RE/MAX of Boulder News

If you have three different professionals measure a home, you will likely be presented with three slightly different results. Why is that? Different standards, rounding differences, and local customs are just a few of the reasons.

Single family homes are usually measured using outside measurements, meaning the width of the wall is included in the total square footage number. Most appraisers use a tape measure divided up into 1/10th of a foot and use the measured distance. Some appraisers will round to the nearest ½ foot.

Generally, condos are measured inside wall to inside wall without counting the width of the wall.

For townhomes, exterior measurements are used, but with an estimate for ½ the width of the common wall counted in square

In order to earn a real estate license in Colorado, an applicant must complete a total of 168 hours of coursework covering real estate law and practice, Colorado contracts, trust accounts, legal issues, closings, and practical applications. Colorado has much more stringent educational requirements than other states. Therefore, after agents are licensed and can practice real estate, it is common for many of them to stop right there when it comes to their training and professional development. 

If a real estate agent does want to strengthen her qualifications, the next step is to become a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the industry’s leading trade organization, which been around for over 100 years.

Boulder County home sales declined for December, but overall 2018 sales held somewhat steady with a slight decrease.

“December was not a fabulous month for home sales, particularly for attached dwellings,” says Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor® Association.

Sales of condominiums and townhomes in the Boulder-area dropped 42.9 percent in December compared to November – 72 units sold vs. 126. For the year, attached dwelling sales improved .02 percent with 1,525 units sold vs. 1,522.

Single-family home sales dropped 2.6 percent with 302 sales vs. 310 for December compared to November. Year-over-year, single-family home sales dropped 2.3 percent – 4,533 sales vs. 4,640.

Hotard points out the total

Boulder’s economic horizon will keep its rosy glow, though economists anticipate the pace will slow in the face of growing local and national challenges.

Nationally recognized experts presented a mixed economic message to a record-setting crowd of civic, political and business leaders gathered for the 12th annual Boulder Economic Forecast. Organized by the Boulder Chamber and Boulder Economic Council, the event was held January 17 at the Embassy Suites Hotel. RE/MAX of Boulder is among the event’s sponsors.

The goal is to arm community leaders with up-to-date statistics and trends that inform decisions and support local economic vitality, according to John Tayer, CEO and President of the Boulder Chamber.  

And community leaders will want to

By Jeannie Bellomy, Realtor, RE/MAX of Boulder

Our home is our sanctuary from the world, feeding our feeling of comfort and enriching our aesthetic sense. But is it good for our health?

With nearly 70 percent of our time spent at home, it’s worth paying attention to how toxic your house is, explains Editor Laurie Mazur of Island Press Urban Resilience Project. Chemicals lurk in our carpet, paint, fabrics and walls. The unhealthy fact is that hazardous chemicals are abundant in building materials.

“That new carpet smell wafting up from your wall-to-wall may contain more than 40 known chemical hazards, including compounds that have been shown to cause respiratory disease, heart attacks, cancer, and asthma; others are neurotoxins and endocrine

There is no question that population in Colorado is increasing. You can experience crowding on the roads when you’re commuting, and in even daily life when you visit the grocery store or go to restaurants. In fact, the Colorado Department of Public Affairs estimates that the population in Colorado will grow to over 8 million by 2050. This is up from approximately 5 million in 2010. Currently, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in an article by the Denver Post, the Colorado population is approximately 5,695,564, nearly 700,000 higher than in 2010. This translates to 13.2 percent growth, the fourth highest in the nation during that time period.

As I took my 95-year-old mom to the airport the other day, we passed the Riverdale exit on I-470 where my

As prices of homes have increased steadily, it has been more difficult for first-time home buyers to enter the real estate market. Often first-time home buyers will turn to relatives to help with a down payment or co-signing on the loan. However, all parties involved need to go in with their eyes wide open before agreeing to this type of arrangement. To do this, first meet with a qualified mortgage loan officer to determine what a buyer might qualify on their own and then what they would qualify for with a co-signer. Next, it would be wise for both parties to meet will a financial planner to make sure they are on the right track with their decisions. The financial planner can help determine if the overall transaction is realistic. Often the primary