RE/MAX of Boulder News

If you live in Boulder County, you know that all the ingredients needed to make a great place to raise a family are right here. So it’s no surprise that seven of Colorado’s top 25 places to raise a family in 2018 are in Boulder County, according to analysis by Niche.com.

Niche.com ranked the family friendliness of locations by assessing the quality of public schools, cost of living, crime rate, access to amenities, diversity, housing trends, employment statistics and percentage of households with children, among other characteristics. Data sources include U.S. Census Bureau data, the American Community Survey, FBI crime reports, and local surveys.

Most top 25 Colorado locations are in the Boulder area or the Denver metro area. Here are the

If you are buying any property, whether it is land, house, condo, or townhome, there might be a Homeowners Association (HOA) involved. Knowing as much as you can about the HOA will help you make a quality decision in the homebuying process. 

- An HOA will provide a number of services and benefits to the homeowners they serve, but at the same time homeowners must pay fees to belong. The fees are not included in your mortgage payment so it’s important to understand these additional costs ahead of time.

- What is an HOA? Anytime there are common ownership elements involved in a multi-family unit or neighborhood, an association is formed to administer the care and management of these elements. The cost of this administration is almost always divided

As we look ahead to coming trends in 2019 real estate, home buyers and sellers nationwide will face changes in the marketplace, according to the economic research team at realtor.com. From housing inventory to generational shifts, here are four top trends to look for in 2019.

1. Inventory will grow, especially for luxury homes

Inventory has been tight nationwide, hitting its lowest level in recorded history in the winter of 2017, says realtor.com. Supply finally began catching up with demand in 2018. That inventory growth will continue in 2019, but at rate of less than 7 percent. While sellers will have more competition, it will still be a good market.

“More inventory for sellers means it’s not going to be as easy as it has been in past

One of the goals of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR) is to be the voice of Colorado real estate. In this capacity, CAR is an invaluable, direct source of information. For example, CAR provides the most accurate real estate market statistics based on 100% of all Multiple Listing Services (MLS) participating across the state. The data taken from the MLS is then scrubbed to eliminate duplicates where the same property might be included in more than one MLS system. The collection of data is enormous and comprehensive, and only a few listings that are for sale by owners and some new construction are not included in the database.

Each month the data is tabulated and available on the Colorado Association of REALTORS® website at

A tale of two markets emerged in November, as Boulder County’s single-family home sales skidded to a stop, while townhomes and condos took a significant leap forward.

Single-family home sales in the Boulder-area markets dropped 14.4 percent in November compared to October —310 vs. 362 homes—while condominium and townhome sales rose 14.5 percent—126 units vs. 110. 

Yet when data for 2018’s first 11 months is considered, the two markets tracked closely together, and both appear to be slowing, according to Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor® Association.

“This is the first month single-family home sales fell below last year, and condos and townhomes are only slightly ahead,” Hotard explains.

One of the joys of living in Boulder is seeing our local wildlife in their natural environment. We catch glimpses of bears, mountain lions, coyotes, deer, elk and even moose. Yet as animals lose their fear of humans and venture into the city, there is danger for both humans and animals. Just a few simple rules make it easier to coexist.

The holiday season creates a unique issue with our beloved wildlife. If you have ever seen an elk or deer trying to get a string of holiday lights off its antlers, you realize how important it is to think about your decorations. If you live on the west side of Boulder or in the mountains, be sure to have your lights high and out of the way of known wildlife paths.

This time of year, it is even more important to

More than 650 Boulder County families with children who might have been overlooked can feel cheer this holiday season, thanks to the power of giving Share-A-Gift makes possible.  

Now in its 47th holiday season, each year Share-A-Gift helps connect community donations with hundreds of families, representing approximately 1,500 girls and boys from birth to age 14 years. The donations are collected with the help of businesses, citizens, and volunteers who give toys, money, and time to bring holiday magic to every family who lives in the Boulder County School District. Gifts include new and gently used bikes, toys, books, and clothing. 

RE/MAX of Boulder is one of the businesses, which has proudly supported Share-A-Gift for more than 20 years. The

Wildfire is fresh in our mind after seeing all the destruction in California. It seems impossible that an entire town, such as Paradise, California, could burn to the ground. That level of sweeping destruction seems as if it only happened in previous eras, such as the time of the Great Chicago Fire. The fires in recent months give us all a wake-up call, especially for those who live in the mountains and foothills where wildfire is an ongoing hazard. Boulder County has had its share of wildfire in recent years – and these recent fires are telling us to be prepared!

Wildfire tends to be a summer peril. Nevertheless, our winters have been no stranger to wildfire. When there’s no snow on the ground and there are dry conditions, the wildfire danger can

Boulder leads the nation for the most positive economic outlook, followed by two other Colorado cities in the top 10 -- No. 3 Fort Collins and No. 9 Denver. According to the recent survey by Indeed.com, a positive economic outlook is driven largely by where you live more than by a national or political view of a national economy.

Colorado is the only state with three cities in Indeed's top 10. Smaller mountain-state metro area residents performed well when surveyed about the economy and their personal outlook. Tech hubs also fared well, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, and Raleigh.   

The following 10 U.S. cities have the highest economic confidence, according to Indeed.com:

1.      Boulder, CO
2.      Provo-Orem, UT
3.      Fort