Video walk thru – Denver ADU zoning explained

What is E-SU- D1x? Watch my video on Denver zoning codes and finding the right property to build an ADU.

How to Find an ADU Zone lot in DENVER

Navigating Denver zoning code and understanding how to identify ADU properties takes an expert. However, if you have a passion for this type of thing I’ve written this blog to help you figure it:

If you are looking for a property where you can build an ADU, you should head over to my website. It is the only place the cross filters the zoning code and lot size to show you all properties for sale in Denver that will accommodate a ADU. https://livingroomdenver.com/adus/

This video also includes my personal story of how I found my ADU zoned lot.

SOLD in Capitol Hill – Gorgeous 8 unit property

SOLD – Gorgeous 8 unit property in Capitol Hill. In 2017 I had the opportunity to sit down with this Joan about potentially listing her property. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance. She listed with another agent. Fortunately for me, the agent who took the listing was not able to sell the property for 1.9M. I stayed in touch with Joan, a woman who truly inspires me. I invited her to speak on a panel showcasing inspirational women in real estate. In late 2019 she decided to list again and she gave me the chance to sell the property for her. This was my first multifamily (eight-unit) property so I enlisted the help of Conner Piretti /  Conner Piretti with Calibrate Real Estate, a professional who specialized in multifamily in the Capitol Hill area. Together we guided Joan through an easy sale and got her $1.925M after only being on the market two weeks. The deal weathered the Corona Virus pandemic and closed without a hitch. We are excited for Joan to finally enjoy a wonderful retirement!


 

Meet Laura Aldrete – 5280 Article

I was touched and inspired by Laura Aldrete’s story. I’ve never liked being called a “native” and reading her words gave me so much affirmation. She said it beautifully…”We are all from somewhere else.”
She is in charge of Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department. I’m currently in the midst of designing my own ADU which I plan to build this year. Policy from her department directly impacts every part of this project. It has been a fun process to think through the function and neighborhood context.
I hope our paths will cross soon, we seem to share many common interests that would make for great conversation.
Here is the link to the article by Kasey Cordell
Photo by Rachel Woolf

Aldrete with her son Aristedes and her husband in the dining room of their north Denver home.

The Bright side: Denver Real Estate Outlook Post Corona Virus

Even the worst events or situations have some positive aspect. I wanted to bring you my optimistic view from a real estate perspective. You’ve heard the doom and gloom and know the seriousness of this Pandemic, here is the silver lining in relation to housing specifically in Denver.
Blame CoVid 19, not Real Estate.
The last worldwide recession was caused by the real estate industry; mortgage back securities to be more specific. As the culprit of last recession, many people have been nervous and suspicious about the real estate market in general. For me, I can breathe a huge sigh of relief that this recession was not caused by my industry. In fact, no one country or person or industry is to blame. Everyone is it in this together it will take worldwide collaboration and unity to contain the virus.
What do you need more than toilet paper: A Home!
Home just became the hottest commodity on the market. Everyone needs a home right now. Home just replaced schools, offices, church, restaurants, bars, workout studios, colleges, coffee shops, and stores as THE PLACE TO BE, the only place in fact you should be during the next few months. It is my professional opinion that real estate prices are stable. With much uncertainty in the stock market real estate seems like one of the most stable places to park money right now. Market basics are simple, price is the result of supply and demand. With low-interest rates and many people being isolated at home, I do believe the demand for homes will increase. However, it is already clear to me that supply on the market will decrease with many owners opting not to list for litigate fear contamination. Increased demand and decreased supply could actually lead to stability and even price increases in the short-term.
Thank you, Denver for regulating the hell out of short term rentals! (I never thought I would say that) 
Unfortunately, there are markets within Colorado such as the mountains regions that will be dramatically impacted by the cancellation of short term rentals (aka Airbnb) which make up a majority of the housing market. Denver’s short term rental policy only allows short term rentals for primary residences. This policy should insulate our market from the dramatic hit that other markets will face from the total shut down of all the tourist activity.
Suspension on Foreclosures
Homeowners who have lost income or their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak are getting some relief. Depending on their situation, they should be eligible to have their mortgage payments reduced or suspended for up to 12 months. Under the plan, people who have suffered a loss of income can qualify to make reduced payments or be granted a complete pause in payments.
Refinance Relief Package
Many homeowners are very lucky to be getting what I deem the “refinance relief package” from falling interest rates in a few months. The worse the COVID-19 outbreak gets, the lower mortgage rates will go. To be clear with you: interest rates are not stable right now. It is in my professional opinion that in the coming months we will see the lowest interest rates ever. Lower interest rates give homeowners an opportunity to refinance their mortgage and effectively pay less every month. For homeowners who face unemployment and uncertain times ahead, it should bring you a sense of relief that in the coming months your housing expenses could actually decrease if you refinance. The market is extremely volatile right now, the worst is yet to come. Lenders and banks are overwhelmed with the volume currently and federal cuts in the interest rate have not moved through the pipeline yet to actually create lower mortgage interest rate’s. My advice would be to stay patient and start conversations with your lender and prepare your documents for when interest rates become more favorable than your current situation.
We are innovating our services.
As a real estate professional, we are bracing ourselves for a slow down but are optimistic that through innovation we can offer our services during uncertain times a safe manner. At Living Room Real Estate we plan to digitize many of our services including doing meetings online and offering virtual showings for our clients. As a millennial owned real estate firm we are already on the cutting edge of utilizing social media, listing videos, and online tours. For all of our buyers and sellers and will continue to optimize our services through technology.
A much-needed break to catch up on life.
All of us will find that we have a little bit of extra time around the house in the coming months. If you find yourself bored I would encourage you to pursue DIY home projects that I add value to your home for when the market returns to robustness. That was also a great time to start your garden inside to be ready for spring sunshine. Maybe this is also a time to pursue a book you’ve been wanting to write or a business you’ve been excited to start. For me, this is a great time to nourish my body and my soul. I’ve been wanting to drink less alcohol and eat more healthy – with social pressure gone and bars and restaurants closed, it seems like a perfect time to get healthy and lose a few pounds.
How can you contribute to the economy?
As soon as the news settled in, I had to ask myself: “I proceed with building a house this summer?”  A major investment I have planned. I eventually landed on my answer: an ecstatic YES. We all contribute to the economy and right now I encourage you to keep making decisions that will provide jobs and stimulate our economy. By moving forward with the construction of my Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) I’m providing jobs, so many jobs that will be needed to keep people from hardship. Also with the lower state interest rates and higher unemployment this project will be more affordable to build than previously calculated. I’m going for it and I would encourage you to do the same!
I hope my silver linings brighten your day and you feel more optimistic about this time and the real estate outlook.

DREAM TEAM – Living Room adds an Operations Assistant.

Meet The Team!

Kassidy Benson, Taylor Whitton & Lisa Johnston

 

We are 100% dedicated to helping our clients find their happy place while also building wealth. In 2019, Taylor and Kassidy helped 34 families and sold  $15M worth of a real estate. Living Room Real Estate has been open a little over one year and we just added our third Associate Broker/ Operations Assistant! Lisa Johnston gives our team greater capacity helping on the back-end as an Operations Assistant and also expands our expertise as a team with a wealth of knowledge around local schools and expertise in South Denver. 

About Kassidy Benson, Owner + Real Estate Advisor

In 2019 Kassidy was overwhelmed with the support of her clients as she made the bold decision to open her brokerage. She is 100% invested in her relationships with her people; clients are a mix of best friends, new friends, old friends, and she wouldn’t want it any other way. As many of her original clients are ready to trade-up into bigger homes, she has now become an expert at helping them navigate the challenge of buying and selling consecutively. In 2019 she purchased her second home and is still working toward her goal of owning five properties with passive income – in 2020 she plans to complete the construction of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (2 bed/ 2 baths, with a two-car garage). 

About Taylor Whitton, Associate Real Estate Advisor

Taylor had a wildly successful first year! With her background in leasing, she learned the ropes quickly and helped 10 families buy, sold one listing, and helped with 4 leases. She really enjoyed helping first-time-home buyers navigate the process and also worked with several investor clients purchasing properties to rehab. Taylor contributed an enormous amount to the brokerage with her event ideas, social media expertise, and killer open houses. 

Meet Lisa Johnston, Operations Assistant and Associate Real Estate Advisor

Lisa grew up mid-west, received a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute in Design. She moved to Denver and lived in Park Hill for ten years before moving to Southmoor (I-25 and Hampden) for better schools and more space when her girls were younger. Her daughters are now at Arapahoe High School.

Lisa has been helping with Living Room’s marketing since April 2019. After interviewing many people, it was clear Lisa was the right person for the role because she submitted the best design and she was passionate about real estate. Last summer, Kassidy had the opportunity to help a family that was focused on finding the right school for their kids and Kassidy immediately enrolled Lisa’s help. Kassidy wrangled Lisa, knowing that she had insight into the best schools and neighborhoods for families to come along for the showings. It proved to be really important info and impressed the clients. It also motivated Lisa to finally get her real estate license, something she has wanted to do for years. 

Lisa will be helping Living Room Real Estate with marketing, scheduling, client appreciation, and team accountability part-time. She is also a licensed broker with one sale already under her belt and is now gaining the valuable experience and knowledge in her role as Operations Assistant to excel in her role as a Real Estate Agent.

Reshaping Denver – 5280 Article

5280 Magazine did an outstanding article on a development that will reshape Downtown as we know it today. Below are the highlights, but you should take the time to read this one!

“The new River Mile atop the Elitch Garden site is the most ambitious private urban redevelopment plan Denver has ever seen… Duggan thinks of central Denver “like a giant doughnut,” with the River Mile as the piece that will fill the hole in the middle.”
 
  • 62 – prime acres adjacent to a prospering city’s downtown 
  • 9.5-acre, $500 million to redevelop Union Station for comparison
  • $140M – the land deal 
  • $3.4B – the cost of Stapleton redevelopment
  • 25 years to build River Mile
  • 12M sf of commercial/residential property to the city center
  • 20% increase in the available space that currently exists downtown
  • 15,000 residents accommodated 
  • 53 year old Duggan is leading the project
  • $9.7 billion is the net worth of “Mr. Kroenke”, Duggan’s equity partner
  • 49th-wealthiest person in the world (Kroenke)
  • 20% increase in Denver population since 2010
  • 1,000 residents per month moving to Denver
  • 90,000-square-foot Meow Wolf building is the first official building within the neighborhood and is projected to open in 2021
  • 2045 is the goal for the project for completion 
  • 2018 when the City Council approved the rezoning on the land 
  • $600 million in metro-district taxes for infrastructure to be footed by the neighborhood’s future occupants
  • $60 million dredged and deepened the South Platte
  • 250 public and private meetings over the past two years for community input
  • 200-foot height cap eliminated by the city on River Mile buildings, essentially giving unlimited vertical access in parts of the development
  • 15% of the River Mile’s 8,000-or-so planned residences would fall below market rate

Here is a link to the article.

https://www.5280.com/2020/01/inside-one-of-the-largest-redevelopments-in-denvers-history/

Garden In A Box – Plant a new perspective.

This is a great local company.
I used them to landscape my front yard last year.
Their mission is to help homeowners use less grass and more flower gardens. 
🦋
 
Butterfly Bounty
Full Sun / 100 SQ Ft / 27 starter plants
$158.00
 
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Garden In A Box – Plant a new perspective.
2020 Gardens In A Box On Sale NOW!!
Order today to get your top pick of gardens, and secure your $25 water provider discount at checkout.
 
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7 gardens in a box to choose from.
The boxes come with the plants and a planting map that is easy to use.
 
Here is one example:
DESCRIPTION
Butterfly Bounty is a four-season fiesta for pollinators of all shapes and sizes, but especially the butterflies. In early spring, the Catmint and White Rock Soapwort invite honey bees into the garden. In summer, butterflies are found feasting on the vibrant red and gold blossoms of the Brilliant Oriental Poppy and the Black-Eyed Susans. The Coronado® Hyssop provides a fall refreshment for hummingbirds before their migration south, and the seedheads of the Purple Coneflower provide a winter meal for small birds. Nearly all of the flowers in this garden attract varieties of butterflies as well! 100 sq. ft. a perennial garden featuring 27 full suns, xeric plants.
 
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Make sure you order now. These kits sell out and need to be planted in the spring.
 
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Resource Central
2639 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
303.999.3820
Resourcecentral.org
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New Listing: 4100 W Harvard Ave, Denver 80219

4100 W Harvard Ave, Denver CO 80219

3 BEDS / 2 BATHS

1,527 Sq Ft.

 

This three-bed, two-bath ranch is perched on a large corner lot only two blocks from Harvey Park. The updated, open floor plan will steal your heart. The front yard is a flowering oasis with mature trees and a beautiful lawn.  Just inside the front door is the living room with real hardwood floors that flow into the family room centered by a one-of-a-king, wood-burning fireplace. The spacious, upgraded kitchen sits in the heart of this open design with a large dining area that connects to a tranquil backyard with a spacious covered patio. Space is in rare abundance with an oversized, attached two-car garage, primary driveway, garden shed, secondary driveway and fenced RV parking. This Harvey Park gen is a single-level home with all three bedrooms and a full bathroom nestled separately from the living space.  This place was completely remodeled in 2014 and has been lovingly upgraded over the past five years.


 

 

 

 

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3997 Haddon St. Denver
303-720-8491