Home is a sanctuary, a cheerful retreat, somewhere you can relax and always feel … well, at home. No matter the shape, size, or style of your space, there are so many small (and big!) ways to make it feel extra special. The team here at Corken + Company wants to help you make your perfect happy place!   Try Out Some Essential Oils Looking for a flameless option? “Essential oils help me set a happy mood in my home,” explains Laura James, commerce editor for HGTV.com. “I love diffusing calming lavender before bed and an energizing citrus oil like …

There’s a lot to love about summer in Colorado: mountain hikes, patio happy hours, and especially perusing local goods at Denver farmers’ markets. Luckily for us, Colorado is a hub for fresh produce and local, artisan-made products. Many markets have already opened throughout the spring, and more markets are popping up in the weeks ahead.Our team at Corken + Company found this list of local farmers’ markets to make your summer in Denver that much sweeter.   City Park Farmers Market Returning for its second year, the City Park Farmers Market is expanding from 70 vendors to 90, including adding …

With sellers once again in the driver’s seat due to historically low inventory and continued high demand, our team at Corken + Company found this road map to be helpful for would-be buyers in search of their perfect home in Denver’s real estate market.   Prepare to pay over asking The Mile High City housing market ended 2021 with record-low inventory and record-breaking appreciation. This combined to make bidding wars the new normal for homebuyers. Not much is expected to change in 2022. Last year’s close-price-to-list-price ratio averaged 104 percent for single-family homes and 105 percent for multifamily units. This …

The city and county of Denver combined offer more than two hundred parks, totaling over five thousand acres. This means there is endless urban recreation in Colorado, with each park open year-round.The public parks in Denver are all open year for recreation, offering everything from walking trails to boating. These are some of Denver’s most unique and spectacular city parks according to our team at Corken + Company. And best of all, every park on this list is free!   Washington Park Washington Park is the centerpiece for one of Denver’s most popular neighborhoods. Known for its giant grassy field, …

If you’re trying to decide whether to rent or buy a home, you’re probably weighing a few different factors. The financial benefits of homeownership might be one of the reasons you want to purchase if you’re a renter, but the decision can also be motivated by having a place that’s uniquely your own.If you want to express yourself by upgrading and customizing your living space but are feeling held back by your rental agreement, it might be time to consider the perks of owning your home.   A Little Change Can Bring Lots of Joy There’s a significant level of …

Our team at Corken + Company wants to make sure our clients are prepared for a successful home buying experience. Getting a mortgage pre-approval before you make an offer on a house is a smart idea.Why? It can help you get a handle on how much house you can afford. Pre-approval can also help you stand out from other buyers in a competitive market. In short, it ups the odds that your home-buying journey will be smooth and successful.   What does mortgage pre-approval mean? Mortgage pre-approval is a commitment from a lender to provide you with home financing up …

Raising kids is one of the toughest and most fulfilling jobs in the world — and the one for which you might feel the least prepared. Our team has some helpful parenting tips that can help you feel more fulfilled as a parent.  Boosting Your Child’s Self-Esteem: Kids start developing their sense of self as babies when they see themselves through their parents’ eyes. Your tone of voice, your body language, and your every expression are absorbed by your kids. Your words and actions in your parenting affect their developing self-esteem more than anything else. Praising accomplishments, however small, will …

Our team at Corken + Company values family, and we wanted to give a few tips for lightening the parenting load. Lisa Canning’s life took a turn when she had the opportunity to be a designer for an HGTV show. She launched a successful interior design business, and her career flourished. But inside, she was struggling.“I was so exhausted working around the clock, so exhausted of the guilt that came from never seeing my young children, but I was so entrenched in a way of thinking and acting it was really difficult to think of other ways to operate,” she writes.Now …

With a limited number of homes for sale today and so many buyers ready to act, you will most likely find yourself in a bidding war at some point.In this type of competitive housing market, it’s important to know what tactics you can try to help you beat the competition. While a real estate professional is your ultimate guide to presenting a strong offer, here are a few things you could consider.   Offering over Asking Price: When you think of sweetening the deal for sellers, the first thought you likely have is around the price of the home. In …

As we move further into Spring and closer to Summer, sellers continue to be eager to get their homes onto the market. The rise in prices continues as well. Per tradition, the market is heating up just like the temperatures. This bodes well for buyers who are looking to step into the market this summer. The one thing to consider for all parties in the market is interest rates, the largest factor at this point impacting supply and demand. Our team has the May 2022 market update.   Inventory Inventory is on the rise this month, showing promise for buyers. …