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Established Arapahoe Ridge offers convenience and character

Arapahoe Ridge in Boulder is a neighborhood that’s been around long enough to have established its own character while offering amenities that attract everyone from retirees and professionals to mid-age and young families. Neighbors are warm, friendly and eager to help each other out, so once new home owners move in, they usually stay.

Located between Arapahoe and Pennsylvania avenues and Foothills Parkway and 55th Street, Arapahoe Ridge is made up of mostly ranch-style, two-story and tri-level homes built between 1966 and 1976. The homes in Arapahoe Ridge all have two-car garages and generous backyards. Sale prices in the last year have ranged from $474,000 to $625,000, depending on the level of updating and house size.

The neighborhood has an excellent location on the Centennial Trail bike path and has great access to the Boulder Creek path. It is within easy biking distance of the East Boulder Recreation Center and is across the street from the new hospital and Flatirons Golf Course. And whether taking the convenient bus service to and through the neighborhood or private transportation, getting to Foothills Parkway, the Meadows Shopping Center and Meadows Branch Library and 29th Street Mall amenities from Arapahoe Ridge is a breeze.

Eisenhower Elementary School is central to Arapahoe Ridge and adjacent to the school is the Arapahoe Ridge Park featuring the famous rock cave, popularly known as the “rock park.”

To find out if Arapahoe Ridge is the kind of neighborhood you’re looking for, please give me a call.

Good news, bad news reflected in latest market stats

Given the recent events in the economy, it’s no surprise to Ken Hotard that the real estate market produced a mixed bag of statistics in September.

“There are two really big things that jump out at you: one is positive and one is negative but to be expected,” says Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

First, the number of homes sold is significantly down in nearly every category of dwelling unit and in almost every Boulder County community from Sept. 1, 2007, through Aug. 31, 2008, compared with the previous year. That is directly related to credit tightening in the mortgage industry, Hotard says.

“To me, that’s what those numbers reflect,” he says. “Folks are not able to get mortgages. People with good credit still are, but people right on the margin are finding it difficult and more costly to get (mortgages).”

On the other hand, the latest statistics show that the inventory of available homes in many parts of Boulder County is down. For instance, Longmont, which had a 12- to 13-month supply only a few short months ago, now, with 501 on the market, has only a six-month supply, Hotard explains. The owners of some of the homes for sale previously have taken them off the market, but others are selling.

Boulder’s September statistics were an exception to that trend, though, with only 51 homes selling in the month. It could take eight months to absorb the 401 homes on the market at that rate, Hotard says. A low absorption rate is unusual for Boulder and relates more to sales volume – the city historically sees 80 to 100 sales a month – than with inventory of homes on the market.

But he says with the current market conditions, it’s not likely that the sales volume will pick up anytime soon. “This tight-credit thing is serious,” Hotard says.

Another positive aspect of the latest statistics is that average sale prices remained steady throughout Boulder County and even climbed slightly in all but three communities – Lafayette, Longmont and the mountains, he notes.

Hotard says it’s hard to say how the current economic situation will play out, as it’s a new experience for all involved.

“Don’t we wish we had a crystal ball?” he asks. “For a lot of people, this (the government’s solution) looks an awful lot like guesswork. We’re going to have to ride this out for a while until the picture clarifies for us. Those with money in the stock market have to hold their breath and ride this thing out.”

In the meantime, those with good credit and ready to buy real estate may get a good price now, but some buyers believe prices will drop even more if they wait, Hotard says. And even borrowers with great credit won’t likely find mortgages for nothing down; they should be prepared to bring 10 percent – if not 20 percent – of the loan to the closing table.

Newest trends in home renovation make staying put possible

Since the current economic conditions have would-be home sellers foregoing entering the market, many are looking at improvements that make their current living conditions more stylish, enjoyable and usable. Here are some of the trends making a big splash on the remodeling scene in this year, according to Caseremodeling.com:

Attic Transformations
Redesigned attics include private bathrooms, recessed lighting and hardwood floors – adding livable space and making them for much more than just storage.

Skylights
Skylights and solar tubes brighten otherwise dark areas with natural sunlight without increasing energy consumption.

Eco-Friendly Renovations
Insulated windows, sliding glass doors and more-efficient appliances are growing in popularity along with homeowners’ concern for the environment and energy costs.

Soaking Tubs
Soaking tubs add luxury and comfort without the high cost that comes with a jacuzzi tub.

Walk-in Closet Suites
Many bedroom and bathroom renovations now include large walk-in closets with plenty and flexible storage space.

Lower-Level Living
With space suitable for a game room, hobby area or home theater, basements are becoming the new place for families to hang out.

Colorado cities make strong showing on economic-performance list

Every Colorado city or metro big enough to qualify appeared on the Milken Institute’s 2008 Best Performing Cities Report recently. The report depicts U.S. metropolitan areas with the top economic performance, including job, wage and salary, and high-tech gross domestic product growth over 1- and 5-year periods. All of the Colorado cities except for Boulder and Colorado Springs, which dropped two slots and 14 slots respectively, improved from the 2007 rankings. Greeley-Weld had the highest large-metro placement, coming in at No. 20 out of 200 metros, while Grand Junction came in at No. 5 out of 124 of the small metros. Here’s a look at how all of Colorado’s cities placed on the list:

Reece Therapy provides life coaching, counseling

Counselor/psychotherapist Debra L. Reece, MS NCC, recently opened Reece Therapy PC in Louisville.With 20 years of professional experience, Reece specializes in life coaching and counseling clients dealing with trauma and anxiety. She became a counselor/psychotherapist because of her desire to help people. She attributes her success to her positive attitude, helping nature, love for her profession and being empathetic.

A nationally certified counselor, Reece received her Master of Science degree in counseling and her bachelor's degree in management from the University of Phoenix. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and the Colorado Counseling Association, and supports the Wings Foundation. Reece is currently a doctoral student at Argosy University and wishes to start her own nonprofit organization in the future. She is accepting new clients at her practice.

Reece is a Colorado native and raised three successful young men. You can reach her at 303.926.5240 or by e-mail at debbiereece94@comcast.net.