If your basement is musty, if there are black, green or purple blotches on or behind your walls and ceiling tile, or if there is any kind of growth thriving under your carpets or rugs, you are probably sharing your home with a colony of mold. This is a potential health danger for your family and also a legal liability should you want to sell your home. Because of fear over mold contamination there are so many lawsuits flying around today that sales of resale homes are in jeopardy in some jurisdictions and insurance companies are scrambling to avoid liability – with some U.S. insurers refusing to write any new homeowner policies.                     Just how much of a health danger mold can be is currently being debated in courtrooms around the continent. But there’s little doubt that s... 03/16/2008

                           Home Inspections Ensure You Know The House Inside And Out   The last thing a homebuyer wants to do is to dis­cover any issues in the home after moving in, and the last thing a home seller wants is for an issue to appear before the sale. That's why it's so important for both buy­ers and sellers to have a home inspection. Simply put, the seller doesn't want a surprise he or she didn't even know about to come out that will stop the sale, and the buyer wants to make sure there are no costly repairs waiting.   Home inspections provide many positives and build a foundation of knowledge about a home and its systems that are stated in the Home Inspection Report-which contains a maintenance checklist.   "Homebuyers don't want to get a cold reception because of improp­... 03/04/2008

Great Deals!!!  I've identified a small pocket of Denver area homes, that over the next few years are poised to become HUGE money makers.  The commercial development has been going strong for a couple years in the area, and the recent mortgage and housing fiasco, has caused the residential area to suffer badly!  Homes which sold for $120k-$150k two years ago, are now being foreclosed on and liquidated for $50k-$70k!  The upside is huge.  I predict 3-5 years from now, the values will equal the pre-2006 values.The pricing is such that any investor can participate.  First time investor, buy one or two.  For a larger investor, we could package a portfolio of almost any size. For more details go here. 02/23/2008

Radon Testing For Peace of Mind   By Thomas A. Recke You wouldn’t live in a uranium mine or on top of a radioactive waste dump yet many homes across North America and Colorado are more dangerous than any of these places.  And without a radon gas test you have no way of knowing if your client’s new house is one of them.  Most of Colorado is considered Zone 1 by the EPA, an area of “High Concentration.” To see the EPA map go to www.pillartopost.com/environmental-inspection-radon.aspx Recent news stories continue to inform the public about this risk. A story November 13th on CW 2 News even noted that some recent studies indicate a possible link between our high Multiple Sclerosis rates in Colorado and high Radon levels. See cw2.com and click on the Unit 2 Consumer alert link.             ... 02/10/2008

In a previous blog, we introduced you to a new development in southeast Aurora called Southshore.  The Parade of Homes took place at this location in 2007 from July 28 through September 3.More recently, Southshore was the recipient of the ‘Community of the Year' award by the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Metro Denver.According to the official BAR Awards website, these awards are given to those who ‘Raise the Bar' and set a new standard of excellence in the Denver home building industry. Home builders in eight Denver Metro counties were eligible. In addition to the prestigious Community of the Year selection, other BAR Awards were presented for interior merchandising, print and radio campaigns, website design, sales office design, logos, brochures, and signage.The Community of the Y... 01/13/2008

During the past 90 days (as of January 5, 2008): 7 homes sold in Greenfield (one more is currently Under Contract) Average sold price of $296,071 (ranged from $225,000 to $336,000) Days on Market: If you disregard one property that was on the market for 813 days, the average days on market for the remaining 6 homes was 89 days These 7 homes sold for 97.39% of their list price and 93.5% of their original asking price Sold date Address Sold Price (after any concessions) Asking Price Fin. Sq. Ft. Days on Market 10-25-07 20584 E. Caley Dr. $325,980 $329,900 2,664 79 10-29-07 6320 S. Jericho Ct. $307,500 $325,000 2,648 866 10-30-07 20455 E. Orchard Pl. $225,000 $229,900 1,451 68 11-09-07 20500 E. Lake Cir. $305,000 $314,500 2,650 103 11-17-07 6199 S. Kirk St. $302,640 $329,000 2,555 813 12-... 01/10/2008

For anyone interested in the real estate market in the Aurora, Colorado area, we just posted up-to-date real estate stats on our Greenfield Colorado Subdivision website.  The Greenfield neighborhood is located in between Smoky Hill Road and Arapahoe Road, just a few miles from the E470 and Smoky Hill intersection. Here is what we found between August 14, 2007 and November 14, 2007:   7 homes sold in Greenfield (one more is currently Under Contract)Average sold price of $319,783 (ranged from $225,000 to $445,000)These homes were on the market for an average of 185 days* (However, if you disregard one property that was on the market for 866 days, the average would be 63 days on market)These 7 homes sold for 97% of their list price and 94.5% of their original asking priceAs of November 14,... 11/28/2007

Buying or Selling a home in Colorado? Many Colorado Real Estate Links to ReadI am sharing from all my Colorado blogs that I have done, just the information that I think that you will be interested to read when you are buying or selling Colorado Homes.If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me.HOA in Aurora Colorado-Home Owners Association in Aurora ColoradoSome Basic Questions to ask when doing Short Sales in ColoradoHome Inspections in Colorado on Bank Owned Real Estate or REO's in ColoradoCaveat Emptor - A riesgo del Comprador de casas en ColoradoPricing right a home in Aurora Colorado is a must. Lets Face it!Aurora Colorado Home buyer's Market - what is a Colorado home buyer's Market?Beware of Aurora Colorado Real Estate "home scammers"When buying an Aurora Colorado ... 11/24/2007

Casas en Aurora Colorado-Bienes Raices en Aurora Colorado o en el Estado de Colorado.Haga un click en cada link abajo para ver informacion que desea.* Que cosas fijarse cuando compra una casa nueva en Aurora Colorado o en el estado de Colorado.* Cuando compre una casa en Aurora Colorado nueva o usada utilize un Realtor de Aurora Colorado.* La situacion de Aurora Colorado es Mercado de Compradores.* Cuídese de los estafadores o Engañadores de casas en Aurora Colorado.* 5 preguntas que debe de hacer a un agente de bienes raices cuando pone su casa a la venta en Aurora Colorado o en el Estado de Colorado .* Sea Realista cuando ponga su casa a la venta en Aurora Colorado* Casas nuevas en Colorado en la Comunidad de Aurora Colorado Wheatlands* Casas de banco en colorado-Casas HUD en Colorado... 11/21/2007

HOA in Aurora Colorado-Home Owners Association in Aurora ColoradoHow can I know if I have HOA in Aurora Colorado or Home Owners Association in Aurora Colorado?I am writing this, because I am dealing on a transaction that is a Lender Owned Real Estate or REO in Aurora Colorado and in the MLS listing shows no HOA, $0.00. Nothing, Nada. It is a Townhouse or Townhome whatever you want to call it, in my experience I know that most condos and townhomes or townhouses have Home Owners Association in Aurora Colorado, most of the time, very few or weird cases they don't. I called the Listing Agent to find about if this townhome in Aurora Colorado had HOA and the listing agent told me "It does not". I was researching for more information about the subdivision in Aurora Colorado and found that it r... 11/21/2007

Nuevas Leyes en Foreclosures en Colorado- Juicios Hipotecarios en Colorado.Las leyes y regulaciones en el estado de Colorado de Foreclosures o Juicios Hipotecarios en Colorado van a cambiar este siguiente a~o que viene 2008. Solo quiero proporcionarles esta actualización y que estén consientes que el a partir del Primero de Enero del 2008 en el estado de Colorado van a cambiar y realmente no tendrán mucho beneficio para la persona que se encuentre en apuros económicos, será mas beneficio por parte del banco que del vendedor.  Les estare informando de los cambios que surgan con respecto a bienes raíces en Colorado o Aurora Colorado, Foreclosures en Colorado o Juicios Hipotecarios en Colorado, etc.Aurora Colorado Bienes Raíces-Casas nuevas Aurora Colorado-Agente de Bienes Raíces en Aurora... 11/21/2007

Diferencia entre Gastos de cierre para la compra de una casa en Colorado o en la ciudad de Aurora Colorado.Me he topado con primeros compradores y aun con compradores ya veteranos en el estado de Colorado y en la ciudad de aurora Colorado que realmente no saben diferenciar entre gastos de cierre y enganche para la compra de una casa en el estado de Colorado. Cuales son los Gastos de cierre para la compra de una casa en el estado de Colorado?  Gastos de la compañía de titulo, Gastos del prestamista o intermediario para la hipoteca, gastos que cobra el banco y otros que normalmente los vemos en la hoja llamada HUD-1 a la hora del cierre o la hora de firmar papeles. Entonces que es el enganche? El enganche es dar dinero que muchas veces requiere el banco para disminuir la cantidad del dine... 11/21/2007

BEWARE! The Worst Lender to deal with Short Sales Washington Mutual-WAMUI have dealt with many lenders in the State of Colorado doing Short Sales and the worst lender ever is Washington Mutual or WAMU. Fellow realtors Beware when you are dealing with this lender,  my experience and the experience of other Realtors about this lender Washington Mutual is that they take so long to process and to care about your short sale files, many times they lose your files and the administration in Loss Mitigation Deparment & Customer service are not good enough to give a good and realiable service to Realtors or distressed homeowners to help to sell their homes. I have dealt with other lenders  and I have never had this horrible nightmare experience, this is my second time that I deal with them and th... 11/16/2007

Consejo para Primeros Compradores en Colorado cuando quieren comprar casas de inversion, casas de banco o reposeidas por el banco.Primeros  Compradores de casas de Colorado me han preguntado varias veces que oportunidades tienen de salirse del contrato o del compromiso de comprar tal casa en especifica en la que realmente están interesados al meter contrato, las que  usualmente en el estado de Colorado son casas reposeidas por el banco o casas de banco, siempre y cuando la inspección no resulte  satisfactoria por los resultados de un inspector y que el comprador no pueda alcanzar a reparar ciertos danos o que realmente sean danos fuertes. Todo Depende y Si pueden salirse del contrato, Depende cuando hay veces que el mismo vendedor (banco) tiene una clausula que dice muy claro que antes ... 11/14/2007

Home Inspections on Bank Owned or REO's in Colorado. I have been asked when dealing with Colorado Real Estate Owned, REO, Lender Owned, Bank Owned Real Estate, you name it, whether Colorado buyers have a chance to back out in case that the home inspection does not result satisfactory for the buyer or when expenses for those fixes can be beyond for what clients can afford. The answer is depends and Yes.  Depends, when there are some lenders that ask to make a home inspection before the buyer's agent submit the real estate offer. And Yes when there are some other lenders that they give usually between 4 or 6 days after the mutual real estate contract to get a home inspection done. If you are trying to submit an offer for a real estate owned property. Your Aurora Colorado Buyer Agent must ... 11/14/2007

Caveat EmptorThis word comes from the Latin "Let the buyer beware" The buyer must examine the good or property and buy at his/her own risk. This was once an accepted rule. Homebuyers in Colorado have much more protection now than before about this matter. as sellers and brokers are required to disclose problems or face possible penalties.A riesgo del comprador. Esta palabra viene del latin "Caveat Emptor" El comprador debe de examinar los bienes o la propiedad y comprarla bajo su propio riesgo o asumiendo el riesgo que puede implicar una adquisicion de una propiedad en el estado de Colorado. Ahora las regulaciones en bienes raices en el esado de colorado han cambiado y son mas fuertes hoy en dia. El comprador goza de mayores protecciones., ya que vendedores y agentes de bienes raices ti... 11/11/2007

I believe transaction broker is very confusing to the general public and should be looked at by the real estate commission with more detailed understanding.  I have used Dual Agency in the past and it works so much better then the Transaction Broker we use here in Colorado.  Most people do not understand the term on the other hand people DO understand Dual Agency and we had more double end listings.  I think Transaction broker is very limiting b/c it really is a double negative and the term brokerage, broker, agent, independent broker, associate broker, and designated broker are all very confusing to the general public.  I believe these problems are very confusing and harming the real estate profession in Colorado.  I also believe the Transaction Broker set up is doing more harm to the ... 10/22/2007

As many know denver has the 5th largest forclosure rate.  Most of this is due to the ARM's of the mortgage area and the fancy financing of the lenders.  I believe denver colorado is not under the stress though many new people are still moving to denver and are going to keep the real estate area afloat.  In a forclosure rate market the people with solid financing and good credit are the people that are not going to be effected by the trend although people with good credit and a failing credit card bill are going to fall under the gun. 10/21/2007

I recently researched a wealth of information about Tuscany South in Aurora, CO for a Seller client of mine who I have known for several years.  I really wanted to pinpoint why this Seller has had so much difficulty selling their beautiful perfectly maintained home that we feel has been priced very well. So I started by analyzing and graphing the data from all of Aurora South.  Now Aurora South is huge.  It's in Arapaho County and adjacent to the Denver areas's second largest core of office space, the Denver Tech Center.  It's a major feeder area for the hundred of thousands of professionals who want a short commute while also having excellent schools-- namely Cherry Creek, arguable the best school district in Colorado. So, I was pretty sure that mapping the entire sold results for the ... 10/08/2007

 Front View : Excellent Corner LocationAddress:   19137 E. Maplewood Ave.    City/ST:   Aurora, CO   Zip Code:   80016   Location:   In Beautiful Tuscany in Cherry Creek School Dist.   Property Type:   Single Family Home   A tremendous value in a superior location within the Cherry Creek School District New or Resale:   Resale    Square Footage:   4082   Bedrooms:   5   Bathrooms:   4 full, 1 half   MLS#   549173    The Glenwood is historically one of the most popular floor plans with a great combination of well thought out Architecture and plenty of usable space. This home carries on the tradition and brings a wealth of upgrades and timeless design elements. The home's huge double front doors welcome you into a very impressive two-story entryway. Once inside the upgades throughout are ... 10/01/2007