December 2009

CNN and Money Magazine just released their list of "Top 10 Best Places For Jobs" in the country, and Boulder County was cited as No. 8!  The full article is here, but it's a real achievement for our area to be recognized in this category.  With a reported unemployment rate of 5.3% in the article, Boulder County offers many things that other markets can't.  Since our national and local economic recovery will clearly be driven by jobs, this is a good sign for things to come in 2010.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  Have a Happy New Year!

First-time homebuyers, as defined by the IRS, are making up a significant percentage of the market right now.  As a result, a lot of buyers have questions about the new rules and regs that apply to the revised and extended, 1st-time homebuyer federal tax credit.  Here's a link to a good article on the subject from the L.A. Times.

The new deadline for qualifying for the credit is April 30, 2010 and you must be under contract on your principal residence by that date.  Interested in more information?  Click here to start looking for your new home in Boulder Valley.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Wells Fargo is offering an online refinance opportunity that you should check out.  Click Here to go to a secure Wells Fargo web page where you can check out the details and your eligibility.  If you can't make that work and still want to explore your options, visit with one of our preferred lenders here.

One of the leading indicators we watch is the national Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI).  Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 3.7 percent to 114.1 from 110.0 in September, and is 31.8 percent above October 2008 when it was 86.6. The rise from a year ago is the biggest annual increase ever recorded for the index, which is at the highest level since March 2006 when it was 115.2.

On a local level in Boulder and Broomfield Counties, the median price of a sold listing has remained relatively flat over the past 12

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