I had been working with a new buyer the last few days—her first house—and I just assumed I’d be working over the Labor Day Weekend for her. My client didn’t assume that. “Go have fun,” she says. “I’m going to Breckenridge.” It didn’t occur to me that I would have a holiday weekend off. If I wasn’t showing property, I’d be creating a new marketing plan or writing a note for our new Market Reports or write a few blogs for the next couple of weeks. I’m not alone. Many self-employed folks are …
Weld County
Time to Plan is Now
I'm not a party bus kind of gal. But I saw the bus tour of the Parade of Homes on Facebook, sponsored by the northern Colorado Women's Council of Realtors and I thought, why not? I signed up and hopped on board at noon on a very hot day last week and headed off to Berthoud, CO. The bus was loud and I was definitely the oldest real estate agent on board but the A/C was working and there was plenty of water along with other offerings. But day drinking is not a skill I possess. Regardless, …
Senior Property Tax Savings!
Were you 65 prior to January 1, 2017? Have you lived in your present home for more than 10 years? Yes, and yes? Have you applied for the Senior Property Tax Exemption? No? You have until July 15 to apply for the exemption for 2017 taxes. The Colorado General Assembly voted in 2000 to give the ‘homestead exemption’ to seniors over 65 who have lived in their home for over 10 years, taking effect in property tax year 2002. Under the exemption, 50 percent of up to $200,000 of a residential …
24 Tax Property Protests Later…
I spent most of last weekend pulling ‘comps’ for clients looking to protest their 2017 property tax assessments. Larimer County has a nifty feature that allows you to pull up your own comps (sales that are comparable), but they don’t have all the features provided by our local MLS. Has it been remodeled? Was it a hoarder’s paradise? Was it a bi-level or ranch with one bedroom on the main with a weed production facility in the basement? We can’t always tell if someone has been growing pot but …
Envisioning a Different Housing Market
“Weld County is the fourth most unaffordable county in the U.S. when taking into account median home prices and the average earning of wages, according to a new report by ATTOM Data Solutions.” http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/business/report-four-counties-in-colorado-including-weld-top-the-list-of-home-unaffordability/ Yikes! Weld County’s median price for a home, $280,000 as of today, may be almost $100,000 cheaper than Larimer County’s, but it’s a median price increase of 12% from last …
Crystal Balls and Real Estate
I got asked the “crystal ball” question again this week. What do you think the real estate market will do? Is this a real estate bubble? Are prices going to drop? Will I have to move to Wyoming? Are investors buying everything? Will the market slow down when interest rates rise? Will interest rates rise? Magical Thinking vs. Reality Buyers are waiting to buy (why?) and sellers are waiting to sell because they can’t find anything to buy. Buyers think their perfect …
