Archive | Joetta’s Newsletter | Homes Denver to Boulder

Joetta’s Real Estate Newsletter April 2012

Filed under Arvada Living, Arvada Real Estate News, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on April 19, 2012 at 2:27 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

April, 2012

To All My Friends & Neighbors –

Greetings!

Did you get out to Arvada’s Kite Festival or the Colorado Tartan Festival? Both very fun events that are held on the same day. I made it to both last year but only the kite festival this year. It has become a huge event. My family walked from our house because parking was so bad last year. This year they had shuttles, but I was glad we walked.

Arvada’s kite festival is such a success, I’m betting it won’t be much longer before other communities start copying it!

It’s turning into an interesting real estate year already. Lots of what we’ve come to think of as ‘the way it is’, isn’t any more! If you’ve thought of selling your home, even if you got a market analysis but it’s been a couple of years, you should definitely get yourself some updated information.

I can do a ‘quickie’ market analysis for you, which would provide a broad price range, and printouts of the comparable homes with pictures, so you can kind of figure where within that range your house would fall. Or, I can do a full-blown market analysis, which involves viewing your home, and I could also view the competing homes that are for sale.

If you list with me, I would also give you a thorough consultation on what you can do to increase the value and/or salability of your home, often at little or no cost. So, shoot me an email or give me a call if you’re even toying with the idea of selling this year.

If you’re thinking of buying a house but are feeling frustrated because you keep hearing how hard it is to get a loan, please make sure to speak with a lender of good reputation before you give up. Even if it’s not the right time for you to buy, a good lender can give you an idea how to position yourself to buy at the earliest time possible.

Looking for Some Good People

Like most real estate agents, I have an extensive list of folks who’ve done a good job for me, or for people I know. I’ve got most everything covered except for two specifics – house cleaners, and concrete contractors. Oh, and a roofer – the one I used to refer has fallen from grace.

If you have a contact for a good roofer, house cleaner or concrete contractor, would you mind sharing? Please email or call me. Thanks!

An Internet Site for Those Who Love Gardening

I recently discovered an internet site some of you might like called, A Garden for the House (www.agardenforthehouse.com), and requested their newsletters via email. They have a lot of interesting articles, this last email had a link to a 94-year old woman showing how she used dandelions for food back in the depression. Watch the video to know we have nothing to complain about these days, compared to those!

The newsletter also has articles on monthly gardening chores, and recipes.

BTW – if you asked for an invitation to Pinterest last month and didn’t get it, I sent them but some people never got their invitation. I’m not sure what went wrong. But I found out that you can go to the site, www.Pinterest.com, and click on the button that says, “Request an Invitation”.

Arvada’s Neighborhood Streets:

One of my readers told me a few months ago that our neighborhood, Pomona Lakes, is scheduled for street resurfacing this year. I was happy to hear that, because it looks like a ‘crazy quilt’ out there, which is not a good impression when trying to sell a house. The City patched and sealed our streets last year, it doesn’t look very nice but at least there aren’t any potholes (that I know of).

But before I announced this good news in my newsletter, I wanted to verify it. I spoke today with Christopher of the Streets Division at the City of Arvada.

Usually, the year after the City does the patching repairs, they want to put down a new surface coat the following year, which gives the streets a uniform color and nicer look. However, due to the fact that some of Arvada’s arterial streets were in such bad shape, the work on neighborhood streets has been put off for a year, maybe two.

I was disappointed to hear we weren’t going to get our pretty ‘top coat’, but it’s totally understandable that the City would take care of the streets that carry the most traffic first.

If you have a question that someone at the City offices can answer, and you don’t want to call them yourself, tell me and I’ll do it for you. They are always so nice down there, I don’t mind at all.

Some of my blog posts for the past month

If you get this newsletter by email, click on the title and the article will open up. Otherwise, I’d be glad to print and mail any you want to read.)

How Many Arvada Homes are Short Sales?

How Many Arvada Homes are Foreclosures?

Arvada Home Sales – March 2012 Report

See all my listings – in fact, every home listed via MLS IDX – at www.DreamHouseHunting.com

If you’d like daily updates of homes on the market, or monthly updates of sales in your neighborhood, let me know.

Have input for, or a response to, this newsletter? I’d love to hear from you!

Joetta Fort ~ The DiGiorgio Group ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@me.com

Joetta’s Real Estate Newsletter March 2012

Filed under Arvada Living, Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on March 21, 2012 at 8:48 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

March, 2012

To All My Friends & Neighbors –

Greetings!

Did you get out to Arvada’s first St. Patty’s Day celebration? They blocked Grandview Ave. off to traffic, had live music. Tons of people were there, it was a good time!

If you missed it, your next Arvada opportunities would be various Easter events, including the Easter Egg Hunt at the Apex Field House on March 31. I plan to enjoy this event with my eldest grandson. Should be great photo ops!

Then, on April 14 there’s both the Kite Festival and the Tartan Day events. My family and I went to both last year, and look forward to doing it again. Get out and enjoy Arvada this spring!

An Internet Site for Those Who Love Trying New Recipes

I’ve been spending just a little time on a site called, “Pinterest”. It’s a place to save great online finds, like recipes, party ideas, decorating ideas, crafts, etc. Saving things on Pinterest is called pinning. I’ve pinned a lot of recipes to my board, and made a discovery – most of the best recipes seem to come from www.foodgawker.com.

So there’s your tip of the month – if you want some new recipes to try, visit www.foodgawker.com.

And if you want to check out Pinterest, you need an invitation in order to join. So let me know, and I’ll send you an invite.

What My Readers Said:

“The housing crisis means to me that people cannot afford the houses available due to the overall economic climate, the lack of incoming funds, credit issues due to funds issues and the lack of availability.”

There are many interesting points in this statement, but the one I want to discuss is that right now housing is actually more affordable than it’s been ever since records have been kept. ‘Affordable’ refers to how much of a person’s paycheck goes towards a mortgage. Right now, people can buy a house at a better price, taken as a percentage of income, than ever before.

However, that statement only applies to people who have jobs. In many ways, the housing crisis is over, or headed that direction. But things will not be back to ‘normal’ until more people have jobs.

Whatever the end of the housing crisis looks like, it will be over in some parts of the country while it drags on in other parts. Whenever a report is released about healthy real estate markets, Denver is consistently in the top 10 to 20 cities.

Most professionals are calling what we’re experiencing now, ‘the new normal’. Where we are right now is pretty much a balanced market. There’s a real tug of war between those who want to sell for as much as possible, and those who want to buy for as little as possible.

Plus, as a reader mentioned last month, we have a lot of people who want to sell their house and buy another but they are ‘stuck’ because the one they own has declined in value. It’s estimated there are millions of such households throughout the country. Those folks will not consider the housing crisis ‘over’ until their house appreciates enough to set them free.

Here’s an excerpt from another of my readers. His entire comment was really good, I’ve put it in a blog post you can read it by clicking here.

“For the rest of us, this isn’t a crisis so much as the greatest opportunity in a century. I continue to marvel at how much house a person can get for so little. Renting just doesn’t make sense in this market. For those of us fortunate to have waited out the craziness, this is an ideal time to buy. No more promises of appreciation or finding a greater fool to pay more than we did. Inflation, deflation, appreciation, none of those matter when a home is so affordable. What we can sell for doesn’t matter because we have no plans to sell. We’ll live in it until we want a new place, and rent the current house when that time comes. A house has to make sense when you buy it, not when it appreciates.”

Need a Good Mover?

I had the opportunity to see a couple of local moving companies in action this month. Actually three companies, but one was awful so I won’t talk about them. The ones that did a good job were -

Denver Small Moves (Ken Marley)- they moved furniture up and down stairs at our house for $100. Were an hour late, but did call. Email denversmallmoves@gmail.com or call 720-810-6821

Reliable Movers Inc. – I’ve referred this company before. Very professional, good prices. 303-227-3141

If you’d like to refer any local contractors you’ve found, let me know and I’ll put it in the newsletter. I could really use some good concrete contractors.

Some of my blog posts for the past month

If you get this newsletter by email, click on the title and the article will open up. Otherwise, I’d be glad to print and mail any you want to read.)

Arvada’s 10th Annual Kite Day

Colorado Tartan Day

Arvada Homes Market Report February 2012

See all my listings – in fact, every home listed via MLS IDX – at www.DreamHouseHunting.com

If you’d like daily updates of homes on the market, or monthly updates of sales in your neighborhood, let me know.

And if you love gardening, please visit BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@me.com

If you no longer want to receive this newsletter just reply by email or leave a voice message with your name and address at 720-353-8031.

Joetta’s Real Estate Newsletter February 2012

Filed under Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on February 24, 2012 at 5:04 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

February, 2012

To All My Friends & Neighbors –

Greetings!

What My Readers Said:

I posed a question, ‘Why aren’t more people buying houses now?” and got a couple of well-thought answers. This is the second of those two:

“They could be dying to move and take advantage of the market right now, but are stuck! For example if they had a job change in the past year with lower pay. Or they would need to sell their house for a down payment, but at this time would be losing money on the sale. Or maybe they could rent that house, but would have no way of coming up with a hefty down payment required to buy a new place. Possibly all those situations???”

My responses: First of all, thank you for responding, I love it!

It’s hard to know exactly how many people are stuck, but we do know that there are still a lot of homes that are underwater (more is owed on them than what they could sell for). Some of those people would sell if they could, but they’re not willing to ruin their credit by attempting a short sale.

However, many people who could sell their house won’t do it for less than they paid for it. As you mentioned, they think of it as ‘losing money on the sale’. I would encourage these folks to remember that if they plan to move into a more expensive home, waiting for prices to go up will almost certainly cost them more than what they will gain by waiting.

Here’s an example. Say your house is worth $200,000, you wait five years for it to go up 5%. Your house is then worth $210,000. You ‘made’ $10,000 by staying in a house that doesn’t meet your needs for five years. In the meantime, the house you want is currently $300,000, it also goes up 5% in the next five years. So that home will cost $315,000.

So, by staying in the house you’re not happy with for five years, it actually cost you $5,000 more. And I’m not even going to talk about how much more it will cost if interest rates go up.

As far as down payment goes, FHA requires 3.5%, conventional requires 5%, and I know of at least one bank now offering 100% loans. So renting out your current house may be a real option. The rental market is HOT!

But for those of you who really are stuck, I just want to encourage you with a cliché: ‘Don’t worry, be happy!’ Your house is still your home. You can settle into the idea of really living in it, enjoying the good things about it, and know the day will come when it’s your time to move on.

When Will the Housing Crisis be Over?

I’ve been shocked lately to see some predictions that the housing crisis will be over this year! Then, I realized that ‘housing crisis’ is another one of those terms that doesn’t have a specific definition.

What the housing crisis means to you personally may be very different from what the folks at the National Association of Realtors mean, and also different for every news reporter and politician out there.

So – what does the term ‘housing crisis’ mean to you? I would love ANY answer – even ‘I don’t know’ or ‘It means this is an election year’.

What would the real estate market look like, in order for you to say, “Yes – the housing crisis is over”?

For March’s Newsletter:

I would love to answer YOUR questions. Please call or email with any questions you’d like addressed in the newsletter. And don’t forget to send in anything you’d like me to include, like contractor recommendations, favorite restaurants, events you want to advertise, etc.

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Whaddaya Mean, You Don’t Want to Buy a Money Pit?

January 2012 Report on Arvada Home Sales

Colorado Lingo – Front Range, Eastern Plains, Western Slope

See all my listings – in fact, every home listed – at www.DreamHouseHunting.com

If you’d like daily updates of homes on the market, or monthly updates of sales in your neighborhood, let me know.

And if you love gardening, please visit BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@me.com

Joetta’s Real Estate Newsletter January 2012

Filed under Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on January 18, 2012 at 1:47 pm {no comments}

I send a newsletter out monthly, via email and USPS, then I post it here in my blog for the many readers who read it here. I just wanted to tell you all that, because otherwise some of things I say here will seem odd.

To All My Friends & Neighbors –

Greetings!

I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and looking forward to the new year. 2012 is looking good for my family, and for the local real estate market, as you’ll see throughout this newsletter.

Plus – it’s a presidential election year. Wouldn’t it be great if we could only hear factual, unbiased reporting on the candidates so we can make a decision based on what we think is best for the country, and get rid of all the overbearing and slanted commercials?

Ahhh – but now I’m just dreaming!

By the way – thank you to everyone who has been sending prayers and good thoughts for my grandson, who is now 8 months old and very healthy!

Real Estate News

Things are looking up for Denver to Boulder real estate in so many ways, I keep hearing good news and very much enjoy passing it on. Part of me thinks I shouldn’t only tell the good news so people don’t get a skewed picture of the situation, but I figure everyone hears enough bad news, so I’m bringing some balance into the public discourse about today’s real estate market.

Good News Report #1 - I’m starting with this video of a news story featuring Greg Rand. If you get this newsletter by email you should be able to click on this link, if you get a printed copy, type it into in your address bar. Why? Because it’s so much fun hearing other people say the things I’ve been saying, J AND to hear good news about Denver being the best real estate market in the nation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9frmEv-vPA

Good News Report #2 – I received this note from the showing service we use, at the end of the first full week of January: “This has been a wild week—today was the busiest Friday we have had since May 20, 2011. The entire week was very busy, and today we set just under 800 showings!!! Certainly too soon to know what is happening, but it looks like 2012 could be a better year than we have seen recently.”

People are out there, looking to buy homes. Couple that with the fact that there are about 1/3 fewer homes on the market now than this time last year, and If this trend continues, homebuyers will need a very active and hard-working agent, because the nicer properties go F-A-S-T!

That’s why I only take a limited number of clients at one time – I want to give each of my clients the most attention and best service possible.

Good News Report #3 – In December there were 41 metropolitan areas on the IMI list (improving markets index). That list now includes 76 areas (good news for the country as a whole) – and one of them is Denver (good news for us)! Three factors are tracked for entry onto this list – employment, house price appreciation, and single-family housing permits. An area must show improvement in all three areas for six months before entry to the list.

What My Readers Said:

I posed a question last month, ‘Why aren’t more people buying houses now?” I got a couple of well-thought answers. I will include one in this newsletter and one in next month’s.

“Why aren’t more people buying houses? Money. Houses may be at their most affordable, but if you don’t have a job or don’t have job stability, you’re not about to purchase the most expensive thing possible. Renting gives lots of flexibility to up and move at a moment’s notice. Houses are truly an investment. For some people, credit is probably also an issue. Just my two cents.”

My responses: First of all, thank you for responding, I love it!

I agree that there will always be people who prefer to rent for one reason or another, and the possibility of moving to get a better job is a good one. In fact, I know several folks in their 50s and 60s who are considering selling their home and renting, so they can travel and not have to do home maintenance any more. (I think when they realize how much it costs to rent a home as nice as the one they have now, most will change their mind.)

However, some people are still renting just because it’s easier to do nothing than to make a move. I know some of these people. They are paying hundreds of dollars more every month for rent than they would pay for a home of their own.

On a side note: right now, the rental market between Denver and Boulder is hot, hot, hot. So if you’ve ever thought of buying a rental property, now may be the time.

Will you miss this great real estate market if you wait 2 or 3 years? I can’t guarantee anything, but my feeling is that house prices will begin to rise, but VERY slowly and probably will still be similarly priced to what they are now.

The big difference to those who must wait may be higher interest rates.

For February’s Newsletter:

Some of my blog posts for the past month

If you get this newsletter by email, click on the title and the article will open up. Otherwise, I’d be glad to print one off and mail it to you.)

West Arvada Executive Home for Sale or Lease

Arvada Home Sales December 2011

Have $500? Get a Home Loan

How Christmas Trees Live Forever

See all my listings – in fact, every home listed – at www.DreamHouseHunting.com

If you’d like daily updates of homes on the market, or monthly updates of sales in your neighborhood, let me know.

And if you love gardening, please visit BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@me.com

Joetta’s Real Estate Newsletter December 2011

Filed under Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on December 14, 2011 at 9:18 am {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

December, 2011

To All My Friends & Neighbors –

Greetings!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and your plans for the rest of the holiday season right through New Year Day will bring you peace, love and warmth. I very much enjoy this time of year, and our weather certainly has helped with getting into the Christmas mood! I hope you enjoy it too, but if you don’t – hey, it’ll be over soon enough, hang in there!

Real Estate News

In the Arvada area, inventory continues to drop in the price ranges up to about $350,000. Homes in the higher ranges are selling slowly, and inventory is high. No quick relief in sight for those folks, but good news for buyers!

But entry-level homes are another story. Homes that don’t need a lot of work are getting snapped up fast, even right now during the holiday season. This must put some pressure on prices soon, but don’t expect to get what your house would have sold for five or six years ago just yet!

Can You do me a Quick Favor?

I’ve had some strange things happening with my email this year, so I’m using some old-fashioned follow up measures to try and determine if ya’ll are actually getting the newsletter. I’ll be sending out postcards, asking you to just let me know if you do, in fact, receive the newsletter. You can save me from sending you a postcard, if you just reply to this email and let me know you’re all good!

What Real Estate Insiders are Talking About

This section of my newsletter is devoted to getting your opinion on real estate questions that those who work in the field are tossing around amongst each other. Last month’s question was about collecting a retainer fee from buyers, and refunding it when they buy, or even refunding it double.

The consensus from you, the public, is that you would not consider paying a retainer fee to an agent as long as most agents are not charging one, you’d just go find another agent. Even with the potential of getting it back double at closing, feelings run strong that the option to move on to another agent, should the one you started with turn out to be a dud, is a choice you don’t want to give up!

A big thank-you to those who responded. At the end of any discussion about buying a house, all that really matters is what the client thinks. So agents – listen up! You’ll just have to work hard to keep your clients on board!

This month’s question:

“Why aren’t more people buying a house right now?”

Interest rates for fixed, 30-year loans are at what once was only available as a short-term ‘teaser’ rate (often resulting in a mortgage lower than rent would be), and you can buy more home for your money. In fact, home affordability now matches the lowest level it’s been for the past 35 years. Those who get this newsletter via email can see the Wall Street Journal article on Home Affordability for more info. (Affordability is a ratio of home prices to annual household income.)

I have my ideas of how people will answer this question, but I would love to hear from YOU!!

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Arvada’s November, 2011 Market Report

Another Real Estate Myth: Lenders Aren’t Lending?

Arvada Beer Company

Santa Shop at the Action Center

(If you’re not on the internet but you’re interested in any of these articles, just let me know and I’ll print one right off for you.)

See more at HomesDenvertoBoulder.com

And BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@comcast.net

My website (see all available homes here): www.DreamHouseHunting.com

If you no longer want to receive this newsletter just reply by email or and so state or leave a voice message with your name and address at 720-353-8031

Joetta’s Newsletter November 2011

Filed under Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on November 18, 2011 at 4:20 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

November, 2011

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

Thanksgiving is coming up so quickly, it’s hard to believe 2011 is drawing to a close. However you choose to spend the day, I hope you have a wonderful time blessed with love and warmth.

DonorsChoose

I’m writing this paragraph after just learning that Prop 103, increased taxes for school funding, did not pass. Whether you were happy to get that news or not, we all still have the opportunity to help our schools. Parents these days have a lot more expenses for their children’s education than we did when my daughter was in school, but those of us who don’t have kids, or whose kids are grown, might enjoy kicking in some bucks and helping out a project that jingles our bells (see – I’m already thinking about Christmas!).

Go to www.DonorsChoose.org. Click ‘View Projects’. Choose your state, city and school. I saw one Pomona Lakes High School teacher requesting donations for her special needs students, and had the pleasure of giving the final amount that teacher needed. There’s another special needs class in Arvada that needs art supplies. I sure wish a bunch of you could give some amount, and maybe this class will have their new supplies at the beginning of 2012!

Maybe if you’re disappointed that Prop 103 failed you could give to prove your dedication to teachers and kids? Maybe if you’re glad that Prop 103 failed you could give out of your own heart, knowing exactly where you’re money’s going? Please know – I’m NOT implying you ‘don’t care about kids’ if you don’t give to Donors Choose. I’m just putting this opportunity out there for any of you who are so inclined.

Real Estate News

Buying or selling a home is a big event in anyone’s life, and during the process we spend a lot of time together. Then, there’s the closing and suddenly that relationship is over. It’s kind of like my family’s recent experience of spending a lot of time in the hospital, getting to know the doctors and nurses, sharing really tough emotional times with them, and getting to know them and their lives too. Then, the baby goes home healthy and who knows if we’ll ever see those special folks again?

That’s one reason I write this newsletter. Along with personal acquaintances and folks who’ve contacted me in response to my internet articles, I send it to my past clients. I love it when folks get back to me with a response to an article, or input for the next issue. It’s a nice feeling to just stay in touch!

But I also wanted to tell you, I think about you all a lot more than you realize. In fact, every now and then I peek at the market in the neighbor-hoods where you bought a house. I’m always disappointed to see values have dropped below what you paid, I keep hoping to see improvement. Many neighborhoods in the area where I work are showing stability.

One of these days things will turn around, and I hope to be one of the first to tell you that your home’s value is on the rise! It’s great news for those who want to sell, or for those who want to re-finance.

Real estate agents often assume that rising home prices is bad news for buyers, I’ve often said that myself. But really, it’s good news for them too. No one wants to buy a house and see the value drop, as many of you can attest. So once prices turn around, buyers can make that investment with a growing confidence that it will be a good investment.

Whenever I do this research I turn it into a blog post, of course. You can read these reports at http://HomesDenvertoBoulder.com .

What Real Estate Insiders are Talking About

I belong to an online networking community with over 200,000 members from all over the country and many from Canada, all in the real estate field. These include real estate agents, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, stagers. I thought you might be interested to hear each month what the chit-chat is amongst these ‘insiders’.

Often, I read a blog post and a hundred comments or more, all written by insiders, and I think, “I sure would love to know what the general public thinks about this.” So, if you have a response to the subject in this section please let me know. I may use your comments in a future newsletter or blog post, but only with your permission.

I tend to have a different ‘take’ on things than most people, following the status quo isn’t my strong suit. I believe many things about the way real estate is done need to change. So believe me, I won’t be offended or surprised at your comments!

Retainer Fees: This month there’s been a lot of discussion about charging a retainer fee to work with home buyers. The reasoning is: We work hard for buyers (I want to emphasize this – a good agent does work hard for home buyers!), yet after much time and expense a buyer can go to an open house and buy it from the listing agent, or stop in at a construction site and buy a home from the onsite agent. Or maybe, they just want to look at homes at a time when the agent who’s done all that work is busy, so they just call someone else. So the agent who has worked hard for them, and put in hours that they could have been generating other business, gets nada.

What do you say? Would you be willing to pay an up-front fee to work with an excellent buyer’s agent?

What if it was rebated back to you at closing?

What if it was rebated back to you double at closing?

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Arvada Colorado Homes Sales October 2011

How Many American Homes are Underwater?

$32,500 Fine for Home Renovations?

Why I Like Olde Town Arvada

See more at HomesDenvertoBoulder.com

And BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@comcast.net

My website (see all available homes here): www.DreamHouseHunting.com

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter – October 2011

Filed under Arvada Living, Arvada Real Estate News, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on October 30, 2011 at 12:28 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

October, 2011

Hello, Friends & Neighbors -

Hope you’re having a great summer!

Tips From Readers

Jamie called to tell me that she discovered a place where old TVs with tubes can be taken for recycling. A lot of places will charge to take them, but Goodwill will take them for free. Please check with your local Goodwill store for details.

Amanda forwarded an email from the founder of ‘Meetups’. Do you know about Meetups? It’s an online way to form a group and make announcements about meetings.

Here’s the story of how Meetup started, told by the founder: “I was living a couple miles from the Twin Towers, and I was the kind of person who thought local community doesn’t matter much if we’ve got the internet and tv. The only time I thought about my neighbors was when I hoped they wouldn’t bother me.

When the towers fell, I found myself talking to more neighbors in the days after 9/11 than ever before. People said hello to neighbors (next-door and across the city) who they’d normally ignore. People were looking after each other, helping each other, and meeting up with each other. You know, being neighborly.

A lot of people were thinking that maybe 9/11 could bring people together in a lasting way. So the idea for Meetup was born: Could we use the internet to get off the internet – and grow local communities?

Today, almost 10 years and 10 million Meetuppers later, it’s working. Every day, thousands of Meetups happen. Moms , Small Business, Fitness Meetups… a wild variety of 100,000 Meetup Groups with not much in common — except one thing.

Every Meetup starts with people simply saying hello to neighbors. And what often happens next is still amazing to me. They grow businesses and bands together, they teach and motivate each other, they babysit each other’s kids and find other ways to work together. They have fun and find solace together. They make friends and form powerful community. It’s powerful stuff.”

So, dear neighbors, check out Meetup.com and you may find a group you’d like to join, or you may have an idea to start a group. And if you have a minute, please share your experiences with Meetups with me!

And don’t forget to share your tips with me. These can be anything from a great new restaurant or a way to save money. Tips about living life between Denver and Boulder, not necessarily real estate related.

Real Estate News

The National Association of Realtors released a list of 23 markets that are improving. To make this list the numbers for new construction permits, employment, and housing prices must have improved for at least six months.

23 cities where people who want to sell their house are breathing a sigh of relief, and people who want to buy a home are thinking, “Did I miss the boat?” The previous month there were 11 on that list, let’s hope the number doubles again next month!

And no, Denver isn’t on the list. But the thing I noticed is the markets that seem to be turning around are some of the worst hit. Denver has not suffered nearly to the extent most cities have, so our turnaround will be subtle, in my opinion.

The two biggest problems I’m seeing in the market area where I work, mostly between Denver and Boulder, is – lack of homes for sale, and lack of available rentals.

The lack of homes for sale that I’m talking about is move-in ready homes in the below $200,000 range. Most homes in that range are still foreclosures and short sales, and have a lot of deferred maintenance.

If a home does come on the market in that price point that is move-in ready, it is snapped up in a day or two (assuming it’s priced right!). And by move-in ready I don’t mean all remodeled. I just mean it’s clean, everything is in good repair and working properly, so people can move in and take their time remodeling as they can afford it.

Buyers these days are very savvy, and not jumping into something that could be a monkey on their back.

A Couple Yummy Eateries Nearby

If you like Middle Eastern food, visit Sultan Grill and let me know if you like it as well as I do. I love it! If you need someone to go with, give me a call and I’ll accompany you. 12650 W. 64^th Avenue (corner of 64^th and Ward, in the Safeway shopping center) Arvada 303-463-5333

And Larkburger! My curiosity was peaked about this place when I read in the Arvada Press that it was a ‘green burger chain’. I love hamburgers, but I was in for a surprise – Larkburger is now my favorite place to get a burger! If you go, be sure to try the truffle-oil fries. Besides Angus beef burgers, they have turkey burgers and tuna burgers. 8770 Wadsworth Blvd., corner of 88^th and Wadsworth between Tokyo Joe’s and Smart Cow.

Free Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Get a free carbon monoxide alarm for attending a free home safety class, offered by the Arvada Fire Protection District. This is especially a good idea for you first-time homebuyers! Call for details 303-424-3012. Classes are held at the District Headquarters, 7903 Allison Way, on Oct. 26 at 6:30 pm; Oct. 30 at noon; Nov. 7 at 6:30 pm; Nov 12 at 8 am; Dec. 8 at 6:30 pm; Dec. 11 at noon.

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Viewing Homes for Sale Between Denver and Boulder

What’s Blooming Now Between Denver and Boulder

2012 Garden Wish List

See more at HomesDenvertoBoulder.com

And BeautyofGardening.com

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@comcast.net

My website (see all available homes here): www.DreamHouseHunting.com

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

Filed under Arvada Living, Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on August 17, 2011 at 8:52 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

August, 2011

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

Hope you’re having a great summer!

It seems we’ve turned the corner on summer, and even though some days are still hot, we’ve got our lovely cool evenings back. A welcome relief!

Unfortunately, other fun things about summer are wrapping up too. Arvada’s concerts in the park are over, Flicks in the Square will be over soon. Public pools are closing in a couple of weeks, but we still have the dog swim day to look forward to!

So if your summer has ‘buzzed by’ like mine did, be sure to get out there and enjoy our beautiful state while you can still do it without wearing a parka!

A Personal Note

I don’t know if you missed me, but I took July off from writing the newsletter, because of the craziness. My grandson was still in the hospital (for those of you who’ve asked about him – he finally came home at nearly three months old!), plus business picked up. Levi is healthy and doing very well. His big brother adores him!

I’ve Got Buyers – Houses Needed!

Business has picked up even more since then! I have people wanting to buy houses, and it’s not easy to find the houses they want. It seems that fewer people are putting their houses on the market this year, and we all know there are fewer foreclosures, so the pickings are getting slim.

But at this moment, all my clients who want a house right now are either under contract or waiting to hear back on an offer.

But – in case those offers don’t pan out – if you or someone you know are thinking about selling a house, but they’re not excited about going through the whole process of listing, showings, etc., have them call or email me and I’ll tell them whether I have a client who might be interested.

One client wants as large a home as possible in Arvada or the parts of Westminster bordering Arvada. They are willing to do some fix-up, but don’t want to have to gut a house or deal with structural issues. Their biggest requirement is not to be near a busy street.

Another client is looking at a much larger geographical area – pretty much any part of Jefferson County. They’d like 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and not a lot of fix up needed although cosmetics might be OK. A basement is necessary unless there’s at least 1500 main floor square feet, and a garage would be a big plus.

And there is a third client, who is willing to wait for the right house. They want to be west of Wadsworth, in Arvada or Wheat Ridge, and the smaller the house, the better. Even a 1-bed, 1-bath house would be fine. They really like old town Arvada, their #1 requirement is privacy. So if you can go out in your backyard and not see any neighbors’ windows, your house might work for this client.

‘Picky’ is OK with Me!

Do my clients seem picky to you? Of course buyers are picky these days! They are smart, and don’t want to get into financial trouble by getting into the wrong house.

When my clients apologize for being picky I tell them not to even think that way. They are making a HUGE decision, and I won’t rush them. True, some times people have to balance what they want with what they need, or think about what they can change about the house later and what they can’t. But I will keep working, showing houses, asking questions, having conversations until a home is found that fits each client.

Congrats to Jeffco Schools!

If you read the Arvada Press you already know, but Jefferson County District R-1 is fifth in the nation for high school graduation rates! I just thought that was such a commendable accomplishment, that I wanted to shout it out a little!

‘Google’ Your House, Your Neighborhood

If you are selling or renting a house, it’s worth your time to find out what potential buyers and tenants will find on the internet. Get online, use the ‘search’ function to find out what they will see when they input your address, your street, or your neighborhood.

Be prepared for what people might find online about your house. If your house is listed with an agent, ‘googling’ your address could be very eye-opening.

You can even see how your house looks from a satellite view!

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Foreclosures and Short Sales in Arvada, Broomfield, Denver, Golden, Thornton, and Westminster

Arvada Homes and Neighborhoods Market Reports, June 2011

Gardening Helps Soothe the Stresses of Life

See more at HomesDenvertoBoulder.com

And BeautyofGardening.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I write posts on real estate issues and local events in the Denver metro area, especially those *communities between Denver and Boulder, as a public service. My hope is to give people an idea of the ‘flavor’ of our community, in case they’re new or moving to the Denver area.

I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly *suburbs northwest of Denver.

*Arvada, Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Westminster; also Thornton, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Northglen, Lakewood

Find Homes for Sale, no Matter Who Listed Them, at Dream House Hunting.

Gardeners – please visit my blog about high plains gardening, Beauty of Gardening.

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter, April 2011

Filed under Between Denver and Boulder, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on April 19, 2011 at 8:06 pm {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

April, 2011

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

I hope you’ve all gotten past tax time without getting too badly burned, and maybe even with a refund.

Have you ever driven by a house that had a ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard, and wondered how much they were asking? Maybe the flyer box was empty, or the flyer didn’t include the price, maybe you’re not in the market for a house, but you’re just curious.

Please know that you can always call or email me, and I will find out for you. I would need the address, I’d look it up on the MLS, and possibly even contact the agent. The other sites are not terribly reliable, and I’ve even noticed the MLS is less reliable than it used to be.

The reason I say the MLS is less reliable, is there’s a new status called Pending. When Pending is used the home shows up on the public sites as Available. However, agents are using it when the property is really Under Contract, but they still want to get phone calls from potential buyers.

So, avoid confusion, satisfy your curiosity, don’t call a bunch of listing agents – just call, text, or email me, tell me what you want to know and I’ll find it out for you. I would even gladly call a ‘For Sale by Owner’ for you, but you’d have to give me the phone number.

Input from Readers

Oh-oh, I don’t have any input from readers this month. The past couple months people have been sending stuff in without a reminder so I stopped sending reminders. Well, here’s your reminder!

Some things my readers like to see in the newsletter: restaurant reviews, upcoming events, referrals for great service, or wildlife sightings. How about a description of a road trip you took, or a hike or concert? Maybe you’d like to tell what you like about your city, or your neighborhood. I only use first names, and would even leave that off if you say to.

Send in your thoughts via email, or call my cell phone, both listed below.

Your House as a Billboard?

Having trouble making your mortgage payments? Maybe this idea is for you – allow your house to be used as a billboard! If you decide to give it a go, do let me know!

Those of you who live in neighborhoods with homeowner’s associations, don’t even bother looking at the link below. But if you’re in serious need of assistance, adzookie will paint your house and make your payments as long as the paint job stays, up to a year.

Go to (http://adzookie.com/paintmyhouse.php) to see a photo (I think it’s kind of cute!). I don’t know any specifics, such as who’s responsible for painting it back to ‘normal’, or whether local ordinances will prohibit it. And I don’t know anything about adzookie, so use caution. I just thought this was a unique idea, so wondered if anyone would consider it.

Door to Door Organics

More and more people are trying to figure out ways to eat healthier, and friendlier to the planet. Last year, with the help of my friend Wendy, I tried a food co-op for the first time. Each week one of us drove to the drop-off site, to collect our share of organically grown local food. I really enjoyed it, but there was often food we didn’t eat. Plus, sometimes getting to the drop off site on time was difficult.

This year, I’m going to try ‘Door to Door Organics’. Have any of you tried them? They will deliver the food to the house, and customers can swap out anything they don’t want for something else. It’s not all locally grown, but they use locally grown product when they can.

Check it out, and if you live near me (80^th and Wadsworth) we can get a better price by combining our orders. Or, start one where you work. You need four or more members, you receive $3 off each box.

DoortoDoorOrganics.com Let me know what you think, K?

Disabled Residents: Update Dispatch System

If you have a disability that requires special assistance or equipment in the event of an emergency, Arvada will make the information available to dispatchers for emergency response teams. You must fill out a form every year, because the information is purged on December 31. You can get the form by emailing Vicky-r@arvada.org, or call the City.

Did You Water Your Perennials This Winter?

I hope you did! If you were my friend on Facebook, you would have received some reminders. But this winter was so dry, it will be bad news if you didn’t water your perennial flower beds, shrubs and grass at least a couple of times.

If you did think to give your lovelies a drink now and then, you’re probably being rewarded now with flowers, buds, greening, and strong shoots. See BeautyofGardening.com for more local gardening info.

Real Estate News

The biggest real estate news on my mind is the constant insistence from a certain segment of our political ‘representatives’ that removing the tax credit for mortgage interest is a good idea.

Too many people are barely making their monthly bills to put this additional burden on folks. For most people, the mortgage interest tax deduction saves them the equivalent of $200 to $300 per month.

Can you afford that big an increase in your taxes? If not, make your voice heard!

Some of my blog posts for the past month

Gorgeous Condo with Mountain View

If Price is All That Matters, What do I Need an Agent For?

Gardening Classes at Timberline Gardens in Arvada CO

If you have input for, or a response to, this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~Equity Colorado ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@gmail.com

My website (see all available homes here): www.DreamHouseHunting.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly *suburbs northwest of Denver.

*Arvada, Broomfield, Westminster, Thornton, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Northglen, Lakewood

Read more about life between Denver and Boulder - things to do, shopping, entertainment, neighborhoods, real estate

Check out my website.

Find all the homes available in Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, North Denver, Thornton, Lafayette, Louisville, Wheat Ridge and Golden.

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter March 2011

Filed under Arvada Neighborhoods, Joetta's Newsletter by Joetta Fort on March 23, 2011 at 11:10 am {no comments}

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

March, 2011

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

Nearly everyone loves talking about real estate!

Would you like to know when a house sells in your neighborhood? I can set you up to receive notifications for your neighborhood, or any neighborhood for that matter. So if you’re keeping your eye on the market for whatever reason (and who isn’t?) you’ll be kept up to date easily and with no hassle. Free, no obligation, of course.

Input from Readers

“Here’s a plug for a little local neighborhood restaurant. Mama Mia is our favorite for fresh, real Italian (unlike the big chain places). MM is quaint & very small, only about 10 tables. I really like the sausage pizza, the eggplant Parmesan, and seafood stew dish. It’s in the east end of the strip mall at 88^th and Garrison (opposite end from Hoke’s BBQ). Buon appetito! ” Mamma Mia Trattoria 9008 W. 88th Avenue Westminster, Co http://www.mammamiadenver.com/ Jim & Lyn

This is in response to my blog post about locksmiths: I have an honest locksmith that is already in well use in the Arvada area. But it can only help to make him available to more people. I myself have been ripped off by a locksmith- not once but twice- the first time I thought it was routine to get charged 150.00 to get the job done- it wasn’t until after I called Mike, that I realized…” you mean to tell me you can unlock my car for 35.00???” Thanks

Front Range Roadside – Mike 303-404-3181

Spring is just around the corner (although I don’t know which corner). I have the name of some young guys who do gardening services. I’ve used them to fertilize and aerate my lawn. They’re just starting their business, and I prefer them over those big companies who want me to sign a contract for services I don’t need in order to get the services I do need. Their company is Engineering Eden, LLC. Scott Bullard at 303-994-2423 and Randy Messenger at 720-209-2036. Their services are Sprinkler Installation and Service, Landscaping, Fences and Maintenance. They are cute guys, for us ladies who are still into cute, and do a great job. I recommend them. Sharon

If you are starting a business, have been in business for years or just need help figuring out how social media works, then here’s a class for you. “Your Social Media. Made Simple”, is a class dedicated to helping the social media beginner grasp the How, Who and Why of Social Media. When the class is finished you will have:

1.Created and explored the uses for a Facebook Fan Page

2.Created a Twitter Account (and learned how they are useful for any business)

3.Created a LinkedIn Account (and scratched the surface of what is offered)

4.Explored upcoming types of media that may impact your business

(1070 Bannock Street) Wednesday April 13th 6:30pm-8:30pm Check out this link for more info: www.ianharwick.com/simple-media Thanks, Ian

Trash Talk

Arvada’s Curbside Cleanup returns for 2011. Exact dates haven’t been determined but probably will be late May and early June. Look for details in your March/April utility bill or online at www.arvada.org.

The worst thing about the Curbside Cleanup program from a real estate perspective, is it looks awful if you’re trying to sell a house on a street piled with trash. Then again, it’s a help for people who want to clean up the dark corners of their house in preparation to sell.

Arvada Wants to Help You Throw a Party

I’ve gotten together with some neighbors to throw block parties in the past, and we all had a pretty good time. Now, the City of Arvada is offering $100 grants to encourage people to get to know their neighbors. I can’t go into all the details here, but check it out online: search ‘Know Your Neighbor Grants’, or see my blog post below. Sounds like fun to me!

Real Estate News

Affordable Housing is Overwhelmed in Jefferson County (click the blue text to see the Denver Post article online). According to Colleen O’Connor of The Denver Post On February 13, 2011, in Jefferson County there are 18,000 people who live on incomes of $20,000 or less. Federal guidelines set affordable rental housing at that income level at about $480 per month, “and “there are no rental units in this county for that amount,” said Linda Barringer, program director for housing and family services at The Family Tree in Wheat Ridge.”

What might this mean to you? We need more Section 8 housing. If you buy a house to use as a rental, please consider making it a Section 8 home.

New Gardening Blog

Yes, I know I’m a real estate agent, but I garden too! Now, I’ve started a blog about gardening in the high country. It’s just new, only has a few posts, but I hope to get a forum, a question and answer section, and more resources for people to share tips, and get to know other gardeners.

BeautyofGardening.com

Some of my blog posts for the past month

(See all my posts at HomesDenvertoBoulder.com. If you don’t have access to the internet and you want a copy of these posts, just give me a call.)

Buying a Short Sale – What Keeps You Hanging in There?

Vote for Olde Town Arvada!

Hate Getting Ripped of by Shady Locksmiths?

40 Years of Community Gardening Coming to an End?

Olde Town Arvada – Colorado Tartan Day (Note: the Kite Festival is also April 9)

Wind Power Meets Needs of 450,000 Households

High Country Gardens – My Favorite Bloomers

Early Bloomers for High Country Gardens

Starting Seeds for High Country Gardens