Denver Lofts

I made a real goof this week.  I have never had Veteran’s day off.  I have never worked a job that would give this day off  to it’s employees.   So, it just never registered with me as being a real holiday.

So now that I work for myself, it really registers less than ever.   However, now that I have a kid in pre-school, they take Veteran’s day off.

A few weeks ago, my kid’s school said that they would be closed on Veteran’s day, and to make sure and mark it on our calendars.  I just assumed it would be the Monday after the weekend of the 10th of November - like any other normal holiday so people can take a long weekend.   So, I kept my kid out of school on Monday.

His friends and teachers were wondering where he was!  Ooops!   My wife took the day off to watch our son, and to help me so I could get some work done.   She even told her work that she was taking Veteran’s day off.

The funniest thing is - she didn’t catch it either, and she is a Veteran!   She was in the military back in the 90’s.   So, I don’t feel so stupid, but I just hate making mistakes like that.

Veteran’s day is supposed to be a day of rememberance.  The only “rememberance” I have is that I have to remember to pay for childcare for today, since today - Tuesday the 11th is the actual day his school is closed…..not the 10th.

Duh.

I think it is a bit funny that I am supposed to have an annual stockholders meeting.   Since our ‘company’ is really only me and my wife, it seems a bit silly.

But, we took the opportunity to do it and went out to dinner on “the company” - something we never do.  The company paid for it, and we talked about our business.   We went to Old Chicago pizza in Superior, which is just outside of Denver.

We talked about how the business has done over the past year, and it seems to be in a growth phase.  Good news since the economy is in the dumps.   For the rental market,  I don’t think it is all that bad.  Since most people can’t sell their home right now, they opt to rent it.  So, for all of my rental listing sites, business is good.

We also talked about the best way to direct my time and energy, and to what sites and projects.  We decided that my newest site is the best one in terms of potential (a site that deals with senior housing).   My rental sites are in good shape, so I will be focusing less on them this year.

My wife says that she wants to transition to part time at her ‘real job’ to be able to spend more time working for our ‘company.’  We think we are at the point to where she can do this.

As far as equipment needs, we both agreed that the ‘company’ needs a new computer and a new laptop.

That was really the extent of our meeting.  I had a Calzone with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, and a few beers.   Joelle had a spinach Calozone and a beer.

It was a succesful meeting all around.  Thank you to our wonderful company!

I have heard it many times lately - that the horrible real estate market, the massive forecloseures, and the economy have all made being a successful realtor right now almost impossible.   I am sure it is a lot tighter for most realtors, and they have to probably work many times harder than they usually do for the same return they were getting a few years ago.

How dire is it?   I have personally dealt with 2 different realtors over the past couple of years.  The most recent one has been in the business for about 20 years, so she is most certainly a “veteran.”  I asked her how business is, and she said it is certainly not as good as it was not too long ago, but  since she is established, and has proven herself, she is doing just fine.   Fortunately, she has saved a lot of money over the years, and I am sure she has learned that being a realtor is cyclical, and that it isn’t always going to be a gold rush.

On the other hand, I have had some dealings with another realtor a few years ago that I have learned is now out of a job being a realtor, and has opted to do childcare until things get better.  She is very young and hasn’t been in the business for more than a few years.

I think the realtors who have been around for a while, and who have developed the contacts, and the relationships will do fine.   It is the younger ones that I believe you will see moonlighting as restaurant workers or who are in the unemployment line.

Of course, this is only an observation based on limited evidence, but I do think it can hold water.   I do wish all of the realtors out there the best of luck during these challenging times.

My sister owns a slopeside condo up at Copper Mtn.   I am fortunate enough to be able to use this condo frequently, and due to the amazing powers of wireless, I actually manage to get some work done while I am up there.

This week was very mellow in Copper - which was perfect for me - I needed some peace and quiet.  I slept in a bit, worked a few hours, and then did a nice run up the path towards Vail Pass.  This is an amazingly beautiful trail, even though it is straddled on each side by I-70.  You don’t really even notice the traffice once you are down there.

The flowers were in full-bloom, and there was a nice drizzle in the air.   I stopped at the bridge that crosses the creek about halfway up and just listened to the running water cascading over the granite rocks.   Beautiful.

I feel very refreshed after such a nice week!

I live in Broomfield, just outside of Denver. I have some great open-space behind my house where I run almost every day. On my run, I pass by Vantage Pointe Lofts. This is a really nice looking property, but I often wonder how construction is going - it seems (from my vantage point) that not a lot of activity is happening over there. I wonder if this soft market is affecting their progress, or cash flow?
I hope I am wrong, and I hope that with the new purchase of the Storage Tech site recently will change things for them. This is a really nice property - I hope that it is successful!