The first step is to go sightseeing with the intent of getting ideas for your color scheme and precise Western theme.  Western usually means plenty of earthy tones.  Accent colors like turquoise, white, and red brighten up the palette.   Look in old bars and hotels, restaurants, ranches, and museums for get ideas to help you decide on a wall color or two for a specific room. 

Try to narrow down your Western theme to one or combine two themes.  For example, your son’s cowboy bedroom may have an old cowboy hat, saddle, spurs, chaps, and posters of horses and cowboys.  A pioneer theme may have wagon wheels, old milking pails, rustic woods, etc.  Pulling off a fur-trader or Indian theme may incorporate fur rugs and wall hangings.  The Western hunter would have elk horn chandeliers or tables with possibly woven blankets on the wall or used for throws.  One theme may be better suited to the family room and another to the kitchen or bedroom.

Besides wall colors, other elements of the Western decorating project are the flooring, lighting, artwork, furniture, and the all-important accessories. 

Flooring depends on the location and use of the room. Today the rough wood floors are popular but they do need care.  Earth toned ceramic tiles, hardwood, or laminate wood may be options.  Existing floors can be transformed by area rugs with Western designs.  Look for vintage western lanterns or wall sconces with cowboys, cows, horses, arrows, teepees, etc.  For brighter light, use rustic chandeliers, pub lamps, or swag lamps.

Western posters, prints, and original artwork from secondhand stores, auctions, country stores, and on the internet are invaluable.  Posters of old cowboy movies, “wanted” posters, branding irons, animal skins, originals by western artists, and many other pieces are suitable.  Furniture should be comfortable.  Most simple styles will blend with the Western décor.  Choose tans and browns but accent them with throws, throw pillows with a Western appliqué, etc.

Now for the treasure hunt. Accessories and knick-knacks add the personalized touch.  Collect just the right pieces of old pottery, figurines, cast iron relics, whiskey bottles, horseshoes, bits, and the like.  ‘Add some creative touches of your own, maybe putting an old saloon door on the kitchen.  Stamp horseshoe prints onto a plain-colored comforter or throw pillows or create your own branding symbol to put on the headboard or wall.  Use rope.  Make a lasso or several small ones to hang in the perfect places.

As time goes on, change out your Western treasures for new ones and enjoy your home on the range.   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.

First of all, some of you may not know that mortgages for real estate in Denver have performance records.  That is understandable.  Traditional mortgages were generally considered financial obligations, not financial instruments.  In today’s fast-paced world, however, mortgages can be designed to either contribute to or detract from financial goals.  Those goals may change during the life of the mortgage.

An increasing number of mortgage professionals are being trained to assist buyers and homeowners to think of their mortgages as financial instruments that can be changed to fit life cycles and market conditions.  A select number of lenders are investing in training, proprietary tools, and technology to deliver the services of Mortgage Planners.  For example, Lori Richardson of Cherry Creek Mortgage Company offers core services entitled Personalized Mortgage Plan, RateWatch Report, and Annual Equity Review that are designed to empower clients to integrate their mortgages into their financial plans.

Control comes from planning, goals, and strategy.  Borrowers who want more control of the money that is pouring into their home loans may want to investigate these tools further.  The Personalized Mortgage Plan assesses every component of each loan option over a period of time, charting the total cost and total benefits.  It is the industry’s most powerful side-by-side analysis, measuring the true financial impact of investing the savings of a given loan into an asset accumulation account and showing the benefits of early payment.

The RateWatch Review monitors the performance of mortgages on an ongoing basis, providing information necessary for ongoing decisions.  The Annual Equity Review is an in-depth look at aspects of the mortgage performance that empowers the owner to optimize equity by assessing the health of the mortgage.  It illustrates the value and power of restructuring debt and equity.

Maxwell observes that successful people don’t wait for problems to disappear or for fear to subside.  They overcome procrastination and take action.  From their new-found vantage point, they are better able to navigate through the problem.  That’s good advice for people who are striving to invest in their futures.  Good mortgage planning can give back some control.

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.

In February 2009, Builder Magazine, in conjunction with Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, published its metric for determining the markets with the best and least potential.  The region of Greater Denver real estate achieved the #12 spot in the Healthiest Cities in the United States category, despite recent turbulent news in the local building industry.

The magazine, “The Information Source for the Building Industry,” expects the Healthiest Cities to lead the real estate market recovery.  Measuring trends over a five-year span, Builder concluded that the healthiest markets have similar traits.  For example,

• Most did not see extreme price increases during the boom and so they have avoided deflation during the bust.
• They are all in superior locations near mountains, oceans, and/or universities.
• Home values are not falling drastically.
• There are a good number of applications for building permits.

During 2008, there were 8,800 building permits pulled in the Mile High City.  Although the number of permits issued is down from 20,864 in 2005, it is close to the national average decline in permit numbers.

The strength, however, is in our commercial real estate market.  As it accommodates an annual 2-percent growth in population, the metro area is expanding retail and service sectors and even courting new headquarters for Fortune 500 companies. 

The central location in the nation is healthy for business activity.  There are numerous interstates, railroads, the Denver International and Centennial airports, thriving downtown and several large business parks, large government presence, world-class universities and research centers, high-tech companies, and a diverse depth of industries. 

The study identified the busiest builders as D.R. Horton, Richmond American Homes, Standard Pacific Homes, Shea Homes, and Engle Homes.  As recent news revealed that builders such as Beazer and Centex have pulled out of the area and Village Homes of Colorado as declared bankruptcy, other builders are glad to take up the slack.  There is still an abundance of land to develop between the mountains and the plains.

While new developments and homes are still going in, existing home sales are selling at a more rapid pace.  In 2008, the median price of an existing home was an affordable $219,300, down only 10.6 percent in the last year.  If all goes well, however, the rebounding sales of new homes will be right behind.

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.

Denver CO homes and businesses are located in a growing region in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range and recreational adventures in the Southern Rocky Mountains. The Denver downtown district is approximately 15 miles east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  In 2007, almost 600,000 people resided in the City and County of Denver, 2.5 million in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area, 3 million in the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area, and almost 5 million in the 18-county Front Range Urban Corridor.

The city has the 10th largest central business district in the United States including a diversified economy.  As the state capital and one of the largest cities in the western U.S.A., the Mile High City boasts a large government presence with nearby military installations.  And the housing market has remained relatively stable, even during the changing real estate markets.

The commercial real estate market was the last sector to feel the pain of the nation’s real estate slow down and is expected to rebound in the next couple of years.  On a national scale, however, several problems need to be solved including the debt load, the inability to obtain loans or credit, declining property incomes, and fear.  It is forecast that the commercial market will fall 15 to 20 percent from its peak during 2007.  For the rebound to happen nationally and even locally, these issues need solutions.

As the financial industry comes to grips with these and other issues, our promising city is cautiously moving forward.  For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

Forecasters are predicting that investment real estate in Denver will hold its own because it is harder today to be approved for mortgages than in recent years.  With home prices flat in August, the Denver CO investment real estate market may just be a way to diversify.

Over time, the area generally experiences its lowest vacancy rates in the second and third quarters.  So, the recent news of a high 6.5-percent vacancy rate is a bit hard to swallow.  It is up from 5.3 percent for third quarter 2007. 

Broken down by county, vacancies for apartments in Denver CO real estate in the third quarter are as follows:  Adams County 7.5 percent, Arapahoe County 6.9 percent, Jefferson County 6.5 percent, Denver County 6 percent, Douglas County 5.9 percent, and Boulder/Broomfield County 4.7 percent. 

Average rents for Metro Denver increased $33/month to $892.22 since third quarter 2007.  Average rents by county from highest to lowest were:  Douglas County $1,051.05, Boulder/Broomfield County $974.68, Denver County $906.12, Adams County $882.52, Arapahoe County $850.72, and Jefferson $847.43.

The Colorado Division of Housing issued a recent report citing the soft national economy for some of the higher vacancy levels.  However, average rents are actually at a record high.  Investors and landlords saw rental losses not because of depreciating values but because of vacancies and incentives.  To attract tenants, landlords have been offering incentives such as a month’s free rent and absorbing the losses. 

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

Then, groom a favorite horse (or hire a guide) to giddy you up into the Colorado Fourteeners.  At the top of the list is Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America.  As the high point in the Sawatch Range in the San Isabel National Forest, Elbert peaks out at 14,433 feet into the clouds.  Mount Elbert is the second highest peak in the nation, with Mount Whitney in California measuring 63 feet higher. 

The nine-mile trip is rated with a Difficulty of 6, primarily because of the 4,500-foot gain in elevation.  Hikers need to be somewhat fit to conquer it.  Of course, the climb is much easier on horseback, a splendid way to absorb the panoramic views and appreciate the tiny wildflowers.  During spring and summer from May through September, the trek is easier but backcountry skiers and the very adventurous can accomplish the feat during colder months, too.  With harsh conditions and a short growing season, above the timberline the quietude of the thin air tells the hushed story of the mountaintop experience.

Add to the adventure by adding in an exciting whitewater rafting trip down the nearby headwaters of the Arkansas River. 

Mount Elbert is located about ten miles southwest of Leadville in Lake County.  The conquering of this Fourteener is a wonderful getaway whether camping, staying in a cabin, or living it up in a Leadville hotel.  Leadville is North America’s highest incorporated city.  The downtown is designated a National Historic Landmark with charming shopping and dining establishments.  A trek to Mount Elbert makes a nice three-day weekend. 

Now, the next Fourteener on your list…think about tackling Mount Massive also in the Sawatch Range, which peaks at 14,421 feet.  For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.