taken by Sam Hall

With this latest fire, over 1,800 Boulder Colorado residents were asked to evacuate their homes yesterday and the breaking news for today is that the evacuation was lifted.  And according to the Daily Camera, mandatory evacuation orders remained in place overnight for at least 139 Boulder County residents and 1,700 people within city limits west of Seventh Street, from Canyon Boulevard on the south, to North Street on the north. Also, Boulder Community Hospital’s Maxwell and Mapleton facilities were also evacuated and will remain closed Saturday. The hospital’s north Broadway location was not affected.  Read about how the fire started and more.

The cause of the “Dome Fire” is still uncertain but not at all uncommon.  As a resident of Boulder for over 15 years, the community knows that this is the dry season.  We’ve had little rain, no snow yet and the winds have been insane.  Several days ago, I think the winds were over 60 mph!  Thank goodness there wasn’t a fire that day.  There were actually two fires yesterday.  The first is possibly from a campfire and the second was caused by a blown ember.  The fires then combined into one blaze that moved with high winds to the north and east and that’s when the evacuation orders were prompted.  Along with reverse 9-1-1 calls, police went door to door. 

Check out some more great pictures.

While devastating and  worrisome, fires are a part of mountain living.  Luckily no structures have been damaged in this latest fire. My heart goes out to all who lost a home in the Fourmile Fire.  My advice has a real estate agent, please make sure to purchase homeowners insurance if you own your home outright and renters insurance for you renters.  If you have a mortgage, you are required to carry insurance anyway.   

 People are always asking me how my career is going with the “bad” real estate market.  I always answer that I’m doing just fine and state that it’s not a bad market in Boulder county – it’s a buyer’s market.  I’ve stayed busy showing buyers homes and closing some pretty good deals.  As for sellers, we’ve been successful as well.  The supply of homes for sale continues to grow throughout Boulder, and it’s been a long time since home sellers have faced these conditions.  Homeowners looking to sell are in unchartered waters.  So why have we been able to have successful home sales in Boulder Colorado?  Because we know how to sell a house in a buyer’s market and it’s equally important to educate homeowners on how to sell in a buyer’s market. 

Homeowners who want to sell have a choice: sell in the current market, or wait until later, when market conditions improve.  But the latter assumes they have a choice.  If you are determined to sell, you need to forget about the real estate market a few years ago and face the new reality – it’ a buyer’s market, and you will be competing with a growing supply of motivated sellers to get buyers interested in your house.

QUESTION:  Why have we been so successful in selling homes quickly?

ANSWER:  Because we educate our sellers and they do the following:

PRICE IT RIGHT:  Real estate pros say the key to selling a house is to price it right.  That means setting the price at what you can get – not what you think it’s worth.  The fact of a sellers market is that it doesn’t matter or realtor think your house is worth – the only thing that matters is what a buyer is willing to pay.  You don’t want to over-price your house, because buyers ignore it and your listing will lose its’ freshness and appeal, not to mention the uncompensated effort of keeping the home spotless during the showings.  Also, the “original listing price” and “current asking price” are on your home’s multiple listing service  (MLS); if you do not show some decline from the original offering price, some buyers will see it as a sign you have unreasonable expectations of what you can get for your home.  Sellers fear pricing too low and leaving money on the table.  However, there is little chance of this happening.  THIS PART IS IMPORTANT:  If a home is priced low below the competition, you should receive multiple offers that will drive up the price to fair market value!!!!

Choosing a Realtor: DON’T HIRE THE FIRST AGENT who suggests a high asking price.  Instead, select a listing agent who can back up his or her proposal with the most facts, market research, and experience.  When setting the listing price for you house, use round numbers in increments of $5,000.  So, listing at a price of $250,000 will turn up in more searches than listing at $249,000.  Also, your Realtor should have an Internet strategy because most buyers in Boulder Colorado search the Internet and buy a home within 12 miles of their existing one – use the Internet tools available in your area to see what the supply of homes for sale in your area looks like online.

Don’t tell me you haven’t heard this one before; CURB APPEAL.  You have to make a great first impression! If you watch home shows as much as I do, you know the the Realtors ALWAYS suggest this right away.  It works.  See for yourself on channels like HGTV, TLC, and the Green channel.  Do what it takes to get your house in selling shape.  What do you want buyers to think about your home when they first pull up?  You don’t want it to be, “Oh, the yard needs a lot of work.” I suggest starting with a power washing, and clean outside windows.  Mow the lawn, clear the weeds and plant season appropriate vegetation.  Repair any outside light fixtures and sweep the porch, adding a bright welcome mat.  Painting may be a criteria for your home and sometimes just by painting the front door, hallways, and nail holes, you can really brighten the place up.

I recommend a PRE SALE INSPECTION.  Sellers are strongly advised to consider getting a pre-sale inspection, especially if their home is older or in need of repairs.  They can either use a clean home inspection report as a selling advantage or take care of the repairs listed on the inspection report.  Of course, it’s advised that you make the repairs before listing the home if possible, especially if they involve things that can be messy and unsightly, such as replacing the roof or removing an old fuel tank. 

DON’T BE SO STUBBORN:  In this market it’s all about being flexible.  Buyers will expect to pay less than the asking price.  They will be armed with the original list prices and final sales prices of comparable homes and will know the price reductions other sellers are accepting.  Many buyers may make low-ball offers to see what your reaction is.  Remember, emotion is the enemy of flexibility, so keep them out of it.  Your objective is to sell your house.

ACCESSIBILITY:  Are you a motivated seller or the type of seller who requires 24 hour notice and one hour showing privileges?  What I am trying to say  is don’t make it a hassle to come see your home.  Keep it presentable and be flexible when people and agents are making appointments.  Yes, you do have to leave the house for two hours and sometimes you many not know until the last minute.  That’s what it takes to get a home sold.  Last week, my buyers showed a great amount of interest in a home that the seller requested no showings for two weeks! That seller lost my buyers right then and there, since then we have made an offer on another property.

In conclusion, if you have to sell you home now, find a real estate agent who can educate you on selling in a buyers market   There are many success stories happening in this market for buyers and sellers  If you price it right, add curb appeal, remain flexible, and make it accessible, YOU WILL SELL YOUR HOME.  Then, go out and buy a new home at a great price and benefit from this buyer’s market yourself!

No, it’s not a new reality show and it’s not your typical vacation home exchange.  It’s the extreme way to move in this depreciating market.  Do you own real estate in Boulder Colorado that just won’t sell?  Have you reached desperate measures?  Do what others have done.  Trade!  Get on board with this new real estate trend – Home Swapping!  Read more to see if it’s that easy.

For those trying to sell a house that just won’t move in this market, a unique trend is emerging.  Simply swap with a seller who finds themselves in a similar situation. 

This has of course, led to the formation of web-based companies providing home matchmaking services. David Moskowitz, founder of DomuSwap, explains that there is a huge need for this service right now because, “there are people who have to move and they’re really stuck in this market.”  According to Sergei Naumov, president of NowMoves Inc., a  permanent swap is technically an arrangement between two homeowners who are both buying each others’ homes and selling their own at a simultaneous closing.  

The Wall Street Journal reported in a recent article that two neighbors in New Jersey swapped homes.  One was a large family looking to “move up” and the other, a retiree, looking to downsize.  

While you can’t just move out and move in, it is a fairly easy process. 

FIRST: Hire a real estate agent to walk you through this procedure.  There are many important details that require an experienced agent.  For Boulder Colorado and surrounding areas, call The Troia Team, of course!

SECOND: You will get an appraisal based upon the property’s value under the current market conditions. 

THIRD:  The same title company will be used to consummate the transactions together.  Each homeowner signs a purchase and sale agreements. Both sign deeds and other closing documents on the same day.

FOURTH: Mortgages for both properties are also paid off then, and new mortgages are initiated.  If the properties are of different values, cash and mortgage amounts are used to balance out the disparitites.

There are many online sites for permanent home trades such as Online House Trading’s Network who claim that house swapping will enable stuck sellers to beat the slow real estate market. 

The two families from New Jersey confirm that their home swap went perfectly.  Before moving day, the homeowners took turns moving belongings to each others’ homes. “I brought some things over to their garage, and they brought some over to mine,” Ms. Sedehi says. On the day of the move, they split the cost and hired one mover to share between them. They said there were no drawbacks to the move, “We were both very accommodating,” Ms. Sedehi says. “I don’t think there was any discord and there were no difficulties.”

There you have it!  Now, what do YOU think about home swapping?