Area inventory needs to shrink to bring about market recovery

Boulder areas home prices continue to hold “reasonably well,” based on August’s market statistics, but it’s the number of homes on the market that concerns Ken Hotard, Boulder Area Realtor Association senior vice president of public affairs.


While the city of Boulder’s inventory hovered at a near-optimum six-month supply of 435 homes for sale in August, 450 homes were listed in the mountains and 308 on the plains. Hotard says even if only half of those homes were for sale in the mountains or on the plains, it would still be too many given the condition of the market. Meanwhile, Longmont saw a much-needed drop of homes on the market from 892 in August 2007 to 547 last month.


Hotard says one positive sign is that several builders with approved developments are putting off building, including one in an urban renewal district with favorable financing, because the market is not ready for their projects. “I think that’s a real statement on how real professional builders are viewing the market and they are showing some restraint, which is to their credit,” he says.


Inventory will slowly reduce over the next year and tighten up by this time next year, bringing the Boulder market closer to a balance between buyers and sellers, Hotard says. “The buyer rules today, whenever they happen to show up, which is not often enough.”


It’s too early to tell the impact the federal government’s move to take over operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, he says, but it should help stabilize the financial market and could lead to another interest rate cut. For home buyers and sellers, that means credit will become more available for qualified borrowers.


Hotard says he will wait before making any predictions about what kind of impact on the local real estate market Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy protection, Bank of America’s buyout of Merrill Lynch or the potential of a federal bailout of American International Group Inc. (AIG), will have. And until new government leaders are in place, how they will address economic issues is still unknown, he says.


“I don’t know how insulated our area might be from that fallout,” Hotard says. “I can’t imagine we’re completely insulated, but I suspect we’re better insulated than much of the country to weather it.”

The Changing Table


The Changing Table, Boulder and Denver's cloth-diaper service, is a mom-run business started up by Julie Carson just a few years ago in classic out-of-her-family-room style. It has recently expanded to open a new kid-friendly store in Boulder. Carson is mother to two children, a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old.

The store has everything needed to start cloth diapering little ones today, from soft cotton and easy-to-use cloth diapers to a weekly diaper-delivery service. It also offers all the advice and supplies needed to begin washing cloth diapers at home, including the mom-approved Charlie's Soap. Diaper covers, Fuzzi Bunz, bamboo-fitted diapers, swim diapers, cloth wipes, training pants and wood potty chairs for that big transition are all available at the store. The Changing Table is also Colorado's exclusive source for biodegradable disposables and wipes.

The Changing Table wants to help Colorado families go green with style and ease by providing all-natural pacifiers, hip (and safe) glass baby bottles, beautiful organic cotton receiving blankets, and exclusive-to-us, adorable hand-knit cotton baby hats. The store makes cute diaper cakes from cloth or biodegradable disposable diapers for gifts and/or a centerpiece for a baby shower, and carries Jeff Kagan's rockin' CD. Expecting parents can also register on The Changing Table's popular on-line gift registry.

The Changing Table is located at 2825 Wilderness Place, Suite 400, in Boulder behind the Boulder Beer Co. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (303) 746-0927 or visit the store online at http://www.thechangingtable.net/.

Colorado home prices continue to gain value overall in slow market

Prices of homes in Colorado are still climbing – though at a slower, more-sustainable pace – despite significant depreciation in prices elsewhere in the country, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight’s house-price index for the second quarter of 2008. The state average increased 1.82 percent, compared with the nation average dropping 1.71 percent for the year.


Metro Area Ranking (out of 292)

Boulder - 69
Denver-Aurora - 143
Fort Collins-Loveland - 127
Greeley - 170
Colorado Springs - 177
Pueblo - 207
Grand Junction - 6
Colorado 18 out of 51

None of Colorado’s metro statistical areas (MSA’s) were among the bottom 20 for appreciation from the second quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2008. In fact, the bottom 20 featured only California and Florida cities, with one Nevada metro squeezing in. However, Grand Junction – which saw a 5.25 percent increase over the year – was the only Colorado city to make the top 20 list. With an appreciation of 2.47 percent for the year, Boulder made a solid showing at 69 among 292 metro statistical areas nationwide. Here’s a look at how all Colorado MSA’s home-price changes compare with the state and nation:


Second Quarter Appreciation Rates



Source: Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight

Tips help homeowners make the best use of space; new floor covering offers alternative to vinyl


Making the best use of space is important no matter what size of house you live in, but for those in smaller homes, it’s essential. Luxuryhousingtrends.com users offer ideas on doing just that that aren’t just for those living in luxury homes.

One user recommends hiding washers and dryers that are out in the open, perhaps in the bathroom or kitchen, in a cabinet and covered with a countertop. Of course, the washer and dryer will have to be front-loading, and make sure to take measures to allow heat to escape from the dryer. But putting the appliances inside cabinets will also provide more counter space for whichever room they’re in, as well. More tips about organizing a laundry room are available at http://www.squidoo.com/laundryroom.

Another user suggests using a pull-out pot and utensil rack that fits in spaces between cabinets and slides in and out like a drawer. The pegs and panels are adjustable and allow you to hang whichever pots, pans and utensils that will fit in the space. The racks are available through www.rev-a-shelf.com.

Vinyl is not among recommended floor coverings these days, but “Plynyl” may cause homeowners to reconsider their flooring choice. According to the Plynyl Web site (http://www.chilewich.com/plynyl/plynyl.htm), the floor covering is a woven vinyl fabric that adds texture and color to a room and is reportedly durable and easy to clean. Plynyl tiles are 18 inches and bonded to a heavy-duty vinyl backing that is15 percent post-industrial recycled content and reinforced with a nonwoven ceramic mesh. Plynyl wall coverings and upholstery are also available.

Calmante offers luxurious, low-maintenance living














Luxury has met its match with the homes at Calmante. This community in Superior offers homes with between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet of interior living space and your choice of two main-floor master plans, a ranch-style home or a two-story with a private elevator to the expansive upper-level master suite with its own private deck.


Thoughtfully designed floor plans and spectacular outdoor living on decks, lower level patios and private courtyards blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living for Calmante residents. The art of living luxuriously is a reality in this low-maintenance community with all of the amenities – yet none of the usual obligations – of home ownership.

With only 75 luxurious townhomes, Calmante is truly limited-edition living, where a rare richness of architecture and craftsmanship add to the exclusive nature of the community. And all the homes are built to Green Built Standards, making them beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

Calmante is located just 10 minutes east of Boulder in Superior, on the northeast corner of McCaslin Boulevard and Coalton Road, at 2701 Calmante Ave. Please call me if you would like to explore all that Calmante has to offer.