In an effort to determine the quality of Denver’s schools—public, charter, and private, Denver’s 5280 Magazine staff pulled together a panel of experts for an article in the September 2008 issue.  The panel determined that quality goes beyond test scores, class size, and graduation rates.  They looked more to character—educational character.  “In fact, true character can be found throughout the Denver area, in schools rich and poor, public and private, homogeneous and diverse,” 5280 reported.

Today, we will describe several of the private schools in with the best rankings in the Denver metro area.  The schools were selected using a combination of empirical data, panel recommendations, and non-quantitative evidence.  Data was placed alongside strong educational culture and mission, demonstrable leadership, and vision from the school’s teachers and administrators, active parental involvement in and out of the classroom, growth and stability, evidence of learning, personal attention for students, extra-curricular activities, community service and interaction, academic tradition, and student engagement with teachers, parents, and each other.  5280 also utilized information from other reports and rankings.

Escuela De Guadalupe, a private Catholic elementary school.  It is a dual-language school with a diverse student body.  Its award-winning program commits students to full literacy in English and Spanish across all academic areas.  Graland Country Day School elementary and middle schools offer college pre-curriculum.  It is an overall high-performing school that sends graduates to some of the most competitive colleges in the nation.

Herzi/RMHA At The Denver Campus is the largest Jewish day school in the Rocky Mountain region.  It graduates 10 times the National Merit Scholars as an average school.  Almost every student goes on to college.  The lower school features differentiated instruction, grouping students in small groups according to ability, interest, and learning style. 

Kent Denver School is a private middle and high school in Englewood.  Kent offers freedom and independence with an emphasis on the arts and music and extensive volunteerism.  Logan School for Creative Learning offers a curriculum for gifted children ages four through 14 with an emphasis on projects, critical thinking, creativity, peer interaction, and personal growth.  Stanley British Primary School is a hands-on learning center that integrates lessons into daily experiences.

For more information about real estate in the greater metro area, including farms and horse properties, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

May we suggest enlisting the help of a Mortgage Planner before anything else?  A professional planner is like a GPS system that navigates the trek ahead, preparing buyers for preapproval for their Denver home loans.  Preapproval saves time, money, and disappointment. 

Even before contacting the Planner, buyers should opt out of trigger lists that sell personal information and credit scores.  The Planner reviews the buyer’s credit, helping to repair any potholes before the loan application is submitted. 

People journeying to homeownership should keep credit account balances low.  That means avoiding buying anything on credit that cannot be paid off in full each month, including vehicles. 

Potential buyers also need to be building reserves of savings and investments, saving up down-payment monies and closing costs along with three to six months of expenses.  Low reserves do not look stable to loan officers.  According to Dave Muti in Strategic Homeowner Magazine, “While most lenders will permit this amount to be held in retirement accounts, my recommendation is for this to be held in non qualified liquid assets without incurring any penalties.”

It is best to stay on the road, of course.  Some people have the habit of moving money around between accounts.  This makes it harder to document the source of the funds and could raise red flags about the applicant.  If buyers must change banks, lenders will require documentation including copies of statements from old banks, check, and deposit slips to cross reference.

Additionally, a steady employment history is best.  Lenders like tenure, longevity, and stability.  Anyone wanting to change jobs should consult with his/her Mortgage Planner.  The rule of thumb is that any job moves should come with more income or greater responsibility.  Lateral moves should be in the same industry and must be carefully considered.

Homeowners should sell their homes before buying the next homes.  It is better to rent for a while than to stress out over unforeseen problems that could come up while trying to carry two mortgages.

Starting early consulting with reputable Mortgage Planners helps buyers to analyze their goals, dreams, and finances.  When the time is right, the Mortgage Planners assist buyers to connect with the right real estate agents.  From then on, the ride should be smooth all the way to the destination.

For more information about homes, farms, horse properties, and real estate in the Mile High City, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

It’s still safer to buy Denver real estate based on concrete assets within each neighborhood.  5280 Magazine pulled together a panel of Realtors to analyze what makes successful neighborhoods tick.  The panel looked carefully at locations, schools, light-rail access, housing inventory, build-out, the maturity of the communities, homeowners associations, and the community gathering areas.

Real-estate professionals can really be helpful to buyers who are sorting out details of each neighborhood.  We will also mention share here the winning neighborhood recommendations from the May 2008 issue of 5280:

Berkeley, a soul mate of Highlands, features lakes, parks, and a diversity of affordable residences including row houses.  Cherry Hills Village, an affluent community of 6,000, offers mansions close to the city amenities, excellent public and private schools, and proximity to trails for hiking and horseback riding.

A 17-block area east of downtown, Congress Park is one of the most popular urban neighborhoods.  In addition to high-achieving schools, wonderful pedestrian-friendly retail districts and namesake Congress Park invite neighbors out to meet new friends.  The always popular Country Club Historic District enjoys a secluded central location and high-end real estate at the country club and along Cherry Creek.

Highland and West Highland are perched atop the hill northwest of downtown.  The hip neighborhood features community festivals and is proud of its intimate feel.  Very popular with families, Highlands Ranch is a master-planned community of 90,000 located south of the city.  Spacious homes and excellent schools serve the established community.

Ken-Caryl Valley features homes with large lots at the base of the foothills on the western Dakota Hogback ridge, close to both the city and mountain recreational activities.  In 2003, Louisville was ranked by MONEY Magazine as a Best Places to Live.  From great schools to anticipated rail access to jobs and a real Main Street, the city of 20,000 located northwest of the Mile High City offers a balanced lifestyle

The little neighborhood of Mayfair offers a cozy home life for medical professionals employed by the surrounding medical facilities, including the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  Newlands in Boulder is a trendy neighborhood of re-built homes in a college town near the Rocky Mountains.

Located near the Cherry Creek retail district only 10 minutes northwest of downtown, Old Bonnie Brae is a beautiful neighborhood adjoining Washington Park.  The well-manicured South Park Hill with its Norman Rockwell feeling is near old Stapleton between downtown and the new Fitzsimons medical campus.

Enjoying a prime location and strong community organizations and events, Stapleton is a well-thought-out urban redevelopment that has filled in the acreage from the old airport.  Only two miles from downtown, Washington Park is a landmark, tree-lined neighborhood with a diversity of homes.  The Park is its community anchor point.

For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the greater metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

Although prices for Denver Colorado real estate are down almost three percent, residents of Denver homes are doing relatively well.  The values of Denver Colorado properties have increased tremendously over the past 20 years so the long-term equation remains stable.  Within Denver, zip codes 80204, 80216, 80239, and 80246 registered price decreases over 20 percent in the last year.  Other parts of Denver CO real estate have registered price increases including zip codes 80210, 80211, 80212, 80220, and 80238.

According to the Loan Performance Home Price Index published by the First American CoreLogic, home prices across the United States looked to have deeper issues.  Prices fell 11.3 percent in the nation.  California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida continue to see declines in home prices.  Metropolitan areas such as Las Vegas, Nevada at 25 percent, Miami, Florida at 27 percent, Oakland, California and Riverside, California at 28 percent and Los Angeles, California at 29 percent made up for the slight gains in other communities.

Texas, South Dakota, Vermont, and Mississippi actually experienced some price appreciation.  Prices were up in the Austin, Texas area 4 percent, Houston, Texas by 3.8 percent, San Antonio, Texas by 3 percent, and Dallas, Texas by 2 percent.  Texas is seeing a faster recovery than other portions of the country.

Something else is going right in Colorado.  The Mile High City has one of the fastest growing populations in North America.  Visitors return to experience the charm, character, and charisma as well as educational, cultural, sporting, and recreational activities.  Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the City enjoys relatively mild summer and winter climates.  Homes are located in unique neighborhoods steeped with 150 years of interesting history and interwoven corresponding Historic Districts and people from all walks of life mingle at parks, open spaces, boutiques, and pedestrian malls.

For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

The 6,073 square-foot home enjoys a 43,037 square foot home site in Manor Ridge, the only gated community in Ken Caryl Valley real estate.  The professional landscaping is fenced and directly accesses open space.  Spacious and open, this wonderful home features an expansive sunny living room, remodeled kitchen, master bedroom on its own level, fully finished walk-out basement, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, main floor study, a 3-car garage.  Recently painted and carpeted, the home also features hardwood floors.  It is air conditioned.

Ken Caryl Valley with a population of 31,000 includes the large Ken Caryl Ranch master-planned community with over 10,000 residents.  There are more than twenty miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding wind through the nearby Dakota Hogback.  In addition, this is habitat for visiting coyotes, grouse, elk, deer, and turkey.  Once in a while, black bears wander down the mountain.  The community offers an Equestrian Center, playgrounds, softball diamonds, soccer fields, an inline hockey rink, volleyball courts, greenbelts, and parks.

The larger Ken Caryl community is a census-designated place in Jefferson County and boasts an interesting history.  At one time, the property was a famous Hereford cattle ranch.  Industrialist and newspaper tycoon John Shaffer lived here in the beginning of the 1900s and named the property for his sons Kent and Carroll.  Shaffer’s lavish home, the Manor House, is now a fine restaurant.  The Ken Caryl Ranch Historical Society documents much more history including the archaeological findings from the Plains Indians and the travels of gold miners.

Students are served by the top-rated JeffCo School District at Bradford Primary and intermediate, Deer Creek Junior High, and Chatfield Senior High Schools.

For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

Owners of this luxurious Greater Denver real estate can opt to have up to six horses.  Ideal for equestrian use, the nine Douglas County Colorado horse properties at the end of a road offer sunset horseback rides through a community trail easement as well as designated access to the planned Douglas County regional trail easement.

Nestled between rolling hills and water lands, the fairytale setting on the renowned Banbury Cross Farm harkens back to the English countryside.  It is recognizable by its turret monument and ornamental iron gates along tree-lined Plum Creek on Old Banbury Road.

The lovely community features elegant white fencing, rich terrain with grasslands, gently sloping hills, meadows, and extensive grasslands that allow for ideal grazing.  Options exist for outdoor arenas, barns, and a select few sites may also accommodate indoor arenas.  Each site features individual characteristics and unique views, offering owners a variety of creative choices for site plans.

Conveniently away from it all, Banbury Cross is only three miles south of Titan Road with easy access along Highway 85 and just ten minutes from the Light Rail Station at Santa Fe and Mineral.  The quaint town of Sedalia is two miles south where residents can pick up mighty fine hamburgers, groceries, and tend to some business.

The Banbury Cross Development Company and Banbury Cross Home Owners Association assure that Design Guidelines and oversight enhance and maintain the quality of life for all residents.  There are no restrictions on building timelines and this is a great opportunity for luxury retirement.

A few select builders have been approved as custom builders and one gorgeous home graces the land.  The home sites are serviced by underground electrical service, individual wells, and septic systems.  Propane gas may be used if the receptacle is buried.  Geothermal heating and cooling is recommended.  Fire protection is in place and each home will be equipped with internal fire sprinklers.

Families will be delighted to know that the Douglas County progressive academic opportunity includes Sedalia Elementary, Castle Rock Middle School, and Douglas County High School.  Several private academies are also within easy reach.

For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.