It looks like you're new here. I appreciate you stopping by! Feel free to throw down some graffiti on my wall by adding a comment to this post! And, if you like what you see, please subscribe to the feed and I'll deliver all my new content, right to you! Thanks for visiting!

For almost a year, the Get Home Denver Team has been advising our investor clients to get into the game.  While the rest of the country has been experiencing the massive devaluation of real estate, the Denver Market has (In my opinion) neared bottom, and has stabalized substantially over the past 12 months.

In fact, pockets of the Denver area are no longer dropping in value, but actually holding value, or even seeing slight appreciation.

For the past year, our favorite investment play has been the Fitzsimons Redevelopment area. The redevelopment is a 578 acre project that creates a common workplace for both Private Bioscience companies and the clinical endeavors of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and the Denver Children’s Hospital.  Once complete the area will be home to:

• University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
• University of Colorado Hospital
• The Children’s Hospital
• Colorado Science and Technology Park at Fitzsimons
• US Veterans Health Administration Hospital
• Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home
• Commercial trade and services establishments, along with some limited scale multi-family residential development.

The on-site employment currently is approximately 16,000 and is projected to be over 43,000 by the time the development is complete.

In 10 years it is anticipated the economic contribution of the project will be

• $3.3 billion in annual operating expenditures
• More than 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students at the UC Denver facility, not including medical residents and fellows. (Hint: These folks will all need somewhere to live!)
• 23,100 jobs based on-site, supporting another 28,100 elsewhere in the Denver Metro Area.
• Nearly $2.1 billion in employee income annually!

I could go on, but you can see this is a big deal!

View Larger Map

Now, why we think this area is ripe for real estate investment.

1.  Location, Location, Location. The location is not only walking distance from the Fitzsimons project, it is also adjacent to the hugely successful Stapleton Airport Redevelopment area.  Stapleton has been one of the largest and most successful infill development projects in the country.  This strength rubs off on the surrounding area, and makes people want to be a part of this community.  If they can’t afford the Stapleton community they look to the surrounding area, which this is a part of.

Here are some fact about the Stapleton area.  The fact that Stapleton held ground, while the Denver Market in general dropped over 15% during the same time period, speaks to it’s strength.

• In 2006, 215 Properties were sold
  • Average Sales Price = $430,000
  • Avg. Price per Sq. Ft. = $214/ft
• In 2008, 285 Properties were sold
  • Average Sales Price = $432,000
  • Avg. Price per Sq. Ft. = $211/ft

2.  Price Point. The price point of these homes is less than $100,000!  In combination with the rental rates, there is huge cash flow potential!  These are post WWII homes that are a perfect match for the entry level homebuyer, (always a strong exit strategy,) as well as, those looking to rent a home.

3.  Rental Desireability. Homes in this area rent for between $700-$1100 per month.  Rental Rate is influenced by number of bedrooms and baths, as well as, basements, garages and conditions.

It is my opinion the already brisk rental market, will only get hotter as the demand for housing is pushed by more Med Students, Hospital Workers, and those with a desire to be near the amenities at Stapleton.

4. Appreciation Potential. The appreciation play here is phenomenal!  The price of these homes has been hammered over the past 2-3 years as a large number of foreclosures have effected this entry level neighborhood.  Homes that sold for $130k-$175k a couple of years ago, are being sold for $50k-$80 today.  We sold a number of places early in 2008 for $50k, and today, it takes closer to $65k-$70 for the same property!  This area has shown appreciation in 2008, and we think will continue to do so.  Here is a look at some of the numbers.

• In 2006, 517 homes were sold
  • Average Sales Price = $119,000
  • Average Price per Sq. Ft. = $117/ft
• In 2008, 743 homes were sold
  • Average Sales Price = $81,000
  • Average Price per Sq. Ft. = $79/ft

Conclusion

My team and I believe the Fitzsimons area to be the #1 investment play for residential real estate in the Denver Area.  Our opinion is that this is NOT a Fix n Flip investment, but rather a buy and hold, income producing play.

Please feel free to contact us for more information, access to our Hot Investment Home database, or if you would like to access any of our other Real Estate Investor tools.

Homebuyer Education is essential

I follow a blog from a disgruntled home buyer in the Denver area.  This person bought a home, used a Realtor, and is VERY unhappy with the results.

If what is written is true, there would appear to be some shiftiness on their broker’s side, but no huge problems uncommon with home ownership.  The major issues are that there seems to be a whole lot of repairs and maintenance items that these buyers were unaware of and unprepared for.

I follow this blog for the simple reason of training my agents (and myself) of how NOT to provide customer service. The blog writer has caused a public relations nightmare for a very prestigious local company, and it could have all been prevented with better education, honest communication, and the belief that the clients needs are more important than the brokers! I also believe that if the problem was taken care of in a responsible manner, after the fact, the agent could have gained a great client, instead of a real thorn in the side!

The Get Home Denver Team has a very educational approach to the home buying process.  We have an initial consultation with every home buyer, and go over the entire real estate transaction process.  At this time we discuss the potential benefits and responsibilities of home ownership.  We discuss the related costs and financial benefits to owning versus renting.  And finally, we make sure the client fully understands the process, and has no questions.

After the initial consultation, the home buying process begins in earnest.  When looking at homes, there is plenty of “windshield” time driving between properties.  We use this time to go over past experiences, discuss the pros and cons of properties, talk about the importance of home inspections and the critical need of knowing exactly what you’re in for once you own the home.

Knowledge is power! Once you purchase a home, it is your responsibility to maintain the property.  Yes there are costs involved, but an informed consumer will know, and accept those costs BEFORE they close on the home.

The bottom line is to know what you are getting yourself into and make informed decisions. It is your responsibility to make sure you have the information you need, and the choice of a great agent will make that job much simpler!

Note: I have purposely not included a link to the blog of the disgruntled because I think they are being slightly unfair in the characterization of their broker, and taking very little responsibility for the problem.  If you would like the blog link, send me an email (bob at gethomedenver dot com) and I would be happy to respond with the link.

photo credit: jnb photos