Blog Posts From October 2025

Nov 8, 2026 • 7 min read

Cost to Sell a House in Colorado: 2026 Seller Guide

The cost to sell a house in Colorado is the commission you negotiate, plus the owner's title policy, a property tax credit to the buyer, your loan payoff and any credits you give the buyer. Colorado has no statewide transfer tax, only a documentary fee of 1 cent per $100 of the price (C.R.S. 39-13-102): $70.40 on a $704,000 Denver house. Here is every line a Colorado seller pays in 2026, what eac

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Oct 13, 2025 6 min read

How Decluttering Boosts a Colorado Home's Sale Appeal

Getting ready to sell a Front Range home raises the question of how much fixing or upgrading is truly necessary for nearly every seller. Major renovations cost real money and take months to complete, but one of the simplest, highest-return steps a Denver-area seller can take is decluttering — removing excess items, rearranging furniture, and opening up sightlines so the home shows brighter, large

Oct 13, 2025 9 min read

Renting vs Buying in Denver 2026: The Real Break-Even Point

I’ve spent a lot of time this year walking clients through the same decision: “Do we keep renting and stay flexible, or do we buy and start building equity—even with today’s carrying costs?” In Denver, the break-even point isn’t a generic number. It shifts with neighborhood micro-economics, hail and wildfire insurance bands, HOA culture, and even small ordinances that change day-to-day life—snow

Oct 13, 2025 9 min read

Condo vs. Townhome Living in Denver | Which Builds Equity Faster

I get this question a lot — usually after a buyer falls for a downtown condo’s walkability, then compares it to a townhome a few miles east with a small yard and no shared walls. On paper, both look solid. But in Denver, the way each builds equity has less to do with finishes and more to do with structure — literally and financially. How the HOA’s reserves are managed, whether the building is Fan

Oct 12, 2025 3 min read

Highlands Ranch vs. Central Park (Formerly Stapleton): Prices, Rail and Home Age

I'm Brian Lee Burke, and I've been a REALTOR since 2003. Highlands Ranch and Denver's Central Park (formerly Stapleton) are both large master-planned communities, one an unincorporated suburb in Douglas County and the other a Denver neighborhood built mostly since 2000. Here's how they compare, using MLS data I pulled on October 29, 2026 and official sources. Call or text my team, and we'll compa

Oct 12, 2025 8 min read

Denver Home Insurance Costs Keep Rising — Here’s Why (and What to Do)

Lately, nearly every homeowner conversation I’ve had—from Lowry to Highlands Ranch—starts the same way: “My renewal went up again, and I didn’t even file a claim.” Truth is, that story’s become common across the Denver real estate market. Rising home and property insurance costs are reshaping how buyers calculate affordability, how sellers price homes, and how existing owners think about long-ter

Oct 12, 2025 4 min read

Top 10 Inspection Red Flags That Kill Denver Home Sales (and How to Fix Them)

Every Denver buyer has that moment — the inspection report lands and the excitement fades into worry. Maybe it’s a crack in the basement, or a radon number that sounds scarier than it is. I’ve watched good deals stall on problems that turned out to be routine, simply because no one framed them in the context of how homes here actually live.Denver houses tell a bigger story than a checklist can ca

Oct 11, 2025 12 min read

Top Emerging Denver Neighborhoods to Watch | Insider Realtor Guide

I’ve spent most of my career walking Denver blocks that people used to overlook. Every few years, one of those areas surprises everyone — a new café slips into an old garage, a trail connection quietly opens, and suddenly buyers start calling about a place that wasn’t even on the map a season earlier. That’s the rhythm of this city. The big headlines go to RiNo or Cherry Creek, but Denver’s next

Oct 10, 2025 8 min read

ADU vs Basement Apartment? Smarter Move for Denver Investors

I get this question more than almost anything else right now: should you build an ADU or finish out a basement apartment? Around Denver, both are on the table for homeowners and small investors looking to create rental income without buying a second property. As someone who’s worked in Denver real estate for years, I’ve spent plenty of time walking lots in Berkeley, checking setbacks in Platt Par

Oct 10, 2025 3 min read

Highlands vs. Sloan’s Lake: Denver Neighborhood Comparison for Homebuyers

I'm Brian Lee Burke, and I've been a REALTOR since 2003. Highland (the Highlands, including LoHi) and Sloan's Lake sit a couple of miles apart in northwest Denver. Highland mixes century-old homes with a lot of building since 2000; Sloan's Lake is built around Denver's second-largest city park. Here's how they compare, using Denver's own neighborhood data and MLS numbers I pulled on October 29, 2

Oct 9, 2025 6 min read

Temporary Storage Tips for a Colorado Home Remodel

The most underused tool in a Front Range remodel isn't a tool at all, it's a temporary storage plan. Clearing the work zone before demo, choosing the right storage type and packing for dust protect your belongings and keep contractors moving on schedule.Map the work zone and every hallway or entry the crew will carry materials through, then clear all of it, not just the room getting renovated. Co