A conversation with Belinda Spillman, Realtor from Cornerstone Homes Realty, Metro Brokers, Inc.

Aurora, Colorado is a great place to live. Once you get a taste of the Colorado lifestyle, you won’t want to leave.

Aurora, Colorado originated in the 1880’s as the town of Fletcher, named after a Denver businessman Donald Fletcher who saw it as a real estate opportunity. He and his partners staked out four square miles east of Denver, but the town struggled after the silver crash of 1893 and Donald Fletcher left town, leaving the town of Fletcher with a huge water debt. The remaining inhabitants decided to rename their town Aurora in 1907, and it slowly began to grow becoming the fastest growing city in the United States during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

The People

As of the 2000 Census, there were 276,303 people, 105,625 households and 68,867 families residing in the city. Out of the 105,625 households, 35.5% had children under the age of 18, 46.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families.

 

Our Town

Fitzsimons Army Hospital was erected in 1921 and Buckley Field was built in 1942. Aurora is currently the home to the University of Colorado Hospital and Health Services Center and Nighthorse Campbell Native Health Building and Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora.

Economy and Prices

The economy is strong in Aurora. Home prices have stabilized and we are seeing far less bank owned and short sale properties on the market. Homes that are priced correctly, are moving very fast in Aurora. Long gone are the days of one year on the market. Now, homes are selling in 30 to 60 days in many cases.

Aurora Attractions

In southeast Aurora, you will find the newly constructed Southlands Shopping Center which features shopping, theater, an ice skating rink and restaurants.

Just east of Southlands Shopping Center and south of the Aurora Reservoir is a very popular community called Beacon Point. This is one of my favorite places to live in Aurora.

Adjacent to the Aurora Reservoir, Beacon Point offers exciting amenities and activities all year long such as sailing, fishing, hiking, playing tennis, working out in the state of the art fitness center or just lounging by the community pool. A future trail system will connect Beacon Point with the Aurora Reservoir via an eight mile trail way.

Schools and Taxes

Beacon Point is in the highly acclaimed Cherry Creek School District so your children will have the honor of attending Cherokee Trail High School, Fox Ridge Middle School and Pine Ridge Elementary.

Real Estate in Aurora

Lennar Homes is building new homes in Beacon Point. They put quality first in all of their homes. Lennar currently has twelve lots available to build your lake view home. This is a rare opportunity as there are only so many lots that back the reservoir.

If you are thinking of moving to Beacon Point, model homes can be viewed at Lennar’s sales office on Old Hammer Road.

Realtors and Technology

The internet has provided so much useful information in the world of real estate. When I list a home for sale, I make sure to maximize the internet exposure for that home. Statistics show that 90% of home buyers look for homes on the internet before they even consider calling a Realtor. We only get a brief moment to make an impact on that home buyer before they click on the next button. The more exposure and the more pictures the better. I utilize many websites for publicizing my listings. I also still believe in some of the “Old School” methods of marketing a home. I believe it is vital to provide an outside brochure box for all of my listings with color brochures at all times.

Empty flyer boxes are not acceptable. You never know who will be driving by the home and pick up a flyer. I also use solar powered light up brochure boxes so they will be visible after the sun sets. In addition to flyer’s, I generate a “QR” (quick response) code which I affix to the brochure box. Many young people would prefer to simply scan the bar code and have the property information as well as photos right there on their smart phone.

Words of Wisdom

If you are thinking about buying a home, the first thing to do is talk to your lender and get pre-approved. It is always a good idea to obtain a good faith estimate from the lender and compare the loan cost and interest rate with other lending institutions. Sellers do not want to see offers without a strong “Lender Letter”.

If you are thinking about selling your home, I have some tips for you. Take time to walk through your home and look at every square inch.

1. Are the closets cluttered and overloaded? Local charities would love to receive your old coats, shoes and clothes.

2. Are the light fixtures dusty and dingy? Take them down and scrub them until they shine. Bright lights help when showing your home.

3. Is the carpet dirty or bunching in areas. Nothing sells a home faster than brand new carpet. Can’t afford new carpet? Get the carpet steamed cleaned, deodorized and stretched as needed.

4. Pantry – Every woman looks in the pantry of every home. Throw out old food and turn your labels forward. Nothing screams organization like a clean organized pantry.

5. Just like every woman looks in the pantry, every man looks in the garage. Clean out all the clutter and make sure the lighting is adequate.

6. Are your windows dirty or fogged between panes due to broken seals? Take this time to sparkle the windows and repair broken windows and seals.

7. Curb Appeal. If your home is not clean and inviting from the curb, you are setting yourself up for failure. Put out pretty flowers (weather permitting). Clean the front doors and porch. I once showed a home where there were cob webs covering the entire front porch. Myself and my buyer couldn’t wait to get out of there.

These are just a few home preparation tips for selling your home. Every home is different and requires its own checklist. I go through our sellers’ homes and make a To-Do list for them when I take a new listing. You never know. The smallest thing can prevent someone from choosing your home over another.

Contact Belinda

E-Mail: Belinda1126@hotmail.com

Phone No: (303) 884-2026

Website: http://www.belindasellscolorado.com/

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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors and real estate professionals from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com