Boulder County Updates: Flood Clean Up and Asbestos removal

1.      The Environmental Protection Agency has waived the need to have asbestos testing done before debris is removed from damaged property.  This is hugely important and will allow the cleanup to go much faster and at much less cost.   I will send out an extensive FEMA Q & A sheet a bit later – it is of great help as well.

2.       BARHA member Appraiser Bill Kamin has passed along this info:  I have had numerous calls from people wanting to order an appraisal of their property in order to establish damages for tax purposes. In most cases, this is not necessary. In most cases, the actual cost of cleanup and repairs is the measure of loss.

3.       Longmont has opened a separate website for flood related info at www.LongmontOEM.com

4.       Please DO NOT put mud or silt into the Western Dumpsters – only debris.amage around Boulder County uneven. Some areas had no significant problems, others were pretty much devastated. Surely one of the worst aspects of the flood is the mix of sewage and storm water.
Important information just came out re asbestos mediation.

Louisville Home Prices Show Strong Increase

Figures recently released show all area in Boulder County have increased in price from the end of May, 2012 to the end of May 2013. The city of Louisville shows the greatest price increase with the medium sales price up 27.3% while inventory is down 10% and days to closing are down 33%. If you're looking for a great time to sell, this could be it!

3 Reasons to Buy that House Now!

I don't usually post blogs from others but this one has such important information I want to share it with everyone. 

3 Reasons to Buy that House NOW!

http://www.kcmblog.com/2013/07/30/3-reasons-to-buy-that-house-now/

3 Steps to Sell Your House in a Week

it              1) Price it right. Factors to consider include location, condition, updating, schools, proximity to amenities and knowing the market. Price it over the market and it is likely to languish, price it right and you will have several offers and very likely sell it at above the list price.

                2)  Prepare your house for sale. This includes taking care of deferred maintenance issues, cleaning, painting, organizing and staging. To be really proactive, have your home pre inspected. It’s always cheaper to take care of a problem before it is identified as an inspection issue.

                 3) Choose your buyer carefully. Your goal isn’t to get offers, it’s to sell your house. Make sure you have a buyer who is not only pre-qualified but commited to buying your house and will hang in there through a long, sometimes difficult process.

And you will be rewarded by having an excited buyer, who will show up at closing with the funds and be ready to love your house as you have!

To discuss selling your home, please feel free to give me a call today.

Buyers and Bidding Wars

Wall Street Journal article, stunned home buyers find bidding wars are back, is definitely what we're seeing in Boulder, Colorado and throughout Boulder County. 

Louisville, CO: New Market Reality

We are now in a new market reality, according to the widely followed and respected KCM blog. On a local level, nothing brought this home more clearly than my latest listing in Louisville, Colorado. The inventory in Louisville is very limited, as it is throughout much of Boulder County. The home I listed is a well maintained and upated, 3 bed, 3 bath 2 story in a nice neighorhood. It went under contract the day showings started with multiple offers, for over list price. There are as many challenges in this kind of market as in a buyers market, they are just different from what we have become used to. Check out my next blog for what to watch out for, whether you are a buyer or seller. And check here for homes for sale in Louisville, CO.

9 Reasons for Moving

9 Reasons for Moving: Looking toward 2013 and thinking about moving? These are the reasons people most often give. Did I miss anything?

·         More space

·         Less space

·         Smart investment

·         Put down roots

·         Simplify my life

·         Closer to family

·         Further from family

·         Reduce my mortgage expense

·         Relocate for work

Single Family Home Sales in Boulder, CO

The latest figures for single family home sales in Boulder, CO continue to show an improving housing market. Comparing single family homes sold from the end of  October 2011 through the end of October 2012 shows and increase of 27.8%. The number of homes sold is also up for every area in Boulder County, with Superior, Colorado just 10 minutes South of the city of Boulder showing one of the largest gains, up 37% for the same time period, year over year through the end of October 2012. I'll publish the chart for single family home sales in all areas in Boulder County tomorrow so check it out to see how your area's doing.

    

Boulder County Real Estate 2012

In my last post we looked at the rate of annual sales for Boulder County going back to 2005.
2012 reveals the following:
     Boulder Residential Sales (from the previous year's quarter):

•  first Quarter  +13% 
• 2nd Quarter   +5% 

A strengthening housing market is on the way!

A look at Boulder County Home Prices

Residential Homes Sales in Boulder, Colorado. These statistics include the city of Boulder and the communities that are part of Boulder County, including Longmont, Gunbarrel, Niwot, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and parts of Erie. It reads like a history of the last 8 years. 2005 was a good year but nothing extraordinary. We had come to expect appreciation 7%+ appreciation. Fortunately in Boulder we had no huge spike before the fall. You can see that things started to slow in 2006 and by 2007, the economy was in retreat in a big way, culminating in 2008 and the greatest recession since the Great Depression. By 2010, Boulder was reversing the trend and slowing coming back.

Year     Median Price Appreciation

2005    +11%

2006    +5%

2007    +4%

2008    -2%

2009    -3%

2010    +2%

2011    +2%

Anatomy of Housing Market Comeback: Boulder County, Colorado. Key metrics thru the end of the first quarter of 2012 show all the signs of a strengthening market: median sales price is up as is the number of closed sales, the days on market is down slightly and the number of homes for sale is down by almost 21%.
In fact, scarcity of inventory (homes for sale) in many areas is now the problem.
Note: this is for all of Boulder County, not just the city of Boulder. There is considerable fluctuation in these numbers depending on where you are in Boulder County. If you would like to know the stats for you specific zip code, email it to me and I'll send you a more detailed snapshot of your market.

Boulder County

Key Metrics                  Q1-2012               1-Yr Chg

Median sales price          $369,250                  +5.5%

Pct of List Price vs Sold      96.9%                   +0.2%

Homes for Sale                 1,206                     -20.8%

Closed Sales                       522                     +16.5%

Days on Market                  124                       -1.8%

New Homes Coming Soon to Louisville, CO

New Homes are coming soon to Louisville, Colorado. In a city that has pretty much run out of land, these new homes are guaranteed to be snapped up quickly. I stopped by the office yesterday and got all the details. There are 2 builders, Ryland, building a traditional home and neighborhood and Boulder Creek Builders specializing in low maintenance, ranch style homes. These guys have figured out what folks are looking for who want to simplify their lifestyle. These homes are perfect for a couple looking for lock-and-leave convenience. They homes are maintained by the HOA right up to the foundation so traveling or spending time in another location is no longer a problem. Or maybe you’d rather spend your weekends doing something other than yard and house work! Stay tuned for more details as the first models will be done in a month and there are already lots under contract. If you’d like to know more, shoot me an email, jbaulsir@wkre.com.

Green Light for Boulder Real Estate

Just about everybody I talk to lately has a house to sell or would like to buy but they’re waiting for a green light, you know the one, that means real estate prices are going up from here, we’ve hit bottom and they can be guaranteed appreciation. Just like the good ol’ days! These are the things I know for sure:
• Real estate is always a good long term investment (think 10-15 year time frame).
• Boulder County real estate is about as stable an investment as you’ll find anywhere.
• Owning a home is about much more than a financial investment. It’s about the safety and security of having your own home, a place to create memories and raise a family.
• Home affordability rose to its highest level in a decade during the last quarter of 2010. All of which makes this a great time to move forward with your dreams!