tom@larocque.biz  ·  3975 Zenobia St.  ·  Denver, CO  80212  ·  303-477-9914

Denver real estate

I write monthly articles about real estate for the Denver Post.  Here are the stories. 

Sewer inspections can save a lot of headaches later

"Hard money" floats flips

Despite high interest rates, short-term real estate investors lean on loans

FHA rules may tip condos over financing edge

Home wholesalers do investors' footwork

HUD assistant secretary says agency won't raise FHA borrowing score

FHA halts 90-day "flip rule" for one year

Real-estate brokers find a simple knock helps get foot in door

Real estate investors unite to improve process

Good Neighbor gets home for a song
A DPS teacher buys his first house at half price via a federal program.

Elevators being installed in more homes
Real estate broker Kathleen Genereux and her husband enjoy the view from the duplex they built overlooking Sloan's Lake...

"For sale" takes on creative flourish
In glum market, yard signs grow louder.

Cracking the nest egg
Real estate investors are pairing up with people willing to lend their retirement funds.

Church finds new life as home
A Denver couple has spent years renovating a century-old chapel.

Realtors round out the picture
Using video, they offer clients info on shopping, schools, neighborhood events.

Banks hold back seized homes
The slower pacing is helping to drive up REO bidding.

Little-down VA loans "best around"
They are finding favor as down payments, not rates, drive more deals.

A time to play, share tips
A board game offers real-life lessons in its financial scenarios.

Real estate investors at home on website
Members nationwide share tips and expertise at the networking site run by a Denverite.

From the Big House to a Rental Home
Landlords specialize in leasing to recent parolees through a Department of Corrections program

When Meth's Been at Home
Insurance may not cover drug cleanup, even when the homeowners didn't know.

Firm Assists Latinos Facing Foreclosure
"I was very afraid to have that bill on our backs for the rest of our lives."

Waiting for the Gold
Anticipation builds for the convenience and development likely to arise from RTD's Gold Line.

Renting to Own
If done properly, these programs can help people with damaged credit get their foot in the door.

Bringing Borrowers Back From the Brink
By considering the ability to stick to a budget and "character," not just a credit score, one lender is helping homeowners shrug off foreclosure.

Landlords, Hide Your Identities
Trusts can shield property owners in case of a lawsuit, but some lawyers say they offer no real protection.

Nuns Sense It's Time
Marycrest Convent is to be sold for housing, with homes provided for the six Sisters of St. Francis.

Priced to Move
Homebuilders are finding themselves with unsold inventory on their hands, so they're offering incentives and even helping sell buyers' existing homes in order to get them into new ones.

A Growing Business
Abundance of foreclosures means more work for cleanup crews and real-estate brokers.

Real estate attracts retirement funds
Buying property can be a good IRA investment,
but many investors and advisers don't push the idea
because of a web of complicated tax laws.

Aussie ARM can pay off
Imported loan concept tallies more assets
toward principal and can slash interest expenses.

Consensual lien laws change
New law aims to deter abuses.

The art of the double deal
Same-day property flipping isn't an everyday occurrence, but some do pull it off.

The measure of a home
Buyers and sellers should understand the rules for appraising the size of a property

Listings bypass Realtors
A seller now can get a home on the Multiple Listing Service without using an agent

Scraping down, building up
There's money to be made in razing smaller homes in favor of larger ones.

Foreclosure act: A measure of protection
After its first few months, the state law earns mixed reviews

Mobile-home millionaires
Trailer tycoons say they start small, real small, and scale the financial heights

Homebuyers roll the dice
FORECLOSURE SALES

Step in. The horror's open.
Dogs and drugs. Squalor and squatters. Wasp nests and water damage. Oh, and dead people too.

Condo owners cool in pool

WATER REELS IN RESIDENTS

Apartments spring from former cannery
Low rents allow working class in Longmont to live in the "Warehouse"

Filling in rather than fanning out
Developers are favoring "infill" - building on existing urban space - over the expansion of suburban boundaries

Transitioning to the Box step
Whether moving or adjusting to life changes, people looking at self-storage see portable lockers as an option that squares with their needs.
 

 

 

 

 

© 2008 Tom LaRocque, All Rights Reserved
303-477-9914· 3975 Zenobia St. · Denver, CO 80212