Over the last two days, the Denver area (including my home town of Arvada) experienced The Big Snow of 2009 - that's what I'm calling it, in hopes that it's the only one. No, I don't like snow. Yet it's a part of our lives here in Colorado. The good news is, it usually doesn't stay on the ground here in town very long, especially early and late snow falls.
But for those of your who looooove snow - even after it melts here you don't have to go far to find it, so no worries!
Anyway, back to the topic - I saw a few pictures of friends' dogs posted on Facebook, and love the personalities they show. I'll be adding more pictures as I get them, so if you have one, send it on!
First up - my own beagle, Daphne. I was doing all I could to coerce her to come out into the snow, but as you can see, she wasn't going to budge!
Here's the typical big dog (a friend's golden retriever), enjoying the snow to the max.
And my daughter's dog, Sapphira, who really CANNOT get enough.
I can only imagine what this little girl's thinking, but I'm sure it's NOT, "Get ready, my people are about to pick me up and drop me in the middle of the cold, white stuff". Which is what happened to her next. (This is Roxy. I'm really not sure what she is, but my daughter keeps telling me she's not a chihuaha.)
And these last pictures illustrate the real reason I don't like snow, which is, because gardening season is over. WAY over!
I write posts on 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 here or considering a move here. I've collected my local info posts here.
I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.
I've wanted to make it out to Denver's Dragon Boat Festival ever since I heard about it a few years ago, and when I finally made it I was not disappointed. The brochure said, "More than just a race: Your Weekend Passport to Asia and the Pacific", and that's truly the way it felt.
The Dragon Boat Festival is held at Sloan's Lake, at Sheridan Blvd and W. 17th Ave. It was about a 10 minute drive from my home in Arvada. This year, it was July 25 and 26, and the focus was on Hawaii's 50th anniversary of becoming our 50th state.
We got there in time for the opening ceremony - a parade of all the teams, led by a 75-foot dragon. Just beautiful! The parade was followed by the traditional Buddhist blessing and eye-dotting ceremony.
Watching the races was fun, and the lake was gorgeous. The boats looked fierce and colorful as they cut their way through the smooth water, encouraged by the steady beat of the drums.
And there was soooo much good food. It was hard to choose!
Even the marketplace was fun and interesting, offering items you don't find at most festivals. My daughter and I each purchased a beautiful paper umbrella to shield ourselves from the intense Colorado summer sun.
But with all that, the Performing Arts Stage was a favorite spot. There was traditional music and dance from Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand. For me, it's the music that really takes me to a different place!
There was 'Gateway to Asia', with demonstrations such as egg roll making, lei-making, dance, and a wedding ceremony.
And we can't leave the kids out, they enjoyed Dragonland with hands-on arts and crafts and face-painting.
I write posts on 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 here or considering a move here. I've collected my local info posts here.
I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.
As we transition from summer warmth to winter chill, I hope the crisp air and glorious colors of autumn bring you good memories and a sense of joy for what’s to come as 2009 winds down. I know some of you will read this newsletter at your desk, some will have your laptop with you in front of a crackling fire, and some will read it on your phones. Wherever and however, I hope you enjoy!
Input from Readers
Senator Evie Hudack would like to invite you to join her for coffee (or breakfast) at Panera Bread Café (7739 Wadsworth) on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 to 8:30 am, to discuss issues of concern to you.The next one will be November 5. She’s also having a town hall meeting Saturday, November 21, from 10:30 am to noon at the Standley Lake Library. Visit her website, http://www.eviehudak.com, to sign up to receive her newsletter, and find out more about what she’s up to.
From Kathy: I do have two questions: Do you know why the Art Cafe closed? It was one of our favorite spots. Also, do you know when Udi's will open? Thanks!
(I put in a call to AEDA (Arvada Economic Development Association) and got answers from Lila Nigh – she made a call and found out Udi’s is shooting for mid-November but definitely plan to be open by Thanksgiving. The Art Café – she’s not sure why it closed, although she knows the building is for sale. They don’t generally get involved in why businesses close. I think the only way to answer this question is by talking to the owners – do any of you readers know them?)
From Louisa: Places in CO that I like: Air Force Academy – they have wonderful football games. Lyons – nice, sleepy town with lots of small town charm. Breckenridge – love the summer alpine slide. Garden of the Gods – lovely place to hike.
Favorite Restaurant – I LOVE the 20th Street Café in downtown Denver on 20th and Arapahoe. They have the best American and Japanese food. Their noodles are great, the food’s awesome.
I would love to know what the average summer water usage for our area is. They recently changed out my meter, and I think that the number they gave me was high, but I have nothing to compare it to.
(I found the following statement on Arvada’s web site: “One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. An average family uses approximately 0.4 AF per year.” That comes to 130,000 gallons (WOW!).If you want to talk more specifically about your family’s water usage you can call the city. Sometimes, when the usage seems high, it turns out that there’s a broken pipe somewhere.)
Here’s a question: Where would people suggest going for a summer vacation with children within CO? I have a 3 ½ and a 1 ½ year old and we would like to get out and do things, but I don’t want to have to fly somewhere in the summer, and in the winter, I just want places to go to do things in the Metro area. Any suggestions?
Here’s an answer from one of my current clients, who has an adorable 2-year old: “I would do a stay-cation in Denver and go to things like the aquarium or Childrens' Museum and zoo. Another option is to stay at a ski resort where they have summertime activities.”
Personally, I subscribe to 5280 and Sunset, and tear out articles about places that seem right for us, and keep in a file. I have an article on Fort Collins, they have Swetsville Zoo – “more than 170 comical characters constructed from scrap metal on display at an outdoor sculpture park”. I also have an article about the Children’s Secret Path in Denver’s Botanic Gardens.
Unfortunately, most of the articles I’ve saved aren’t focused on having little ones along. But you can get a lot of ideas from an internet search - pick a city, check their website for upcoming events, and head out! (There’s a trail with African sculptures in Loveland – might be dull for young ones, but when it opened they had African music and dance, would have been a lot of fun!)
From Amanda:I love Hanging Lake hiking trail, a place called "Indian Springs" in Idaho Springs (rent-able private hot tubs that are hot springs). And Silverton is a GORGEOUS mountain town in the summer.
Favorite Dish - Los Arcos! I love the jalapeno poppers or the bean burrito platter.
Can I have two fav Halloween memories? One was the time you made me an Alice costume and that kid really thought I was Alice. The other one was the time you were gone so Dad tried to help me with my pirate costume and we failed miserably at it. (PS – Amanda is my daughter, if you haven’t figured that out. I meant for her to be a girl pirate, but when I got home and saw the pictures, she had a black mustache, which went SO WELL with her curly blond locks!)
From Georgia:Why is it so important to get a pre-approval letter from a lender when you haven’t even found the house you want?
I’m glad you asked this question, Georgia, because it can be a touchy one. If I’m working with a new buyer, and I start out with conversation about seeing a lender, they might feel like I’m all about the money. But it really is in their best interest to know how much they qualify for, and what kind of loan is best for them.
It’s a heartbreaker to show lovely homes, that the buyer later finds out they can’t afford. Believe me, it’s hard to find homes that fit their budget and that they will like after they’ve seen nicer ones. And the opposite is true too – it’s frustrating trying to find the home people want within constraints that later turn out to be too low. Plus, some loans – FHA especially – automatically eliminate some homes, so it’s good to know ahead of time.
And many people don’t realize that these days no seller wants an offer without a lender’s letter coming along with it. So it’s best to get that taken care of, so when you find the perfect home, getting a lender letter won’t hold up the offer.
I’ll just add here that pre-approval letters differ immensely in quality. Some are worthless. I like a letter from a lender who has pulled credit and reviewed docs (pay records, debts). Some lenders put out letters based on nothing, really. And some want several hundred dollars up front before they’ll actually do any of the up-front work. Stay away from them!
Local Stories Only a ‘Native’ Would Know
I told in my previous newsletter about Shep's grave on the old Boulder Turnpike. I loved that story, and now there’s more!
Ann emailed me this: its maintenance and seasonal decoration were the idea of Dr. Bruner of the Broomfield Veterinary Hospital at 120th and Sheridan. He’s a Broomfield native and I’ve used his vet service since 1969.
From Carrisa -“There is a little blurb on Olde Town Arvada in this months 5280 magazine. It is only one page, and things I am sure you have already mentioned in your newsletter, but still cool that Olde Town made a spot in this magazine:)http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0910/feature.php?pageID=1945”
Goings-on in Arvada –
Meet Cindy and see Cookie Lee jewelry’s newest offerings at Novo Coffee on Oct 24th, 2-4 pm. Novo Coffee is at 7745 Wadsworth Blvd #B in Arvada, near Great Harvest.
Do you sell hand-crafted items, or have a home-based business? Cindy is Putting on a multi-vendor event in November. She’s done these several times, and they’re always very popular. Call Cindy at 303-425-4740 or email Cindypage99@yahoo.com.
Howl-o-ween dogs trick or treat through old Towne, costume and tricks contest
Trick or Treat Street Friday, October 30th (5-7 p.m.)
Local Real Estate News
Real estate is such a hot topic, I don’t want to take up time or space talking about the same things that are out there on the news every night.But often, the news that we hear is moot, because it’s not local. Real estate is VERY local. What’s going on in Arvada is different from what’s going on in Aurora. So I think I’ll give you my two cents on the hot subjects.
#1 – the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers is coming to an end. You must close by November 30 to qualify, and if you’re getting an FHA loan and just now getting started, that’s going to be a hard date to meet.But the question is – did this government stimulus expense, stimulate anything?
I say yes – it definitely turned the entry-level market into hot property. Homes priced below $200,000 are going fast (assuming they’re priced right). In many cases, the winning ‘bid’ is a cash offer, making the situation surprisingly difficult for those financing their home purchase.
#2 – interest rates.Most people in the real estate field are surprised they’ve stayed so low so long. I see more and more warnings that this can’t last forever, and have heard indications that there’s been some upward movement. Still, we have a long way to go before interest rates are ‘high’ (this is the opinion of someone who’s first mortgage loan was at 14%).
#3 – when will home prices start going up again?I think foreclosures are still holding prices down, even though there have been fewer of them. Joblessness is another huge factor holding the housing market down. Prices will start going up in areas where the job picture is improving.
Based on a meeting I went to in Broomfield – the Broomfield/Westminster/ Arvada area will be positively impacted by people moving in for jobs, but that’s not happening right away.It sounded like the next two to three years will be when we see the biggest impact.
The first-time buyer’s tax credit has bumped up prices in entry-level housing, but no one knows yet if that will hold once the credit expires. And the market for homes above $350,000 continues to be difficult. Homes in that price point will continue to see some lowering for awhile.
Life in Arvada is the subject of several posts I've written on neighborhoods, merchants and stores, things to do, andother local info, with the hope of helping those trying to get a feel for life here.
I know how hard it can be to get a handle on the ins-and-outs of a smaller town like Arvada. People seem to think about Denver or Boulder when moving to Colorado, but what about all those suburban towns and neighborhoods between the better-known cities? Arvada is one of those towns, and it's a sweet one.
So if you're new to the area between Denver and Boulder, or thinking of moving here, I hope you'll find the info in these posts informative and enlightening. I've gathered them here, and will keep adding links to this post as I get new ones written.
Enjoy!
(And if you have questions I can address, or if there's something you'd like to see more info on, let me know.)
I write posts focused on local businesses as a public service, and am not endorsing any business, nor do I have any sort of 'relationship' with them, other than as a raving consumer. My hope is to give people an idea of the 'flavor' of the community of Arvada, in case they're new here or considering a move here.
I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.
Did you know Arvada has a community garden? They had an open house a few weeks ago*, and I stopped by. What a great place, and a nice bunch of people. It’s located at 57th and Garrison. There are 120 plots. Club membership is $25 per year for individuals, $35 for families, and includes a plot, water, hose. Non-members can rent plots, but they have a waiting list.
You can tour the gardens, and be sure to stop by for your fall decorating needs, such as pumpkins, corn stalks, and gourds. (Please stick to the paths, and - do I have to say it - DON't PICK ANYTHING!) Hours of operation are Monday and Wednesday, 7:30 to noon, and 4:30 to 7 pm; Friday from 4:30 to 7 pm; Saturday 7:30 to noon.
For more info call Kyle or Jackie at Young's 303-422-8408.
*Oh wow - that was back in August!
Arvada is a historic town about midway between Denver and Boulder in Jefferson County, Colorado. There are many different neighborhood styles and homes prices, all served by well-loved schools. Call me to talk about the kind of neighborhood you dream of living in.
I write posts focused on local businesses as a public service, and am not endorsing any business, nor do I have any sort of 'relationship' with them, other than as a raving consumer. My hope is to give people an idea of the 'flavor' of the community of Arvada, in case they're new here or considering a move here.
I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.
Every year, as Christmas approaches, I hear people complain about the commercialism of it, or state the obvious truth that most of the gifts they're giving aren't even needed, and how hard it is to find gifts for people who 'have everything' or don't want anything. Well, stop complaining and make a meaningful change!
There's a thousand ways to do it, but one way that gets me excited and happy is to scour the World Vision Gift Catalog and pick some way to make a huge impact in the life of someone who I'll never even meet. Maybe it could help you out of your Christmas doldrums too!
You can give a goat or a duck and save a child's life. Or a sheep or a cow. Or give an entire barnyard's worth of animals and save an entire village.
Now, you can get a stuffed goat too, which would be great if children are involved in the gifting. Or, donate to the Maximum Impact Fund (which helps girls rescued from the sex trade) and get a beaded bracelet to remind you of the good thing you were able to do.
This can be very personal. One time, I went to an alpaca farm in Oregon, and fell in love with this other lady's life. I soooo wanted to get some alpaca, and live the way she did. I fantasized about it for a long time, and even started reading up on it and visiting Alpaca farms near where I live in Colorado. As it turned out, the alpaca farm didn't work out, but I discovered that I could give an alpaca to a family living in the Andes highlands. That alpaca would be more than a hobby, it would produce up to 12 pounds of wool every year for 25 years! The family could make clothes or share the wool.
Someone who loves fishing might have a fish pond dug and stocked.
Maybe you have a heart for empowering women - you can give a bicycle that will help a girl get an education.
If you love sports, give a soccer balls.
You can choose your gift based on the part of the world where it would go - including the USA.
You can also buy gifts to give to friends and family members, such as a handwoven and dyed scarf from Thailand or fair-trade coffee and a mug from Ethiopia, and the proceeds will go to where it's most needed through the Maximum Impact Fund.
Last year, my family bought two chickens and two ducks in my name. I still have those cards sitting right here on my desk where I can see them. All the other Christmas cards - as much as I love them - got put away in the basement.
I have to ask you one favor - if you do buy a gift through the WV catalog, let me know - I'd LOVE to hear about it!
(I don't work for World Vision, and I'm not representing them in any way. I'm a residential real estate agent, happily working in the beautiful and friendly cities between Denver and Boulder, including Golden, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, Lakewood, Thornton.)
Picture this – a husband and wife lived in their 4-level home for more than three decades, and now climbing all those stairs is getting difficult and dangerous. They’d love to get a one-level house, but the nice ones cost more than they could sell their current home for. They can’t use any of their savings to make up the difference, because they need that cash for living.
Or how about this – after raising her family in the home she shared with her husband, a lady has lost her husband, and there is a mortgage on the home. She can’t keep up with the payments, and the house needs some serious maintenance, plus there’s medical expenses from her husband’s illness. Sure, she has equity and she could sell, but she doesn’t want to. She wants to stay in her home, but she’s in danger of losing it to foreclosure.
The answer in these cases, and many others, may be a reverse mortgage. Now, I know reverse mortgages were awful in the past, and many people won’t even consider them. But today’s reverse mortgage could be a lifesaver for many seniors. They’re not the same dangerous product they used to be.
For one thing, they’re now FHA insured. A person can’t lose their home as long as they live in the house, pay the taxes, and keep the insurance policy paid up. To get a reverse mortgage, a person doesn’t have to have a job, a credit score, assets, or income, You do not give up title to your home. You do not make payments. You are never required to leave or sell the home as long as one borrower occupies the home as the primary residence and the taxes and insurance are paid. Your heirs retain 100% of the excess equity when the home is sold, after the senior leaves it. And today’s reverse mortgage never leaves you or your family in debt. The cash you take out of the home is tax free.
You can get a lump sum of tax-free cash, or get monthly payments. What’s more, it’s now possible to purchase a home with a reverse mortgage.
I know this sounds like a commercial, but I have a heart for the senior citizens of our communities, who’ve worked hard all their life, did everything right to the best they knew how, and are now struggling while they have hundreds of thousands of dollars of equity in their home that they’re afraid to touch.
If you are 62 years of age and you could benefit from this, or you know someone who could, please call Christine Jensen of Cherry Creek Mortgage (303-456-4403). She can get you started in about ten minutes.
The question, "Should I rent or should I buy a house?", is one that many people struggle with. The following is an answer I recently provided. It's not all the information you'll need to make the decision, but should get your thought processes going. Please call me if you have any further questions, or if you're considering buying a house in the area between Denver and Boulder.
Question:
"I'm looking at wanting to buy a condo/loft/townhouse. I've already been doing some searching and want to stay in the downtown areas, since I work there and am not in a point in my life where I need/want a stand alone house and yard to take care of. Is this a good option to do or should I stay renting? I dont plan on moving from my job/location for the next few years at least."
Answer:
There are many things to consider (as I'm sure you already realize!). Buying offers income tax deductions for the interest and taxes, which many people aren't aware of (an accountant could give you the specifics). And you're probably aware of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers you may qualify for if you buy before the end of November.
One good exercise is to figure out how much rent will cost over the next five years or so, compared to the cost of owning a home. The mortgage payment on a town house may be less than rent, until you add in the HOA fees, which may be $200 to $300. But if you get a fixed rate loan, the mortgage payment will stay the same (unless taxes, HOA or insurance goes up), and rent can increase each year.
What I usually do with my clients is start out by discussing how much your current rent payment is, and how comfortable you are with that. Starting there, figure out how much you can spend in order to end up with about that same amount for a monthly payment. Then, take a look at a few places in that price range to get a feel for whether or not you'd be happy in those places.
It's also a good idea to sit down with a lender to get some counsel. I know some excellent lenders who will not push you, but will discuss the pros and cons with you. Let me know if you want some names.
Whether buying or selling a house, the existence or lack of building permits for past work is easy to determine in the city of Arvada, Colorado. And it's an interesting little bit of sleuthing too, based on my recent experiences.
My eyes were opened to the importance of checking for building permits recently when my clients made an offer on a beautifully remodeled home. The place had been purchased recently for over $100,000 less, with some mention of structural issues in the listing. I checked with the listing agent, who forwarded the receipts for the work - done by a structural enginering firm. I called the engineer and found out about their warranty. He also said he'd personally explain to the buyers what they did and how they solved the structural problems.
Then, we noticed that there was a new electrical box and wiring, and there was also a new roof, windows, many other items. After we got under contract, I checked for permits.
There were no permits on record - not even for the structural work!
Not surprisingly, my clients backed out of the deal.
So then, I previewed three other houses I thought might work for them, and recommended they see all three because they each had their plusses and their issues, but any of them could work. This time, I decided to check those pesky building permits before I even showed the homes, and here's what I found:
Home # 1
- The house that needed the most work, and that the agent had written, 'Property is sold "AS IS", but also claimed, 'newer furnace and water heater' had no building permits on record.
Home #2
- The other one that mentioned 'newer furnace and hot water heater', had permits on record for both of those appliances, from January of 2006. Yeah! This home also happened to be one of the best-looking homes I've seen in this price range, as far as looking like the owner tended it carefully. Very clean and well taken care of.
Home #3
- MLS listing only said, 'Quiet street, very clean and neat'. But when I checked building permits, I found a new roof (1 month old), sprinkler system (2007), vinyl windows (2001), and a water heater (2004). Hmmm ... these are things an agent might want to mention in the marketing, I'd think.
When I checked building permits for my other home buyers, who are already under contract, one home showed a roof permit from last month (BTW - there was a big hail storm in Arvada a month ago, hence the abundance of new roofs.), a furnace in 2002, and the gas fireplace was permitted in 1991. The other one (a townhouse) showed a hot water heater in May of 2009 and a furnace in 2002.
Good to know - interesting that in neither case did the sellers note on their property disclosures how new these appliances were. Weird, huh?
To check building permits on homes in the City of Arvada, simply go to http://arvada.org/DM/address.php and input the address. Click on 'Get Doc' and all the building permits of record come right up.
I am a residential real estate agent, licensed in the State of Colorado, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.
There's a new twist adding frustration to home buyer's ability to buy a foreclosure. Many listings include the statement, "Buyer must qualify with XYZ Bank." There's a couple problems with this requirement - not the least of which is, home buyers who've already jumped through all the hoops necessary to get a good lender's OK to go ahead and find their new home are well aware of all the personal info they have to hand over. The thought of doing that again, with a complete stranger that they're being forced to submit to, is anathema to many good, sincere home buyers.
And I don't blame them. It's difficult for anyone who doesn't have cash to get in on the best entry-level deals. Buyers are finding it necessary to submit offers on several homes, because they keep losing out to people who have cash or stronger loans, even if they offer above asking price. So there's a good possiblity that they'll be distributing their social security number and paycheck records to multiple unknown individuals, when there never really was a chance that they'd get the house, because an investor with cash already has submitted the winning offer.
Besides that, multiple hits on their credit can actually reduce their score!
And why is this happening? Most real estate agents seem to assume the bank who owns the foreclosed home is making the requirement. And many agents say, "I don't blame them - lender letters are so often useless."
But I've discovered that's not necessarily the case.
I noticed the name of a particular bank popping up repeatedly in our MLS, yet I didn't recognize it as one of the big local players in the mortgage market. So I called and asked what's up. I lucked out by reaching a helpful and honest lady who told me what's going on -
Lenders are actually buying the 'right' to require anyone who makes an offer on bank-owned homes get pre-qualified through them. This is NOT the bank that owns the home. This is a third party, who has paid many tens of thousands of dollars to the selliing bank, just for the opportunity to try to steal buyers from the lender that has done all the up-front work.
This lady told me that 95% of the time the buyers already have a lender, and want to stay with them, so it's a waste of her company's money and time.
So we have a situation that's benefitting the lender that foreclosed on the home, and no one else. I wonder if this pointless income stream is figured into the 'bottom line' when lenders are considering whether or not to accept a short sale offer?
I wonder how many other ways banks are making money off of foreclosures, other than the amount they actually sell the house for?
My clients tell me, "We aren't interested in making offers on homes that have this requirement." So hopefully, these third-party lenders will figure out that they're throwing their money away, and get out of this game soon.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
I've wanted to make it out to Denver's Dragon Boat Festival ever since I heard about it a few years ago, and when I finally made it I was not disappointed. The brochure said, "More than just a race: Your Weekend Passport to Asia and the Pacific", and that's truly the way it felt.
There was 'Gateway to Asia', with demonstrations such as egg roll making, lei-making, dance, and a wedding ceremony.
village.
This can be very personal. One time, I went to an alpaca farm in Oregon, and fell in love with this other lady's life. I soooo wanted to get some alpaca, and live the way she did. I fantasized about it for a long time, and even started reading up on it and visiting Alpaca farms near where I live in Colorado. As it turned out, the alpaca farm didn't work out, but I discovered that I could give an alpaca to a family living in the Andes highlands. That alpaca would be more than a hobby, it would produce up to 12 pounds of wool every year for 25 years! The family could make clothes or share the wool.
Picture this – a husband and wife lived in their 4-level home for more than three decades, and now climbing all those stairs is getting difficult and dangerous. They’d love to get a one-level house, but the nice ones cost more than they could sell their current home for. They can’t use any of their savings to make up the difference, because they need that cash for living.
My eyes were opened to the importance of checking for building permits recently when my clients made an offer on a beautifully remodeled home. The place had been purchased recently for over $100,000 less, with some mention of structural issues in the listing. I checked with the listing agent, who forwarded the receipts for the work - done by a structural enginering firm. I called the engineer and found out about their warranty. He also said he'd personally explain to the buyers what they did and how they solved the structural problems.
plusses and their issues, but any of them could work. This time, I decided to check those pesky building permits before I even showed the homes, and here's what I found:
;)
;)
