Parker Colorado Real Estate News

As Parker Colorado Realtors for the last 20 years, we've stayed on top of Parker's real estate scene. One of our main goals is to provide the homebuying and home selling public with current and worthwhile information about the real estate market here in Parker, Colorado and the surrounding communities. Hopefully, you will find our real estate news helpful.

Oct. 20, 2024

Parker Colorado Neighborhood Video Tours

Watch Video Tours of Parker Neighborhoods

See Parker's best neighborhoods as if you were already here.  

Ride with us as we drive through some of Parker's most popular subdivisions. Watch and listen, as we describe what we are driving past just as if you were actually in the car with us.  A NOTE of caution.  These videos have been produced over a period of years.  Price points mentioned do not reflect current prices. 

Click here to watch videos

To return to our home page, click here.

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 19, 2024

Fun Things To Do In Parker Colorado

Check out this video that we did back in 2014.  Parker has grown a lot since then, but this video is still a good look at many of Parker, Colorado's sites and amenities.

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 18, 2024

It Might Be Time To Consider A New Home In Parker Colorado

Question.  Are you moving to the Denver Metro Area?  Do you want a new home?  Have you been searching through all of the builder's websites? 

Are you overwhelmed and confused? 

If This You....We Can Help!

We know just about everything possible about all of the new home developments in Parker, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Centennial and Aurora.  Over the past 20 years we have worked with most of the home builders in the Denver Metro area.  We know the good ones.  And, we not know the not so good ones. We are among the few agents with the knowledge and experience to navigate you through the process of finding the right builder, in the right neighborhood, and at the best terms.  

Here's what you can expect from us as your New Home Buyer's agents.  

 

  • We will guide you to and through all of the new home developments that meet your specific criteria. You're on a very tight time schedule.  You've got a few days to "take care of business".  You can't waste your time going to communities that do not fit your "wants and needs". We will make sure you see only those new home communities and builders that have what you're looking for.

 

  • We will represent you as a Buyer's Agent.  This is very important. Guess who the new homes sales person works for?  It's not you.  It's the builder.  Their mandate is to sell as many homes as possible and at the highest profit for the builder.  That's as it should be.  But, that's not our job.  You hired us to find you the best home, in the best neighborhood and at the best terms. And, that's what we will do.

 

  • We've been around quite a while.  We've sold a lot of homes.  There aren't many builders that we haven't dealt with.  You can rest easy that we'll introduce you to the good ones.

 

  • Often times, buyers assume that the best way to negotiate with a builder is with price.  Not true.  The best way is through upgrades.  Builders do not want to lower their prices. It's deadly to them when negotiating with fure buyers.  And, it hurts the current homeowners who just moved into there new home.  So, they tend to negotiate with upgrades and financing incentives.  Cheryl's background in interior design has enabled her to help all of our past clients in the design centers.  She knows what to pick and what not to pick for maximum value and future resale value.

 

  • If we're in the "to be built" stage, we will help you pick the best lot within the development. We are aware of any future development that might affect perimeter lots.  Knowing what's planned for the future is critical in insuring that you don't have problems selling you home in the future.

 

  • Most of our out of state clients come in to town, do their shopping, contract a home and then return to where they currently live.  When you're having a home built it's kind of nice to be in the area.  So that you can drop by from time to time to observe how things are going.  Out of state home buyers can't do that.  They're pretty much dependent on the skill and integrity of the builder and its sub contractors.  You need some one here, on the ground, to routinely visit the building site and report back to you.  As your buyer's agent, we will do that for you.  We're not professional inspectors, but at least you have some one watching out for you.

 

  • There are two "walk throughs" toward the end of construction.  The first one is usually a couple of weeks before closing.  The builder's representative takes us through the home, pointing out all the features and things to be done.  It's our opportunity to identify issues that we want handled.  Things like the wrong fixtures, wrong paint color, spots in the carpet, etc..  You're probably not going to be here for that.  We will represent you.  The final walk through is one or two days prior to closing.  It's to make sure all those issues got handled.

 

Finally, it's closing time.  We'll be there to make sure there are no "hiccups".  Closing are usually pretty smooth.  Usually fun.  Then it's "high five" time and a hug.  Done deal!

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 17, 2024

Are You Relocating To Colorado?

Are you thinking of moving from out of state to Parker Colorado?

You need to find a hotel, a rental car, arrange childcare, get time off work, make plane reservations, wash the dog! And that’s just to prepare for your house hunting trip.

You need to find the right house in the right neighborhood, negotiate a price, get connected and settled, pick drapes and a dining table. It’s a big deal! And there's a lot at stake.

Hi, we're Bob and Cheryl Bustin with the Parker Colorado Home Center. Moving from out of state can be overwhelming. And you can't do it on your own.

Here are our 10 tips that will help you find a real estate agent that will find you the right home, in the right neighborhood at the right price.... stress free.

Tip 1: Searching for your Realtor.

You're moving somewhere from out of state, so you may not be able to get a personal referral. We all know how to google search. So do it. But here's what to look for in the real estate agents you find. Look for experience. And not just general experience. Make sure they have many years experience in helping out of state buyers specifically, and have a relocation system in place for people who have never been to their area . Find someone who specializes in the geographical area you are looking at. Lots of agents have such a large territory, they might not even know your area well enough to guide you to the right neighborhood. Listen to your intuition. Watch their videos, listen to what they have to say and look for someone you intuitively trust. And obviously, check their credentials, testimonials, google reviews, etc.. Make sure they have a great reputation, specifically with out of state buyers.

Tip 2: Reach out to them and make sure they reach out to you.

You want an agent that will respond quickly and give you useful resources such as videos and relocation guides right away. Often these can be very valuable and cost you nothing. Don't be afraid to give them your email address or even your phone number. If they're good, they're there to help, not harass. The point is, if you don't reach out first, they can't do their job.

Tip 3: A good agent is going to find out as much as possible about you; both your real estate needs and your personal needs.

Give them all the information you can so they can start getting to work for you. Look for someone who is genuinely interested in you, not just your business. You need them to know who you are, your personality, your situation. Are you active? Retiring? A family? Single? That sort of stuff. If they're good, they will genuinely listen and care.

Tip 4: Make sure that you work with agents that have you set up on your own personal property organizer that is notifying you of listings that meet your criteria as they come on the market.

If they are using Zillow, Redfin or Trulia, you may not be getting real time, accurate information. Make sure they have tools and services that will help you learn about a place you don't know, such as videos of neighborhoods, personal connections, etc.. Some agents will even have relocation guides with resources for recommended home service contractors. Sometimes these will even include valuable discounts you can use once you arrive. This can save you a lot of money and get you connected to your new area quickly.

Tip 5: You want to be working with agents that live and work in the general area that you're looking at so that they will be able to go out and preview homes that you are interested in.

Good agents will preview these homes for you, taking photos and video for you before you even come out. They should communicate with you about specific properties by email, phone or even Facetime or Skype. If they are not previewing properties for you, and eliminating a lot of properties, you can waste a lot of time once you get there to look at houses.

Tip 6: Since you are buying from out of state, you have special needs. Look for someone that will help you find a hotel, arrange childcare, rent a car, recommend restaurants, etc..

A lot of agents don't do these things, but when you come out to house hunt, you will only have a short time and these little things can really make your trip easier and more focused for you.

Tip 7: Agents who really care and understand your needs as an out of state buyer, will go as far as offering to pick you up at the airport, or your hotel if that makes it more convenient for you.

If you want to weed out the bad ones, ask them, straight out, if they'll do this for you. If they stutter or stall, move on. Also, being in the same vehicle as the agents is very important. It will allow you to have valuable conversations, personal and business, that will give the agents insights into who you are and what you are looking for. Driving time is hours of very valuable time. Use it. Skip the agent who drives a $70,000, 2 seated sports car just to impress you!

Tip 8: Work with someone who will spend at least a half day getting you oriented to the area in general.

By focusing on neighborhoods first, then houses, you are able to get a feel for the personality of the neighborhoods before you start looking at a bunch of houses in neighborhoods that you may hate. This is possibly the most valuable time you will spend on your house hunt. It will also allow you to know what your commute may look like, where you can shop, parks, medical centers, etc.. It's crucial that you have an overview of the entire area before you start looking for a specific house.

Tip 9: On your house hunting trip, you may see dozens of homes and it can quickly become a blur. Make sure they have a system in place that will categorize your houses into yes's, no's and maybe's to help you remember the ones you really liked and why.

Take notes on what you liked and didn't like on each house immediately after viewing it. If your agent doesn't do this, do it yourself. Stay organized or you will forget.

Tip 10: Once you've found the house you want to make an offer on, make sure your agent does their due diligence determining the terms of the offer.

A good agent will know the local market and do in depth research on all of the similar properties that have sold over the last 6 months to a year in determining value. Then, they will effectively negotiate the price and terms of your offer. You have to have an agent who is absolutely on top of the local market. Experience is king.
If you are buying out of state, use these tips to make sure you find an agent that specializes in helping out of state buyers because it is very different than working with people who are already familiar with the area. It takes a few extra steps to make sure your valuable time isn't wasted and buying a home in a new, unfamiliar place isn't hectic and stressful.

We are located in Parker, Colorado and these are the things we do for out of state buyers here. If you're looking to buy a home in Parker, click here to order our Neighborhood Showcase Videos where we document our favorite Parker communities. These will give you a head start to getting a feel for the many neighborhoods in Parker.

And if you want to get us hunting right away, click here to complete our Custom Home Search form and we’ll get right on it.

Thanks for joining us today. Please comment and let us know if these tips were helpful. Happy House Hunting!

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 17, 2024

Parker Neighborhood Video Series

  Parker Colorado Neighborhood Video Series

We have videoed most of Parker's best neighborhoods.  In these videos, we drove our car (with a GoPro camera on the hood) through each community.  And, as we drove past homes, parks , schools, community centers, etc., we talked about and described what we were seeing.  They are very effective.  They offer the best solution to seeing Parker neighborhoods (as if you were actually here) that you will find.

Here are a few that we have videoed.  To view all of the Parker Neighborhood Videos, click on Parker Colorado Neighborhood Videos.

 

 

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 13, 2024

Moving To Parker Colorado

Considering a Move to Parker Colorado? 

Try out our Advanced Home Search.  You will love it.

Watch all of our Parker Neighborhood Videos.  They are awesome!

And, be sure to take advantage of our Relocation Program. 

Welcome to the Parker Colorado Home Center website. Bob and Cheryl are the co-founders of the Parker Colorado Home Center.  As 38 year residents of Parker, they are ready and able to meet any and all of your relocation needs.  

Their specialty is helping out of state home buyers relocate to Parker and nearby towns.  Contact them so that they can get to work right away. Check out their Relocation Program. View their Video Testimonial.  

 A short message from Co-founder, Cheryl Bustin.

Cheryl and Bob have been selling homes in Parker and surrounding towns since 2004.

They specialize in helping out of state home buyers relocate to Parker and the surrounding communities of Castle Rock, Larkspur, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Aurora and Elizabeth. Most real estate agents do not specialize in any areas.  They try to carve out such a large territory (i.e. Denver Metro) that they might not even know how to drive you to your desired area without the help of their GPS.  They certainly are not intimately familiar with such things as schools, shopping, traffic patterns, parks, recreation facilities and on and on. The Bustin's have the credentials that you expect of agents who will be guiding you in your home buying decisions.  

Before you pick your real estate professional, you should check them out thoroughly.  

Check out their reviews, especially those on Google.  Google reviews are far and away the most reliable and the hardest to get.  Most agents will not have any.  And, of course, read or watch the reviews that they might have on their website.  Bob and Cheryl have worked hard to receive the many reviews that they have received.  They have a great reputation, specifically with out of state home buyers relocating to Colorado.

From the beginning, they will try to find out as much as possible about you.  Both your real estate needs and your personal needs.

Bob and Cheryl are genuinely interested in you, not just your business.  They want to know who you are, your personality, your situation.  Are you active?  Retiring? A family?  Single?  Where you'll be commuting to for your job.  Your education needs for your children.  That sort of stuff.  It really makes a difference in ultimately finding you the right home, in the right neighborhood and at the right price.

You will be set up on your own personal property search and organizer and be sent the Parker Neighborhood Videos. 

Once the Bustin's know exactly what you're looking for, they will set you up on a Client Portal through REColorado.  This is the same search engine that all Denver area real estate agents use.  Unlike the Zillow's of the world, this home search is absolutely accurate, current and loaded with all of the property details.  A serious buyer cannot be successful without this tool.  And, they will also send you videos of 22 of Parker's most popular neighborhoods.  They have actually had out of state clients pick their neighborhood, just from watching all of the videos...before they make their first trip.

Here is one example of the 24 Parker Neighborhood Videos that will be sent to you.

Cheryl and Bob live in Parker.  They work and play in the surrounding communities of Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Centennial and Aurora.

They are physically willing and able to preview homes that you have an interest in.  You're not here, yet.  Or, you've make your first home buying trip and have returned home.  They will preview these homes for you, taking additional photos and video for you.  For those of you with an iPhone, Facetime is a great way to preview homes.

The Bustin's will help you find a hotel, rent a car, arrange for childcare, recommend restaurants and anything else that you might need.

Give them your "home buying" trip needs and they will help you put it all together.  

Bob and Cheryl try to be "turn key' for you.  Let them pick you up at the airport or your hotel.

Once you've arrived and are ready to "get to work", you will join Bob and Cheryl in their van or SUV.  If you're bringing your kids or others, they will use their van, which seats up to 7 adults, comfortably.  They do not do the "caravan" thing.  Spending your day in the same vehicle as the agents is critical.  It allows you to have valuable conversations, personal and business.  They will be able to provide ongoing commentary as you drive area and go from one house to the next.  Can't do that if you're in a car behind them.

You'll spend at least a half day getting oriented to the communities that you are interested in.

By focusing on neighborhoods first, you will be able to get a feel for the various communities.  You will then be able to focus on homes in your preferred subdivisions.  This is probably the most valuable (and time saving) time you will spend during your house hunt.  Very few agents do this.  Bob and Cheryl require it.  it will also allow you to know what your commute might look like, where you can shop, nearby parks, medical facilities, schools, etc..  It's crucial that you have this overview of the entire area before you start looking at a specific house.

Bob and Cheryl will find you the right home, in the right neighborhood and at the right price.

By following their proven system of working with out of state home buyers, you will ultimately have success.  The Bustin's believe that there are "no shortcuts" in real estate.  They are committed to providing you with the absolute best relocation experience that you've ever experienced. 

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Oct. 11, 2024

Luxury Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado 10/11/2024

View all of the custom luxury homes currently listed for sale in Parker, Colorado.

Parker has some of the most beautiful luxury home communities in all of Parker.  The Timbers, Pradera, Belll Cross Ranch, Spirit Ridge and more.

Oct. 7, 2024

Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado 10/7/2024

Moving To Parker Colorado?

View all of the homes currently listed for sale in Parker, Colorado.

Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado

Posted in Parker Real Estate
Sept. 19, 2024

Luxury Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado

Luxury Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado

Sept. 17, 2024

Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado 9/17/2024

Homes For Sale In Parker Colorado