Denver Home Auction

Here is to a new year of amazing auctions!

Today we officially announced our Denver "Distinct and Unique" auction over PRWeb. Here is a copy of the press release as it went out:

Let the Bidding Begin in Online Auction of Denver Luxury Homes

LFC Group of Companies Announces Newest Auction Campaign of Upscale Properties in Denver, Colorado

Newport Beach, Calif—Leading online real estate auction marketing firm, LFC Group of Companies, launched a new auction campaign of brand new homes in Denver, Colorado, on its residential real estate website, Freedom Realty Exchange (FRE.com/284R3). The auction, a builder closeout of high-end properties in the master-planned community of Stapleton and the charming town of Golden, began December 19, 2008 and continues with a bid deadline of March 5, 2009.

The properties, four boutique townhomes and four large estate homes, are the last remaining inventory of a well-respected local developer, and evidence that online auctions are quickly becoming a popular sales alternative for healthy builders and developers eager to accelerate sales through a marketing program that allows buyers to set the true market value of the homes.

The three communities are located within 25 minutes of Denver’s city center, close enough for residents to enjoy both the excitement of the city and the relaxation of suburban living. With minimum bids nearly 50% lower than previously listed prices, buyers have an opportunity to walk away with a piece of Denver real estate at a steal.

The properties in Stapleton to be auctioned include four multilevel homes in the Denver Brownstones, situated in the community of Westerly Creek. Distinctive architectural features and brick exteriors bring to mind downtown living, but without the hustle and bustle of a city center. Instead of facing a crowded street, the multilevel row homes look out over Stapleton’s 80-acre Central Park, providing residents with stunning views from their rooftop terrace, deck off of the kitchen, or front porch. The Brownstones enjoy over 3,300 square feet of living space, and feature luxurious amenities such as a penthouse, private elevator, and gourmet kitchen.

Also included in the campaign are three Urban Estates homes, located in the Eastbridge neighborhood of Stapleton. The grand homes, all over 4,000 square feet, feature 4-5 bedrooms, large living spaces, and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Impressive amenities in the homes include a Jacuzzi tub, gourmet kitchen, and guest casita. Exterior designs ranging from Mediterranean to Victorian reflect the innovative, one-of-a-kind look and feel of the Eastbridge neighborhood and the whole of Stapleton.

The final property, a ranch style custom home in Golden, features a sprawling floor plan and impressive exterior stone and wood detailing, situated on a lush piece of Colorado landscape. With 4,147 square feet of living space, this home includes four bedrooms, an exercise room, and a study, as well as a porch and recreation area. Views of the surrounding mountains from all sides make this home the perfect piece of real estate for enjoying the Colorado outdoors.

“The homes offered by this builder are diverse, yet they are all impeccably designed and very upscale,” describes Kelly Lovegrove, Director of Operations for LFC Group of Companies. “We are seeing more and more developers like this who see auctions as a smart way of doing business. Rather than lowering prices until buyers bite, sellers are letting the buyers decide what they want to pay—a powerful tool in times like these.”

Stapleton is conveniently located 15 minutes from downtown Denver and the Denver International Airport, with effortless access to the mountains via the I-70. The master planned community is innovative and diverse, encouraging business growth, environmentalism, and strong neighborhood ties. Designed for maximum mobility, businesses and entertainment are only a short walk or bike ride away. Several parks and nature spots, as well as numerous public art formations designed by well-known artists, all enhance the daily experience, health, and overall enjoyment of locals. A sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle is encouraged by Stapleton, which is the largest community in Colorado and one of the largest in the United States to have 100% builder participation in the Energy Star® program.

Golden, only 25 minutes from the city, is a budding town boasting both thriving development and close-knit, small town community ties, rooted in a strong sense of pride in its unique history. Featuring local entertainment, an annual fine arts festival, and a weekly farmer’s market, Golden encourages residents to participate in local events and support local businesses. Historic Downtown Golden offers an array of shopping and dining options, while the surrounding natural environment is filled with trails and camping spots for the more adventurous.

For more information on this auction, including detailed property descriptions, documents, and bidding information, visit www.FRE.com/284R3.

******************************************************************************

Freedom Realty Exchange® – a member of the LFC Group of Companies
For more than 30 years, the LFC Group of Companies has served numerous Fortune 500 companies, real estate developers, investors, financial institutions and government agencies by auction-marketing thousands of commercial, industrial, land and residential properties with an aggregate value well in excess of $5 billion. http://www.fre.com/

###

Happy Holidays and Good Tidings for Real Estate!

During the holiday season it is important to look on the bright side of things, even when it comes to business.

There have been so many reports about the doom and gloom in the real estate industry that it may be hard to see the silver lining in all of this—that tough times inspire innovation and reinvention for the better. When faced with a crisis, many people respond by demanding change and then implementing it. And though it can be difficult to pinpoint what strategies will work to make a more productive, successful future in any industry, the effort is well worth it in the end.

In the spirit of innovation and reinvention, we are seeing that online auctions are now being considered by those who previously wouldn’t have taken a second look. This program for marketing and sales, often brushed off as a means used by distressed builders and developers, is garnering the attention of healthy sellers looking to sell brand-new, upscale inventory quickly and efficiently and buyers looking to buy a top-of-the-line home at a price they dictate.

In difficult times it can often seem safer to stick with tradition, to follow the standard ways of doing things— which in real estate means selling via traditional agent listings. Right now, though, people are waking up to the fact that these new, challenging times in real estate call for a system that works in both good times and bad, that produces solid buyers and encourages quick sales.

That system, of course, is the online auction method. The online auction gives buyers the means not only to purchase a house conveniently but also to educate themselves sufficiently beforehand so that they can buy confidently. All documents necessary for due diligence are online—disclosures, purchase contracts, warranties, etc.—making the transaction as straightforward and accessible as possible, which means no surprises when it comes time to sign contracts. Plus, buyers feel empowered as never before, bidding to set prices that reflect true market values.

Online auctions help sellers too. By focusing attention on their properties and then generating excitement and urgency through the short buying timeframe set by the bid deadline, online auctions elevate sellers’ inventory far above the sea of homes for sale elsewhere. Serious buyers beyond the local market can be more easily found, as well, and then can buy from the comfort of their home computer.

Online auctions, then, have driven real estate buying and selling beyond conventional means, bypassing the limitations set by geographic boundaries and the hassles associated with long-winded traditional sales.

This is an exciting time, when more and more healthy, solid builders and developers—and better educated buyers—are giving significant credence to the online auction solution. Just look at our current auctions in Palm Desert, CA and Denver, CO for evidence: both auctions feature amazing, upscale properties that are brand-new, feature distinctive, impressive architecture, and are located in premier locations; plus, the builders are both highly respected and doing well financially. These auctions are builder inventory closeouts, not builder closings.

So now we can see the positive side in all of this real estate gloom— that the future of real estate rests in reinvention and in taking a look at methods once overlooked.

This is the time for online real estate auctions. Spread the word.

Prospective Buyers Interested in Luxury Palm Desert Real Estate Respond Positively During First Week of Campaign

Above: One of the two community pools at Brava

If the first weekend of our auction of 16 luxury condominiums at Brava, the Tuscan-style community in Palm Desert, is any indication, this campaign will be garnering an amazing amount of attention from interested buyers locally, nationally, and even internationally—with many Canadians already intrigued by the prospect of owning a beautiful new home in the picturesque Southwest desert.

Whether it’s the unprecedented community design—Brava features ‘Toscana’ paver streets, stone exterior detailing, and amenities like two community pools, a fitness center, and a clubhouse—, the combination of relaxing natural wonders and exciting cultural activities that Palm Desert offers, or the low minimum bids—one fully furnished model starts at $99,000—people are already clamoring to be one of many bidders on these homes.

Stay tuned for more updates on this auction, and more on others as well!

Click here to see information on our auction of brand new homes in DENVER!

Above: The interior of one of the Denver Brownstones

Online Auctions: Increasingly Seen as Viable Option for Any Builder or Developer

Online real estate auctions are losing their stigma as a last ditch effort by sellers who are either desperate to sell new inventory or are trying to sell distressed properties that very few people actually want. Increasingly, builders and developers who are financially sound are reconsidering their previous assumptions regarding auctions and are now viewing the online auction platform as an effective way to expedite sales.

Our two newest campaigns offer examples that may surprise people. Both builder closeouts of upscale new homes, the campaigns shatter all expectations that auctions are for the struggling or defeated.

The first auction is of remaining inventory in the Tuscan-style community of Brava in Palm Desert. The 16 luxury townhomes are set within a community built to uphold exceptional standards. ‘Toscana’ paved roads, stone detailing on the units’ exteriors, and amenities such as an fitness center, clubhouse, and two pools, are all evidence that Brava offers residents the country club lifestyle. Located in the heart of Palm Desert—at the prestigious intersection of Country Club and Monterey—Brava brings the class and old-world charm of Italy to the serene desert landscape.

Above: The exterior of a unit at Brava in Palm Desert

The second auction is of remaining homes spread over three communities in Denver, Colorado. Of the eight homes, four are upscale multilevel Brownstones located in the Westerly Creek neighborhood of the master-planned community of Stapleton; three are large estate homes in the Eastbridge community of Stapleton; and one is a ranch style custom home in the charming town of Golden. All the homes are over 3000 square feet, with views of the surrounding mountains and access to both the city center and the great Colorado outdoors. Built with amenities such as a private elevator and rooftop terrace (Denver Brownstones), a Jacuzzi spa and large yards (Urban Estates), and a large ranch lot with access to trails and hiking (Golden), these homes are the perfect match of luxury and functionality.

Above: One of the penthouse terraces at the Denver Brownstones

Above: The exterior of one of the Urban Estates for auction in Stapleton

In both cases, the developers—well known and highly regarded in their respective regions—chose LFC to auction the properties on our residential real estate website Freedom Realty Exchange, FRE.com, so that sales could occur quickly and efficiently, while still promising reasonable prices, even in the midst of difficult housing markets.

With minimum bids half of the suggested retail prices, these auctions give buyers the authority to push the prices as high as they are willing to go, giving a good indication of what the market value truly is. Sellers don’t have to drive prices lower until buyers bite but can instead watch prices organically rise to the natural level.

Builders, developers, and buyers are all looking beyond the taboo of “auctions” and realizing that online auctions offer a technology-driven, convenient and transparent means of buying and selling real estate that is unmatched by any other method. The accelerated marketing platform makes sense in bad times and good, a solution for sellers in every situation in the market.

The builder closeout auction of homes in Palm Desert launches at FRE.com/265R4 on December 17, while the builder closeout of homes in Denver, Colorado launches at FRE.com/284R4 on December 19.