Do A Good Deed - Help Build A Home For Another

Doing a selfless deed for another is a great way to spend part of your summer. How about giving one day (or more) of your time to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

This non profit organization builds low cost homes for families in need around the world. The Habitat for Humanity seeks to lessen poverty and homelessness by building houses with volunteers and donated money and materials.

These homes are sold to families in need at no profit and are financed with affordable loans. The money brought in from their monthly mortgages goes right into making more homes for other families. This organization has built more than 250,000 homes throughout the world and have created better living environments for over 1 million people.

This summer would be a great time to volunteer to help build a house for a family in need. The day I volunteered was a wonderful experience. Well trained employees of Habitat For Humanity provide a safety talk and all of the tools and materials needed. They are also quite good at matching your individual skill level with tasks that need to be done for that day. Repeat visits are very welcome. - If you do not have the time to help build one of their homes, your donations are always appreciated and help as well.

For more information and locations close to you:
Habitat for Humanity Denver locations or call (303) 534-2929 TODAY.

SPRING IS HERE! - RUN IN A MARATHON OR RACE

Are you looking for a fun, active summer activity to participate in? There are many races/marathons in and around the Denver area this summer that are a fun and exciting way to push yourself.

The Cottonwood Classic 5K
This race is in Thornton on May 17, 2008

Couples Relay
A run or walk race for couples in Ft. Collins on May 18, 2008. Each person runs/walks 5K. Couple can be male/female, male/male, or female/female.

Boulder Boulder
This 10K race is in Boulder on May 26, 2008. Registration costs $40 and up (depending on package)

Rocky Mountain Half Marathon and Women’s 8K
This marathon is in Denver on June 8, 2008

Donor Dash
This is a 5K race in Washington Park in Denver on July 13, 2008

Denver Marathon
This is a marathon, half-marathon or 4 person marathon relay on October 19, 2008. It starts in front of the capital building and goes through the heart of downtown Denver and ends at Civic Center Park

Save Money On Your Gasoline Expenses In 2008

This past year we have seen gas prices increase dramatically. On May 1, 2008 the average national gas price was $3.62 per gallon, the highest our nation hase ever seen. Gas prices in 2008 overall have increased 18% from last year alone.

There appears to be no signs of slowing. The gas prices will continue to rise in the spring and into the summer. In some places gas prices will reach $4.00 per gallon. Traditionally, gas prices peak during the summer months. This summer’s gas prices look like they may be even higher than predicted.

With gas prices at a new high throughout the nation, many of us are looking for ways to cut down on their fuel consumption. If you are interested in reducing your gas consumption, here are a few ideas:

* Walk or bike instead of drive to close destinations
* Carpool to work or other activities
* Take public transportation (light rail)
* Don’t jump in the car every time you want something. Plan fewer trips with multiple stops and route your trips in advance of leaving.
* Drive slower. Driving 10 miles per hour slower on the highway will reduce fuel consumption by nearly 10%.

Fill up with the least expensive gas in your area.
Here are some sites that can help you do so:

Gas Buddy

MapQuest gas prices

Appreciation Seen In Select Denver Subdivisions

A recent article in the 5280 magazine noted several Denver neighborhoods that experienced an increase in their average sales price for 2007. The article lists only some of the areas showing appreciation for the year. There are many additional subdivisions that are showing upward movement in price trends throughout the Metro Denver area.

Here are the communities listed in the recent magazine article.

Average Sales Price and Percent Increase From 2006 to 2007 For:
Berkley: $274,000; 5 percent
Cherry Hills: $2,016,500; 7 percent
Country Club Historic District: $1,082,000; 26 percent
Highlands and West Highlands: $305,011; 4 percent
Highlands Ranch: $319,000 (average of Redstone and Coyote Creek); 1.5 percent
Ken-Caryl Valley: $564,000; 5 percent
Louisville: $392,000 in 2007 and early 2008; up 7.3 percent from 2006
Mayfair: $671,000 (average of Montclair and Hilltop); 10 percent
Old Bonnie Brae: $904,212; 13 percent
South Park Hill: $456,000; 5 percent
Stapleton: $454,000; 4 percent
Washington Park: $654,000; 9 percent

Other interesting new is that according to the Metrolist numbers the number of days it is taking for a home to go under contract is decreasing. During of April 2007 it took 108 days to sell while last month, it took 103 days. Although this is not a significant difference, it is just another indicator to tell you which way our market is moving.

Metrolist figures show another interesting point. The number of buyers in the market is also increasing. Under contract properties increased by 7% this past March as compared to March of 07 and April to April showed a 2% increase. - These market indicators are saying the Denver real estate market is improving.

Feel free to contact me to discuss specifics of any community you have interest in or if you would like to know about other subdivisions showing significant promise.

Parts of Denver Are Appreciating

A recent article in US News reported that although many areas of Denver have experienced a reduction of home values during the past two years, homeowners in select neighborhood have actually seen APPRECIATION of home values. This color coded map shows in blue (0 to 5%) and green (5% +) where owners have been experiencing an increase in their property values over the past two years.

If you are thinking of purchasing a home in Denver you might want to first consider looking in the areas that have bucked the national and local trend. After all, the reasons these pockets of areas are and have shown appreciation while other areas have not, will continue to exist in the future. You too can benefit by owning a home, or investment property, in one of these appreciating areas.

Good Trend For Denver's Housing Market

Denver's housing market appears to have turned the corner.

Supply and demand always determines the value of a product or an entire market. The breaking news is that the supply of currently listed homes for March 2008 is 3.5% less than for the same month in 2007. This is a very significant number indicating the Denver housing market is improving as compared to a year ago.

Another interesting point is that Denver is one of only five major markets to see a decrease in available homes as compared to the same period last year. Denver has only a 6.4 month supply of homes available today; one of the lowest numbers of all major housing markets nationally. In contrast, Miami has a 35 month supply of homes and other areas like Las Vegas, Tampa, and Detroit have close to an 18 month supply.

Other indicators that Denver has turned the corner can be found in a recent Forbes article stating that local builders had reduced building by nearly 50%, Denver has seen a 20% drop in the number of vacant homes and new jobs has increased by 2%.

If you are considering buying a home in Denver, you might want to do so before the prices start to increase. And, before the inventory of available homes decreases further.

Want A Volume Discount With Your Next Moving Company?

We at RE/MAX are always working for our clients to get them the best possible pricing with their entire relocation. We have just established an affiliation with MoveSource which can provide moving services from various major van lines, including Atlas, Mayflower and United. Due to the high volume of business we refer these van lines, we can pass along the volume discounts to our clients.

In addition to the discounts available to you, MoveSource also offers you the following benefits:
* Guaranteed pricing in writing prior to your move
* Guaranteed pick-up and delivery dates
* Up to $75,000 full value replacement coverage at no additional cost
* A relocation coordinator to counsel you throughout your move
* Post-move assistance in case of a claim

You can also contact MoveSource by calling 800-991-6683

Here is a helpful Moving Check List you may find helpful when planning your next move.

Your Money Can Grow On Trees

Improving your landscaping is the absolute single best way of increasing the value of your home for the money you invest. All other things owners do to their home like kitchen or bath remodeling will only return a portion of every dollar invested; and actually loses some value each year thereafter. Well designed landscaping will actually increase in value each year.

Home buyers always value a landscaped home more than a non-landscaped or under landscaped properties. The Society of Real Estate Appraisers state that 95% of the appraisers believe that landscaping adds to the dollar value of residential real estate by improving your homes’ appearance.

Landscaping Tips:

1. Consult with a professional landscape design firm or even your local nursery to insure you purchase landscaping that will thrive in your climate.

2. Plant flowers that will bloom at various times throughout the spring, summer and fall months of the year to maximize the color and appearance of your property.

3. Be sure the space will be adequate for the fully mature tree you will be planting. (For example: A Colorado Blue Spruce tree can have a 50 foot diameter when mature. So, be sure the area selected will support such a tree in the years to come.)

4. Drive your neighborhood as well as fully mature subdivisions to see what others have done with their landscaping. There is nothing wrong with coping great landscaping ideas of other owners.

5. Add water features. The sight and wonderful sounds of a water feature can greatly increase the value of your landscaping and set your home apart from others in your neighborhood. A comment from a viewer of my March 20, 2008 blog mentioned that: "Flowers that attract the butterflies will attract the hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles as well. To attract the songbirds, a birdfeeder usually works best." So, you might also consider adding a birdfeeder and perhaps a birdbath to your landscaping as well.

6. Go online to find landscaping ideas. Here are a few excellent sites to consider:

Free Landscaping Design Ideas

Water Features On Any Budget

Landscape Designs To Create A Beautiful Back Yard Retreat

UNDER CONTRACT HOMES INCREASING

Under Contract and/or SOLD Signs are popping up all over the place!

I have been quite busy lately showing many different price range of buyers around both older and newer neighborhoods. The one significant, and exciting, change I have noticed in even the past three weeks is the number of Under Contract sign riders there are on Realtor's for sales signs. Homes are starting to sell again in the Denver market. Buyers are actually buying again; instead of just out looking like they were for most of this past winter.

With increased buyer interest (demand) will result in a reduction of the available inventory. Reduced inventory and increased demand will result in prices moving up on Denver homes. My guess is we will see prices firming up and start moving upward in the most desirable neighborhoods by June or July. Other neighborhoods will see price movement by the end of this year.

Metro Denver MLS Two Letter Description Codes

Have you ever been searching through various Denver MLS listings and wondered what all those two letter description codes mean. Well, you need not wonder any longer. I have provided you answers for how to interpret the metro Denver MLS Codes.

Are Woodpeckers Damaging Your Home?

Woodpeckers can be a real head ace to homeowners. If your home has wood siding or EIFS stucco, (exterior insulating finishing system), you very likely have experienced the damage caused by woodpeckers. They generally favor nesting locations high up on the side of homes; like the Flicker in the photo. Chimney chases and columns of decks clad with stucco are other highly desirable locations for these birds because they resonate like hollow dead trees when they are drummed on. When a woodpecker finally opens a large enough hole to pass through, they discover a wonderful new home for themselves has been created.

Although this may not appear to be problematic for you as the homeowner, it really is the beginning of what may be a very expensive problem. When rain or snow goes through the hole, water damage inside the wall of your home is inevitable. Stucco siding has been know to completely delaminate and fall off of the home. Additionally, mold can also start growing inside the walls of your home. (See Mold - Mold - Mold And YOU and Mold - What You Should Know) Total repair expenses of such damage starts in the hundreds of dollars and can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars.

There are two effective ways to repair woodpecker damaged areas. First, hard coat the repaired hole – over the existing softer EIFS finish. Woodpeckers will not enjoy pecking through the much harder exterior finish the second time. A second method might be to install Hardie Board over the damaged areas and then finish with hard coat stucco texture. Once the wall has been repaired and repainted, they will look like they did when they were first installed.

See additional information on Preventing Woodpecker Damage at
WOODPECKERS BOTHERING YOU? ? WHAT TO DO

Learn more about Woodpeckers .

Top 5 Cost-Effective Remodel Projects

According to “Remodeling Magazine” there are five home improvement projects that consistently gave back the most return for the money invested. ServiceMagic.com just completed a video report discussing the Five Best Home Improvement projects nationwide. They asked me to participate in their video as their 30 years in the business Real Estate Expert. Be sure to check out there video and my comments.

If you are thinking of doing some home improvements for the purpose of selling your home, be sure to see my article titled REPAIR TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFITS WHEN SELLING

AND the one I wrote titled "STAGING" YOUR HOME FOR A QUICK SALE.

As always, let me know if you would like to discuss the sale of your home. I am always available to assist you with helpful ideas as well as the actual marketing of your home.

How To Get Rid of Pet Odors

We love our pets but do not love the smells they may leave in our homes. When selling your home, it is important that these odors be removed before buyers view your home. For your clothes, rugs and other washables, mix in ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar in with your wash and regular detergent. As for the hard wood floors in your home, mix in white vinegar with warm water and soap (3:1 ratio) in a bucket.

Hands Off Dog Training Formula for just $37.77 – including potty training dogs

When it comes to those tell tail brown spots in your lawn, you might want to visit:

Bring Back The Green (how to repair the dead patches on the lawn)

YES, Nobody Sells More Real Estate Than RE/MAX

Take a look at one of our recent national television commercials. We can help you get out from under your present home and help you find your next home as well.

You can also see 100% of the listed homes on our web site or by visiting my visiting my web site. You can use the Simple MLS Search method including typing in individual MLS numbers if you like or you can sign up to receive daily, weekly, monthly... Automatic Up-dates of new listings the meet your specific needs.

Let me know whenever I can assist you. I am just a click or a call away. It is a great time to buy a new home!

Lenders Getting Tougher – Blackball Many States

Whenever home loan borrowers put down less than 20% of the purchase price, they are required to purchase mortgage insurance to protect the lender in the event they happen to stop making payments on their loan. Companies who insure mortgage loans recently refused to insure home loans in California, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Nevada. Each of these state apparently have been experiencing too many foreclosures and decline in home values. Nearly 25% of the zip codes across the nation have been targeted as having too high of risk for the mortgage insurance companies to continue issuing insurance. The largest mortgage insurer, MGIC, just put metro Denver and Weld County on their “restricted” markets list. They now will only cover 95% loans with the borrower being required to put at least 5% of the purchase price down at the time of closing. If the borrower’s credit score is lower than 620, they must put at least 10% down. Radian and MGIC as well as most other mortgage insurers are also increasing their premium rates for all customers.

Buyers in the future will be required to have much larger down payments – (at least 5% to 20% down payment depending on the insurer in these blackballed zip code areas), a higher credit score and pay a higher mortgage insurance premium. This will result in far fewer buyers being able to qualify to purchase homes. In the affected areas, it will likely mean a continued decline in property values since there will be a decrease in the number of buyers. The old economic supply and demand equation will be hard at work for many months to come. Less demand equates to lower prices.

Be sure to have your Realtor(r) identify which areas are showing appreciation v. s. decline in values before you purchase your next home.

Does Your Home Have GREAT Curb Appeal?

Lets face it, we all initially judge people, communities, buildings and your future home by their appearance. So, when you are selling your property, improving your home’s “Curb Appeal” is an easy way to attract buyers to your home.

Start by standing on the opposite side of the street and take a real good look at your home - as if you were a buyer seeing the property for the very first time. Pick out features of your home or landscaping that, if improved, would increase your home’s “Curb Appeal”.

Want to try going for the maximum benefit to yourself? Drive around your entire neighborhood and find the top three homes that have the very best “Curb Appeal”. Needless to say, copy as many ideas as you can for your home. Can you imagine the improved desirability your home would have if it was one of the top three homes in your neighborhood?

The real end result is that by improving your home’s “Curb Appeal” you not only increase the demand for your home, you also will find a buyer quicker and sell your home for more money.

Here are a couple of web sites that might help you with some additional ideas on how to improve your home’s “Curb Appeal”.

.

197 Ways to Improve the Curb Appeal of Any House.

Turning Bland Homes Into Showplaces - easy ways to increase your curb appeal.

If you are thinking of selling your home, I might be able to help you with some additonal ideas too. After showing thousands of homes over the past 30 years, I have had the chance to not only see many homes with great "Curb Appeal" I have had the benefit of listening to thousands of comments from buyers in the market. Would it be helpful to you to know what they see and what their comment will likely be about your home?
Give me a call - 303-796-0957

XXX Rated Sewer Lines Will Cost Someone Money

Buyers be ware when it comes time to have a home inspected. Be sure you have all of the home’s systems, especially sewer lines in an older homes.

A recent buyer of mine just went under contract on a 1942 vintage home. One of the inspections I recommended was to have the sewer line scoped since sewer lines of that period frequently have problems since they were typically made out of clay. The sewer inspector said his video had to be rated X X X for how bad the line appeared. It had seven areas where tree roots were entering the line. The line also had so much standing water in it that the inspector could not tell if the line just needed to cleaned out or if it had actually failed and collapsed.

Needless to say, my Inspection Report required the sellers to have the line cleaned and then re-scoped to determine the condition of the line. This sewer line actually failed in one location and that section of line needs to be replaced. My clients saved thousands of THEIR dollars by having the sewer line inspected before they became the owners of this home.

Most home inspectors do not have the equipment to inspect a sewer line. They typically test the sewer line simply by filling the bath tub with water, as it drains, the inspector turns on all of the sinks and flush the toilets. This adds considerable amount of water to the sewer line. If it is clogged up badly, the water will not drain quickly. This procedure can not determine if the line has been damaged or if the sewer line is starting to collapse. It will only show major sewer problems.

The water drained a little slower than normal on the home my buyers are purchasing. Since the sewer line scope inspection was suggested on this home, my buyers saved thousands of dollars worth of repair expense. The defective line, rightfully so, will be repaired at the seller’s expense.

Consider having the sewer line scoped as a part of your home inspection. Typical sewer inspections will cost you $99 to $275. Send me an email if you want the name of the $99 inspector.

Under Contract Numbers Are Increasing

Denver residential homes in February of 2008 had an average sold price of $278,871. This represents a 4.54% drop as compared to the same month in 2007. The average time it took to sell a home in Denver dropped from 123 days in Feb. 07 to 111 days in Feb. of this year.

In Feb. 08 there were 25,037 active home and condo listings on the market in Denver. This represents a .8% increase from the same month one year ago.

Last month 5,126 buyers wrote acceptable contract offers on Denver area homes and condominiums. This represents an increase of 12.66% in accepted contracts than there were in January. It is also a 4% increase in buyer activity as compared to February of 2007. So, more buyers are out there finding homes this year than last year. My prediction is that we have seen the bottom of the decline and 2008 will prove to be better than 2007 in the numbers of homes sold.

You might as well consider buying now too – before the prices start to go up.

Attract Butterflys & Birds

Here are a couple of links that you will find interesting and useful. One is a resource for finding native plants. Native plants conserve water and reduce the time required to maintain landscaping. Some native plants also attract birds and butterflies. This site http://www.wildflower.org/ is Ladybird Johnson's project.

The National Wildlife Federation sponsors another site http://www.nwf.org/backyard/ that can show you how to attract butterflies and birds to your yard. What a fun project to share with a child or grandchild!

When Is The Best Time To Buy Denver Real Estate?

One investor I know is buying his third home in the same block. He apparently thinks the time to buy Denver real estate in now. My guess is that he has considered the following facts about our market.

* Interest rates are extremely affordable.

* The Denver market is flooded with too many sellers and not enough buyers. (We are experiencing a strong “Buyer’s Market”)

* Most sellers that have been listed on the market for more than 30 days consider any offer seriously. * Many sellers are willing to sell below their properties “fair market value” when a seriously qualified buyer shows up with an offer to buy.

* Many sellers are initially pricing their homes below recent appraised values.

* Denver numbers for homes under contract are increasing again. (For the first time in months, we just saw an increase in the number of under contract properties in February 2008 as compared to February 2007. - An increase of nearly 12% throughout metro Denver.)

* Our metro Denver market was more stable than many other major city markets. Although we did not see run away appreciation in the last five years as did many other cities, we also did not experience the bottom falling out in the past couple of years either. Denver is a safe place to own real estate.

* Property values have stopped declining in the better neighborhoods throughout metro Denver.

* Buyers, as a general rule, are still quite nervous about buying. (When buyers across the board believe the water is save, home prices will have already appreciated in Denver by thousands of dollars on each home. - The buyers are always behind the market.)With 30 years of Denver real estate experience, I have seen several cycles in the Denver housing market. What I see happening today in our market makes me believe that today is the right time to be buying homes in Denver. My prediction is that today you can buy Denver real estate at the lowest prices we will see. Prices in better Denver neighborhoods will go up, not down, from here. Let’s see how accurate I am as I quote home values as shown in the MLS system in future blogs.

How NOT To Price Your Home When Selling

Denver area sellers can become frustrated with today’s strong “Buyer’s Market” conditions. Last week I was at a listing presentation of a high end home and the seller wanted to be sure he priced his home aggressively to ensure the home sells within a 90 to 120 day maximum marketing period. His suggestion was to price the home right at “fair market value”. – He just did not have the time to “play around”.

Most listing agent would be excited to hear this from a potential seller. How easy can this be? But, my advice was NOT to price his home right at today’s “fair market value” for the home. My reasoning is simply that ALL buyers today know the market if flooded with anxious sellers. They and their agents also know there are deals to be had out there. Any agent worth his/her commission will want to prove that fact to his/her client when it comes time to negotiate the final contract price.

So, assuming the property is priced at exactly the “fair market value” and at the seller’s absolute bottom price, how do the selling agent and buyer negotiate a better price? One that feels like they won in today’s strong “buyer’s market” conditions. Forget the fact that the buyer would actually be getting the home at a great price with no effort with my seller’s approach to pricing. The real problem here is that the buyer and the buyer’s agent just won’t have a good feel about the negotiation process if they don’t know they won. Anytime a buyer pays the full asking price in our market, the buyer will never feel like they won. Can you imagine the reaction the buyer would get when they told their family, friends and office acquaintances that they paid the seller's asking price on the home they just purchased?

So, how should a seller price his metro Denver home? My answer was to allow enough negotiating room on the price that the eventual buyer AND the buyer’s agent could feel like they won in their negotiations. The percentage amount the asking price should be above the seller’s absolute minimum acceptable price will depend on the condition of the home and the number of competing listings in the immediate area.

As a seller in the Denver market place, just be sure to factor in the “good feeling factor” for the buyer and the buyer’s agent.

You can find excellent negotiation strategies articles on my DenverRealEstateOnline.com web site.

Spring Forward Into A Season of Summer Fun

Yes, today we all move our clocks forward one hour. (spring forward) and get ready for warmer spring temperatures.

Winter is coming to an end and the warm beautiful months of summer are just about upon us. The state of Colorado has a lot of summer activities to offer. Downtown Denver hosts many events as well. It does not matter if you are looking for an event to take the family to or a special someone, it is all offered in Denver. Whatever your desire, get out and enjoy our beautiful spring and summer weather.

Your family will enjoy the numerous rides, attractions, and water park that Elitch Gardens has to offer. The Colorado Rockies are back after making it to the World Series last year! Let's get out and encourage them to do it again this year! The Pepsi Center and Invesco Field are normally home to the Nuggets, Avalanche and Broncos. On the off season, the facilities are used for many different events - top on the list are concerts. Keith Urban & Carrie Underwood are in concert tonight at the Pepsi Center. Many musicians come through Denver to perform, especially in the summer months. Check out this Denver concert schedule to purchase tickets on-line! You'll want to experience a concert or Easter sun rise services at Red Rocks.

Enjoy All Colorado Has Offer.

How Does Denver Compare To Your City?

There are all kinds of city comparison calculators on the internet theses days. One that is especially helpful when considering a move from one part of the country to another is to compare salary requirements necessary to afford your same cost of living. This calculator answers how much income you will need if you move from your city to another. For example, if you live in Los Angles and are considering a move to Denver.
It is 31.7% less expensive to live in Denver, Colorado than in Los Angeles, California.

Therefore, if you make $200,000 living in Los Angeles, California
You will need to make $136,694 living in Denver, Colorado
You can find this calculator on The Moving Coach web site.

Other excellent city comparison calculators can be found on this page of my DenverRealEstateOnline.com web site. You can compare housing costs, climate, economy, crime, health, cost of living, housing, people…

Have fun comparing your community to Denver.

It’s Still A Strong Buyer’s Market – With Deals Abound

Recently I had a buyer under contract to buy a new construction home from an area builder. The buyer originally wrote the purchase offer on the home as a dirt start nearly eight months ago. My buyer ran into some unexpected problems and could not close when the home was ready. The builder quickly agreed to extend the closing by 30 days with no penalty to the buyer. Then, my buyer confessed that she had to spend about $15,000 of her required $20,000 down payment. The lender suggested a different loan program that would allow the buyer to close with her limited down payment. This presented another problem. The buyer’s monthly payment would increase above what she was comfortable paying. So, it was the builders turn to again to decide how badly they wanted to keep my buyer happy and see her at the closing table. Unbelievably, the builder ended up contributing 6% of the purchase price toward buying down the buyer’s interest rate to allow the monthly payment to be tolerable to my buyer’s budget. In thirty years of selling homes, I have never seen builders so "cooperative" in their business decisions.

The first rule of successful negotiations is: “He who cares least, wins.” In my recent example, the buyer clearly cared least. After all, the most she had at risk was a very small $2,500 earnest money deposit. (This is a topic of a future Denver Real Estate Blog). On the other hand, the builder had thousands and thousands of dollars of lost profit at risk because our "buyer's market" would not likely produce another buyer in a timely manner.

Nothing should be considered out of the question when writing or negotiating a contract. The point is, we really do still have a very strong “buyers market” in the Denver area.

How To Find A Great Home Inspector

When you purchase a home, you should always have it inspected by a qualified home inspector. Currently, only 27 states have home inspection regulations. Colorado is not one of those states. In Colorado, anyone regardless of training or background can claim they are a home inspector. So, how do you find a qualified home inspector?

Start by asking lots of questions. You might ask your Realtor to recommend home inspectors he/she have found to be knowledgeable.
Then, begin your interview process. The obvious question of how many homes he has inspected in his life-time is a good place to start. A word of caution: be sure you talk with the actual inspector who will be conducting the inspection on your home. Many of the large national inspection firms with the 800 numbers require their receptionist to assign an inspector for you. You have no way of knowing what that inspector’s background and competency might be until you meet that person at the front door. They will boast of vast experience their inspectors have: and some may actually have that experience level. Just be sure you are getting the person. Please do not assume all home inspectors are created equal. They are not.

The next way to assure you are hiring a quality home inspector is to inquire about their advanced designations. American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is one such designation. You might also ask if they are Certified Master Inspectors (CMI) certified inspectors. Other professional home inspectors belong to NACHI the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Another is the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI)

Each of these organizations requires extensive training and competency of their membership. Be sure your inspector belongs to at least one of these professional organizations.

Economic Stimulus Bill Affects Us Positively

The number one way most Americans establish wealth in their lifetime is through the ownership of their homes. Historically, home values across the nation double in value every ten years. So, any program that increases our ability to own a home is good for our financial security.

This month our Federal Government will pass an economic stimulus bill increasing both FHA and Conventional Loan Limits that will now enable 700,000 home owners to refinance their existing home loans with more affordable interest rates. The bill will also enable over 430,000 Americans to sell their homes that have not been able to do so in past months. Additionally, over 130,000 new FHA buyers will be able to enter the housing market as a result of passage of this important economic stimulus package.

Be sure to view the National Association of Realtor's® Podcast discussing the February 19, 2008: Stimulus Package that will boost our national housing market.

Check out the quality of schools before you buy your next home

This week the Denver Public Schools closed one charter school while putting six others on probation because of low test scores. Although this is an unfortunate event that we as citizens have little direct control over, we do have control over the homes we elect to purchase and the quality of schools servicing the home we buy.

Anyone thinking about buying a home should seriously consider the quality of schools in the area. This should be the second consideration right after establishing the price range they can afford. The quality of schools will greatly affect the home values in the area. (The best school systems attract buyers more readily.) Even if you do not have school aged children, you should still consider buying in an area with high performing schools. Because, one day, you too will sell and when that day arrives you want to have as many positive factors working for you as you can. The quality of schools servicing the property you purchase will affect not only the value of your home, but how quickly buyers become interested in your home.

In order to help clients establish the best school system for their needs I frequently suggest review of the following school information web sites. I hope you too find them to be beneficial.

http://reportcard.cde.state.co.us/reportcard/CommandHandler.jsp
http://www.homefair.com/Find_A_Place/School_Reports/
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/sar_info.html
http://www.cde.state.co.us/

A national database of school demographic information can be found on the National Center for Education Statistics Web site. Click on the "School, College and Library Search" tab at the top in order to view data including a particular school's student-to-teacher ratio or enrollment by race and ethnicity.

For a snapshot of academic performance and to compare schools, a prospective homeowner might browse the School Matters Web site, a service of Standard & Poor's.

Another site, Great Schools, offers similar tools.

Here are links to other metro Denver area schools:
The official Cherry Creek School District’s web site is at:
http://www.ccsd.k12.co.us/

http://www.ccsd.k12.co.us/dist_info/dist_mapMED.html Cherry Creek School System Boundary Map

Here is the Douglas County School District's web site.
http://www.dcsdk12.org/

The Littleton School District’s site is at:
http://www.littletonpublicschools.net/

The Jefferson County School District's site is at:
http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/ext/dpt/portal/learning.htm#jcps
and also see
http://www.jeffcoonline.net/schools.htm

Denver Public Schools
http://www.dpsk12.org/

State of Colorado’s Official Web Site - Education
http://www.colorado.gov/education.htm

Colorado K-12 Schools Web Sites
http://www.cde.state.co.us/utility/k12schls.htm

Colorado School Districts - Web Sites
http://www.cde.state.co.us/utility/k12schls.htm#districts

http://www.cde.state.co.us/

Also, click on my web site page at:
http://www.denverrealestateonline.com/PageManager/Default.aspx/PageID=851132&NF=1

and explore these other links:
School Information

Public Schools Review

Private Schools Review

Boarding Schools

http://www.cde.state.co.us/

Understand your builder's bentonite soils test before buying

Obtaining the builder's bentonite soils test to determine the swell potential of the soil could save you tens of thousands of dollars later on by simply knowing what property you should or should not buy.

Pure bentonite (montmorillonite clay) can expand 15 times its normal size and exert a pressure of 40,000 pounds per square foot when it becomes wet. Expansive soils test showing 2% to 12% swell potential can result in various degrees of cracking and movement of your basement cement floor, garage floor, drive and walks, and in some cases, even foundation walls. The bentonite swell potential tests are typically available from your builder. You will want the specific swell potential numbers interpreted by a qualified person to determine if the swell potential is too great for your comfort level.

Be sure to also lean what you can do (or what a previous owner have neglected to do) to prevent swelling problems from occurring through proper landscaping, drainage and watering. One excellent publication from the Colorado Geological Survey Department of Natural Resources entitled Special Publication 43: A GUIDE TO SWELLING SOILS FOR COLORADO HOME BUYERS AND HOME OWNERS is available by calling (303) 866-2611 or you can order it Online for $7.00.

Further reading can be found at: EXPANSIVE DENVER SOILS - BENTONITE GUIDE: (Expansive Soils - Must Read Material)

Marketing Tip # 3 To Get Your Home SOLD

Sure, many area neighbors know your home is on the market. Many of your neighbors have pulled a flyer out the brochure box and now have an opinion about your asking price. BUT, will they actually help you find the buyer? Probably not - since they were not asked by you or your Realtor® to help direct possible buyers your direction.

If the marketing of your home is done correctly, the buyer of your property may actually come from one of your neighborhood or a neighbor in a surrounding neighborhood. After all, everyone now living in your general area has already selected your area as their 1st choice to own a home. Imagine how many of your neighbors need to move on an annual basis, but would like to keep their kids in the same school? Additional reasons neighbors move are: a) divorce, b) house they now have is too large, c) house they now have is too small, d) death in family or distant family. Anyone having one of these issues in your neighborhood can be a possible buyer for your home.

Another source of buyers for your home are friends or work associates of your neighbors. No one can sell the benefits of your community better than someone who has previously made the decision to live in your area.

The easiest way to notify hundreds of area neighbors each month about your home is by way of STRATEGICALLY MAILING TO HIGHER AND LOWER PRICE HOMEOWNERS a large full color custom postcard that presents the best features of your home. I consistently see increased interest in my listings every time I mail out 1,000 brochures to neighbors in the community of my listing. Perhaps we should be doing the same for you the next time you think about finding a buyer for your home.

I have been helping buyers and sellers with their housing needs for the past 30 years. I look forward to assisting you too. Feel free to call or email me.

Bill Kosena ABR, CRS, SRES - 303-796-0957

Popular Denver Area Events

Come and join in on the wonderful cultural events Denver and Colorado have to offer. Attendance grew in 2007 at the Central City Opera House, the Children's Museum, the Arvada Butterfly Pavilion, Denver's Botanic Gardens, the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Zoo.

Event 2007 Attendance
Butterfly Pavilion 248,163
Central City Opera 29,650
Cherry Creek Arts Festival 380,000
Children’s Museum 240,928
Colorado Ballet 70,114
Colorado Symphony 131,607
Denver Art Museum 630,000
Denver Botanic Gardens 585,055
Denver Center for the Performing Arts 685,909
Denver Museum of Natural Science 1,248,100
Denver Zoo 1,672,017
Opera Colorado 31,062

Feel free to call or email me.
Bill Kosena ABR, CRS, SRES - 303-796-0957

9th Highest Foreclosure Rate Nationally

Although Denver's foreclosures jumped 27.8% in 2007, we are no longer leading the nation in foreclosures. We are actually ninth in the nation.



Detroit Mich.
Stockton, CA
Las Vegas, Nevada
Sacramento, CA
Cleveland, OH
Bakersfield, CA
Cleveland, OH and
Miami, FL
all lead Denver in the numbers of foreclosures they experienced last year.

If you or someone you know may need foreclosure assistance, there are several organizations that my offer advice. Try visiting:

Home Assure - Free Consultation
Denver Office of Economic Development
Foreclosure Hotline 1-877-601-4673
Foreclosure Assistance - 1-877-699-5993

Here is an outline of the changes affecting Colorado Foreclosure Process

I have been helping buyers and sellers with their housing needs for the past 30 years. I look forward to assisting you too.

Feel free to call or email me.
Bill Kosena ABR, CRS, SRES - 303-796-0957