Check it out at 3100 Huron #2S and let us know if you would like to see it!

1 Bedroom

Check it out at 3541 Lipan and let us know if you would like to see it!

5 Bedrooms

2 Baths

912 Main SF

516 Basement SF

1428 Total SF

1428 Finished SF

Style: One Story/Ranch

Architecture: Traditional

Year Built: 1957

Construction: Brick/Frame

Taxes: $1459

Lot Size: 8101

Car Storage: 1, Attached Garage

Walkscore: 51 – Somewhat Walkable

2 Bedrooms

1 Bath

1012 Main/Upper SF

432 Basement SF

1444 Total SF

1012 Finished SF

Style: Story & 1/2

Architecture: Cottage

Year Built: 1910

Construction: Stucco

Laundry : Main Floor

Taxes: $1172

Lot Size: 4690

Car Storage: 1, Off Street Parking

Walkscore: 92 – Walker’s Paradise

Walk to DU Campus or Wash Park from this super-cute updated bungalow! Open floorplan with big living/dining/kitchen space,2 bedrooms and a nice bathroom with jet tub. Enjoy the large corner lot, professional landscaping, and gorgeous deck with plenty or room to entertain. Garage. Basement ready to finish!

New systems including upgraded furnace, sewer line, roof, etc.

Would make great rental or home with plenty of space to build up or out.

This deck (and the house attached to it) is For Sale at 1993 S Marion

Let’s take a look at how these two situations compare for a buyer named Bob.  Just for fun, let’s call him “Tax Credit Bob” and “Low Interest Rate Bob”  in these two scenarios.

Tax Credit Bob bought a $208,000 home.  He put as little money down as he could ($8,000) leaving him with a $200,000 loan.  At the time the Tax Credit was available, he got the lowest rate he could which was 5.500%.  That made his monthly house payment about $1,136.  The Tax Credit gave him a one time credit for $8,000.

Low Interest Rate Bob buys the same $208,000 home today. He still puts down $8,000 and gets a loan for $200,000.  Today he could get an interest rate of 4.500%, which makes his monthly payment about $1,013.  His payment is a little better, but he doesn’t get the immediate gratification of a tax refund.

…5 Years Later…

Tax Credit Bob spent his refund on a vacation and some new furniture.

Low Interest Rate Bob didn’t get a refund, but he has spent $9,938 less because of his lower monthly payment, PLUS he has $2,605 more equity in his home.

This illustrates just how important today’s low interest rates are.  Interest rates do fluctuate from year to year and even from day to day.  Nobody knows exactly when they will rise or fall.  Knowing that and knowing how much difference getting 1.000% lower of an interest rate can make, why would you wait to buy a home?

Read more about this situation:

Mortgage Rates Beat Tax Credit Benefits

Denver Home Sales Down, Prices Up

Finishing your basement into a family room, game room, or spare bedroom is a financially sound decision. In addition to increasing the usable (and enjoyable) living space of your home, a finished basement pays back a high percentage of your investment at resale. According to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, a basement remodeling project returns more than 75% of its original cost.

The cost of finishing your basement into usable living space is about $100 per square foot—generally less expensive than building up or out from your existing footprint. That’s because the basic structure—your home’s foundation—is already in place. Placing occasional-use areas, such as a laundry room, a spare bedroom, or a home theater below grade means that square footage above can remain dedicated to daily uses.

Code considerations

The first step is to determine if your existing basement meets building codes for habitable space. As defined by the International Residential Code (IRC), a basement living space must have a clear, floor-to-ceiling height of at least 7 feet (6 feet for bathrooms). There are some exceptions for the presence of exposed structural beams, girders, or mechanical system components along the ceiling, but only if they’re spaced at least 4 feet apart and extend no more than 6 inches from the ceiling. Note that local and regional building codes may vary—always check the specific codes in your area.

If your existing basement ceiling height doesn’t meet those specifications, you have two options: The first is to raise your house and build up the foundation around it to gain the ceiling height you need. The other is to lower the floor, which entails removing the existing

concrete slab floor, excavating to the desired level, and pouring new concrete footings and a floor slab. Both options require professional and precise engineering, excavation, and structural work that will cost at least $20,000.

Emergency egress

Assuming, though, that your existing basement meets the IRC definition of “full height,” your next code challenge is to accommodate egress. The IRC dictates that at least one of a habitable basement’s windows or doors to the outside must be large enough to serve as an emergency point of egress (or exit, as well as an emergency rescue access) in addition to the staircase to and from the home’s main level.

If you’re planning a basement retreat to include a bedroom (what code calls a “sleeping” room), that room and all other sleeping rooms also must have their own point of egress, in addition to the one required for a general “living” space, such as a rec room or home office.

Each egress opening must be at least 5.7 sq. ft. with the windowsill no more than 44 inches above the floor, among other requirements that allow safe passage to the outside in the case of an emergency.

If you have a walkout basement, egress shouldn’t be an issue. Otherwise, you’ll have to build an egress. Most basement walls are built using poured concrete or masonry blocks, which can be cut (although not as easily as wood-framed walls) to create openings for egress windows or doors.

A proper staircase

In addition, the IRC regulates the specifications of the staircase from your home’s main level to the basement. Requirements include a handrail and stairs with proper width, tread, and riser dimensions. Also, there must be at least 6 ft. 8 inches of headroom at every point along the staircase.

It may be that you simply need to add a handrail—perhaps with a balustrade if the staircase is open to the basement instead of encased in a wall structure. If the stairway isn’t wide enough (at least 36 inches) or the steps aren’t to code, you may have to rebuild them, an extra cost of about $2,000.

Make sure your contractor confirms or considers code compliance for ceiling height, egress, and the staircase in your project budget to avoid potential conflicts, delays, and additional costs.

Checking for moisture problems

Arguably the biggest problem with basements is moisture and water infiltration. If you have seen water or moisture on your basement walls or floor, or signs of efflorescence or mold as a result of long-term dampness, you’ll need to solve that problem before you go any further. In addition to damaging finishes and eroding your home’s structure, unchecked moisture and water may cause mold and mildew growth that can adversely affect your health.

Depending on the severity of the water infiltration, and your available budget for a basement retreat, you have several options for addressing moisture problems. The best solution is to determine and solve the root cause, which is usually hydrostatic pressure from water in the surrounding soil pushing moisture through the basement walls or floor.

In that case, it’s best to excavate around the perimeter of your home’s foundation and install a drainage system and waterproofing membrane to relieve hydrostatic pressure against the structure and effectively block water from getting through the walls—a professional job that can cost $5,000 or more.

If that’s too far out of your budget, and the moisture issue is relatively minor, you can cover all cracks and joints with a 100% acrylic elastomeric sealant and apply brush-on coatings to the inside poured concrete or masonry walls and floor surfaces, a DIY project that might cost about $1,700 for a full-size basement.

If there’s a potential for flooding in your basement, think twice about turning the space into a living area. Even a minor flood can ruin flooring and finishes, leading to expensive repairs.

Your best defense against minor flooding is a sump pump. A sump pump automatically engages in the event of a flood and is about a $1,400 investment with professional installation. Because sump pumps run on a dedicate electrical circuit from the service panel, you might also consider a battery-operated backup pump (around $300) to engage in the event of a power outage, such as during a severe storm.

Heating and cooling your remodeled basement

Your next task is to extend or supplement your home’s heating, cooling, and ventilation systems to serve the below-grade spaces. Those systems also requires code compliance for occupant health and safety (such as adequate venting of furnace combustion gasses), though typically nothing out of the ordinary or restricted by most jurisdictions.

With your contractor, make sure that your existing HVAC system can adequately keep your additional living space comfortable and properly ventilated. Sizing a furnace and air conditioner is a calculation generally based on square footage per ton of capacity. However, contractors should consider the home’s insulation values and other high-performance building practices to “right-size” the equipment and balance its performance and cost.

If your existing HVAC setup is not up to the task, you may have to add a secondary system dedicated to your finished basement or replace your existing system with larger-capacity equipment. Installing a vented room air conditioner and heater may add a few thousand dollars to your budget, while a complete HVAC system upgrade can run $10,000 or more.

A usable basement will also need electricity for lighting and other fixtures or finishes, such as an entertainment system or small appliances. Most homes will have adequate capacity in their existing electrical service box for basic needs; if not, a subpanel may be required to bring power to your retreat at a cost of a few hundred dollars.

Adding a bathroom

The last big (and also potentially expensive) consideration is whether to add a bathroom to your basement retreat. The main issue here is draining wastewater to the existing city sewer or on-site septic system, and venting sewer gasses directly to the outside—just as your other bathrooms do—in compliance with building codes. That’s why a bathroom alone might be a $10,000 line item in your basement retreat budget.

Wastewater drainage typically relies on gravity, so you have to make sure that the waste pipes from your basement bathroom sink, shower or tub, and toilet are designed with enough of a slope (or “fall”) to drain properly and effectively. Achieving proper fall will require the removal and rebuilding of a small section of the basement slab and excavation of the ground underneath. The process involves digging a trench for the drainage pipe to connect the new bathroom to your home’s existing drainage system.

For the toilet, you might also consider a pressure-assisted toilet. A toilet equipped with a pressure valve forces waste through the pipes, rather than relying only on gravity to do the job. Such a unit may allow you to avoid digging into the foundation—consult with a licensed plumber about the feasibility. Expect to pay $150-$800 for a pressurized toilet.

If possible, locate the toilet (and any water-using appliance, such as a clothes washer) against an outside wall. This location will reduce the costs required to drain away waste and vent sewer gasses. Vents typically are required to extend up the wall (either through the structure or along the outside) to a height of at least 8 feet and at least 4 feet from any operable windows.

Converting your basement into finished living area calls for a contractor familiar with the special requirements of basement remodeling. When looking for a contractor, be sure to find one who has experience as a basement remodeler.  If you would like a recommendation, contact me, I have a list of great pros that I trust!

This is how we landed in our current home – it was a foreclosure, and we went to look at it the day that it hit the market.  There were no pictures of it in the MLS, but it was about twice as big as the house we were in before, and in a newer neighborhood near my kids’ school.

It was completely outdated – a 1980′s extravaganza of huge frameless mirrors, dusty blue carpet, white walls and oak trim.  Gold fixtures, old windows, and horrible paneling in the basement completed the picture.

To see more photos, click here.

But, it had a ton of potential, a great open layout, and four bedrooms upstairs, which is really tough to find.  So, we dove in and upgraded almost everything before we moved in – everything except the countertops, that is.  Which is why I have been living with blue laminate countertops for a couple of years now – we did so much work to the house when we moved in, and then we decided to re-finish the basement, did some landscaping, painted the house…and we ran out of both money and steam.

But, since we were considering putting it on the market or re-financing, we finally splurged and installed some of the most beautiful rock I have ever seen, check it out:

We chose 2 different pieces for the kitchen, because we have a ton of countertop in there, and we thought it might be overwhelming to just have one color for the entire surface.  We got lucky and found a remnant that was the perfect size for the island, and I must say it is GORGEOUS.  We went with an almost solid black for the perimeter – it’s called Black Pearl.  We also used it on the desk area.

In each of the 2 upstairs bathrooms, we chose other remnant pieces, and I think they turned out really lovely.

So, how much value will the countertops add to the overall value of the home?  It’s hard to place an exact dollar amount, but after looking at many comparables, I am confident that we will recoup our costs and then some, plus they are just nice to live with!

Thanks to Rich May of R.A. May Construction, Inc. in Arvada and Liliana at Colorado Countertops for the impeccable materials and service!

From The Parade of Homes website:

From August 14th – Labor Day, instead of seeing a few homes in one place, you can see 58 homes located throughout the metro area from Loveland to Castle Rock with no tickets to buy. And with homes in all price ranges, you may even find one you can’t resist. If seeing luxury is what motivates you, this year’s eight Dream Homes will be right up your alley. The Dream Homes are located throughout the metro area and your $5 (or more) donation for entrance will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

In the past, there has been a cul-de-sac of dream homes ($1 million +) that people paid to walk around and look at.  I look at homes all the time (it’s my job, after all) and even I got tired after 2 or 3 – partly because they were ENORMOUS and partly because they all started to look the same and blend together in my head.

I LOVE that this year’s tour will include 58 homes in all different price ranges, and all different architectural styles – making it entirely possible for a real homebuyer to actually find a home that they could afford and purchase – imagine that!

For example, this house in the Reunion development is only $188,900 – and it looks really, really cute.

Of course, there are some Dream Homes on the tour as well, like this one in Lone Tree:

I think one of the best parts about this new strategy for the Parade of Homes is also that people can look at homes near them, or near where they want to live.

Click here for a map.

So, enjoy the Parade — and let me know if there is anything you are interested in

 Distribution day will be Oct 2. Sept 1 is the tree application deadline.

Tree Applications are available NOW! This year, folks can apply for trees online for a tree-saving, paperless process! Please pass along this link to friends, family, neighbors who might like to apply for trees: http://www.theparkpeople.org/Programs/DenverDigsTrees.aspx