TJC Blog

I’m not sure why, but my boys were off school today. For all I know they scammed me.  Since it was 80 degrees and sunny, I wasn’t complaining so I played hooky from work and hung out with them all day.

The boys both got new bikes from our neighborhood shop Cycleton. Yet another great reason to live in this neighborhood. Walk from home to the shop, pick out bikes, go get food from Chipotle while they tune up the new rides and then cruise back home!

I packed a cooler in the basket of my cruiser, along with baseball gloves and books.  We went to Central Park and played on the rocks for a while.  Then we rode down toward the creek and stopped under the shelter by the pond.  We watched this bird bask in the sun and fish.

The sucker actually dives in the water and goes under for a long time.  The boys wanted to know what it is and I of course have no idea so I said it’s a Black Birduckfisheron.  That is pronounced burr-duck-fish-er-on.

Will read in the shade while Drew and I played catch.  We then rode along the 29^th Street bike path all the way back to the Town Center for lunch at Noodles & Company.  Next was timed races around the Town Green.  Drew held the record of 51.2 seconds until Will broke it with a fine score of 47.2   I didn’t want to race on my cruiser but Drew-boo really wanted to time me so I went for it and crushed it with a record time of 42.4. 

Will finished his book and was eager to start a new one.  We were conveniently a stones throw from the library which finally extended it’s hours so we went in there for an hour.  Drew read to me while Will read to himself and we finally decided to ride our bikes back home. 

Now I’m sitting here on my front porch watching the boys play in the courtyard and waving to seemingly endless streams of neighbors out and about.  This really is a vibrant and exciting neighborhood and apparently nobody works on Fridays!

This side of Stapleton still has lots of new and resale homes available.   But there is also a new and exciting opportunity on the north side of Stapleton.  Conservatory Green is exploding! They already have tons of retail and restaurants with Northfield being a well established entertainment and shopping area.  Now you can be within walking distance of this and all kinds of new parks and bike trails.  Check it out here and here. 

If you really want the inside scoop and are interested in joining any community in Stapleton, TJC has a real estate side that has already closed on many homes in Conservatory Green and throughout Stapleton.  Of course if you want to dip your toes in before you dive in (the pools aren’t quite open yet anyway), then you can find lots of rental properties through TJC as well.

Okay, enough typing on the porch.  There is a sweet game of 4-Square going on and I feel a few cherry bombs coming on! 

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

You know how women go to Vegas and create fake travel names for themselves? You don’t? Come on man! Las Vegas is a hall-pass for dressing however you want and doing things you wouldn’t normally do.  This usually only applies to women because guys wear the same stuff and do the same things no matter the situation. 

For example, a couple is invited to a neighborhood party.  The woman wears her skinny jeans with a fancy yet casual fun top and really cool accessories.  The guy wears jeans and an un-tucked button-up shirt.  The couple is invited to dinner at a restaurant.  The woman wears a hot dress and gets her hair done.  The guy wears jeans and an un-tucked button-up shirt.  The couple is invited to a more formal event.  The woman wears a beautiful long dress and gets a makeover.  The guy wears jeans and an-tucked button-up shirt, while carrying a black sport coat.

As for behavior, at home women are civilized and catch up on life with their friends, but in Vegas they get all crazy and stay up past 10pm and talk to strangers.  At home, men talk to anyone about anything and we stay up until tomorrow.  Same thing in Vegas.

Therefore women create fake names for themselves in order to protect their real identity and reputation whereas us idiot men just go on being idiots.

The point is, I need a fake Starbucks name.  The baristas there are always giving me a new name anyway.  It’s tough to be a Brett when you talk fast, slur your words in general and have a Chicago Midwestern accent.  Most of the baristas know me now because I go in there so often to order my venti sugar-free vanilla nonfat chai.  The problem is they know me by the name they invented for me.  It always went something like this:

“Okay, one venti sugar-free vanilla nonfat chai coming up.  What is your name?”

“Brett.”

“Brad?”

“Brett.”

Then they look at me funny and turn the cup toward their face so I can’t see what they are writing.  Then I wait and my drink gets cold because I’m cheesing out and my name isn’t Brent so I don’t put it together that they wrote my name wrong but it is indeed my drink sitting there on the counter while I space out (I’m not a morning person). 

In addition to Brad and Brent, I’ve gotten Brian, Breck, Bren and even Brat.  Yes, my parents on the best day of their lives, my actual day of birth, wrote Brat down on the birth certificate at Chicago Memorial Hospital or whatever the heck it was called – how appropriate I can’t remember the name while Starbucks can’t remember mine. 

Once in awhile the barista will think they are being smart by pulling my name off my credit card.  The problem is I go by my middle name.  So when they yell out William or think they are really clever and try Bill, I may as well not even be in the same time zone with my lack of response. 

Now that I’ve been in there so often, every barista thinks they know me and they just write down whatever the heck they think my name is and I have to go with it.   So I’m thinking about going with a Starbucks name like Nick or Buck or Jack.  Those are manly man names that can’t be mistaken for Brat. 

Names like that make up for my obnoxious order of a venti sugar-free vanilla nonfat chai. I might even grunt when I announce my name.  And then when I do something crazy like order my drink extra hot, my credibility is safe because it’s just Buck being a nutty guy at Starbucks. 

Consider this your fair warning for when you move to Stapleton.  You will need a Starbucks name.  Make it a good one.

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

According to a Denver Post article earlier this week, apartment rental rates are on the rise as vacancies decline.  The property management side of TJC has eleven homes available for lease right now, but you will see they go fast.  Ten other listings are marked with ‘just leased.’  Those folks on the rental side are showoffs!  The team on the sales side is also kicking some serious booty.

With the rental market so tight and lots of brand new homes available for sale (and still favorable interest rates), now is a better time than ever to buy.  The new neighborhood at Conservatory Green in Stapleton is exploding.  Check out the sister site we put together to help consumers stay up to date on the exciting growth of Conservatory Green.

It is really fun to be part of a new neighborhood.  I moved into a new part of Stapleton a year ago.  I’m in the area where the old airport parking garage was.   There are new homes going up everywhere.  There are also cool little hidden gems that are fun to discover in every new neighborhood.

For example, I love the streetlights they put in around the footpath along 32^nd. It is such a minor thing but obviously a lot of thought was put to design when they were chosen.  And if you walk along that footpath from the west toward the control tower, you might notice a hidden corridor of parkway between houses.  Many houses face in toward this parkway creating a unique living experience that you just don’t see in any other neighborhoods.

My boys got really excited when they saw this hidden parkway.  Because within this hidden parkway is a hidden park!  It’s small, with just a couple swings and one of those cool climbing apparatuses that includes a slide and monkey bars, but what else does a kid really need?

We have been to this hidden park many times.  We play a fun game of throwing a tennis ball around from the ground to the top of the slide, down the slide, over the tree and back up to the top of the slide.  Inevitably other kids will join in and us parents will be amazed by how excited and engaged kids can be by throwing a tennis ball around.  They are like dogs going after that sucker.

My seven year old likes to play so much, he won’t let anything get in the way of his fun.  Two times ago when we went to the hidden park, he left a not so well hidden gem – his dinner.  He was wrestling around with another kid (over the tennis ball) and between the exercise and getting his stomach smooshed, he gave me the old, “Daddy, I don’t feel good.  My tummy hurts.”  When he says those words, there is a 97.9% chance he will puke.  I managed to get him off the playground but not to the grass in time.

A couple days later we went to the park again and there was a nice reminder of our last visit stained on the sidewalk.  Oops.  Like I said, it sure is fun to find the hidden surprises of new neighborhoods in Stapleton!

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

Stapleton is a very social community.  Many of the residents are families with children.  But that doesn’t stop the parents from getting out sans kids and having some adult fun. The men and women of Stapleton mix well, married or not, but its funny how typical differences between genders come out when it comes to socializing.

You know what I’m talking about.  You go to a party with your wife or girlfriend (but not both because that would be awkward) and the women all end up in the kitchen.  The guys are either in the backyard or the garage.  The women talk about anything and everything.  They get the scoop on everybody.  The men talk about sports and women.  If a woman meets a new woman, she finds out her life history and future aspirations.  If a man meets a new guy, he finds out what he likes to drink.

I’ve been to parties where my ex-wife talked to a couple and found out they were pregnant and the guy was starting a new career.  I’d talk to the same couple and find out, well, nothing.

I think it’s amazing how differently men and women are wired when it comes to making plans.  I can send out a text to fifteen guys saying. “Lets go to the Berk tonight for beers at 9p, see you there.”  I may or may not get texts back but I guarantee you at least half of them will show up.

If a woman wants to have a drink with friends at the Berk, it will start with an email to fifteen friends.  Every one of them will respond with a long email back about how busy they are and somehow discussion of the PTA will find its way in the string.  Some of the women will actually commit but they will want to invite some other friends. This can be tricky because some women don’t get along with others so it can’t be a free-for-all.  Therefore, somebody will create an eVite. 

Someone else will suggest a theme.  Suddenly there is a formal invitation going to fifty women about 80s Night at the Berk and that you should bring canned food as a donation to the Colorado Food Bank.  Next thing you know, twenty women are booking mani/pedi appointments and five others go to get their hair done.  Six buy new outfits.  Four go shoe shopping.

The allotted time comes and only four women show up.  One is wearing disco pants and the horror of being the only one dressed in 80s gear is shielded by her mirrored sunglasses.

The four women drink wine.  Lots of wine.  The ten guys that showed up from the text is actually about fifteen guys because we see other dudes we know and meet a few strangers that also like to talk about sports and chicks. The four women ignore us. 

Ben the bartender knows just about everybody by name and takes care of all of us. We all have fun because we are with our friends from the neighborhood.  It’s like a bunch of Norms walking in the bar.  There is something really comforting about that.

If you want to get a taste of life in Stapleton and also have some great food, drinks and service, check out the Berkshire.  Say hi to Ben for us.

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

One of the many things I love about Stapleton is that my kids have a wonderful place to grow up, have fun and feel safe.  As much as anyone can feel safe these days.  My heart goes out to Boston.  Unfortunately the safest of all safe can still be frightening.  But in the spirit of Americans in Boston, Colorado, throughout the country and around the world - we will not become something we are not due to the cowardice and treachery of sick individuals. We send our love and support to victims of this tragedy.  And we tell our loved ones we love them.  You can never tell anyone enough.  Every moment is precious.

The owner of TJC, Tom Cummings, is from the Boston area.  He has many friends there.  One of his friends, Keith Cheverie wrote a touching post on his Facebook page that we want to share here too. Words are difficult to express the emotions of people affected by this around the world, but I'd say Keith's words were more than precious.  Read them and hold your head high and heart strong. 

"I have nothing new or insightful to add to the discussion of yesterday's events, but I think just putting your feelings out there can be therapeutic, so here goes...Patriots Day has always been a big day in my family. Even though I grew up in Maine, my family got tickets for the Patriots Day game at Fenway every year and so we would make a complete day of it. After the game, we would make our way to Kenmore Square and watch the runners go by. Back in those days, the marathon started at noon, so you could see the whole Sox game and still see the elite runners go by. We rooted for Bill Rogers and Joan Benoit as they won Boston (before the Kenyans began their domination of the event).

During my 20s, I lived in and around Boston and got season tickets at Fenway as soon as I was out of college. Those years were more about the party that is the Boston Marathon. At the bars when they open at 9am, beers at the Park and then off to the course to provide some rowdy support of the runners. I have never been a runner, but have the utmost respect for anyone that can run 26.2 miles, especially those that do so at paces that I can't match for 800 yards.

For the past dozen years, I have lived in Hopkinton, near the start of the Marathon. The scene here in Hopkinton is surreal on Patriots Day each year. Our town population essentially triples just when you acccount for the runners, then there are thousands of spectators as well. There is a great sense of pride here about the Marathon and we do our best as a community to be great hosts. 

This year we proudly hosted two runners. Caryn's cousin Pete Mandevilleand his girlfriend Tarra came Saturday night late, joined us for the Red Sox game on Sunday and Monday Pete ran his first Boston Marathon. In addition, our dear friends Kimberly Marcotte and her kids stayed with us along with Kim's sister Leah, who was running her 2nd Boston Marathon. I'm happy to say that Pete and Leah both completed the marathon, and much more importantly everyone in their family was out of harm's way before the tragic events unfolded near the finish line.

As a spectator myself, I watched all 27,000 runners pass by about 50 yards after the start line. I did this while hanging with some friends and family, including my 8 year old daughter, Charly. Another family that tried doing the exact same thing with their 8 year old at the other end of the course had their entire world shattered just 4 hours later. I'm not as angry as I usually get about these things. I'm mostly just sad. I'm sad that Pete and Leah had their experience marred by this. I'm sad that Kim's kids had to witness everything they did last night (they were staying in Copley after the race). I'm sad that I have to reassure my Jordyn that she isn't going to get blown up on her trip to NYC this week. Mostly I'm sad for the 8 year old boy's family and all the other victims.

Sorry for the long rambling post. I think I was right about this being therapeutic. I for one am looking forward to cheering on runners again next April, and if any runners need a place to stay in Hopkinton, just let us know."

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

Viva Las Stapleton! They say what happens in Stapleton stays in Stapleton, so I’m not supposed to tell you anything.  But TJC Real Estate isn’t like everyone else.  They aren’t afraid to tell you how it is and give you a realistic point of view on Stapleton.  So I’ll try not to hold back here.  Kari’s only rule is that I’m not allowed to swear.  I’ve been doing my best to adhere to her damn censorship.

I’m going to Las Vegas tomorrow but really, why bother?  Las Vegas and Stapleton are practically the same thing.

Vegas is about great food, shows, gambling, people watching, warm weather and fun.  And by fun, I mean the kind of fun where seemingly normal and conservative adults do things they normally wouldn’t do – just like here in Stapleton!

For example, I had an impromptu party last Friday.  It started around 5p and it consisted of about ten adults and twelve children.  Juice boxes were being pounded. It was mid sixties and we were jamming music outside. I was dancing up a storm with a gorgeous girl named Emerson.  She is four and can twirl like a ballerina.  Late night (around 8p) pizzas were consumed.  There was a random four-legged animal in the bathroom (Noodle, the neighbor’s senile dog).  There was sports betting (I bet five bucks that Tiger Woods would not win the Masters).  There was even a tranny show – the boys started playing dress up with girly hats and fake dresses made out of blankets.  It was crazy!!!  Finally in the wee hours of the night (around 10p), the party dissipated.  

I woke up in the morning and we went out for a hangover breakfast.  The kids were hurting from all the sugar and late night running around.  We ate lots of bacon, just like I do during Vegas mornings.  Also just like Vegas where the guy on the corner tries to hand you 'informative brochures', the dude who stands by Starbucks every morning offered up a newspaper. 

It was just another typical weekend in Stapleton.  Lots of people having fun eating, drinking and being entertained.  Just like Vegas.  If you are one of those people that wants to lay low and have a hermit lifestyle, go to Highlands Ranch.  If you want to live in a vibrant, social, exciting neighborhood, come to Stapleton. 

Viva Las Stapleton!!!

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd…

Today is opening day for the Rockies.  I’ve already seen Dads and kids walking around wearing ballcaps, Tulo jerseys and wide smiles.  It’s only 9am.  Baseball fever is always high on opening day.

Some people don’t understand the appeal of baseball.  They think it’s a long boring game.  That is fine.  To each their own.  But here his why I love baseball and why I think it deserves its status as America’s Pastime.

My dad and I get along fine.  I love him.  He loves me.  But we don’t really tell each other that.  Nor do we have many (any) warm fuzzy conversations.  When I call my parents and he answers, he immediately yells for my mom to pick up the phone and doesn’t say another word. 

I only have a few really great childhood memories of bonding with my dad.  One of them is playing catch.  He had a catcher’s mitt and I had a Wilson signed by Ron Guidry.  We’d throw in the front yard.  He’d toss me some grounders.  And then he’d have me pitch to him.  I loved it because it was fun.  But even if I didn’t realize it then, deep down I loved it because I loved him.

Those games of catch are why I cry 100% of the time when I watch Field of Dreams.  When Ray plays catch with his dad… crap, I’m tearing up right now.

The other strong father-son bonding moment I remember is when my dad took me to Cubs games.  We’d park by the cemetery on Clark Street and walk to Wrigley Field.  We’d buy a scorecard and I’d write in the lineups and record every at bat.  I’d get autographs on those scorecards and on my Cubs hat.  We’d move around to other seats every couple innings just for fun (it was easy to do back then).  I loved those Cubs games because I love baseball, but more so because I was there with my dad.

Stapleton is bursting with young families.  I see this baseball love bond all over the neighborhood.  Fathers with their glove toting daughters and sons.  Moms in purple jerseys, grandparents in goofy Rockies straw hats.  Young couples holding hands in Starbucks talking about the pre-game parties.  Wide smiles everywhere.  It’s a beautiful day, opening day.

Stapleton is full of baseball fans.  Which means Stapleton is full of smiles and love.  I’d ramble on and on, but it’s already 9:30am and I have pre-game parties to go to before I go to the game. 

But first, I’m going to call my dad.  I’m going to thank him for taking me to all those Cubs games and even letting me call in sick to school on opening day.   And I’ll tell him I love him. 

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, I don’t care if I ever come back…

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

One of my favorite family pastimes growing up involved murder.  There is nothing like sitting around with my sister, mom and dad on a Friday night thinking about a lead pipe or candlestick buried inside the head of some poor sap.

The best murders occur in rooms that only exist in mansions.  In my house, the most exotic place would have been the utility room.  We actually had a billiard room but it was so small, you had to use the short stick every other shot and my dad’s beer can collection took a beating at waist height. 

I’m talking about the board game Clue of course.  I was never a fan of Colonel Mustard.  That off-yellow game piece and the fact I hate mustard were reason enough to always hope he was the killer.  My sister always wanted to be Miss Scarlet.  She did have the red hair so I suppose it was warranted.  If dirty old Mustard didn’t do it, I always suspected my evil sister.  Being two and a half years older than me, she and I didn’t see eye to eye until we were a bit older.

Those formal rooms were so mysterious!  What kind of house has a secret passageway from the kitchen to the study?  Imagine the games of Hide N Seek – awesome!!!!  Of course there was also the secret passageway between the lounge and conservatory.  But as a seven year old kid, I didn’t know what either of those were, so I tended to stay out of there, plus I couldn't pronounce conservatory.    

My dad was always Mr. Green.  It seemed appropriate.  I pictured him as old and wise.  Too bad there wasn’t a Mr. Pink.  You know in the Buscemi family that little Steve would get stuck with that one every time.  He’d throw a fit! 

Those were the good old days playing Clue with the family.  Now I play Clue with my own kids.  It has come top of mind because Stapleton is building like crazy in a new neighborhood called Conservatory Green.  Obviously it was Mr. Green in the conservatory with the wrench since there is all that construction going on out there!

If you haven’t checked out the exciting new things going on in Conservatory Green as part of Stapleton, give TJC a call.  They have already done lots of business with buyers and builders out there and are experts on the new hood.  They can tell you all about the future plans and how Conservatory Green integrates with Northfield and the rest of Stapleton.  TJC is already deep into the Conservatory Green market and can help you find the home of your dreams or just answer questions.

In this case, it’s not murder.  It’s life to the fullest in an exciting new neighborhood.  To win this game, go with TJC in the Conservatory Green with the key to your new home!

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

Sometimes I impress people with my knowledge of interesting marketing trends and business developments going on in the world today.  Little do they know, I like to read on the toilet and if I’m done with my Sports Illustrated I might bring a Wall Street Journal in there. 

I had Mexican food last night.  So this morning I got really smart!

The WSJ ran an interesting article about the benefits of smiling.  Research has proven that smiling is good for your health.  It lessens stress and reduces heart rate. There are all kinds of different smiles and people in white lab coats have even named them!  For example, a full out genuine smile is called the Duchenne, named after the 19^th Century French neurologist that first described it.  This smile uses the most muscles and is believed to be the healthiest. 

In contrast, the standard social smile is called the Pan Am Smile after the polite expression the former airline’s stewardesses gave their passengers as they boarded the plane. This smile uses much less muscles around the mouth and therefore is not deemed as health beneficial as the Duchenne but yet it is still better than not smiling. 

This all seems like common sense, right? But then why are so many people going about their day with a neutral look on their face, and certainly not making eye contact with strangers in which case they are more likely to scowl, unless the other person is hot, in which case they are just going to look like a creeper if they smile so they quickly look away pretending they just remembered they need an avocado.

The WSJ article goes on to state the obvious.  When you smile at someone, the most natural reaction is for him or her to smile back.  Win win.  And more fun than the yawn yawn. 

Luckily for you, the TJC Real Estate and Management team is full of smiling people.  They tend to do the Duchenne with their own little touch of enthusiasm to make it special.  You really have to see the Jacobs.  It’s so shiny and happy you just want to eat Skittles while riding a unicorn (cuz what could be better than that). 

And then when a TJC client sells or buys a home, they make their own smiles.  The kind that are hard to name because they are so special.  Because there actually is something better than Skittles and unicorns – having a great experience buying or selling your home with TJC Real Estate.  Whoa, smiling while house hunting or house showings? That is crazy talk.  Except when you have the Jacobs to inspire you.

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.

The Denver Post just ran an article about a bunch of apps that smartphone owners could use to help them search for homes on the market.  Here I thought my iPhone was just for phone calls, texting and playing Words With Friends.  I didn’t know I could buy my dream home with the push of a button!

There is Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, Craigslist, Realtor, ZipRealty, Homes, lions and tigers, oh my! There is even one called HotPads, which I misread as HotPants and was immediately downloading until I realized it was a real estate app. All of the aforementioned have similar helpful functions and all have deficiencies.

The reality is that these apps are just tools to help buyers during their home search and certainly aren’t actually utilized to buy property.  The apps are all extensions of websites that empower buyers and sellers with information that was once only available through realtors.  However, the information isn’t always up to date or reliable, so use with caution.

It is great to use technology to be better informed and prepared for anything.  But I still say there is nothing better than face-to-face interaction.  Think of your own friends.  What is more fulfilling, getting up to speed on Jane’s life via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr and her blog; or getting to see Jane and talk to her in person?  Okay okay, I admit there are some people I’m perfectly happy keeping in touch with from my keyboard, but for the important friends, there is nothing more empowering and informative than direct in-person interaction.  Just like with buying a home.

Remember when United Airlines used to be good?  One of my favorite ads of all time played on this in-person theme back when phone calls and faxes were considered technological replacements for face-to-face interaction.  Watch the spot here if you want a sentimental trip in the friendly skies.

Load up your smartphone with all the real estate apps you want.  And do your research online.  But don’t forget that people make things happen and you better make sure you have a great real estate agent.  Even if you are buying a new home.

Apps and websites can be helpful, but they won't proactively find you the home of your dreams, much less advise you and represent your best interests.  TJC Real Estate is that comforting and wise manager at United Airlines back in 1990.  Check out TJC via their website, blog, Facebook, phone and your crystal ball.  But then sit down with them over a beverage and talk about your dream home.  They are excited to see you.

Posted by Brett Grischo - an aspiring writer hoping this endeavor doesn't kill his dream. About Brett's work with TJC here. Find more from Brett here.