"So, are we in a real estate bubble?" Three different clients asked me that question last week. They are ready to buy but are afraid that prices have increased by too much and they will be caught in a "bursting" market down the line. I carefully explain why I don't think that will happen but I'm not a seer or crystal gazer and they should do their due diligence. I also tell them they should buy now. In a recent article published by the National Association of Realtors, (yes, I see the …
Fort Collins
How To Buy a House This Spring
I hate headlines that offer the possibility of achieving a goal, like How to Lose Those Last 10 Lbs. You hope they’re going to tell you a secret only to be told to exercise and eat less. Duh. I’m afraid that’s what my article is going to say. Want to Buy a House? Be prepared to give up some contingencies, have a decent down payment and don’t give up. Housing Gridlock? According to Trulia, housing inventory hit a new low in the first quarter of 2017. “Recovering home values have proven to be …
Hope Springs Eternal for Home Buyers
Spring is here, or at least in Fort Collins, Colorado, where it’s 70° today on March 9, 2017. The home buying season is heating up (as well as the weather), and I’m asked daily, “will the appreciation in home prices slow down?” I wish I knew because I would advise my clients to either buy anything you can right now OR ‘take your time, no one else is looking.’ I won’t be saying that last part for a while. But if you have great credit, some down payment and you’re willing to offer a few …
Over 50? What Does Your Housing Future Look Like?
Are you over 50? What are your housing plans for the next 20-30 or more years? That’s the question we addressed for two days in Boulder while getting our Senior Real Estate Specialist certification. The National Association of Realtors created a course that set out in detail the issues and concerns that come with aging and housing. We covered everything from the impact on retirement funds from the economic downturn to housing options to the ins and outs of reverse mortgages. But I …
Going Greige
Greige? Attic insulation? Garage door replacement? Front door replacement? Per Remodeling magazine, those are a few of the top improvements you can make to your home for the best bang for your buck. Really? Greige is a combination of beige and gray and apparently, it sells a house like bread baking in the oven. I painted the interior of my house that color eight years ago, so I now consider myself a visionary. I also painted my front door an odd combination of purple and red mixed with a …
Home-Buyers Motto: Be Prepared!
The home-buying market hasn’t slowed down too much over the holidays and cold weather. Investors are still out there looking for opportunities to fix ‘n flip or buy and hold. First-time home-buyers are looking at town-homes and condos and, we hope (!) some people are moving up to higher prices and putting their $300k-$400k house on the market. I asked Kevin Francis of The Francis Team at Horn Funding to expound on the merits of getting your financial life in order so the spring home-buying …
