11793 Pleasant View Ridge Longmont Colorado
July 12th, 2009 Categories: Boulder Subdivisions and Neighborhoods, Buyer's Corner, Colorado Round Up, First Time Buyers, Relocating
One of our newest listings, 11793 Pleasant View Ridge in Longmont is located within the Elms Meadow Vale Subdivision. Within walking distance to Union Reservoir and Sandstone Park, this 5 bedroom, 5 bath home really stands out with its modern and contemporary upgrades. Conveniently located near I-25, Ft. Collins, Boulder, and Denver, the home has views from every direction and the subdivision is well-maintained with a community park. You’ll love this home, click here to view the details.
Written by Julie Johnson | Discussion: No Comments »
A Different Look at Boulder
July 1st, 2009 Categories: Focus on Boulder
To get a quirky irreverent look at Downtown Boulder and Denver Banjo Billies offers really fun one of a kind guided bus tours. But this isn’t any boring ordinary coach bus, you are riding in style. Each bus is made to look like a hillbilly shack on wheels. Inside the open air buses patrons will find disco balls and have their choice of seating which may be a couch, a recliner, or even a saddle! Along the ride all kinds of stories of Boulder’s past are revealed through tales of folklore, history, and ghosts. No two tours are the same… in fact the tour guides customize the ride to what the riders say they want to hear about, so when you go be sure to speak up and have fun. Banjo Billies offers tours year round that last about two hours each. It is a great affordable way to relax but still have fun with friends, family, Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Ro Troia | Discussion: No Comments »
Boulder News
June 29th, 2009 Categories: Buyer's Corner, Focus on Boulder, Relocating
When buyers are new to the area, it’s always fun to give them tidbits of what’s happening in Boulder and Boulder County. As real estate agents, we not only keep up on trends but we also stay informed on the happenings in our city. This week’s news in Boulder includes Boulder being rated in the top ten, schools banning junk food, and drivers protesting a bike race. Read the rest of these stories.
Written by John Vaughan | Discussion: No Comments »
New Family Cabon Monoxide Saftey Act in Colorado
June 25th, 2009 Categories: Buyer's Corner, Colorado Round Up, First Time Buyers, Home Inspections and Maintenance, REO and HUD Talk, Uncategorized
My friend is always asking me to “check” my carbon monoxide detector in my house and I said “I do”! The simple answer is, I look over to see that the red light is still on and that no one is sick yet! Sounds a bit frivolous, but I don’t remember having a carbon monoxide detector in my house when I was little, more less when my kids were little. Any of this sound familiar to you? The scary part is that you usually hear on the news during the winter time about some poor family that perished because of carbon monoxide poisoning and they never realized what hit them. Colorado’s Gov. Ritter Jr. signed a new bill May 2009 that requires all existing single and multi family dwellings offered for sale or transfer (after July 1, 2009) to have carbon monoxide detectors. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: No Comments »
What Is A Renewable Retrofit?
June 24th, 2009 Categories: Focus on Boulder, Home Inspections and Maintenance, Selling Thoughts, Trends
Photo by Bryan Bowen
Photo by Bryan Bowen
For starters, a renewable retrofit is not only economical and promotes energy efficiency but in Boulder Colorado, it is also trendy. Picture an older home built in the 50’s or 60’s with its original appliances, outdated insulation, and air leaks. In addition to adding solar panels, retrofitted homes include programmable thermostats, energy efficient appliances, icynene insulation, and heat recovery ventilators. These photos are of a pop-top home in South Boulder Colorado that converted its 40’s built property to double the size while reducing overall utility bills. Continue to read about home energy efficiency. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Julie Johnson | Discussion: 1 Comment »
Pending Home Sales Continue To Rise
June 15th, 2009 Categories: Buyer's Corner, First Time Buyers, Focus on Boulder, Market Conditions
For the third consecutive month, pending home sales in Boulder County Colorado have continued to increase. Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors, chief economist, said buyers are responding to very favorable market conditions. “Housing affordability conditions have been at historic highs, but now the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit is beginning to impact the market,” he said. “Since first-time buyers must finalize their purchase by November 30 to get the credit, we expect greater activity in the months ahead, and that should spark more sales by repeat buyers.” Click here to read more.
Written by Julie Johnson | Discussion: No Comments »
For Sale by Owner - Buyers Beware
June 11th, 2009 Categories: Buyer's Corner, First Time Buyers, Home Inspections and Maintenance, Real Estate Tales, Selling Thoughts
I recently had the unpleasant experience of dealing with a “For Sale by Owner” seller. My buyer decided that we should look at a house that was listed in Longmont, Colorado. The Sellers representing themselves, paid a fee to have an agent enter the listin
g on the MLS system. After viewing this home, my buyer decided she wanted to make an offer since the home appeared to be what she was looking for. I cringed knowing that I would now be interacting directly with the Seller, although this shouldn’t be an issue, it was. I prepared the offer and submitted it to the Sellers, who then had tons of questions and their own opinions of Real Estate contracts and Real Estate Law. After several long phone conversations, I was able to educate these Sellers about the Contract and Contract dates and deadlines. We finally went under contract and my buyer was ready to perform her due diligence by getting the home inspection. As it turns out, this home had inspection issues, and had not been properly maintained. We submitted an Inspection Notice to the Sellers to correct many deficiencies. We also asked for documentation relating to radon, which the seller had in their possession. The Sellers refused to give us the radon documentation and refused to disclose the radon reading. They also refused to correct most of the inspection items, claiming there were no problems and ignored the recommendations of our licensed Inspector. There were electrical issues, furnace problems, the roof had hail damage and there was much pet hair in the ducts and behind the appliances that needed cleaning. The Sellers refused to correct the inspection issues which convinced my buyer that she could not trust these people because they were not truthful and refused to disclose any adverse material facts about the home, such as the radon. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Ro Troia | Discussion: No Comments »
Broomfield Relocation Guide
June 2nd, 2009 Categories: Colorado Round Up, Relocating, Selling Thoughts
Welcome Broomfield
Once a farming community on the vast plains, Broomfield Colorado is surrounded with Pike’s Peak to the south, Mount Evans to the west and Long’s Peak to the northwest. Broomfield is located on the technology corridor just 20 minutes from Denver and 10 minutes to Boulder, which accounts for the town’s tremendous growth of new homes adn businesses. With a close proximity to some of the top technology companies in the nation, Broomfield is filled with professionals who enjoy a quick commute to the office. Once a part of Boulder County, Broomfield wished to seperate as a county, in order to better serve its citizens. Click here to read all-about-broomfield.
Written by Julie Johnson | Discussion: No Comments »
Hiking or Relaxing; A Good Place to Start
June 1st, 2009 Categories: Uncategorized
Chautauqua Park
I am new two the Boulder area and have only lived here for about two weeks. I will be here doing my internship for the rest of the summer. During my stay here I would really like to soak up and enjoy everything the area has to offer. I really enjoy hiking and trail riding but without any knowledge of the area I wasn’t sure where to go. When it comes to outdoor activity I do not have the stamina that many locals probably have; I come from a flat world at a very low altitude so I had no idea where I could last.
Recently I ventured down Baseline Rd. and found the Chautauqua Park. This has been a great place for me to start because there are trails from very easy to fairly difficult. You can park your car at the bottom and see how far up you can take yourself, or you can park further up and catch the trail views a little easier. Since you can drive your car such a great distance up the mountain it is also a great place to just go just to relax. I’m not sure if the road is Baseline or if it turns into Flagstaff or something like that but either way, there are amazing views of the city of Boulder and even out to Denver no matter where you stop and look and it is really easy to find. It is a great place to take a sack lunch and really enjoy Mother Nature, as well as a great place to take visitors or children who otherwise might not be able to hike to the top of a mountain. Just don’t forget to pay for a parking pass which is fairly in-expensive and not leave any trace you were there behind. I would suggest getting the annual pass to anyone who is local because it is really a great place to be able to take advantage of and it doesn’t cost very much at all.
To my surprise after checking out their website have much more to offer than just the hiking and trails. There is lodging, education, dining, and live music. The Chautauqua Associations mission is “To preserve the site and perpetuates the spirit of the historic Chautauqua in Boulder, building community through unique cultural, educational, recreational and social experiences.” It is really a great resource to have, I wish we had something similar in my local community in Michigan but we don’t, so go take advantage and support the park and all it has to offer as I will during my time here. Also, stay tuned in for my next great Boulder discovery, and if you have any suggestions on what the next one should be I am all ears. Get out there, enjoy what you have and remember “You can make it a great day… or not, the choice is yours.”
Written by Top Tomato | Discussion: No Comments »
Boulder Breaks World Record
May 11th, 2009 Categories: Focus on Boulder, Relocating
Boulder did it! Just this last Saturday, Boulder Colorado broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest bike bell ensemble of all time. My two daughters and I attended and it was hard not to tear up as this was a charity event for a popular teacher in our area who is going through stage III cancer. As we approached the New Vista high school field, I was astonished by the turnout. More than 690 people were there laughing, crying, taking photos, registering, donating money, and buying bike bells. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Julie Johnson | Discussion: No Comments »
