Real Estate Market Reports for May 2007 - PARKER, ELIZABETH, FRANKTOWN, KIOWA Douglas County & Elbert Colorado - STATISTICS FOR HOME SALES IN THE AREA This report includes all areas of the MLS known as DEP : Douglas County & Elbert County - Parker, Kiowa, Elizabeth, Franktown  Residential - Single Family Homes ACTIVE LISTINGS Total Active:  1278 Average Price:  $542,687 New Listings: 615 SOLD LISTINGS Total Sold: 235 Average Price of Sold: $371,339 Sold at % of List Price: 97% Average Days on Market (DOM): 106 OFF MARKET Under Contract: 248 Expired: 54 Withdrawn/Other: 371   Residential  Condos/Town Homes ACTIVE LISTINGS Total Active:  187 Average Price:  $182,522 New Listings: 79 SOLD LISTINGS Total Sold: 37 Average Price of Sold: $169,889 Sold at % of List Price: 99% Average Days on M... 06/09/2007

Bring the family and join your neighbors at Let Freedom Sing 2007, a celebration of our country's independence presented by the Town and the Parker Arts Council. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and prepare to enjoy plenty of family fun including a bounce house, backyard slide, face painters, balloon artist, kids' games and a cash cube full of coupons from your favorite stores and restaurants. Enjoy musical entertainment starting at 5 p.m. by Parker's own Carvin Blonde, the Colorado Mormon Chorale and Rocky Mountain Brassworks. Be sure to take advantage of the festive concessions provided. Your suspense will grow as the evening concludes with the long-awaited fireworks display, commemorating the land of the free with a bang! Let Freedom Sing 2007 will be conveniently located at the Parker ... 06/08/2007

Parker Fieldhouse Grand Opening on June 23 The highly anticipated Grand Opening of the new 100,000 ft2 Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E. Plaza Drive, will be Saturday, June 23. We invite your family to come PLAY with us, with special activities from 10 a.m. to2 p.m. and free admission all day. The doors will open at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting and an official welcome from the Parker Town Council. Facility tours, sport demonstrations and exhibition games will give visitors a chance to view the full range of activities the Recreation Department will be offering in the facility. Come dressed for action, as guests will also get a chance to try the venues for themselves with skill challenges, coaching workshops and children's activities. We're so certain you'll like what you see that online prog... 06/06/2007

Volunteers Needed for the June 23 Parker Fieldhouse Grand Opening The Parker Fieldhouse is nearing completion, and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers to assist with our Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday June 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Approximately 40 volunteers are needed to provide facility tours, answer questions and help with set up and tear down. Shifts are available from 9 a.m. to Noon, Noon to 3 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Training will be provided and volunteers will receive a t-shirt, nametag, food onsite and our utmost thanks! This is a great opportunity to show some community pride and to be a part of Parker history with this unique facility.  If you are interested in volunteering, please call Brett Haydin 303.805.3264 or email at bhaydin@parkeronline.org. 06/05/2007

Senior Fitness programs growing at Parker Recreation Parker is growing, and so is its population of older adults. Parker Recreation is responding by expanding its fitness offerings for "mature" patrons over 50. The Parker Recreation Center now offers 11 weekly classes designed specifically for older adults or other patrons with mobility challenges. Aqua aerobics, also a great low impact exercise for all fitness levels, is offered 12 times each week. For a full fitness schedule, please call 303.841.4500. A group of senior participants recently circulated a petition to support adding an additional cardiovascular class on Wednesdays. Notes Parker Recreation Fitness and Wellness Coordinator Kim Bailey, "This group is very proactive about letting us know their fitness interests and needs." W... 06/05/2007

Home School P.E. at the Parker Fieldhouse The Town of Parker Recreation Department will be developing a Home School P.E. program beginning in September 2007 at the new Parker Fieldhouse. This program will entail twice weekly meetings with times varying for different grade levels for children ages six through the ninth grade. Activities will focus upon fitness, movement and cooperative learning.  We are currently seeking feedback from the home school community concerning your thoughts and ideas relating to class times and frequency, age groups and/or grade levels.  The home school program will be developed by a 30 year P.E. professional and a certified fitness instructor.  06/05/2007

Sports Camps will keep kids active this summer The school year is drawing to a close for local students. What are your kids doing to stay active this summer? The Parker Recreation Department offers a wide variety of sports camps for elementary and middle school students during the summer months. Camps accommodate both year-round and conventional calendar students. Except where noted, participants can register for camps online at http://www.parkerrec.com/ or by calling the Parker Recreation Department at 303.841.4500. Jeff Huson's Baseball Camp is back by popular demand. The camp is Monday through Thursday, June 25-28, from 9-11:30 a.m. at Salisbury Park. Baseball players ages seven through 10 will learn hitting, catching, throwing and running skills from Coach Jeff Huson. Huson spent 15... 06/05/2007

Missoula Children's Theatre presents Jack and the Beanstalk The Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) and the Parker Cultural Commission present "Jack and the Beanstalk," an original adaptation of the classic children's story. What happens when a young boy plants magic beans in his own backyard? For Jack, it is the beginning of a great adventure. With a little help from Magic and a vegetarian Giant, Jack learns a valuable lesson about true happiness. This musical production also features a host of other characters, including the Magic Harp, Jill, Mother, Milky White, the Farmers, the Merchants, the Circus Performers and the Magic Beans. Local youth grades K to 12 can audition for the above characters and more on Monday, June 11 at 4 p.m. in the Mainstreet Center, located at 19650 E. Mainstr... 06/05/2007

As a note to new and old residents alike, We would like to remind you that although a lot of development is making Parker increasingly less remote, everybody must remain cognizant of the fact that small pets often fall prey to predators in the area. Please keep your pets indoors for their safety! 05/28/2007

Crime is a major concern of citizens and their law enforcement agencies; although in recent years the increase in crime in America appears to be leveling off.Since 1990, according to the National Neighborhood Watch Program, national trends show burglaries down 32 percent. The organization believes that the credit goes to its focus on residential burglary prevention, plus individual citizen involvement in the crime prevention process. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTIONThe AARP website offers these common sense tips in an article entitled How to keep burglars away from your home:Lock it up - Prevent home theft by locking doors and windows when you leave, whether for a few minutes or a few days. Extra Keys - Never leave a set of house keys in a hiding place; the burglar's business is to know those pla... 05/25/2007

Douglas Elbert Parker - (Includes Parker, Elizabeth, Franktown, Elbert, Deer Trail, Simla) 196 residential closings up 1.9% over Apr 06.  Absorption Rate down 5.4% Douglas Elbert Parker (DEP) - Absorption rate slightly decreased in April to 24.4 weeks.  Apr-06Apr-07% Change# of sales closed - Month1941961.0%# of sales Closed - YTD6346847.3%Avg Days on Market9811414.0%# of Active Listings1,2211,220-0.1%# of NEW Listings48454511.2%Absorbtion Rate (in Weeks)25.724.4-5.4%Average Price (Sold)377,095357,118-5.6%Absorption Rate Definition - the rate at which a market can absorb additional units of supply without causing market saturation and severe price distortions. For example, during a recessionary period, many homeowners may list their house for sale. Since the supply of homes entering the... 05/22/2007

For a wide range of home buyers from first-time homeowners to the empty nester, the Highlands at Stonegate represents a tremendous value in the highly desirable Stonegate community in Parker, Colorado.The project consist of more than 400 Built Green units comprised of both condominium and town home style floor plans. The designs are fresh and buyers have a variety of design features and upgrades available through the design center located on site.Stonegate is among the most successful residential and mixed use developments in Douglas County which is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. Appreciation in Stonegate has outpaced many similar suburban master planned communities in Colorado.The Highlands at Stonegate is surrounded by amenities including a recreation center... 05/10/2007

  The short version of the article below illustrates what happens when real estate prices get ahead of a local economy.  Most of us could never afford a home in Aspen or Vail.  So what happens if real estate prices get ahead of ALL local economies?  Well, then they will start to sell timeshares like the ones below most likely.  Why hasn't someone thought of that already in Denver?  There is a home for sale in Denver for 20 million.  How many people are going to afford that?  Why can't that be split up into 20 pieces and sold to people all over the country?  At some point someone's going to do it.  It will most likely be in Cherry Hills or in Cherry Creek first, but could technically happen in any area with million dollar homes in it...which is getting more common by the day. How about a... 05/09/2007

Parker, CO Real Estate: March 2007 Market Report How is the Parker, Colorado Real Estate Market Doing?  Parker, CO Real Estate - According to Metrolist, which is the local MLS, these numbers represent March 2007 of single family residential properties in Parker, Colorado (Douglas County).  March 2007 - Parker, COActive Listings - (Total) 860 Active New Listings (listed in March) - 227Under Contract  - 225Newly Under Contract in March - 134 These numbers note the listings in the MLS, not new construction that is not in the MLS. So what does this mean?  Activity is up.  Showings are up.  Yes, many other sources keep telling us how awful things are in Colorado Real Estate, and yes, there are some situations that are not great.  But all in all, things are looking up.  Looking at the numbers... 04/07/2007

Here's a great event for dog lovers in the Parker CO area.  Hope to see you there. Parker's second annual Barker Days event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23 at O'Brien Park. The event will feature a temporary dog park in the O'Brien Park ball field and Pool, dog demonstrations, contests and dog-related vendors.  Dogs and their owners can come to O'Brien Park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. for some human/dog 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 speed contests 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. The Douglas County Sheriff 's Dep... 08/29/2006