Boulder Real Estate: March 2010

Boulder homes for sale: Did you know that according to IRES as of today, there are 1,835 single-family and attached Boulder County homes for sale that qualify for the federal tax credit of up to $8,000?  That's a lot of opportunity - sometimes you have to take the leap of faith and jump into the market!  Here's a breakdown of qualifying home inventory in a few local areas in Boulder, CO today:

With home mortgage rates at record lows and with this many qualifying homes on the market in Boulder Valley right now - many at reduced prices - the April 30th deadline is fast-approaching.  As of today there are only 36 days left to claim this federal tax credit, which requires that your new home be under contract by 4/30/2010 and close by 6/30/2010.

There is a time-tested strategy to building wealth in real estate: "Dont' wait to buy . . . buy, then wait."  We have discussed this premise as it relates to Boulder real estate in a previous blog post, but right now might end up being pretty close to the perfect time to buy a Boulder home.

If you're interested in your home-buying options, please feel free to call us at 303-441-5647 or contact us online.

Boulder Condos For Sale: If you've been looking for a great deal on a condo or townhome in Boulder, CO, this might be the perfect time!  According to IRES, as of this writing there are 407 condos and townhomes available for sale in Boulder, CO.  If you had to guess, what would be the lowest-priced condo in Boulder available today?  If you guessed anything above $84,500 . . . you would be wrong.  The next few months are the prime time to find a great condo or townhome for sale in Boulder, and the federal tax credit deadline of April 30th is not far around the corner.  If you qualify, could you use an extra $8,000?

The vast majority of condos and townhomes for sale in Boulder today are under $500,00 - 330/407, or about 81% to be exact.  The luxury condo market, those listed above say $500,000, is still fairly diverse - with Boulder condos and townhomes for sale ranging from $515,000 to a sparkling Penthouse gem with over 5,000 sf, that's listed for $5.5 Million.

If you would like to find your next home in Boulder, please feel free to call us at 303-441-5647 or contact us online.  There are some great deals out there and mortgage interest rates are still low!

Boulder MLS listings have always been easy to search on BoulderHomeResource.com; now our newest online feature will also enable you to search the Boulder MLS for SOLD listings, too!  Read more about Sold Boulder MLS Listings, but now you can see what properties are currently available and which ones have sold within the last year.  You can search Boulder MLS listings as always, but our new feature allows you to specify "Active" and/or "Sold" listing results:

We're working hard to provide you with the most complete online experience in the market for Boulder Valley real estate.  Check out our newest MLS-search feature!  If you're thinking about Boulder real estate, or about buying or selling a Boulder home, please call us at 303-441-5647 or contact us online.

Boulder County foreclosure and short sale listings might represent an opportunity for Boulder home buyers, especially as the first-time home buyer tax credit deadline of April 30th approaches.  We have added a new feature on our website that will make it even easier to spot these deals and take advantage of what may be a vanishing opportunity.  At BoulderHomeResource.com you can search Boulder MLS listings as always, but as illustrated below, our new feature will now enable you to specify that you only want to see foreclosure and/or short-sale listings!

As of this writing, IRES reports that there are nearly 100 of these so-called "distressed properties" (single-family detached) active on the market in Boulder County across all price ranges.  Many others are already under contract, but there's still time to find great Boulder homes for sale and also grab the federal tax credit of up to $8,000.  For example, there are 21 in the City of Boulder, 52 in Longmont, 9 in Lafayette, etc.

We've put together more information about buying foreclosure and short sale listings.  If you're thinking about buying a Boulder home and think one of these distressed property listings might work for you, please contact us right away.

Boulder neighborhoods offer a diverse set of amenities to local residents.  According to a recent report from Zillow.com (see shart to the left), median single-family Boulder real estate values at the end of 2009 ranged from a low of $434,200 in South Boulder, to a high of $634,900 in Central Boulder.  The overall median single-family home price for the City of Boulder was $495,700.  We discussed these Boulder home-price trends in a previous blog post.

South Boulder neighborhoods offer home buyers a wide range of single-family home prices from smaller, post-war Martin Acres homes to coveted Chautauqua homes just a short walk to Chautauqua Park and the Boulder's Flatirons, open space and trails.  Central Boulder neighborhoods like Whittier, offer convenience, charm, some of Boulder's finest homes and highest home prices.  North Boulder neighborhoods like Newlands and Dakota Ridge, offer access to the popular North Boulder Park at 9th and Dellwood, open space, trailheads, and more.

Further north in Boulder County just off Highway 36, you'll find the golf-course communities of Lake Valley and North Rim.  These "sister" communities are built around the Lake Valley Golf Course and offer big lots, open space and Flatiron views, trails, a private lake and beach, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, and more.  These 2 Boulder Valley neighborhoods used to be considered as part of Niwot as they were served by Niwot Schools, but are now generally considered Longmont neighborhoods that are served by Silver Creek High School in southwest Longmont.

In Niwot, three of the more prominant Boulder County neighborhoods are Somerset, Niwot Hills and Waterford.  And the popular neighborhood closest to Longmont but still served by Niwot High School, is Creekside.

Boulder neighborhoods are diverse, offer a fairly wide range of home styles, age and amenities, and really do offer something for everyone.  Feel free to use our Boulder home resources to research and find the best Boulder Valley neighborhood for you, and if you have any questions about Boulder real estate, please call us at 303-441-5647 or visit us at www.boulderhomeresource.com.

Buying a Boulder Home is a great long-term, wealth-building strategy.  As part of that strategy, getting a home inspection can help ensure the soundness of your investment.  There are numerous Boulder neighborhoods that offer a variety of housing options and finding that "dream home" is an exciting thing.  Don't let the excitement of the moment or the potential cost diminish the importance of getting a thorough home inspection.  There are many things that inspectors investigate that are not visible - things that can potentially cost a lot of money to fix.

Buying a Boulder home involves a significant investment - and getting a home inspection is not free, either.  You can buy a home and skip the inspection or get your brother-in-law to look the house over, but given the price of Boulder real estate, it's probably not a wise move.

A competent home inspector will, among other things, test the major systems in the home like the roof, HVAC, plumbing, etc., and provide you with a written report detailing his/her findings.  Even if you accept the house "as is", the inspection and the inspection report report will help you understand how to deal with any issues and help you properly maintain your new home.  In a best-case scenario, you can negotiate some repairs with the seller before you close.

In a previous post we talked about Boulder real estate being a long-term investment, and a home inspection is no different.  In the scheme of things and considering the potential cost(s) of not getting one done, a home inspection is money well-spent.  Even in new construction, a home inspection can save you aggrivation and maybe even save you money.

If you have any questions about Boulder real estate or about buying a Boulder home, please free to visit us online or contact us.

Move to Boulder, CO - doesn't it snow a lot there?  Take this quiz: Which city has the most sunny days/year, Boulder, Miami or San Diego?  If you said Boulder, you're right!  According to weather information at wikipedia.org, the following are statistics for the average number of sunny days nationally, as well as in these 3 sunny cities:

• National average is 213 days
• Miami, Florida's average is 258
• San Diego's average is 267
• Boulder, Colorado's average is 300

Boulder has been in the news a lot in the last year, being named to numerous "Best-of" lists by Forbes Magazine, Money magazine, etc.  The Boulder real estate market was named the strongest market in the country last summer, Boulder County was recently recognized as being in the Top 10 places for jobs, Boulder was named one of the Top 10 Places to Retire, and the list goes on.  When you consider the opportunities for outdoor recreation, culture, climate, geography, education and altitude, it's understandable why Boulder, CO has been called "the place to live."

There are even medical studies that have shown that people who live in high elevation areas live longer, happier lives.  No wonder that Boulder was just named as "America's happiest, healthiest city".  In the movie, "The Bucket List", Morgan Freeman tells Jack Nicholson to "...find the joy in your life."  Many people have found the joy in their lives right here in Boulder, Colorado.

When you make the decision to move to Boulder, you'll need the best Realtor to help you navigate the maze of Boulder homes for sale, right?  Once again, Boulder offers the best: RE/MAX of Boulder was just recognized by RE/MAX International as the #1 RE/MAX Office in the entire U.S. for the 3rd year in a row!  You can read more about our office here, but we've been serving the Boulder Valley real estate market with distinction for over 30 years.  It's a great place to call home . . . just imagine it being yours!

There are lots of Boulder neighborhoods that offer a variety of housing options in and around Boulder.  If you have any questions about Boulder real estate or about your move to Boulder, please call us at 303-441-5647 or visit us online.

RE/MAX of Boulder was just recognized by RE/MAX International as the #1 RE/MAX office in the U.S. for the 3rd straight year!  A local and regional fixture for more than 30 years and the 3rd oldest RE/MAX franchise in the world, our office was #1 in the 5-state Mt. Region for many years, then #1 in the U.S. in 2007 and 2008 (based on sales volume).  The Boulder real estate market is one of the better markets in the country, but has not been immune to the challenges faced in many other markets.  2009 was a challenging year for many people and to be recognized (again) as the #1 RE/MAX office in the U.S. is very exciting!

What does it take to be #1?  There are many reasons why this kind of success and recognition is possible: We are blessed to have have the best clients; in addition, we have the best staff, the best agents, the best management and the best ownership - all working together to provide Boulder Valley with the finest real estate brokerage service in the industry.  The high level and consistency of achievement at RE/MAX of Boulder is unparalleled in our market, and is truely a source of pride for all of us who are privileged to be a part of this organization.

Please feel free to read more about us and if you have any questions about Boulder real estate, or about moving to Boulder, please feel free to call us 303-441-5647 or visit us online.