on market for sold properties - then - 41 days, now – 31 days
• Median price of active listings - then – $481,000, now – $456,000
•  Lowest price sold - then – $125,000, now – $170,000
• Highest price sold – then – $1,298,500, now – $1,007,500

With this data side-by-side from 6 months ago, it appears that West Wash Park is seeing a strengthening in its real estate market.  With more sold properties, at a higher percentage of ask to list price with a higher median sales price and fewer days on the market.  Also seeing as the median currently active price is lower now than 6 months ago and with all the above data taken into consideration,  it seems to correlate to properties being priced at a more competitive price up front.  Some good news for West Wash Park homeowners and hopefully helpful to anyone thinking of purchasing a property in West Wash Park. 

That’s the latest real estate market recap for West Wash Park.  This data used is taken directly from the Denver MLS System, Prime Access.

If you have any questions about the real estate market in West Wash Park (or Denver for that matter) or would be interested in seeing any property or finding out the value of your property, please feel free to call me anytime.

Kirk A. Hartshorn  720-244-5454   RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.  www.perryandco.com

khartshorn@perryandco.com

5280 Magazine’s most recent issue, and featured cover story, had a great article about “Best places to live (in Denver) Now”.  This is 5280′s “Annual guide to the hottest neighborhoods in town”, and featured 8 Denver neighborhoods, of which, West Wash Park was one of them.  I copied the write-up on Washington Park West as written by 5280′s Luc Hatlestad and pasted it below.  And, as written by the author “Whether you’re buying, selling or staying put this year, these are the places to be in Denver right now”.

Washington Park West

“This slightly hipper, grittier alternative to Wash Park East (average sale price: $654,000) has all the access to its neighbor’s amenities, but at a far lower cost. This primarily residential neighborhood is surrounded by numerous retail districts, whether new (Pearl Street, north of I-25) or revitalizing (South Broadway). Lately, more young couples and families have been landing in the area to take advantage of its leafy streets, reasonably priced housing that hasn’t been as overwhelmed by scrapes and duplexes as have some of its neighbors, and, of course, the neighborhood’s biggest draw, Wash Park itself, which teems with activity even during the chilly winter months.”    Luc Hatlestad
Average sale price $395,000
+1% over 2009

Kirk A Hartshorn  720-244-5454  RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.  www.perryandco.com

khartshorn@perryandco.com

It’s hard not to appreciate spring and all its newness and beauty.  Away go the heavy coats and boots.  The snow shovel will (hopefully) get stored in the garage for many months and the roller blades, bicycles, shorts and sandals are now at the ready for basking in this new season.  We welcome you spring like a very rich uncle we almost forgot we had. 

Enjoy spring in Denver, but keep your eyes open for the only aspect of spring we truly fear… HAIL!

(You can click on the image to make it larger if you so please!)

Kirk A Hartshorn  720-244-5454  RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.   www.perryandco.com

khartshorn@perryandco.com

Mary Anne wanted to express her gratitude and heartfelt thanks to everyone in the West Wash Park neighborhood that she ran across while desperately searching for Porter.  She said that the caring, concern and interest in finding Porter was amazing and goes to show, once again, what a fabulous neighborhood West Wash Park really is.  I feel that a neighborhood is partially defined by peoples actions and caring for one another in times of need, and WWP lived up to the bill in this isolated case.

Thanks friends and neighbors of West Wash Park for pulling together and showing your care for a neighbor in need.

Kirk A. Hartshorn  720-244-5454  RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.   www.perryandco.com

khartshorn@perryandco.com

Please call Mary Anne at 303-242-4356 if you spot him or are able to catch him.  He lives at 53 Pennsylvania St.

Thanks.

Kirk A Hartshorn  720-244-5454    RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.  www.perryandco.com

The why’s and when of this whole change is stated below as copied from the Denver zoning website:

Why?

Denver’s 53-year-old zoning code is broken and needs to be fixed. It suffers from more than a half century of incremental changes that have made it complicated, inconsistent and cumbersome. The New Zoning Code will put adopted citywide plans (products of extensive public input) to work for a better city. Denver citizens called for reform of the Zoning Code in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan and Comprehensive Plan 2000. This message was repeated in Blueprint Denver (2002) which provided the vision and initial strategy for fixing the Zoning Code. Denver needs a new zoning code that will support a growing a sustainable environment, a diverse mix of housing, strong neighborhoods, and a high quality of  life, a sustainable environment, a diverse mix of housing, strong neighborhoods, and a high quality of life,

When?

Fixing the Denver Zoning Code is a massive undertaking but the finish line is in sight. We are currently in Phase III – Drafting, where the City’s multi-departmental team and the Task Force are preparing the draft New Code and executing an extensive outreach process to ensure a wide range of opportunities for public input.

Phase IV – Public Review – began with five introductory meetings in May and continued throughout the summer, as we hosted more than 40 meetings in partnership with the Denver City Council throughout the city. The draft of The New Code is available for your review and comment. After the public review and comment period, the code will go to the Planning Board and City Council for discussion, public hearings, and adoption.

Have a Question?Email us at newzoningcode@denvergov.org
Call us at 720-865-3000 during business hours
See Upcoming Meetings

It’s not too late to get involved if you would like to support the changes or state your objections to the proposed zoning changes.  Check out the “See Upcoming Meetings” to view upcoming zoning related meeting and go out to see what’s going on for yourself.

Here is the link for the proposed new zoning plan – New_Code_Planning_Board_Draft_Washington Park West

Here is the link for the current zoning, Blueprint Denver Concept Land Use, Existing Land Use -  Wash Park West current zoning

Kirk A Hartshorn  720-244-5454   RIDE ON!

Perry & Co    www.perryandco.com

khartshorn@perryandco.com

Most snow storms hit us from the north, as seen with the accumulation on some of these north facing trees and light posts. 

These heavy, wet spring snow storms can take a toll on trees and shrubs that hold snow like a magnet holding metal filings.  Most trees are resilient and strong enough to hold on until the melt happens.

But in Denver this scene will be transformed in a mere few days.  Erased by the sun as if it never happened and the park will be abuzz with bikes, roller blades and children running about forgetful of what the neighborhood looked like just few days prior.  Remember, Denver has approx. 300 days of sunshine a year, so we just look at these springtime snowstorms as a great way to get some water in the ground and help make it a greener summer.

The residents of the park don’t seem to have been affected by the snow at all.

Of course there are Whole Foods Markets all over the city and suburbs of Denver, but none quite as quaint, easy to get in and out of and have that “make you feel at home in the neighborhood” appeal as the West Wash Park Whole Foods Market. 

So next time you find yourself in the WWP neighborhood, stop by Whole Foods Market for a quick chair massage, a fresh sit down lunch or an energy drink and fresh muffin to go.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/washingtonpark/

Kirk A Hartshorn 720-244-5454  RIDE ON!

Perry & Co.  www.perryandco.com