real estate: Laramie, WY Real Estate: Last puff of summer . . . - 10/18/17 07:37 PM
Two brief snowstorms under our belt and the temperatures are getting cooler.  The sprinklers have been blown out the and the lawn mower put away.  Guess it is time to embrace the inevitable arrival of winter. 
Really, though, it's not so bad!  I'm looking forward to snowy, chili and cornbread days, fires in the fireplace, the scraping sound of the snow shovels on the driveway and piles of wet mittens and boots by the door.  I suppose there is a certain comfort in the rituals that come with each season.  I hope you are ready to welcome the rituals of your winter wherever you may … (6 comments)

real estate: Laramie, WY Real Estate: Have you seen the photos of your home? - 10/18/17 07:00 PM
Yikes!  You've signed an agreement to have a  REALTOR 
help you market your home.  You cleaned up and  made everything, neat,clean and sparkly.  Finally, your home is out there . . . or so you thought.  When you looked for your house online, you found no pictures, or just one picture, or worse yet, pictures that make your home look dingy, dark and unattractive.
Maybe - your home is dingy, dark and unattractive, but probably not.  If you find your home being represented in an unflattering way, then contact your agent to find a solution.  Most agents will want to do the … (6 comments)

real estate: Laramie, WY Real Estate: Earnest Deposit - 10/18/17 06:43 PM
Earnest Money is an advance deposit a buyer submits with their offer to purchase a property.  It says " Pick me! I am earnest, I am acting in good faith to make a legitimate offer on your property."   While 1% of the purchase price is often the suggested amount of earnest money to include with an offer, a buyer can choose to go  higher  or lower depending on a number of things.  Just remember that an offer submitted with a higher amount may be given more consideration than one with a lower amount. 
Owners need earnest money because when they accept an … (3 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: When Can I Move In? - 10/18/17 05:59 PM
Woo hoo, closing day is almost here!  You've worked hard with your lender and real estate agent to make it all happen.  You've had  your financial history exhumed all the way back to  the payout on your first lost tooth.   Finally, you hear the magical words "Clear to Close".....  So, enough already . . .          When can you move in?!  
The answer - when the deal is DONE.  Not a minute sooner.  In Laramie, that typically means after all the papers are signed and the deal is funded  at closing. 
Sounds obvious, right?  It is, but . . . what can it hurt to just put a few things in the … (2 comments)

real estate: Schools in Laramie, WY: Laramie Montessori - 09/19/17 06:51 PM
 
Schools in Laramie, WY: Laramie Montessori
(Post 8 in a Series of 16)
Moving to Laramie?               Already live in Laramie?             Moving to a different neighborhood? 
Have no fear!  All the schools in Laramie boast excellent reviews and acheivement data.  Laramie also has three free public schools of choice - Snowy Range Academy, Laramie Montessori and UW Lab school. Additionally, Rock River K - 12  accepts and transports students from Laramie.   When possible, the school district may issue boundary exceptions.  Want more information on how it all works? 
Ask us how:      Call Brenda at ( 3 0 7 ) 3 9 9 - 5 4 7 7     … (4 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: SOLD! - 40 Wild Horse Ranch - 04/06/13 03:15 AM
 
Your chance to own this piece of the Wild West is now gone!  Imagine looking out across the vast grasslands with unobstructed views of the Medicine Bow Mountains.  Never feel claustrophobic again! 
This 40 acre hillside lot located in Wild Horse Ranch is 18 miles west of Laramie via Highway 130 and only 20 minutes away from the mountains and the Medicine Bow National Forest.  Outdoor recreational opportunities are endless when you combine the ownership privileges of Ranch owners with the proximity to public wilderness areas at Lake Hattie, BLM grasslands and the Medicine Bow Forest.  For winter outdoor enthusiasts the … (6 comments)

real estate: Historic November Home Sales: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate - 11/30/12 03:20 AM
Just so we're clear, this post refers to the history of the sales of homes in November over time, not the November sales of historic homes.  LOL! 
November home sales over the years have been up and down with no  noticable trend, except for in 2010 when November sales were unusually high. This doesn't really tell us much other than what we already know - sales have slowed as we moved into fall, as they usually do.  It also indicates what we've seen in the market in general this year - the Laramie market seems to have hit its "low" and … (7 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: Just where is Laramie, anyway? - 11/28/12 08:37 AM
As stated in my profile, when it comes to small towns in the middle of nowhere, Laramie does not fit that profile - at least not to me!  We're only an hour drive from two BIG places - Cheyenne, Wyoming and Fort Collins, Colorado.  Compared to many, many towns in Wyoming (and other places, too, I'd imagine) we're right in the center of it all as far as I'm concerned.
It's true that to get to Cheyenne or Fort Collins we have to drive OVER some high altitude passes in either direction.  It's also true that often in the winter if the … (6 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: Tuesday's Tour - November 27, 2012 - 11/27/12 01:25 AM
 
Tuesday morning's MLS (Multiple Listing Service) Tour is the place to be if you are a REALTOR member of the Laramie MLS. 
Tuesday's are the day we all meet, then head out and view the newest listings on the MLS.
If you are not familiar with the concept of MLS, it is a members only organization whose members agree to share information on their listings with one another to better facilitate finding a buyer for the properties more quickly than they could on their own.  In other words, working together to get properties sold.  If a property is listed on the MLS, … (0 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: Today's Market Snapshot - 11/25/12 09:30 AM
Active Listings on the Laramie MLS on November 25, 2012:
Residential Listings:  197 
Land Listings: 126
Multiunits:  14
Commercial:  27
Farm/Ranch: 3
To lend perspective to the numbers, 197 is a good number of available homes for November in Laramie.  A couple years ago I saw the inventory dip down to just over 100 in the mid winter, so all in all the market is doing just what we expect it to do this time of year - and maybe just a little bit better . . .

… (0 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming: Hometown Holiday Hurrah 2012 Has Begun! - 11/24/12 09:02 AM
At today's Hometown Holiday Hurrah Drawing there was one $1000 winner!  They hadn't disclosed her name yet by the time I left but she sounded like a very happy lady!  Despite trying 5 more times, there was no winner for the second $1000 Drawing.  This means at the next drawing they will be drawing for 3, yes 3, lucky $1000 winners.
The Hometown Holiday Hurrah is put on by a number of local businesses. Participating businesses distribute tickets to shoppers during the holiday season.  For 3 selected Saturdays preceding Christmas, a drawing is held downtown on the corner of 2nd and … (3 comments)

real estate: Laramie Real Estate: Presenting the Tallest Buildings in Wyoming ? ! - 11/23/12 09:58 AM
I knew our state had a small population - 568,158 after the last Census.  Even so, I was still surprised to be told that Laramie has the tallest buildings in Wyoming.   Seriously?!
With 13 floors each, the McIntyre (on the left) and White (on the right) Residence Halls at the University of Wyoming are on record as the tallest in the state. http://www.wyonation.com/about/about-wyoming/
This pales in comparison to other tall buildings around the nation like the Columbia Center in Seattle with 76 floors, the Republic Plaza in Denver with 56 floors and the Empire State Building in New York City with 102 floors.  … (4 comments)

real estate: Laramie, WY, Real Estate: View of the World from Medicine Bow Peak - 11/22/12 01:07 AM
Today, Thanksgiving, a day for reflection and counting our blessings.  This view of the world and the friends and family with whom we shared this ambitious Labor Day trek are just one of the many blessings I am thankful for this past year . . . 
      
(Medicine Bow Beak , located in the Medicine Bow National Forest southwest of Laramie, Wyoming)
     
The view looking up is equally awe inspiring as well, we live in a grand world, indeed!
                                      Happy Thanksgiving!

… (17 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming, Real Estate: Important Local Phone Numbers - 11/21/12 06:33 AM
An uninspired  title, for sure!  But sometimes it is what it is . . . and what it is today is a list of useful local phone numbers if you live in Laramie, Wyoming.
    
On a side note, our area code is (307) should anyone from out of state want to dial one of the local numbers.   Of course I also have a magnet version of this should anyone out there be dying to put it on their refrigerator - just give me a call and I'd be happy to deliver!  Enjoy!
 
… (2 comments)

real estate: Laramie, WY: Yes, Its Cold . . . at least we don't have Cockroaches! - 11/20/12 05:30 AM
As soon as I say Laramie doesn't have cockroaches, I'm sure someone else will have a tale to refute my claim.  But as long as I've lived here (31 years) at many different locations (18) I have personally never seen an actual, live, "wild" cockroach.  As a  matter of fact I don't think I've ever seen one anywhere - even on my travels . . .
I've had friends who had cockroaches hitch a ride in their belongings when they made a move from another climate. However, it was easy enough for them to get rid of the beasts once they … (11 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming: If Its Chocolate, Does It Matter What It Looks Like? - 11/19/12 06:12 AM
In the past, I loved making fancy cakes for the kids and their birthdays.  I still do, but have much less time to do it.  Thankfully, the kids see things with a creative eye and our daughter, who was turning 9 that year, was plenty happy with this haphazard cake she helped me put together for her that year...

So . . .  while the cake is not particularly pretty, the question remains:
 

As long as it is chocolate, does it really matter what it looks like?
 
… (3 comments)

real estate: Thankful for the University of Wyoming Stanley Hathaway Scholarship - 11/18/12 11:09 AM
Having four children, three of whom will hit college around the same time, I am thankful for the State of Wyoming Stanley Hathaway Scholarship.  Established in honor of former governor Stanley Hathaway- who created the state's Permanent Mineral Trust Fund (whose income pays for state government operations)- this scholarship has three different award levels available to students who graduate from Wyoming High Schools and want to attend the University of Wyoming or affiliated Wyoming Colleges.  Of course, students also have to meet certain academic criteria in high school as well as achieve certain ACT scores.  However, it is without a doubt … (7 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: A Day for Reflection - 11/16/12 10:13 PM
A crisp Wyoming dawn slowly pushes the darkness away while I sit reluctantly away from the blankets that I'm sure are still warm. Today is one of those days where I'm not feeling particularly loquacious.  Just the fact that I used the word "loquacious" is a sign that today is, indeed, a day where I should  just stop and reflect...
 
Let's hear it for Saturdays!













… (8 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: Home Sales January thru October 2012 - 11/16/12 03:33 AM
Based on the number of homes shown as sold on the Laramie Board of REALTOR's MLS from January 2012 through October 2012, it looks like our home sales will be holding steady but slightly lower than 2009 and 2010.
The total number of homes sold in 2011 was 332,                                                                   in 2010 was 360,                                                           and in 2009 was 343.
       
The total number of homes sold this year through October has been 298.  Projecting sales over the next couple months factoring in the usual seasonal drop, puts … (0 comments)

real estate: Laramie, Wyoming: Improved Health Care Access for Local Veterans! - 11/15/12 03:32 AM
Local veterans will soon have improved access to health care right here in Laramie.  In the past, choices for Laramie veterans were limited to a mobile clinic that came over a couple days a week or driving to our closest VA Medical center which is in Cheyenne. (http://www.cheyenne.va.gov/). Of course, making the drive to Cheyenne will still be the only option for certain services or some types of specialized care but the option to be seen in town will likely be appreciated and utilized by many clients.
Veterans and the public are invited to an open house on:

Monday, Nov. … (4 comments)