March 2012

Indian Peaks Golf Course Homes For Sale: Indian Peaks in Lafayette, CO is a large subdivision located generally at the interesction of 95th and Baseline Roads, just east of Boulder.  The dominant land feature in this area is the Indian Peaks Golf Course, which was originally designed by CU alum and PGA tour winner, Hale Irwin.  The golf course meanders across 95th and features 18 challenging holes and some of the best mountain views in Boulder County.  The Indian Peaks Golf Course homes are spectacular, and offer Lafayette home buyers a variety of home styles and prices.

View Indian Peaks Golf Course Homes For Sale in a larger map

Based on current IRES data going back to 3-1-2011, here's a summary of recent Indian Peaks single-family home sales

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What's your Walk Score®?  First of all, what is a Walk Score, anyway?  It's essentially a score or ranking of a specific location relative to its proximity to local businesses, shops, schools, parks, etc., accordng to WalkScore.com.  The higher the score, the more "walkable", or proximate the location is.  The next question is, how important is this ranking to home buyers and sellers?

Apparently it's pretty important.  In fact, the "commute time" and "places to walk" are 2 of the 3 most important features of a home and/or neighborhood (Source: National Association of Realtors).  Home buyers often place a premium on convenience these days, so accessibility and shorter commute times to work can be critical factors impacting the home-buying decision.

We

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Boulder property listings: Whare are we in the cycle?  At the beginning of the year, it is typical that the MLS listing inventory here in Boulder County is at a low level.  I recently posted a statistical summary chart on Posterous.com, where you can see that trend going back to 2005.  What you also see on that chart is that the inventory level we started out with this year is also low . . . really low by historical standards.

I also recently posted an article and a video of a recent interview with Greg Rand on FoxNews, detailing some compelling reasons why single-family homes in our region are worth buying now on an investment basis.  You also have to consider the potential advantages of locking in a long-term mortgage interest rate that is also

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Lake Valley Longmont, Boulder County Homes For Sale: Lake Valley is a semi-rural subdivision just north of Boulder, that is built around the Lake Valley Golf Course and features custom and semi-custom homes, surrounded by Boulder County open space.  This neighborhood actually consists of two separate subdivisions, Lake Valley and North Rim, with the latter being the newer part of the development.  These two subs share an HOA, as well as proximity to the golf course and common amenities like walking trails, playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, and a beautiful private lake with its own beach!

View Lake Valley Longmont in a larger map

Located along the south side of Niwot Rd., east of U.S. 36 coming north out of Boulder at the Neva Rd. exit and just

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Somerset Niwot is a neighborhood of custom, estate-sized homes on large lots, surrounded by vast amounts of open space and hiking trails.  Located along the north side of Highway 52, west of 95th St. and just west of Legend Ridge in Niwot, Somerset features open space, hiking trails, a community pool, and stunning mountain views.  Other benefits include easy access to Highway 52, proximity to Niwot High School, Niwot Elementary School, Old Town Niwot, and and easy commute to IBM, Boulder, and Longmont.

View Somerset Niwot in a larger map

Based on current IRES data going back to 1-1-2011, here's a summary of recent Somerset Niwot home sales activity:There are currently 7 active listings that range in price from $1.179M to $3.687M, with an average of…

FHA loan costs are going up . . . again.  According to a HUD press release on 2-27-12, both the up-front and monthly costs of obtaining an FHA loan will be going up effective with all FHA case numbers generated on or after 4-1-12.  According to HUD, these changes are necessary to "... strengthen the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund."  In other words, they appear to have lost some money recently and, like the post office, they need to raise the price of stamps (again)!

The nest questions are, how much is the increase and what does this translate to for FHA borrowers in the near future?

Change Number 1: Annual Mortgage Insurance (MIP), will be increasing by 0.10%.

Change Number 2: The up-front premium (UFMIP), will be

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