Dan Polimino's Blog

This week we are going to see Yelp reviews of Golf Club At Bear Dance, situated at 6630 Bear Dance Road, Larkspur, CO 80018. Few of the top reviews are given below:

G V., from Colorado Springs, CO says, “Great course. Very challenging. Great  time of year to play. Little wind, grass is still green, air is cool and fall colors are popping all around. Greens are quick and very true (although some are a bit rough this year). Driving range is great, balls included. Practice area is nice. Use the practice green to gauge your speed. DONT play the tips if you are over a 5 hdcp....you’ll not enjoy it and you WILL slow down play. GPS seem pretty accurate and if you are not from altitude, take into consideration the ball flys quite a bit further. If your lucky the surrounding mountains will have some snow caps. Seen fox, turkey and some small critters out here but never the bear. I heard the bear is with two cubs between 17 green and 18 tee mostly. Watch out.”

Christine P., from Denver, CO says, “This might be one of the most beautiful courses in Colorado - and that's saying a lot!  The course is interesting and challenging with a number of fairly tight fairways. They say it 7726 yards, but most of the professional tees seemed to be missing.  So, it may be a bit shorter than that. There are only a few houses on the course which is such a treat. This scenery need no homes to spoil to it! They have a nice practice facility and club house. If I have friends visiting from out of state, this is the course I would take them to. It is a great course that is quintessential Colorado.”

This week we are going to see Yelp reviews of Pierre Michel Organic French Bakery Café, situated at 3624 E Highlands Ranch Pkwy, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. Few of the top reviews are given below:

Karli, from Highlands Ranch, CO says, “I almost hate to write another glowing review (for fear that I will no longer be able to get my Saturday morning Croc Madame) but I want to share the deliciousness with the world. This place is a-mazing! The coffee is strong and rich, the pastries are light and flaky, the service is French! The Croc Madame is wonderful, any of the pastries are a good choice. We really like the salted butter croissant. You might see me there on Saturday mornings!”

Jeetu, from Austin, TX says, “Wow wow wow. Never seen a better bakery in North America. Totally impressed. Organic and fresh every day, doesn't get better than that, with the nicest most authentic service.”

Ava, from Littleton, CO says, Oh my gosh! This place is fabulous. I have yet to have something I don't love. Everything is always fresh and so tasty that the frequently run out of their popular items. The place just makes me miss Paris, but it truly is the next best thing. If I thought it wouldn't hit my waistline I'd go by here every day. Love love love it!

All I can say is, “WOW”… in response to last week’s column about my trials in finding a good contractor. I asked the question, “If you are a good contractor, tell me how we find you?” and the readers of this column responded with an overwhelming number of emails. So many, that I stopped counting and it took me several days to respond to them all. It is my personal policy to respond to everyone who writes me. I think I replied to everyone, but if I missed your email for some reason, please accept my apology and re-send it. There were even some folks who went to my website www.coloradodreamhouse.com, tracked down my phone number, and called me. Which is perfectly ok! Feel free to call me anytime. I am never too busy to help.

The emails and phone calls were fantastic. Some people sent me stories of remodeling projects gone badly. Others sent me glowing testimonials on why they love their tile guy. I had referrals for handy men, flooring people, tile people, roofers, custom builders, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, and everything in between. The good news is that I have so many good references now that I could start my own Angie’s list. If you need a reference on a good contractor, just call me and I’ll forward one of these many email testimonials.

It was so refreshing to hear some people say, “Dan, I would love to work with you and earn your business.” I almost never hear those words anymore and it gave me great confidence again that there are people who are working hard and doing business the right way. It was also great to see the power of people. Just by taking the time to send an email recommending a friend, a colleague, a co-worker, or your husband (the handyman) shows what terrific, hard working people we have in this country.

They say that hindsight is 20/20 and had I known the sheer volume of responses I would receive to the question, “If you are a good contractor, tell me how I find you,” I would have changed it to, “DOES ANYONE NEED TO BUY A HOUSE? TELL ME HOW I FIND YOU.”

Thanks again and have a great weekend.

Dan Polimino is a Realtor with Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty. He can be reached at DPolimino@fullerproperties.com and www.coloradodreamhouse.com/denverpost

There really are some important factors that everyone should consider if you want to find your dream home. Here is what I think are the top six things to consider when starting your search.

* Neighborhood. This seems obvious, but what I like to tell buyers is that when they first start thinking about moving, drive around some neighborhoods and get a feel of what looks good to you. Then take that knowledge to the internet to find out more.

* Children. If you have kids, how important is it for you to be in a certain school district? If so, that may limit the neighborhoods in which to find a dream home.

* Square feet. Some neighborhoods are known for large homes while some have small bungalow style homes. In recent years, the trend has been to go smaller, not bigger, so make sure that the neighborhood meets your square footage requirement.

* Finishes. They range widely so make sure that you know what you are looking for inside. If you are like us and have allergies, you may want to avoid homes with carpet and only look at ones with hardwood floors.

* Amenities. Remember that you are not only buying the home, but you are also buying the neighborhood. Amenities like a community pool, walking trails, shopping, and entertainment may all be important so make sure that you check it out.

* Landscaping. Some people want a home with a big backyard and plenty of trees. While that can be nice, that can also be expensive and time consuming to maintain. Make sure that you know what you are getting into here.

Finding your dream home should be fun. Don’t make it a job; enjoy the journey and explore. I hope that you find your dream home and feel free to contact me with questions or for help.

Dan Polimino is a Realtor with Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty. He can be reached at DPolimino@fullerproperties.com and www.coloradodreamhouse.com/denverpost

It’s Christmas and as many of my readers know, I don’t like to talk business this week. There are 51 weeks of the year to do that so indulge for me a moment while I tell you a story.

My grandparents would leave Church on Sundays and go over to their friend’s house for a visit. It wasn’t a party, it wasn’t a get together, and it wasn’t planned. In fact, the friends didn’t even know that they were coming. Joe and Mary (my grandparents) would knock on the door and yell through the screen, “anybody home?” Their friends or family would come rushing to the door. My grandparents would go in and have coffee and dessert. My grandmother had brought and prepared the dessert in advance and the two families spent the next two or three hours socializing. The reverse would also be true as grandma and grandpa would go home after Church and just sit. They had no plans, but they knew someone would be stopping by (uninvited) to visit. They didn’t know who or when, but they were sure they would have company. Right around 2 or 3pm, family, friends, or a neighbor would be at the door with a pie, a cake, or some dessert for everyone to share. Grandma would put on a pot of coffee and welcome everyone in with open arms. They would talk about everything and nothing, but it was two or three hours of sharing lives and connecting.

Sadly, I feel like these days are gone and I how I yearn for them to be back again. I am only 42 and my friends call me “old fashioned or traditional.” They tell me I should have been born in the 40’s or 50’s. I was thinking the other day how much I love it when people stop by unannounced. I love company, but I am afraid we have lost this tradition as a nation. Most of the time when I want to see friends it takes three phone calls, two emails, and collaborating too many people’s schedules. I am not sure they would have the time to visit even if we did stop by on a Sunday afternoon. We have the most advanced social networking ever known to mankind; yet we are more isolated than ever before. We are connected to 20,000 people on Twitter and Facebook, but we have never been more alone. We are speeding through life; constantly playing beat the clock and wondering why we don’t have many close friends anymore. My sister lives in California, my brother lives in Pennsylvania, my father lives in New York, my mother lives in Utah, and I live in Denver. I guess that gives new meaning to the term “extended family.” If I am lucky, I’ll get to see some of them once a year.

Call me crazy, but I think my grandparents had it right and today we’ve got it wrong. Those Sunday visits, those relationships, and those people connecting face to face around tables in the United States have built and enriched our lives more than we could possibly explain. Now more than ever in these tough economic times, I think that we need to come alongside our friends, neighbors, and family and act more like one unit helping, encouraging, laughing, caring, and crying as we all attempt run the good race.

Over the next two weeks of this Holiday season, maybe we all should take a tip from an older and wiser generation. Maybe we should stop into a friend’s house unannounced for coffee or dessert and spend an hour talking about nothing and everything.

Dan Polimino is a Realtor with Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty. He can be reached at DPolimino@fullerproperties.com and www.coloradodreamhouse.com/denverpost