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.
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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.
Read more about life in Arvada, Colorado.
Gardeners might enjoy my posts about gardening in Denver to Boulder’s front range.
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 the Denver area.
I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly suburbs northwest of Denver.
Copyright © 2009 Joetta Fort, The DiGiorgio Group
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