Wow!  After months of hard work, I can't think of anything better.  Great way to start the day and continue a rockin' 2012!

I think the main thing Realtors (and sellers) need to keep in mind with short sales is....NEVER GIVE UP!

Just when you think you've exhausted everything, things can, and often do, change overnight.

When we close on this one next week, it wll continue our record of closing 100% of our short sale listings in Denver, CO.  Although we don't do a massive volume of short sales, we have learned to use every tool/strategy available to us to make them work for our sellers and their buyers.

Realtors ~~ what are some of your top short sale negotiation tips?

This is a beautiful home for rent in a gated community in Aurora, CO. This home is located in the Cherry Creek School District. The true highlight of this rental is an amazing resort-like backyard featuring a pool, hot tub, cabana, fire pit, basketball court, playset and batting cage!

Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to schedule a showing for this property! Call Wendy at (303) 808-0239.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

To make it easier for home buyers to search for homes within a particular high school attendance area, your Cherry Creek School District real estate experts (The Bibeau Group), recently added a handy new search feature to our website.

Now, you can visit the Homes for Sale in Cherry Creek School District website, and search by any of the six Cherry Creek High Schools.

Whether you are looking for homes for sale in Grandview High School area, or Homes for Sale in Cherry Creek High School area, we've got you covered!

At our site, you can also search for Homes for Sale in Cherry Creek School District by price range, number of bedrooms, or even foreclosures.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

We just read an article today with some startling information.  A recent study tracked how many signed home purchase contracts were cancelled prior to closing.  In May 2011 1 of every 25 contracts were cancelled, and by June….. the rate was 1 in 6!

The reasons for these contracts not making it to closing are varied, and while Denver home buyers do not have control over all of the possible problems, there are a few things they can do to avoid these last minute hassles.

If you want to get to the closing table for your Denver dream home, keep these simple rules in mind. 

1. Do not walk away from a house you would really like to purchase because of minor, fixable items pointed out by your inspector – sellers will typically address major problems with a home, or those related to health and safety.  But if a faucet needs to be tightened, or a window is sticking and the seller has already addressed most of your requests, chalk this up to a normal homeowner expense once you move in (knowing that you probably are getting a very good deal on your purchase).
2. Do not choose a lender without a strong, recent recommendation from a past client or Realtor – lending rules have changed a great deal, and there are a huge number of details that your mortgage broker or lender must review and address prior to final loan approval.  An inexperienced lender can easily cause closing delays, or even a last minute denial of your loan.
3. Do not quit your job – your lender will be verifying your finances prior to closing.
4. Do not change jobs – lenders often require a consistent job history and a new position might delay your closing until you build that history.
5. Do not make any large purchases on credit – this can alter your debt-to-income ratio enough to nullify your loan qualification.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

This is a very common question we hear from both first-time home buyers and even repeat buyers.  With the home lending rules changing so much over the past few years, you may be surprised by the answer:

If you would like to find out if your first home is within reach, or if this would be a good time to trade up even without a huge chunk of equity in your existing home, just give us a quick call. We would love to help you explore your options!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

It seems these days like all people can talk about are homes prices. "Have we hit bottom?"...."How fast will they rebound?"..."If I wait a year to sell, will I make more money?". Most often, what we find lost in the shuffle is any serious consideration of our still amazingly low mortgage interest rates. For many home buyers (and those wishing to sell and 'move up') the current interest rates need to be a major consideration in their decision-making process. Check out this graphic from the Keller Williams blog post, 'How Rising Interest Rates Will Affect Affordability'.

You can see clearly the impact of the interest rate vs. price on a monthly payment. In a recent post on InsideRealEstateNews.com, Denver real estate blogger John Rebchook makes the same case for this calculation. He provides another example:

A rule of thumb is that a home has to drop by 10 percent to make up a 1-percentage point increase in interest rates. In other words, if you want that $400,000 home at the same monthly payment at 6.25 percent as at 5.25 percent, the seller must shave $40,000 off the price and sell it for $360,000.

For even more eye-opening statistics, also see our recent blog post entitled 'Is it REALLY a Good Time to Buy a Home in Denver?' If these numbers are making you reconsider putting off a home purchase or moving up to your dream home, we can help you do an analysis of your own specific situation. Call Wendy at (303) 808-0239 or contact us via email.

[This article was originally published at -- Denver Real Estate Blog on www.TheBibeauGroup.com]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

If you like to keep an eye on the performance of the Denver real estate market, you may be overwhelmed by the complex and sometimes conflicting data you hear about in local newspapers and television headlines. We have prepared this handy guide to help you interpret what you are reading and hearing, and specifically target the information you must have to stay informed and make smart real estate decisions.

One of the most important factors to look at when interpreting a particular statistic is how large the area is that is being reported on. For example, statistics based on the entire U.S. real estate market will clearly be valuable only on a very macro level.

--> Read the rest of this article - Stats That Matter – What You Need to Know About Denver Real Estate Statistics

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

When a statement almost becomes cliche, people naturally start to question its validity. I'm sure you've heard many of us in the real estate industry saying, "It's a great time to buy!". Sure, interest rates are low and prices are down in general...but many people in these economic times need more information in order to make that leap. At the Keller Williams Denver Tech Center monthly team meeting this week, our fantastic in-house lenders, Oxford Mortgage, presented two charts that lay out some pretty compelling evidence that it really IS a good time to be at least considering purchasing real estate. First, a look at the impact of the amazingly low interest rates on the monthly payment for a $400,000 house. $500 is a huge amount, especially considering the 'before' rate of 6.27 really isn't that bad in a historical context.

And, this is the one that might surprise people even more. Take a look at how Denver Real Estate has performed in comparison to other common investments over a 10-year period.

Of course, these statistics don't account for all of the factors that come into play when making the decision to purchase real estate. However, they are quite striking. What do you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denver Real Estate Search | Denver Relocation Specialists | Denver Home Values

This post was originally published on The Bibeau Group's Denver Real Estate Blog.

Open this Sunday, Aug. 8th, 11-2 pm, light refreshments served. We'd love to have you stop by!

6657 W. Hinsdale Ave, Littleton CO 80128
$329,500

* 4 bedroom / 3 bath
* 2721 sq feet
* Brazilian cherry hardwoods
* Fresh paint inside & out
* New kitchen counters
* Covered patio
* Nearly 1/4 acre, cul-de-sac lot
* Close to school, park, tennis courts
* Within couple miles of light rail
* Great location near Chatfield & foothills

Please call Wendy at (303) 808-0239 for more information/directions.

Open this Sunday, Aug. 1st, 11-2 pm, light refreshments served. We'd love to have you stop by!

6657 W. Hinsdale Ave, Littleton CO 80128
$329,500

* 4 bedroom / 3 bath
* 2721 sq feet
* Brazilian cherry hardwoods
* Fresh paint inside & out
* New kitchen counters
* Covered patio
* Nearly 1/4 acre, cul-de-sac lot
* Close to school, park, tennis courts
* Within couple miles of light rail
* Great location near Chatfield & foothills

Please call Wendy at (303) 808-0239 for more information/directions.