Housing Prices Up 4.9%—CoreLogic Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected a variety of industries, with airlines, casinos, and auto parts dealers facing the worst of it, and yet, real estate nationwide continues to grow. The CoreLogic House Price Index (HPI) report for June (a 3-month weighted average that is not seasonally adjusted) reports that as of June, housing prices are up 4.9% as compared…

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Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Program

Whether you’re a homeowner, property manager, or renter, you’re painfully aware of the dangers lead poisoning in water presents. You can’t smell, taste, or see lead in drinking water, which makes it all the more dangerous. Worse yet, the most common sources of lead in drinking water come from lead pipes, faucets, or plumbing fixtures that could be part of…

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Looking to sell this year? Start preparing now

Selling your home is quite an undertaking. If you are looking ahead to the new year and making plans to sell your home, it’s best to start prepping now. From a fresh coat of paint to a few trips to drop off items you no longer need, when you space out the projects over a few months it’ll be much…

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Take Control of Your Future and Buy a Home Now

In Boulder County, home prices have increased by over 45% since 2009 proving that investing in real estate is one of the best investments you can make. Shockingly, even with the growing housing market, over 40% of households in Boulder County rent, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Buying a home feels intimidating, and it’s a common…

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Looking to sell your home next year? Get prepared now.

Selling your home is quite an undertaking. If you are looking ahead to next year and making plans to sell your home, it’s best to start prepping now. From a fresh coat of paint to a few trips to drop off items you no longer need, when you space out the projects over a few months it’ll be much more…

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A Glossary of Basic Real Estate Words

Each industry has its own jargon which can be overwhelming to those on the outside. Even having bought or sold a few times doesn’t guarantee you’ve heard and understood all of the lingo. To help you out in your real estate journey we’ve put together some common real estate terms (and a few uncommon but important ones) to help you…

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What sellers need to know when negotiating an inspection objection

Once your home is under contract, the ball shifts into the court of the buyer. Legally, buyers are allowed to walk away from a deal for almost any reason. As a seller, you need to play your cards right to keep a buyer in the deal, especially when negotiating an Inspection Objection. Saying no to requests from a buyer can…

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Beat the Competition with These Summer Staging Tips

Warmer weather and the freedom of summer has people feeling ready to move. Summer is one of the most popular times for real estate sales and gives you a good chance of selling fast. But, the Denver area market is shifting and sellers are having to compete for buyers more than in years past. Make your house stand out this…

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Stand Out from the Pack: Tips for Staging Your Home

Inventory in the Denver area is on the rise which means more competition for sellers. You want your home to stand out to buyers as the best, so what do you need to do? You could hire a home stager to really wow buyers, but if you’re looking to maintain a high bottom line then there’s a lot you can…

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Creating the Perfect Move: Details You Shouldn’t Overlook

You’re getting ready to put your home on the market, which means a move is coming. As a home seller, you have a lot of control over when you move, and you know that it’s coming up soon. Even two months can fly by before you know it, so it’s important to start getting prepared now so you can stay…

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The Influence of Rising Interest Rates on Home Selling

Interest rates have been on the rise for a few years now and have done little to slow the market in the Denver area. In general, experts are expecting a slight slow down in the market as interest rates continue to rise. Some experts even expect interest rates to rise about 5% in 2019. So what does this mean for…

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The Projection of Denver Area Home Prices in 2019

It’s no secret that the Denver market has been burning hot for years now. Experts have been questioning how long this burn would last and some are wondering if it’s come to an end. According to the Denver Post, Denver and other markets saw a sales slump and an increase in inventory at the end of 2018. Data from ReColorado…

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Looking to sell next year? Start preparing now

Selling your home is quite an undertaking. If you are looking ahead to next year and making plans to sell your home, it’s best to start prepping now. From a fresh coat of paint to a few trips to drop off items you no longer need, when you space out the projects over a few months it’ll be much more…

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It’s Time to Stop Renting and Invest in Your Future

In Boulder County, home prices have increased by over 40% in the past 8 years proving that investing in real estate is one of the best investments you can make. Shockingly, even with the growing housing market, over 40% of households in Boulder County rent, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Buying a home feels intimidating,…

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Tips for a First Time Home Seller

Purchasing your home was a big deal, but now it’s time to sell and you may be feeling overwhelmed. Home buying and selling is something that almost no one is an expert at,  but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just a few tips can save you countless headaches. Hire a Real Estate Agent You may believe that you can…

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Does Your Home Need an HERS Rating

The Home Energy Rating System is the standard by which a home’s efficiency is measured and is the same nationwide. This can be good for a homeowner to obtain for many reasons, the first of which showing where modifications can be made to improve efficiency and lower energy bills in a home. But when you’re selling your home, is there…

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Your Trees Still Need Water in the Winter

As a homeowner, you are the only person responsible for the health of your lawn, including your trees, unless you decide to hire a professional landscaper. When winter comes, many homeowners take a break from managing their plants outside because everything is in hibernation, but that may not be accurate. Here’s how to give you trees the water they need:…

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Negotiating on an Inspection Objection – What You Need to Know

Once your home goes under contract, the ball primarily lies in the buyer’s court. They are legally allowed to walk away from the deal for almost any reason. This means you have to play your cards right, especially when it comes to resolving the Inspection Objection. You don’t want a buyer to turn away when you refuse to make repairs,…

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Fall 2017 Denver Real Estate Market Update

The Denver area real estate market is still going strong even after seeing a 2.75% decrease in housing prices from July 2017 to August 2017. Home prices in the area have still increased over 8 percent from August 2016. While the market is still turning over quickly, the Denver area is on it’s way to becoming a more normal market…

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5 Aspects of Setting the Right Price

Listing your home at the right price can feel like a scene out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too high and you might be on the market for a while, too low and it cuts into your bottom line. So how do we pick the price that’s just right? Well, it’s more of an art than a science. Here…

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Smart Home Updates to Help Your Home Sell Faster

Smart home technology is all the rage, and while not everyone needs these additions many buyers will go the extra mile to purchase an already equipped home. You don’t need to install voice-activated light switches to help push your home over the edge, but there are a few updates you can make to bring your home into the 21st century….

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A History of Housing Inventory in the Denver Area: Where Has it Gone?

There has been a lot of talk recently about the low inventory in the Denver area, but how low is low? Let’s walk through the past 10 years of inventory levels to see just how low inventory is these days. In January of 2007, Denver had 41 months worth of inventory. In January, in the dead of winter when real…

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What You Need to Know About Your Neighbors Before You Sell

In the current Denver area market, it doesn’t take much to sell your home. Inventory is still low and homes are being snatched up. However, if you’re looking to get top dollar for your home there are a few important things to keep in mind, starting with your neighbors. Here are 5 things to know about your neighbors (and neighborhood)…

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5 Outdoor Home Updates That Will Pay Off

It’s almost spring, or so they tell us, and you may have started thinking towards the summer with dreams of outdoor gatherings, beautiful gardens and maybe a firepit or built in grill. Before you run to grab your shovel and head to your nearest home improvement store, let’s dive into some numbers and make sure you aren’t throwing your money…

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A Basic Real Estate Glossary

Each industry has its own jargon which can be overwhelming to those on the outside. Even having bought or sold a few times doesn’t guarantee you’ve heard and understood all of the lingo. To help you out in your real estate journey we’ve put together some common real estate terms (and a few uncommon but important ones) to help you…

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Denver Market Update: Inventory Down, but Prices Remain Up

It’s time for another Denver market update. The winter/holiday season is historically very slow for real estate and we generally see a slight dip in home prices. So what does this season hold for Denver? Let’s take a look at the Denver market as of November 30, 2016. Number of New Listings – 967 in November 2016, down from 919…

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Is a Condo a Good Investment?

Many people consider buying a condo to be a good investment, one you could live in for a while and rent out later or buy outright as a rental property. Are these purchases really all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s take a look at the numbers for the Northern Denver area: 2015 Average Sale Price For Condo October 2015:…

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The State of the Denver Real Estate Market: October 2016

Denver area home inventory has been at historic lows since early 2012. The question all real estate professionals are asking is, when will it recover? Low inventory means higher prices, with some areas seeing increases in value as high as 7.6% within a year period. This means buyers are struggling to find a home they can afford and sellers are…

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How Property Taxes are Determined

This post describes how the property taxes are calculated and what are the timelines in order to appeal if your property tax seems too high. Property taxes are determined on odd-numbered years for 2-year tax periods. Property taxes determined in 2013 will be the taxes for 2013 and 2014 State statute requires that each property in the county be re-valued…

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“Unprecedented Opportunity for Sellers”

The Metrolist®, the Denver’s Multiple Listing Service, published a report titled “Denver’s Housing Market Continued to Recover in January Offering an Unprecedented Opportunity for Sellers“. The number of homes currently available on the market is at the lowest since 1990. “Year-over-year inventory levels continue to be low, home prices are up and average days on market (DOM) for Denver-area homes…

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NAHB: All Colorado metros ‘improving markets’ except Colorado Springs

Colorado Department of Local Affairs: For the second month in a row, all metro areas in Colorado, except Colorado Springs, are on the National Association of Home Builders’ Improving Markets Index. For much of 2012, Greeley, Boulder, and Ft. Collins were included on the “Improving Markets” list put out by the National Association of home Builders. The February list, released…

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2012 Wrap Up

Well,how did we do in 2012? I have wrapped up the highlights of 2012 in this short report full graphs and numbers. It includes information on the legislation front; rental market in Metro Denver, various vacancy rates by markets & dwellings, rent survey; Unemployment figures; Hiring; Home sales &Prices; new homes; and supply of homes on the market. Enjoy. 2012WrapUp

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Mortgages with No or Little Down-payments

Yahoo Finance published an article on “Mortgages with No or Little Down-payments”. Homebuyers with little money for a down payment are finding more home loans available for a low down payment or even no down payment. 4 mortgages are listed: No down VA No down Navy Federal No down Department of Agriculture Low down: FHA Read the full article here.

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Home Ownership Rate Stands at 65.5%

Americans still favor home ownership. The U.S. home-ownership rate continues to remain around 65.5 percent, the U.S. Census Bureau reported late last week. The home ownership rate is nearly the same as it was in the second quarter of 2011 at 65.9 percent. Please read the full article in the Realtor Magazine. The peak was at 69.2% in 2004.

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HB 12-1237:CCIOA Record Keeping Requirements Overhauled

On 5/29/2012, the governor signed the House Bill 12-1237. The bill overhauls the record keeping requirements of Homeowner Associations mandated by the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA).  The following is not a legal advice but a summary of the requirements. The bill also talks about, among other things, privacy issues, inspection rights of unit owners and the procedures thereof….

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FHA Premiums Increasing

Effective April 9th, the FHA’s Mortgage Insurance Premiums will be increasing. The upfront premium, payable at closing, will increase from 1% to 1.75%. The annual premium increases from 1.15% to 1.25%

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Yet Another Bill Introduced

Yet Another Bill Introduced, Senate Bill 12-162. “CONCERNING VERIFICATION OF REMEDIATION PERFORMED ON PROPERTY CONTAMINATED BY AN ILLEGAL DRUG LABORATORY”. Below are excerpts from the bill: (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary…

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HUD secretary announces equal access housing rule

HUD secretary announces equal access housing rule: A new rule took effect this week barring those who own or operate U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded housing from asking about an applicant’s sexual orientation or gender identity, an Obama Administration official announced Friday.

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Denver Home Prices up 4.5% Mar-Jun, down 2.5% Y/Y per S&P Case-Shiller

Standard & Poor Case-Shiller home price indices track home prices in 20 major cities. It is divided in a 10-city and a 20-city composite indices. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are calculated monthly using a three-month moving average. There is a two month lag. This report compares the residential housing markets of Denver and the 2 composite indices. The data…

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July Home Sales Up, Prices Down According to NAR

The latest existing-home sales report from the National Association of Realtors shows the prices in the West region is down by 7% from July of 2010 to July of 2011. The number of transactions, however, is up by 12% for the same period according to NAR. The West region which includes Colorado lags the nation. Click here for the analysis…

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FTC Mortgage Acts and Practices— Advertising Effective August 19, 2011

A new rule from the Federal Trace Commission aimed to deter deceptions in mortgage advertising. The rule imposes record keeping among other things on those impacted by the rule. “The Rule will impact real estate professionals that provide this information to consumers, such as giving a consumer a lender’s rate sheet.” According to the National Association of Realtors. Federal Register…

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Mid-year Housing Snapshot

Colorado Department of Housing has issued the Mid-year housing snapshot. Click here for the report. Or cut &  paste the link below into your browser. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=Content-Type&blobheadervalue1=inline%3B+filename%3D%22midyear2011.pdf%22&blobheadervalue2=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251731922239&ssbinary=true

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New-home Sales Continues to Fall

“New single-family home sales fell again in the US, and in the West region, which includes Colorado. New home sales fell back to the lowest March total recorded in at least ten years. ” according to Colorado Division of Housing. http://www.divisionofhousing.com/2011/05/march-new-home-sales-still-at-ten-year.html

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Denver-area home prices down 3.9% in Q1

Here’s a breakdown of year-over-year median home-price changes for the Denver metro area in recent quarterly IAS360 reports: Q1 2011 (from Q1 2010) — Down 3.9% Q4 2010 (from Q4 2009) — Unchanged. Q3 2010 (from Q3 2009) — Down 3.1%. Q2 2010 (from Q2 2009) — Up 1.2%. Read more http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/05/10/ias-home-price-decline-eases-in.html

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Westminster Mall to be razed for a new downtown

The city of Westminster plans to demolish the blighted Westminster Mall to develop a downtown for the 100-year-old community. Read more: Westminster Mall to be razed for a new downtown – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_17978568#ixzz1LO897KPg Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

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A Victory for the Landlords: 1099 Reporting Law Repealed

The senate, this week, passed H.R. 4 repealing the extended 1099 reporting law that had passed in 2010. The 2010 law was requiring, among other requirements, that the landlords to file 1099 for anyone who had provided services of $600 or more. http://speakingofrealestate.blogs.realtor.org/category/property-management/ NAR Briefing on the Extended 1099 Reporting

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Bill Banning Real Estate Transfer Fees

Senate Bill 11-234 would ban private real estate transfer fees, which have been added to homeowner association covenants during the development phase to fund an investment scheme cooked up by Manhattan-based Freehold Capitol Partners. The covenants are set up to require that a percentage of the sale price of a home be paid to a private 3d party every time…

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Housing Shortage Evident in the Supply of Apartments

Taking part in discussions and correspondences  with other property managers nationwide, the shortage of rental housing is not limited the metro Denver area.  Other managers are seeing record low vacancies low vacancies in their respected areas. The metro Denver single-family vacancies are at all time low of 2.% The shortage seems to be evident in the supply of apartments.  The…

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Single Family Home Vacancies @ 2%

The vacancy rate for single-family homes/townhomes and condos  is at all-time low of 2% during the 4th quarter of 2010 according to the Colorado Department of Housing. The average number of days to rent such homes dropped to 38.2 days from 53.9 days in the 4th quarter of 2009. Click here for the full report.  

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2010 Foreclosure Report Now Available

Colorado Department of Housing has published the 2010 Colorado Foreclosure report. The charts below show 2003-2010 stats for Colorado and the metro Denver area. The Denver metro includes the Denver, Arapaho and Adams counties. For other areas please refer to the actual report. The foreclosure filings are down, however, more homes are going to auction.

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HB-1278: HOAs Must Register

HB-1278 – All Homeowners Associations governed by CCIOA (Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act) must, annually, register and pay the required fees, with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Real Estate. This bill is effective 1/1/2011. All registrations must be completed online prior to March 1, 2011. The registrations must be renewed annually. An association is exempt from the…

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Areas that avoided foreclosure mess earlier may be taking hit now

The Denver post reporting: Areas that avoided foreclosure mess earlier may be taking hit now – Homes in metro Denver neighborhoods that previously appeared insulated from the housing crisis are seeing a decline in prices as foreclosures and short sales tick up.  Meanwhile, those communities that were hit hardest are showing signs of improvement.  Read full article: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_16353602

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Homebuyers’ Tax Credit Recapture Starting in 2010

September 30th is the deadline to close on the homes purchased by Apr 30th tax-credit expiration date to earn the tax-credit. There were two variations to the tax-credit, one for the homes purchased in 2008 and one for those purchased in 2009. For homes purchased in 2008, the tax-credit was $7,500 and only applicable to the first time homebuyers. The…

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June Pending Home Sales Down as Expected

Homeowner Tax credit ended 4/30. There was a mad rush in March and especially in Apr to have the contracts in place by the 4/30 deadline. All the contracts had to be closed by end of June (then, extended to end of Sept because of overload).  I expect a slow rest of the year and early 2011. The National Association…

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July Metro Home Sales Drop

The Denver post reported yesterday Denver Metro home sales is down 26% compare to a year ago.  This is expected as the homebuyers tax credit ended in April. All those contracts were to close by June 30 (now extended to end of September due to overload). The Denver Post Article.

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No Gain Exemption on a Rebuilt Home

Gain from the sale of a primary home is tax exempt up the $250k/$500k (singles/married) limit but not if the house is rebuilt and sold. The tax court ruled that in this case (Gates, Tax Court No 1) the owners did not live in their rebuilt house 2 years out of  the 5 years prior to the sale as is…

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Best Places to Live

CNNs Money “Best Places To Live” List http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/top100/ Highlands Ranch, Broomfield, Ft. Collins, Loveland

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More on Denver’s New Zoning Code

Denver has adopted the new zoning code effective June 25th. The zoning map designates the zoning district for every property. At this link you will find the new zoning code map & the former chapter 59 zoning map, history, case status, and a lot more info. Here is another link to Denver zoning code and more.

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EPA Delays Enforcement of New Lead Paint Rules

Colorado Association of REALTOS®: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed the enforcement of the new Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule to provide time to get more remodelers and other contractors trained – and for EPA to get the word out to consumers about the importance of hiring a certified remodeler, according to the National Association of Home Builders…

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Denver’s New Zoning Code

Denver has a new zoning code. Opponents are concerned that it will be too restrictive and harder to navigate than the existing code. However, creators of the new code say it’ll be just the opposite. They feel the new code will be easier to use, and allows for more options for how and where businesses and homes will be built…

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Co-owners Qualify for Full Exemption

The tax court ruled that co-owners of a principal residence are eligible for full $500k exemption ($250k each) just like married couples provided each had lived at the home 2 years out of the 5 years prior to the sale. The IRS auditor had allowed $125k each (Hsu v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue , Tax Court  Summary Opinion 2010-68).  Currently…

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May Unemployment Up

April’s 12800+ job addition negated by May’s 10,200 losses per Colorado Department of Labor. Unemployment rate is at 7.7% compare to 8.2% a year ago.

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Apt Vacancies, Rent Improve

Earlier reports had shown Denversingle family home vacancies have dropped and rents are up. Now, the same is true for apartments Per CO Dept of Housing. This is encouraging news. The housing and employment are directly related. Although employment is still lower than the levels of 2009, in April Co added 12800+ jobs. See the June Housing Snapshot

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Tax-Credit Closing Deadline May Be Extended

Three senators (Harry Reid D-NV, Johnny Isakson R-GA., Christopher Dodd D-CT) have proposed to extend the tax-credit closing deadline to September 30th from June 30th. The extension is for those homebuyers who have qualified for the tax credit and also have had their contracts in place by the April 30th deadline. National Association of Realtors estimates that about 75,000 homebuyers…

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3.8% Surtax on Home Sale?

The 3.8% Medicare Surtax on the sale of a primary home (in general on investment income) effective in 2013 applies to very few people.1) The net profit from the sale of the primary residence must be over $250K for singles, and $500K for married. Any amount over those is classified as investment income and is subject to capital gain tax…

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Bank of Ameriaca Loan Modification

Bank of America offering loan modifications to 10,000 homeowners starting in late June. It applies to homeowners who have missed at least 2 payments and owe 20 percent or more than their home is currently worth. Only certain types of loans issued by Countrywide Financial Corp. qualify for the adjustment. More at MSNBC Business ..

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No hiccups please or ouch

No hiccups please, 30 days to go. April 30the was the deadline for tax-credit contracts to be in place. All those contracts must CLOSE by end of June for the homeowners to claim the tax-credit. It seems 2 months is plenty of time nonetheless home buyers and their agents must stay on top of things.

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Fire Safety Code May Ease In Arvada

The Denver Post published an article yesterday (5/23/2010) that the City of Arvada my change or ease a fire safety code that is hindering the resale of some homes. The code is part of the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code adopted by the City of Arvada and other metro-area cities. The code disallows the sale, lease, disposition of non-conforming homes….

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Resale Prices Increasing

The National Association of Realtors reports that the median sales price for existing homes increased in 91 of the 152 metropolitan in the 1st quarter of 2010 over the same period in 2009. Denver prices increased by 16%, Boulder by 2.2%

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What is Your Home Value?

Under Current Home Value tab: get an instant, computer generated price for your home, recent sales in the area, other homes value, etc OR request a detailed assessment.

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February Existing-home Sales Slips But

February Existing-Home Sales Decline, Inventories Higher but Improvement Over a Year Ago Existing-home sales declined slightly in February. The decline continues after peaking in November. The sales slipped 0.6% nationally to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.02 million units. However, it is 7.0% higher than February of 2009. The home prices are also more stable than a year ago….

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