Is your home, or a home you are buying, is in a flood zone?  If so, you will likely pay a great deal more for property insurance each year; much more than if your home is not in a flood zone.  Not to mention, your home also runs a higher risk of experiencing some degree of flooding in the future.  If you want to find out if a home is in a flood zone, you can check with an appraiser, or on your appraisal report.  The flood zone information is typically found on page one of a standard appraisal report.  Alternatively, you can go to the FEMA website, just CLICK HERE.  Save some money and stay dry...buy homes outside of flood zones!

Stefan Geyer, Realtor/Certified Appraiser/ECO Broker

YOU MAY NEED A NEW APPRAISER....

•·        Is your appraiser slow?

•·        Does your appraiser not respond promptly to your calls and e-mails?

•·        Are your loans held up due to appraiser errors?

•·        Does your appraiser regularly receive stipulations from the underwriter?

These things should not be happening, unless you are using an inexperienced or inadequate appraiser.  Your team should include an appraiser that has the knowledge and proficiency to get appraisals done correctly and efficiently.  You work hard to get your deals; don't risk them on inadequate appraisers!  Below are some of the things I offer my clients:

•·        Quick turn-around: typically 24 business hours.

•·        FHA approved.

•·        Never black-listed.

•·        0% of my appraisals have been rejected by a lender.

•·        Comparable requests are done FAST.

•·        I have the following real estate licenses/experience:  Certified Appraiser, Realtor, Loan Officer, relocation trained(ERC), ECO Broker (can do 'Green' appraisals), and Certified Luxury Home Marketing trained.

If I do your appraisals, you will notice the difference.  I will help make your job and the lives of your clients MUCH easier!

PHONE: 303-766-4663     FAX: 303-534-5508

EMAIL: coreappraisals@comcast.net

Colorado counties covered:  Boulder, Weld, Broomfield, Denver, Adams, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert. 

Two tornadoes touched down near Parker, Colorado this past Sunday.  Though I did not see the tornadoes, many did, including Tammy Freeman, who took the great picture to the left.  I don't think she is a storm chaser...but I would have likely been looking and running the other direction!  Thankfully there was no major damage reported and no one hurt. 

Did you know that every state in the country has registered occurrences of tornadoes?  Even Hawaii!  That being the case, it may be time to brush up on some tornado safety reminders:

-A tornado watch will be issued if there is a chance of a tornado.  So if you hear sirens, or get that annoying storm alert announcement interupting your TV show, poke your head outside and take a look.  Also, turn on a radio or TV for updates.

-If a tornado watch is upgraded to a tornado warning, then a tornado has been spotted.  At this point, you can either 1)grab your camera like Tammy, or 2)Get to a safe place until the tornado has passed.

So where is a 'safe' place?  I expect you can never be certain, but the safest places I've heard you should go to are in a basement, under stairs, or a local storm shelter.  Protect yourself from debris by covering up with a blanket or mattress.  Prior preparation is advised > have a plan in place for you or your family.

You may be curious now to know more about tornadoes.  If so, I'd recommend going to The Tornado Project site.

Blue Skies!

Stefan Geyer | ECO Broker, Realtor | www.StefanMax.com 

If you are a fan of forward thinking building design, I recommend taking a few minutes to look at the web site of SOLiD Architectural Design, a Colorado company.  You will see homes like the ones pictured here, and you will also see some of their unique commercial projects, including the Tokyo Joe's Restaurant on 13th Avenue in Denver.  They were also responsible for building the Shoshone Development, which is an urban infill project in Denver (pictured below).   

I contacted Owen Beard at SOLiD recently, and asked him if his company incorporates any 'green' features into thier designs.  He answered with the following:

'It seems that Solar electric is the most popular green feature. Right now we have 3 or 4 projects that incorporate photovoltaic panels. This is probably because there are great rebates from power companies and the government.  It would be nice if I could find clients that foot the extra bill for gray water reuse systems, on site water retention, natural or recycled fiber insulation, no V.O.C. plywood and steel construction.  These would greatly increase the interior air quality while reducing the impact on the environment. But some of these add a lot of extra cost to a project.

A while back I designed a bog that would use cattail to convert gray water to usable irrigation water. The system is simple and really quite attractive. It ends up looking like a water garden. Since I do have clients that are environmentally aware I have recently been pushing steel structural systems. Even new steel has a high percentage of reused material and nearly all of it will be recycled after the building has been torn down. So it doesn't end up in a land fill.'

SOLiD Architectural Design is located at 70 South Cherokee Street in Denver, Colorado, 80223.  The phone number is 303-825-2313.

Come to Southlands in Aurora, Colorado on Saturday September 13, 2008 to get some exercise, make a difference, and have fun sharing something important with other people.  The event is a 5K race and a One-Mile Family Fun Run/Walk.  Small entrance fees and company sponsorship will combine to benefit the Aurora Family YMCA.

Can you bring your pooch?  If you are doing the One-Mile Family Fun Run/Walk...you bet!  All participants will receive an event T-shirt, goodie bag, coupons, and more.  For more details, click here.

For a map of the 5K Race course, click here.

See you there...just look for the guy with the tired face and his hyper platinum Retriever.

Blue Skies!

Stefan Geyer | Realtor, ECO Broker | www.SoaLounge.com