Focus on: Hale

Last Friday I spoke about Montclair and this week we will look at Montclair's neighbor to the west, Hale. Hale's parameters are Colorado Boulevard on the west to Holly Street on the east, Colfax to the north and 6th Ave to the south.

Hale is mainly a residential neighborhood but does house two hospitals: Rose Medical and the VA Hospital. A majority of the homes in the Hale neighborhood are a ranch or tudor style. With Hale's close proximity to Colorado Blvd and Colfax it makes access to highways and downtown very easy.

These two charts will give you an idea of the real estate market in the neighborhood in 2014:

Like most neighborhoods in Denver, homes in Hale go under contract quickly. The average homes price in Hale in 2014 was $332,000.

Considering buying or selling a home in Hale or have additional questions? Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Traditional and Contemporary

I spoke about decorating my home and also mixing patterns here. Now I find myself contemplating mixing styles. I love incorporating different styles - mixing traditional with modern, contemporary with mid century, etc. I think mixing styles can be fun and ensure the room does not look sterile with just one style. I bought the Montclair sofa in nickel at Crate and Barrel for my living room. It's style contemporary with clean lines and tailored legs was exactly the look I was going for. Picking a rug has proved to be a more challenging. I have perused a number of comtempory rugs but I find myself gravitating toward a traditional style of rug. Oriental and Persian rugs are traditional in nature and a great way to bring color and pattern into a room.

I started thinking about mixing the traditional rug with the contemporary sofa. Of course, the I went to the Internet to see how this would look. 

 

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I found I really liked the contrast of traditional and contemporary. Even though I want the room to feel contemporary I could easily include a Persian or Oriental rug without losing the overall feel of the room. Originally I thought that to create a contemporary feel, the whole room must be contemporary, but that is of course not the case. As soon as I let go of what I thought had to be in the space, I found the perfect rug. The pattern is subtle but it allows the color yellow to be incorporated into the room. 

Tell me, do you like traditional rugs with contemporary furniture?  

 

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Focus on Montclair

Montclair is located with "Colfax Ave to the north, 6th Ave to the south, Holly Street to the west and Quebec to the east"Source. Like many neighborhoods it has experienced a lot of change over the years. Originally the neighborhood had Victorian and/ Queen Anne Style homes and as time passed bungalows and ranches joined the neighborhood. Today in the neighborhood you will find all of these types of homes along with modern architecture where the original home was scrapped and a new one was built on the lot. 

 

Montclair is becoming a very popular neighborhood for folks to move into which, in turn, has attracted a lot of attention from builders to renovate or scrape. Montclair is is tree-lined neighborhood and quiet but still centrally located. The neighborhood houses three parks: Montclair Park, Kittredge Park, Denison Park.The public schools are Monclair Elementary, Hill Middle School, George Washington High School. 

This graphic shows how many homes where listed on the MLS in 2014 in each individual month.

 

Here is a snapshot of the Average List Price vs. the Average Sold Price.

 

Like many neighborhoods in Denver, homes that go on the market are sold very quickly. This char shows the average cumulative days on the market at the different price points. This gives any potential buyers or sellers in this neighborhood an idea of how long it may take for a home to sale. Both buyers and sellers may need to act quickly in this neighborhood. 

 

 Do you live in Montclair? Are you considering selling or buying in the Montclair neighborhood?  Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

 

A chandelier of WHISKS!

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I recently saw this chandelier while perusing Pinterest, and thought what a great idea for someone who is a cook or baker! Even if cooking isn't your love, it would be something perfect for the kitchen.  This would be another way to incorporate your personality into the home and its decor. 

It appears there are many other ways to incorporate whisks into your lighting:

Whisk Pendant Lights

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Do you love this idea as much as me? 

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Mixing Patterns: Stripes and Floral

I am having the hardest time decorating my new home. All the things that I brought from my NH home seem to just not fit. My home in NH had a underlying feminine, rustic feel (I used to refer to it as rustic romance) with a lot of warm, gold undertones. This new home is almost the complete opposite. It is very urban contemporary with silver fixtures. The location alone (right in the city) almost mandates that it is more modern than my other home. 

My bedroom in New Hampshire:

I often find myself at furniture stores gravitating to what worked at my old place. Old habits die hard (even with decor). It is almost like I have to completely forget what I know and if I can not, go for the opposite of what i know. For my new bedroom, I want a completely different feel. My last one was soft, feminine and romantic. This new room I want to be fun, funky and have a bit more edge. Not only will it be my bedroom but it will be a home office so I want to keep it uplifting.

My Denver Home:

Yesterday I posted on Instagram the first little touch that I have made to my bedroom. It included floral and stripes. I love to mix patterns. Floral, alone, can be very feminine but pairing it with stripes can help make it feel a little more exciting. Pairing floral and stripes can be a great way to achieve balance in the room.I started looking for other great examples of floral and stripes in the home:

 

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Not sure how to attempt matching floral and stripes in your home? The key to mixing patterns and keeping a sense of unison between the prints. I find the easier way to accomplish this is to find a common color. In my bedroom both the floral print and the lamp have black in them. This commonality helps bring the two prints together.  

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

It is a GREAT time in real estate.

 

The current environment makes it a great time to be a home buyer right now. Mortgage rates are at a record low. In addition, last week FHA announced it will be decreasing mortgage insurance premiums. Premiums for mortgage insurance are collected as a means to protect the FHA in case a borrower defaults. The rates have been lowered for FHA loans to .85% from 1.35%. What does this mean for buyers? This will drastically cut costs for buyers using a FHA loan with PMI (mortgage insurance premiums), making a home purchase more affordable. Read more here.

On a smaller scale, the Denver housing market is expected to continue growing. Here the Denver market is ranked #4 out of 10 of the hottest markets. Hosuing sales are expected to increase by 15%. 

Considering buying or selling this year? 

Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Bart Cart End Table

I am always looking for creative ways to use things in a home. I think an easy way to incorporate your style into your home is with the smaller pieces such as end tables, nightstands, console tables etc. Not everything has to be matchy matchy, actually, your style and personality comes through when furniture does not all match. I have been on the lookout for unique end tables for my home and also would LOVE a bar cart. Well, what if I did a bar cart end table? I have seen a lot of inspiration for doing just this. 

 

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I love this idea. This gives an end table whose use is usually surface space for a glass and a lamp to have a larger use as a bar cart. As of late, I have been on the search for a bar cart that is the perfect height for an end table next to my couch. Do you like the idea of a dual purpose end table?

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

 

Looking to increase square footage?

If you find yourself in a home without much square footage, use mirrors to create the illusion of more space! Mirrors can be used in a room to help it appear larger. Below are a few ideas of how to use mirrors to make your home look bigger:

Oversized mirror behind the couch.

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Stacked horizontal Mirrors

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Mirror laid against the wall

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A collage of mirrors.

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Mirrors above the nightstands.

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Do you use mirrors in your home to make the room feel larger? How else have you used mirrors in your home? 

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Cement Countertops in the Bathroom

As I mentioned here, cement is a great option for countertops. At the time, I was only thinking about countertops in the kitchen but I saw this great picture of cement countertops in the bathroom. The use of white and softer accents tones down the cold austere look of cement.

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What do you think? Do you like the cement counters in a bathroom?

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Short Sales

Have you been thinking about purchasing a distressed home? 

There are two ways to purchase distressed properties: short sales and foreclosures. Currently in the Denver market there is a small supply of either type of distressed property but of the two, short sales are in higher supply. A short sale is when the borrower owes more on the home than what it is worth and the bank agrees to allow the borrower to sell the property for less than the amount owed. The price of the home will need to be approved by the bank and because of this, the short sale process can be rather long. If a buyer has the time and patience, a short sale may be a great option. Often times short sales allow the home to be purchased at a discount and are in better condition than a foreclosed home since it is still owned by the home owner. 

Thinking of purchasing a short sale? Contact your real estate agent to discuss possible short sales in your market.

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

Unpacking

In addition to taking time off during the holiday season, I moved. This would mark my fourth move in 2014. This home will be a more permanent place for me and dear I say - will be HOME! I moved on New Years Eve with the intent to start 2015 in a happy home.When I moved to Denver I unpacked what I needed to which mainly consisted of clothes, shoes and bedding and left the rest in storage units. Yes, plural I had more than one storage unit so literally, my things were all through Denver. 

This move and unpacking everything was a very personal experience. No one likes to move, myself included, but unpacking my things after almost a year was the most exciting experience. Every little thing that I unpacked I felt like I had to personally touch, not because I am materialistic but because I was finally bringing all of my things to my home. Even though this home is completely different ascetic than my condo in Denver, it is so nice to have a few select things from my home in New Hampshire.

2014 ended up being all about change - relocating to Denver, changing careers, meeting new coworkers and friends, deviating from my "normal" 9-5 life to a life where I work every day of the week, starting a business, moving out of my home and moving into 3 temporary homes. 2015 will be about rebuilding a new life and a new home - both will look completely different than the last. Relocating can be a toll because even though the physical act has taken place, such as driving out to the new location, the emotional and mental aspects of relocating often don't kick in until months later.  It seems once the adrenaline wears off, the realization that you are miles from "home" sets in.

When you move to a new place, what helps you make it home? Is it unpacking your possessions? Or having all your family members in one place?

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

Welcome 2015!

Over the holidays I got to thinking about traditions. Every family seems to have their own set of traditions surrounding the holidays. One of the biggest traditions in the Daigle family was decorating the Christmas tree. My mother would have elaborate decorations for the tree, which seemed to change as the years progressed but we would always decorate the tree as a family. As we all got older, it seemed to be the biggest challenge to get everyone to come together and decorate the tree. 

This holiday season was a bit different than any other year as my mother is fighting breast cancer. This Christmas was literally not about gifts or material goods. It was about family, health, kindness and happiness. The outpouring of kindness that everyone showed my family has been the most humbling experience. Meals delivered, gifts for just about everyone in my family, emails, texts and phone calls from family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances. 

Then there was the kindest thing anyone has done. A local interior designer and 4 or 5 of my mother's friends came over while my parents were out and decorated the tree and house for Christmas. I am not sure if they knew how important of a tradition tree decorating was for my mouther (and family) but it ended up being one of the most touching experiences. This act meant the world to us - a family that associates the home with the family.

Over the holidays I ended up taking close to two weeks off. I spent time in my pjs, helping out when needed and just taking it easy. Now 2015 has arrived and will be better than any year thus far full of health, happiness and paying to forward. I everyone had a spectacular holiday season as I did and is as excited for 2015!

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.