It is very important that your HOA Board or Management Company keeps their certification current. If they allow their certification to lapse, it could drastically affect the owner’s ability to sell their condo unit. That would cause the owner to be unable to offer FHA financing for their home – and in the lower price ranges, FHA financing can account for up to 80% of the buyers in the market.

If you need help determining the status of your HOA Condo Certification before deciding to sell, call Vickie Hall, RE/MAX Masters, at 303-944-1153.

That’s a very large drop, 28% from the length of time a home took to sell this time last year.

The median time period throughout the nation before a home is sold is 89 days.  So our Denver metro area market is moving much faster than almost all of the other markets in the nation.

Our Denver area median price is $259,900 which is higher than the national average of  $189,900.

Some areas of town, which are in high demand, are experiencing a switch to a seller’s market – with well priced properties in good condition are going Under Contract rapidly and sometimes with multiple offers.  Those neighborhoods have a short supply of homes and are selling fast.

If you have been putting off getting into the real estate market, this may be the perfect time to make your move.  We may have already hit the bottom of the market, interest rates are still at very low historical rates at around 4.0%, and prices have not begun going up substantially yet.

Start by searching for Denver area real estate here.

If you would like to consider entering the market now, call or text me for your free private consultation at 303-944-1153.

It will help your home sell faster and for more money for these 8 reasons:

1) Staging will increase the desirability of your home because it will depersonalize the style of your home so it will appeal to more buyers.

2) Staged homes look better in videos, internet and print marketing;

3) Stage homes look better in person than other homes on the market;

4) Stage homes are viewed by buyers as being well maintained;

5) Appraisers consider staged homes as being well maintained;

6) Buyers consider a staged home “move in ready”.

7) Staged homes stay on the market for a shorter time period which reduces the  holding costs for the seller (mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, etc.).

Staging a home may make the difference between a home selling and a home not selling at all.

 BEFORE                           AFTER

RESA states (see video below) that vacant single family homes which had been previously listed for sale for an average of 120 days, sold in just 26 days after they were staged.  They further indicate that occupied single family homes which had been previously listed for sale for an average of 102 days, sold in just 45 days after they were staged.

The costs of staging varies depending on whether the stager can use your own furniture in your home, whether the home is vacant and needs furniture brought in, how much time it takes the stager, how much furniture needs to be rented, etc.

You can find professional stagers in your area at: http://www.realestatestagingassociation.com

A Video Email From Real Estate Staging Association

If you need a private consultation on your particular real estate situation, call or text me (Vickie Hall) at 303-944-1153 or email me at Vickie@DreamsCanHappen.com.

I agree with Greg that Denver is a great place to invest right now – to buy single family or up to 4 plexes for rentals. Our foreclosure rates are almost 1/2 the rate of the national average for foreclosures.

The rental rates are rising due to supply vs demand.

The average age of residents is young (31); they love the low cost of housing, fresh air, mountains, biking, hiking and skiing opportunities.

Colorado hosts 9 of the Fortune 500 companies and has a lot of telecom, healthcare and aerospace industries.

If you think this is the right time for you to buy, and/or invest in rental properties, search here. Or call or text me, Vickie Hall, at 303-944-1153.

This is in response to charges that the banks illegally signed foreclosure related documents without the documents being properly notarized and without knowing whether the facts they contained were correct – commonly referred to as “Robo-signing”.

This settlement excludes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed loans which are not eligible for the benefits.

Some of these programs will not require a credit check or income verification.

Four categories of home owners are affected:
1)Those that lost their homes;
2)Those that are struggling/behind in payments and underwater on their loan (underwater means the balance of their mortgages is more than the value of their home);
3)Those who are current on their loan but underwater on the balance of their loan and, therefore, unable to refinance;
4) Some unemployed homeowners, some seeking short sales and some situations where a military owner has been transferred.

Learn more about the settlement on NationalMortgageSettlement.com

More details can be found at “What The Mortgage Settlement Means to You“.

If you need a private consultation on your particular real estate situation, call or text me (Vickie Hall) at 303-944-1153 or email me at Vickie@DreamsCanHappen.com.

But the burning question is, which remodeling projects will give you the best return for your dollar?

It’s always been my opinion that a fresh coat of designer paint will give you by far the best bang for your buck.

Of course, bathrooms and kitchens are also big targets for improvements.

Or should you finish off your basement?

One thing you should consider before spending any money is are you making the improvements just for the resale value? Or are you making the improvements to enjoy your home more? Or both?

This report from Realtor.com will help you make an informed decision.

2011-2012 Cost vs Value Report

If you need a private consultation on your particular real estate situation, call or text me (Vickie Hall) at 303-944-1153 or email me at Vickie@DreamsCanHappen.com.

If you think this is the right time for you to buy, and/or invest in rental properties, search here. Or call or text me, Vickie Hall, at 303-944-1153.

We buy new clothes when they are on sale.
We buy new TV’s when they are on sale.
We buy new cars when they are on sale.
We normally buy everything we want and need when that item is on sale.

Why? We all want a good deal.

So, if you follow this pattern and want to buy real estate when it’s on sale, now is the perfect time.

If you think this is the right time for you to buy, and/or invest in rental properties, search here. Or call or text me, Vickie Hall, at 303-944-1153.

Credit goes to Lonnie Glessner at America’s Mortgage, LLC for his research and statistics in this article.
303-993-2367 Lonnie@EndingFinancialInsanity.com

Fannie Mae says it will suspend evictions for single-family foreclosures and two- to four-unit properties during the holiday season, from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2, 2012.

Just a little Christmas gift from Fannie Mae.

Full Article Here

If you need help on your real estate goals, give me a call for your free consultation, Vickie Hall, 303-944-1153

The Mountain States Employers Council Survey found that 42% of Colorado companies plan to hire new workers in 2011.

As of Oct. 1, 2011 our state’s unemployment rate is 8.1%, down from 9.1% in January of 2011. (The National unemployment rate is 9.0%)

As the city recovers and unemployment decreases in the Denver metro area, traditionally you have increased demand. Increased demand traditionally leads to higher prices.

If you think this is the right time for you to buy, and/or invest in rental properties, search here. Or call or text me, Vickie Hall, at 303-944-1153.

Credit goes to Lonnie Glessner at America’s Mortgage, LLC for his research and statistics in this article.
303-993-2367 Lonnie@EndingFinancialInsanity.com