RE/MAX of Boulder's Ezine Articles 
In this section we have all of our stories that are written for our montly Real Estate Ezine. This Ezine features articles on Real Estate, helpful tips for your house, and a local business spotlight.
There are currently 31 blog entries related to this category.
SELLING SEASON TRENDS: Competition, More Renters, Pricier Mortgages
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 7:59pm. 59 Views, 0 Comments.
What can home buyers expect to face this selling season? An improving housing market has made it a different picture in many areas compared to recent years, housing experts say. A recent article at Bankrate.com notes some of the following trends taking shape in the housing market this spring:
Summer – and therefore the selling/buying season – is upon us and with the housing market already showing signs of improvements, we just might see something this season that we haven’t in a while: activity.
According to Bankrate.com, here are the trends to look out for as the warm weather grows warmer:
- Fierce competition. With falling home values and mortgage rates at record lows, housing affordability is at record highs, and more buyers jumping off the fence of…
BOULDER AREA REAL ESTATE MARKET COMING TO LIFE
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 7:52pm. 108 Views, 0 Comments.
If March’s sales are any indication, the Boulder-area real estate market is showing signs of life once again.
Boulder-area single-family home sales for the month hit 270, a 27 percent increase compared with the 212 units that sold in March 2011. And 88 townhomes and condominiums sold in March compared with 75 sales a year ago, an increase of 17 percent.
“I believe this is the best month we’ve had in a couple of years,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association. “I think you’re seeing signs that credit is easing a bit.”
For the first three months of 2012, 622 single-family homes sold compared with the 515 homes that sold in the first quarter of 2011, a 21 percent increase. The Boulder-area…
ZILLOW: Home Values Post Biggest Monthly Gain in Six Years
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 5:44pm. 69 Views, 0 Comments.
National home values posted their biggest monthly gain in six years from February to March, according to Zillow’s first quarter Real Estate Market Reports, which came out April 24.
And Zillow reports that nineteen of the 30 biggest metro housing markets in the nation have either hit bottom or will be the end of 2012, Zillow forecasts.
The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) rose 0.5 percent from February to March, marking the largest monthly increase since May 2006 – before home values peaked.
Zillow reports that it expects some markets to experience substantial home value gains over the next 12 months.
“For people who have been waiting to time their home purchases close to the market bottom, it’s time to start shopping,” advises Stan Humphries, Zillow's…
A little effort can pay off big in getting your home sold
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 5:43pm. 44 Views, 0 Comments.
Just what does it take to sell a home in a market in which foreclosures, short sales and excess inventory have become the norm?
Bradley K. Tuttle’s Real Estate Update offers these tips for getting your house moving:
- First and foremost is to enlist the most qualified expert to help. Finding the best agent to guide you through the real estate transaction can be the difference between a real estate dream and a nightmare.
- Make your home stand out among the sea of homes for sale. Highlight and advertise what makes your home different than its competition, including the upgrades, the location, the amenities, the curb appeal, the well-maintained landscape, the outdoor living space and the “aging-in-place” remodeling you've done.
- Take a pad of paper or…
Boulder-area renters carry the highest rent burden in the state
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 at 5:39pm. 84 Views, 0 Comments.
While Boulder prides itself for appearing at the top of many “best of” lists, its residents may not be too happy – or surprised – about its appearance on the state’s list of metro areas with the most rent-burdened households.
According to the Colorado Division of Housing, the state has more than 1.9 million households, more than 600,000 of which are renter households. While more than 65 percent of Colorado households are owner occupied, rental housing is still an important source of shelter for people all income levels, though renting is often essential for low- and middle-income households.
Rent-burdened households are those that pay 30 percent or more of income toward housing. According to a recent report from the state the metropolitan areas with…
FOCUS ON ACTIVE LIFESTYLE can improve economy as well as health of residents
Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 9:59pm. 61 Views, 0 Comments.
The Boulder Valley is well known for many things, whether it’s our environmental-friendly people and companies, our highly intelligent and educated work force, the University of Colorado, our scenic countryside or our fairly wealthy population. But none of these individual characteristics alone can define our community to the world. What is the Boulder Brand? Or, better yet, what should it be? Even the city of Boulder is seeking ideas from the public on the Boulder brand in hopes of passing a bond measure in 2012 for a capital project that’s in line with whatever brand idea is chosen. In an effort to make our community more aware of the Boulder Brand ideas being discussed for the city and the Boulder Valley as a whole, RE/MAX of Boulder will feature…
FEBRUARY HOUSING STATS indicate spring has sprung
Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 8:38pm. 121 Views, 0 Comments.
Spring has come to Colorado early this year, and it appears the housing market will follow the upswing in temperatures.
In February, Boulder area single-family home sales hit 172, a nearly 9 percent increase compared with February 2011’s 158 sales and about a 3 percent increase compared January’s sales of 167 homes.
In the attached-unit market, 62 homes sold in February compared with 54 sales a year ago (a 22 percent increase) and 52 sales last month (a 19 percent increase).
Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association, says the sales of single-family homes in February represents the seventh out of the last eight months in which Boulder area markets saw an increase of 8 percent to 12 percent in sales…
Select improvements can still increase the value of a home
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 at 8:35pm. 77 Views, 0 Comments.
In a housing market whose future remains a mystery, it’s tough to invest in home improvements without knowing whether the effort and money will pay off if and when the house goes on the market.
Remodeling Magazine recently evaluated the top remodeling projects, how the cost-to-value has changed in recent years and which projects are still worth the investment. Using the magazine's Cost Vs. Value Report for 2008-2009 for comparison, Yahoo! Finance outlined the best projects for which homeowners will recoup the majority of the cost
Upscale Projects
- Siding replacement (fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl) – Impress potential and economic-savvy home buyers with improvements that result in lower repair and utility bills, such as replacing current siding with…
EXISTING, PENDING HOME SALES making slow, stable progress nationwide
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 at 7:12pm. 58 Views, 0 Comments.
While February’s existing-home sales didn’t quite measure up to expectations, they still bested February 2011’s sales and the median sales price gained a little ground, as well.
According to the National Association of Realtors, sales were up in the Midwest and South though down in the Northeast and West.
Total completed transactions that include existing single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, slipped 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.59 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.63 million in January, but are 8.8 percent higher than the 4.22 million-unit level in February 2011, NAR reports.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says underlying factors have improved compared with a year ago.
“The market is…
STATE HOME-PRICE RANK FALLS but metro appreciation rates improve overall
Monday, April 2nd, 2012 at 11:07pm. 109 Views, 0 Comments.
Despite the fact that all but one of its seven metro areas ranked in the top 50 percent of 391 cities nationwide in terms of home-price appreciation in the fourth quarter of 2011, Colorado’s rank among states fell from sixth in the third quarter to 32 in the last, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Appreciation Rates index.
In fact, several Colorado cities saw an actual increase in home prices in the fourth quarter of last year compared with the previous quarter and one metro – Fort Collins/Loveland – saw a year-over-year increase from the fourth quarter of 2010, as well. And if they didn’t see an increase in home prices, most metros saw less of a decrease compared with the previous quarter as well as the previous year.
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