Quick Fixes for the Garden Before Selling Your Home

By June Fletcher
What: Plant a treeWhy: A tree with spring flowers, colorful fall leaves, and interesting bark – such as a dogwood, almond or ornamental cherry -- makes a good front-yard focal point. Plant it at least 15 feet from the house, so roots don't clog sewer lines and branches don't block windows or obscure the home's architecture.Cost: $23 for 4-foot-high white-flowering dogwood (mature height 30 feet) at NatureHills.com.
What: Flank the entryway with flowersWhy: Big pots of colorful flowers on either side of the front door are welcoming and draw people in emotionally. "They make people feel good," says Palm Beach, Fla., real estate agent Nancy Macaluso. But don't use plastic pots; they look cheap, and can fall over in the wind. Cost: $20 for pink azalea in pearl-colored ceramic pot at Windowbox.com. By June Fletcher
Read More

TOWER ON THE PARK

1950 Logan St. Unit 607

1 bed/1 bath/1 parking

Priced at::$225,000

This sophisticated building is located in Uptown; close to parks, restaurants, yoga studios, cafes and more!

WATERTOWER LOFTS

2960 Inca st. Unit 220
1 bed/ 2 bath/ 1 parking
Priced at::$419,000

This 1 bed/2 bath, end unit has a wide floor plan with high ceilings, timber beams, hardwood floors and a gorgeous kitchen.

More info::Virtual

TITANIUM LOFTS

1720 Wazee St. 4E
Priced at::$995,000
2 bedroom/2 baths/2 parking
The elevator opens up into this stunning unit with incredible views of Coors Field!
More info::Virtual Tour

Selling Houses By the Yard: By June Fletcher

Selling HousesBy the Most homeowners know that replacing the roof or upgrading siding can enhance a house's curb appeal and boost its sales price. Now, as the housing market continues to weaken, some people are considering what the payback will be if they invest in things that appraisers routinely overlook: flowers, shrubs and trees.
Real-estate agents say a nicely landscaped property can have a pronounced effect on the asking price of a home, depending on the region and the condition of the neighbors' yards. Doreen Drew recently sold a house in Anthem, Ariz., that had sculpted hedges, a lush lawn and a backyard waterfall for $1.1 million, nearly twice the asking price of a similar home nearby with a plainer yard. Bill Good, a broker in Colorado Springs, Colo., says he just sold a house with newly planted mature bushes and fresh sod in the front yard for $1.225 million; previously it had languished on the market for more than a year at $1.175 million. In Palm Beach County, Fla., homes with colorful flowers and tall palms typically sell for 10% to 15% more than those without these features, according to agent Nancy Macaluso. That's why she'll often lug huge potted plants to the homes of clients whose greenery needs a boost. "It makes a difference," she says.Kathleen Wolf, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, recently reviewed several regional studies that used appraisals or sales data to analyze the impact of trees on single-family home prices. She found that, overall, a lot with trees adds about 7% to a home's price. Nearly 20% of buyers say they consider landscaping to be a "very important" factor in their decision to buy a house, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors. From The Wall Street Journal Online

DAKOTA LOFTS

1441 Central st. Unit 410
2 bed, 2 bath, 1 parking
Priced at::$359,000

Location, Location, Location!
Blocks from Lodo, Commons Park,
Lola Restaurant, REI and more.

BLAKE 27

1471 27th St. : Blake 27
2 bed/ 3 bath/ 2 parking

Priced at :: $479,000


Poolside in the city. New construction without the wait. Live in the hip Ballpark neighborhood.


More details :: Virtual Tour

Seven Tips for Creating Eco-Fabulous Interiors

1. Decorate With Plants-Plants can act as natural air filters, removing harmful chemicals like benzene and carbon monoxide from the indoor air. And they look great too, giving your home a more natural and vibrant feel.
2. Maximize Daylight- through skylights, open shades, and south-facing windows -- substitutes electrical lighting with the natural light of the sun, saving money and preventing the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gasses.
3. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting-Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs use a third of the energy of regular incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. Replacing a traditional incandescent bulb with a CFL can save you more than $30 over the lifetime of the bulb and prevent the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
4. Choose FSC Wood Products-Much of the wood that we buy comes from unsustainable operations in endangered forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the only credible international certification organization for sustainably harvested wood and wood products.
5. Select Efficient Windows-Windows are a significant source of heat loss in the winter and unwanted heat in the summer. Energy-efficient windows are lined with special coatings that reflect heat and provide superior insulation, keeping your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Efficient windows save money on reduced heating and cooling bills and prevent the emission of greenhouse gases.
6. Opt for Low VOC Products-Many common household products, including paints, carpets and furniture, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be harmful to human health. When buying these products, look for those with a low VOC content.
7. Buy Locally-Locally produced products travel fewer miles to their end destination, resulting in less air and global warming pollution from transportation.

UNPLUGGED

If you’re going away for days, unplug your TV from the wall so it won’t use energy while you’re gone.

Saving the world one step at a time

If 10,000 people go natural next time they paint their bedroom, we'll keep about 32,500 gallons of nasty chems out of circulation.

Ground Breaking Event!