My Top 5 List for Reasons to Move to Denver (Drumroll Please)

When it comes to evaluating potential cities to move to, nobody should ever overlook Denver Colorado.  Denver has most of the amenities you could find in any metropolitan city but still has that old-town homey western feel.  The region is famous for the great outdoors, from the Rocky Mountains to the nearby plains, Denver has the best natural scenery available in the entire country.  It boasts some of the best shopping, local culture, sports, and outdoor attractions that can be found anywhere. Here are my top 5 reasons to move to denver...Drumroll Please

#5 Professional Sports
Denver fans are some of the most dedicated fans you will find in any city, we love our hometown teams which makes games very exciting.  Some of our teams include the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Crush Arena Football team, the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team, and the Colorado Mammoth and Denver Outlaws professional lacrosse teams. Even if you are visiting Denver I highly recommend going to see one of these teams play

#4 Shopping, Eating and Attractions
Denver is becoming a food mecca as some of the countries top chefs are opening restaurants in and around Denver. Plus Denver has shopping areas like the 16th Street Mall,  LoDo area, Northfield Stapleton, and attractions like Venice on the Creek which are ever growing.  Denver stands out from what you will find in most cities because it has both the local history and the natural surroundings.

#3 Parks
Denver has the advantage of having had forward thinking city founders who very early on in the city's history took the steps to set aside land to be used as parks.  The parks in the city of Denver stand out as the best urban parks in the United States.  There are a number of high quality parks that are must visit places in Denver including the Denver Zoo, the Denver Botanic Gardens, Lakeside Amusement Park, Ruby Hill Park, Washington Park, Cheesman Park, and City Park.

#2 Historical and Cultural Opportunities
When it comes to historical and cultural experiences, most people don't realize that Denver ranks right up there with some of the most famous cities in the country.  Some of the better museum and cultural attractions in Denver include the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado History Museum, the Four Mile House Historic Park, the Denver Museum of Miniatures Dolls and Toys, the United States Mint, and Union Station.

...And The Number One Reason to Move to Denver is....
The Outdoors
Colorado is world-famous for its outdoor recreation and attractions. We have the best skiing in the world with resorts like Vail, Aspen, and Winterpark to name a few. Plus Rocky Mountain National Park with breath taking vistas, amazing hiking trails and plenty of nature everywhere you look. Not to mention some of the best fishing and snowmobiling as well!

All you need is one visit and I promise you that you'll fall in love like me and everyone else lucky enough to live here!

Chef Schwab's Grill Tips For Memorial Day Weekend

I'm sure a lot of you out there were something else before you became an agent. Well i was a chef  for over ten years and along the way havemastered my craft. So here are some of my tips for grilling over the holiday weekend! Memorial Day is considered the "official" jumpstart to summer. It marks the end and the beginning of many rituals. Students count down the minutes until school is out for the summer. Public pools open for the season. Boots are kicked off in search of sandals and flip flops. But most importantly, it's the start of grilling season! Let's go back to the basics so your evenings filled with charcoal and wafts of smoke give you the moistest, tenderest, most delicious food yet.

• Preheat your grill: No matter what your poison is, charcoal or gas, always preheat the grill to the highest heat possible. This burns off the cheese or teriyaki sauce leftover from last night's feast. It also opens up the pores on the surface of the grates to prevent tonight's food from sticking.

• Brush your grates: Once the grates are hot, use a grill brush to flake off the burnt bits. These old black pieces will alter the taste of your next meal. No brush on hand? Use a wadded up piece of aluminum foil in the tip of your tongs as a substitute.

• Oil your cuts: Lightly oil any non-marinated cuts of meat or veg. With the pores opened from the preheating, sticking shouldn't be an issue. But just in case, add a small bit of oil to everything going on the grill. It will also give the seasoning something to stick to.

• Direct or indirect heat: Grilling with the lid open is direct heat. Grilling with the lid closed is indirect heat. Most cuts of meat, steak, fish, chicken, kabobs, all are best grilled with direct heat: lid open. Veggie packets and grilled pizzas are best with indirect heat: lid closed. Closing the lid allows food to steam. Your big, juicy t-bone is screaming for the direct heat.
• Grill marks - 10 and 2: To achieve those restaurant quality diamond shaped grill marks, pick an odd shaped spot on the edge of one side of the meat and remember it. Place that spot at 10:00 on the grill. Flip the meat over, leaving the spot at 10:00. Flip back over, moving chosen spot to 2:00. Flip over once again to the last side, placing your chosen spot at 2:00. Moving back and forth from side to side ensures the juices aren't sitting in once position for too long. Timing between flips depends on thickness and choice of meat.
   
• Be patient: Once you've removed your meat from the grill, lightly season one more time and let rest. Loosely cover the meat with a large piece of aluminum foil, don't crimp edges as this causes steaming. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. No peaking! This allows the juices to evenly redistribute throughout the meat.
  Now that you've made it this far, your meat should be juicy, evenly cooked, well seasoned, and have beautiful grill marks. It's time to enjoy!
  
  If you'd like any recipes don't hesitate to ask as i have 1001 recipes stuck in my head :)
  
  
  
   

Denver is always in danger of a tornado...how prepared are you?

As a new home owner or if you are new to Colorado just know we are at the beginning of tornado season. Even though you don't hear of tornado's hitting Denver they are possible and you should make sure you and your family are ready.

What to do Before a Tornado

Be alert to changing weather conditions.

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.
• Look for approaching storms
• Look for the following danger signs:
• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
• Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard. Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.

Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

The following are facts about tornadoes:

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

WARNING!!!! To all future buyers and sellers bad agents aren't a myth!

Now that you want to move to Denver, you need to search through Denver real estate listings. There are plenty of sites you can find, but you probably do not have enough time to go through every record available. That is where a real estate agent comes in. A good agent can help you find what you are looking for, but you need one who has your best interests in mind, not an agent who is going to be looking for the most payment.  If you have previously worked with real estate brokers you know that many of them put their interests first before the client’s. They force you into searching for homes that do not meet your expectations so that they can get higher payments. A good real estate broker should be able to show you house that matches what you are looking for, because they know you may end up purchasing it.  Therefore, what should you really look out for when you need some assistance sorting through real estate listings If you are searching for a new home, it is important to know how to select the right broker. Here are some tips to keep in mind when looking for an excellent real estate broker.

Able to Listen
 Your agent should be able to carefully listen to requirements. This is one of the most important qualities you must look out for in a real estate broker. Watch to understand if your agent does in fact pay attention to what you require in a home. This is a good pointer to show you whether the agent is ready to assist you look for a home that fits your requirements.

Ask the right questions
If you are not exactly sure of what you are hunting for in real estate listings, ask your agent to clarify for you to help you figure out. He will probably ask you the specific zone you want, the kind of yard you want, etc.

Knows the City
Denver is a large city and if you are moving to Denver from another place, you will not know it well. Your real estate broker should be able to inform you where the best schools are, the most secure and peaceful zones, etc. There is plenty to take into consideration when searching for a new home, so each and every bit of assistance can be very valuable.

Relation with Your Real Estate agent
Most people who are looking for homes fail to consider their relationship with their agent. If you have a good relationship with your agent, you will find it less difficult to make alterations to the type of house you are looking for and you will probably get along better.  You are free to look for another Denver real estate agent if you are not pleased with the one that you currently have. You need to feel relaxed with the broker who is going to assist you find your future home.

Oh believe you, me there will be a down time

So as a new agent there are times in this profession when you are hot and when your not. When I first started here at Keller Williams I had three clients right off the bat and Im thinking this job is too easy. Well all three clients didn't qualify so now I have to put them on the back burner until their credit clears up 6 months down the road. Since then business has become very stale and believe you, me watching experienced agents in the office getting clients left and right is very hard when your phone isn't ringing. You must keep reminding yourself that all these experienced agents have been in mine/your shoes when they were just starting out as well it wasn't always easy for them either. But what to do when it become so slow? This is the time to stay focused and work on things to help your business grow and if you don't know how then just ask one of those experienced agents. Like I said they were in your shoes once too and know what it takes to break through that ceiling during slow times. Me personally I have found a great resource in twitter and Facebook in meeting people moving to Denver. Sure they may be renting or visiting family but it is those relationship that will blossom into business a year from now. That person you helped find a rental or just suggested areas to live or thing to do in Denver goes a long way. When someone approaches them about knowing an agent you'll be the first name that pops in their head. Even if someone is just visiting tell them great thing to do in your hometown or take them out for a drink. Just because their visit is temporary they are visiting someone who in no doubt one day will be looking for a place to live too. Keep your chin up!

What's black and white and hopefully read all over

What’s black and white and super-confusing to wrap your head around? If you’re unfamiliar with QR codes, not to worry. Those fuzzy boxes on business cards and promotional swag are easily scannable information barcodes. Essentially, a client points their camera at the QR image and additional information on the home that you are listing gets beamed directly to their smartphone or computer. The possibilities are endless, lets say someone uses your QR code and gets redirected to your website you can have a virtual video tour of that home already set up! Now you have just shown your home to a possible client without even being there! QR codes are still a relatively foreign concept for most casual users, but they have a lot of potential to change the mobile game. Some other uses include added nutritional information on groceries, the ability to comparison shop for textbooks, access to free giveaways and bonuses at major music festivals. So now you have to ask yourself one question: What do you want to say? Golden rule, is to share something worth sharing, make sure your message, website, or infomation is appropriate for quick mobile consumption. So I guess you must be asking yourself how can I make my own QR code for my business? Here's a list of websites to help create QR codes KAYWA, ZXING PROJECT, DELIVR, QRSTUFF, MAESTRO these are some of my favorites. Each offers different approaches and specific feature that will help with a particular business. Last but not least you'll need a QR reader on your social media device to help you read codes you might come across. These can be found on the web or your phones app store. For practice please use the QR code in this blog to direct you to my website and buy a home while your there"