February 2010

Boulder Real Estate

Phil Boren

Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 11:28pm. 896 Views, 3 Comments.

Boulder real estate - is it a good time to buy or should you wait?  According to IRES, there are 638 single-family homes on the market today in the City of Boulder, 94 (about 15%) of which are under contract.  That leaves 544 Boulder homes for sale, and buyers are asking whether it's a good time to buy a Boulder home?

There are so many distractions in the current real estate market that it can be hard to see the forest for the trees.  It's easy and maybe even popular to pick the negativity "flavor of the day" and extrapolate that into a news story that the real-estate sky is falling.  It's sensational and somehow news-worthy that " . . . home prices fell last month by x%, the biggest drop since . . . the month before."  It's much more challenging to look…

Read Full Post »

New Regulations Affecting Older Homes

Phil Boren

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 4:17pm. 479 Views, 0 Comments.

If you're planning to Renovate, Repair or Paint a home that was built before 1978, you may want to hurry and get it done.  The EPA enacted a new Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule that requires any contractor disturbing any lead-based paint to be "certified" as of April 2010, and many homes built prior to 1978 are potentially affected.  There are some exemptions, like a home that is cleared of having lead-based paint or if the project involves a small "patch" of only a few square feet.  However, many RRP projects will soon have to be completed by an EPA certified contractor . . . and that means more money.

For many years we have had federal laws that pertain to lead-based paint disclosures in transactions involving homes built prior to 1978. …

Read Full Post »

Boulder named the "happiest and healthiest" city!

Phil Boren

Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 6:07pm. 1394 Views, 0 Comments.

A new Gallup poll of more than 353,000 Americans has resulted in the city of Boulder, CO being named as the "happiest and healthiest" city in America!  This may sound familiar as Boulder has been popping up on numerous "Best of" lists recently, such as one of the best places to retire, the #1, strongest real estate market in the country, #8 in the top 10 places for jobs (Boulder County), #3 in the top 10 cities in America poised for recovery, and more.

This huge Gallup poll ranked Boulder in the top 10 "happiest and healthiest" cities as follows:

• #1 overall
• #4 in healthy behaviors
• #7 in physical health
• #10 in access to basic things needed for healthy life

With all these things going for us here along the Front Range of Colorado, it's no wonder…

Read Full Post »

Search Boulder MLS Listings By Map

Phil Boren

Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 6:09pm. 449 Views, 0 Comments.

To search Boulder MLS listings by map, all you have to do is use our integrated "Search By Map" function.  What are the advantages of searching the MLS by map vs. other sites where you just get a list of properties?  Ever heard that location is important when it comes to real estate?  People are visual and particularly with real estate, it helps to visualize where the property is - even before you read the description or look at the photos.  Our system places all the current Boulder MLS listings that you're interested in on an interactive map, allowing you to see each listing in relation to roads, freeways, airports, parks, etc.  Change your mind about price range?  Simply change the criteria at the top of the page and the system instantly returns a…

Read Full Post »

Home Buyers Have 77 Days Left For Tax Credit

Phil Boren

Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 5:15pm. 354 Views, 0 Comments.

Home buyers have 77 days left to claim the federal tax credit of up to $8,000.  The new provisions extend the deadline to April 30th and also provide a new credit of up to $6,500 for buyers who do not qualify as "first-time" home buyers.  You can get more details on our website, but here are a few facts:

• To qualify, the home must be contracted for by April 30, 2010 and the deal must close by June 30, 2010.
• First-time buyers, or buyers who have not owned a home for at least 3 years prior to closing, are eligible for a federal tax credit of 10% of the purchase price, up to $8,000.
• "Other" buyers are also eligible for a tax credit up to $6,500, provided they have owned their current home for 5 out of the previous 8 years.  There is no requirement that…

Read Full Post »

Longmont Real Estate Update

Phil Boren

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 5:44pm. 430 Views, 0 Comments.

One of my clients closed on her new home in Longmont yesterday and I thought it would be interesting to post some Longmont real estate statistics covering the past 12 months.  With all the negativity in the national media, it's easy to forget that real estate markets tend to be very local.  Longmont real estate is no different.

It's interesting to note that over the past 12 months, IRES data reflects a Longmont residential re-sale market that is actually improving.  The median price of a sold listing rose about 7%, the number of properties under contract is up, and the MSI (months supply of inventory) is down about 32%.  These are all signs of an overall market that may be different from what some perceive.

If you have any questions about your home or…

Read Full Post »