Exciting News for Parker, Colorado COSTCO - Finally!!! Costco is coming to Parker, CO. This is great news for locals residents like me! No longer do you travel across town 15-30 minutes to shop at the infamous Costco! You may have noticed some changes happening to the Cottonwood & Parker Road intersection. I am certain we are going to see a face lift on the old Cotonwood shopping center as well. The location of the commercial building will be north of the C-470 ramp. Parker AdventistThe hospital is planning to expand a new wing, a new floor and a new 4-story parking garage! Wow- great news! Two 60,000 square foot medical buildings will go in with a connecting sky bridge already fully leased. West Creek Development is moving forward!  The OLD Target will become 5 smaller businesses- one ... 03/06/2008

Some How To Tips! With the housing market lately I have seen many home owners focus on upgrading their homes vs. buying brand new construction. Remodeling can be used to add space and improve the function of any home. This is actually a great idea, especially when you considering selling within five years. However, I would not advise to deplete the equity in a home in order to finance the projects. Instead, take one step at a time and make meaningful upgrades to what you currently have. Be Safe! Always follow the local building codes click here for access to the Douglas County website. Home Owners Insurance! Ensure you call your homeowners insurance provider to update your policy after renovations. Consider making the following improvements! Outlets and Wiring need to be adequate for an... 02/08/2008

Parker, CO - Parker REAL ESTATE & HOMES SALES NUMBERS FROM January 2008 REAL ESTATE MARKET ACTIVITY REPORT Parker real estate is in decent shape as we start out the new year.  There is just over a 4 1/2 month supply of Parker homes as inventory currently.  While this is a good number, I sometimes find January numbers a little deceiving as they reflect some of December's activity and at the end of December people tend to hold off from listing their home and also from the amount of folks that withdraw real estate listings around the holidays.  January has indeed been a very interesting month in the Denver real estate arena, with mortgage rate cuts from the Fed, and a decent weather month in the Denver area (which definitely can effect the real estate market!).  I expect that we will see m... 02/07/2008

 Fun Facts for Parker Colorado General Land Use 233.4 acres of land annexed 7.3 of those acres were infill annexations 50.1 of those acres were zoned for open space126.2 of those acres were zoned for commercial11.1 of those acres were zoned for mixed useZoning allowed for up to 300 dwelling units Building Permits Issued 59 New commercial229 New single family dwellings3 multi-family Financial Information $60 million budget approved for 2008$10.4 million of the budget is for street projects$4.8 million of the budget is for parks and recreation projects Parks & Recreation 150,000 square feet of indoor recreation amenities 375,000 visitors at Recreation facilities 8,600 youth sports participants4,100 adult sports participants15 miles of paved trailsOver 250 acres of parklandOver 900 acres o... 01/28/2008

Life Time Fitness Open for Bussiness in Parker!!! Absolutely amazing- the "Ritz Carlton" of fitness centers hands down! There is NOTHING like this in Colorado. Sign up for your free 7 day trail below. This is a must for anyone that lives in or near Parker, Colorado. Veronica Cruz member advisor gave my husband and I a personal tour late last week of the facility. This center will impress the most savvy fitness guru! It also caters to family's and provides FREE daycare while you work out! Wow- that is generous! Not to mention over 65+ classes such as yoga, hydro aerobics, kick-boxing... etc that are included in your monthly membership! This place is the size of a small mall! A Few Tidbits worth mentioning.... HOW ABOUT A TRIATHLON? This event brings the swimming, bicycling and running co... 01/28/2008

First Time Home Buyers  A common question I get around this time of year..."Sarah, I just received my tax statement from the assessors office. It came in the mail and it states that I owe XXX dollars to the county- I thought I had paid my property taxes out of my mortgage payment every month?." I ask them if they won the lottery and paid off their mortgage. Clearly, the answer is almost always "No Sarah" followed by a chuckle.  I love this question. One it tells me that when speaking to first time home buyers as their consultant I need to be educating them constantly throughout the process and the second reason why I love this question is that it is just another way for me to have the opportunity to chat with my clients, ask for referrals and develop lasting professional relationship wi... 01/24/2008

Real Estate Review Wanted Share with Everyone- Great Article!  By Chris Hardy: There is an old Chinese saying that states "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second best time is today." The same can certainly be said about buying real estate. Historically, an investment in a home has provided a secure long-term appreciation opportunity. For example, an average home in Denver purchased 20 years ago has enjoyed a 250% increase in value during that time period (as calculated by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight at www.ofheo.govThat astonishing figure doesn't include any potential income gains from renting, realized tax benefits from mortgage interest deductions, and/or depreciation of the investment. It simply states that if you bought a house in Denver in ... 01/10/2008

True Stories... My husband wonderful person that he is has always been extremely protective of our animals. There was no question when we moved to Parker, CO. In fact, he was even more stressed out about letting them outside. Recently, Parker's own "Talk of the Town" newsletter came out with an article about the local wildlife here in town. The Animal Control Division had recieved multiple reports of "dogs being attacked and or/killed" by coyotes in their own back yards. Location- Caterberry Crossing. Typical behavior for the animal. However, the town is wanting the residents to be fully aware of their surroundings even if it is in their own back yard. Rules to follow and express to any client moving into the area...Keep a watchful eye on all pets if they are outsideRegardless if it is ... 12/27/2007

TOWN PARKS ~ Parker Colorado 20 Mile Historic Site   Put a little bit of History in your home town. Owned although not orginally by James Sample Parker the historic site grew and prospered. Converted to a blacksmith shop with equipment to shoe oxen and a general mercantile store to aid travelers coming through. The site is approximately 20 miles to the city of Denver. Learn more at Parker Area Historical Society.  Bar CCC Park The tree is 110 years old. Parker has another large tree near 20 Mile Road and Mainstreet that they are worried about. The tree at Bar CCC Park has it's own concerns according to the town of Parker they have seen significant decay due to the trees age and species. In 2002 they re-enforced the tree with poles and cable to stop it from being any kind of danger. Alth... 12/13/2007

Snow Day? Snow schedules are in effect for the children of Colorado today. Being a native I can't recall having those. My parents would leave about 10 minutes earlier to drop us off at school. That was typically enough time to park the car on the side of the road in the fire-lane at the school and a chance for my parents to lecture me about keeping my jacket on at lunch. On the drive occasionally we would slide on the street and the only thing my parents would say was "Oh, we better be really careful on these roads- don't want to get into an accident". Which thankfully we NEVER did! But my parents are from Wisconsin so I guess one could assume they knew what they were doing. Go figure- being careful on the road isn't as hard as some might think. But for some reason today we are so overl... 12/11/2007

Earlier this year, over the summer, the Town of Parker unveiled the latest addition to its recreation opportunities in town.  I was working with two different relocations in May and was able to pass by as the building neared completion.  But I had not been back since, until now.  The Parker Field House opened ready to host all types of sports enthusiasts, young and old.   I had heard from others that this place was great.  Just gorgeous.  They were all right.  Even the outside is so tastefully done, yes - it looks like a field house - but it is so tastefully done and pleasant and just fits into the surroundings so well. Once inside, you will realize that this is a truly wonderful addition to the the community.  If you are looking to move to the area or anywhere in Parker, this is a faci... 11/26/2007

  Breakfast with SANTA at the Wildlife Experience in Parker CO   Come enjoy holiday breakfast with SANTA at the Wildlife Experience in Parker CO, The morning is filled with festivities and activities.You can decorate cookies, have your face painted, and more.After breakfast you can hand your wishlist to Santa. Dates: December 1st, 8th and 15th from 9:00 am - 11:00 am.  Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on line. For more information and tickets The Wildlife Experience Breakfast with Santa The Wildlife Experience is located at 10035 South Peoria, Parker, CO 80134   Disclaimer: Kenna and Co. Blog does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for the accuracy of the information provided herein, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either expressed or i... 11/16/2007

On Oct. 4 at around 3 p.m., Parker Police responded to the report of a purse snatching in front of the Baskin Robbins located at Mainstreet and Parker Road. The suspect in the incident is a juvenile male about 16 years of age, wearing black shorts and black shirt. He was last seen in a black car heading east. If you have information on this or any similar crimes in the area please call the Police Department at 303.841.9800. 10/11/2007

In the current housing market; specifically in the resale homes, it takes more than dropping a sign in the front yard and proclaiming, "Come one, come all. Buy this home!" The keys to a successful home sale are price and salability. Price is pretty self explanatory on the surface; but I'll get into the details. Salability is the ability to be sold. Again I will cover the details. You will find, in this current buyer's market (I'm speaking generally about the nation and specifically about the Denver, Colorado metro area) that circumstances have to be close to perfect to sell a home. Buyers and Sellers will get what they are looking for out of the transaction when everything meets their needs and/or desires. So many homes are on the market right now in varying conditions. You have the for... 10/07/2007

Online registration is now open for fall recreation classes and activities. Parker Recreation offers a wide variety of arts and crafts, aquatics, general interest, parent-child and preschool-age classes, plus community events and sports for both youth and adults. To register, go to http://www.parkerrec.com/ and click on the online registration icon. Sign in to an existing account or create a new account for your household, and begin shopping for classes! If you need assistance with online registration, please call 303.841.4500. Registration kiosks are located at the Recreation Center and Parker Fieldhouse, and a guest services representative will be happy to walk you through the process. Parker area residents are reminded to check their mailboxes the week of Aug. 13 for the Fall 2007 is... 09/16/2007

PARKER REAL ESTATE - PARKER, COLORADO HOMES SALES NUMBERS FROM AUGUST 2007 REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT - Parker, CO Could things be getting better in for the Parker real estate market?  Home inventory is still relatively high but notice the sold and under contract homes outpaced the new listings in August.  A refreshing change of pace.  However, we are heading into the fall and winter season when things do slow down.  If you want to sell your Parker home in a reasonable amount of time, pricing will still be very important.   Here are numbers from August 2007 regarding the activity in Parker,  Colorado for Single Family residential homes.   On September 1, 2007 there were 930 homes that were Active Listings - Homes for Sale.  213 of the homes listings in Parker were New Listings.  In Augus... 09/03/2007

I get it. I have been there. You are dangerously behind in your mortgage payments and you can't seem to catch up. You're getting the letters and phone calls that lead you to believe that you have no other option. Foreclosure seems eminent. That's not necessarily the case.The mortgage company doesn't want to own your home anymore than you want to lose it. In the current Real Estate market, (definitely here in the Denver Colorado area) it seems that this scenario is more common than believable. The home prices dropped; an A.R.M. (adjustable rate mortgage) adjusts to a higher rate; the new payment is now unaffordable; refinancing is out of the question because of credit status changes; the owner finds that they owe more than they can realistically sell it for. What now? Walk away? Not a go... 08/22/2007

Real Estate Market Reports for July 2007 - PARKER, ELIZABETH, FRANKTOWN, KIOWA Douglas County & Elbert Colorado - STATISTICS FOR HOME SALES IN THE AREA - EAST DOUGLAS COUNTY Wow!  There is still a lot of inventory out here.  New real estate listings are outpacing sold and under contracts, and the total active inventory is large.  Again, I hate to sound like I'm beating the same drum, however if your goal is to get to where you are going, in the time that you want to get there, then you better be pricing your home with these numbers in mind.  Serious sellers need to know that if you want to sell your home and move in a reasonable amount of time then listen to your agent and price your home to compete.  The market is what it is and if you really need to sell and move then please look at t... 08/17/2007

The Parker Cultural Commission is proud to be a sponsor of the Oktoberfest celebration at O'Brien Park in downtown Parker on Saturday, Sept. 15. The event, which takes place from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., will honor German heritage and traditions by presenting live music, traditional Bavarian dancers, a biergarten, food, vendors and children's activities, including a Colorado Rapids player appearance. Admission to the event and children's activities are free. Food and beverage can be purchased at the event. The Parker Arts Council and the Parker Cultural Commission will be partnering and combining this event with the 2007 Parker Twilight Criterium, a high status bike race, one of the USA Crits Series with top professional and amateur cyclists from around the country, racing on the streets of do... 08/12/2007

Tails are wagging all over town in anticipation of Parker's third annual Barker Days event on Saturday, Sept. 8 at O'Brien Park. The event will feature a temporary dog park in the O'Brien Park ball field and H2O'Brien Pool, dog demonstrations, contests and dog-related vendors. Dogs and their owners can come to O'Brien Park between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for canine fun and socialization. Dogs can take a dip in the pool (closed to humans for the season and neutralized to be dog-friendly), chase balls on the baseball field, enter contests, test their skills on an agility course and rub noses with local dog-related service providers. A separate play area will be provided for small dogs under 25 pounds that prefer to play with friends their own size. Registration for Barker Days is $5 per dog for... 08/12/2007