Dear Friends:

April is a big month for Mother Nature inColorado. First, she summons colorfulspring flowers to our gardens. But we alsohonor her in a celebration of Earth Day,which this year is April 22, when millionsof people worldwide will participate inenvironmental-related events.

Many retailers and communities offerfree recycling of electronic equipmentthat day. For local Earth Day programs,go to: www.earthday.org/2012. Fromthere, click “What Can You Do,” then“Attend an Event.”

If you’re looking for some free fun, boththe Denver Botanic Gardens and TheDenver Museum of Nature and Scienceare offering free admission on Earth Day.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful month.And if you decide it’s time to springforth and jump into the real estate market, give us a call and let’s talk.

Enjoy Colorado in Spring!

If your home is currently listed for sale, this is not intended as a solicitation. APRIL 2012

Although our Front Range real estate mar-ket is improving, and is expected to contin-ue to improve this spring and summer, sell-ers cannot afford to ignore the importanceof “setting the right mood” when it comesto exposing their home to buy-ers. It’s called “staging a home,”and it can be as simple as de-cluttering and rearranging cur-rent furnishings. Or the task canbecome more complex, involv-ing professional stagers whowill transform your house into ashow home.

Staging is considered an impor-tant marketing tool because buy-ers need to envision themselves living in thehome. However, most people have a diffi-cult time looking beyond the personal clutterfound in the typical house. So the purposeof staging is to appeal to the widest range ofbuyers possible and help them envision yourhouse as their home...with their things.

When it comes to staging, there are severaloptions to fit any budget. It can be free if youdo it yourself. But you may opt for profes-sional help, which varies in price, dependingon how much help you want. You can inex-pensively hire a stager to provide a list ofrecommended tasks. The next level would

be to use a stager to rearrange and de-clutterusing your own furnishings. Or you can hirea stager to completely transform rooms usingrental furniture and accessories.

It’s difficult for most homeown-ers to stage their own home sim-ply because most people cannotbe objective about their house.But there are a great manyresources to help you stage yourhome if you prefer not to bring ina professional. And that is thetopic of this month’s freeColorado Homeowner Report. Ifyou’d like a copy, just call us.This Report is great for anyone

looking to make their home more beautiful.

Is it absolutely necessary to stage a home inorder to sell? No. But staging should makea difference in selling your home faster andfor more money. Whether you choose toapply staging techniques to your home your-self, or hire a professional, start with ananalysis of your home. If you’re thinking ofputting your house on the market, call us.We can compare your property with otherneighboring properties on the market.Together we’ll create a unique marketingplan designed to sell your home for the high-est price and in the shortest amount of time.

Creating a competitive edge to sell your home faster

E-Newsletter

James KaneBroker Associate

James Kane & Sue McIlvennanBrokers Guild Cherry Creek Ltd.3360 S. Wadsworth Blvd.Lakewood, CO 80227

COLORADO REAL ESTATE REVIEWARTICLES AND INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO

COLORADO HOME OWNERS

A complimentary service of James & SueBrokers Guild Cherry Creek Ltd.

James KaneOffice: (303) 988-0123 x1180 Direct: (720) 205-7226E-mail: jimkane1951@gmail.comWebsite:

www.bgcolorado.com/jimkane.htm

Sue McIlvennanCell: (720) 435-9153 E-mail: snue100@gmail.comWebsite:

www.bgcolorado.com/suemcilvennan.htm

Sue McIlvennanBroker Associate

The Results Team

Much of the stress associatedwith buying a home can bereduced and even eliminated ifbuyers enter the experience withthe proper knowledge. To helpmake smart decisions, here’s alist of five common home buy-ing mistakes people make:

Mistake #1 is when people startlooking at houses before search-ing for a loan. Sure--it’s morefun to look athomes than it is tosit down with alender and go overfinancial informa-tion. But gettingpre-approved for aloan will keepbuyers from wast-ing time looking athomes they can’t afford.

Mistake #2 is spending all ormost of one’s savings on thedownpayment and closing costs.Although putting 20% downeliminates having to pay mort-gage insurance, which can behefty, it’s not worth the risk ofhaving to live on the edge.Homeowners need to have arainy-day fund.

Mistake #3 is going shoppingbefore the deal is done. Even ifthe loan has been approved, donot go on a shopping spree. It’sdifficult when you’ve signed thecontract on a house you love andwant to go furniture shopping,but don’t do it until after theclosing. In this tight lendingenvironment, lenders often pullcredit reports just before closingto make sure the borrower’sfinancial situation has not

changed since the loan wasapproved. A new car, a housefull of furniture, or any newloans at all can jeopardize theclosing at the very last minute.

Mistake #4 is not consideringthe incidental costs of owning ahome. First-time buyers are theworst at considering the extraexpenses of homeownership,and often forget to factor in

homeowners asso-ciation dues, main-tenance, and higherutility bills associ-ated with a house.

Mistake #5 is notgetting professionalassistance. Formost people, a

home represents their singlelargest investment. Such aninvestment should be enteredinto wisely. Here are a few waysa real estate pro can help:• Filter out homes that don’t meetyour needs.• Provide in-depth knowledge ofneighborhoods.• Recommend a network of otherqualified industry related profes-sionals you will need.• Handle volumes of paperworkthat a non-professional wouldhave difficulty understanding.• Answer questions and guideyou from start to finish.• Determine the fair market valueof your home.• Handle all negotiations.

If you’re thinking of jumpinginto our Colorado market as abuyer or seller, let’s talk.Together we’ll create a plan tohelp you accomplish your goal.

� Home prices nationwidedropped an average of 5% from2010 to 2011, but if youexclude distressed sales, pricesdropped by less than 1%,according to a recent analysisby CoreLogic. In short, fore-closures hamper neighboringproperty values. But foreclo-sures are diminishing nation-wide, and that is certainly truefor Colorado. Don’t let theheadlines keep you on the side-lines. Every neighborhood isunique, so get the facts first,and your decisions will be easier to make. Let’s talk!

� Denver made the Forbes listagain of the 7 healthiest citiesin the US. Joining Denverwere Minneapolis, Washington,D.C., Boston, Portland, SanFrancisco, and Hartford. Thecommon factor among thesecities is exercise. Accordingto Forbes: “Denver ranked highin the health of its residents,61% of whom are in ‘excellentor very good’ physical health.”

� Kitchen remodels, evensmall ones, make excellent

investments in the resale valueof a home. Since 2004, when“Minor Kitchen Remodel” wasadded to the project list forRemodeling Magazine's Costvs. Value report, it has been thebest-performing project inevery year but one. Minorkitchen remodels that costunder $20,000 see a return oninvestment of 72% on a nationalaverage.

� According to the ColoradoDivision of Housing, compar-ing 2010 to 2011, foreclosurefilings in 2011 were down 27.7percent, and sales at auctionwere down 21.2 percent. All 12of the state's metropolitan coun-ties reported drops in both fore-closure filings and auction salesduring 2011.

� Metro Denver apartmentvacancy statistics fell to a 12-year low in the 4th quarter of2011. Rental losses due to con-cessions, discounts and delin-quencies fell to a ten-year low. The rising demand for rentalproperty, coupled with lowmortgage rates, create outstand-ing opportunities for investingin rental property right now. Ifyou’ve ever given thought torental property, let’s talk.

The five biggest mistakes buyers make

NewsBriefs

COLORADO CORNERColorado Legacies from the Great Depression

What do City Park Zoo, CherryCreek Dam, Red RocksAmphitheater, and ColoradoNational Monument’s spectacularRimrock Drive all have in com-mon? They were all proj-ects funded underPresident Franklin D.Roosevelt’s CivilianConservation Corps (CCC)work relief programdesigned to provide reliefwork for unemployed per-sons during the GreatDepression. The programran from 1935 to 1942.

From roads to parks,museums, public swimmingpools, hospitals, and a long list ofprojects we still enjoy today,Colorado benefited greatly fromCCC projects. The enrollees hadto agree to allot the majority oftheir pay to their families. Theusual enrollment was for a six-month term, while the maximumterm of service was two years.

During the time of the CCC, volunteers planted nearly 3 billiontrees to help reforest America,constructed more than 800 parksnationwide, upgraded most state

parks, updated forestfire fighting methods,and built a network ofservice buildings andpublic roadways inremote areas.

Colorado’s involvementwith the CCC during theGreat Depression is afascinating story. Hereare some resources formore details”

http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/wpa/index.htm

http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/ccc/cccscope.html

There’s even a CCC WorkerMonument at Red Rocks Park: http://historicjeffco.org/worker.html

Your FREE Homeowner Report for April:

“Secrets of Staging” for aBeautiful Home

Make your home more attractive--without spending a dime.This month’s truly amazing Colorado Homeowner Report is chock-full of creative interior designer “tips and tricks” that will help trans-form each room of your home into a thing of beauty.

Whether you want to prepare your home for sale . . . or simplywant a room that says “Wow” . . . call for this FREE Report.

GREEN IDEAS FOR THE COLORADO HOMEOWNER

Time spent in the April gardenpays year-round dividends

Activity in the Front Range garden andyard starts heating up in April, but don’trush the planting season. Unless you'replanting cold-hardy pansies and violas orsowing cool-season vegetables, it's betterto wait until the last danger of frost haspassed. Along the Front Range, if youwant to be 80% confident frosts are past,plant after May 12th. If you want to be90% sure, wait until May 18th to plant.

However, there are still plenty of thingsto do this month to get our gardens andyards ready. Here are some of the basics:• Remove any tree wrap.•Apply weed killer to your lawn. Patch

bare spots before weeds grow in lateApril.• Clean up flower beds before newgrowth starts.• Relocate any summer or fall bloomingplants while they are still dormant.• Aerate your lawn in April, just prior toactivating your irrigation system.• Spring watering is always helpful to agood start. Any day when temperatures areat least 40 degrees, give your lawn, treesand flowers a deep watering. • Don’t fertilize trees and shrubs untilafter the leaves have fully expanded.• Prepare garden or planting bed areas. • It's also time to shear any ornamentalgrasses you left untouched last fall forwinter interest. Shear down to 4 - 6 inches.• After they finish blooming, fertilize allyour early-blooming bulbs. A topical

feeding is fine, or use a fertilizer formu-lated specifically for bulbs. • As long as the ground isn’t frozen, goahead and weed. • Divide perennials that bloom in mid- tolate summer and fall.• Ask your local garden center to help youdetermine the best ornamental grasses toplant for your conditions. These grasseswill provide structural beauty throughoutnext winter, when nothing is in bloom.• And remember: as tulips and daffodilsfinish blooming, don't remove the leavesuntil they die off naturally and completely.

For a seasonal listing of garden tips forthe Front Range, go to:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columngw/gwmenu.html

You don’t have to be a foreigner

with limited command of the

English language to be misun-

derstood. Here are some inter-

esting signs

spotted in the

good old USA.

• In the offices

of a home loan

company: Askabout ourplans for own-ing your home.

• On a shop in

Maine: Our motto is to giveour customers the lowest pos-sible prices and workmanship.

• In a men's clothing store: 15mens wool suits -- $20.00. They won't last an hour!

• In the window of a general

store: Why go elsewhere andbe cheated when you cancome right here?

• In a Pennsylvania cemetery:

Persons are prohibited frompicking flowers from any buttheir own graves.

• On a long-established New

Mexico dry cleaners: 38 yearson the same spot.

• On a New York

convalescent

home: For the sickand tired of theEpiscopal Church.

• Outside a

country shop: Webuy junk and sellantiques.

• In the vestry of a

New England church: Will thelast person to leave pleasesee that the perpetual light isextinguished.

• In a New York drugstore: Wedispense with accuracy.

• In a Massachusetts parking

area reserved for birdwatch-

ers: Parking for birds only.

• On a poster on a telephone

pole in Oregon: Are you anadult that cannot read? If so,we can help. Call this number!

Funny Signs

COLORADO TRIVIA

Name the one and only Colorado town that

still operates under the 1861 charter from

the Territory of Colorado.

That would be Georgetown. The town mayor is

called the Police Judge and the town council is

called the Board of Selectmen.

A

Slash your landscaping water bills in half

Q

To help get started, here are some of the best resources on the Internet for information:

http://coloradowaterwise.org/XeriscapeColorado

www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/

www.denverwater.org/Conservation/Xeriscape/XeriscapeResources/

http://www.denverpost.com/grow/ci_15120336

And one of the best on-line catalogs for xeric plants and information:

www.highcountrygardens.com/

Water is Colorado’s

most precious

resource. And yet it

is estimated that

about 55 percent of

the residential water

use in the Front

Range urban area is used on turf.

However, with

proper prepara-

tion of the soil,

and the use of

plants that thrive

in Colorado’s

dry environment,

it’s possible to

reduce your

water and maintenance costs by

up to 60%. It’s called “xeriscap-

ing” from the Greek word xeric,

meaning dry, and it’s one of the

easiest, and most rewarding

“green” changes we can make.

Best of all, a good xeriscape

can increase your property

value by as much as 15%!

Even if you took one small area

of your yard and decided to con-

vert it to a xeric garden, it might

be enough to convince you to

expand your efforts next year.

You’ll be surprised at the wide

variety of colors, sizes and mag-

nificent flowers, shrubs and

trees that actually thrive on very

little water.

Fortunately for us,

Colorado is in the

epicenter of the

xeric movement, so

all of our local gar-

den centers will be

familiar with the

term and the plants that work

best in our dry climate. In addi-

tion, there are numerous xeric

demonstration gardens through-

out the Front Range, and a visit

in May or June will convince you

that a xeric landscaping plan

can be magnificent. The Denver

Botanic Gardens xeric section is

outstanding, as is Kendrick Lake

Park in Lakewood.

DON’T FORGET EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22, 2012

SNAPSHOT OF MY BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY:

YOUR BUSINESS AND REFERRALS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

It takes more than knowledge to be successful inhelping my clients achieve their real estate goals.It takes expertise, persistence, creativity . . . and compassion.

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of chil-dren; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreci-ate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether bya healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed withenthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you havelived - this is to have succeeded."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Results TeamJames KaneBroker Associate

Sue McIlvennanBroker AssociateSearch all shared IDX active listings in the Denver

Metro (MLS) and the Northern Colorado (IRES)

from our website. Check it out!

www.bgcolorado.com/jimkane.htm

www.bgcolorado.com/suemcilvennan.htm