Tracy's Tidbits

New Rules for Appraisal

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:55:11 -0500

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introduced additional steps to the appraisal process effective on May 1st. Some of the new steps include:

Appraisers cannot communicate directly with lenders. The appraisal process must involve a third-party, such as an appraisal management company, to act as a go-between for appraisers and other parties, which increases the time to complete the appraisal
Under the old rules appraisers could evaluate just three comparable sold properties. Now, they must also evaluate at least two properties that are currently under contract or are active listings
Under the old rules appraisers could go back up to six months to find the three comparable sold properties. Now, at least two of the sold properties must have been sold in the past 90 days
Appraisers must fill out a "market conditions" report that reviews the market trends over the past 12 months, broken down into the most recent three months, the prior three months, and then the first six months of the period.

With these new rules that are in place, it will take longer to complete appraisal reports due to the greater requirements set on appraisers. This is according to Cathy Miles of Appraisal Dimensions in Fort Collins.

Awesome Short Sale Home

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:28:11 -0500

Tracy Wilson | The Group, Inc | 970-567-0907

5518 West 1st Street, Greeley, CO

Tennis Courts, club house, pool and playground right in your own neighborhood. This home is subject to a short sale approval.

4BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $292,000

Year Built	2000
Sq Footage	3,670
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	12,632 sqft
HOA/Maint	$150 per month

DESCRIPTION

Come home to this beautiful custom ranch with 3500 square feet finished. The spacious living room offers a wonderful gas fireplace with tile accents. Lovely eat-in kitchen with gorgous hardwood floors, tile counter tops and gas stove/oven. The formal dining room is right off the kitchen and continues with the hardwood floors. Main floor master bedroom offers a five-piece bath and walk-in closets. The other two main floor bedrooms a large and spacious. the finished basement offers a fabulous rec room for entertaining with a stone surrounded fireplace. The home is completely landscaped and feneced! A wonderful home at a great price!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Fireplace	- High/Vaulted ceiling
- Walk-in closet	- Hardwood floor	- Family room
- Living room	- Dining room	- Dishwasher
- Refrigerator	- Stove/Oven	- Microwave
- Stainless steel appliances	- Basement	- Laundry area - inside
- Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Fitness center	- Swimming pool(s)	- Tennis court(s)
- Playground

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

- Hardwood floors throughout

- Formal dining room

- 5-piece master bath

- Finished basement with great family room

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Front	Living Room
Dining Room	Master Bedroom
Family Room	Back Yard

Contact info:

Tracy Wilson

The Group, Inc

970-567-0907

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Aug 20, 2009, 12:20pm PDT

Great bank owned home in a wonderful neighborhood

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:04:56 -0500

Tracy Wilson | The Group, Inc | 970-567-0907

1945 Rio Blanco, Loveland, CO

Great ranch style home in a wonderful neighborhood

3BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $275,000

Year Built	2007
Sq Footage	3,218
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	7,370 sqft
HOA/Maint	$28 per month

DESCRIPTION

A huge covered patio graces you as you enter this beautiful ranch style home. Beautiful hardwood floor in the entry, kitchen and dining room. Tile accented gas log fireplace in the spacious living room. Off the living is the kitchen that features City Scape Alder wood cabinets, granite tile counter tops and pantry. The dining room provides access to the covered back patio. The master bedroom has a five-piece master bath, walk-in closet and access to the patio. The full unfinished basement provides for expanding in the future.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Fireplace	- High/Vaulted ceiling
- Walk-in closet	- Hardwood floor	- Living room
- Dishwasher	- Stove/Oven	- Microwave
- Granite countertop	- Basement	- Laundry area - inside
- Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Garage parking

- Playground

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Front	Living Room
Kitchen	Master Bedroom
Master Bath	Master Bath

Contact info:

Tracy Wilson

The Group, Inc

970-567-0907

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Aug 22, 2009, 7:51am PDT

Great new ranch style home

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:09:14 -0500

Tracy Wilson | The Group, Inc | 970-567-0907

1957 S Trail Blazer Rd, Fort Lupton, CO

Colorado Craftsman Style! Brand new three bedroom, three bath ranch style home in Appel Farm Estates

3BR/3BA Single Family House

offered at $324,900

Year Built	2008
Sq Footage	3,020
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	14,547 sqft
HOA/Maint	$30 per month

DESCRIPTION

Colorado Craftsman Style. Huge family room with beautiful hardwood floors flows into a unique library/sitting room for a quiet get-away. Dining area and kitchen will be a real treat to any gourmet cook offering a tremendous amount of cabinets and ample counter space. Huge master bedroom with sitting area and luxury 5-piece bath. Almost 900 sq ft upstairs just waiting for you to finish the bonus room! Small town living with city conveniences.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Fireplace	- High/Vaulted ceiling
- Walk-in closet	- Hardwood floor	- Tile floor
- Living room	- Dining room	- Stove/Oven
- Microwave	- Basement	- Laundry area - inside

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Golf course

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

- Right across the street from the public golf course

- Hardwood floors throughout

- Tile entry way, kitchen, dining and laundry

- Three car garage

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Front	Living Room
Master Bedroom	Master Bath
Dining Room	Kitchen

Contact info:

Tracy Wilson

The Group, Inc

970-567-0907

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Aug 20, 2009, 7:57pm PDT

It is all in your perspective!

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:03:20 -0500

Well after about six months, the Larimer County residential market has finally shed its "soft market" persona in the eyes of a number of lenders! While Larimer County was under a soft market classification, mortgage loans were subject to a 5% financing reduction, requiring at least a 10% down payment. In the past months, several lenders were now able to provide programs with 95% financing on conventional with as little as 5% down.

This is just one of many facts that proves not believe everything you hear on the news! Another one came from my companies June publication of the Insider. One article compared the return on investment (ROI) between residential property and the major stock indexes since the start of the decade. The chart below shows the returns posted between January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2008, for the three leading stock indexes, and compares those results to gains achieved by residential real estate in Northern Colorado's three largest communities.

In dollar terms, if you invested $100,000 on January 1, 2000 your investment would be worth the following today:

For the Stock Market

Dow Jones Industrial $80,200
S&P 500 $64,800
NASDAQ: $40,100

For the Real Estate Market

Greeley homes: $114,000
Loveland homes: $133,000
Fort Collins homes: $137,000.

The Hub of Northern Colorado - Milliken

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:39:41 -0500

Milliken - The "Hub of Northern Colorado", is a fast growing vibrant community in Weld county, which sits six miles east of I-25 on Colorado Highway 60. Milliken offers a pristine quality of life to its residents in a true rural Colorado setting. The Town offers a variety of amenities to residents including beautiful parks and open space, recreational activities, top-notch public services, and local educational convenience with both an elementary and middle school within the community.

Milliken's history started with the settlement of Hillsboro in the 1860's which was the trade center for the immediate area. The town was officially established in 1907 and was named after Judge John D. Milliken, a pioneer lawyer who helped establish the Denver, Laramie and Northwestern railroad. In the early years, Milliken grew by leaps and bounds, and soon boasted several churches, a school, and thirty businesses including; two lumberyards, a 16 room hotel, a bank, drug store, telephone office, and its own newspaper, The Milliken Mail.

The first of several disastrous fire hit the town in 1911 - destroying three businesses. Subsequent fires coupled with the decline in railroad transport dealt their blows to the community. Many changes have happened in Milliken in the last 20 years. The streets were unpaved even into the early 1980's. The Town continues to grow and still benefits from the land that first drew settlers and developers. Today Milliken is a growing community, with a population of over 5,700. The town offers prospective residents the opportunity to choose a home in a variety of master planned communities at a far better value than in many of the surrounding larger cities without sacrificing quality.

Kendall Brook - a great place to live!

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:43:03 -0500

Kendall Brook subdivision located three miles north of Highway 34, on the northwest side of Loveland on the northwest corner of North Taft Avenue and West 43rd Street. Fully developed single family lots are still available in second and third phase. Price includes water, sewer, gas, electric and cable TV stubbed to each finished lot. The neighborhood has paved streets, curbs, gutters, entry monumentation, landscaping, streetlights and sidewalks. Other amenities in this subdivision include:

Tremendous open space
Soccer field
4 Parks with playground equipment
1 Park without playground equipment
City trail system along the Louden Canal
Excellent views of the Rocky Mountains
Professionally managed & landscaped community
Close to shopping, entertainment and recreation
Convenient to downtown Loveland and Lake Loveland
6 miles south of the City of Fort Collins

Currently, R&R Homes have 5 spec homes to choose from! Stop by the model home at 4850 Georgetown Drive. Open Saturday & Sunday from 1:00-5:00 pm.

Or for more information check out our website at: www.randrnewhomes.com

Great Builder Incentives!!!!

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:38:38 -0500

Building a better home for you & the environment!

Stunning four bedroom, three bath ranch style home in desirable Kendall Brook subdivision
Custom tile with granite accents entry
Tall solid Alder wood interior doors throughout
Beautiful slab granite countertops in kitchen below a full custom tiled backsplash
Stainless steel built-in convection oven & microwave PLUS refrigerator are included.
Open living room with corner accented gas fireplace
Spacious master suite offering: Patio Access, 5-piece bath with skylight & walk-in closet
Dedicated dining room with spectacular mountain views
Finished basement offering full wetbar with dishwasher, microwave & full size refrigerator
Beautifully landscaped with fire pit in backyard great for those cool fall evenings

Best Places in Colorado to do Business

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:03:19 -0500

During the 2008 Best Places to Do Business study that was conducted by INC.com - Colorado ranked pretty high! Our highest ranking city was Grand Junction - coming in at #11 overall and # 9 on the small cities list. Greeley was ranked 25^th overall (18^th on small cities) which was a huge jump from last year's rank of 64^th. Fort Collins came in 53^rd overall (31^st on small cities) another huge jump from last year's rank of 141. These rankings were based on non farm employment, manufacturing, financial services, business and professional services, educational and health services, information, retail and wholesale trade, transportation and utilities, leisure and hospitality, and government. According to INC.com, the list focuses on short and long term job growth - showing where jobs are being created and to where momentum is shifting - and identifies the best places to locate or expand business.

Below is a chart of how Colorado cities ranked on this 335 city list:

Best Places to do Business
City	2008	2007
Greeley	25	64
Fort Collins/Loveland	53	141
Grand Junction	11	30
Pueblo	70	173
Denver/Aurora	108	198
Boulder	121	250
Colorado Springs	151	186

We are holding strong

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:52:18 -0500

The Northern Colorado area is hold on strong on the national "best of" ranking! In the recent Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live for 2008- Fort Collins was ranked 2^ndThis was just one step down from it's 1^st place ranking in 2006. In the article Money magazine praised Fort Collins for it's bike friendliness, microbreweries and restaurants in Old Town, biosciences and tech companies, employment, Colorado State University, the future downtown solar energy projects, health care and schools. Another Northern Colorado city that came in at 33^rd was Loveland for it's Valentine Remailing Program, sculptures and Budweiser Event Center. Other cities in Colorado that were on the list was Highlands Ranch at 12^th, Westminster at 44^th, Longmont at 50^th.

All About Qualifying for That Mortgage

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:47:50 -0500

The hardest part of saving for a new home for many people is putting away the money for the down payment. If you have less than 25% of the purchase price to put down you will likely need to purchase mortgage insurance from whatever lender you have chosen. The reason for this is simple. It's protection for the lender against default if you can't keep up the payments.

Remember that we all need a personal banker, someone who lends a friendly face to the giant financial institutions that dominate our lives. With your personal banker on your side, you can get discounted loan rates and better repayment terms. It's all about getting and maintaining a decent credit score so that you be able to qualify for conventional bank loan.

There are several things that you can do to rebuild a damaged credit score or start a new one. One of the first things you might want to try especially if you're younger is to start off on the right foot and build a credit history with your first credit card. Of course that doesn't mean that you should spend foolishly on your first card , but it is all about showing the banks that you can be responsible with the credit that they have sought fit to give you.

Remember too that this is not a situation where more is better. While the banks like you to try and establish your credit rating, they are not interested in seeing that you've taken every credit card that's been offered to you. Instead they would much rather see that you have started off small and are acting in a responsible manner. By showing them this kind of accountability, you'll be on your way to either repairing or establishing the kind of credit that will get you a conventional mortgage.

Equity in your home

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:53:10 -0500

Ask anyone who owns their own home about the obvious advantages and they'll more than likely tell you that there's an immense amount of pride in being able to say that they've got their own space. But there are many other pluses as well, and some of these are good tax advantages.

For instance, most times any capital gain from the sale of your principle residence is usually non-taxable. You home also represents excellent collateral. This means that you can often go to the bank to borrow other money for different projects that you might want to embark on, or the collateral in your home represents the ability to borrow for other purchases.

As well, you can deduct the cost of operating a business out of your home. These deductions also often include a proportionate amount of household expenses. Still, it should be mentioned that the best way of avoiding trouble is not to overextend yourself with credit. It's essential that you determine what you can afford and then stay within those means. Still, all the experts suggest that the best way for you to look after your finances is to cut costs in your mortgage wherever possible and there are several ways to do this.

First of all you should consider what it means to have a standard mortgage that's usually not tax deductible and will usually run a term of 30 years. All the experts agree that there are several other ways to pay this down, and one of the best is to get a short term variable rate mortgage. Also, if your cash flow is strong and your job secure, you can save literally thousands of dollars in interest payments by changing your amortization rate from 25 to 15 years.

Here's another suggestion that will increase your equity and bring the principle down. When you go to renew your mortgage, make sure to dump a fair amount on the principle so that you owe less in the long run. Many institutions allow you to pay extra once a year, or add an extra payment once a year, or pay a lump sum annually instead of monthly.

Remember that the equity that you've got in you home will quite often dictate how you live in you later years and what kind of retirement you will have. It's always a good idea to plan to increase your equity by paying your mortgage down as often as you can.

Gas prices around the world

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:23:50 -0500

If you think that you are paying an arm and a leg at the pump then take a look at gas prices in other parts of the world at the end of May:

Gas Prices Around the World

Country	Gas Price
Germany	$11.49
Turkey	$11.49
France	$9.66
Britain	$8.31
Japan	$5.77
Brazil	$5.67
India	$4.16
United States	$3.96
Russia	$3.68
China	$2.93
Indonesia	$2.39
Venezuela	.12¢

*Does not include taxes

The Importance of Equity

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:10:21 -0500

Those of us who own their homes know that we've got it, but we don't always understand what it means or why it's so important. The term equity has many of us confused but really there's no need for that. Simply put, equity is the difference between the value of your home and what you still own on it. All the experts agree that this is one of the matters that should be at the heart of all you financial planning. It is one of if not the only way that some of us have of acquiring wealth.

There are many ways that you can borrow against your equity and if any type of emergency situation arises, it can come in handy against unexpected doctor's bills and the like. Remember too that having equity in your home improves your credit rating and this means that you'll be able to borrow more from a bank with better terms.

One of the tricks to getting this equity is having patience. Equity isn't something that you can build up overnight. Often it takes years of paying that mortgage down before you see any results, but once you get past the first five years of a mortgage, generally all the payments that you make after that start to make bigger dents in what you owe. As well, there is always an element of equity planning involved with any retirement plan as one of the goals there is to own your home with a small or no mortgage at all.

With this plan in place shelter for the remaining years of your retirement is guaranteed. A mortgage free home also takes the pressure off the need to use retirement income to pay for shelter. One of the other reasons to improve the equity in your house is so you can do the renovations that will further enhance your equity.

Paying it down is worth it!

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:14:14 -0500

At one time or another almost all home owners have dwelled on the possibility of paying down the mortgage early, if only because they are disgusted with paying so much interest over such a long period of time. Remember that in the early years of the mortgage, roughly 90% of each payment goes towards the interest on the mortgage loan. In other words, for the first few years that you have a mortgage, you are not paying any of the amount you owe off. Unfortunately, few people actually institute programs for quickly paying down the mortgage on the family home, and even fewer understand why this is such a good investment.

It's important to remember that almost all conventional mortgages have the possibility of paying up to 10% down on the anniversary of the mortgage date. In other words, on the exact date that you signed the paperwork every year you're allowed to make a payment on the principal that has no interest attached to it. You can also pay off any amount of it that when you renew the mortgage itself.

However over last few years, most of the financial institutions that offer mortgages have made it even easier for you to discharge your debt quickly. Some offer open mortgages that allow you to pay off any amount of the principal at any time. A number of mortgages also permit more than one payment in a month, and these weekly or semimonthly payment schedules increase the amount of interest that is paid down annually. As well several institutions offer you the option of doubling up on any monthly payments of both personal and interest and in this way the extra payment at the end of the year will be applied to the principal.

The cost of fixing up a house

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:28:55 -0500

One of the first things to do with an investment property is to calculate out the costs of the improvements that will be necessary to finish the project off and then decide if you want to hire the project out or do it yourself. Generally, the person that's done the investing usually always does the menial stuff-the work that requires little in the way of tools and or talent, but many of the homes that are bought for investment purposes need a lot of things done in the major areas like the electrical and plumbing systems.

Here's a good rule of thumb. When a house requires inspection, it's generally a good idea to get a seasoned pro to do the technical work. Still many of the things that need to be done don't require a great amount of expertise and so the investor can save a few dollars by doing these things for themselves. One of the first of these chores is the one that every homeowner is familiar with-it's a chore that everyone will tell you never seems to end.

The simple act of cleaning a home can and does affect the asking price in the end. When a house is just plain dirty alone the price suffers, but when that same place is combined with mildew and lingering pet odors as well as furniture that's been left behind and debris, a lot an old fashioned scrubbing is needed. If you don't want to do the job yourself, there are a gamut of services available that start at around $15 dollars an hour and they often include everything from individuals to franchise services.

It's often the case as well that the house may require more than a simple cleaning and for that there are many companies that specialize in fire restoration and the like. These people are often experts as well at antimildew and antibacterial treatments to the house. Of course to get the whole process started you will need to find the right real estate agent that can help you find that perfect fixer upper. On of the qualities that you'll want form this agent is a shared sense of enthusiasm. Remember too that while good salespeople change their services, the best salespeople change with the technology and are fully up to date with all the Internet has to offer.

Our ActiveRain Ranking

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:06:17 -0500

Being new to the ActiveRain community I am very honored to have become a featured member. I would like to thank everyone in this community who read my blogs - In the beginning I know that they were much but I hope with time and experience they will continue to evolve and get better and better!!! If anyone in the community has any tips that they would like to share on improving content I would love to hear them! Thank you again!

Real Estate & The World Wide Web

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:01:57 -0500

The advantage of real estate websites is that they can provide a useful overview of the housing market in any particular area with a great number of houses listed across the country. As on overview, the Internet is a highly useful tool for getting some kinds of listing information, but the web doesn't even come close to doing away with the need for an agent. Not all the sites that you'll be looking at are updated constantly, and for that reason you can contact a place for a viewing that's already under contract.

The point here is that's there is no good substitution for a real live person in a real estate office that can talk you through the property as you physically walk through. While virtual tours are popular to get a first impression, it's impossible to open closet doors and stand in a room to get the feel for the place online. The National Association of Realtors is a good starting point and a fine way to use online resources to start the journey toward buying a house. Remember, if you don't have the URL for the agent or company you're looking for, and the URL is just a fancy way of saying website, you can always just type the name into a search engine like google and a list will pop up.

Remember too that finding an agent that will suit your needs is like looking for any other kind of professional-you wouldn't hire a painter to go through your home without first getting to know a little something about him-so it's perfectly fine to ask a real estate agent a few questions as well. Here things like references can be very important.

If possible it's a great idea to get a list of the other customers that the agent you're considering has had and then maybe even have a talk with a few of them. In an unguarded environment that could even include a visit to the person's house that the agent sold them, you can find out a lot about how that agent deals with other people and how they've worked in the past to get a home sold.

Remember that real estate agents are trained professionals that have written a series of examinations that qualify them to call themselves an agent. That doesn't mean, however, that there won't be some that are better at the job than others, but picking one that's right for you will help provide a personalized touch that looking for homes on the Internet can't provide.

A great place to live and play!

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:07:19 -0500

197 Tidewater Drive

Windsor, CO 80550

Great place to live & play

The Advantages of Investing in Real Estate

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:22:37 -0500

Although there have always been historic fluctuations in the market values, real estate is still one of the best investments. Over the long term, there is more stability in this kind of investing than many other kinds, but the breakdown of the benefits are often alien to many consumers.

First off the income that you will receive from a mature real estate investment will grow with time. As the amount you owe decreases (as you pay the mortgage off) the amount of cash that you've got at your disposal increases-and all this while the equity in your home increases with time and as the amount you owe goes down. Add to this the fact the real estate that you bought as an investment offers a source if capitol, and it becomes plain to see how owning real estate is a plan that can mature with retirement.

Of course this means that most people who invest in real estate are aware of the forward appreciation that the property will accrue with time. Recent statistics have shown that on average real estate goes up at least 6.52 percent per year. Again, as the property increases in value over time and the mortgage payments go down, there is a great opportunity for the accumulation of wealth. One of the other big advantages is the leverage that a real estate investment affords.

Real estate is unlike other forms of investment in the sense that as you gain more real estate, you are afforded the ability to borrow more. You can make a fair amount of money since the returns are higher with this kind of investment. It's also a good idea to have a good real estate agent in your corner for these transactions since a well versed agent will be best able to help you with the location and kind of property that best serves you investment needs.

However, you should keep in mind that real estate is not usually the kind of investment that will pay off right away. In most cases, it will take several years before the investor will see any kind of dividends, and the value of some properties will fluctuate greatly over the term of a mortgage. Still, there are many people who use the rental income they get to pay down the mortgage over a term

Picking The Right Real Estate Agent

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:04:45 -0500

The investment in your home is considered to be one of the most important that you'll make in a lifetime. During the course of the time that you'll own the place, you will more than likely invest in some renovations to increase the value of the property. So, when you decide to do the windows, you won't trust the job to an amateur who won't put them in properly. And when it comes time to put a roof on, you'll want to hire the best professional that you can find. So when it comes time to sell, why would you want anything less than an experienced real estate agent on the job?

Many people chose an agent based solely on an advertisement or at the recommendation of a friend. While these aren't really bad ways of selecting the person who will help you with a new home, there are some other more scientific methods that you might want to consider. The experts all agree on the need for caution. They say that while there will always be many real estate agents that will be clamoring to represent you in a sale, there are only a handful that can have your interests in mind. You need to be able to trust that agent completely and for that there's often the need for referrals.

Ask you friends about the nature of the agent that you're considering. That's always a good starting point. But still, you won't want to select an agent based on the kind of personality they have even though it's good if you get along with the prospect. It's a good idea too to choose an agent that's also a licensed Realtor since they are bound by a strict code of ethics. This code is administered by the National Association of Realtors and they are very serious about keeping their integrity intact.

Another good hint is to choose someone who works in your price range. Understandably, some agents work in upper income neighborhoods as a rule and might not give their best effort to a property in a less expensive location. On the other hand, if they usually deal in lower end housing, they might not have the experience to handle houses that are worth considerably more. As well, you'll want to pick an agent that will work hard for you-after all, that's the kind of ethic that got you the home in the first place.

Northern Colorado Road Construction

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:14:51 -0500

Yesterday one of my team members was out showing property in the Greeley area. She could not believe how long it took her to get from our office to Greeley - The drive that typically takes about twenty-five minutes took almost an hour. The cause of this delay was road construction - the necessary evil! Don't get me wrong I am very happy that they are finally repairing the road in Weld County - they are in need of repair. But when trying to get to an appointment or take clients out to the different properties road construction can be a big annoyance. So to help out my fellow man I have composed a list of the Weld Construction - I found this list on the Weld County website. Below that is a list that shows all of Northern Colorado road construction that was taken from CDOT.

Weld County Road Construction for Summer

Weld County Road 74 - Between Weld roads 59 and 61. Closed until Thursday for road construction
Weld 73 - Between Weld roads 18 and 20. Closed June 9-26 for bridge work
Weld 42 - Between Northmoor Drive and Weld 13. Closed through June 20 for culvert collapse
Weld 68 - Between Weld roads 61.5 and 67. Closed during the days through June 19 for road construction
25th Avenue - Between O and F streets. Closed June 9-19 for road construction
Weld 52 - Between Weld 17 and Milliken city limits. Closed June 16-July 3 for road construction
Weld 45 - Between Weld roads 52 and 54. Closed through Thursday for culvert replacement
Weld 57 - Between Weld roads 392 and Weld 66. Closed through Friday for emergency repair of washed out bridge
Weld 7 - Between Weld roads 26 and 28. Closed through June 27 for installation of sanitary sewer

Northern Colorado Road Construction from CDOT for Summer

I 25 Northbound North of CO 56- Right lane closures for asphalt removal and paving - Delays are possible. Through September 2008 from 9:00pm-5:00am Sunday-Thursday
I 25 Northbound/Southbound Between Crossroads Exit and CO 14 - Single lane and shoulder closure in each direction for saw and sealing of concrete joints north of Crossroads exit, south of Berthoud exit, and south of US 34 Loveland exit - Alternate routes are strongly advised. Through June 2008 from 7:30am-5:00am Sunday
I 25 Southbound Frontage Roads between CO 52 and CO 119 - One lane road and periodic delays on the east frontage road between County Rd. 16 and County Rd. 20 for dirt hauling - Minor delays. Through August 2008 from 7:00am-7:00pm Monday-Friday
I 25 Southbound/Northbound Between Mead and Fort Collins at Various Locations - Right lane and shoulder closures for concrete slab replacement north of SH 66, south of US 34, north of Crossroads exit, and from Prospect Rd. exit to CO 14 - Delays are possible & alternate routes strongly advised. Through June 2008 from 7:30pm-5:00am Monday-Thursday
US 34 Eastbound/Westbound Between I-25 and CO 257 - Single lane closures for paving operations. Speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph through the work zone - Delays are possible. Through September 2008 from 4:00am-4:00pm Monday-Friday
US 34 Eastbound/Westbound Near Drake, Over the Big Thompson River - One lane is open in each direction. An 8.5 ft. width restriction is in effect - Delays are possible. Through August 2008 for 24 Hours
US 34 Eastbound/Westbound Between Kersey and Wiggins at Hardin - There will be one lane alternating traffic for resurfacing. Speed limit is reduced to 30 mph and a 12 ft. width restriction is in effect during work hours. Through October 2008 from 6:00am-6:00pm Monday-Friday
US 34 Eastbound/Westbound at Eckley - Single lane closures in either direction for paving and reclamation operations - Delays are possible. Through July 2008 from 6:00am-6:30pm Monday-Friday
US 85 Northbound/Southbound Between La Salle and CO 60 - Single lane closure for paving operations - Minimal delays. Through August 2008 from 7:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday
CO 119 Eastbound/Westbound Over the St. Vrain River - Only one lane of eastbound and westbound is open over the St. Vrain River with traffic realigned onto the westbound bridge - Alternate routes strongly advised. Through July 2008 for 24 Hours
CO 79 Eastbound/Westbound From I-70 through Bennett - There will be one lane alternating traffic. for grading and asphalt removal - Delays expected. Through August 2008 from 7:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday

Help raise money of Windsor Tornado

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:22:59 -0500

Help raise money for the people in our area that were effecting by the tornado last week PLUS enjoy great food - Below is a flyer from Chili's. They are donating 10% of their sales between 4-11 pm on Monday June 2nd to the Tornado Relief Fund. You can eat at the Chili's in Ft. Collins, Loveland or Greeley! Please help get the word out!

If you will not be able to make it but would still like to help The Tribune, Windsor Now, Fox 31 TV and The Community Foundation are partnering on a special fund to provide relief for victims of the tornadoes. The Web site is: www.cfsgwc.org

Absorption Rate Chart for Northern Colorado

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:58:20 -0500

Below is a chart that shows that absorption rate for homes in the Northern Colorado Area. If you compare the First Quarter of 2007 with the First Quarter of 2008 - Fort Collins and Greeley were only down 1% while Loveland is down 2% and Windsor 13%.

Just Listed in Desirable Lakeside Terrace Estate

Tracy Wilson (The Group, Inc) — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:35:12 -0500

1478 26th SW Street

Loveland, CO 80537

Oodles of Amenities!

Contact

A wonderful ranch style home with great mature landscaping located in desired Lakeside Terrace.

Property Description

This home has offers a spacious living room with tile accented fireplace, separate dining room, and master suite with 5-piece master bath. The basement with 8 foot ceilings will be compeleted and will included a dedicated theater room, two additional bedrooms, PLUS huge family room with wetbar. On top of the home the subdivision offers basketball & tennis court PLUS a pool.

For Sale

$315,000

MLS#: 567036

Subdivision:

Lakeside Terrace Estate

Location:

Loveland

Style:

Ranch

Total SqFt:

3,298

Main Floor SqFt:

1,649

Basement SqFt:

1,949

Lot Size:

.24 Acres

Taxes:

$1,500/2007

Garage:

Attached 3 car

HOA Fee:

$600/Annually

Bedrooms:

Bathrooms:

Master Bd:

19x14

Bedroom 2:

11x11

Bedroom 3:

11x10

Bedroom 4:

12x16

Bedroom 5:

17x11

Great Room:

17x15

Dining Room:

15x11

Kitchen:

19x11

Family Room:

23x20

Tracy Wilson
Broker Associate

Contact

All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change.

Equal Housing Opportunity