Up, Up and Away!
by Osman Parvez ---- When I mention the subdivision of Martin Acres (a.k.a Martian Acres) most people in Boulder know the area to which I am referring. It's that South Boulder neighborhood with more than its fair share of 1960's, 1000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, brick ranches. Love at first sight is rare in a "mid century modern" area such as this one, that was once heavily rented to CU students. But Martin Acres is more than meets the eye and it's on the move... Homes in this Boulder entry level neighborhood are in demand. Average days on [...]
Unstoppable: Population Growth and Development
by Osman Parvez ---- You've probably noticed that I often write about issues other than the typical residential real estate rah, rah. One area I pay attention to is development. I posted a new feature a couple of days ago: The Boulder Development Map. It shows the location of many new developments in Boulder as well as expected locations for future FasTracks transit stations. Why is development so important? Simple. Take a look at the following chart showing historic and forecasted future population in Colorado. Colorado is a state with very positive immigration trends. From 1990 to 2000, we were [...]
Cracked Oats
by Osman Parvez ---- Well, maybe not after all. It looks like the acquisition of Wild Oats by Whole Foods will be challenged because the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) believes it will reduce competition and quality and drive up prices. According to the Wall Street Journal, "In its investigation, the FTC uncovered evidence that Whole Foods saw the deal as a way simply to eliminate its main rival in dozens of cities, lawyers close to the case said." Sounds like someone at Whole Foods forwarded an email, doesn't it? I wrote about the proposed merger February and the post drew [...]
Boulder Development Map
by Osman Parvez ---- Although I planned to hike and camp this weekend, rain in the mountains and a leaky tent convinced us to cut the trip short. The good news is that the break allowed time to catch up on the latest Boulder real estate development projects. I rode around town on my bike, running errands and stopping by construction sites. The result is a custom Google map with photos highlighting projects. Green - Projects in some stage of the planning process. Purple - Projects underway. Blue - Complete or mostly complete projects. Click HERE to visit the new [...]
The Peloton Breaks Ground
by Osman Parvez ---- There's another giant construction crane in Boulder, but this one's not downtown. Development of the $150MM Peloton development at 33rd and Arapahoe is picking up steam. If you haven't noticed the massive crane, you can't miss the advertising carpet bombing. Our local NPR station is sponsored by the Peloton. City buses carry the slogan of a "new way to live in Boulder" and salespeople were chatting with potential buyers at the Boulder Creek Festival. Through a haze of hyperventilation and hallucinations, I'm pretty sure I even saw the Peloton's advertising while running the Bolder Boulder. The [...]
Boulder Transit Village Update
by Osman Parvez ---- Beginning today, you can download the latest update to the Transit Village Area Plan. Check bouldertransitvillage.net. You can also get hard copies by calling (303) 441-3274. (note, as of this writing the plan has not been posted yet. Check back. It *is* scheduled to be posted today). Have questions on Transit Village? This coming Wednesday (May 30th), from 5-7pm the City is hosting an open house on Transit Village at the West Senior Center (909 Arapahoe Ave). It's a good opportunity to meet planners. The public comment period on the latest draft ends June 15th. If [...]
A Better Boulder Bike Map
by Osman Parvez ---- I've always been fascinated with maps. Even as a little kid, I loved getting a new one in my Dad's National Geographic and charting out all the places I might one day visit. Today, mapping is at a whole new level. A couple of days ago, I got an email from a friend. Alfred wrote, I wanted to let you know that I started up a new blog cyclinginboulder.blogspot.com. My main reason for starting it was to make the Boulder city bike map more integrated with the Google Maps search functionality. I was looking for something [...]
Should Landlords Act as Parents?
by Osman Parvez ---- The wrestling match is over. It’s on the books. A few days ago Boulder’s City Council stepped up enforcement of nuisance laws holding landlords accountable for tenants bad behavior. Some landlords are steaming but local residents may have won an important new way to maintain safe, livable neighborhoods. There are many student renters in neighborhoods close to CU. Their presence is an obvious reality in Boulder, but it’s sometimes a challenging for certain neighborhoods. Most students integrate themselves into a neighborhood without causing problems. The good ones clean up after themselves, let neighbors know when they’re [...]
Landmarks of the Future House Tour (from Historic Boulder)
by Osman Parvez ---- The weather this weekend is looking fine with a foretasted high of 80 degrees Sunday and sunshine all weekend. If you can squeeze it in, here's an opportunity to see some of Boulder's most beautiful "modern style" homes. Historic Boulder is offering a walking tour today and Sunday from 11am to 5pm of homes it calls "Landmarks of the Future." Tickets are $10 for Historic Boulder members, $15 for nonmembers and may be purchased with cash or checks during tour hours at the houses on the tour. According to Historic Boulder, All of the homes are [...]
Commuters of the Year
by Osman Parvez ---- With hundreds of miles of bike lanes, convenient buses, and upcoming infrastructure improvements it's pretty obvious that Boulder is serious about alternate and mass transportation. Each Spring some commuters are recognized for their dedication to finding, using and promoting Boulder's transportation options. Here are the hardiest of the local road warriors... ------- GO Boulder announces 2007 Commuter of the Year award winners The 2007 Commuters of the Year winners are: All Around Commuters: Arthur Sharp sold his car over a year ago and now commutes on bike, foot and bus in addition to running a window [...]
The Brainiest, Actually
by Osman Parvez ---- As a follow-up to my post last night; I forgot that Boulder is actually the top ranked metro area by percentage of adults with bachelor's degrees or higher. At least according to Forbes Magazine. I wrote about it last December and included a long list of awards that Boulder has won. Thanks to Brad Feld (and his bathroom reading habits) for reminding me. Image: Ken ---- Like this analysis? Subscribe to our client research report. Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. Ready to buy or sell? Schedule [...]
SuperStar Cities: The Benefits of Talent and Capital
by Osman Parvez ---- A few months ago, a friend shared an article with me that contained an idea with unusually strong potential to impact long term property values in our region. If you're reading this blog, you're probably already familiar with the typical things that drive real estate. Read on, this particular trend deserves your attention. Why do some cities have higher real estate values than others? According to one study, it's driven by (a) the scarcity of housing units, (b) the growing number of high income families in the United States, and (c) the fact that high-income families [...]
The Trinity Commons Project (Mapleton and Broadway)
by Osman Parvez ---- Here's an update on the planning process for a new 28 unit development in downtown Boulder. On April 5th the Planning Board recommended approval so it's time to pay a little more attention. Trinity Commons will be located on the corner of Mapleton and Broadway and consists of the following: * 14 affordable housing rental units to be retained by Trinity Lutheran Church; * A 3,900 sqft church function hall * 136 parking spaces; and * 14 unrestricted, for sale, 2-bedroom condominium apartments (all presold). Here's the update from Stuart Grogan, a planner with Boulder Housing [...]
Impacts of the Subprime Implosion
by Osman Parvez ---- By now, you probably know that there's been a rapid increase in the number of subprime lenders tightening standards or closing their doors. Novastar Financial (NFI) and New Century Financial (NEW) in particular (see charts below). According to a new Credit Suisse report, nearly two dozen subprime lenders have ceased operations or have been acquired in the past year. Cumulative losses from subprime loans could exceed $10Bn over the next couple of years. The question you're probably asking... what does it mean for the Boulder (and the regional) real estate market? Here's a few thoughts. 1. [...]
Whole Oats?
by Osman Parvez ---- I pay attention to the business community in Boulder and have been a little surprised at the somewhat negative spin that local media has taken on news that Whole Foods (WFMI) is seeking to acquire Wild Oats (OATS). There's concern for Wild Oat's employees because of likely store closings and slimming of redundant business units. Some are wondering about the impact to the local economy. The spin is wrong. Here's why overall it's a very good thing for Boulder. There's a virtuous cycle to entrepreneurship. When young successful companies like Wild Oats are acquired, many local [...]
