Boulder Real Estate

RE/MAX of Boulder earns top rank in nation for total sales volume in 2010

2011-05-31T13:54:00.000-06:00

REAL Trends has named RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. No. 1 on its list of Top Firms Ranked by Closed Sales Volume Per Office, a category in its 2011 REAL Trends 500 publication released this month.

RE/MAX of Boulder earned the designation with a sales volume of nearly $560 million representing 1,400 sides in 2010 – more than $71 million more than the next ranked office.

The REAL Trends 500 is an annual research report identifying the country’s largest and most successful residential firms as ranked by closed transaction sides and separately by closed sales volume. “This report represents the most trusted standard of measuring the performance of the nation’s leading realty service firms,” said REAL Trends editor Steve Murray in informing RE/MAX of Boulder of its honor.

The recognition from real estate consulting and communications company REAL Trends falls on the heels of RE/MAX International naming RE/MAX of Boulder its top single office for total sales volume in 2010 for the fourth consecutive year.

D.B. Wilson, managing broker for RE/MAX of Boulder, attributed the office’s accomplishment to the hard work of its 89 brokers and their loyal customers, who continually return or refer their friends and family to the real estate office.

“This award is just incredibly gratifying,” he says. “Our Realtors take tremendous pride in their production and providing a level of service to their clients that can't be beat. This award exemplifies the fulfillment of all of their dedication and hard work.”

The local media has also often recognized RE/MAX of Boulder for its customer service: it has been Boulder Daily Camera’s Boulder County Gold Winner for Best Real Estate Office or the runner-up for 16 years, and the Colorado Daily has named the office Best of Boulder, as well, multiple times.

RE/MAX of Boulder, 2425 Canyon Blvd., Suite 110, is owned by Tom Kalinski and serves all of Boulder and Broomfield counties, and parts of Larimer, Denver, Jefferson, Weld and Gilpin counties.

Here’s a look at the 10 Top Firms Ranked by Closed Sales Volume per Office:

Source: REAL Trends 500

Remodeling index shows improvement across the board

2011-05-31T13:48:00.000-06:00

Homeowners are slowly re-entering the remodeling market, according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI).

The NAHB reports that its remodeling index has increased from 41.5 in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 46.5 in the first quarter of 2011, indicating a potential recovery.

This is the highest level for the RMI since the fourth quarter of 2006, although an RMI below 50 indicates that more remodelers report market activity is lower compared with the prior quarter than those who report it is higher.

The overall RMI combines ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future activity like calls for bids, according to the NAHB. Current market conditions for the first quarter of 2011 rose from 43.3 in the previous quarter to 46.1. Future market indicators climbed from 39.7 in the previous quarter to 46.8.

“Remodelers report a jump in activity so far this year and have been receiving more calls for work and appointments,” says NAHB Remodelers Chairman Bob Peterson, CGR, CAPS, CGP, a remodeler from Fort Collins. “However, many home owners are still slow to commit to remodeling due to feeling uncertain about the economic recovery and difficulty obtaining loans.”

Below are the top reasons prospective customers have told remodelers that they are waiting to remodel their homes:

• It is difficult to get financing (90 percent of remodeler respondents);

• They have lost equity in their homes (81 percent);

• They are uncertain about their future economic situation (74 percent);

• Reluctance to invest in home when not sure home will hold its value (67 percent);

• Negative media stories making them more cautious (62 percent);

• Inaccurate appraisals make financing more difficult (54 percent).

“Home remodeling continues to slowly increase and continued growth through the year is expected,” says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “The fact that some indicators are breaking 50 means remodelers are seeing improving activity in their markets. While credit scarcity and economic uncertainty continue to weigh down remodeling, signs of increasing consumer interest are promising.”

Here’s a look at current remodeling market indicators compared with the fourth quarter of 2010, all of which have increased, according to the NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index:

For more information about remodeling, visit www.nahb.org/remodel.

From skiing to family to business, Boulder offers property manager a life he loves

2011-05-24T22:14:00.000-06:00

Like so many Colorado transplants, Todd Ulrich came to the state from Baltimore, Maryland, with skiing as much as possible on his mind.

But he found that Colorado offered him so much more than winter recreation: it was here that he found a home, the opportunity to make a living and where he wanted to raise a family.

Todd, the owner of PG Rentals Property Management at RE/MAX of Boulder, moved to Colorado in 1993 “kind of for skiing and just a change of pace,” he says. “I purposely moved here to get stuck here and ended up going to the University of Colorado.”

While he went to CU for a degree in economics, none of the jobs he has had has put that degree to use: he had worked as a Web and software developer for a “dot com” company, as well as invested in real estate (he bought his first rental property after graduating from CU) and worked as an electrician. But the experience of managing his own properties led to opening his own residential property management business, and he founded PG Rentals 12 years ago.

When Todd started his business, he was managing two or three of his own properties; today his company manages more than 100 rental properties, including short term, student, executive and standard 12 month. The majority of those properties are located in Boulder County communities including the city of Boulder, Broomfield, Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Erie and Superior.

Most of the properties he managed in the beginning were leased to students, and from that experience he learned that property management involved much more than just collecting rent. “I had to educate myself very quickly,” he says.

Today, with 12 years of experience in the business under his belt, Todd says he offers what other property managers often fail to: customer service.

“(I pay) attention to detail,” he says, adding when he was a student renter, he noted what property managers did that was good and bad, and why they earned the reputation they did.

Todd says the biggest complaint many have about property managers is their failure to respond in a timely manner and to follow up, so he has tried to excel in that area.

“Clients came to me because they were looking for something different, and I’ve kept every one of them,” he says.

Because PG Rental serves a diverse clientele, Todd’s knowledge and ability to manage any and all residential properties has grown over the years and it’s kept his job interesting and new.

And his personal life is full of new things, as well: Todd married Susan Gingrich, whom he met while working for the dot com business, more than a year ago, and they are now the proud parents of a four-month-old baby boy, Thomas.

“I’ve lived here almost 20 years and I’m still very active with camping, hiking and skiing,” Todd says of his adopted home. “There’s so much to enjoy in the state. We love being here and our kids are going to have the opportunity to experience all this.

“On the business side of things, the opportunity is remarkable in Boulder,” he adds. “People everywhere are struggling – the economy is not great – but Boulder just keeps on.”

For more information about PG Rentals, visit http://www.pgrentals.com/; call (303) 564-4762; or e-mail todd@pgrentals.com.

April market stats show buyers are slowly springing into action

2011-05-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

Boulder County’s real estate market continued to push on toward recovery in April, with sales and prices of single-family homes creeping upward.

Both average and median prices increased in every Boulder community – a phenomenon not witnessed in recent memory, even though the area’s prices have not experienced the decreases many markets throughout the nation have.

“They’re holding up extremely well,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

He attributed the increases in part to limited inventory, creating a more competitive environment.

“It’s a classic supply-demand situation,” Hotard says.

The sale of 257 single-family homes in April was an increase over the 212 sold in March but still down from the 346 in April 2010 – though that’s expected considering that was the last month in which the first-time and move-up buyer tax credit was available.

“We could not match the incentivized market of 2010,” Hotard says. However, April 2011’s single-family home sales “improved substantially over 2009,” which had 204 sales.

Additional good news that came with April’s real estate statistics is that sales of condominiums and townhomes were in line with March’s, holding at 75.

Hotard says that market is still having an issue with tight financing and demand is not as strong as it is with single-family homes.

While the chilly, wet weather has not helped the housing market, affordability has in both pricing and a 30-year fixed interest rate below 5 percent, he says.

With improved job creation in the area and pent-up demand, home sales should be stronger, Hotard says. Although the trend is moving upward, it’s uneven.

“Unnecessarily tight credit is continuing to constrain the market place,” he says. “In some parts of our market areas, we’re seeing lower appraisals resulting in contract cancellations. Those kinds of pressures continue to make this a challenging - although an improving - market.”

Although reports show foreclosures in many parts of Colorado are down by large numbers, “we still have a ways to go to clear out all of that distressed inventory,” Hotard says.

“I’m encouraged by the strength of our market,” he says. “My personal feeling is if we could loosen credit and make it available to a larger number of qualified borrowers, we would see substantial improvement in our market.”

The Boulder Area Realtor® Association is working with the National Association of Realtors® to encourage Congress and federal regulators to provide affordable mortgage products and guarantee a strong secondary market to support credit availability, Hotard says.

“We’re fighting battles to make sure that home ownership tax benefits are preserved in the tax code. Homeownership matters,” he says.

Tips will ensure summer parties are clean and safe

2011-05-23T23:32:00.002-06:00

Summer is finally here – or it’s supposed to be, anyway – and you likely are planning one or more barbecues with friends and family. Here are a few tips to prepare the yard and grill from TheSavvyShopperBlog.com before you plan the menu and fill out the guest list:

Grill Safety Inspection

• Check for leaks in your gas grill by mixing a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle, then spray the hose and all connections. Next, with the hose connected to the propane tank, open the gas. If bubbles appear, you have a leak and need to replace the hose or fix a loose connection.

• The flame on gas grills should be blue; if you see a yellow flame, there are either clogged air jets or burners that need adjustment.

• Clean the grill, inside and out. Scrub burners and grates with a wire brush, and then cut the grease build-up with a vinegar and water solution. Rinse clean and let dry thoroughly. A good all-purpose cleaner can take care of the outside of the grill.

Clean and Cool

Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are in good condition so your food is stored at the correct temperature and remains safe to serve.

• The cooling vents shouldn’t be blocked, as the air needs to circulate to ensure safe food preservation.

• Keep the refrigerator temperature at 36ºF to 38ºF and the freezer no colder than 0ºF to 5ºF. Inexpensive refrigerator and freezer thermometers can help you maintain the right temperature.

• Clean gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors with mild detergent and water - not bleach - to ensure a good seal and prevent wasted energy.

Spruce Up the Yard

• Inspect the deck and stairways for any loose boards or railings and tighten them up.

• Give your lawn mower a check-up to ensure you can mow efficiently and safely. Consider buying extended service plans for your appliances and power tools for your peace of mind and to make service and repairs easier.

• After mowing the lawn, break out the trimmer and edger to tidy up the sides and corners of your yard.

For more tips on getting ready for summer fun, visit www.thesavvyshopperblog.com.

Namasté Solar harnesses the power of respect

2011-04-26T12:27:00.001-06:00

Respect.

This is the Sanskrit meaning of namasté in Namasté Solar’s name.

And just like the word – a traditional greeting of respect that recognizes the interdependence of all living things – Namasté Solar’s goal is to show the earth, the community, their customers and employees respect not only through increasing use of solar power, but in how the business is run.

Blake Jones, Ray Tuomey and Wes Kennedy founded Namasté Solar in 2005 after Colorado voters approved Amendment 37 requiring energy companies to glean a certain amount of electricity from solar by 2015, says Dan Yechout, sales director.

Xcel Energy’s Solar* Rewards program launch in 2006 ignited Namasté Solar’s business.

Today, it is the most experienced Colorado-based solar company, having installed more solar projects in the state than any other company. Its primary market is the greater Denver/Boulder area, though it has done business as far north as Fort Collins, as far south as Colorado Springs and, occasionally, on the Western Slope. In addition to its main office in Boulder, Namasté Solar has been working from its LEED-certified office in Denver for the last 1½ years, as that’s where most of its customers are.

But Namasté Solar’s founders didn’t want to just run a business – they wanted to set a higher standard of respect not only for the earth, but for their customers and their employees.

So they recently established Namasté Solar as an employee-owned cooperative, which now has 40 co-owners and 22 cooperative candidates/employees. In the cooperative structure, all candidates are given the opportunity to purchase a share in the business and invest in Namasté Solar’s future.

All co-owners have a voice in what happens at Namasté Solar, from the company rebranding to the bi-annual company retreat agenda. They also vote on who will serve on the company’s internal board of directors, which occasionally makes decisions not well-suited to a companywide vote, Yechout says.

Salary ranges are tight, everyone has access to the company’s financials and, instead of paying commission, all the co-owners enjoy profit-sharing, he says.

“We think it’s good for us, but it’s really great for the customers,” Yechout says. “Whether it’s selling or installing, all of us co-owners have a vested interest in making sure you’re happy with our product and service.

“Having happy customers in the end is always the goal,” he adds. “We’re always going to go the extra mile for the customer in the end, and this has really paid off for us.”

Namasté Solar also shows respect to the community by being the first solar installer in the nation to offer a solar grant program, he says. It dedicates 1 percent of its annual revenues (regardless of profit) toward its corporate social responsibility plan, which includes solar grants, sponsorships and in-kind donations to local nonprofit organizations. The solar grant program gives long-term energy self-sufficiency to these organizations and enables them to reallocate their annual electricity savings, instead, to support direct program costs, Yechout says.

Namasté Solar also seeks to “walk the talk” through its own facilities and operations: its Boulder building was certified as LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council when it was remodeled 2008; its fleet of vehicles includes mostly hybrids or those that run on biodiesel; and the company has a zero waste program and partners with Eco-Cycle on zero-waste initiatives.

To ensure that home and commercial building owners can afford solar service, Namasté Solar not only provides a wide price range of solar panels from which to choose, but it is now offers a residential lease program so that homeowners do not have to come up with a large upfront payment to install a solar array.

But with the Colorado Legislature increasing the percentage of power generated by solar in 2007 and 2010, Namasté Solar’s co-owners have a certain amount of job security.

To learn more about Namasté Solar, visit http://www.namastesolar.com/; call (303) 447-0300; or e-mail info@namastesolar.com.

Colorado's home prices remain steady through 4Q 2010

2011-04-26T12:22:00.000-06:00

Colorado’s real estate market stood its ground through the end of 2010, according to the Federal Housing Finance Authority’s House Price Index.

Colorado’s house-price change of -1.03 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the last three months of 2010 earned it a rank of 10th out of 51 on the index. The nation as a whole saw home prices decline 3.95 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with the same period of 2009.

While none of Colorado’s metro statistical areas were ranked among the top 20 for house price appreciation, most of their house prices remained steady compared with metros nationwide through the end of the year.

Boulder remained among the top 100 metro statistical areas for its price appreciation of 0.06 percent, it dropped from 53rd in the third quarter to 87th in the fourth.

It also fell three places to the fourth-highest rank among Colorado metros, falling behind Pueblo, which saw home prices climb 1.05 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010, ranked 38th; Greeley, which ranked 57th with an appreciation of 0.53 percent; and Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, which ranked 80th with prices appreciating 0.12 percent.

All but one of Colorado’s metros stayed well out of the bottom 20 except for one: Grand Junction’s home prices declined 8.68 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with the previous year, earning it the rank of 299 out of 309.

Here’s a look at how all of Colorado and its ranked metro areas’ change in housing prices in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with change in housing prices nationwide:

Surveys find Colorado is both 'safe' and (somewhat) 'secure' from natural and employment disasters

2011-04-26T12:12:00.000-06:00

Recent surveys show that not only is Colorado one of the best places to make a living, but you can do so in relative safety.

According to Sustain Lane, Colorado ranks eighth among the nation’s states for safety – at least in terms of the number of natural disasters since 1953, as reported by Yahoo! Shine.

Rhode Island ranked first, followed by Utah and Colorado neighbor Wyoming. Texas took the top slot for the state with the most natural disasters, followed by California and Oklahoma.

Here’s a look at the top 10 safest states in the union:

But the fact that you are unlikely to experience a natural disaster while living in Colorado is likely not enough reason to move or remain here: it’d also be nice if you could support your family and then some – right?

According to Yahoo! Finance, Colorado also has that going for it, too. Using data from MoneyRates.com, Yahoo! Finance reported that Colorado is No. 9 among states where you can not only find a job, but find one that pays enough to cover the expenses and taxes and have a little leftover. MoneyRates.com pulled unemployment rates, average wages, tax rates and cost of living from all 50 states and found the best and worst states in which to make a living.

Here are the top 10 of each:

Where is money hiding in your home? Find it when you’re spring cleaning

2011-04-21T22:13:00.001-06:00

When you finally get around to spring cleaning your home but then are tempted to quit before the job’s done because it just is too much, perhaps this thought will keep you going: there’s cash in that junk!

According to Kiplinger (as reported by Yahoo! Finance), people often throw away cash – or, at least, items that could bring them cash if they were handled properly.

Here’s some items you should snag if you come across them while in the midst of spring cleaning:

Receipts – More specifically, health care receipts. While most companies require all receipts eligible for Flexible Spending Account claims turned in by March 15, some give to as late as June 15. And while you’re going through those receipts, grab any you can use to claim tax donations such as those for charitable donations or job-hunting expenses, if you itemize.

Gift Cards – If you come across unused gift cards but won’t use them for yourself or give them to someone else, check out gift card exchange sites such as Gift Card Granny or Plastic Jungle, which purchase gift cards for a percent of their value.

Electronics – When the electronics you just bought become outdated in the next few weeks, don’t throw them away. Instead, you can sell them on Gazelle.com, which buys computers and accessories, game systems, MP3 players, digital cameras, satellite radios and GPS devices.

You may also consider exchanging them through companies that allow you to trade older items for credit, such as the Apple Recycling Program or Hewlett-Packard offers a similar trade-in program if you buy a new HP or Compaq product first.

Donating your electronics may not have immediate rewards, but you can reap the tax deduction if you itemize. The National Cristina Foundation will take your used computers, software and accessories and find them a new home, helping provide computer training to the less fortunate. Old cell phones can be donated through ReCellular.com.

Lastly, do your part to save the earth by recycling your electronics through programs like those offered by Best Buy, or try out your local freecycle.org to find them a new home.

For more information on donating and recycling electronic goods, including how to safely and completely wipe all your personal information from them, visit the EPA's eCycling home page.

Jewelry – With the price of gold topping $1,400 an ounce as of late March, silver nearing $40 an ounce and platinum reaching $1,750 an ounce, now is the time to part with jewelry you don’t wear often and lacks sentimental value. But before you ship them off to Cash4Gold.com or similar gold buyers, check out auction houses, estate buyers, and jewelers to find and compare offers. You can also find an appraiser via the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers.

Clothing and accessories – Go shopping in your closet for items to sell at a secondhand store. Typically, clothing will resell for just a quarter or a third of the original retail price, but handbags may sell for up to half the original price tag. If you sell to a consignment shop, you'll have to wait until your item sells before collecting any money.

Call your choice secondhand store or check its Web site before you head in, as you may need to make an appointment to peddle your wares, and you’ll want to make sure your items are in season, in style and fit in with the shop's other offerings. Your items should be clean, stain-free and neatly folded. But if you can't profit from your apparel, consider donating it and claiming the tax benefit.

Books, music, movies and other miscellaneous items – Your first medium of choice for selling these items is the Internet, such as eBay, which will charge a fee but allow you to reap most of the profits. If you have enough items or they will bring in enough cash, you may enlist an online auction helper such as iSold It. Other sites to try: Amazon Marketplace, Overstock and Craigslist. If you're trying to sell furniture, use Craigslist or your social network to find local buyers who can swing by to pick stuff up themselves (just be safe). Of course, there’s the old-fashioned way of selling your used items: garage or yard sales.

Early spring sales show promise of new life in housing market

2011-04-21T21:53:00.001-06:00

If you compare March’s real estate statistics for Boulder County with March 2010, you might think things are worse off than they really are.

But if you recall that at this time last year, the first-time and move-up tax credit was bringing potential home buyers out of the woodwork, you’d understand what an unfair comparison that is.

However, compared with the last year without a tax credit influencing sales – 2009 – March 2011’s home sales are improving, says Ken Hotard, vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

Sales of single-family homes, 212 in March, exceeded the 193 sold in March 2009, though the 75 condominiums and townhomes that sold in March fell below the 87 sold two years ago. Compared with February, single-family home sales were up from 158 and condo/townhome sales increased from 54.

In March 2010, 272 single-family homes sold and 119 condos/townhomes sold.

“We’re basically continuing the trend we’ve seen in recent months,” Hotard says. “We’re showing good improvement over 2009, but we’re still not matching the 2010 numbers when we had the tax credits in place.”

The condo/townhome market continues to struggle, thanks to an excess supply for the demand that’s out there, he says.

While the current market stats aren’t reaching stimulus-level activity, the single-family market is showing increased sales and price stability month over month, Hotard says.

“We’re getting a little of that spring bump and hopefully that’ll continue,” he says, noting he is hearing from area Realtors that listing activity is more brisk, though inventory is not increasing evenly across submarkets.

Average and median sales prices on single family are continuing to improve throughout the Boulder market, much in part to the fact that the area didn’t experience inflated prices in the early 2000s, he says. The current prices reflect the real value of homes in the Boulder area markets.

Hotard says another positive sign that will impact the market in time is an improvement in local communities’ sales and use tax receipts, which shows “potential improvement” in consumer confidence and spending.

However, he says, “the drags that are still out there. The overall economic health remains weak, and while job growth is improving, it’s not at a pace to significantly reduce unemployment.”

Tight credit, the national debt and talk about requiring 20 percent down to obtain a mortgage are adding to the uncertainty people have about the real estate market, though, in the end, lenders will adopt more reasonable qualifications for lending, Hotard says.

On the bright side, new home construction went up 7 percent nationally in March, he notes, which means homebuilders are expressing more confidence.

“There certainly could be pockets in certain market areas where increasing the supply of new housing makes sense,” Hotard says.

Boulder growth takes the slow road

2011-03-23T13:02:00.000-06:00

Boulder County grew from 291,288 residents in 2000 to 294,567 in 2010 – a growth of only 1.1 percent but enough to keep it among the top 10 biggest counties in Colorado, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s initial results from the 2010 Census.

However, Boulder dropped from being the sixth biggest county in 2000 to the seventh in that 10-year period, trading places with Larimer County, which grew from 251,494 resident in 2000 to a population of 299,630 last year – an increase of 19.1 percent.

El Paso jumped from the third biggest county in 2000 to the No. 1 slot in 2010 with a growth of 20.4 percent that took it from 516,929 to 622,263 residents, surpassing Denver, which grew only 8.2 percent to a population of 600,158.

However, El Paso was not the fastest-growing county in Colorado from 2000 to 2010: Douglas County was with a growth of 62.4 percent, followed by Weld County, 39.7 percent, and Garfield County, 28.8 percent. Several other counties also had higher growth rates than El Paso’s.

The city of Boulder gained 2,712 residents in the 10-year period, registering a population of 97,385 in 2010, for a growth of 2.9 percent. It fell in rank from the ninth biggest incorporated community in Colorado to No. 11.

The city (and county) of Denver retained the top slot for the biggest city in the state, and Colorado Springs and Aurora stayed in the No. 2 and 3 slots, growing 15.4 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively. The city of Fort Collins, with growth of 21.4 percent, went from 118,652 in 2000 to 143,986 residents last year, and went from the fifth biggest city 10 years ago to the fourth biggest in 2010.

Castle Rock grew the fastest – 138.5 percent – over the 10-year period, followed by Commerce City, 118.7 percent, and Parker, 92.3 percent.

Here’s a look at Colorado’s 10 biggest counties and their growth since 2000:

State’s efforts to convert science, tech resources into jobs recognized

2011-03-21T17:38:00.001-06:00

Colorado continues to build and leverage its science and technology resources, according to the Milliken Institute’s 2010 State Technology and Science Index.

The state retained its No. 3 ranking from the 2008 index, behind Massachusetts and Maryland, respectively.

The index recognizes states that have used investment and long-term planning to successfully leverage their tech and science assets – the engines of 21st century economic growth – and tracked and evaluated states' tech and science capabilities and their ability to convert them into companies and high-paying jobs since 2002.

The 2010 State Technology and Science Index looks at 79 unique indicators that are categorized into five major components: Research and Development Inputs, Risk Capital and Entrepreneurial Infrastructure, Human Capital Investment, Technology and Science Work Force, and Technology Concentration and Dynamism, according to the Milliken Institute.

The State Technology and Science Index provides a nationwide benchmark for states to assess their science and technology capabilities, and whether they have the ecosystems for converting those capabilities into companies and high-paying jobs.

Save money and your home with these inspections and repairs

2011-03-21T17:37:00.002-06:00

If you hope to keep your home livable for a while like many are doing in this economy, here are some repairs to tackle before they become expensive and unavoidable home improvements, according to Yahoo! Finance:

Annual HVAC inspection

An annual heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) inspection costs $200-$300, depending on where you live, but it can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared with what you could spend on repairs or replacement if you don’t have it done. A furnace blower that’s not working may cost about $150 to repair, compared with what it will cost if it’s not fixed: $300-$1,000 to replace the heat exchanger. Or an inspection could show that the reversing switch in the heat pump is broke – a $100-$300 cost versus the system switching to a more expensive auxiliary heat and higher heating bills.

Servicing and minor repairs protect the thousands of dollars you’ve invested in your HVAC system. Have the inspection done in the spring or fall, when companies aren't as busy, and you're not in dire need of heat or air conditioning.

Chimney inspection

If you’re willing to fork out $65 for a chimney inspection, or even $150 for an inspection and cleaning, once a year before you start that first warming blaze in the fireplace, then you could remove creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.

An inspection might show that you need a chimney cap, which would cost $150 to replace, versus the $2,000-$4,000 to replace the chimney liner rain could dampen and cause mold to grown on. You could also find and repair several other issues, all of which will allow rainwater to get in to your chimney and cause mold – potentially requiring your whole chimney to need replacing – if not otherwise fixed for a few hundred dollars.

Termite inspection

A termite inspect costs between $75 and $200, with a termite protection contract for qualifying homes with no current evidence of termites to cover treatment and repairs for any later infestation ranging from $200 to $300.

Have your home checked for termites any time once a year, though they are more active in spring and early summer. Subterranean termites come from the ground or flying termites damage framing, trim, drywall, furniture, carpet, copper and other soft metals. The average homeowner loss for termite damage is $3,000, but losses can be as high as $30,000 or even $80,000, Curtis says. Most homeowners insurance does not cover repair of termite damage.

Power washing and sealing wood deck

Paying $100 to $300 to power wash and seal a 200-square-foot deck (more for a larger deck) every two to three years in sunny weather, depending on the amount of traffic, moss and mold it is exposed to, can make your deck last 20 to 30 years.

Power washing gets rid of stains, algae, mold, mildew and moss, which can make your deck slippery and dangerous, and sealing it after it’s cleaned helps prevent water damage. If you don’t power wash and seal it, your deck will warp, nails will pop out and it won't last as long, costing you $4,000 to $20,000 to replace it, depending on the size.

Dryer vent cleaning

It’s definitely worth spending $120 to $200 a year to have your dryer vents cleaned on a sunny day, as the cost of not doing could be your home, your belongings and even your – and/or your family’s – life.

If your dryer is not on an exterior wall, it's likely that the vent leading outside is clogged up, and ignoring it could result in a disastrous fire.

Carpet cleaning

Cleaning your carpet isn’t just about making your home look clean; it’s also about removing soil before it stains and even ruins your carpet. And, more importantly, it also removes pollen, bacteria, insecticides and dirt, helping your family to breathe easier.

It costs about 50 cents per square foot for hot water extraction cleaning, or $500 for 1,000 square feet of cleaned carpet. You should clean your carpet once a year on average, though more often for high-traffic areas and homes with small children, pets or smokers. Manufacturers’ warranties may require cleaning every 18 to 24 months; save money by focusing on regular cleanings for high-traffic areas and waiting up to two years for the entire carpet.

If the carpet looks dirty, you've waited too long because some soil can't be removed with vacuuming. This soil will bind to your carpet and dull the texture, shortening the life of the carpet.

By regularly cleaning your carpet, you extend its life and save the $3,000-plus it costs to replace 1,000 square feet of medium-grade carpet including padding and installation.

Cold temperatures in February put a freeze on housing market

2011-03-21T14:23:00.003-06:00

While February’s home sales didn’t follow the upward trend of recent months, it wasn’t any surprise that a lack of real estate activity followed the freezing temperatures Colorado experienced.

“February really kind of resulted in a bit of a flattening out of the market, in part driven by the extremely cold weather that struck people down for about two weeks,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

While the 158 single-family homes sold equaled those sold in February 2010, the 54 condominiums/townhomes that sold was down from the 67 that sold a year ago.

While Hotard attributes the lack of more sales of single-family homes to the cold weather that “took people out of home buying experience,” he says the drop in sales of attached units is consistent with that market’s performance in recent months.

“We’re seeing weakness in sales volume year over year in particular market areas, including single-family homes, but it’s more pronounced in condo/townhome sales that have been weak for some time now.”

However, while home sales are lackluster, the average and median single-family home prices are anything but in most Boulder County communities. Every Boulder market showed an increase in median sale prices, while only the city of Boulder showed a decrease – 2 percent – in average sale prices.

“In the midst of that (slow sales), average and median sales prices in single-family (market) have not only held up but dramatically improved in most markets year over year,” Hotard says. “They’re looking very solid.”

As if providing a lesson in contrast, the average sale price of condos/townhomes in five of the nine Boulder communities dropped in February, and the median sale price of attached units fell in three of the communities. Louisville and Lafayette were the only two communities that saw a decline of both their average and median sale prices of condos/townhomes.

“One thing not helping right now is inventory has shrunk to a point in which some buyers are seeing limited choice in type of housing product they’re looking for,” Hotard says, referring to the overall real estate market. “We’re still seeing demand but not seeing the product available for particular buyers.”

Other hindrances to the expansion of the Boulder area’s real estate market include the lack of job growth, he says.

“We continue to see very modest improvement (in jobs) and similarly with credit availability, but not enough to push us into a rapidly expanding market” or even a more aggressive market than the current one, Hotard says.

And while the more recent world events of the natural disasters and nuclear dangers in Japan as well as the United Nations’ actions against Libya may not have a direct link to the local market, they may have an impact, nonetheless, he says.

“Unfortunately, worldwide events at this time are creating uncertainty, which is always an uncomfortable thing for markets, particularly real estate markets,” Hotard says.

He adds that the growing unrest in the Middle East and rapidly rising gasoline prices “clearly signal uncertainty, and that has the potential to discourage consumers from making major decisions.”

Yet Hotard says he is still confident that current events won’t be enough to cripple the local market.

“I anticipate continued improvement in the market as we move through the spring and into the summer,” he says. “All indications are that the economy is slowly but surely recovering.”

Californians transplant love and knowledge of canines to Colorado kennel

2011-03-21T14:17:00.002-06:00

When dog owners leave their canine companions at Windstar Kennels near Longmont, they can trust that they are in the care of people who truly know their customers.

It’s not just that Windstar Kennels owners Robert and Heather Lindberg were professional dog show handlers for 20 years, which might be experience enough. But both of them come from families who bred dogs - the couple breed dogs themselves, as well - and they owned a kennel in California before moving to Colorado in December 2009.

Caring for dogs is truly their expertise.

The Lindbergs attended shows all over the country as professional show dog handlers, including at the recent Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York, before retiring in February.

“We did have the luxury of traveling to so many different areas and seeing the differences in the people,” Heather says.

Now they are content running Windstar Kennels, which offers boarding, grooming and “play care” for dogs and cats, as well as breeding beagles.

“It’s a lot of work,” Heather says. “We live, eat and sleep it, but we do enjoy it. It’s rewarding for us to be around the dogs and the cats.”

While both Heather and Robert were raised in southern California, Robert’s family is originally from Colorado and his parents and sister and her family had returned to the Rocky Mountain state five years before Heather and Robert decided to follow suit.

“We really wanted to get out of the rat race of California,” Heather says, noting they were drawn to the Rocky Mountain state by family and “the outdoor lifestyle – the mountains and everything Colorado has to offer. We came out several times a year to visit family and show dogs and fell in love with it.”

The Lindbergs waited to move to Colorado until the right kennel was available, she says.

“We looked at a lot of different kennels, but this one just stole our hearts,” Heather says, noting Windstar Kennels sits on 2 acres and came with a home for the people as well as the animals. “It’s charming and park-like with a view of Long’s Peak. It’s country living but still close to town. It had a wonderful reputation.”

The former owners of Windstar Kennels, Cathy and Ronald Nats, are still on staff, and the kennel is thriving, Heather says.

“We offer a safe and fun environment at a reasonable price while (pet owners are) away from town,” she says.

Robert’s 13-year-old daughter enjoys pitching in at the kennel when she visits during the summer, and his two teen nieces help during their school breaks, as well.

“It’s really nice,” Heather says. “We’re settling in. We’ve had a lot of support and contacts through the different dog clubs we’ve joined over the years.”

Although the Lindbergs remain in the business they know and love, they’ve noticed some contrasts between Colorado and California – the weather being one of them.

“We have enjoyed the different weather: waking up to white little blanket of snow, and the dogs absolutely love it – they go crazy,” Heather says. “The dogs adjust real quickly.”

Windstar Kennels is located at 14077 County Road 5 in Longmont. For more information, visit www.windstar-kennels.com; e-mail windstar@windstar-kennels.com; or call (303) 485-2176.

Boulder foreclosure rate among lowest of Colorado metros

2011-02-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Boulder County reported the lowest foreclosure rate among metropolitan counties with one completed foreclosure per 1,071 households in 2010.

The county finished 2010 with 1,352 foreclosure filings and 616 foreclosure sales – a decrease of 6.2 percent and a 23.4 percent increase, respectively – compared with 2009.

The figures show that Boulder followed the general trend of the other Colorado metros, with foreclosure filings falling and foreclosure sales increasing, according to the Colorado Division of Housing.

But 2011 has had a positive start among all of the state’s metros, with foreclosure sales dropping 21.8 percent from 1,917 sales in January 2010 to 1,499 sales in January 2011. Foreclosure filings in Colorado’s metropolitan counties were down 1.1 percent from January 2010 to January of this year. Total filings in January fell from 2,729 to 2,699, year over year.

From December 2010 to January 2011, foreclosure filings fell 6.7 percent, and foreclosure sales at auction rose 11.7 percent. But foreclosure filings are now at the lowest monthly total reported since June 2010. Foreclosure sales at auction, while down from January 2010, increased for the second month in a row as lenders sped up the processing of foreclosures, the Department of Housing reported.

Foreclosure filings are the initial filing that begins the foreclosure process, and foreclosure sales totals are the total number of foreclosures that have been sold at auction at the end of the foreclosure process.

The counties with the largest decreases in foreclosure filings from January 2010 to January 2011 were Boulder and Mesa counties, where filings decreased by 29.9 percent and 18.6 percent, respectively. Douglas County reported the largest rise in new filings with an increase of 68.8 percent, year over year.

The county with the highest rate of foreclosure sales in January was Weld County, with a rate of 690 households per foreclosure sale. Mesa County came in second with 702 households per foreclosure sale. The lowest rate was found in Broomfield County where there were 6,450 households per foreclosure sale.

World-traveled architect's interests range from anthropology to building design

2011-02-22T17:29:00.002-07:00

Jim Kalinski saw more of the world while growing up than most people see in a lifetime.

One of four children of a father working in government service, the California native spent years 2 through 7 in Spain, then five years in Aurora, Colorado, and the last five years of his childhood in Germany, where he attended a high school for children of U.S. government employees and service men and women.

But of all the places he had been, apparently Colorado made the biggest impression not only on Jim, but on his brother, sister and mother, who live here also.

Yet before he discovered his true home and career - architecture - in Boulder, Jim took a detour to pursue an interest he thought might lead to a career, earning a degree in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania

"It was really archaeology - a branch of anthropology - that interested me," he says. "I had visited Mesa Verde and other places in southwest. It's kind of like CSI (crime scene investigation), only of branches of civilization. I still find it compelling, but it's hard to make a living at it."

Jim was enticed to move to Colorado to earn a master's degree in geology - another interest of his - at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and because his brother, RE/MAX of Boulder Inc. Owner/Broker Tom Kalinski, was already living here.

Colorado also had a few other attractive characteristics, such as great weather and outdoor activities including backpacking and canoeing, and "of course, the geology is very well exposed here in Colorado," Jim says.

But it didn't take long before his brother had him learning how to oversee building projects, and Jim discovered a new interest. After a year and a half of graduate school, Jim left the study of geology and went into construction full time.

"I worked with a couple of other builders early on and learned from them," Jim says, noting he did some hands-on work, as well. "It evolved over time into mostly managing as the projects got bigger and bigger.

"Eventually I decided I enjoyed the design side more than the brain-damage side of construction management and got a degree in architecture," he says.

Jim earned a master's degree in architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1990 and worked with a couple of other firms to earn his license before starting Left Hand Design Group LLC in the early 1990s.

"It's creative and every job is different; (architecture is) art and science combined, and that's kind of nice," he says. "It's challenging and constantly changing; you're working with different people all the time. There are a lot of fun things about it."

Having a brother in Boulder who was already established in real estate and who "dabbles" in development also helped get his firm off the ground.

"It's always harder when you get started until you make some connections and build up some relationships," Jim says.

Just as his career in architecture was beginning, Jim married his wife, Kim, in 1990. A few short years later, they became parents of now 14-year-old twins, Quinn and Amy.

Jim says while his children haven't had the same opportunity to live abroad as he did growing up, he hopes to take them to see more of the world than what they have already with trips to Canada and Mexico.

"I think it is important to see how the rest of the world lives; it helps to keep your own life in perspective," he says.

For him, his experiences as a child as well as an adult - he has returned to Europe a couple of times, and traveled to Canada, Mexico and around the U.S. - have helped him in life as well as in his work as an architect.

"I guess living all around has made me realize that there are a lot of good ideas and a lot of different ways of doing things," he says. "Of course, it's helpful to have firsthand exposure to some of the great classic architecture - Greek, Roman, Renaissance, Modern - of the world and I'm sure it has influenced me."

Left Hand designed the Flats, a multifamily residential project on 28th Street across from the CU Events Center, as well as numerous other local projects and homes. Jim jokes, "I'll design anything for money."

Left Hand Design LLC is located at 1526 Spruce, #201, in Boulder. Call (303) 447-2926 or e-mail lefthanddesign@1526spruce.com.

January’s real estate stats trigger thoughts of recovery

2011-02-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

If January’s real estate market is any reflection of how 2011 will proceed, then the forecast for Boulder County is “recovery.”

“I’m pretty pleased with the continued positive direction of the market, given that this is traditionally a slow time,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

One hundred thirty-nine single-family homes sold in Boulder County in January, compared with 127 sales in January 2010. Longmont saw had the most homes sell as well as the biggest increase in sales, with 41 homes selling in January compared with only 30 a year ago – a nearly 37 percent increase.

But it wasn’t only the sales volume that improved in the single-family market: average and median home prices were up in every market except in the mountains, where the average price of homes dipped slightly, and Lafayette, where the median home price fell a bit.

Louisville had the strongest gain of median and average sale prices, with both increasing more than 11 percent.

“The single-family market consistently shows its strength here in both pricing and sales volume growth,” Hotard says. “In contrast, the condo/townhome market is currently weak on the pricing side of the market.”

Boulder County saw 59 condos/townhomes sell in January 2010, while 46 sold in the same month last year. But several communities in the Boulder market saw average and/or median sale prices decline in January – including Superior’s 17.9 percent average price dip – compared with a year ago.

“It’s still struggling and I believe it is mostly related to tight credit, and demand is simply not strong enough to support the supply that is in the market right now,” Hotard says.

Although the economy remains shaky, developers are beginning to show their confidence in the direction of the market by exploring opportunities in the Boulder County market area, Hotard says.

“I’m encouraged by the consistent direction of the market,” he says. “If this kind of strength continues and goes on into the spring, it could mark the turn for housing recovery within our market area and potentially along the Front Range of Colorado.”

The Boulder market is showing signs of recovery because it didn’t have as far to fall into the recession as other areas, Hotard explains: it didn’t have double-digit home price appreciation; it has had lower foreclosure rates; and its job losses haven’t been as severe as other communities’.

“We never had the big run-up here,” he says, noting home sales volume and credit availability have been the Boulder area market’s “hang-ups.”

But the credit strings are beginning to loosen – though some big issues still need resolved – and buyers are more willing to get into a more stable market, Hotard says.

“I think buyers in general are more encouraged and enthusiastic about the future of the residential marketplace, and they don’t want to lose out on today’s competitive pricing and historically low interest rates,” he says.

Important advice for buying your first home

2011-02-20T16:42:00.001-07:00

With the economy keeping prices in check and interest rates at historic lows, this is an ideal time to buy your first home – if you tread carefully amid such a momentous transaction, according to Forbes.

Here are some tips to ensure that you are making the right move and getting the right price:

Make sure buying is for you. Consider whether rents are cheap and homes costly in your community, whether you are you planning to move in the next year or two and if your job situation is questionable. If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, buying is probably not a smart move. The days when you could flip a house quickly and at a profit are history.

Do a credit check. Before you spend all of your free time shopping for the home at your dreams at a bargain rate, have cash on hand for a down payment and a mortgage lender who is willing to provide you with a home loan at an affordable rate. Get preapproved to expedite the closing of your purchase, which could take months otherwise in this market.

Consider a down payment and the alternatives. Speaking of down payment, today it’s best to have 20 percent up front, which instantly adds equity to your house and lowers monthly payments. You also know you can afford to buy a home when you have saved enough for the down payment. Without it, you’re looking at forking out even more in your monthly payment for private mortgage insurance.

Be realistic about costs. Shop for a home that won’t gobble up most of your income each month. Besides the mortgage and principal payments, buying a home means paying for insurance, maintenance and real estate taxes

Don't cut corners on inspections. It’s worth paying for a good home inspection, especially if you're buying a foreclosed home. The home inspection is key to understanding the condition the home is really in and whether you’ll have to cough up a lot more to make it livable.

Small appliances contribute to big energy use

2011-02-20T16:36:00.001-07:00

Big things come in small packages, so it shouldn’t surprise you what big energy hogs small items such as digital pictures frames, cell phone chargers and laptop power adapters are.

If every American household had a digital picture frame running around the clock, it would take five power plants to run them all, Forbes says, reporting data from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an electricity-focused research and development nonprofit.

While bigger home appliances like refrigerators and dryers do their share of energy consumption, small devices are collectively sucking a large amount of energy from the power grid. And as these devices become more commonplace, their energy consumption rises exponentially, according to Forbes.

One reason is many small devices – such as those phone chargers or power adapters – are always plugged in and continually drawing energy, even when the devices they charge are disconnected, Forbes reports. If you have equipment that is always on, like printers or speakers, it’s also running up your electrical bill – even when it’s in sleep mode.

Tom Reddoch, the executive director of energy utilization at EPRI, tells Forbes that the typical U.S. home 30 years ago had about three always-on devices; today, that number has climbed to more than 30.

While a refrigerator typically accounts for about 8 percent of the typical household's total annual energy consumption, Forbes reports Reddoch as estimating that “energy vampire” devices account for about 4 percent.

The easiest way to reduce energy consumption is to turn off and unplug devices when they're not in use, Forbes advises. If that isn't practical or convenient, use a smart power strip to help stop the flow of electricity to an idle current. For instance, some smart strips allow you to set up a lead device like a computer so that when it is turned off, other supporting devices, like printers and speakers, are also turned off.

You can also save energy by adjusting devices’ default settings, such as manually lowering the default brightness and intensity settings on a television set, Forbes says.

To get a better idea of just how much energy you’re using – and wasting – you might want to invest in an electricity monitor like the Kill A Watt, which measures the energy efficiency of household appliances.

You can also save energy as well as on appliances by purchasing energy-efficient products. Visit the U.S. Department of Energy site to find out if you are eligible for a rebate from the government when you buy an Energy Star appliance.

Here’s a more complete list of items you may already have in your home or are considering buying that will consume more energy – and more of your paycheck – through the power they require:

• Plasma TVs

• Digital picture frames

• Videogame consoles

• Set-top boxes

• Battery chargers

• Always-on devices (printers, speakers, computer monitors, etc.)

• External power adapters

• Aquariums

• Dehumidifiers

• Coffee makers

• Air purifiers

• Incandescent light bulbs.

For more information about just how much energy these items use, visit http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112010/surprising-home-energy-hogs.

CU among 3 Colorado colleges considered ‘best value’ by Kiplinger

2011-01-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Three of Colorado’s public colleges ranked among the top 100 of Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges 2011 list.

The Colorado School of Mines, Golden, was the top-ranked Colorado public school on the list, coming in at No. 59 out of 120 for in-state value and No. 65 for out-of-state value.

The University of Colorado, Boulder, was ranked 85th for its in-state costs and 97th for out-of-state costs, followed by Colorado State University, Fort Collins, ranked 90th and 99th for in-state and out-of-state costs, respectively.

According to Kiplinger's, the ranking is based on a combination of academics and affordability, using the data from Peterson’s/Nelnet on more than 500 public four-year schools. Kiplinger's narrowed the list to about 120 schools based on measures of academic quality including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates, which most schools reported for the class that entered in 2003.

Then Kiplinger's ranked each school based on cost and financial aid, giving more weight to academic quality than costs, the latter of which includes total expenses for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and books); the average cost for a student with need after subtracting grants (but not loans); the average cost for a student without need after subtracting non-need-based grants; the average percentage of need met by aid; and the average debt per student at graduation. To determine out-of-state rankings, Kiplinger's ran the academic-quality and expense numbers again, this time using total costs for out-of-state residents and average costs after aid.

Here’s a look at how the three Colorado colleges that appear on Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges 2011 list compare with the top three-ranked institutions:

Boulder sees a dip in unemployment in December

2011-01-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Colorado’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from 8.7 percent in November to 8.6 percent (not seasonally adjusted) in December, while the Boulder-Longmont MSA saw its unemployment rate fall 0.3 percent from 6.8 percent in November, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

“… we’ve had over-the-year wage and salary employment growth in Colorado for the first time in almost 2½ years,” says Ellen Golombek, executive director. “And we’ve added jobs four consecutive months.”

With an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent, Boulder-Longmont has the lowest rate for metropolitan statistical areas in the state.
The unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 32 of Colorado’s 64 counties, decreased in 23, and remained unchanged in nine. The lowest rate was 4.0 percent in Cheyenne County and the highest was 18.5 percent in Dolores County. In December 2009, the unemployment rate increased in 50 counties, decreased in eight counties and remained unchanged in six. Last year, the lowest rate was 2.6 percent in Cheyenne County and the highest was 16.3 percent in Dolores County.

Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent to 9.4 percent in December.

Employment increased in four of Colorado’s eleven major industry sectors over the year. Education and health services increased 9,600, leisure and hospitality 6,200, professional & business services 3,800, and trade, transportation and utilities 1,400. Construction, down 5,700, continues to post the largest decline of all industry sectors. Information declined 3,500, financial activities 3,100, manufacturing 2,800, government 700 and other services 100. There was no change in mining and logging.

Here’s a look at the unemployment rate in some of Colorado’s biggest metro areas:

Economists predict Boulder real estate prices will return to peak within two years

2011-01-26T19:40:00.002-07:00

Real estate prices in Boulder County could return to the peak levels they reached in 2005 and 2006 before the year 2013, according to Fiserv, which provides the statistics for the quarterly Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

Larimer and Pueblo counties are also predicted to rebound before 2013, and Fiserv expects El Paso County will see its prices return to peak numbers between 2013 and 2014. Most of the Denver metro area, Weld and Mesa counties can expect their real estate prices to rebound sometime between 2015 and 2025, according to Fiserv.

While most of the nation should see its prices rebound within 14 years, California, Arizona and Florida have the most markets that won’t catch back up until well after 2025.

Source: Fiserv Case-Shiller map

Boulder single-family housing market finishes 2010 on a high note

2011-01-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

It may have sounded more like a “pop” than a “bang,” but the Boulder County real estate market ended 2010 on a high note.

“We’re continuing this trend of seeing some modest improvement, especially in the single-family market,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

In December, 231 single-family homes sold, compared with 211 in December 2009 and 195 in November 2010. But the number of homes that sold isn’t the only positive aspect of the month’s figures, Hotard points out.

“Every market area had a increase year-over-year in single-family median home prices through Nov. 30,” he says, adding the average sales price also increased in every market but two (the mountains and plains) during the same period.

On the other side of the coin, “attached dwellings didn’t do so well,” Hotard says.

While December’s sale volume was close to 2009’s, most Boulder County markets saw declines in average and median prices.

“I think that’s the weaker part of the market right now,” he says. “It’s much more of a buyer’s market than the single-family home market, and there is continued difficulty in lending in the condo market.”

At the same time, lending volume across markets has increased “very modestly, which I think is more related to increased demand rather than easing credit,” Hotard says.

While qualifying criteria for loans has not loosened up, lending volume has grown with more homeowners refinancing and a modest increase in loan applications, he says.

Hotard says that while it’s possible that Boulder County home prices could reach their peak levels from 2005-2006 within a couple of years, as Fiserv Case-Shiller recently predicted, the market will have to gain more momentum than it has thus far. Home prices have dropped as much as 20 percent from those peak years.

“Inventories continue to be tight, sustaining prices, but once prices move up, there’ll be more homes for sale and that could hold back home prices somewhat,” he says. “It’s difficult to be precise. … There’s a lot of moving parts in the market right now; it’s tough to make broad general statements you can spread across the market. I do agree that this area (Boulder County) of Colorado … is likely to recover much sooner than most of the nation.”

But owning a home is still the American dream for which many people are still reaching, Hotard says, pointing to a National Association of Realtors study that shows 95 percent of home owners and 72 percent of renters believe that over a period of several years, it makes more financial sense to own a home than to rent. And 93 percent of those home owners say they would buy again.

“Even though we’ve gone thru this period of tremendous uncertainty and actual loss in many markets, American attitudes toward home ownership continue to be strong,” Hotard says.

The top 10 ways you can save on your home remodeling project

2011-01-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

About.com offers these suggestions for saving money on your home remodeling project:

10. Avoid using second mortgages, personal loans and credit when you can.

If you’re building an addition, it’s likely you’ll need a home equity line of credit or second mortgage. But you don’t want to pay for years for those new doors, so you’ll want to avoid personal loans and credit cards when possible. Cash is your best and cheapest choice.

9. Use existing structural elements as finish surfaces

If it works into your decorating style, refurbish interior brick walls, ceiling beams, concrete floors or wood floors that may be “decoratively aged” rather than building up new finish surfaces.

8. Build the addition up or in

It costs less to build up than to build out, as foundation work for building outward is expensive. It costs even less to build inward than upward if you have any spare rooms you can repurpose for other uses. If function rather than space is what you need, seriously consider building inward.

7. Avoid moving the plumbing

Plumbing work is expensive on its own; moving the plumbing can double – or more – the cost. But avoiding moving the plumbing is easier said than done, since half the reason for remodeling is often to redesign the kitchen floor plan.

6. Do your own work

It’s almost always cost less to do your own work versus hiring a professional – if money is your only concern. If it isn’t, then consider that the learning curve could be so steep or the need for specialized tools so great – or you’re in so much misery – that you end up hiring a professional anyway.

5. Use existing electrical work as much as possible

Like plumbing, electrical work is expensive. Instead of completely abandoning and redoing your current wiring, explore the possibility of supplementing it.

4. Live at your worksite

If you can find a way to live in your home while you’re remodeling, you’ll certain save money than if you’re renting an apartment to live in. It does help to take certain measures, such as maintaining a “clean zone” and using dust barriers.

3. Avoid the big remodeling contractors

Seek out the one- or two-person operations, which don’t have the unemployment taxes, worker’s compensation, advertising and sales commission costs you’re paying for. The smaller operations will negotiate, and you'll probably get a better level of service. Make sure the remodeling contractor is licensed, and the smaller the operator, the more you should concentrate on finding many local references. You will gain even more knowledge about that contractor’s quality of work by visiting examples of the contractor’s remodeling work. It should go without saying that if the contractor is stingy about showing examples, cross that contractor off the list in a hurry.

2. Use the ‘free’ home remodeling consultants

Even if you don't plan on using them, use the kitchen planners at The Home Depot, Lowe’s and local home improvement stores, who will provide you with a nice printed kitchen design layout. You can get product samples of siding from siding companies, hardwood and laminate flooring chips from flooring companies, and, for a short time commitment, flooring installers will come to your house and give you a dead-on floor measurement. These services come with a cost: the sales pitch, but you're not shelling out any bucks (though make certain that they're not charging you for the estimate, as some companies have begun to do recently).

1. Reduce your need for contractors

Contractors add 18 percent and more – usually more – for their services, which can amount to a staggering amount of money on big projects. They provide immensely valuable services for complicated, multistage projects, but carefully examine what you’re using the contractor for and question whether it’s worth another 25 percent.

• Are you paying them to perform easy work? Consider what projects for which you can hire a small contract to do, such as laying a brick patio when the addition is done.

• What about materials? There are materials you can easily get yourself and not have to pay the 25 percent markup, such as the set of towel bars that cost $100 if you swung by the store.

• Is there simple, non-building work you can do yourself? You can probably clean up the site when they’re done, or get the permit yourself.

You can find many avenues to save money with contractors, but get their estimate first and then start knocking off items.

Recent development proposals keep city office busy with reviewing projects

2011-01-07T17:20:00.004-07:00

The City of Boulder’s Department of Community Planning and Sustainability is keeping busy – and may be for a while – with a long list of proposed and approved developments on its plate. Here’s a look at what developments the city has recently approved, is reviewing or is waiting for submissions on in 2011:

These common sense steps can help you cut your winter utility bills down to size

2010-12-22T22:05:00.001-07:00

While much of eastern Colorado has only recently began to experience winter in its most well-known form – snow – the cold has been here a while, and that means the furnace is kicking on and the utility bills are climbing.

About.com offers these common sense and affordable – if not free – steps to keeping those bills from climbing too high (though they may not have the impact new windows would have):

1. Bundle up! OK, so Coloradans are used to the cold, but we don’t have to run around in shorts, a tank top and sandals in the middle of winter to prove it. Instead of turning the heat up to accommodate summer wear, don on a sweater or sweatshirt, sweats, socks and fuzzy slippers. Keep a fuzzy blanket nearby to cuddle up in while watching TV, reading or chatting with friends, and lay down throw rugs on hardwood and tile floors to eliminate the shock of the ice cold surfaces. Then turn down the heat!

2. Cover up the windows and doors with plastic that aren’t used during the winter months. Window kits sell for about $5 per window and can help eliminate drafts to keep in the heat. If kits or plastic sheeting aren’t in the budget, hang blankets to help insulate.

3. Turning the heat down to a reasonable 60 degrees at night and when no one is home can make a big difference on your bill. Adjust the thermostat manually for free, or spend a few bucks on a programmable thermostat, in case you’re liable to forget adjusting the thermostat.

4. After baking cookies or making dinner in the oven, leave the door open a crack. There’s a lot of heat in that oven, so letting it escape puts the heat to good use by warming up the kitchen and surrounding rooms, and the furnace won't have to run quite as much.

5. Use a space heater only in the current room you are hanging out in. This will take the nip out of the air to make you feel more comfortable without heating all of the other rooms in the house and wasting energy.

6. Use silicone to fill any cracks in doors, windows, etc., including the basement floor and walls. You would be surprised at how much heat is lost through cracks that seem insignificant. A tube of caulk or silicone will only run you a few dollars and it’s an easy weekend project.

7. Close any doors and vents to rooms that are not used regularly, such as the guest room that sits empty most of the time. Doing so can easily cut 100 to 200 square feet off of your energy footprint.

8. Put weather stripping around windows and doors, especially in an older home, as the seals around doors and windows can deteriorate over time.

9. Cover up the attic entry with plastic, pieces of insulation, old blankets, weather stripping, saran wrap, painter drop cloth or even a few old shirts. Any of those materials will help to slow – if not, stop – the drafts and warm air from floating away through the roof. Heat rises and may get sucked up through the attic, so you may not notice a cold draft even though your expensive hot air is floating away.

Don’t be deceived by sales stats; 2010 ended on a positive note

2010-12-22T21:35:00.004-07:00

Comparing Boulder County communities’ real estate sales statistics for November with the numbers from a year ago or even October might send some into a panic.

But if compared with a year with similar circumstances – 2008, specifically – 2010 actually had strong end, according to Ken Hotard, Boulder Area Realtor Association senior vice president of public affairs.

Only 195 single-family homes and 66 condos/townhomes sold in Boulder communities in November, compared with the 252 single-family homes and 84 townhomes that sold in November 2009.

However, Hotard points out that at this time last year, people were under the impression that the homebuyer tax credit was set to expire at the end of the year. It’s a much more accurate comparison to look at November 2008, when homebuyers had no tax credit to take advantage of by a certain time. Then, like now, the bottom fell out of the housing market.

In November 2008, 149 single-family homes sold and 50 condos/townhomes sold. In comparison, this November’s sales are an improvement, he says.

Another positive fact is the fact that all but two Boulder-area markets – Boulder and the plains – saw increases in average home sales prices ranging between 1.1 percent and 15.3 percent, and all but three – Boulder, the plains and Lafayette – saw increases in the median sales price.

“Prices are holding up extremely well,” Hotard says. “We’re still working on balanced inventories of homes for sale, resulting in healthy absorption rates in most market areas.

Prices and the increasing number of home sales compared with November 2008 paint a picture of an improving market, he adds. The area has a balanced absorption rate, it isn’t over-supplied with inventory and more jobs are coming, he says.

Some of the recent announcements regarding potential job growth include:

• Loveland-based Abound Solar, which has a 200-person manufacturing plant near Longmont, closed on a $400 million federal loan, which will allow the maker of thin-film solar panels to ramp up production and hire 200 more employees in Colorado within the next two years, according to the Boulder Daily Camera. The majority of those new hires will work at the Longmont photovoltaic array manufacturing facility. Abound currently has 350 employees in Colorado.

• Colorado high-tech firms are getting a boost from NASA to speed up manufacturing in hopes of providing 10,000 new jobs over the next five years. The new program will promote manufacturing of new products like thin film solar cells developed in Colorado. An agreement with the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology will help build a technology park somewhere between Loveland and Boulder.

Hotard called the announcements “very positive” and “a great fit for this area in terms of the University of Colorado, all the federal laboratories and the new energy economy.”

He adds, “This is the kind of news that has the ability to trigger consistent market expansion and growth we have been waiting for. People should be feeling relatively good, looking to celebrate a joyful holiday season and launch very positively into the New Year.”

While it’s not clear exactly what steps Congress will take to help the economy over the next year or two other than not raise taxes, Hotard says, consumers should have a bit more money to spend and may be more willing to make longer term investments such as buying a home.

“We’re starting to see more positive economic news setting up for a good end to 2010 and we should be in relatively good shape going into 2011, with the expectation of a healthy market going forward,” he says.

Boulder scores highest out of 200 U.S. metros on Portfolio.com’s brain-o-meter

2010-12-22T21:35:00.001-07:00

Need Boulder residents be reminded of just how smart they are? Probably not. But in case the world didn’t know, Portfolio.com ranked Boulder the smartest metro in the U.S. after analyzing the nation’s 200 largest markets.

Boulder is the home of the University of Colorado and is a “burgeoning hub for high-technology, electronics and aerospace companies,” and is therefore blessed with an economic mix that places a premium on education, according to the online magazine.

The result is a broadly educated workforce: five of every six adults in the Boulder area (82.5 percent) have attended college – the strongest concentration in the study group – while26 percent of Boulder’s residents hold master’s, doctoral or professional degrees – also the highest figure in the country, Portfolio.com reports.

The online magazine says that the U.S. Census Bureau data shows a worker with an advanced degree will earn 31 percent more than a colleague with a bachelor’s degree and 128 percent more than somebody who never went beyond high school.

Portfolio.com determined the rankings based on point values assigned to five rungs of an educational ladder, from high-school dropouts to holders of advanced degrees The score for a given market depended on the percentage of residents age 25 or older on each rung. The higher the score, the stronger a market’s collective brainpower.

Fort Collins (with Loveland included), home to Colorado State University, also joined Boulder on the list, coming in at No. 5 and making Colorado the only state with two cities among the top 10.

At the opposite end of the rankings are several Texas and California markets where college graduates are outnumbered by high-school dropouts, according to Portfolio.com. Last place belongs to Merced, California, with a score of -2.558. Thirty-four percent of Merced’s adult residents left high school without receiving diplomas, and only 11.3 percent hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

The Portfolio.com study encompassed the 200 metropolitan areas with populations greater than 207,000. If the rankings are confined to markets with at least 1 million residents, the five areas with the strongest brainpower are Washington (third in the overall standings), San Jose (seventh), Boston (eighth), San Francisco-Oakland (10th), and Raleigh (12th).

The top 10 brainiest metros in the top 10 are:

Boulder follows Pueblo among Colorado and metros nationwide for home-price appreciation

2010-12-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since Colorado didn't make an appearance among the top 20 states for home-price appreciation on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Quarterly House Price Index. But it happened in the third quarter of 2010 despite most of the state's metros improving their ranking.

With a drop in home prices of 2.88 percent from the third quarter of 2009 and a 2.08 percent drop from the previous quarter, Colorado ranked 28th among 51 on the index. It came in at No. 14 in the second quarter with prices dropping 0.25 percent from the second quarter of 2009 and falling 0.98 percent from the previous quarter.

Although Colorado’s home prices as a whole didn’t perform as well on a national level, its cities’ prices held their own among the 299 metros surveyed. Boulder’s ranking jumped from 74th in the second quarter to 53rd in the third quarter and Denver-Aurora-Broomfield’s climbed an impressive 48 steps from 122nd in the second quarter to 74th in the third quarter.

But perhaps the most impressive improvement in home prices came from Pueblo, which jumped from the 242nd slot in the second quarter to the 47th rank in the third, making it the top-performing city in Colorado - even beating out Boulder, which has held that honor in more recent quarters.

Except for the top 11 states ranked, all states experienced declines in home prices for the year and most for the quarter. The District of Columbia ranked No. 1 aong metros with an appreciation rate of 5.29 percent for the year and 6.79 percent for the quarter.

Here’s a look at how Colorado and its cities ranked for home-price appreciation in the third quarter compared with the nation and the second quarter of 2010:

Forecast presenters: economy continues to struggle but showing signs of recovery

2010-11-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

How do consumers feel about the economy?

Awful.

But that’s no different than they felt about the last couple of recessions the U.S. experienced, Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, told about 475 attendees at the fall Re/Max of Boulder Inc.’s 2010 Real Estate Conference on Nov. 18.

“Consumers are saying that things are rotten in this country,” he says, adding that their confidence about the future is not good, but it’s not as bad as it was in the early and mid-1980s. “If people do not believe in the future, are they going to be confident about making a major decision such as the purchase of a home?”

Yun pointed out other issues holding back from the “Recovery to Normalcy,” or a balanced market, such as businesses keeping their purse strings tight even though their profits are improving.

Federal Housing Administration loans are performing well, but Yun says the “residual impact” of overly enthusiastic lending – foreclosures – will continue through 2012. “All bad loans are made in good times,” he says.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans made since 2009 are doing well – better than pre-bubble times and perhaps too well – because they are being made only to “super high-quality” individuals, he says. People with reasonably good credit and looking to stay within their budget are being turned away, and that’s stifling the market.

“That’s what we are working on,” he says, noting the NAR is in discussions with the FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Reserve to lift some of the restrictions on lending.

To reach “normal,” Yun says, the U.S. needs robust job creation. Adding only 100,000 jobs per month is only treading water, and to add more, businesses need to start spending again.

Yun noted that locally, Fort Collins is doing better at creating more jobs compared with 10 years ago, but Boulder is about the same.

Now that the tax credit for first-time and move-up home buyers is over and the winter months are here, the nation will get a better idea of whether the real estate market is returning to normal, he says. That means generally low sales activity during the winter but the spring could bring a normal buying season.

Builders who want to stay in the industry are finding niche and wanting to get back to building – something they weren’t doing because of competition with foreclosures – but they can’t get back to work because they are unable to get government loans, Yun says.

Yum warns that inventory is low and if not enough homes are on the market when people are ready to buy, that means prices will start rising again – which is good for property owners but not buyers. “Under normal lending criteria, people will be priced out,” he says.

And, true to form, Yun stressed that even in the new “normal” economy now developing, home ownership is still the key to financial stability.

“The long-term path to self-reliance may be helped from long-term housing wealth gains,” he says. “That’s the old fashioned way and I think we’ll be returning to the old-fashioned way of building wealth.”

He predicted moderate expansion of the Gross Domestic Product in the next year, mortgage rates rising to 5 percent in 2011 and 5.9 percent in 2012 and no meaningful change to home values.

Local real estate forecast

D.B. Wilson, president of the Boulder Area Realtor Association and manager of Re/Max of Boulder, Inc., describes the last few months following the homebuyer tax credits as a “hangover.”

Now that the “hangover” has passed, it’s time to look for signs of recovery in the local real estate market.

Here are some of the highlights from Wilson’s presentation:

• Home values have returned, for the most part, with a nearly 8 percent increase in the median and average sales prices of Boulder County’s single-family homes in the first nine months of 2010.

• The average sales price of attached dwellings dropped less than 2 percent.

• Expect housing inventories to continue in a fairly stable range and home prices to drop little, if at all.

• Boulder County saw a 7.7 percent increase in the number of single-family homes that sold in the first nine months of 2010 compared with the same period last year.

• Sales of attached dwellings dropped nearly 7 percent through September 2010 compared with 2009.

• Boulder County has about a 10.5 percent absorption rate of new condos and plenty of supply.

• Foreclosures for the area were down 18 percent through September but they increased slightly in October.

• The good news for sellers is that values have held study, in part because of limited inventory, but that’s not so good for buyers because they don’t have much from which to choose.

• At the end of the third quarter of 2010, Boulder County had 1,988 single-family listings, compared with 1,969 in 2009, with 2,054 sales compared with 1,907 in 2009 (a 7.7 percent increase);

• Indicating the importance of pricing a home right, 33 percent of new single-family listings sold in the first nine months of 2010 compared with 50 percent selling the previous year.

• The number of active attached-dwelling listings was down from 725 through September 2009 to 704 in the first nine months of 2010; sales were down 7 percent.

Wilson also advises that with how low interest rates are now, people who are considering buying need to think about what will happen to their buying power if the interest rate goes up.

“You don’t live with your price … but you have to live with your payment,” he says.

Denver-Aurora lands on 'best of' list with jobs, affordable homes

2010-11-24T10:25:00.003-07:00

Cities with low crime and good schools have taken a back seat to places with jobs and affordable homes for those looking to relocate, according to BestPlaces.net.

But the sprawling metro of Denver-Aurora meets the latter criteria, as well, landing ninth on BestPlaces.net’s 10 Best Cities to Move to in America. Pittsburgh, Penn., took the top slot.

The list takes considers a wide range of data, from cost of living to crime rates, the number of colleges and how healthy the population is, as well as access to museums, shows, sporting and other events as well as stability. The latter refers to modest, controllable growth, minus the big booms that lead to disruption and big busts in time and livability.

Denver-Aurora scored high on stability and affordability as well as for its attractive downtown.

BestPlaces.net noted Denver has plenty to offer in the way of arts in museums and public art, as well as four professional sports team - the Denver Broncos football team, the Colorado Rockies baseball team, Colorado Avalanche hockey team and Denver Nuggets basketball team. It also recognized the mountains surrounding Denver-Aurora for both their beautiful and plethora of outdoor activities.

Aurora also offers shopping and cultural events, as well as more than 1,800 acres of park land, at least a dozen golf courses and a 200-acre nature center.

The unemployment rate is 7.4 percent, below the national average of 10.2 percent, and lands Denver-Aurora as the No. 11 job market, according to Indeed.com, with two job seekers for every job available, according to BestPlaces.net.

Pittsburgh, says BestPlaces.net, has transformed from a major industrial steel town into a hub for education, health care and the arts yet has remained affordable, with a cost of living 12.2 percent below the national average and an average home price of $116,400, well below the national average of $171,700.

Its crime rate is low, it ranks high on both arts and colleges, and it's at low risk for a natural disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane or tornado. With three professional sports teams – the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team – it has its share of loyal sports fans.

Pittsburgh’s unemployment rate is 7.8 percent, and Indeed.com has named it the No. 18 job market.
Here’s a look at all the cities appearing on BestPlaces.net’s 10 Best Places to Relocate to:

Source: BestPlaces.net

Local real estate market keeps to its slow pace in October

2010-11-23T10:44:00.001-07:00

October’s real estate statistics for Boulder County offered both good news and bad news, depending on your point of view.

“The bad news is the market hasn’t changed much from last month,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. “The good news is the market hasn’t changed much from last month.”

With 230 single-family homes and 66 condos/townhomes selling in October, compared with 227 and 72, respectively, selling in September, sales are holding steady though at a low level, he says.

If that “good news” isn’t good enough, Hotard points out the “solid improvements and minor declines” of Boulder area average and median home prices.

The average sales price dropped in only three communities, and then only slightly, and the median sale price dropped in only two communities – again, only by a slim margin. That means home values increased in most Boulder communities last month.

Hotard also notes that inventories of homes for sales of decreased over the last several months, which means it takes fewer months for the houses on the market to sell and keeps prices stable or improving slightly.

“That’s good news, that the market has taken that shape, because it helps to maintain values,” he says.

But for homes priced at $1.5 million or higher, the absorption rates begins to climb into the double digits (10 months or more), Hotard says.

New home construction projections recently fell almost 12 percent from 600,000 units annually to 519,000, nationwide. That helps bolster the resale market by keeping the supply low and absorption rates in balance, he says. “Buyers looking for homes today are most likely looking at re-sales.”

For people considering putting their home up for sale, “they’ve got a stable market in which they should have an opportunity to sell a quality home that’s priced well. They won’t see as many low-ball offers from buyers trying to take advantage of a weak market,” Hotard says.

Hotard points to the lack of mortgage financing and the over-tightening of credit standards nationally to the lackluster performance of the real estate market.

“It’s gone beyond point of credit tightening for good reason to the point of credit tightening just for the sake of credit tightening,” he says.

Quoting Bloomberg.com, Hotard says, “'We’ve gone from silly to stupid,'” captures lenders’ recent behavior."

For the time being, not much will change, he says.

“I’m not encouraged that the outcome of the recent elections will yield much in the way of dramatic action to improve our economy in the short run,” Hotard says. “I think we have a real possibility of gridlock and inaction for a period of time.”

Hotard says he expects some reduction in sales volume through the end of 2010, but inventories will continue to decline and prices will hold well.

“The first quarter of next year will be very instructive as to what to expect going into springtime when markets usually accelerate,” he says. “I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet. This downturn has been deeper and longer than has been expected by the best experts and has exceeded my expectations as to its duration.”

Many still believe buying a home is smart decision

2010-11-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

Although the economy has put a damper on the buying and selling of homes, it hasn’t changed the fact that most people still believe buying a home is a wise financial decision.

That’s according to nearly eight out of 10 respondents to the 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey, which the National Association of Realtors released in October, reports the NAR’s Realty Times.

The survey measures how affordable housing issues affect consumers. Despite the unstable economy, 68 percent of those surveyed believe now is a good time to buy a home – down from 75 percent last year but up from 66 percent in 2008 and 59 percent in 2007.

According to the Realty Times, more than 25 percent of renters are “thinking more about buying a home than they were a year ago,” perhaps because of lower home prices and record-low mortgage interest rates. And 63 percent of renters responding to the survey said that owning a home is a future priority and nearly 40 percent said it was one of their top priorities. Lower home costs resulted in only 57 percent of renters reporting fear that they could never buy a home because of affordability, compared with 63 percent in 2007.

However, 79 percent of respondents still consider having enough money for a down payment and closing costs to be among of the biggest obstacles to buying a home. Another obstacle is a lack of confidence in their ability to be approved for a loan, reported by 73 percent of respondents, the Realty Times said.

Move or improve? Ask these questions

2010-11-16T11:57:00.004-07:00

Most families eventually grow out of their first homes as they add more members or their children get bigger, or perhaps they add a business or more cars. It’s at that point that they need to decide whether to sell their house and buy a bigger one, or if they should remodel and perhaps add on to their existing home.

Bradley Tuttle of Real Estate Loans 4 You offers these four questions to determine whether you should improve your current home or buy another. He advises that homeowners who are happy with their current neighborhood and school district (usually the top two owners' priorities) are wise to weigh answers to the following:

1. How long do you intend to keep the house?

It doesn’t make much sense – financial or otherwise – to pour money into a house only to sell it. If you've ever lived around and through a remodeling project before, you’ll want to get enough joy out of the improvements to offset the emotional upheaval wrought by the construction.

2. Will you be able to recoup the cost of improvements when you sell?

Even if you aren't thinking of moving in the near future, be sure to do the math before wading knee-deep into a project. A real estate agent or appraiser can show you comparable properties (comps) of recent sales to determine how much, if any, the improvements will increase market value. If you make improvements that don't add to market value, be prepared to walk away from what you've spent, especially if selling in a short period of time (less than five years on the average, depending on the type of improvement.)

3. Are the improvements you're considering logical given the age, size, and location of the house?

Just as you wouldn't install a new sunroof on a dilapidated car, don’t make expensive additions to a house littered with obsolete functions and features. Appraisers would tell you that it's much tougher to recoup the investment from home improvements if they aren't similar in style and design/era to the existing home.

4. Could additions/changes over-improve the house?

A house at the top of the market for the neighborhood can take longer to sell since buyers often purchase on the low side, hoping to maximize equity and improvements made over time. And certain buyer segments don’t welcome some additions, such as families with young children are likely to shy away from home with a swimming pool, since it's the No. 1 cause of death for children under age 5. And retirees will not want a master suite in a third-floor loft, even if it has been remodeled.

Even though you may want to make additions/changes based on your immediate needs and desires, it never hurts to consider a potential, future buyer to avoid over-improvements you can't recoup.

The answers to these four questions may not provide all the information you need to adequately weigh improving the house versus moving to another, but they will serve as talking points to get you focused on solving your housing needs in an organized and cost-effective manner.

Real estate conference offers perspectives on navigating market, economy

2010-10-21T10:58:00.003-06:00

If you’re looking for insight into how to navigate today’s uncertain economy and real estate market, then you won’t want to miss Re/Max of Boulder Inc.’s 2010 Fall Real Estate Conference.

Federal Housing Administration Commissioner David H. Stevens headlines this year’s conference keynote speakers. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, and Brad Blackwell, retail national sales manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, will round out the keynote speaker panel.

The conference is set for 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Millennium Harvest House Boulder, 1345 28th St. The cost is $59 and includes lunch. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and a reception at 4:30 p.m. will wrap up the day’s events.

Re/Max of Boulder is also honored to welcome Larry Kendall, chairman emeritus of Fort Collins-based The Group Inc. Real Estate. He will speak on strategies that will serve Realtors well when selling real estate in this economy.

Other topics covered at the conference include:

Commercial/Residential: Opportunities on the Horizon: Smart investors should look beyond today's headlines for real estate opportunities that will mature throughout the next decade. We'll look at developments such as ConocoPhillips, North Park and others, including redevelopment and infill projects, with an eye toward maximizing investment returns.

Residential Track: Transit-Oriented Development: FasTracks eventually will change the dynamics of real estate in the Boulder Valley. This panel will discuss projects such as Boulder Junction and other transit developments in Broomfield, Louisville and Longmont.

Commercial Track: Rent or Buy? Is your company in the right-sized space? Is it time for you to purchase a building for your business? Our expert panel will discuss how you can take advantage of the current market and get the best value for your company's dollars.

During the Real Estate Forecast, Boulder Area Realtor Association President D.B. Wilson, who also manages the Re/Max of Boulder office, and Lynda Gibbons, chief executive officer of Gibbons-White Inc. will talk about what the future holds for the economy and real estate for the remainder of 2010 and into 2011. They will examine both the national trends and the outlook for the Boulder Valley.

For more information and to register for the Fall Real Estate Conference visit http://www.fallrealestateconference.com/ or http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=895283. You can also contact Tom Kalinski of RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc., at 303.441.5620 or e-mail tomkalinski@mindspring.com; or Chris Wood of the Boulder County Business Report, 303.440.4950, or e-mail cwood@bcbr.com.

Four hours of Continuing Education Real Estate Credit are available from VanEd. Contact the BCBR if you are interested in being a sponsor or having a booth.

Relationship building key to successful banking

2010-10-20T19:39:00.002-06:00

If you have lived or worked in Boulder long enough, you may remember it as Boulder Valley Bank and Trust, a private bank founded in the 1980s.

Or perhaps you’re more familiar with Mountain Parks Bank or its successor, Community First National Bank.

No matter what the name and parent company, the bank known as Bank of the West since 2004 has stood on its original foundation: building relationships with customers.

Owned by BNP Paripas in Fargo, N.D., Bank of the West was founded 135 years ago, and its philosophy today is the same as it was then, says Lisa Evans, vice president and Boulder market manager.

“We have always focused on the customer relationship,” she says. “It is all about the customer experience.”

To ensure that the bank is true to its cause, Bank of the West employs a third-party survey company that calls customers randomly to see how their experience was and whether the bank met their needs, Evans says. Third quarter results showed that more than 94 percent of our customers at the two Boulder locations were "extremely satisfied" with the customer service they received.

“Banking in general is a people industry,” she notes, adding that its service is what sets Bank of the West apart from its competitors.

Bank of the West employs 12 people at its two Boulder branches, 3800 Arapahoe Ave., #100, and 1300 Walnut St., #100. Evans says more than half of them have been with Bank of the West for more than five years, and some have been with it – and its predecessor – for more than 10 years.

She attributes the bank’s low attrition rate to efforts to build a relationship with its employees, as well, by providing them with financial assistance for their college education, and recognizing them with incentives and rewards for different levels of achievement. “People choose to stay and grow with our company,” Evans says.

Bank of the West is also the leading sponsor of University of Colorado athletics. And the bank and its employees show their appreciation to the community they serve by getting involved, either financially or by giving of their time, with University of Colorado athletics, the local hospice program, the YMCA, Boulder Community Hospital and the Family Resource Center (Access Counseling), Evans says.

A majority of Bank of the West’s Boulder clients have been with the bank for years, she says, showing that getting to know and understand people is important in banking.

The bank is also known for its business banking, and is one of the 30 largest commercial banks in the nation.

“Both of the branches have a background in commercial banking, in being there for that business owner,” Evans says. “I think it’s about relationships – faces you know and relationships you build. Whether it’s commercial or retail banking, we’re providing what the customer needs and we’re able to grow along with them. If we have a relationship, we know what they need and can bring that to the table.”

Bank of the West’s parent company, BNP Paribas, is one of the six strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor’s, with $2.4 trillion in assets. Bank of the West had $61 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2009, and more than $40 billion in deposits.

Learn more about Bank of the West’s Boulder branches by calling (303) 444-7771 (Arapahoe branch) or (303) 449-7200 (Walnut branch), or visit www.bankofthewest.com.

Boulder tagged for smart folks and life before and after graduation

2010-10-20T11:50:00.000-06:00

Combine a beautiful setting and friendly people with an entrepreneurial with a major university and you get one of the smartest cities in the nation – perhaps because graduates of that university fall in love with the city itself.

Web magazine The Daily Beast recently named Boulder No. 1 on its list of America’s Brainiest Metros.

According to the magazine, America’s Brainiest Metros are a mix of large metros with a significant presence of technology and knowledge-based businesses and the nation’s premiere college and university towns. The presence of a major research university is one of the most decisive variables.

While noting that Boulder is known as a liberal enclave, the magazine touted the University of Colorado as “top notch” and home to some of the nation’s best science programs. It also recognized that Boulder is the base for several science research centers.

But it also has plenty of recreational opportunities that not only bring students to CU, but convince them to stay after graduation.

According to Liveability.com, Boulder ranks fifth on its Top 10 College Towns: Great Cities for School and Life After Graduation.

Liveability.com says besides CU, Boulder also offers its students and graduates “mountains and eye-catching scenery.” The average age of its residents is just 29, and it has more than 36,000 acres of open space, where students can test their skills in hiking, mountain biking or climbing. Boulder residents also have relatively short trips to hit the slopes at Eldora Mountain Ski Resort to ski, snowboard or snowshoe, and plenty of hot spots in town where they can warm up or shop and socialize.

Here’s a look at the top five in The Daily Beasts’ Brainiest Metros:

Market stats reflect sobering economic conditions

2010-10-20T10:19:00.002-06:00

The economy is just barely chugging along, and the local real estate statistics reflect it.

Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association, says that 227 single-family home sales for Boulder County is “a fairly revealing number. Things really did slow down quite a bit after the homebuyer tax credits expired this spring.”

During the second quarter of this year, 1,103 single-family homes sold, compared with 765 during the third quarter – a 30 percent drop. And 416 townhomes/condos sold in the second quarter while only 225 sold in the third quarter.

Boulder – along with the state and nation – will face ongoing challenges as the government continues to struggle financially, he says.

“It’s not clear what this, now temporary, foreclosure freeze will do in the market; it could have an additional dampening effect,” Hotard says.

He notes that 31 percent of home sales nationally in the third quarter were homes that were foreclosed on. It is important to keep the processing and sales proceeding and to move these distressed properties out of the market. Recently, Bank of America and GMAC lifted their freezes, debunking negative speculation regarding processing oversight.

“I also think the election coming up has had an effect on the economy and real estate market because of uncertainty about future federal policy,” Hotard says. “Hopefully whoever prevails in the elections nationally will instill confidence in consumers and markets, providing a positive boost to economic health and housing nationally as we enter 2011.”

Virtually nonexistent job growth – unemployment nationally is at 9.6 percent and may drop to 9.2 percent next year – and the lack of an economic expansion also will take its toll on the real estate industry, he says.

“I don’t think anyone ought to panic,” Hotard says. “No one is anticipating a double-dip recession. While we’re not experiencing a rapid expansion, for months we’ve been on a slow and measured positive trend in terms of economic growth. It’s just very, very slow.”

Despite the low home-sales volume, Boulder’s home values and sales values remained solid across the market in September, “reflecting stability even in the face of challenging financing and rising numbers of foreclosures that we have seen in Colorado and nationally,” Hotard says.

Another bright spot is that “historically low, unbelievably low” interest rates are available on mortgages. “Mortgages couldn’t be cheaper,” Hotard says.

Hotard also sees a positive energy from area Realtors who are “retooling, reorganized, more efficient and expanding services,” instead of reducing them, to bring more value into transactions.

“It’s really encouraging to see how the real estate professionals are responding to the challenges this market is presenting to them,” he says. “From my exposure at national and state meetings, while there are fewer Realtors, there is an energized level of professionalism and value in the industry and confidence that profitability will return as a result.”

Pending home sales rise for second consecutive month

2010-10-20T10:15:00.000-06:00

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index ended the summer on a positive note, rising 4.3 percent in August from July to 82.3 based on contracts signed that month.

The data reflects contracts put on homes, with closings following in one or two months. Markets had expected the index to increase 3 percent.

July’s index rose 5.2 percent to 79.4 based from a downwardly revised 75.5 in June, making August the second consecutive month that pending home sales have increased.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the latest data is consistent with a gradual improvement expected in home sales in upcoming months.

“Attractive affordability conditions from very low mortgage interest rates appear to be bringing buyers back to the market,” he says. “However, the pace of a home sales recovery still depends more on job creation and an accompanying rise in consumer confidence.”

Although Yun expects a continuing steady rise in home sales, he cautioned any sudden rise in mortgage rates could slow the recovery.

“Current low consumer price inflation has helped keep mortgage interest rates very attractive this year,” he says. “However, recent rising trends in producer prices at the intermediate and early stages of production, along with very high commodity prices, are raising concerns about future inflation and future mortgage interest rates. Higher inflation would mean higher mortgage interest rates. In the meantime, housing affordability is hovering near record highs.”

According to Reuters, home sales and building activity are stabilizing after a steep decline following the end in April of a popular tax credit for home buyers. The rise in pending home contracts may indicate a modest gain of existing home sales this fall. However, high unemployment and a glut of homes on the market indicate recovery will be very weak.

In the West, which includes Colorado, the PHSI rose 6.4 percent to 101.1 but remains 19.6 percent below a year ago. The Northeast index declined 2.9 percent to 60.6 in August and remains 28.8 percent below August 2009. In the Midwest the index rose 2.1 percent in August to 68.0 but is 26.5 percent below a year ago. Pending home sales in the South increased 6.7 percent to an index of 90.8 but are 13.1 percent below August 2009.

RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. Offers Four Mile Fire Assistance

2010-09-20T15:38:00.007-06:00

The Boulder Valley Community and RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. have banded together to help with the devastating aftermath of the Four Mile Fire which burned 165 homes. Please contact your RE/MAX Realtor (or Broker/Owner Tom Kalinski 303.441.5620 Email Tom) to obtain contacts of trusted architects, contractors, attorneys, lenders, insurance agents, material suppliers, demolition/deconstruction companies or assistance with navigating the County Building and Planning Department.

Rental Properties available from RE/MAX of Boulder:

1. 1240 Cedar, Apartment Building 12 vacant 2 bedroom units, $1300-$1400 mth - Bill Allen 303.441.5690

2. Boulder - 4 bedroom / 3 bath home $3200 mth - on market to Dec. - Dave Osborne 720.566.2681

3. 487 Rifle Way Broomfield new home $2000 - Ted or Carolyn Manzanares 303.666.8115

4. 135 Stone Canyon, Lyons $800 mtn , 3 bedroom, 2 bath, all appliances - Dan Sidall 303.918.8400

5. 3140 29th 4 bedroom, 4 bath, office $2300 - Chad St. Onge 303.895.7190

6.1667 Zamia, 2 bedroom, 2 bath townhome $2000 - Ed Schultz 720.495.3889
7.AGR Building- Niwot and Front Range - Lisa Jacobs 720-375-1092

(Rental questions can also be directed to Todd Ulrich Property Management RE/MAX of Boulder 303.441.5672 or cell 303.5645.4762)

Other websites with rentals:

PGRentals

Upcoming Community Meetings Boulder Green Building Guild:
Location: East Boulder Senior Center

Dates: Thursday September 23 - 7-9 pm and

Sunday October 3 - 1-6 pm

Clinic seeks to provide affordable acupuncture in a group setting

2010-09-15T16:40:00.001-06:00

Jen Alberti and Caroline Adams took starkly different paths to get there, but they both ended up in the same place: helping people from all economic backgrounds heal with acupuncture.

The women are partners in Left Hand Community Acupuncture in Lafayette, offering acupuncture on a sliding payment scale in an environment in which people know they are not alone in their pain and discomfort.

Joining forces
Jen, from Quincy, Mass., just outside of Boston, has been a believer in acupuncture to treat her chronic seasonal allergies. She knew she wanted to provide the same relief to others and came to Boulder with her partner, Greg Williamson, to finish her degree at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder. The couple fell in love with Colorado and the mountains and decided to make it their home. “I feel like we’re a lot more active here,” Jen says, noting she and Greg didn’t have access to hiking trails and couldn’t bike to work in Boston. “I think it’s great.”

A native and lifelong resident of Colorado, Caroline became interested in health care after touring the Boulder Massage School in 2000. At the time, she was working as a librarian – researching engineering issues, but became dissatisfied with her job. She wanted to do something more fulfilling to help others. “I thought hard about (massage therapy), but the idea of being with someone and not talking to them seemed really odd to me,” she says. The mother of two – Zoe, 7, and Charlie, 5 – attended an open house at Southwest Acupuncture College after being laid off in 2004 and “got hooked.”

Knowing she wanted to offer community acupuncture and needed a partner, Caroline asked Jen to join her after observing not only Jen’s dependability and punctuality, but her compassion and knowledge. “I just knew from her character in school that she was someone I’d like to work with,” she says of Jen.

The women opened Left Hand in Lafayette in May because it was one area of Boulder County that didn’t have community acupuncture services. They are growing their practice to serve patients from the other area towns such as Erie, Louisville and Superior.

A community of healing
Community acupuncture means patients are not led to a private room where they get undressed and don a robe before undergoing an all-over body treatment. Instead, several patients may receive treatment at a time in the same room where Jen and Caroline focus on the elbows to the hands and the knees to the feet. So all most patients have to do is roll up their sleeves and pant legs.

The room is filled with white noise and music, and Caroline and Jen speak quietly and discreetly with each patient about their issues before beginning treatment. The patients usually respect the need to do the same, Caroline says.

By providing treatment in a community versus private environment, Jen and Caroline are able to keep costs down and provide acupuncture on a sliding scale, making it available to a wider section of the population.

“We’re set up for people who normally couldn’t afford $70 a treatment,” Jen says. A treatment at costs between $20 and $45, “which brings this medicine to so many more people who couldn’t afford it otherwise.”

Effectiveness in differences
The partners both attained their master’s degree from Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, and they are both Nationally Board Certified and hold Master’s of Science in Oriental Medicine.

Both women practice a Japanese form of acupuncture that focuses on gentle needling techniques. However, Caroline says Jen’s experience makes her more effective with sports injuries, while Caroline is more of an internist. Jen says the beauty with acupuncture is any style of treatment results in the patient’s improvement.

However, Caroline says Jen’s experience makes her more effective with sports injuries, while Caroline is more of an internist. Both women practice a Japanese form of acupuncture that focuses on gentle needling techniques, though Jen’s internship work with Charles Chace makes her style somewhat different than Caroline’s. Jen says the beauty with acupuncture is any style of treatment results in the patient’s improvement.

Caroline took three semesters of Chinese at the University of Colorado as well as Asian art history and Buddhism classes, giving her a fondness for and insight into the culture of the Orient that helps her as an acupuncturist.

“There’s definitely a different mindset between Asia and the West,” she says. “It’s hard to come at Japanese and Chinese medicine from the West with an open mind. I was able to adopt that more readily.”

Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in Old Town Lafayette at 409 S. Public Road, at the northwest corner of Public Road and Emma Street. Call (720) 248-8626 or e-mail info@LeftHandacu.com. Visit http://www.lefthandacu.com/ for more information.

The size of the American dream is shrinking

2010-09-13T13:08:00.000-06:00

Perhaps Americans are finally learning that bigger isn’t always better – especially when it comes to home size.

The U.S. Census Bureau American Housing Survey reports that the median new home size fell to 2,135 square feet in 2009 after reaching more than 2,300 square feet earlier in the decade.

Apparently home buyers are cutting back on options as well as size, asking for multi-use rooms instead of rooms devoted to single purposes, according to CNNMoney.com. The most common number of bedrooms in today’s new home is three – half of a home’s total number of rooms. The average number of bathrooms in today’s new home is two or more, and they aren’t as big as they once were.

However, Americans may give up size but they are not giving up certain appliances: 90 percent of new homes are built with central air conditioning already installed, and 63 percent of all homes now have AC. That’s a significant increase compared with only 52 percent of owner-occupied homes – nonrental properties or second homes – that boasted of central air 10 years ago. More than 75 percent of all homes now have dishwashers, up from 65 percent in 2000.

The survey also showed that of the more than 76 million owner-occupied homes in 2009, 63 million were traditional detached, single-family residences. And many more homeowners live in the suburbs than in cities.

Home to two universities, Boulder No. 1 college destination

2010-09-13T13:07:00.004-06:00

Boulder topped the American Institute for Economic Research’s 2010-2011 College Destinations Index, a quantitative ranking of the 75 best towns and cities to live in if you’re a college student, for small cities with populations between 250,000 and 1 million. Boulder is home to the University of Colorado as well as Naropa University.

AIER chose the locations from an analysis of the 222 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with college student populations of 15,000 or more based on data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Science Foundation.

Fort Collins, home to Colorado State University, came in at No. 10 while Denver came in 12th on the list of major metros with populations greater than 2.5 million. San Francisco took the top slot on that list. Denver boasts of University of Colorado Denver, University of Denver, Regis University, Colorado School of Mines, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and several community colleges and for-profit schools.

The CDI analyzes the areas in which the schools are located, including the overall academic environment, quality of life, such as cost of living and arts and leisure activities, and professional opportunities, according to AIER.

“Deciding what school to attend should involve more than what the school itself has to offer,” says Keming Liang, AIER’s lead researcher on the project. “Where to attend college is just as important, because like the colleges themselves, the towns and cities in which they are located vary widely in the opportunities they offer students and recent graduates.”

Among the criterion AIER used to rank college cities:

• Student Concentration: number of college students per 1,000 residents

• Student Diversity: percentage of all students holding foreign passports

• Research Capacity: academic R&D expenditures per capita

• Degree Attainment: percent of the 25-34 year old population with college degrees

• Cost of Living: based upon average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment

• Arts and Leisure: number of cultural and entertainment venues per 100,000 residents

• City Accessibility: percentage of workers over age 16 who commute on foot or by public transportation or bicycle

• Creative Class: percentage of residents working in the arts, education, knowledge industries, science and engineering, management and other fields

• Earning Potential: income per capita

• Entrepreneurial Activity: net annual increase in total number of business establishments per 100,000 residents

• Brain Gain/Drain: year-over-year ratio of college-educated population living in the area

• Unemployment rate.

Here’s a look at the top 10 College Destination Index cities:

Look for these hidden health hazards in older homes

2010-09-13T13:07:00.003-06:00

Home ownership is a big part of the American dream, but it’s also the big American responsibility. Here are some hidden issues to look for in the home you are considering buying or that you’re already living in, courtesy of Associated Content:

1. Clogged dryer exhaust ducts. Regular vacuuming of the dryer’s exhaust will help prevent the lint from catching fire. Dryer lint can also accumulate and possibly ignite in the exhaust ducting under the floors or behind the walls. Use a DIY dryer duct cleaning kit remove lint those hard-to-reach ducts.

2. Dirty chimneys. If you want to avoid your chimney flue exploding in flames, clean it out at least once a year. If the creosote is allowed to build up, a single floating ember could cause an explosion.

3. Mice droppings. When cleaning up mice droppings, wear latex gloves and a HEPA face mask and wet down the flooring before cleaning to avoid Hantavirus. This deadly disease is breathed in while cleaning up after the rodents.

4. Water heaters. Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees to avoid accidental burns, especially of younger children, and lower energy costs.

5. Lead paint. If your home was built before the 1970s, check with your city's hazardous waste office first to learn the safe way to prep an old house for a new paint job to avoid environmental and health hazards.

6. Radon gas. One out of 15 homes in the United States has high levels of cancer-causing radioactive Radon gas, which originates from the uranium found naturally in the soil. Test for Radon with a DIY testing kit but call in a professional to fix any problems you find.

7. Bad DIY wiring. A home inspection by a certified inspector will catch a not-to-code wiring job and other unsafe DIY improvements in an older house.

8. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide – an odorless, colorless and flammable gas poisonous to humans and their pets – can build up from a faulty gas furnace or oven, a camp stove or even a chimney. Fixing the escape of CO gas into your home is a job for the professionals, but a home owner can install CO alarms throughout the home to protect its occupants.

9. Icicle buildup on the eaves. Melting icicles can drop from the eaves of a house and injure unfortunate souls who are standing around. Avoid injury from icicles by knocking them off with a shovel.

10. Squirrels. Attic dwelling squirrels love to nibble away at all the electrical insulation, which increases the risk of home fires. Check the roof and eaves periodically for signs of gnawing by critters, and then repair open areas with steel mesh after the squirrel has been trapped.

Boulder real estate sales remain flat in August

2010-09-13T13:07:00.000-06:00

Real estate activity in Boulder County in August remained in line with July’s, showing just a slight improvement.

Despite the drop in sales the last two months in comparison with the spring and early summer months, sales remain ahead of what they were the previous year: 3,324 single-family homes sold in Boulder between Aug. 1, 2009, and July 31, 2010, compared with 3,041 the previous year. And 1,228 condo/townhomes sold Aug. 1, 2009, through July 31, 2010, compared with 1,184 the previous year.

A total of 267 single-family homes and 75 Boulder County condos/townhomes sold in August, compared with 303 and 110, respectively, in August 2010. July saw 258 single-family home sales and 74 condos/townhome sales.

Some Boulder communities’ average home sales prices gained ground in August – 10.8 percent in Louisville, 7.1 percent in Lafayette and 0.8 percent in Boulder – but some continued to drop (a 7.7 percent decrease in Broomfield). Erie saw a 13.3 percent increase and Superior a 9.5 percent increase in their median sales price in August, while the communities of Boulder, Broomfield and Lafayette all saw small decreases.

Inventory of homes on the market also remained fairly steady from July to August, though some areas including Boulder and the mountains saw a reduction of more than 25 in single-family homes for sale.

Colorado, metros continue to rank high in nation for home price appreciation rates

2010-08-17T11:17:00.002-06:00

Colorado was one of only eight states where home prices actually appreciated in the 12 months ending March 31, earning it a placing among the top five states for home appreciation, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The District of Columbia had the highest one-year appreciation rate in the nation, with its homes’ values increasing 14.2 percent. It was followed by North Dakota with a rate of 7.48 percent; California third at 2.85 percent; and Vermont rounded out the top five with a rate of 1.44 percent.

Boulder was the highest-ranking metro area in Colorado, coming in at No. 50 with a one-year appreciation rate of -2.28 percent. Grand Junction was the lowest ranked Colorado metro at 254, with an appreciation rate of -10.9 percent.

While none of its metropolitan statistical areas made the top 20 for their home prices for the period, the FHFA ranked five of Colorado’s seven metro areas in the top 100 out of 301.

Here’s a look at how Colorado and its metros’ home prices ranked nationally:

Opportunity to help community and environment is a 'Climb' for entrepreneur

2010-08-17T11:15:00.002-06:00

In providing transportation that serves the residents and businesses of Gold Hill – which sits on a mountain northwest and more than 3,000 feet above Boulder – Phill Carter may have discovered pure gold.

It’s not that the shuttle service will make Phill wealthy, since Gold Hill is home to less than 300 people. Rather, it is quickly becoming priceless to those who use it, allowing them to forego their own twice-daily treks up and down one of the steepest roads in the nation all year long, but especially in the dead of winter.

The Climb is a nonprofit shuttle serving Ward, Gold Hill and Boulder – and a variety of stops in between – providing three trips daily with one in the morning and two in the evening.

Phill, president and managing director of the service, founded it in February 2009 with the backing of Gold Hill residents Karel and Alice Starek, among others, who found it difficult to travel to and from town every day using their own transportation. Yet, with children attending private school and college in Boulder, they didn’t have a choice since no bus service was available to their community.

“There were other kids in the same predicament,” Phill says.

When he heard about their problem, the former owner of a “green” truck shipping and rental business put together a plan of action and, with the Stareks’ assistance, found the necessary backers to make it happen.

Now the 15-passenger shuttle bus that provides the aptly named “The Climb” ride is nearly full during every trip, and hauls visitors as well as several bikes passengers use to get around once their reach their destination.

It also provides rides to Boulder children attending Gold Hill Elementary School but who do not live on Gold Hill, allowing the school to maintain enrollment and keep its doors open, as well as transports students who live on Gold Hill but attend school in the valley. Gold Hill Elementary students and their parents, grateful for the service, have raised $1,200 to help fund the bus.

“Right now it’s just one bus and a spare, which we occasionally have to use,” Phill says, noting that The Climb has a reputation of being on time and dependable, even in inclement weather. “We’ve missed very few days.”

Not only is he pleased with having made life easier for the residents, businesses and school of Gold Hill, Phill is happy that he is able to do so while doing less damage to the environment than a traditional bus service would: The Climb is able to use 100 percent vegetable oil and biodiesel during the summer months, and 50 percent in the winter months.

“We take at least 11 to 20 cars off the road per day, so we’re also saving wear and tear on those vehicles,” Phill says. “I think I’m the only regularly scheduled bus service that runs on 100 percent vegetable oil and biodiesel. We’ll get six months in of 100 percent (this year).”

Phill says he takes care of his buses to make them more efficient, and a computer chip installed in their engines makes them more powerful to take on the climb to Gold Hill. He obtains his fuel from the Boulder Biodiesel Co-Op and, since he is the primary user of vegetable oil as fuel, he has enlisted the help of college students to collect and process it.

It costs $3 per trip to ride The Climb, but members of the community who use it on a regular basis can pay between $120 and $500 or more for an annual pass depending on what they can afford. Phill has accepted as little as $40 for the annual pass because “we just want people to ride it.”

With a bachelor's degree in environmental biology from Applachian State University, a master’s in business administration from East Carolina University and experience working for oil pipeline services, Phill was ready to drive his career down a different, more environment-friendly road.

“I wanted to do anything that made oil irrelevant after that,” he says.

He moved from Boone, North Carolina, to Boulder three years ago on the advice of a friend who called the community a “green-tech wonderland.” Phill started a green trucking company, Green Truck Roadway, and logged 240,000 miles without the use of petroleum, giving him the experience he needed when he saw the opportunity to start up The Climb.

With the access to engage in his hobbies - mountain biking and snowboarding - so near and the many successful green start-ups in the area, “Boulder fits me like a glove,” Phill says. “I'm amazed at how friendly and supportive and positive people are. The community is the biggest support.”

Phill says he is putting his hobbies on hold for now while he focuses on running The Climb and getting married this winter to Caitlin Lepper.

For more information about The Climb, visit http://www.the-climb.com/.

Colorado's colleges make Forbes' 2010 'Best Colleges' list

2010-08-17T00:16:00.003-06:00

Forbes recently named 11 institutions of higher education in Colorado among its list of America’s Best Colleges for 2010.

The University of Colorado at Boulder came in at No. 185 out of 610, the second-highest placing for a Colorado college. The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs was the top Colorado university on the list, earning a rank of No. 11.

Forbes bases its selections on the quality of the education they provide, the experiences of the students and how much they achieve. The ranking is designed to meet the needs of undergraduate students and help them evaluate what many of them believe are important criteria when selecting a college:

• Do students enjoy their classes and overall academic experience?

• Do graduates succeed well in their occupations after college?

• Do most students graduate in a timely fashion, typically four years?

• Do students incur massive debts while in schools?

• Do students succeed in distinguishing themselves academically?

Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., took the top slot on Forbes’ list with Princeton and Amherst College following at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Here’s how Colorado’s universities and colleges compared with institutions nationwide:

Some renovations may break the deal

2010-08-16T23:23:00.002-06:00

For some, all that’s needed to turn their house into a castle is a swimming pool or hot tub, or perhaps a home office or monster garage in which to work. But what makes one person’s house a dream home may make it tacky and dysfunctional to someone else.

According to Mainstreet.com, the risk of not getting your money back when you make improvements is always there, but it increases substantially with certain “upgrades.”

Here are some home improvements that won’t improve your chances of selling your home and may even deter buyers:

Pool/hot tub

According to a poll of 500 remodelers, real estate agents and contractors by Angie’s List, the project netting the lowest investment return was a pool installation.

While in-ground pools cost between $20,000 and $60,000 to install, a homeowner wouldn't even recoup half of that. And the same is true for smaller pools, hot tubs or whirlpool baths. If the homeowners ever considered moving, such additions may take their house longer to sell, as some buyers don’t want to deal with the maintenance, costs and liability that come with having a pool.

Home office or monster garage

Returns on adding on a home office or monster garage are usually only around 60 percent and could make a house more difficult to sell, according to the Angie’s List poll. That’s because either of these improvements put a home in a niche market. Big families need a bedroom, not an office, while not every auto owner is an auto enthusiast.

Too much interior decorating

Whether you build that home office or are remodeling another part of the house, keep it simple in terms of decorating and choosing paint, countertops, lighting and more. The desk in the home office should be easily removed like any other furniture. Wood paneling – if you didn’t get the e-mail – is a no-no.

Illegal repairs

Major renovations require permits from the local jurisdiction, even if you plan to live in your home forever. If you were to move or your family is responsible for selling your home after your death, home inspectors or appraisers will flag illegal improvements, making the home difficult to sell. Contact the local building inspections department before completing any major renovations to ensure proper permits are obtained and you understand the safety codes thoroughly.

Unprofessional structural or electrical repairs

If a project requires a professional, get a licensed and insured professional, or you’ll have to pay for a professional to correct shoddy work anyway if and when you have to sell your home. It’s also a matter of safety for your family, guests and neighbors.

Fiddling with the floor plan

Leave your home’s floor plan in its original form by not tearing down or putting up new walls, making rooms too small or too big. And make your additions appropriate to the overall scale of the house.

Forgetting the necessities

Just because you don’t use your oven doesn’t mean future owners won’t. The moral of the story: when you remodel, include the minimum standards the average person would expect to find.

Matching home and neighborhood

If you out-do the Joneses when it comes to remodeling your home, you’ll probably never see a return on your investment. Your home’s selling price is based on the value of the neighborhood homes – not just yours. So if granite countertops or marble floors aren’t the usual in your neighborhood, refrain from installing them in your home.

You also don’t want to combine two discordant styles that make the rest of the house look old and shabby, like those granite countertops. Instead, invest in new appliances that add flash and are also functional.

Best bets
Angie's List recommends a proper remodel of a kitchen or a bathroom, which costs around $20,000, provides a decent return on investment of about 85 percent. Decks are also good investments, allowing homeowners to recoup about 80 percent of the cost, as well as new, energy-efficient windows or upgraded exterior siding.

Home sales for July ‘sobering’ though not unexpected

2010-08-16T14:47:00.002-06:00

With the exit of the first-time and move-up home buyer tax credit, the decrease in home sales in July came as no surprise. However, the fact that sales dropped so dramatically was “sobering,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

In Boulder County, where the real estate market has remained steady despite the recession, single-family sales dropped 28 percent compared in July compared with July 2009, and its townhome/condominium sales dropped 57 percent. Compared with June, July’s single-family home sales dropped 30 percent while condo/townhome sales fell 44 percent.

Within the city of Boulder, 30 percent fewer single-family homes sold in July compared with the previous year, and 39 percent fewer sold in July compared with June 2010. Nearly 64 percent fewer townhomes/condos sold in July compared with July 2009, and 53 percent fewer sold in July compared with June. Longmont saw 37 percent and 57 percent drops of single-family home and townhome/condo sales, respectively, in July compared with July 2009.

“We really expected a pretty significant pullback,” says Hotard. “We hoped for a bit stronger sales. I think we’re looking at the new normal for the time being.”

Hotard attributes the drop is sales to the end of the first-time and move-up home buyer tax credits that “front loaded” home sales in the spring. Yet the increase in sales this spring and early summer proved the tax credit was needed and helpful, he says.

“If we try to make sense of marketplace, there no significant signs that would point to any kind of rapid growth in terms of home sales,” he says, noting that the national unemployment is at 9.5 percent and credit is still tight, further exacerbating the issue. “Unless and until unemployment comes down, housing sales are going to be stuck at these levels going forward until the end of the year.”

Hotard says that with other end-of-the-year indicators – such as the normal slowdown in the real estate market and holidays that provide a sense of consumer confidence – will provide clearer picture of the market’s immediate future. Until then, lack of consumer confidence, tepid job growth and tight credit will prevent many from entering the market, he says.

On the bright sales, sale prices of Boulder homes remained steady, with some communities even seeing increases in median and average sales prices for both single-family homes and condo/townhomes.

“That’s definitely a good sign,” Hotard says. “The strength of this market has never been in question in terms of the value of real estate. The issue has been people’s ability to purchase. I know there’s demand out there but barriers are preventing people who would otherwise be in the market from actually committing to a home purchase.”

Hard works translates into successful business and happiness for Clyncke

2010-07-19T09:47:00.007-06:00

Hard work is in Chris Clyncke’s blood.

The third generation of the Clyncke family to head up Clyncke Concrete, Chris grew up on a Boulder farm, where working hard wasn't just a part of life – it was his life.

While his friends were getting in shape at a gym to prepare for the fall football season, Chris spent his summers bailing hay and doing other farm-related work that made him as big and strong as his peers.

"You did that all the time because you had to; it wasn’t like you played all day," he says. "I kind of liked it. I was big (200 pounds in the 10th grade)."

Chris followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps in the concrete business, but he once dreamt of riding the professional rodeo circuit, even though he broke his wrist in 11 places when a bull threw him when he was just 11 years old. That experience didn’t deter him from the rodeo – which he continued to participate in on the weekends during the summer – anymore than more recent injuries have deterred him from working in concrete.

Except for a two-year stint at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, during which he realized college wasn’t for him, Chris’ career in concrete was cemented from the time he started working with his father at age 14.

"I thought I wanted to do other things, but I liked doing the concrete work," Chris says, adding he enjoys the physical labor and making life better for others. "I just had fun doing it, and I still do."

And, like bull riding, a career in concrete has presented its own share of threats to Chris’ health: he’s had four surgeries on one knee, broken three lumbar in his back and had his torso punctured by a rebar, which just missed his heart. This last spring, Chris had surgery to repair a shoulder he seriously injured when he slipped on ice and put his hands back to catch his fall while working a job.

But none of these incidents or health-care providers’ warning that he would never again do the things he loved – from concrete labor to waterskiing, snow skiing and bicycling – have deterred him from the life he’s chosen. He calls his injuries the "good, ol' fun stuff" that are just part of the path he’s following.

"It’s been a long, hard life but I’ve enjoyed it," Chris says.

It's a life that is not much different than what the previous Clyncke generations lived. Chris' family emigrated from Belgium to the United States around 1860, homesteading in Boulder in 1861.

"They were farmers from over there, and (my great-great-grandfather) actually brought over some Belgium horses from there and those were the first set of registered Belgium horses brought into the United States," Chris says.

Chris' grandfather, Poliete Clyncke began doing concrete work in the late 1920s, and he and his father built ditches as part of the first Boulder watershed project. Chris’ dad, Marvin Clyncke, took over the business from his father and remains a majority owner. However, Chris is president and makes all the decisions for the business as well as does labor, serves as secretary and performs any other tasks required of running the company.

While Clyncke Concrete provides the full range of concrete work, including simple overlays, rip out and replace, residential foundations, windows and stairwells, curb and gutter, sidewalks, patios and driveways, it specializes in decorative concrete and overlays.

"That’s where the fun is at," Chris says, noting he recently paved a driveway in a sunset rose concrete, but he also does decorative stamp work on decks, patios and front entryways.

Chris, married 23 years to another Boulder native, Debbie, relishes the hard labor involved with his choice of careers. But he has successfully discouraged his 22-year-old son, Jeremiah, from going into the physically demanding concrete business. Jeremiah will soon start his fifth year at the University of Northern Colorado, where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in forensic anthropology investigation with a minor in sociology.

In December 2001, Clyncke received national press for a Christmas display that featured, among other things, the Twin Towers and the American flag in lights in his front yard to show that his nation was not defeated. It was only three months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

But it’s not the patriotic statement he made that keeps Clyncke busier than his competitors these days, but the repeat and referred business from satisfied customers.

"Word of mouth is everything," he says. "If I’m going to do a job, I do it right. I do it not because I want to be rich; I just want to do a perfect job."

For more information about Clyncke Concrete, call (303) 901-9914 or see some of their work at here.

June’s stats may indicate market has hit bottom and is headed up

2010-07-19T09:22:00.002-06:00

Home sales in Boulder continued their upward trend in June, giving hope that perhaps the real estate market has finally hit bottom and is headed in the opposite direction.

"Sales held up very well in June, probably continuing with the impact of the homeowner tax credit for first-time and move-up buyers," observes Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

Until Congress recently extended the deadline for closing on a home purchase to the end of September, buyers had to close by the end of June to qualify for the tax credit.

Boulder County saw 370 single-family homes and 131 townhomes and condos close in June, compared with 357 and 147, respectively, in June 2009. From June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010, 3,418 single-family homes and 1,356 townhomes and condos sold, compared with 3,140 single-family homes and 1,184 townhomes and condos during the year before.

"For the first time in a quite a while, sales increased year over year and quarter over quarter," Hotard says. "That’s a good sign that suggests we’ve actually hit the bottom and leveled out and starting that slow crawl back to more historic sales volumes in the future."

And while June's market statistics are an improvement, they are far from where the market was a decade or so ago.

"These numbers look better than they are because we're comparing year-to-year numbers," Hotard says, noting 2008 was the worst year on record. "We’ve leveled out and we've begun that slow climb out of the recession. We are by no means moving into a rapid economic expansion and a robust period of growth."

However, the climb up could still have some bumps and dips.

Job growth – a major player in the state of the real estate market – is still in question, with University of Colorado economists recently revising statewide job numbers estimates substantially downward. But Vestas is adding employees to its Colorado locations – as many as 1,000 jobs at one facility – and other businesses announcing plans to locate along the U.S. 36 corridor, bringing moderate job growth to Boulder-area markets, Hotard says.

Interest rates remain at historic lows, which should spur buyers but restrictions on credit are making mortgages somewhat difficult to come by, he notes. A regulatory bill now in congress will reign in abusive practices of some lenders but will do little to free up credit.

"The numbers look very strong all around," Hotard says of the June sales statistics, noting that the downward pressure on home prices and sales volume has stabilized.

Realtors have told Hotard that activity has slowed this month compared with June, but whether that's reflected in the volume of closings won't be known until August.

"I think some people are expecting a real serious drop but I'm not of that mindset," he says, adding he expects to see a mild correction but not a dramatic reduction in home sales.

Boulder tops quality-of-life survey

2010-07-10T10:44:00.009-06:00

For those who enjoy a lifestyle that America’s smaller – but not smallest – communities offer, Portfolio.com and bizjournals say that Boulder provides the highest quality of life out of all mid-sized communities nationwide.

The combined study of the organizations ranks Boulder No. 1 among 109 medium-sized markets, with populations between 250,000 and 750,000, in 20 statistical categories.

Portfolio.com and bizjournals gave the highest scores to areas with healthy economies, moderate costs of living, light traffic, impressive housing stocks and high-powered educational systems.

Boulder, with a population of 300,000 including the county, is a hub for high-tech industries and the home of the University of Colorado – two characteristics that have attracted a young, highly educated work force, according to Portfolio.com. It also earned high scores across the board in the quality-of-life study, placing among the 10 best markets in 13 of the 20 categories.

Among its strengths are:

• 56 percent of Boulder’s adults have bachelor’s degrees – the strongest concentration in any midsize metro. Just eight other markets are above 35 percent.

• Slightly more than half of Boulder’s workers hold jobs in the sector that pays the highest salaries – management or professional. Ann Arbor, Mich., is the only other market with 50 percent or more of their workers in that sector.

• Boulder has more than an average share of large homes, with nine rooms in 18 percent of its houses – a figure that only Provo and Ogden, Utah, can beat.

• Boulder is seventh in two key financial categories: its median household income of $65,960 is the seventh highest in the study group, and its poverty rate of 5.8 percent is the seventh lowest.

Portfolio.com and bizjournals based their quality-of-life rankings on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006-2008 American Community Survey, released late last year.

But Boulder wasn’t the only Colorado metro area among the top 10 for quality of life: Fort Collins (all of Larimer, actually, with a population of 292,889) ranked third and Colorado Springs seventh in the survey.

While Portfolio.com noted Fort Collins’ sizable pool of bright, young workers and that nearly 42 percent of its adults have college degrees, it pointed out Colorado Springs’ impressive growth, big houses, well-educated workers and a substantial number of young adults.

The Sunbelt dominates the opposite end of the quality-of-life scale, with medium-size markets from Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas holding the nine lowest positions, according to Portfolio.com. Last place belongs to Visalia, Cali., with the lowest percentage of management and professional workers in the study – 23.9 percent, which is less than half of Boulder’s 50.1 percent. Visalia is also dead last in the share of adults with college degrees at 12.7 percent.

Here’s a look at all of the metros joining Boulder on the top 10 list:

Read more: http://www.portfolio.com/business-news/us-uncovered/2010/06/30/boulder-colorado-leads-in-quality-of-life-survey-for-mid-sized-us-cities#ixzz0sqXCrnBc.

One of Boulder's finest is also one of nation's finest now

2010-07-10T10:42:00.003-06:00

OpenTable celebrated our nation’s independence by highlighting the Top 50 American Restaurants – and Boulder’s own Flagstaff House ranked high among patrons.

According to the Denver Business Journal, the annual list – issued in advance of July 4th – includes the 50 favorite American-cuisine restaurants of the San Francisco-based online restaurant-reservation site’s users. The selected restaurants were pulled from a pool of more than 11,000 restaurants and more than 5 million reviews.

Flagstaff House is the only Colorado eatery to make the list.

To learn more about Flagstaff House, visit http://www.flagstaffhouse.com/.

If your home isn't selling, consider these improvements

2010-07-10T10:37:00.006-06:00

It’s true that the real estate market isn’t at the top of its game. But even so, if your home is on the market and has been for a while, here are some other reasons why from http://homesforsaleloganut.com:

Priced too high

A home priced higher than what the market indicates and potentially over what it appraises at is the most common reason a home doesn’t sell. When listing your home, keep in mind that you’re going to get the most activity within the first 30 days. If it’s priced too high, buyers who would have qualified at a more reasonable price will walk out the door and not come back. And if your home doesn’t appraise at the inflated price, you will have to reduce the price anyways.

If you can’t reduce your price, try looking at these other possibilities preventing your home from selling:

Your home isn’t putting on the best show

A higher number of homes on the market means buyers can afford to knit pick, and they don’t have to settle for a mediocre home. Give buyers something to get excited about, such as painting, cleaning the carpets and fresh fixtures. Household odors can also turn buyers away, so rid your house of stenches stemming from mold, animal urine or cigarette smoke or lose a potential buyer.

Location, location, location

Of course, you can’t really do much about where your house is located, or the schools that serve your neighborhood or the highway on which thousands of vehicles zoom past your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And while some buyers may consider it ideal, others may not. But if its location is generally unattractive to most of the house-buying population, the best you can do to help it sell is lowering the price or, if you can’t, offer something different from the competition, such as seller financing or add furniture to the asking price.

A poor agent

If your agent tells you he or she can get you more for your home than other agents, that’s a red flag to turn to an agent who is honest and realistic. It takes more to sell a home than putting a sign in the yard and placing the home on the MLS. And a good agent will give you feedback on showings, return your calls or e-mails in a timely manner, and work congenially with other agents. If you discover that the problem with selling your home lies with your agent, you may have to wait out your contract, but most agents will release you from your contract at any time. A good agent wouldn’t force you to work with someone with whom you’re not satisfied.

Inadequate marketing

Today’s Realtor must go above and beyond the yard sign and MLS listing to including your home on a robust online marketing site, since 90 percent of buyers start their search online.

But print media is not dead when it comes to real estate, and many people who haven’t entered the world of the Internet rely on newspapers for open houses and local real estate publications.

In a nutshell, today’s best agents must take advantage of all levels of marketing, from the World Wide Web to the newspaper to yard signs, color flyers on the sign, multiple phone numbers, MSL listings, directional signs on busy streets, multiple open houses and more. Make sure the agent you hire has such a multi-level marketing strategy.

In addition to what your agent can do to sell your home, give buyers a good reason to buy it. Those in the market to buy know they have plenty of houses from which to choose, and they’re looking for the best deal as well as the perfect home. Make that your house.

Dave Query turns dream into reality with hard work, ambiance and a flair for fare

2010-06-17T10:51:00.005-06:00

Working as a cook at Mustard's Last Stand at only 14 years of age, Dave Query knew he was destined to go into the restaurant business, whether as a chef, owner or both.

What he didn't foresee was just how much reality had in store for him.

With a collaboration of silent partners – a mix of friends and mentors who allow Dave to make the decisions – backing him, Dave has opened five restaurants in Boulder and two in Denver since 1994.

As a senior at Fairview High School, Dave wrote a 10-year plan that outlined his hopes to attend a cooking school, travel the country and work in as many great restaurants he could, then return to Boulder and open his own restaurant, for a class assignment. When the teacher sent the plan to parents' address 10 years later, Dave had satisfied most of his goals, graduating from the Culinary Institute in New York, and traveling to and working at restaurants in cities known for their high-class and unique cuisine: New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and France, among them.

When he returned to Boulder in 1988, he implemented that last of his dream, working at if not co-owning restaurants in the Denver-Boulder area including The Lickskillet Cafe, Cliff Young's and Q's in the Hotel Boulderado.

"There’s never been anything else that I ever wanted to do," Dave says.

The seven restaurants that make up Big Red F are now among the most popular in Boulder and Denver – not only for their cuisine and libations, but for their ambiance and exemplary customer service: Zolo Grill, Jax Fish House, the West End Tavern, Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace and Happy in Boulder, and LOLA Coastal Mexican and Jax Fish House in Denver.

Dave says the fact that he grew up in Boulder hasn’t hurt. "Anytime you can do business in the town you grew up in, it’s going to be to your advantage," he says.

And most of his restaurants do not serve Mexican or seafood cuisine by chance: Dave enjoys spending time as well as eating south of the border. LOLA, with its Coastal Mexican fare, combines the best of both cravings.

Before Dave discovered his love and flair for cooking, the entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well: he owned a shoe-shining business and sold beers through his family's fence to the golfers on the course on the other side. That spirit lives on in the parent company of the seven restaurants, Big Red R Restaurant Group, and in its managers, whom Dave encourages to come up with entrepreneurial ideas to keep the restaurants fresh and exciting and customers walking in the door.

The most recent brainchild of the management at West End Tavern is to host a tour of the breweries whose beers are served at the restaurant. The Boulder Brew Bus will provide tours almost every Sunday this summer starting June 20. (For more information, visit http://www.thewestendtavern.com/TheBoulderBrewBus/tabid/597/Default.aspx/.)

"It’s just as much fun running a 16-year-old business as opening a brand new one," Dave says.

Although he has a rather successful restaurant company to run, Dave has juggled that commitment with the responsibility of raising three children – two sons now at the University of Colorado and a daughter at Fairview. Though none of them seem interested in following in their father’s footsteps, he is happy they have all found their own destinies to explore – law, business and photography.

"It's a pretty hard career choice," Dave says. "If they don’t get into it, I won’t be that upset."

For more information about Big Red F Restaurant Group or any of its establishments, visit http://www.bigredf.com/.

Stats for year, May surprise & impress; market will remain flat for summer

2010-06-17T10:41:00.005-06:00

For the first time in at least two or three years, the number of homes sold year-over-year in Boulder County has improved.

From May 1, 2009, through April 30, 2010, 3,321 single-family Boulder homes sold, compared with 3,236 during the previous year – about a 3 percent increase. And 1,319 condos and townhomes sold during the same time, compared with 1,233 the year before – a nearly 7 percent improvement.

"It's certainly been a couple of years since we've seen that," says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. "The month of May actually exceeded my expectations."

Hotard says he expected sales to remain strong in May, thanks to people trying to get in under the federal tax credit for first-time and move-up buyers and the amount of activity he saw in April. But even he was pleasantly surprised with just how many homes sold last month.

In May alone, 362 single-family homes sold, a 45 percent jump compared with the 249 that sold in May 2009. And 134 townhomes and condos sold in May, about a 40 percent increase from the 96 that sold in May the year before.

"The year-to-year improvements are very encouraging indeed," Hotard says. "It’s been a long time since we’ve seen those numbers improve."

Though he hesitates to rain on anyone's parade, Hotard says it won't be all sunshine and rainbows the remainder of the year.

"There are a lot of challenges ahead," he says. "We're just beginning to see the indications of potential job growth, which will be a key to sustaining strong home sales through the balance of the year."

People are considering more than just their own financial situation when looking at buying a home, Hotard says. They are concerned about what's happening in the economy and it's important to them that when they buy a house, that the demand is sufficient to maintain or increase home values. If it isn't, they are less likely to buy, he says.

"If we want to see home prices appreciate, we will have to look for job growth," he says. "We don't see it. Based on the aggregate of Colorado and regional economists, we don't see sufficient job growth that will result in substantial change in prices up or down – just enough to keep prices stable and predictable."

A healthy amount of homes for sale and hard-working Realtors is helping keep the market stable, but with the end of the tax credit – homes that went under contract by the end of April must close by the end of June – Hotard predicts a "modest pull-back" in June. However, he still expects that June's activity will be an improvement over last year's.

"We've had a couple of good strong months, comparatively," he says. "These look like normal numbers, or at least approaching normal. The balance of the summer will be relatively flat."

Colorado boasts four locations in Top 25 Destinations in U.S.

2010-06-10T10:10:00.004-06:00

When it comes to choosing a vacation destination, sometimes there's no place like home – especially if you live in Colorado.

According to TripAdvisor.com, Boulder is one of four Colorado locations making the Top 25 Destinations in the U.S. Boulder came in at No. 19, while Denver ranked No. 17, Colorado Springs No. 18 and Rocky Mountain National Park No. 24.

TripAdvisor.com recognized Boulder as the place for the extremely physically fit. Its 30,000 acres of "unspoiled land," 200 miles of trails, paths and river, and its proximity to skiing and snowshoeing, according to the Web site, draws more than its fair share of the outdoorsy type.

While Boulder's outdoor recreation received recognition, TripAdvisor.com noted that Denver is home to four major sports teams, major museums and a wide variety of neighborhoods that makes it an attractive destination.

Colorado Springs, on the other hand, is a "crossroads for historians, sportsmen, architects, artists and gourmands," and offers sunny skies and crisp mountain air for golfing, extreme sports or a picnic in one of the many well-maintained parks.

Last but not least, Rocky Mountain National Park presents opportunities ranging from rock climbing to hiking and biking as well as camping.

The only state to meet or beat Colorado's representation on the list was California, with the top three slots and nine locations total among the country's Top 25 Destinations. Here's the complete list:

For more information about all the destinations that made it on TripAdvisor.com’s list, visit http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/TCDestinations-cTop25-g191.

Boulder named among the best cities in the nation for the next 10 years

2010-06-10T09:59:00.011-06:00

Touting the wealth and intelligence of its residents, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine recently ranked Boulder fourth on its 10 Best Cities for the Next Decade list.

Kiplinger's states that each city on its list has smart people, great ideas and collaboration, resulting in an innovation factor that "supercharges a city’s economic engine."

"When governments, universities and business communities work together, the economic vitality is impressive," according to the magazine.

And not only are these cities innovative, they also have "livability," with creativity in music, arts and culture as well as neighborhoods and recreational facilities that attract "like-minded professionals," Kiplinger's says.

The magazine notes that Boulder is where "environmental and scientific ideas blossom into businesses." The University of Colorado, federal research laboratories, and more than 6,600 small businesses and corporations are the city's economic drivers "woven into an entrepreneurial fabric."

"The city is also a mecca for those seeking healthy, active lifestyles," Kiplinger’s states.

Austin, Texas, ranked first on Kiplinger's 10 Best Cities for the Next Decade, thanks to its dozen programs to assist small business, numerous venture-capital funds, educational opportunities, networking events, co-existence of varying cultures and live music, independent film screening and emerging technology.

The remainder of Kiplinger's picks span the nation:

For more details about Kiplinger's picks, visit http://budurl.com/yldl.

Tips can protect buyers of new homes

2010-06-10T09:53:00.006-06:00

If you're one of the few Americans who is looking to buy a home despite the credit crunch and are in the market for a new home, specifically, RISMedia offers these crucial tips for your transaction:

1. Choose a Realtor with new home sales experience

Even if your Realtor's fee isn't covered by the seller, you can probably add it to the sales price and having an agent negotiating on your behalf can save you thousands more than what you’ll pay in commission. No matter what they say, the builder's sales agents are paid to represent the builder and may use high pressure to get the sale.

Use an agent to sell your existing home, as well, as hard bargaining is nonexistent when you've already left your home emotionally.

2. Carefully evaluate the seller's lender before committing

While using the builder’s lender ensures the builder that you are paying your mortgage, that lender may not offer you the best deal, especially if the builder owns the lending company. Builders will offer huge incentives to get you into your new home – up to 15 percent of the value of the home – but they may require that you use their lender to take advantage of the incentive. Doing so may result in higher rates and higher closing costs, among other risks.

To make sure you’re getting the best rates, ask to see a copy of your credit report and FICO scores, or order your own free credit report before home shopping. Insist that your lender guarantee its Good Faith Estimate. If the lender balks or makes excuses, go elsewhere. Reputable lenders will honor that request, even though it’s not required by law.

3. Check out the builder’s reputation

Fairly and accurately assessing builders’ history is the appropriate path to making sure they build solid homes. Check public records for lawsuits or complaints and evaluate their resolutions. Talk to the neighbors and scrutinize the construction quality of surrounding homes to see if the builder consistently builds same-sized or larger-than-existing properties, or if are homes shrinking in size, which could reduce neighborhood value.

Learn if the builder limits investor purchases – this ensures that the neighborhood doesn’t turn into a "rental" neighborhood, which may appear less well-maintained and reduce property value.

4. Hire a home inspector

Many construction flaws don’t surface until well after the 12-month "bumper to bumper" warranty expires, so have the home inspected before moving in. If the inspector calls for further inspection by another professional contractor, find out if the inspector has found what could be a serious issue or if the inspector isn’t licensed to address that issue.

An inspection provides education about the property, and offers the validation of a trained, independent third-party assessment of the structure and systems.

5. Obtain legal advice before buying a brand new home

Standard purchase agreements are supposed to keep everybody out of court, but they don’t necessarily contain language that protects the buyer. Hire a real estate lawyer and ask questions about removal of contingencies and your cancellation rights. Make sure you understand your liability and commitments.

If your contract contains a warning about materials used in construction that may cause health issues, it's probably because it's a valid concern and other buyers have gone to court over it.

Workshop to cover financing renovations and reverse mortgages

2010-05-18T13:17:00.006-06:00

If you’re seeking information about reverse mortgages or financing renovations of your home, join RE/MAX of Boulder, 2425 Canyon Blvd., #110, for a free informational presentation 6:30-7:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, on these two topics.

Colleen Rideout, a reverse mortgage specialist with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, will discuss reverse mortgages 6:30-7:15 p.m. Her presentation will cover how homebuyers 62 or older can purchase their ideal retirement home with no monthly mortgage payment by using a reverse mortgage on their current home.

Brad W. Peterson, a mortgage consultant with Colorado Capital Mortgage Co., LLC, an affiliate of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, will present on financing renovations 7:15-7:45 p.m. He will explain different loan options and what to expect at each step of the lending process. He will discuss how homebuyers, homeowners, real estate agents, contractors and investors can all benefit from renovation loans, as well as guidelines for qualifying, property, renovations and funds disbursement.

Seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat, call (303) 449-7000 or e-mail duaneduggan@boulderco.com.

Signs of better times? Home sales for April paint positive picture of future market

2010-05-18T13:11:00.005-06:00

Apparently April was the right time to buy a house in Boulder County – especially with the first-time and move-up homebuyer tax credit expiring at the end of the month.

Regardless of the mad dash to qualify for the tax credit, the sales volume for the month was impressive, says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

According to BARA, 346 single-family homes and 144 condos and townhomes sold in Boulder County in April, compared with 204 and 86, respectively, in April 2009. That’s a nearly 70 percent increase in single-family home sales and a 67 percent increase in condo/townhome sales.

"As we expected, home sales increased substantially along with inventory, both of which are good things," he says, noting more inventory gives buyers more choice. "The expiration of the tax credit is going to have a moderate dampening effect on buyer and sales activity this summer, but we’ve seen an uptick in job growth nationally as well as in Colorado (nearly 300,000 jobs added in the nation last month). That suggests that the pull back on buyer activity will be modest but sales volume will continue growing modestly (compared with normal summer sales)."

Average and median sales prices remain lower than a year ago in most Boulder communities, but none have dipped as much as 10 percent, and Louisville's has even increased.

The values of homes are "holding well in our market, certainly in light of what we’ve seen in other parts of the country," Hotard says.

While the statistics indicate that Boulder is well on its way to turning the corner toward a more stable housing market in the second half of the year or early 2011, as Hotard predicts, it’s not there yet, he warns.

"The housing market is fragile. Jumbo loans are still difficult to get, and the second-home market is going to be soft, at least until the end of 2010," he says.

Federal mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA have stepped up to bolster housing markets and are making a difference, but private lenders need to start lending money, as well, to balance the mortgage markets, Hotard says. And that could be affected by what Congress does to reform the mortgage finance process later this year.

"Going forward, job creation will continue to be the key to economic rebound," Hotard says, adding jobs will help stabilize home prices and limit future foreclosures.

"Our market is showing really good signs of turning the corner," he adds, noting it would probably take a national or international crisis to stop or reverse this trend toward economic recovery.

In all Boulder communities, Hotard says he sees consumer confidence returning not only through increased home sales and inventory, but through growing tax revenues.

"It’s been a long time since we’ve had encouraging news," he says. "There likely will be better times ahead."

Tips help families cope with summer remodeling projects

2010-05-17T20:08:00.003-06:00

Despite the rain, cold and snow Colorado has endured this spring, summer will soon be upon us and with it comes a long list of home-improvement jobs. According to Associatedcontent.com, summer home-improvement work shouldn’t trap families in their own homes, devoid of fun and overflowing with tension.

Follow these 10 survival tips to manage the stress of remodeling:

• De-clutter: Begin by discarding as much of your clutter that you can, so you have as few belongings to work around as possible while you remodel.

• Use licensed contractors: Using licensed contractors will help keep your family safe from dishonest and even criminal element in the remodeling industry and not undermine fair compensation for workers.

• Plan and budget: A detailed work plan and budget regardless of whether you’re doing the work yourself or contracting it out. Minimize changes that would add cost and time to finish it beyond Labor Day.

• Schedule: If working with a contractor, specify the days and times for work. If doing the work yourself, give your family time off to remain sane and determine what you have to do to meet your completion date.

• Minimize the dust and debris: Don’t leave yourself too much of a mess to clean up when the project is finished by hanging plastic over doorways and store or cover objects needing protection.

• Sleep and eat: Interference with your regular routine can make it difficult to manage stress, so set up a temporary kitchen to make easy meals such as salads and sandwiches, or eat healthy take-out food. And don’t forget to get a good eight hours of sleep every night.

• Put your kids to work: For do-it-yourselfers with children home from school, allow your children to help with age-appropriate and safe tasks, providing valuable training and giving them a sense of accomplishment and contribution.

• Dispense of pets temporarily: Pets don’t take to change well, so take advantage of pet day care or call in favors of neighbors or relatives to get them out of the way while you’re working.

• Expect delays: Don’t expect everything to get done on schedule.

• Manage the stress: Minimize other commitments while your family is dealing with any major remodeling; remain patient with each other and workers coming to your home; and schedule fun activities to make up for the disruptions to your regular routine.

Business planted firmly in providing earth friendly lawn-care services

2010-05-17T17:25:00.009-06:00

You could say that John DeFilippi has been planting seeds of one sort or another since uprooting himself from Long Island, New York, and replanting himself in Boulder 26 years ago.

"I picked it on a map – that’s the absolute, honest truth," he says of why he moved to Boulder, noting he was in his early 20s and between college stints at the time. "I was just looking to escape the hustle and bustle of New York."

John started his own moving and storage business, The Right Move, in July 1988, nurturing it from a home-based status, operating out of his garage with one full-time employee, into an employer of as many as 100 employees and needing a 21,000-square-foot warehouse/headquarters in Erie. The Right Move branched out to locations in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, providing local, out-of-state and international moving services. John sold the business in 2005 and it is still in operation today after undergoing ownership changes twice since he sold it.

"It was a great company," John says, "and I hope it still is."

Now John, a north Boulder resident, is trying his green thumb again – both in starting and growing a business and in lawn care: he has opened another home-base enterprise, ecoLogical Lawn Care. The business provides earth friendly lawn care to residential and commercial customers and has a crew of four full-time workers now.

"I’m going back to my strengths, which I feel are creating, starting and growing a small, local service company," he says. "The idea came to me over two years ago when I came across some rather alarming statistics from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regarding how much the lawn care business pollutes. I just felt like there’s a better way of doing it, a more earth-friendly way of providing lawn care.

"Gas-powered lawn equipment is a major pollutant," John adds. "The EPA estimates they cause as much as 10 percent of urban air pollution."

That’s why ecoLogical Lawn Care uses only cordless, electrical equipment with batteries charged with wind power on small- to average-sized residential properties, and propane-powered equipment – which burns cleaner than gas-powered equipment – on larger residential and commercial properties. Not only do both kinds of equipment pollute less than gas-powered equipment, but the electric equipment also is as much as 75 percent quieter, John says.

John says his service vehicles run on bio-diesel, and he’s considering mounting solar panels on them to recharge the equipment batteries. The fertilizer he uses is 100 percent organic, as well, and he uses no chemicals.

"We’re also working with other companies to provide xeroscaping options to folks who need to get rid of some of their turf," he says.

John launched ecoLogical Lawn Care in October and started offering services in April:

• Cutting, trimming and cleanup
• Edging
• Aerating
• De-thatching and over-seeding
• Shrub and tree trimming
• Soil testing
• Organic fertilizers
• Spring and fall clean-ups
• Sprinkler maintenance and repairs
• Weeding and mulching

"The response has been real positive, real strong," John says. "I see myself keeping busy during winter preparing for upcoming season.”

Besides owning and operating The Right Move and ecoLogical Lawn Care, John has kept busy with his real estate investment and development company, Bolder Enterprises, LLLP, which is still operating. John also drives a bus for the Boulder Valley School District.

"I love children and I love driving," he says, adding that although busses are "horrible polluters," "the children have got to be bussed. I wish the district could get more compressed natural gas-powered buses. I think they have about 10 right now. It’d be a great if the entire fleet went that way – it’s much cleaner and it's an American resource."

Although John ended up in Boulder by chance – much like seeds carried by the wind – it’s here he met his wife, Julia, and is raising his two children, Ryan, 10, and Tess, 8. And it’s here where his life is firmly rooted.

"I just think it's a wonderful community, a great place to raise a family," he says, noting the tremendous outdoor opportunities. "We love skiing, hiking, mountain climbing – anything outdoors!"

For more information about ecoLogical Lawn Care, visit www.ecologicallawncare.com or call (303) 444-3456.

BusinessWeek recognizes Boulder for lofty percentage of high-tech startups

2010-05-15T15:54:00.006-06:00

A special report in Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek recently identified Boulder as having the highest concentration of software engineers per capita in the nation and as a destination for new high-tech companies.

The article gave some of the credit to the influx of entrepreneurs in the high-tech realm to Boulder having “the University of Colorado as an anchor and a backyard full of mountains as lifestyle bait.” According to BusinessWeek, Boulder is second only to Silicon Valley in the percentage of workers employed in high tech.

BusinessWeek says in addition to CU, the presence of research labs such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Institute of Standards & Technology has attracted well-educated people to Boulder. And the openings of Celestial Seasonings and StorageTek in the ’70s promoted the natural foods industry and a healthy tech community. Software, data services and biotech grew over the years as employees of those companies pursued other interests, including entrepreneurship.

The creation of TechStars, a business “boot camp” for startups, in 2006 has provided a training ground for Internet companies to prepare them for seed funding as well to recruit talent from around the country, BusinessWeek reports. Now Boulder is one of the top spots in the nation to create an Internet business, and several of the Internet's biggest names - Google, Microsoft, AOL and Oracle among them - have made acquisitions here.

First quarter finishes strong with significant improvement in home sales

2010-04-19T11:06:00.004-06:00

In like a lion, out like a lion. That was the story of the Boulder area real estate market in March.

The end of the first quarter wrapped up strong, with an 11 percent increase in single-family home sales in the first three months of 2010 compared with 2009. Multifamily sales gained 24 percent in the first quarter compared with the same period last year.

“I think the momentum we started at the beginning of the year has continued and helped round out the first quarter,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. “I’m pretty impressed with the strength of the market as far as sales volume. It will be interesting to see if we can maintain it.”

Hotard attributes the impressive improvement to low interest rates, credit slowly becoming more available, and job growth on a national, state and local level.

“Especially along the Front Range, job growth is contributing to the strength of our housing market,” he says.

However, the housing market will face another “unknown” when first-time homebuyers and those looking to move up no longer have access to $8,000 and $6,500 tax credits, respectively. The incentive ends at the end of the month – meaning homebuyers must have their houses under contract by then – though they have until the end of June to close on their homes.

But Hotard says he expects contract activity may decline some in May with the absence of the tax credit.

“We’ll see if that’s going to be a factor,” he says, noting the market may remain strong if economic conditions and consumer confidence improve and interest rates stay low. “My expectation is this strength will continue into and through the summer months.”

Hotard notes that Congress and the Obama Administration have squashed any hope for the continuation of the tax credit, saying that it has done what it was supposed to, which is jump start the market. Now, he says, the National Association of Realtors has turned its focus to increasing access to credit for qualified buyers.

Many of Boulder’s communities continue to see a decrease in average and median sale prices, some of which is attributable to some homeowners reducing their asking prices to sell, but not all, Hotard says. In other markets, prices have stabilized and some are even improving.

“Buyers are out there, they’re active and deals are closing,” he says, adding that more than one-third of homes under contract at this time last year weren’t closing.

Another factor affecting the housing market, from a political standpoint, is the election year, Hotard says. Those up for re-election will work hard to make sure the economy continues to strengthen through this year.

State ranks high, metro areas in middle of price appreciation ranks nationwide

2010-04-18T09:25:00.000-06:00

The House Price Appreciation rankings from the Federal Housing Finance Agency didn’t offer Colorado’s metro areas the big, positive news it has in the past – that many of them are among the 20 top cities in the nation for house-price growth. But it didn’t offer any bad news, either: all of Colorado’s metro areas stayed out of the bottom 20 cities for house-price appreciation, as well.

Colorado as a whole ranked third among 51 states (District of Columbia included) with a one-year appreciation of 2.76 percent, and a quarterly increase of 0.84 percent. Over five years, homes across Colorado have increased 7.31 percent. Colorado fell behind top-ranked Oklahoma, with a one-year appreciation rank of 3.53 percent, and second-place Virginia, where home prices increased 3.07 percent over the year.

Nationally, home prices dropped 1.21 percent in 2009 from the year before, and 0.10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. In the five years ending in December, they increased 1.66 percent.

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield was the highest-ranking Colorado metro area, landing at 79th among 299 metro areas, with home prices there dropping only 1.37 percent in 2009. Fort Collins-Loveland ranked 80th with prices falling a smidge more - just 1.38 percent - and Boulder ranked 82nd with a 1.45 percent drop in house prices. Grand Junction, a former up-and-coming metro area for appreciation, ranked the lowest of all Colorado cities – 194th – with a 5.63 decrease in home prices last year compared with 2008.

For the complete report and rankings, visit http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/15452/finalHPI22510.pdf.

Here’s a closer look at how Colorado’s metro areas performed in the national rankings compared with the state and the U.S.:

After many moves, Superior is now ‘Haven’ for interior designer and her family

2010-04-16T15:36:00.009-06:00

Between her father’s and her husband’s careers, Laura Hodgson has lived in 12 states throughout her life.

Her father worked for the Federal Highway Administration, so her family moved to wherever his next assignment took them. Her husband of 17 years this month, David, was an officer on a nuclear submarine and, like most military families, the Hodgsons would go wherever the Navy told them to go.

Rather than bemoan that fact that she never stayed anywhere long enough to really consider it “home,” Laura considers how the exposure to travel, great people, diverse cultures and different architecture has made her the person and interior designer she is today. “It has really affected my perspective, career and our priorities as a family,” says the owner of Haven LLC in Superior. “I think I am a better designer because of my experiences.”

Laura, husband David and daughters Chloe, now 9, and Sophie, now 6, moved from Massachusetts to Colorado in 2004. “It was sort of by design,” Laura says. “I was actually born in Colorado.”

Laura’s parents moved from Colorado when she was a baby, and she hadn’t lived here since. She and David are both from large families now living in Kansas, Nebraska or Colorado, with Laura’s parents having made their home in Fort Collins.

“We’ve wanted to be closer to family so we could be a part of those special moments in each others’ lives,” Laura says, noting her husband was looking for a job opportunity in Colorado and eventually found one as a thin film optical engineer at Research Electro Optics in Boulder. “We’re hoping this is it, that Colorado is the last move.”

David also is an avid rock climber and the entire family is “very outdoorsy,” enjoying camping, hiking and biking, Laura says, so living in the Boulder area was a natural choice.

“The weather here is great year-round,” she says. “We ride bikes in December if there is no snow on the ground.”

It was while attending school in Virginia to obtain her psychology degree that Laura re-discovered her knack for decorating. “I have always loved interior design,” she says. “I remember growing up and decorating my rooms. It’s just something I enjoyed doing, and my mom accommodated me.”

Laura found a job as a receptionist at a commercial interior design firm when she wasn’t attending classes, and worked her way up to design assistant. After realizing how much she enjoyed the job, she eventually obtained a degree in interior design. When she moved to Massachusetts, she went to work for a high-end residential interior design firm to see the difference between residential and commercial work. She found she enjoyed residential interior design more because the results were a personal reflection of her clients and their families.

Laura is also able to apply what she has learned about psychology of color, ergonomics and workplace dynamics to her work as an interior designer. “The two blend together so well, because clients have a hard time verbalizing what they want,” Laura says. “My psychology training helps me to understand them.”

Laura was with a firm in Massachusetts when she had her first child and found that working for someone else was not the best fit for her and her family. She started Haven and had been in business for herself three years when the Hodgsons moved to Colorado. The transition with her business wasn’t too difficult, as many of her accounts were national, so it was just a matter of changing to whom she paid taxes, Laura says.

“I knew when we moved that it would take a while to build the business up again,” she says. “I had young kids and I was fine with that. It worked well with where we were at with our family in that time of our lives.”

And so is the Hodgson family, which continues to travel – including to Argentina for three weeks and completing a six-week tour of national parks (the Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff and Jasper) last year – and enjoys the many benefits of living in the Boulder area.

“We could have moved closer to Denver, but we enjoy Pearl Street and all the variety of experiences the community of Boulder has to offer," Laura says. "It’s a lifestyle-focused community. … It’s just a wonderful community to be in.”

Perfect home can be house with potential

2010-04-14T17:06:00.005-06:00

According to MSN.com, instead of looking for the home that is already perfect for your family, consider buying a home with potential. A house has these elements that make it the potentially perfect home:

• Location, location, location. The old adage that you get a better deal when you buy the worst house in a great neighborhood than when you buy a fancy house in a not-so terrific neighborhood is still true.

• Less than 50 years old. Properties more than a half decade old are likely to have more fundamental problems — like aging wiring, inadequate plumbing and sagging foundations.

• Livable floor plan. The home’s basic design should be one with which you can live; once you start moving walls, you’re spending big money.

• Light. Your potentially perfect house should have plenty of natural light.

• Good storage. Adding storage is expensive, so choose a property that already has it.

6 Colorado metros in top 30 of Forbes Best Places for Business and Careers rankings

2010-04-14T16:58:00.004-06:00

If you’re in the market for a job or to expand your career, then mid-America – including any of Colorado biggest metros – is the place to live, according to Forbes’ 12th annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers.

Boulder landed 14th on the ranking of the 200 largest metro areas in the nation, but it didn’t have the highest showing of Colorado cities: Fort Collins (with which Loveland is grouped) landed in the fourth slot, while Denver ranked sixth. Colorado Springs came in two places ahead of Boulder, while Greeley (includes all of Weld County) was 29th. Pueblo was the only Colorado metro that didn’t make the list.

To come up with the Best Places for Business and Careers, Forbes looks at the 200 largest metro areas ranging in population from 245,000 to 11.7 million, It ranked areas on 12 metrics including costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. Forbes also factored in quality of life issues such as crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patterns. The magazine also considered the percentage of subprime mortgages handed out over a three-year period and the number of highly ranked four-year colleges in the area.

The recession took its toll on nearly every big city across the nation last year, with home prices dropping in 182 of the metros ranked, according to Forbes. Household incomes also fell in 94 percent of these areas. Of the 200 metro areas, just four of them recorded positive job growth but with only 4,300 positions created between all of them. The other 196 metros together lost 3.5 million jobs in 2009.

Here’s a look at how Colorado’s metro areas faired in Forbes’ Best Places for Business and Careers:

Homeowner pays hefty price for safety to make sure he doesn't pay a heavier one

2010-03-16T11:58:00.003-06:00

The caliber of today’s criminal as well as the value of our families, homes and what we keep in them has many investing in security systems. But how far would you go to protect your family, home and belongings?

The owner of what is no less than a modern-day fortress has gone as far as spending $7.25 million on just that, according to an article by Yahoo Finance.

Located in the highs far above Los Angeles is a towering mansion features not only two hidden panic rooms, but a discreetly disguised security system with comprehensive surveillance abilities and two invisible “safe cores” within the architecture that may make it the safest house on earth.

Built in 2002 by Al V. Corbi, a renowned authority on residential and yacht security, this super secure, five-story residence has 360-degree views, covers 8,000 square feet and includes 32 rooms that above a virtually impenetrable bat cave-like garage that will hold six cars.

The safe cores consist of entire sections of the residence that can be isolated from the rest of the home, so the homeowner can retreat in complete safety – and luxury – from an outside threat that might include an intruder, a natural disaster or even a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, according to the Yahoo Finance article.

Besides the expensive security system and features, the home has an elevator – of course, since it does have five stories above the garage – as well as a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops and commercial grade appliances, two offices, a wine cellar and a home theater.

Artist seeks to convey smooth, flowing elements of nature in work

2010-03-16T11:25:00.005-06:00

A river has always run through Scott Reuman's life; now it runs through his art.

The owner of Conundrum Designs, based in unincorporated Boulder County between Boulder and Nederland, has spent much of his recreational time on the water, and he has found a way to incorporate smooth flowing elements of nature into his artistic and functional designs.

"A good part of my inspiration comes from my love of water," Scott says. "I grew up sailing with my father and then I took up kayaking. One of the things that stimulates my imagination a lot is rivers and flowing water, but also flowing, moving anything. We take rounded things from nature and build sharp-cornered, squared living spaces, so I put lots of curves in my work.

"There's such smoothness to water when it flows in a laminar fashion," he adds. "The water will go from perfectly smooth to violent chaos in a matter of inches, and then it'll flow smooth again."

Scott feels he is able to show that transition in his River Series™ of art and furniture, which have flowing, moving designs with inlaid dyed resin in a matrix of wood or other medium so light shines through the resin. While it vaguely resembles stained glass, its final effect is very different, he says.

He has used this method in doors, dining tables, decorative wall lighting, ceiling panels and nonfunctional sculpture. With his blue inlaid resin, the art and functional pieces he makes look like a river is running through them.

But Scott's work was once quite different. When he first started his business in 1979, his focus was commercial art (he has degrees in both engineering and fine art) for advertising, catalogues and event promotion. But he found his creative side calling him, and he eventually switched to fine art.

"In the early ’90s, I started shifting to more fountains and a variety of sculptures in different media," he says, noting he now does art in wood, metal, stone and some synthetics.

Scott still does a little photography, decorating a few businesses around Boulder and selling some of his work to magazines, but his focus is on sculpture and furniture for homes and businesses.

"I enjoy the creative aspects of whatever I do as long as I have the opportunity to work outside of the box," Scott says. "I’ve created ways to stay away from a box that are unique, refreshing and a change of pace. I absolutely love problem solving, and I love problem solving when it involves creative solutions."

While Scott also enjoys writing and has written professionally, it’s something that takes a back seat to his art. And despite the economy, Scott has plenty to keep him busy when he’s not kayaking through the Grand Canyon.

"I'm booked between three and six months in the future right now, which is pretty good in this economic environment," he says. "Ninety percent of my work do is done by commission; the rest is speculative art and goes to galleries and in shows."

For more information about Scott Reuman or Conundrum Designs, call (303) 442-0406; or visit www.conundrumdesigns.com.

February’s market stats show signs of spring, emergence of selling season

2010-03-16T11:19:00.005-06:00

While February's home sales statistics for the Boulder area were nothing to throw a party over, they were an improvement over the month before, and they were in line with sales at the same time last year.

Boulder County saw 158 single-family homes sell last month and 67 condos and townhomes sell, compared with 127 single-family homes and 56 condos and townhomes in January. February's single-family home sales were the same as in February of 2008, but only 46 condos and townhomes sold a year ago.

Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association, notes that the increase of inventory – from 1,768 single-family homes on the market in January to 1,976 for sale in February; and from 668 condos and townhomes for sale in January compared with 760 in February – is also promising.

The more homes available, the more buyers have to choose from, he says. And the increase in inventory as well as sales show that people are no longer sitting on the fence: they are deciding to sell or take advantage of the market and buy.

Median sales prices for homes in the Boulder area are headed in the right direction overall compared with January, as well, but it was condos and townhomes that had the healthiest showing in median and average sale prices in February.

Hotard describes the statistics for February as showing "classic improvement as you move through the year and closer to the buying season," adding that the area should have a strong March and April.

Nonetheless, sales are still sluggish compared with historic market trends as a result of tight credit and the lack of job growth factoring into the pace of sales, he says.

And the expiration of the extended first-time buyer and existing home owner tax credit at the end of April will not help the market, Hotard says. Any home buyers looking to take advantage of the credit must have their homes under contract by the end of April and close on them by July 1.

"I think it would present some more difficulty for the market as a whole," Hotard says. "Congress should extend it at least until the end of this year. It's been very helpful to move the market along over the past year. It has provided some strength to the overall economy and really should be extended."

The National Association of Realtors has been lobbying President Obama's administration and Congress to extend the credit, he says.

Tips make first-time home buyer less vulnerable

2010-03-15T12:37:00.006-06:00

The extension and expansion of the popular first-time home buyer tax credit, home-price declines and low interest rates has drawn out qualified people seeking to sink their money into their first home. According to the U.S. News & World Report.

Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, projects first-time home buyers will buy 1.84 million homes in 2010, up from 1.73 million in 2009.

For those who have never purchased a home before, here are some helpful tips from U.S. News & World Report to make sure you’re investing in a piece of financial security and not sinking into debt:

1. Check your credit report and score

Before you even think of checking out an open house, get a copy of your credit report. The cleaner your credit report and the higher your credit score, the more likely you are to be preapproved for a mortgage at a low interest rate. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com, most home buyers will need a credit score of about 720 to obtain the most favorable mortgage rates.

If you review your credit report a few months before you start hunting for a house, you'll have time to make sur the facts are correct and dispute mistakes before a mortgage lender checks it. Access a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com once every 12 months.

2. Get preapproved

According to U.S. News & World Report, the second step to buying a home is establishing with a qualified lender how much you can afford. "First-time home buyers need to take the time to get an approval from their lender before looking at homes," advises Ray Boss Jr., a six-year licensed Realtor with RE/MAX Realty Group in Maryland. "This includes getting a credit check and giving their lender a copy of W-2s, pay stubs, and bank and brokerage statements."

Preapproval saves time because you’ll look at homes that you know you can afford instead of lusting after something out of your price range. It also will put you in a better position over another bidder with no preapproval.

3. Create a long-term budget

The housing crisis proved that mortgages were given to people who did not have the means to repay them. To avoid this mistake, home buyers should create a budget before even beginning their home search to determine just how much house they can really afford. A good measure is to devote no more than a third of your monthly household income to housing costs, which include mortgage principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

“A good number would be 30 percent,” Zandi says. “If you are over 35 percent, you are really pushing the envelope.” Several work sheets are available online to help calculate how your income, debts and expenses affect what you can afford each month for the next 15 or 30years.

4. Remember the hidden costs

If you don’t factor in the cost of taxes, insurance, utilities and fees, you may grossly underestimate what you can afford to pay each month. You need to consider paying closing costs, appraisal fees, escrow fees, homeowner's insurance fees, property taxes and even moving costs, as well as repairs and maintenance.

“When you’re renting and the furnace goes out, what do you do? You call the landlord,” says Tom Vanderwell, mortgage officer for Fifth Third Bank in Michigan. “When you own a house, what do you do? You have to fix it yourself.” You may find numerous “nickel and dime” expenses to account for that could add up to a significant chunk of money over time.

5. Use professional help

It is possible find and buy a home without the help of a professional real estate agent, but a good agent can save you much time and stress. For instance, Realtors have access to all the homes on the market through the multiple listing service, or MLS, plus all the ones that are under contract and have been sold. A specialist has time to sift through all of these listings, says Boss, and make the appointments to show you the houses, create comparative market analyses to determine proper pricing and meet with necessary inspectors. Real estate agents also can help buyers traverse a taxing, 70-page legal contract.

“I would want someone who is going to look out for my interests first and foremost,” says Boss. “Someone who knows the contracts, who has experience negotiating, and who can walk me through the entire process smoothly – step by step – and make sure I get the house that's right for me.”

Contact me for the entire list of tips for the first-time home buyer from U.S. News & World Report.

Colorado cities rank among least obese metro areas in the nation

2010-03-15T12:20:00.005-06:00

Fort Collins/Loveland and Boulder are the slimmest and among the healthiest metro areas in the nation, according to the current Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The study reports that Fort Collins/Loveland's obesity rate of 16 percent is the lowest of any metro area in the country, but Boulder’s isn't much higher at 16.6 percent, making it the second lowest. Colorado Springs ranked fourth for having the least obese residents at 17.2 percent, and Denver/Aurora tied for 10th at 19.3 percent. Colorado and California had the most metro areas - four each - among the 10 least obese.

Gallup calculates Body Mass Index (BMI) results using respondents' self-reported height and weight. Americans with a BMI of 30 or above are considered obese. Gallup polled adults aged 18 and older in 187 metro areas in 2009.

America's 10 least obese metro areas boast an average obesity rate of 18.7 percent – 15.1 percentage points lower than that of the nation's 10 most obese places and significantly better than the national average.

Among the 10 least obese metro areas, Boulder stood out as it performed the best across the board on Gallup and Healthway's indexes measuring healthy behaviors, community conditions and physical health. Residents there are among the most likely in the country to get frequent exercise, and at 5 percent, are among the least likely of citizens in any of the 187 metro areas surveyed to have diabetes. To compare, the metro area with the highest level of reported diabetes is McAllen/Edinburg/Mission, Texas, at 18.9 percent. It is also worth noting that Boulder tops all U.S. metro areas in overall well-being.

Gallup sites healthy behaviors as the common denominator among residents of the 10 least obese metro areas, as nine of the 10 areas rank in the top third of the Gallup-Healthways Healthy Behavior Index, which measures exercise, eating and smoking habits. Majorities of residents in each of the 10 least obese places report that they ate healthy "yesterday," eat fruits and vegetables frequently, and exercise regularly. Half or more of residents in all of the least obese areas report exercising for at least 30 minutes three or more days per week. This stands in contrast to the nation's 10 most obese metro areas, where in all but one less than half report exercising at the same frequency. Smoking rates are also lower than the national average across all but one of the least obese areas.

Conditions within a community also play a major role in the number of obese residents. The Gallup-Healthways Basic Access Index finds that residents in almost all of the nation’s least obese metro areas report above-average levels of access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, having a safe place to exercise, having enough money to buy food and having health insurance.

All of the least obese metro areas in the U.S. have diabetes levels lower than the national average as well as fewer heart attacks – a result of eating healthier and exercising.

According to Gallup, Boulder and the nine other areas that accompany it as the nation's 10 least obese places can serve as examples from which other communities can learn. Still, even the 16 percent obesity rate in the least obese place in the country as recorded by Gallup today is slightly higher than the obesity levels reported by the government in the United States in the 1980s, suggesting that the country has a long way to go to reverse the enormous increase in obesity rates of the past 30 years.

Sunshine brings lighting expert to Boulder and eventually to open business

2010-02-17T21:13:00.005-07:00

Cheryl Gaiser loves light – inside and out.

It’s Colorado’s 300 days of the sunlight a year that brought her to Boulder from one of the rainiest states in the union 14 years ago. And it was her love of creating light indoors – a family tradition – that led her to open a lighting studio.

Cheryl, Jack Rietveld and Rhonda Wade established Inlighten Studios 10 years ago in October on the west end of Pearl Street. After Jack passed away a few years back, Rhonda took over as president to oversee operations, allowing Gaiser to remain vice president and handle the sales end of business.

“My family has been in lighting for over 60 years, and I’ve been doing it for more than 30,” she says. “I really do like being in front. I used to sell to people just like me. It keeps me in an industry I’ve grown up in and I really do enjoy it.”

Just three years ago, Cheryl and Rhonda moved the business to its current location at 5345 Arapahoe Road, Unit 4. They’ve also diversified, expanding their services and products into commercial work, as the residential lighting business began slumping with the housing market and economy.

“During the housing crunch we went after more commercial business and landed that, and that has kept us afloat,” Cheryl says.

Inlighten Studios works with designers, architects and contractors to fulfill the homeowners' lighting needs, she says.

“When you walk in, our first question is, ‘What is the application? Where do you plan on using this?’” Cheryl says, noting any employee can then help customers determine the right lighting. “Every employee who has worked here has had to go through the American Lighting Association course and passed it.”

For Cheryl, who has spent much of her life in the South, Boulder has been an adjustment, especially to the cold. But it offers plenty of outdoor activities in which she participates wholeheartedly. And between her business and the sun, she never lacks for light.

“It’s worth it for the sun for me,” she says. “I love it here.”

For more information about Inlighten Studios, call (303) 449-9899 or visit www.inlightenstudios.com.

State appliance rebates starting soon

2010-02-17T15:18:00.004-07:00

If you plan on buying a new appliance or two this year, you've picked the right time.

The state of Colorado is tentatively scheduled to implement a mail-in rebate program to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances in March. The program will continue until the state runs out of the more than $4.7 million set aside for the rebate.

Eligible products include:
• Refrigerators
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Gas storage water heaters
• Gas, tankless water heaters
• Gas furnaces
• Gas boilers

Check with state officials for information on proper recycling or disposal of appliances. For more information about this and other rebates, visit http://www.colorado.gov/energy/index.php?/resources/rebates-for-program-participants.

Boulder happiest, healthiest city in the U.S., according to study

2010-02-15T15:04:00.005-07:00

If you’re looking to escape your worries and find happiness, you’re living in the right place.

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which interviewed more than 353,000 Americans last year, Boulder is home to the healthiest, happiest people in the nation.

In fact, most of the highest-scoring cities were in the West – such as Boulder, which topped the list. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the lowest-scoring cities were in the South, such as Huntington, W.Va., which ranked last out of the 162 large and mid-sized cities in the study, according to an article about the study in USA Today.

The study asked individuals to assess their jobs, finances, physical health, emotional state of mind and communities to provide a city-by-city portrait of the nation’s mood and a potential tool for policymakers, the article says.

Of the 10 cities that scored best on “life evaluation” – assessments of life now and expectations in five years – nine of them are home to institutions that supposedly provide some buffer from recession - a major university, a big military installation or a state capitol.

Boulder was the only Colorado city ranked among the top 10, although the three others on the list were among the top 60. Four cities from California, two in Utah and one in Hawaii all represented the West in the top 10. Only the Holland, Mich., and Washington, D.C., metro areas are located in the Eastern or Central time zones, according to USA Today.

The majority of the bottom 10 cities are in economically embattled regions: three are in the Alleghenies and three in the Rust Belt. Only Shreveport, La., and Modesto, Calif., are west of the Mississippi.

Besides its mountainous setting, with a greenbelt of public lands circling the city, Boulder’s jobless rate of 5.7 percent, compared with the national 9.7 percent, may help its residents remain happy and healthy, according to the article.

Here’s a look at how Colorado cities fared in the study:

Smaller remodeling projects generate the most returns for homeowners

2010-02-15T14:30:00.007-07:00

If you’re considering doing some remodeling of your home, beware that, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2009 Cost Vs. Value Report, you’re not likely to recoup 100 percent of your investment upon selling your home with nearly any project.

However, the report shows that smaller midrange projects, such as adding a wood deck (80 percent), replacing the front entry with a steel door (128.9 percent) or remodeling the attic into a bedroom (83.1 percent), will get the most returns in the Mountain states, including Colorado.

The projects generating the smallest returns, in contrast, include a home office remodel (48.1 percent) and a sunroom addition (50.7 percent). Among the upscale projects, replacing siding with fiber-cement products generated the highest returns (83.5 percent), while homeowners adding on a master suite recovered only 55.7 percent of their investment.

Here’s a look at some of the different remodeling projects, their costs, their resale value and the cost recouped, according to the 2009 Cost vs. Value Report:

Survey shows prices, sales activity improving in existing-home market

2010-02-12T11:22:00.004-07:00

The National Association of Realtors reported strong gains in existing-home sales as well as rising prices in many metro areas during the fourth quarter of 2009.

The NAR’s latest surveys showed that sales increased from the third quarter of 2009 to the fourth in 48 states and the District of Columbia, with 32 states experiencing double-digit gains. And all but three states saw double-digit annual increases.

Total national existing-home sales, including single-family and condos, jumped 13.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.03 million in the fourth quarter from 5.29 million in the third quarter, and are 27.2 percent above the 4.74 million-unit level in the fourth quarter of 2008. Distressed property accounted for 32 percent of fourth quarter transactions, down from 37 percent a year earlier, according to the NAR.

Colorado saw an increase in sales of existing homes including single-family, condos and co-ops of 15.1 percent from the third quarter to the fourth, and a 10.3 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the fourth quarter of last year.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the first-time home buyer tax credit was the dominant factor in the upswing.

“The surge in home sales was driven by buyers responding strongly to the tax credit combined with record low mortgage interest rates,” he says. “With inventory levels trending down over the past 18 months, we expect broadly balanced housing market conditions in much of the country by late spring with more areas showing higher prices.”

In the fourth quarter, 67 out of 151 metropolitan statistical areas reported higher median existing single-family home prices in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2008, including 16 with double-digit increases; one was unchanged and 84 metros had price declines. In the third quarter only 30 MSAs showed annual price increases and 123 areas were down.

In Colorado, Boulder saw a 3.2 percent year-over-year increase, while Colorado Springs prices increased 1.5 percent and Denver-Aurora’s 11.2 percent.

The national median existing single-family price was $172,900, which is 4.1 percent below the fourth quarter of 2008; the median is where half sold for more and half sold for less. “This is the smallest price decline in over two years, with the most recent monthly data showing a broad stabilization in home prices,” Yun says.

“Because buyers are taking on long-term fixed rate mortgages, avoiding adjustable-rate products, and trying to stay well within their budgets, the price recovery process appears durable,” he says.

Four straight months of improvements provide promising forecast for ’10

2010-01-18T14:09:00.004-07:00

Market statistics for the last month of 2009 gave Ken Hotard a boost of confidence in his prediction that the market will begin improving in the second half of 2010.

“They look very good,” says Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. “This is our fourth consecutive month to see gains compared with the same months last year.”

In December, 211 single-family homes sold, compared with 196 in December 2008, while 73 condos and townhomes sold last month compared with 63 in December 2008. In all, 3,069 single-family homes sold from Dec. 1, 2008, through Nov. 30, 2009, while 3,606 sold in the same period the year before. And 1,193 attached units sold in the last year compared with 1,345 the previous year.

Hotard says that while median and average sales prices continue to drop in many Boulder communities, the strongest market is that with homes priced in the middle, with the weak end being the upper-end homes. However, that market is stabilizing and improving.

“When I look at the quarterly data, I’m encouraged to note that when I compare the fourth quarter of ’09 with the fourth quarter of ’08 in single-family sales, I see a nearly 24 percent increase in sales volume and a 28 percent increase in sales volume in condo and townhomes," Hotard says. “Both of those numbers are encouraging considering what a poor fourth quarter we had in 2008.”

Brokerages are also reporting that home showings and other real estate activity has increased substantially in the New Year, so Hotard says he is expecting strong statistics for January. One Boulder office in particular had 180 showings on a Saturday in January - the most it had had on one day since 2007.

“I’m encouraged going forward,” he says. “I believe the second half of this year will tell us that we have moved beyond the recession and entered sustainable market growth, albeit modest. Credit continues to be an issue, particularly on the higher end, as does job growth.”

Interest rates are still quite low, but the inventory of homes for sale needs to increase to provide competition and selection, Hotard notes.

Seminar offers information on including real estate in retirement investments

2010-01-18T11:54:00.004-07:00

When most people think of IRAs, SEPs, 401ks, etc., they usually think of investing in the stock market, mutual funds and more.

However, using a self-directed retirement account, your retirement plan can include real estate, along with a variety of other real estate- related investments, such as notes. Everyone can use their retirement plan to invest in real estate; they just have to have the proper plan set up. Learning about this method of investing can potentially benefit the growth of your retirement account greatly.

Using retirement funds for investing in real estate has been allowed since the ‘70s. It was just the plan administrators that restricted the investment in real estate; it was never the IRS that restricted it. In fact, the idea of real estate not being allowed is so entrenched that many CPAs are just now learning about the concept and “approving” it for their clients.

The first step is to find a plan administrator that is set up to provide self-directed plan services. Then determine which type of retirement plan fits your situation best. The next step is to fund the account. Then, in turn, use those funds to purchase allowable assets.

To learn about the process and how it might benefit you, attend the real estate-related investments in IRAs and qualified plans seminar at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at RE/MAX of Boulder, 2425 Canyon Blvd., in Boulder. Sign up for the seminar through Duane Duggan’s office, (303) 441-5611.

Resolve to become more 'green' in 2010

2010-01-18T11:37:00.005-07:00

Like most resolutions, becoming more environmental friendly is just a matter of changing habits.

The Natural Resources Defense Council offers several tips on how you can make a few changes within your home and lifestyle to become a better friend of Mother Nature in 2010. Here’s a look at a few of them:

1.Give up paper and plastic bags
Cost: $1
Neither paper nor plastic is a good choice for bagging groceries. Last year 12 million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags used in the United States. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags. Instead, buy reusable shopping bags made of cotton, nylon or durable, meshlike plastic. If you forget your reusable bags, paper is the next best choice – if you recycle it – or make sure to reuse or recycle your plastic bags.

2. Stop buying bottled water
Cost: $14.98 for aluminum water bottle

It takes 26 bottles of water to produce the plastic container for a one-liter bottle of water, and that doing so pollutes 25 liters of groundwater. Use reusable water bottles made from materials like stainless steel or aluminum that are not likely to degrade over time. If you must use a plastic water bottle, check the number on the bottom first: plastics numbered 3, 6 and 7 could pose a health threat to you, so look for bottles numbered 1, 2, 4 or 5.

3. Stop receiving unwanted catalogs
Cost: $0
Each year, 19 billion catalogs are mailed to American consumers, requiring more than 53 million trees and 56 billion gallons of wastewater to produce. Visit CatalogChoice.org to put a stop to unwanted catalogs.

4. Give up conventional clothes detergents
Cost: $10.25 for one 112-oz box
Many natural detergents today are made to clean clothes just as effectively in cooler water temperatures. Choose detergents and other laundry products that are plant-based, concentrated and biodegradable.

5. Give up hot water (in the clothes washer, anyway)
Cost: $0
Only 10 percent of the energy used by a typical washing machine powers the motor, while about 90 percent of the energy is used to heat the water, when most clothes will come clean in cold water. For heavily soiled clothing, change the water temperature setting from hot to warm, but otherwise try to wash and rinse most of your clothing in cold water.

6. Give up the clothes dryer
Cost: $0
The clothes dryer is the second biggest household energy user after the refrigerator, and over-drying clothes can end up costing money as well: an electric dryer operating an extra 15 minutes a load can cost up to $34 a year in wasted energy; a gas dryer, $21 a year. Clear the lint filter after each load and dry only full loads of clothes. Dry heavy fabrics separately from lighter ones, and don't add wet clothing in the middle of the drying cycle. But hanging clothing outside in the sun and air to dry is the most energy-efficient method – or use a folding indoor rack all year long.

7. Check for leaks in your toilet
Cost: $0
A leaking toilet can waste anywhere between 30 and 500 gallons of water every day, so repair any leak. To see if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the dye shows up in the toilet bowl after 15 minutes or so, the toilet has a leak. Leaking is usually caused by an old or poorly fitting flapper valve – easily replaced by any amateur do-it-yourselfer.

8. Give up toilet paper (at least conventional TP)
Cost: $2.96 for 4-pack, 260 sheets
If every household in the United States bought just one four-pack of 260-sheet recycled bath tissue, instead of the typical tissue made from virgin fiber, it would eliminate 60,600 pounds of chlorine pollution, preserve 356 million gallons (1.35 billion liters) of fresh water and save nearly 1 million trees. And the best news is that a four-pack of recycled toilet paper costs about the same as a four-pack of conventional toilet paper.

8. Give up paper towels
Cost: $6.95
Paper towels create waste. Period. Buy some reusable microfiber towels, which grip dirt and dust like a magnet, even when they get wet. When you are finished with them, toss the towels in the wash and reuse them again and again. They are even great for countertops and mirrors. When you absolutely have to use disposable towels, look for recycled products. If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

9. Run a full dishwasher
Cost: $0
If you have dishwasher, use it. Running a fully loaded dishwasher – without prerinsing the dishes – can use a third less water than washing the dishes by hand, saving up to 10 to 20 gallons of water a day. Simply scrape large pieces of food off your dishes and let the dishwasher handle the rest. And by using the air-dry setting (instead of heat-dry), you will consume half the amount of electricity without spending a dime.

10. Lower the refrigerator temperature
Cost: $0
As one of the biggest appliances in your kitchen, the refrigerator accounts for between 10 percent and 15 percent of the average home energy bill each month. To get your fridge running in tip-top shape, first set the refrigerator thermostat to maintain a temperature between 38 and 42 degrees (F). This temperature will protect your food from spoiling while saving electricity. Twice a year, clean the condenser coil at the back of your fridge. Condenser coils tend to get dusty, making them less efficient.

11. Give up 2 degrees
Cost: $0
By snuggling under a blanket on the couch on a snowy winter night instead of turning up the heat, or enjoying the breeze from a fan in the height of summer instead of turning up the air conditioning, you can save pounds of pollution, as well as some money off your utility bills. Set your thermostat in winter to 68 degrees F (20° C) or less during the daytime and 55 degrees F (13° C) before going to sleep or when you are away for the day. And during the summer, set thermostats to 78 degrees F (26° C) or more.

12. Give up drycleaning
Cost: $0
Until recently, almost all dry cleaners used a cancer-causing chemical called perchloroethylene, also known as Perc or TCE. Traces of this toxic chemical remain on your clothes after dry cleaning and will evaporate into the air in your car or home. If you have to use a traditional dry cleaner, take your dry cleaning out of the plastic and air it outside or near a window before hanging it in your closet. To avoid the need for dry cleaning at all, make customer care a part of your clothing purchase decisions and choose fabrics that don't require dry cleaning at all.

13. Stop wasting gas
Cost: $0
Increase your gas mileage by checking your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have underinflated tires, according to a survey by the Department of Transportation. If all tires were properly inflated, we could save 2.8 billion gallons (10.6 billion liters) of gasoline a year, so inflate the tires on your car or truck and continue to do so once a month or as necessary.

To learn more, viait http://www.thedailygreen.com:80/environmental-news/latest/green-new-years-resolutions-10109#ixzz0cz8e88uW.

Architect pushes the envelope of sustainable design, living

2010-01-15T16:22:00.007-07:00

At Rodwin Architecture, “sustainable design” isn’t just a catch phrase or a goal.

It’s simply what the firm does.

Owner and architect Scott Rodwin moved from Connecticut to Boulder in 1992, when the real estate market was not much different than it is today, on the advice to go where he wanted to live to find a job. Several people mentioned that he was a “Boulder kind of guy,” so he set off on hopes to find a home as well as a job in architecture.

When he got up in the morning after arriving in Boulder the night before, he saw the new Boulder Public Library out his window and knew he was in the right town. Scott says he was “blown away with its beauty, its sustainability, and how it blended with its setting.” And landing a job in architecture just five days later confirmed that revelation.

Scott worked for several different architecture firms in Boulder and Denver before opening his own in 1999. Today he employs seven people – four of which he hired within the last couple of months. And Rodwin Architecture is a local leader in sustainability building with a stack of design awards to its name. The firm designed the LEED Platinum-certified “Edge House” in Boulder, which received the top honor from the Colorado Sustainable Design Awards. The home is near-Net Zero Energy, meaning that over the course of a year it uses about the same amount of energy as it produces. It was only the second single-family home in Colorado to achieve LEED Platinum.

Scott attributes the company’s success (and weathering the current storm) to its focus on “green” design, and to its ability to design any kind of building. Its current project list testifies to this diversity: the Columbine Elementary School; two churches (One of which is City on the Hill at 75th and Arapahoe); 1222 Pearl St. (renovation of the Art Mart Building); the historic remodel of a large bar/restaurant in downtown Denver; five custom homes and two remodels of various sizes; and a 19-unit townhouse project. The architecture firm also offers monthly workshops on green building to building professionals as well as homeowners, teaches Green Residential Building 101 for the city and county of Boulder, and recently offered a green building workshop for REMAX of Boulder's annual retreat.

Besides being green, Scotts says he always has an eye toward creating buildings that are cost-effective to build, will resell well in the market, function well and are beautiful. While the desire to have a “green” building brings customers to his door, they ultimately choose Rodwin Architecture because of its ability to do beautiful and intelligent architecture, Scott says.

“The mission of our architectural firm is to continue to push the envelope of sustainable design while at the same time keeping a clear eye on affordability, so that the benefits of sustainability are accessible to as many people as possible,” he says.

Toward that goal, eight years ago Scott branched out into design-build, starting Skycastle Homes; two years ago he shifted its focus to specialize in small additions with deep-energy retrofits. “It’s a nice complement to everything we do,” he says.

He hires employees who have real-world experience, such as in construction. "They understand that when designing a building, it’s more than just lines on a page." He also chooses people who have a high level of knowledge of sustainable design. Both Scott and the majority of his employees are LEED Accredited Professionals.

Personally, Scott practices what he preaches: he co-founded Nomad Cohousing in Boulder, where he has been a resident for 12 years. He is a member of the Not So Big House movement that focuses on the quality of homes and not their size. Rodwin Architecture is a member of Architects and Planners of Boulder, the American Institute of Architects, Sierra Club, the Home Builders Association, the Boulder Green Building Guild, and an affiliate of the Boulder Area Realtor Association. He is politically involved in the efforts to make sustainable living the norm – not the exception – in Boulder, getting involved with green building-code development and fighting for higher-density, transit-connected Smart Growth.

“Green buildings are a good start, but in order to achieve true sustainability we also have to address our land-use patterns,” he says.

For more information about Rodwin Architecture, 1245 Pearl Street, Suite 202, or its green building workshops (coming up on Jan. 19 and Feb. 15), call (303) 413-8556 or visit www.rodwinarch.com.

Boulder has hot commodity despite recession: jobs

2010-01-13T16:25:00.003-07:00

Boulder is not only a popular place to live, but also to make a living.

Money magazine recently named Boulder County as No. 8 on its Top 10 Places for Jobs list. The list was accumulated based on the magazine’s list of the Top Places to Live 2009, of which Louisville ranked first among small towns.

“While many people come for the University of Colorado, graduates stay because of the plentiful job opportunities,” the magazine said of Boulder.

The magazine noted Boulder’s high-tech firms – and top employers – including IBM, Sun Microsystems and Ball Aerospace, as well as IBM’s recent announcement that it would add another 500 jobs (primarily at its call center in the Boulder facility).

Cass County, N.D., with a 3.4 percent unemployment rate, topped Money magazine’s rankings. The magazine wrote that the county is the hub for the surrounding area’s health care, retail, manufacturing and educational needs. And now Microsoft and other high-tech companies are moving in next to the county’s traditional large employers of farm and construction equipment manufacturers such as John Deere and Bobcat.

Here’s a look at Money magazine's Top 10 Places for Jobs, all of which boast unemployment rates well below the national average of 10 percent:

Homebuyers more willing to consider buying foreclosed properties

2009-12-18T14:01:00.002-07:00

According to a recent survey reported on in RISMedia, the stigma of foreclosed homes may be starting to wan.

The online survey, conducted on behalf of real estate-search site Trulia.com and RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties, in early November showed that 88 percent of homeowners looking to trade up are at least somewhat likely to consider buying a foreclosed property. With the $6,500 tax credit available to this market for a short time, sales of foreclosed properties are expected to increase in the coming months.

Overall, 43 percent of adults are somewhat likely to consider a foreclosed property, and 92 percent of real estate investors are at least somewhat likely to do the same.

Of renters looking to buy, 57 percent are willing to consider purchasing a foreclosed home, with more renters between age 18 and 44 likely to consider doing so compared with those 55 and older.

One reason homebuyers are considering purchasing foreclosed homes is the discounted prices: they expect to save 30 percent or more – as much as 50 percent in the Northeast part of the nation.

"Even during the darkest economic times, dreams don’t die. Foreclosures are providing never before seen opportunities for new segments of homebuyers and allowing renters to become first-time buyers, allowing investors to grab great deals and allowing families to trade up to larger homes," RISMedia reported Trulia co-founder and CEO Pete Flint as saying. "Until unemployment levels off and starts to get better, we expect foreclosures to continue to play a big role in the 2010 housing market."

Although they expect to save on the purchase price of a foreclosed home, 95 percent of those who might buy one also expect to invest money in renovations. And 55 percent are willing to spend 20 percent or more of the purchase price on those improvements, according to RISMedia. As more consumers purchase distressed properties, excess housing inventory levels will decrease and additional money will be poured into other industries, helping to stimulate the economy as a whole.

"The most active and qualified buyers in today’s market are highly interested in foreclosures, which is not surprising given the discount that often comes with a foreclosure purchase," said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, reported RISMedia. "It is somewhat surprising that consumers cite hidden costs as the biggest negative aspect to buying a foreclosed home because most bank-owned foreclosure sales include the same title protections and other safeguards that are in place for non-foreclosure sales. As myths such as this are put to rest and consumers take more time to educate themselves on the process for purchasing foreclosures, they will be able to take advantage of the great bargains that currently exist in the real estate market."

City's regulations make homes attractive to those who value nature, outdoor activities

2009-12-18T12:04:00.004-07:00

The New York Times recently lauded Boulder’s urban growth restrictions, guaranteeing local homebuyers will have views for years to come as well as easy access to hiking and biking trails and open space.

The publication says the city’s restrictions prevent housing developments from "creeping up the hillsides" and buildings higher than four stories from being built. The city has thousands of acres of open space, conservation easements and nature reserves, with approximately 25 percent of its sales and use taxes going toward protecting more open space. All of this means views and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors are protected, according to the newspaper.

The New York Times quotes real estate agents who, it says, report an influx of second-home owners and retirees who value the natural environment and are willing to pay to live near it.

Re/Max of Boulder’s John McElveen was quoted as saying, "It’s not just the lifestyle here — people want the lower taxes, too. We see a lot of Californians and buyers from the Northeast."

The publication also recognized amenities such as the Pearl Street Mall and the University of Colorado, within walking distance of downtown, as well as a mild climate with about 300 sunny days a year historically.

Strong sales in November encouraging

2009-12-18T11:20:00.006-07:00

Boulder home sales in November may not have been as strong as they were in October, but they were stronger than the previous two Novembers, and that has Ken Hotard looking forward to the New Year.

The senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association called November’s sales-volume figures "encouraging" compared with past Novembers. Last month, 252 single-family homes sold compared with 149 in November 2008 and 246 in November 2007. The attached-housing market also had a positive November this year, with 84 homes selling versus 50 a year ago and 46 in November 2007.

"That’s the second consecutive month that we've seen gains, and these gains are even stronger than we saw last month," he says.

Hotard attributed the impressive figures to historically low interest rates and the extended and expanded tax credit bringing first-time as well move-up buyers into the market. "Those are all really positive signs," he says.

Sluggish job growth will continue to affect the market, though the government is working on another stimulus program that would provide $100 billion to small businesses and state governments to spur hiring. "So hopefully it will move job growth in the right direction and, with the other factors, we'll see strong growth in sales volume in 2010 consistent with what we’re seeing this quarter," Hotard says.

Home sales were down compared with October, but he says that’s a natural seasonal adjustment.

Although average and median prices are generally lower throughout Boulder County, some communities continue to show improvement and, overall, they prices are holding steady.

"It’s still a buyer’s market and there continues to be downward pressure on prices," Hotard says. "But there are limits to that, beyond which the market just isn’t going to respond. Prices are holding up well in the middle to low end. The high end has the greatest pressure and least availability to credit. Jumbos are still hard to find and difficult to qualify for. Folks are steering away from adjustable rate loans, and that’s mostly what’s out there."

Hotard says the dynamics of the Boulder market have not changed substantially except for the increased buyer participation and sales volume, and that’s good news.

"Does this point to a recovery? Not necessarily. But it is certainly encouraging," he says. "Buyers are returning to the market, albeit with some encouragement from our government."

But if there was ever a time to buy a home, it is now, when prices and interest rates are low and the government is offering incentives like never before. Hotard warns that these conditions won’t last for long.

"I think prices are going to start going up," he says. "We’re going to start seeing that recovery in the second half of 2010. I think folks should really consider that if they’re thinking about getting in the market at all. This current market offers a significant opportunity."

Wall Street Journal recognizes world-class cuisine served at Boulder's restaurants

2009-12-17T13:06:00.004-07:00

Boulder is home to restaurants serving world-class cuisine, according to The Wall Street Journal critic Raymond Sokolov.

Noting that a "gourmet revolution has edged out the cultural revolution," Sokolov named several restaurants participating in a "high-end food fight" in Downtown Boulder. He attributes this to the fact that Boulder is home to "plenty of well-shod, well-fixed folks eager to feed themselves with discrimination."

From Flagstaff House's dish featuring a trio of lamb parts and its young-yet-talented wait staff to the local items served at Salt or the Kitchen's honorable use of wind power and cooking oil to fuel a staff member's car, Sokolov never had a shortage of positive things to say about Boulder's high-end restaurants.

Here's a list of the establishments whose cuisine Sokolov sampled and recommended:

Flagstaff House Restaurant
1138 Flagstaff Road
303-442-4640
www.shopflagstaffhouse.com

Salt
1047 Pearl St.
303-444-7258
www.saltboulderbistro.com

The Kitchen
1039 Pearl St.
303-544-5973
www.thekitchencafe.com

Black Cat
1964 13th St.
303-444-9110
www.blackcatboulder.com

Frasca
1738 Pearl St.
303-442-6966
www.frascafoodandwine.com

Massage therapy is adventure for woman whose life is full of them

2009-12-17T10:44:00.006-07:00

Robyn Faike figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up while summiting Mt. Everest, which she did at 4:02 a.m. May 24, 2008.

The day after returning from that adventure – one of many she's had in life – she enrolled in courses to pursue her next adventure, massage therapy. After receiving her certification from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy, Robyn opened her own practice, Evolve Therapeutics, 2027 Broadway Street, Suite A, in Boulder in June. She is also is certified through the The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, which means the massages she offers can help a body heal, not just relax.

"The therapy that Robyn provides is much, much more than a simple massage," says her patient, Richard Silverman. "She is a very intuitive therapist and is able to provide a form of therapy that is unavailable in today's world of medicine. Not only is she unusually caring and compassionate, but she has mastered many different styles and forms of bodywork that can provide not only relief from pain but, in many cases, the eradication of its cause."

Faike says it was realizing that injuries have a mental, emotional and spiritual as well as physical impact on people reaching their goals revealed her calling.

"Nobody was a massage therapist (on her Mt. Everest summit team), but it got me thinking, because people would have muscle strain and it pretty much inhibited them from progressing and doing the climb in a comfortable way," she says. "I realized how it’s important to connect mind, body and spirit. An injury would take over psyche, cause depression, and I saw how beneficial (massage therapy) could be.”

Mt. Everest wasn’t Robyn’s first peak to climb, either. She’s climbed the highest peaks in five different continents, four of which she did with her mom.

Before discovering her true calling, Robyn was an elementary school teacher, though she originally went to Indiana University to pursue opera singing. She completed her teaching certification and student teaching in New Zealand before moving to Boulder, where her brother and grandparents lived (she’s originally from Carson City, Nev.). She also worked for five years with the Boulder YMCA in its mountain biking camp, helping older teens train for races.

None of those experiences, though, gave her the satisfaction that working as a massage therapist and doing bodywork does, she says.

"Every day is so amazing for me," Robyn says. "I walk away each day with different stories. I connect with people on unique and special level. I feel completely fulfilled in my life.

"It's really complementary to all my life adventures," she adds. "I really believe that everybody has their own summit in life. Through massage therapy, it's so exciting to support people in whatever adventure they're on, no matter how big or how small. It all feels connected to me."

Evolve Therapeutics' hours are by appointment 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call (303) 246-7178.

Brothers follow father’s example in tree-service business

2009-11-23T13:09:00.003-07:00

When your dad instills values in you such as honesty, a strong work ethic and integrity, it’s not so difficult to work alongside your brother.

Brad and Jon Bielen have discovered just that as co-owners of owners of A Cut Above Tree Service Inc. in Longmont, which provides trimming/pruning of trees, tree removal, stump grinding, fire mitigation, log milling, lot clearing/demolition and firewood. The brothers plan to expand their business in the spring by buying two spray rigs to spray trees for bugs and provide deep-root feeding, so they will offer every tree service available. They also plan on hiring four to six new employees as their business grows.

“We have our battles, but for the most part when we’re at work, business is business and being brothers takes a back seat,” Brad says of working with his brother, adding it helps to know that they can count on each other.

The Bielen brothers have been working in the tree industry since 1988 and opened their own business in 1991 to pursue the American dream of working for themselves, setting their own hours and days, Brad says. Their father, who passed away 2006, was an inspiration to them both.

“In my eyes, he’s probably one of the greatest men I’ve ever known,” Brad says, noting his father had a great work ethic and his responsibility for family was of the utmost importance. “I wish I could be half the man he was.”

The example their father set and the values he taught his sons have translated into how the Bielen brothers run their business, treating customers with honesty and integrity, doing their part to preserve the environment and helping others in any way they can.

The brothers do a fair amount of charitable work, doing trimming and tree removal for those who are unable to do it themselves and unable to afford to pay someone, as well as providing wood chips and even firewood at no cost to those struggling to make ends meet. “We give away a huge amount of firewood every year to people who just can’t afford to buy firewood,” Brad says.

When A Cut Above trims or removes a tree, none of it is wasted. “What’s nice is every little bit of material from a tree is utilized,” Brad says. “If we cut a tree down, we use the branches as woodchips that we give to customers for free; the logs are turned into lumber at the two saw mills we own and are used for everything from furniture to fencing; and the smaller pieces are used as firewood.

“Environmentally speaking, it’s important to not let anything go to the landfill. It’s just the way we’ve developed our business around making sure nothing goes to waste.”

The brothers have lived in Colorado for 40-plus years – Brad, a father of 3-year-old fraternal twins (boy and girl), is a native – so this is where their family and friends as well as their livelihood are. “We worked in Arkansas for a few years and came back,” Brad says. “We know trees – we know these trees. We’ve seen trees that we planted that are now mature. This is home. It’ll always be home.”

To contact A Cut Above Tree Service Inc., visit www.ACutAboveTreeService.org or call (303) 682-5678.

GDP stats indicate that Colorado metros' economies are expanding

2009-11-23T13:06:00.006-07:00

According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the local economy has indeed expanded since 2005, though many cities throughout the nation haven’t been so fortunate.

Statistics released last month show that the slowdown in U.S. economic growth was widespread from 2007 to 2008: 60 percent of metropolitan areas saw economic growth slow down or reverse. Real GDP growth slowed in 220 of the nation’s 366 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in 2008 with downturns in construction, manufacturing, and finance and insurance restraining growth in many metropolitan areas. Growth in real U.S. GDP by metropolitan area slowed from 2 percent in 2007 to 0.8 percent in 2008.

According to the BEA, growth accelerated in 146 metropolitan areas, especially where natural resources and mining industries are concentrated, such as Casper, Wyo., and Grand Junction, Colo. Grand Junction had the fastest real GDP growth (12.3 percent) of any metropolitan area in 2008 due largely to growth in natural resources and mining. The professional and business services industry group also showed strong growth in 2008, contributing the most to real GDP growth in 112 metropolitan areas.

The more significant growth is shown between 2005 and 2008. Here’s a look at how Colorado’s metro areas performed compared with the nation’s 366 metropolitan statistical areas during that time:

Signs of stabilization mean growth could be around the corner

2009-11-21T11:37:00.003-07:00

While year-to-date home sales in the Boulder market were still down through October, sales for the month were better than they were in October 2008 – good news for the local real estate market.

In total, 276 single-family homes and 96 attached homes in Boulder County sold in October, compared with 250 single-family and 86 attached homes in October 2008. During the first 10 months of the year, 2,942 single-family homes sold, compared with 3,750 in the same period last year; 1,145 attached homes sold this year, compared with 1,395 through October of 2008.

Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association, called the statistics “good news.”

“We’re seeing really good signs of market stabilization when we look at sales in October 2009 compared with October 2008,” he says. “It’s up about 5 percent marketwide on single-family homes. From September to October 2009, we’re right on track – there’s no decline. We’ve seen stabilization of the year-to-year data in sales volume decline.

"We are looking to turn the corner on growth before heading into the second half of 2010."

In September, 274 single-family homes sold and 108 attached homes sold. Sales prices, though still down, held steady in October, as well. In fact, Erie and Louisville saw slight increases in median sales prices, while Boulder saw only a 0.9 percent drop in its median price.

He says he expects the extension of the first-time homebuyer tax credit to have a positive impact on the Boulder County market. Congress recently extended the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers through May 1, as well as added a $6,500 tax credit for buyers who have been in their homes for five consecutive years in the last eight years, and increased the income limits for a qualifying single individual to $125,000 and for a couple to $225,000.

“Those are all signs the stimulus will continue to support market stability, as the economy begins to recover,” he says. “Hopefully that will be a launch to a healthier overall market and economic condition for the second half of next year.

“There’s no question about it; affordability is at an all-time high,” Hotard adds. “There are a lot of people who have been sitting on the fence and this will be exactly what they need to move off of the fence and into the game.”

However, two things could dampen progress: continued tight credit, particularly in the jumbo loan area, and weak job growth, he says. “Those could be factors that hold us back a bit."

And through the first half of 2010, the market will favor buyers, Hotard says.

Real estate experts: Boulder housing market improving

2009-11-20T11:25:00.002-07:00

By Peter Budoff
Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 11/19/2009 11:14:24 PM MST

The national and local real estate market is showing signs of improvement, but a full recovery will depend on restoring consumer confidence, housing experts said at a Boulder forum Thursday.

Boulder remains somewhat insulated from the national economic struggles, Scot Smith, a broker with The Colorado Group, told the crowd at the second annual Boulder Valley Real Estate Conference and Forecast at Boulder's Millennium Harvest House.

"This is a good place to be," Smith said. "When the full recovery begins, it will probably begin here."

Smith said that the presence of large local companies and continued strength in the energy industry and others will continue to help stabilize the Boulder economy.

Commercial occupancy should increase slightly throughout Boulder Valley in 2010, while the area should remain relatively insulated from the national wave of foreclosures, Smith said. Office vacancies fell to low of 12 percent in 2009, not as high as some predicted.

Smith noted that in addition to governmental agencies -- which were the largest purchasers of commercial property this year -- the Boulder commercial real estate sector has been boosted by an unlikely industry: medical marijuana dispensaries.

"We can only hope marijuana never gets regulated, so it can lead us out of this recession," he joked.

D.B. Wilson, managing broker of ReMax, said the residential housing market through the beginning of 2010 will continue to favor buyers, with affordability at an all-time high.

But prices, interest rates and mortgages are still likely to fluctuate through next year, and true market stability won't come until consumer confidence is restored, several speakers said.

Sharp declines in wealth and increases in unemployment have dropped consumer confidence to near-historic lows, said Patti Silverstein, the chief economist of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.

Confidence should improve as the economy does in 2010, but the improvement will be slow, Silverstein said.

"The recession from a technical standpoint probably ended in the third quarter of the last fiscal year," she said. "We will keep moving out of the recession but at an anemic pace."

Denver-Aurora makes top 10 for safety

2009-11-19T15:38:00.005-07:00

Forbes.com recently named Denver-Aurora 10th on its list of America’s 10 Safest Cities.

The magazine compared the country’s 40 biggest metropolitan statistical areas across four categories of danger – violent crime rates according to the 2008 FBI uniform crime report; workplace death rates in 2008 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; traffic death rates in 2008 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and natural disaster risk, using rankings from green-living site SustainLane.com.
Denver-Aurora, population 2.5 million, tied with Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio, for 10th place with a total score of 59.

Here’s a look of the top 10 and how they scored in the different safety-factor categories:

Tax-credit extension: now is time to buy

2009-11-19T13:09:00.006-07:00

Existing homebuyers now have a rare opportunity to sell their current homes and get a break on an upgrade under the latest extension of the homebuyer tax credit.

Not only has Congress extended through May 1 its $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers (who haven’t owned a home in at least three years), it has included a $6,500 tax credit for those who have lived in their homes for five years or more and looking to move up.

Buyers are subject to income limits. And to qualify, they have to sign purchase agreements before April 30 and close before July 1.

If people are interested they should consider buying now, because the rumor among real estate professionals is that interest rates will go up around March 2010, when the federal government stops directly buying mortgages.

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

The hope is that by expanding the tax credit time limit as well as to whom it’s offered will help stabilize housing markets during what is normally a slow season of the year for home sales.

Today, many would-be buyers are still worried that home values could drop further, Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, told the Associated Press.

"Once the consumer fear factor disappears, then housing can move into a sustainable recovery," Yun says. "I think we will be there by the middle of next year."

Yun says the tax credit has helped to increase demand and reduce inventory, enabling sellers to get higher prices than they would have otherwise.

About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers had qualified for the credit through August, according to the Associated Press. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of those buyers would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Boulder real estate market remains cloudy with a few bright spots

2009-10-23T17:09:00.007-06:00

At first glance, the home sales statistics for the communities of Boulder County look bleak. After all, overall sales are consistently down 12 percent to 14 percent in most markets and the average sales price is down in every market.

But comparing those stats with past years reveals some bright spots. For example, three Boulder communities saw an increase in median sales prices: in fact, Broomfield’s median price increased 5 percent. “Certain markets are performing pretty well, especially in the right price points," says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. "If the price is below $400,000, sales are pretty brisk, and values are holding up pretty strong.”

Even though the average sales price dropped in every Boulder community, most of them did so by less than 5 percent and those that dropped more did so by less than 10 percent, Hotard points out.

And that 12 percent to 14 percent drop in sales is still a lower adjustment than in the previous two years, he says. “ The decline in sales volume has slowed and is likely to level off in the second half of 2010, potentially beginning modest growth in early 2011,” Hotard says. “While that may be a bit optimistic, it is definitely within reach.”

Nationally statistics show a 9.4 percent increase in home resales in September 2009 compared with August 2009. “Much of that activity is related to, at least we believe, folks moving quickly to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit before it expires at the end of November,” he says. “Nonetheless, sales are sluggish. In much of our market areas, a lot of that is related to tight credit, particularly in the jumbo loan category.”

BusinessWeek recently named Boulder the strongest housing market and the Federal Housing Finance Authority said it has the 11th highest appreciation in the nation, but Hotard says that such news may give people the wrong idea about the area’s real estate market.

“It scares me to hear that,” he says. “I know we have some pain and suffering yet to feel here and to have those kinds of rankings gives me pause. We are still in an unprecedented economic situation with an unclear end and an uncertain understanding of what the future looks like. People may get a misimpression and have unreasonable expectations that make it difficult to succeed in their transaction.”

Doctor sees Boulder as perfect place to live and restore eyesight

2009-10-22T19:45:00.006-06:00

Five weeks after having knee replacement surgery, Dr. Dennis Dupuis is back at work, making sure all of his patients have a clear view of the world.

The optometrist and owner of Eyecare Center of Boulder is also anxious to resume most of the outdoor activities that, along with a busy practice, have endeared him to this city.

“It’s actually doing pretty well,” he says of his recovery. “I can’t play soccer
anymore, but I’m sure I can hike and I can ride my bike.”

Dupuis, who has practiced since 1981, moved from upstate New York to Boulder in 1984. His practice has remained in the same location, 1836 30th St., for 18 years. He attained his biology degree from the University of New Hampshire and then his doctorate from the Southern College of Optometry.

Inspired by another optometrist who appeared to enjoy his job, Dupuis has found he also takes great satisfaction in how he helps his patients. “I think just getting the instant gratification that people see better right away,” he notes. “Oftentimes I get patients who have never had eye correction. They leave and they are just amazed at what they were missing in their life.”

He says with as busy of a practice as he has, he’s playing catch-up after taking four weeks off to recover from surgery. But his patients are just that – patient. “They’re willing to wait,” he says. “We’d better be busy or we’d be out of business.”

Dupuis and his wife of five years, Debbie, have four sons between them. Their oldest son, Eric, followed in his dad’s footsteps and practices in Florida.

“It’s great,” Dupuis says. “I’m looking forward to when he decides to come back to Colorado … and take over the practice. Right now he’s enjoying the warm weather.”

But Dupuis says he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. “I wouldn’t want to live anyplace else, really.”

To learn more about Dr. Dupuis and the Eyecare Center of Boulder, call (303) 449-2401 or visit www.eyecarecenterofboulder.com.

From physics to counseling, energy plays big role in dealing with change

2009-10-22T16:54:00.002-06:00

Making the leap from physical energy to the metaphysical kind is not too far of one, according to Alan McAllister.

The owner of Whole Being Explorations has a doctorate in physics and spent much of his career doing physics research before becoming a counseling clinical hypnotherapist, in which he uses intuition as well as intellect. “I’ve always had a right brain life and a left brain life,” he says. “I figure you’ve got two hemispheres, you might as well use them.”

But the link between physics and the “transpersonal” counseling he offers is more concrete, as well. “It’s all about energy,” McAllister says. “Emotions, thoughts, or physical levels, these are all different types of energy, different perspectives and different ways of working. Many aspects of the things I learned about energy by doing physics apply to the work I’m doing now.”

Alan describes “transpersonal” counseling as that done with an understanding of the existence of spirit in one form or another – that humans are not just animals running around. “I’m helping people connect with that aspect of themselves,” he says. “We have so many tools we’re not accessing that can be beneficial in many different areas.”

The issue Alan helps most people deal with is change, he says. “They’ve either got not enough of it or too much of it. I help them to acquire skills or tools to adjust to shifts in their lives. It’s always unique depending on who I’m working with.”

Alan grew up in Philadelphia and worked in California, Japan and Texas, where he attained his doctorate at the University of Texas, before coming to Boulder to do physics research in 1993. He has been doing spiritual counseling for 12 years and opened his own practice four years ago after becoming trained in hypnotherapy.

While he enjoys traveling and even living in different places, the father of two says remaining in Boulder for longer than he has anywhere else has provided his school-aged children with stability and his family easy access to nature.

“It’s a good place,” Alan says. “For someone who’s interested in learning things at all levels, you could spend a lifetime in Boulder covering all the things that are offered here. It’s also still a place where I can run into people I know around town. I like the scale of it; it’s by far the smallest place I’ve ever lived.”