Jan
25
Keeping up with…
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Keeping up with the low interest rates: . I haven’t seen rates on a 30 year fixed this low in years. Yet for some strange reason people are playing the “wait and see” game. Personally I hate this game mainly because people don’t know jack about the mortgage market. The rate cut means nothing to the mortgage market. Nothing. My advice is simple, if rates are low enough for you to act, then act.
Keeping up with the Joneses: . I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine in California who said “It’s hard to keep up with the Joneses especially when the Joneses are totally out of control.” Foreclosures are rampant in California and it’s getting worse. Maybe now people will try to keep up with their other neighbors, the ones with the older model cars.
Keeping up with Tom Brady. I have a lot of respect for Tom Brady, however, I seriously question why he’s in NY the week before the big game. Shouldn’t he be in Mexico where the weather is much warmer.
Keeping up with the weather: Being an avid skier it pains me to say that I hate snow and i’m looking forward to the 50 degree weather in Denver this weekend.
Keeping up with a 20 month old: Having a child means reliving your childhood. Except my childhood didn’t include visits to the stockshow.
Keeping up with DirecTV: I dropped satellite television the first week of the year. I was sick all week and instead of watching Rome is Burning and SportsCenter I had to endure Dr. Phil and Oprah. I must say that watching daytime television is more painful than watching Fox News.
Keeping up with the Rebate: The feds are implementing a rebate to invigorate the economy. Some people weigh in on what they’d do with the money. The Federal Government is giving us money to spend it elsewhere. Give a man a fish and they’ll keep up with the Joneses….
Nov
15
Another Urban/Suburban Community
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Just when you think the word “urban” becomes passe, a developer comes along and reignites the urban flame:
Carma, known as a suburban land developer in the Denver area, today unveiled a $225 million, “green” urban-style residential community in Adams County.
Read the full story: Carma unveils $225 million development
Two notes:
- Colorado == Gateway to the West
- Colorado <> Urban
Oct
24
Filipino restaurant in Denver
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Unless you live in a city sprawling with Filipinos such as San Diego (Chula Vista or National City) it’s rare to find a Filipino restaurant in a your neighborhood.
If you live in Denver, it’s been very rare ever since the Nipa Hut closed almost a decade ago. Enter the Tropical Grill, located in the outskirts of Denver on Iliff and Peoria in Aurora.
Tropical Grill
12203 East Iliff Avenue
Aurora, CO
303-369-2677
If you decide to check it out, get the chicken adobo and the turon. You won’t be disappointed!
Check out the review on Westword: http://www.westword.com/2007-09-27/dining/tropical-grill/
Oct
18
If you wanted tickets for the World Series, how many people will you be competing against? I like to think in numbers so here’s my quick math:
According to the swami known as Wikipedia, Denver’s population was approximately 2.5 Million in 2006. I’d guess that the population was risen a few thousand in the last year.
There are approximately 18,000 tickets available for each World Series game at Coors Field.
There are 3 possible games for a grand total of 54,000 tickets available.
Each person can purchase up to 4 tickets and lets assume most people will buy 4 tickets for only one of the games. (If you had a brain you’d buy 4.)
That leaves only 13,500 sets of 4 tickets.
Here’s the kicker, they’re only available online.
Children typically make 25% of the population so the 2.5 million drops to 1.8.
Let’s just say that half the people don’t care about the Rockies or at least don’t care about going to the game. We’re now at 900K.
And not everyone has access to the internet so again lets slash by 50% to 450K.
And not everyone that has access to the internet will be available at 10 AM next Monday again slash by 50% to 225K.
And not everyone that has access to the internet next Monday has broadband again slash by 50% to 113K.
113K will be competing for 13K tickets.
Ever been to a game at the Big House? Imagine going through the turnstile at Michigan Stadium with that many people at the same time. Qwest, Comcast, and all other internet providers better be ready. Throw statistics and probability out the window, getting tickets to the World Series is going to be MADNESS!
Oct
15
Razing Colorado
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Oct
2
Steamboat Springs hasn’t been the same since….
Filed Under colorado, denver post, real estate | Leave a Comment
…they closed the Inferno, a restaurant during the day and a bar at night, located beneath the lift ticket counter. Intrawest (the NY Yankees of the resort industry) is moving in and doing what they do best:
The arrival of ski-giant Intrawest in this already bustling ski town was like adding gasoline to the fire of furious development already underway.
Read the full article: Reshaping Steamboat Springs
Check out the Steamboat Springs Average Price recent explosion:
| Steamboat Springs Real Estate - Trulia |
Sep
26
For every positive, there’s an equal and opposite negative
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Postive: The Rockies won last night, making it 9 wins in a row.
Negative: This article from the Denver Post:
Home resales, depressed by turmoil in credit markets, fell for a sixth consecutive month in August, pushing activity to the lowest point in five years.
Read the full article: Home resales drop to 5-year low
Sep
19
Renting, the foreclosure alternative
Filed Under foreclosure, real estate, rocky mountain news | Leave a Comment
Article from the Rocky Mountain News:
Vacancy rates for rental homes are the lowest in recent memory, thanks to record foreclosures in the Denver area, officials said Wednesday.
Read the full story: Rental houses in short supply
Aug
20
Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered
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The maxim “pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered” came up during a recent conversation I had playing golf at Hyland Hills, a municipal course off 36 and Sheridan in Westminster. I teed off with a friend but eventually our two some became a four some as the group behind us caught up.
One guy asked what I did for a living and when I told him that I worked as a mortgage broker he looked at me and said, “looks like the pigs got fat and the hogs are getting slaughtered.” It caught me off guard considering most people usually bandy that maxim around in a board room not on a golf course. After a second I regained my senses and said “don’t pigs and hogs have the same fate?” He responded with a laugh and when I told him that I don’t eat pork, he said “I don’t blame you, they live in filth!”
While the hogs are shutting their doors, the pigs are having some challenges. Countrywide took out a loan and recently they announced layoffs along with
Suntrust. Moreover, Capitol One just closed Greenpoint Mortgage.
Ironically, 2007 is the year of the PIG.
Feb
13
NASCAR is coming to Denver…. maybe
Filed Under denver | 2 Comments
NASCAR is coming to Denver…. maybe. A race track may be built near DIA in Adams County.
International Speedway Corp. announced plans this morning to build a major motorsports speedway in Adams County near Denver International Airport.
Sites under consideration include approximately 1,300 acres in Aurora off I-70 near the Watkins exit, directly south of the Front Range Airport and approximately 1,300 acres in Commerce City between the 88th Avenue overpass and 96th Avenue exit on E-470, extending one mile west to Tower Road and one mile east to Piccadilly Road.
A NASCAR event could be held at the racetrack. ISC is a publicly traded company that promotes of more than 100 racing events annually, including the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Daytona 500.
I’ve only had one experience with NASCAR. My wife and I were traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend a few years back and we were stuck in NASCAR traffic. Apparently there was a huge race going on that weekend. I’ve been in really bad traffic in NY, DC, and LA. The traffic that weekend was much worse.
Oh wait, I’ve had two experiences with NASCAR. I watched Talladega Nights, the Legend of Ricky Bobby.
We lose the International but we gain NASCAR. Who said life was fair.