Between Denver and Boulder

Most 'whacked' Christmas gift

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:50:17 -0600

I rarely write completely unlrelated-to-real-estate posts, but I thought of the AR group, "Whacked", when I saw this item in the Solutions catalog.

A digital camera on a pet collar. You set it to snap pictures every few minutes, up to 40. So you know what your pet was up to all day, of course!

And only $49.95 + shipping.

Wow - I think I'll take another look at that World Vision gift catalog! With the kind of junk retailers offer at Christmas, I think most people really don't need to buy anything at all.

This is my dog, Daphne. She's happy with a simple chew stick, then being left alone to nap.

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying a home or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Recycle Your Turkey-Frying Oil in Arvada, Colorado Today

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:14:20 -0600

Starting at 10 am and up until 4 pm today Arvada residents can take your used turkey-frying oil to two locations in Arvada for recycling.

Indiana Service Center: 6701 Indiana St
Wadsworth City Shops: 6161 Olde Wadsworth Blvd

City staff will be there to help you empty your containers of used vegetable oil / grease into barrels provided by Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises. Please take your empty containers with you after they are emptied. The event closes promptly at 4:00 at both locations.

Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises refines the oil into biofuels and agricultural products.

Thank you for recycling your vegetable oil!

Read more about life in Arvada, Colorado. And here's a little intro to Olde Town Arvada.

I write about real estate 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 Denver area.

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying a home or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Totally Annoying Stuff that Happens While Finding Your New House

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:42:24 -0600

So you’re ready to buy a house. You’ve gotten your finances together, your lease is about to expire or your current house is on the market, you’ve researched neighborhoods and looked at a multitude of houses online.

All you have left is the fun part – going to look at houses and picking one. Easy, right?

Sometimes, it is just that easy.

If you’ve got a small geographical area chosen, and know what features are ‘must-haves’, and there are plenty of houses to choose from – but not too many – you could easily pick a house to write an offer on the first day out.

But one annoying thing that can happen is having too many houses to choose from. That’s annoying because you might feel like you have to see every single one, or you’ll miss out on something. So, you find one you really like, but you decide to see a few more, then when you’ve seen them all and you’re ready to write an offer on that first one, it’s gone!

This annoyance is compounded by not narrowing down the area you want to search in, or not being certain what kind of home you’re looking for.

Also, if you allow yourself to be put off by things that can easily be fixed, you’ll never be happy with any home you see. I once had a lady look at one house that she said had ‘too much grass’, then the very next one had ‘not enough grass’. Sheesh!!

If you’ve decided that your entire future happiness and the well-being of your family depends on you finding just the right house, and any mistake means the end of life as you know it, you will not be able to make a choice. It’s called ‘analysis paralysis’.

The keys to solving this annoyance are prioritization and compromise. Seriously consider all the options and make a list of the most important to the least important. Highlight the items that are ‘must have’, as opposed to those you could live without.

Then, work with an agent who will take you to see only the homes that have all your most important features. If you cannot find a home that has all your must-haves, you need to sit down and talk with your agent, to figure out which things you could compromise on. If your agent has been paying attention to you, listening and watching as you view homes, she'll be able to help you work out the knotty parts.

In other words, start out with as narrow a focus as possible, then broaden the search from there.

For most people, the #1 spot is usually filled by price, location, size, or a combination of those. A large family may be limited by price, but must have a home that’s comfortable for everyone. So they may have to ‘give’ on the location.

And I really hate to bring up the other main annoyance in finding your new home, but I must because it happens so often. That’s working with an agent who doesn’t have time to show you houses, or who expects you to do their work for them and find the house yourself.Then, call them when you're ready to write an offer.

There’s not a lot I can say about this matter, because I don’t want to get myself in trouble. But you might be happiest working with an agent who isn’t trying to be the most-mega-top-producer-money-making-machine, but who instead limits the number of clients they take at any one time, so they can give great service to each one. Which is what all homebuyers and home sellers deserve, after all.

(This is the third post in a series. See the first post.)

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying a home or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News November 2009

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:49:07 -0600

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

Now we approach the holiday season, some with anticipation and some with trepidation. My hope for each of you is that, regardless of circumstances you find yourself in that may not be all you desire, you find the joy of true Thanksgiving. Every year, I find myself simplifying a little more, and enjoying a lot more. May you be blessed in all your comings and goings!

Input from Readers

Here’s a cute tip from Amanda: According to the American Baby magazine, November 2009. (americanbaby.com) The U.S. Post Office can help you with your child's "letter to Santa". They say, "Write a letter as if you were Santa Claus. Put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your child. Mail that by December 15th in a stamped, larger envelope to North Pole Holiday Cancellation, Postmaster, 4141 Postmark Dr. Anchorage, AK 99530-9998. Your letter will arrive with a 'North Pole' postmark!"

Susan sent me a great money-saving tip for groceries: The Friday Store, which sells ‘discount’ groceries, is located at 5635 Newland Way in  Arvada. Discount grocery stores sell products that big stores like Safeway and King Soopers have salvaged, such as dented cans or slightly expired items. People say they save 40-50%. Besides food, you can get health and beauty items and pet supplies, although I take it you never know quite what you’ll find. Their number is 303-422-8562, and they’re open  Friday and Saturday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here’s an important safety tip from Angel: Census workers will be out knocking on doors, they will have a badge, handheld device, Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information or donations to anyone claiming to be with the U.S. Census. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Michelle says have your insurance policies re-quoted, even if you’re not switching companies. If you go on year after year, unquestionably paying higher premiums, you’ll end up paying hundreds more than you would do with a new policy with identical coverage. She ended up saving $600 per year on cars and another $700 on homeowners.

She added, “We have passed this information on to our neighbors and friends and heard other positive stories. One neighbor said they were able to reduce their costs by over $3,000 a year! Note I am not sharing the name of who I have my insurance with, as that didn't seem to matter, almost all insurance companies will have a reduction if you re-quote!”

I get Senator Evie Hudak’s newsletter, and she had some interesting info for all Coloradans in there, so here with her permission is an excerpt:

“The Governor and the Legislature do not have many places to make cuts from, because 97% of the state budget (General Fund) is devoted to just 5 areas:

1. 43% for K-12 Education – which is required to increase annually and cannot be reduced because of Amendment 23.

2. 21% for Health Care Policy and Financing – which covers Medicaid and other federally mandated health care entitlement programs, increasing because of the bad economy.

3. 14% for Corrections, Public Safety, and Judicial – which are the components of our state justice and prison system.

4. 9% for Human Services – which covers the most vulnerable populations, including the disabled, mentally ill, and children who are the victims of abuse or neglect.

5. 8.8% for Higher Education - which includes our state universities, state colleges, and community colleges and is the most flexible area of the budget; most of its funding has been preserved with stimulus money.”

Best Tip of The Month –

From Susan: Two free things recommended by computer geeks (to download and use regularly):

* ccleaner (stands for "crap cleaner") http://www.ccleaner.com

easy to use, cleans up all sorts of stuff that slows down your computer

* SUPERAntiSpyware -- spyware remover (I still use Spybot but this one catches more) http://www.superantispyware.com/

Goings-on in Arvada –

Do you deep-fry your turkey? What the heck do you do with all that leftover oil? Well, this year you can take it to a vegetable oil drop-off event at either 6161 Olde Wadsworth Blvd or 6701 Indiana Street on the Saturday after Thanksgiving between 10 am and 4 pm. City employees will be there to help. Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises will refine the oil into biofuels and agricultural products.

Enjoy horse drawn carriage rides through historic Olde Town Arvada Friday nights Nov. 27 through December 18. $10 per ride, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. And of course, get some shopping done while you’re in town!

Tree lighting in Olde Town Square (57^th & Olde Wadsworth) on Monday, December 7 beginning at 6:00 pm. Visit Santa, free horse-drawn carriage rides, enjoy hot chocolate, listen to carolers. This is Lagniappe, a gift from Olde Town merchants.

Local Real Estate News

Are we in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? How would you know?

The answer to that question lies in a statistic called the ‘Absorption Rate’. Absorption Rate (AR) is found by dividing the number of homes sold the past year by 12, which gives the average number that have sold each month. Compare that to the number of homes currently on the market. Then, assuming no new homes come on the market, you could figure the number of months it would take for the current inventory to be sold off.

There’s some disagreement as to exactly how many months of AR constitutes a buyer’s market vs a seller’s market, and some other factors come into play also. But the point I want to make clear, is that it’s a different answer based on the city you’re curious about, and even the price range.

So, if you get your real estate news from the television or internet, and you assume it applies to your particular situation, you could be way off.

For instance, there are currently 505 homes for sale in Arvada, and 1,255 have sold in the past year. That’s 105.5 per month. So Arvada has about a 5-month absorption rate, a buyer’s market. (There’s more homes on the market than can sell quickly, so they’re hard to sell, and buyers are in high demand.) Still, that’s a lot better than the 12-month absorption rate Arvada had not long ago.

However, if you’re interested in the price range below $150,000, the absorption rate is only 1 month, a definite seller’s market (sellers don’t have to ‘bend over backwards’ to please a buyer, because they know if this one walks, they can get another one in a matter of days).

The price range from $150-200,000 has an AR of 2.3-months, somewhere between a buyer’s and seller’s market. The prettiest or best-priced homes will sell quickly, the rest will sell, but not so fast.

Westminster has about a 4-month AR overall, .6 month in the $0-150,000 range, a 1.7-month AR in the $150-200,000 range.

Anybody currently trying to buy in those price ranges knows, if you find a nice house in a great location, you better write an offer immediately!

But let’s shift gears to the $301-350,000 price range. Arvada – 4.9-month AR; Westminster - 4.9-month AR; Broomfield is better off in this price range with a 1.8-month AR. Sellers in this price range had better take features, condition, location into consideration and price it right, or their house will just sell the others.

The real trouble comes in the over-$350,000 range. Arvada – a 12-month AR; Westminster – 10.4-month AR; Broomfield – 7-month AR.

I’ve provided the details for the three cities I mentioned below. If you want the stats for any other areas, just ask.

See my new post, An Expose on Totally Annoying Things That Happen While Buying a House. http://activerain.com/blogsview/1345710/an-expose-on-the-totally-annoying-stuff-that-happens-while-buying-a-house

And just for fun, here’s a link to a humorous post written by another agent, about what it’s like for buyers when the homeowner decides to show them around. http://activerain.com/blogsview/1346471/the-crazy-lady-who-wouldn-t-leave-vancouver-wa-real-estate

City Price Range # For Sale # Sold Past 12 Months

Arvada $0 – 150,000 13 157

$151 – 200,000 69 350

$201 – 250,000 121 329

$251 – 300,000 87 169

$301 – 350,000 33 81

$350+ 182 180

Westminster $0 – 150,000 45 319

$151 – 200,000 80 336

201 – 250,000 69 274

251 – 300,000 55 116

301 – 350,000 34 84

$350,000+ 161 186

Broomfield $0 – 150,000 2 42

151 – 200,000 31 142

201 – 250,000 53 197

$251 – 300,000 60 167

301 – 350,000 19 124

$350,000+ 229 391

See all the homes available for sale here: http://www.homesbetweendenverandboulder.com/

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

Joetta Fort~ Metro Brokers ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@gmail.com

My website: www.DreamHouseHunting.com

Totally Annoying Stuff that Happens While Buying a House – Getting a Loan

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:35 -0600

So you want to buy a house in the beautiful Denver area, but you’re nervous because you’ve heard horror stories about what can go wrong. I’m here to tell you, while there truly is a lot that can go wrong, these problems can almost always be addressed and solved.

As long as home owners want to sell a house, and home buyers want to buy a house (and not TOO MUCH changes in the political realm), things can be worked out.

There’s a lot of annoying things that can happen in the loan process. It’s important to remember that your lender wants you to get a loan, and in fact will not get paid if you aren’t successful. In other words – don’t forget that you’re on the same side!

First, your lender will give you a list of things to do and not to do in the interim before closing, such as, “Don’t buy a car, don’t change jobs”. They may also get very nosey about things like, “Where did this big cash deposit come from?” and ask you to prove your answer. And if your credit score needs a bump up, the lender may say pay off some debts, or contact the credit reporting bureaus to get some things cleaned up.

It’s totally annoying to do what you’re told, but please – in the interest of getting into that new home - Do as they ask. Don’t get creative, don’t get advice from a TV personality or your best friend’s cousin. Some of these tasks will be real, time-consuming work. But they won’t assign anything that’s impossible, just keep pushing and you’ll get through it.

If you chose a good lender, and did all they asked, they most likely will have all they need a few days before closing on your new home. You can relax and start packing. If you chose a not-so-good lender, they will still be working on your package the day you’re supposed to close, and there’s not many things more annoying than that.

Sometimes, even a good lender has trouble getting a difficult loan finalized. But a good lender would have explained what might go wrong and how they’ll try to fix it. And even though not getting the loan would be much worse than annoying, at least you should end up knowing the lender did all they possibly could.

And the best lenders would stick with you, and help you change the situation, so you can get the loan next time.

If you need to find a lender, I can give you names and numbers of a couple of good ones. I don’t receive any kind of financial payback for dong so, just the satisfaction of knowing they’ll do the best job for you.

Here’s some blog posts written by actual lenders, that will help you understand more about getting a loan to buy a house.

What's the Safer Loan?

What is Mortgage APR, Can You Explain It?

Rates, apr, points, fees, gfe's - How the Playing Field is Still Crooked

Why Loan Officers Kill Deals, Cost You Time and Money, and Anger Customers

(This is the second post in a series. See the first post.)

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 Denver area.

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying a home or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

An expose on the totally annoying stuff that happens while buying a house

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:47:18 -0600

Recently, a home buyer told me, “I don’t like all these surprises!” We were in the middle of a short sale transaction, and there were a few surprises but no more than usual. It all seemed pretty normal to me.

Then I remembered, nothing about buying a house is ‘normal’ to most home buyers. Pretty much everything is either a mystery or a surprise unless I tell them what to expect.

I was pretty sure I HAD explained everything, but obviously it didn’t all ‘stick’.

There’s so many things that can happen, and so many twists and turns (especially with the distressed sales so common today), that when I try to tell my clients everything they need to know, their eyes glaze over and they don’t remember half of it.

So – I’m developing a series of blog posts that will address all the issues I can think of, from the perspective of both home buyers and home sellers, especially those between Denver and Boulder. Many of these issues apply nation-wide, but most are local. So if you, dear reader, are buying or selling a house in another area, please do find a reliable, patient real estate agent you can call your own. If you need help finding one, I belong to an organization of well over 100,000 real estate agents all over the country, and I can give you the inside scoop on a couple in your area.

And if you’re a client of mine during the time period that I’m working on these posts, you just might recognize part of your story used for illustration. So I’ll thank you in advance for all the wonderful subject matter you give me each and every day in the wonderful world of real estate!

I’ll add links to this post as new ones are developed, and I'll do a separate 'starter post' for home sellers, so please come back often.

1. Getting your loanClick here to read it.

2. Finding the house

3. Offer, Counteroffer

4. Inspection & Negotiation

5. Appraisal

6. Closing

7. Moving

8. The Special Fun of ‘Distressed Sales’

9. REALTOR Speak

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying a home or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

I've Reached a Milestone - My 100th Post!

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:16:47 -0600

Yes, this is my 100th real estate-related blog post about buying and selling homes between Denver and Boulder.

I can't believe it! Blogging seemed so hard at first - such a huge learning curve. But now, I take my camera everywhere I go, and jot down ideas all the time. I have a list of ideas for posts yet to be written.

Best of all, I've met some wonderful people via blogging. I had a buyer close week before last, one closing tomorrow and another under contract, who all found me online.

I have a lot to learn still, I know. My posts could be more SEO-savvy, and prettier. But I've very much enjoyed the journey and look forward to all that's just over the next hilltop.

Here's some of my most viewed posts:

Life in Arvada - Neighborhoods, Stores, Things to Do, Local Info

Home for Sale, Incredible Value, 6080 Deframe, Arvada Colorado

Between Denver and Boulder - Olde Town Arvada

Between Denver and Boulder - Who's on Your Side When You Buy a House

Buy a House and Get the Best Deal

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Tax Credit for Home Buyers - 'Right' or 'Wrong'? 'Good' or 'Bad'?

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:19:06 -0600

There’s a lot of controversy about government spending these days, including the extended tax credit for home buyers. I'm not going re-hash the debate, but I want to make a statement about my thoughts from the perspective of a real estate agent.

First, did the credit that is about to expire help at all? I think the obvious answer to anyone familiar with our local market is “Yes!” It most certainly turned the entry-level market around. It’s actually difficult to find a nice, 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in Arvada for less than $225,000, with simple specifications such as it doesn’t adjoin a busy street or train track.

That’s not my opinion, that’s the real-life experience of people looking for a home right now. The tax credit cleaned out existing entry-level inventory. There are more homes available in surrounding cities such as Westminster and Thornton, but the ones that aren't over priced go fast.

Along with the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, the new tax credit offers $6,500 to people who have owned a home for at least five years, when they buy a new home. I believe this will have the effect of making more entry-level homes available, and really jumping our local market into high gear.

Is it good or bad for our country? Will it help or hurt our economy? Is it morally right or wrong for me to benefit from it, in the form of more clients? I don’t know all the answers – all I know is this –

If YOU want to buy a house, and this tax credit is going to make it feasible for YOU, and YOU want to take advantage of it, I’ll be so excited for YOU and completely supportive. But YOU have got to get going NOW, especially if you have a house to sell. (You must be under contract on the new house by the end of April and closed by the end of June.)

The people that have made the most out of the tax credit thus far, are folks who bought homes that needed work, and used the funds to do a large portion of that work. These people may not have been able to buy a home at all without the credit.

The people who most need the ‘move-up’ funds of $6,500 are folks who need to move into a bigger house, smaller house, closer to an ailing family member, etc., but don’t have any equity, and don’t want to move with no money at all left in their bank accounts. Many who already have their house on the market will now see their way clear to lowering the price and getting their plans for their future moving again.

Is it ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in the big picture? Time will tell. But is it right or wrong for YOU – that’s what matters to ME. Please, let me know if the tax credit made or is going to make a difference to you, even if you used a real estate agent other than me.

I’d really like to hear your stories.

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Life in Arvada - Neighborhoods, Stores, Things to Do, Local Info

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:28:45 -0600

Life in Arvada is the subject of several posts I've written on neighborhoods, merchants and stores, things to do, and other 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.

Neighborhoods

New Homes for Sale in West Arvada - Whisper Creek, Spring Mesa, more

Meadowglen

Olde Town Arvada's Historic Neighborhoods

The Village of Five Parks

Village of Five Parks Sales Statistics

West Woods Ranch

Lake Arbor

Pomona Lakes

Pomona Lakes homes with 2000 Finished Square Feet

Pomona Lakes Real Estate Snapshot

Arvada Colorado Luxury Home Market Report

Wyndham Park

Merchants & Stores

A Butcher - Steve's Meat Market

A Baker - Rheinlander German Bakery

La Patisserie Francaise French Bakery

Novo Coffee and The Arvada Coffee Bar

Knit Knack

A Candlestick Maker - Nature's Gift Candleworks and Studio

Things to Do in Arvada

Arvada's Community Garden

Free Concerts in the Park

4th of July Celebrations

Ladies-only Sample Tour

Kite Festival

Valentine's Day Celebration

Things to Do Near Arvada

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

Boulder Iris Farm

Celestial Seasonings Tour

Quality of Life

Recycle Your Turkey-Frying Oil

How our Doggies Deal With the Snow

Arvada's Got Trains!

Protesting Your Tax Valuation

Colorado Tornadoes

My Newsletter on Local Events, News, and Real Estate

November Newsletter

October Newsletter

Local Real Estate Information

Check Building Permits Before you Buy a House

I have lots of other posts you might like - here's my blog.

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

Life in Arvada - How Our Doggies Deal With the Snow

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:09:52 -0500

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Things to do Between Denver and Boulder - Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:04:15 -0500

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 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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News October 2009

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:21:10 -0500

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

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.

And then I heard from Gregg that Shep’s grave was recently moved to the Broomfield Depot Museum. There was a write-up about it, click here: http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_13560972?IADID=Search-www.broomfieldenterprise.com-www.broomfieldenterprise.com

Best Tips of The Month

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 24^th, 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 30^th (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.

See all the homes available for sale here: http://www.homesbetweendenverandboulder.com/

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

Joetta Fort~ Metro Brokers ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@gmail.com

My website: www.DreamHouseHunting.com

Life in Arvada Colorado - Community Garden

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:38:30 -0500

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 57^th 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.

Check out my posts on Arvada.

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada.

Check out my website.

Give Meaningful Christmas Gifts

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:04:31 -0500

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.

Get your gift catalog at www.worldvisiongifts.org or call 1-888-511-6511.

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.)

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

What About Today's Reverse Mortgages?

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:09:26 -0500

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.

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

Should I Rent or Should I Buy a House?

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:30:36 -0500

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.

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

Buying or Selling a House in Colorado - Fun with Building Permits in the City of Arvada

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:22:26 -0500

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada.

Check out my website.

Whaddaya Mean, Home Buyers Have to Qualify with YOUR Lender?

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:09:58 -0500

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.

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

Buy a House and Get the Best Deal Part 4

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:35:38 -0500

Getting the best deal when you buy a house has a lot to do with getting the loan.

The preparation stage is all about finding a lender who'll do a great job, and getting the right loan set up.

(To see the first three articles in this series,click here, here, and here.)

Proper preparation means getting your finances ready. This is not a step to skip, or skimp on.

I want to talk about this first from a real estate agent's perspective. Some agents will not spend any time taking you to see homes for sale until you've been qualified (or pre-qualified) for a loan. Some agents will take you to see a few houses, but then will ask you to get the loan in order before seeing any more. Yet others will run you all over, looking at houses in whatever price range you feel good about, and only prod you to get the loan ready when you've found a house you love.

I prefer the second method. I like to give you the chance to get to know me, and me you, and I'm willing to spend some time even though I know sometimes it won't work out. I do a little pre-qualifying of my own, usually by asking you what monthly payment you're happy with, what do you pay now, etc. Then, I figure the price range based on current interest rates and we can talk about what features you're likely to find in the area you desire.

But then I want you to firm things up with a lender. There's good reason for not getting too far into it without truly knowing what you'll qualify for. If we're searching in too low a price range, you might get discouraged about what's out there and give up. If we're searching in too high a price range, it'll be hard for you to downsize mentally and emotionally, especially if you've fallen in love with a house. And it's great to know you're getting the best deal with your loan so you can shop confidently.

Plus, the kind of loan you qualify for may affect whether or not a house is a candidate, even if it's in your price range. For example, if you're getting an FHA loan some homes don't meet FHA standards due to their condition, even if you are willing to do the work. So, to save your time and heartache, please get qualified with a reputable lender as soon as possible.

Please, don't get online with one of those sites that garner multiple responses. Your credit report can get hit dozens of times and that can actually lower your score. A few inquiries are OK, so you can check around to get a few opinions.

Here's some places to look for a lender -

the bank where you keep your checking or savings accounts
the credit union where you work
ask a friend or relative who recently got a loan if they liked the lender
ask a trusted real estate agent (preferably one who isn't going to make any money from the referral)
a loan broker can submit your application to several sources and discuss the pros and cons of each one

Most loan officers have an online application form, or they'll take your initial information over the phone. That's fine to get started, but the one you will want to work with will be one who wants to sit down and talk with you face to face about your loan options. Even if it turns out you can't get a loan right now, there's a kind of lender who will still work with you - they'll help you fix your credit. (You can pay for that service, of course, but I know a lender who'll advise you how to do it without charging you.)

The loan officer should be able to give you some sense of what kind of loan you can get just from the initial information. But then, they'll need a lot of documentation to formalize your application. It's normal for them to request documentation two or three times throughout the approval process. Don't stress about it, just respond as quick as you can and remember you're all on the same side.

Read part 5 in this series.

Read the first post in this series.

Check out my website.

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

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News September 2009

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:58:22 -0500

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter
Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

It’s a pleasure to once again bring you reliable real estate news and tidbits from
around Arvada and the Denver area.

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 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.

Local Stories Only a ‘Native’ Would Know

I had a closing last week, and it turned out that that the closer and my client were long-time residents (for those of you who don’t live here, that’s kind of a rare thing!). While papers were flying back and forth, I had the pleasure of hearing a few great ‘insider’ stories.

First – did you know that the Boulder turnpike was the first toll road in the nation to pay for itself? I didn’t know it ever was a toll road, but I think it’s cool that once it paid for itself they quit collecting tolls. It was expected to take 30 years, but usage was so high, it only took 15.

There was a toll booth just north of where I live, at the intersection of 287, and there was a dog that hung around that toll booth. This dog was familiar to all the travelers who passed by there, and people affectionately called him, ‘Shep’. When Shep died, a grave was dug for him at that intersection, and there’s still a little marker there in his honor. (Everyone say it – Awwwww!!!)

There was some mention about tomato fights between Colorado and Texas. I tried to find some info on that, but failed. However, in my search I discovered an announcement for a best tasting tomato contest just a block from my house, which I unfortunately missed on August 22. It was at the King Sooper’s parking lot in Arvada, first prize was $2400. (WOW!) Did anyone catch that?

The site I found it on was www.PickYourOwn.org. The site has info about pick-your-own farms, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and more. I found one pick-your-own berry farm in Adams County, two farms in Boulder County (1 for veggies, 1 for apples), one in Denver County (pumpkins), and ‘0’ in Jefferson County. That’s sad. Do you know of any pick-your-own farms in the Metro Area?

I love these insider stories, if you have any to share, please do!!

Best Tips of The Month –

- From Karen “This coming Saturday is Arvada’s Harvest Festival, go watch Pomona march!!!”

- From Cory Ceilings to floors I can fix your doors, windows, trim and more. A man of many trades. Licensed and insured Independent Contractor”

Cory Strain 720 334 0560

- From Amanda “The Westminster center does prenatal yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I haven't gone yet but it's pretty cheap compared to the ones I've looked at in Boulder. They also have scheduled fall hikes, walks, and drives. The info is here under adult activities http://www.ci.westminster.co.us/178_2200.htm You can also call 658-2400 for more info.”

- From Tammra “I walk the neighborhood with my dog and see trash set out for collection. What I notice is that there is a lot of stuff that can be recycled that isn't. I have found several recycling sites (through web searches) that I take my stuff to when I am out and about and these sites are FREE. I know curbside recycling is easy, yet can be expensive and many trash collection businesses may stop collecting it as the cost to pick up recyclables is currently outweighing the income it used to produce for these companies (unless they hike the price). Here are the web sites to check out: Earth911.com

      eljebelshrine.org/recycle.htm

     Make a note that these websites are tracking a lot of drop off sites and may not always be 100% accurate, but they do try to keep up.

     Also note what items each site accepts. Most accept plastics, paper, aluminum, cans, cardboard, phonebooks, etc. Food containers need a little rinsing to minimize critter invasion of the bin and most prefer the cardboard boxes be flattened (to lessen the space taken up by these bulky items in the bin), but a little effort can make a huge difference. I've actually set up a separate trashcan in my garage for just recyclables. When it's full, I take it to a site on my way to/from my work or other errands. We have reduced our trash output by nearly 2/3. Just think how much less could end up in landfills if we all do a little recycling!”

- From Maggie   “I want to refer K & H Windows & Exteriors   303-421-7100. They did an exquisite job on my siding.”

- From Me   Free Mulch – Speaking of recycling, we had a mega-hail storm on July 20, resulting in the loss of thousands of trees and branches. The City opened up a free drop off site, turned all that useless material into mulch, and now residents can pick it up for free at the Stenger-Lutz Sports Complex, W. 57th and Oak St, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Mulch is an excellent material for improving Colorado soils, but be careful where you use fresh mulch. The natural aging process of mulch can damage living plants. Talk to your favorite nursery rep or gardener for more details, such as how much space to leave between plants and fresh mulch.

Goings-on in Arvada –

Cindy Strain is having a Cookie Lee Jewelry Open House Sept 26th 12-2pm at her house, 8073 W 80th Pl., Arvada. Fun, fun, fun – do stop by!

You can also meet Cindy and see Cookie Lee’s newest offerings at Novo Coffee on Oct 24th, 2-4 pm. She calls it a Stop & Shop. Novo Coffee is at 7745 Wadsworth Blvd #B in Arvada, near Great Harvest.

And our busy lady is looking for vendors for a multi-vendor event in November. She’s done these several times, and they’re always very popular. So if you have a home-based business, or handcrafted items, something along that line to sell, give Cindy a call (303-425-4740) or email Cindypage99@yahoo.com.

84th Annual Arvada Harvest Festival

Friday, September 11     (5:30-11:30p.m.)

Saturday, September 12 Parade Starts at 9 am (11:00a.m.-10:30p.m.)

Sunday, September 13   (11:00a.m.-5:30p.m.)

Festival of Scarecrows Oct 10 Old Towne Square 10 am til 3 pm – free although there will be vendors selling all kinds of goodies (proceeds will go to the Arvada Food Bank).

Trick or Treat Street Friday, October 30th (5-7 p.m.) - Dress your family in costumes for an early evening of Halloween and come down to Olde Town for a safe fun evening of trick or treating at our participating merchants. Bring your neighbors too!

Taste of Arvada November 5th (6-8 p.m.) APEX Center, 13150 W. 72nd, Arvada. $5 per person at the door

A portion of the proceeds go to the Food Bank. Live music, " Kicked to the Curb" Taste samples of the finest Restaurants in Arvada! For more information, contact the Chamber: 303.424.0313.

Local Real Estate News

$8,00 First-Time Buyers’ Tax Credit

Some real estate agents are giving folks advice to wait until after the tax credit expires to buy their house. They feel that prices are artificially high due to the tax credit, and buyers could end up spending more than $8,000 too much for a home, just to get the tax credit. They say, wait and prices will come down again.

I’ve thought about this advice quite a bit, and here’s what I have to say – 'bad advice'!

Even if you could get a house for $20,000 less, based on a $250,000 mortgage, you would save $120 a month. It would take you 5.5 years to save that tax credit with your monthly savings.

What if interest rates increase as little as .375 of a percent? Then, you'd only save $64 a month, and it would take you 10.4 years to save that $8,00

But if you take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit, what could you do with that money? Fix up the house? Pay off some credit cards, which could save you more money in the long run? Pay back those who helped you get your new home? Save for emergencies? Make several months of mortgage payments?

See all the homes available for sale here: http://www.homesbetweendenverandboulder.com/

If you have input for this newsletter, or a response to anything I’ve written, I’d love to hear from you.
Joetta Fort~ Metro Brokers ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@comcast.net

If you no longer want to receive this newsletter by email, just reply and so state. If you no longer want to receive this newsletter by regular mail, leave a voice message with your name and address at 720-889-2440 ext 1580

    Joetta Fort
    Metro Brokers, The DiGiorgio Group

Tel   720-353-8031
Email   Joetta@DreamHouseHunting.com

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News August 2009

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:53:34 -0500

It’s a pleasure to once again bring you reliable real estate news and tidbits from around Arvada and the Denver area.

Best Tips of The Month –

#1 - Get your own radio station for free (from Amanda)
If you have the internet and decent speakers hooked up to your computer, and if you like music, go to www.Pandora.com now. Put in your favorite artist or band, or whatever you’re in the mood for. And Pandora will play music for you, similar to what you chose. It’s so wonderful! My daughter told me about it. She said there is a commercial every now and then, but I’ve had it on for several minutes and haven’t heard one yet, so can’t say how often they occur.

#2 – Quit carrying paper coupons around (from Cindy)
This is another tip for those who have access to the internet. Go to shortcuts.com and select the coupons you want to use, then download them to your grocery store’s ‘club card’. Then, when you use your club card to buy those items, the coupons will automatically be deducted from your total. You can also look up the store itself, then click ‘coupons’. You’ll be directed to the proper screen. No more paper coupons!

The ‘Metropolitan Beltway’ –
Will it ever be finished? Do you care?

Did you catch the Denver Post Article by Karen E. Crummy, “No Road, but Millions Spent for Jeffco Parkway”, on 7/27? She said $15 million has been spent for an environmental impact study that was never completed, and $5 million on top of that for attorneys, consultants, and other studies and meetings. Golden has spent $3.4 million of that amount to fight the parkway, and Arvada has spent $900,000 in support. Well, I guess it doesn’t sound like all that much when we keep hearing about spending in the trillions! But what do you think?
    I’m pretty sure my Golden readers are opposed. I wonder, would you participate in fundraising activities to keep up the fight?
    And those of you who live elsewhere: How often do you think to yourself, “I sure wish that road was finished – it would save me time and gas right now”?
    (The metropolitan beltway is planned from 128 in Broomfield to 64th north of Golden.)
    Here’s a link to the article.

Harvesting Rainwater – Did you know it’s illegal in Colorado?

    I was innocently reading an article Sunset Magazine, about collecting rain water for use in yards and gardens, when I came across a statement that it’s illegal in Colorado to collect rainwater. Someone ‘owns’ the ‘rights’ to the water in the atmosphere! So I called the Division of Water Resources to find out if that was true.
    I contacted a nice man named Kevin, who told me it was true, but Colorado has just passed a law starting some pilot projects for rainwater collection. He referred me to www.water.state.co.us.
    Once I got to the site, I found out it’s still illegal for most of us. People who own a well can collect rainwater from their roofs if there’s no municipal water available and they meet some other requirements too. So – how about that? Water rights are still a big deal here in the wild west, and always be.

Keeping up with me online

I write articles about local neighborhoods, businesses, events, and ‘other such’ and post them online. I write them as a service for people who are new to the area, or anyone who likes to find out what’s going on in their town. I have quite a list of them, so I put them together into one post.
Check it out – and leave me a comment if you do. Just say hi!
And please keep coming back. I’ll keep posting new articles. You could even suggest topics for me.
You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s so very important for real estate agents to be active online these days. That’s where the buyers are, so that’s where your real estate agent should be too.
I’ve been working hard at blogging and social networking for over a year now. I’m having a lot of fun with it, and I’d love if you’d visit me at the sites above.
But I still like to talk on the phone (and even in person) too! So if you need anything, call, twitter, text, email, or stop by and knock on the door if you’re in the neighborhood.

Goings-on in Arvada –

Flicks in the Square
There’s only two nights left to enjoy music and a movie in Olde Town Square. On August 21 and 28 music starts at 7 p.m., movies start at 9 p.m. See The Bucket List on 8/21 and Breakfast at Tiffany’s on 8/28.

Arvada Food Bank Grand Opening
The old library building is starting its new life as Arvada’s expanded food bank. The grand opening celebration will take place from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, Aug. 22. 8555 W. 57th Avenue, Arvada

Arvada Gardeners

Did you know Arvada has a community garden? They had an open house last Friday, 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. They’ll have a booth at the Festival of Scarecrows on October 10 in Olde Town Square.

Local Real Estate News

    I read an article the other day about the lost art of presenting offers to buy a house in person. I think this is a great idea, and I’m hereby announcing to anyone who works with me from now on, if you’re a seller I’m going to ask if you’d like the buyer’s agent to present the offer to you in person, and if you’re a buyer I’m going to ask for the opportunity to present your offer in person.
    (The most recent offer I received on behalf of a seller was emailed to me, not even a phone call first. Just there it was when I logged in. Sellers almost always ask me what the buyers are like. It matters to them, even though they’re selling, it’s still their home.)
    I’m looking forward to my first opportunity to break the current mold of faxing or emailing an offer, and never even meeting the other parties until we sit down at the closing table.

    I also read an article about what is happening when lenders are foreclosing on a home and the homeowner insists that the lender produce the original note, proving that they owe the debt to the party that is doing the foreclosure. Often, they cannot produce the note, and therefore cannot foreclose. If any of you have any experience with this scenario, please tell me about it. (It is important, because some people are losing their home to foreclosure, then the new owner gets notice that someone else – who does have the original note – is foreclosing on it.)

The following info for Jefferson County came from Metrolist today, August 18. If you would like to know what the stats are for a more specific area, let me know!
                       YTD         YTD
              8/08         8/09         Change    2008   2009        Change
New Listings     1,790 1,729    - 3.4%     12,252     10,534     - 14.0%
Sold Listings    833         740         - 11.2%     4,601       3,861     - 16.1%

Average Sold Price* 2008: $254,806     2009:$272,780    Change: + 7.1%

*Does not account for sale concessions and/or down payment assistance.

I am a residential real estate agent, specializing in the northwestern Denver suburbs of Arvada, Golden, Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton, and Wheat Ridge. See all the homes for sale here.

Joetta Fort~ Metro Brokers ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@comcast.net

Home for Sale - Incredible Value - 6080 Deframe

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:11:01 -0500

$405,000

MLS #782078

   Home for sale - Beautiful inside and out with all the features you love - custom upgrades to everything from flooring and window coverings to cabinetry in study, basement and garage. Tons of space, tons of storage, open and lovely!
    Main floor study boasts gorgeous custom cherry, floor to ceiling cabinetry and a hardwood floor.
    Stylish basement with fourth bedroom, bath with porcelain tile floor, theater sound, wet bar, wine closet, and hobby room. Wet bars’ maple cabinetry is custom built for the appliances. Hobby room features commercial grade linoleum, ceiling outlets for projects or exercise equipment, wired with cable. Plumbing is in place for a gas fireplace.
    Extra storage in carpeted crawl space (12’ x 15’ x 4’ high), unfinished crawl space (16’ x 12’), plus custom cabinets in garage (180 cubic feet of storage!)

Home buyers - see 6080 Deframe first, and your search will be over!

3439 finished square feet (2523 main level square feet)
Built in 2000
Central air conditioning, two whole-house attic fans, garage fan
Smoke free, pet free
Tech Touch access ports throughout w/2 phone and 2 cable outlets (CAT5 wire with 4-line capability)
Pre-wired for surround sound, security alarm, high speed data transfer, and in-home computer network.

Main level features -

Dramatic 2-story entry
Hardwood floors
Formal dining room, formal living room, powder room with porcelain tile floor.
Kitchen is family-friendly and great for entertaining, with lots of cabinets, counter space, a large pantry, bar, and lots of light
Great room - kitchen is open to the family room
Family room has fireplace, theater sound, pre-wired for flat screen TV
Laundry room on main level. Has two sets of hookups for either two sets of machines or choice of set up
Custom window coverings stay-great room and office have wood slat blinds; thermal blinds throughout home are top down/bottom up, sunlight-intense windows have UV protectant.

Upper level features -

3 bedrooms
Master suite with 5-piece bath, walk-in closet
Airy loft open on two sides to rooms below
Full bath with tumbled marble floor.

Basement - 916 square foot finished basement with fourth bedroom, wet bar, wine closet, and hobby room.

Lot - 6464 sq. ft. lot with sprinkler system, fenced yard, patio, south-facing vegetable garden, professionally landscaped

Garage - Finished garage with tons of storage, extra outlets, fan

Wyndham Park is a coveted neighborhood in Arvada, Colorado, between Denver and Boulder.

Click here for more details.

Read about the neighborhood.

Schools are Fremont Elementary, Drake Middle School, and Arvada West High School.

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

Check out my website.

Open House - 6080 Deframe Ct, Wyndham Park, Arvada, Colorado

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:05:07 -0500

Sorry - you missed the open house! However, there will be another one soon - we're gearing up for doing one the first weekend in September. But why wait? Call me at 720-353-8031 for a private showing!

This home is beautiful inside and out, with all the features you love - custom upgrades to everything from flooring and window coverings to cabinetry in study, basement and garage. Tons of space, tons of storage, open and lovely! Take a look on , from 1pm until 5 pm.

Main floor - you'll want to linger in the study, graced with gorgeous custom cherry, floor-to-ceiling cabinets. But you'll be drawn to the open kitchen with its pantry, eating bar, and tons of light. There's a family room adjacent, with a cozy gas fireplace, open to the loft above. Formal events will see you in the front room and dining room, enjoying your guests. Main floor powder room has porcelain tile floor.

The loft is sunny and open on two sides. The master suite includes a 5-piece bath with tumbled marble floor and walk-in closet.

Finished basement has fourth bedroom, bath with porcelain tile floor, theater sound, wet bar, wine closet, and hobby room. Wet bars' maple cabinetry is custom built for the appliances. Hobby room features commercial grade linoleum, ceiling outlets for projects or exercise equipment, wired with cable. Plumbing is in place for a gas fireplace.

$405,000

MLS #782078

Life in Arvada CO - the Merchants - La Patisserie Francaise French Bakery

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:19:30 -0500

Life in Arvada is colored by many unique and popular merchants, such as La Patisserie Francaise French Bakery.

La Patisserie Francaise has been a well-known fixture in it's convenient spot next to Target at 80th and Wadsworth for many years, but is now under new ownership. I visited the shop with a couple of friends on its opening morning, August 5, and met the new owners - Jeffrey & Lisa Van Putten.

Jeffrey told me that they owned a bakery in the past, and love food. When they saw La Patisserie Francaise, they were 'enchanted with it, and just brought in a little more life and color'. The original owners will work with them until year's end. They'll be using the same popular recipes, and will offer the same great cakes.

A couple new items will be Glacier ice cream and Allegro coffee. The Van Puttens are proponents of buying locally, and both Glacier and Allegro are Colorado companies.

I had a wonderful pastry with cream cheese (can't remember what it was called!) and my friends enjoyed cinnamon rolls. We all had a great time. Stop in some time, get some local flavor! Those of you from the Club Crest and Pomona Lakes neighborhoods can walk to it.

La Patisserie Francaise is at 7885 N. Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003 (303) 424-5056

www.lapatbakery.com/

Open Weekdays 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm

Arvada is a historic town about midway between Denver and Boulder in Jefferson County, Colorado. There are many different neighborhood and shopping area styles. Novo Coffee is near the intersection of Wadsworth and 80th Ave., the main north-south and east-west routes through Arvada, near neighborhoods built mostly in the 1970s with wide streets and sidewalks, mature tree canopies, and nice-sized yards.

Check out my posts on an Arvada butcher, a baker, candlestick maker,coffee roaster and knit and crochet shop.

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada.

Check out my website.

Life in Arvada CO - The Merchants - Novo Coffee & the Arvada Coffee Bar

Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate (The DiGiorgio Group) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:55:07 -0500

My small town of Arvada, Colorado is home to the famous Novo Coffee's shop, The Arvada Coffee Bar, and I didn't even know it!

I first heard of Novo Coffee just the other day when I read this blog post: "Novo Coffee is a Heartbreaker". The story starts with an east coast band, called Akron/Family, in Denver to play the Bluebird Theater recently. They have a favorite espresso blend, called Heartbreaker, which they buy at Grumpy's in New York city.

Grumpy's is the only place the blend is served, but "the band was on a mission to find the perfect cup of Colorado joe" and - lo and behold - Heartbreaker is a proprietary blend of Novo Coffee, headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Now, I loooove coffee, and my obsession goes all the way back to fond memories of buying Starbucks from a cart on the streets of Seattle back in the early 1980s. So here I am reading about this great and famous coffee roaster, and discover that their own shop, The Arvada Coffee Bar, is within walking distance of my house in Arvada. Uh-oh, looks like I got caught not paying attention!

So of course I had to try Novo Coffee. My daughter and I dropped in yesterday afternoon, shortly before closing time. The shop is in a little walk-up area that includes Vitamin Cottage and Great Harvest Bread Company. (These are seriously popular places - when I'm showing houses anywhere in the vicinity, clients often remark, "Wonderful - I'll be so close to Vitamin Cottage and Great Harvest." I haven't experienced that with any other similar businesses.)

The store was clean, the barista was very friendly and helpful, and the aroma was heavenly. Amanda and I each had a latte, and they definitely lived up to their reputation.

Now, I'm not going to bore you by re-writing everything that's been written about Novo Coffee. Here's a few articles you can read for yourself:

Westword award for best coffee beans.

Digital City's 21 Best Cups of Coffee in America

Novo Coffee's local stand, the Arvada Coffee Bar is at 7745 Wadsworth Blvd # B, Arvada, CO 80003
(303) 424-1313
Monday - Thursday    6:30am - 6:00pm
Friday    6:30am - 7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday    7:00am - 6:00pm

Check out my posts on an Arvada butcher, a baker, candlestick maker, and Knit Knack.

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.

Find homes for sale in Arvada.

Check out my website.

Between Denver and Boulder

Most 'whacked' Christmas gift

Recycle Your Turkey-Frying Oil in Arvada, Colorado Today

Totally Annoying Stuff that Happens While Finding Your New House

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News November 2009

Totally Annoying Stuff that Happens While Buying a House – Getting a Loan

An expose on the totally annoying stuff that happens while buying a house

I've Reached a Milestone - My 100th Post!

Yes, this is my 100th real estate-related blog post about buying and selling homes between Denver and Boulder.

Here's some of my most viewed posts:

Tax Credit for Home Buyers - 'Right' or 'Wrong'? 'Good' or 'Bad'?

Life in Arvada - Neighborhoods, Stores, Things to Do, Local Info

Life in Arvada - How Our Doggies Deal With the Snow

Things to do Between Denver and Boulder - Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News October 2009

Life in Arvada Colorado - Community Garden

Give Meaningful Christmas Gifts

What About Today's Reverse Mortgages?

Should I Rent or Should I Buy a House?

Buying or Selling a House in Colorado - Fun with Building Permits in the City of Arvada

Home # 1

Home #2

Home #3

Whaddaya Mean, Home Buyers Have to Qualify with YOUR Lender?

Buy a House and Get the Best Deal Part 4

Getting the best deal when you buy a house has a lot to do with getting the loan.

The preparation stage is all about finding a lender who'll do a great job, and getting the right loan set up.

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News September 2009

Between Denver and Boulder Colorado - Local Tidbits & Real Estate News August 2009

It’s a pleasure to once again bring you reliable real estate news and tidbits from around Arvada and the Denver area.

Best Tips of The Month –

The ‘Metropolitan Beltway’ – Will it ever be finished? Do you care?

Harvesting Rainwater – Did you know it’s illegal in Colorado?

Keeping up with me online

Goings-on in Arvada –

Arvada Gardeners

Local Real Estate News

Home for Sale - Incredible Value - 6080 Deframe

$405,000

MLS #782078

Open House - 6080 Deframe Ct, Wyndham Park, Arvada, Colorado

MLS #782078

Life in Arvada CO - the Merchants - La Patisserie Francaise French Bakery

Life in Arvada CO - The Merchants - Novo Coffee & the Arvada Coffee Bar

The ‘Metropolitan Beltway’ –
Will it ever be finished? Do you care?