Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter Hello, Friends & Neighbors!            I hope your summer is going great and you’re staying healthy. I skipped a month writing the newsletter, and it feels like forever!  My year has been extremely busy, the home buyer tax credits were a big part of that I’m sure, but the continuing crazy-low interest rates and great prices are still a big part of the real estate market around here.          If you are ever interested in learning more about real estate between Denver and Boulder (and who isn’t?!?) and you have access to the internet, you could visit my website and read my blog posts. The site is www.DreamHouseHunting.com, click on ‘Joetta’s Blog’ tab on the left.           Right now, the posts are just there in chronological order, but I’m working on a s... 06/20/2010

Wanting big-city amenities with a home town feel? Some of the most beautiful property you’ll find in Colorado makes up Arvada real estate. In fact, this community is the perfect combination of big-city amenities and home town feel. This is the biggest city in Jefferson County, and it’s only about 10 miles from Arvada to downtown Denver. The breathtaking Rocky Mountains are only about 10 miles away, too, which is part of the reason that Arvada homes for sale tend to go so quickly. The homes in Arvada are many and varied. There are a few smaller farm houses in the area, and in Arvada proper you’ll find everything from lofts to condos to townhomes to single family dwellings. It’s no wonder that so many people call this city home. Ralston Creek runs right through Arvada, and is one of the m... 06/20/2010

"Short sales dominate the market!"  That's what I keep hearing, and maybe you do too. But I have a message for home buyers and home sellers in Arvada, Colorado - it simply ain't true here. Please, don't get your real estate 'facts' from the national news. Just five minutes ago I did a little research - in the past month, 146 homes sold in Arvada. If you've been getting your real estate info from the national news, how many of those would you guess are short sales? How many would you guess are bank owned (foreclosures)? Go ahead ... pick a number. Now, I'll tell you the answer - only FIVE were short sales, and only THIRTEEN were bank-owned!  If you add them together that's 12% of the market. Now, I do wish there were no short sales or foreclosures. Even 12% is too many. I do wish everyon... 05/31/2010

I had to stop in at a restaurant in Olde Town Arvada recently (The Archive Room) to get a document signed. It was the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week. I expected to see not many people out and about in our sleepy little town. But to my surprise, the streets were hopping!  People were out shopping, eating, meeting friends and just enjoying the ambience of Olde Town Arvada.  The flags that were hung in observance of Memorial Day snapped in a gentle breeze and added to the festive atmosphere. If you haven't visited Olde Town Arvada yet, or recently, do come on down.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the wonderful shops and restaurants, only a few of which I have written blog posts about. And if you're looking for a town between Denver and Boulder, Colorado to mak... 05/31/2010

I just realized that in a few months, I will have been selling houses in the Denver area for ten years. It was a huge surprise, not in the sense of how fast time flies, but considering how many times I nearly gave it up. Going way back to real estate school - on the last day of class, the teacher divulged the discouraging news that the vast majority of people who get their real estate license quit in the first year, and something like 90% quit in the first two years, because it's just such a tough business. Now, I don't see myself as a 'tough' lady and I remember thinking, "If you had told me that BEFORE I gave you all that money, I wouldn't be sitting here now." But I'm sure that's why they don't tell that fact ahead of time - real estate schools would go out of business if people had ... 05/28/2010

  I saw this article and the words, '72% could buy a home' caught my eye, so I'm using it just as I saw it - except I added the 'if they have a job' part! I wondered, "How does Arvada real estate compare to this article's claim?" I'll address that later, but first, here's the link to the CNN story for those of you who like to read it yourself. And the 'peak your interest quote': "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's prime time for house hunters. Nearly anyone with a decent job and a good credit score can afford to buy in their home towns." Then, we get into some of the nitty-gritty: "More than 72% of American families making the nation's median income of $63,800 a year, could afford to buy a home during the first three months of 2010, according to a report from the National Association of Ho... 05/22/2010

The goal of this post is to help house hunters between Denver and Boulder not get discouraged if they don't get the first house they write an offer on. It can be a winding path! You might be just getting started, and not even want to think about such a thing happening, but take a minute to read through, I think you'll find some good advice. First, if you're in the price range below $200,000, there's a lot of competition out there. Not only are there are lot of active home buyers (even now that the government stimulus has expired), but investors love this price range too. So, you are often competing with cash offers.  And this is becoming more frequent in the price range up to $250,000.  What to do: Write the offer! Put pen to paper. Try to be the one to get the house under contract. Onc... 05/21/2010

I'm standing in a house for sale, in a small town between Denver and Boulder (Arvada), with a nice couple, and both of them love it and want it. But they won't write an offer, because they haven't seen enough houses.  Someone told them once that you shouldn't write an offer on the first house you see. Now for the back story - I had already seen every house for sale in Arvada in that price range, and had shown this house to a different couple who didn't buy it because of a very specific issue that most people wouldn't care about. When this couple described their perfect house to me a few days later, I knew this was it, but I worried that it would already be gone. I checked, still available, so off we went! I can understand how they would feel. But remember - I've already seen all the oth... 05/20/2010

New Single Family Homes For Sale In Arvada Colorado - Whisper Creek There is a beautiful new community being built in Arvada, Colorado called Whisper Creek. Remington Homes is building new single family homes for sale now. These beautiful new construction single family homes in Arvada, Colorado start at $320,000 and include many desirable features: •Beautiful interior and exterior finishes.•Two, three and four bedroom models available.•10 ft or vaulted ceilings in living rooms, family rooms and master bedrooms.•Ranch and two story models available all with unfinished basements with optional basement finish.•Master baths include 6 ft oval tub with separate shower.•Superior home energy package including Carrier 92% high efficiency furnace and double-pane, dual-glazed, Low E glass, vinyl w... 05/19/2010

New Patio Homes For Sale In Arvada Colorado - Whisper Creek Remington Homes is building a new community in Arvada, Colorado called Whisper Creek. This community includes beautiful new patio homes for sale now. These beautiful new construction patio homes in Arvada start at $350,000 and include the following features: •Beautiful interior and exterior finishes.•Two and three bedroom models available.•Fully maintained front and back yard landscaping including sprinkler system - no lawn mowing or shoveling snow!•All models are ranch style with unfinished basements with optional basement finish.•Master baths include 6 ft oval tub with separate shower.•Superior home energy package including Carrier 92% high efficiency furnace.•Kitchen MasterCraft “Marquis” concealed-hinge raised-panel oak cab... 05/18/2010

First, here's the link to the Wikipedia definition. The type of short sale I'm talking about is when a home owner needs to sell the house, but they owe more than it will sell for. They may have more than one mortgage, and there may also be late HOA payments or other liens such as unpaid water bills, plus taxes need to be paid up until the day of the sale. If they fall behind on the mortgage, the bank(s) may have started foreclosure proceedings, or second mortgages may have been sent to collections. If you are a Colorado home owner in this position, you should call the Foreclosure Hotline (1-877-601-HOPE), and/or speak with a tax accountant or financial advisor before making your final decision. But a short sale may be the right option for you. If so, here's the process -  Find a real es... 05/16/2010

http://www.coloradodreamhouse.com/index.php/news/ This week we take a look at the city of Arvada Colorado and what’s happening with home prices in that suburb of Denver. As you can see from the graph provided from Zillow Arvada had a high home value of $231,000 on February of 2006. Since then home prices have been falling and according to Zillow are still declining to a current low of $204,000. Arvada is down is 2.1 percent from this time last year. To see how Arvada is doing in comparison to their neighbors like Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Northglenn and Thornton click the blue link below the graph. If you have question about buying or selling home in Arvada or any other city in Colorado feel free to contact me at 303-522-1161 or dpolimino@fullerproperties.com. Zillow Home Value Index Yo... 05/13/2010

Village Of Five Parks Arvada Homes For Sale - Arvada, Colorado May 12, 2010 The Village of Five Parks in Arvada, Colorado is a beautiful new neighborhood very conveniently located between Denver and Boulder, Colorado. The Village of Five Parks Arvada is a neighborhood of single family homes, townhomes, and condominiums. The Village of Five Parks in Arvada features a a main street with restaurants and shops, a community center with pool, and of course, the five parks. The Village of Five Parks in Arvada has great views of the foothills. Standley lake is nearby for boating, picnicking, hiking, and running. Here are my favorite homes currently for sale in The Village of Five Parks Arvada. These are all beautiful homes built in the past five years. 8343 Coors Ct, Arvada, CO 80005 2 bedroom,... 05/12/2010

Village Of Five Parks Arvada Homes For Sale - Arvada, Colorado May 12, 2010 The Village of Five Parks in Arvada, Colorado is a beautiful new neighborhood in the northwest Denver metro area. The Village of Five Parks Arvada is very conveniently located between Denver and Boulder, Colorado. The Village of Five Parks in Arvada features numerous parks, a community center with pool, and a main street with restaurants. Standley lake is nearby for boating, picnicking, hiking, and running. The Village of Five Parks in Arvada is close to the foothills and has great views of the Rocky Mountains. Here are some of my favorite townhomes currently for sale in The Village of Five Parks Arvada. These are all beautiful townhouses built in the past five years. 8399 Flora St B, Arvada, CO 80005    3 bedro... 05/12/2010

   Arvada Center Spring Pottery SaleMay 4 – 9, 2010 The Arvada Center’s annual spring pottery sale, featuring a wide selection of original pieces from functional tableware, to figurative sculpture, to abstract sculpture, takes place from May 4 – 9, 2010, in the Theater Gallery. Presented by the Arvada Center’s nationally recognized faculty of ceramic artists and advanced students, this six-day pottery sale is free and open to the public. Proceeds benefit the Arvada Center Ceramics Studio. Pottery Sale Information: Opening reception, Tuesday, May 4; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., (free) Tuesday through Saturday, May 4 – 8; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 9; 12 noon to 5 p.m. Renato Lunnon Signature Realty 303-506-0281 Signature Realty is a colorado based real estate company serving the Denver Metro ar... 05/03/2010

I love a good musical!  We are belssed to have such great theaters here in Denver like the Denver Center of Performing Arts, the Heritage Square Music Hall, and the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts.  If you own a home in Arvada, CO, you know the newest show from the Arvada Center is Nine.  Late last year, the movie version was released starring Daniel Day-Lewis.  Now you can see the musical where it all started. ------------------------------------------Nine April 20 – May 16, 2010 Main Stage Theater Starring Randal Keith as Guido Contini Randal Keith, Valjean of Les Misérables fame, returns to the Arvada Center in this regional premiere of Nine. Winner of five Tony Awards® and inspired by the Fellini film, 8½, Nine, the musical, serves up the comic plight of Guido Contini, a famou... 04/29/2010

  Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter Hello, Friends & Neighbors!             I’ve got to say – real estate continues to be a fascinating field to be in as we enter spring 2010!  So many changes, it’s hard to keep up. If you plan to buy or sell a home this year, be sure to hire an agent who is not afraid of change, is able to keep up, and who works hard! There are 18 homes listed for sale in Arvada between $300,000 and $325,000. But only four of them have at least 1/3 acre lots. And only two of those have at least 2,000 square feet.  One of them is a HUD home and the other is my listing. I can’t wait to see who will be the lucky person who gets to move into this wonderful home! Read more about it on page 3.          And I have a listing in Parker. I find that a lot of people really like Pa... 04/22/2010

Arvada Homes For Sale - Arvada, Colorado April 22, 2010 Arvada, Colorado is a great community with abundant shops and restaurants in Olde Town. The Ralston Creek trail is nearby for biking or running. It's a fast commute to downtown Denver or the mountains. Many parts of Arvada have great mountain views. There are numerous parks and recreation opportunities in Arvada. Arvada homes styles include lofts and townhomes in Olde Town, small homesteads on large lots, suburban homes, and very large new custom homes. If you're looking for a great community with an easy commute and great views, Arvada is the community for you! Arvada home sales are strong in the lower price ranges. If an Arvada home for sale is priced competitively and is marketed through extensive online Colorado real estate mar... 04/22/2010

"If you smell it, you can't sell it."  Dad used to say that to his sellers.  I now tell it to mine too. The wrong odors in your home can drive buyers away and kill the sale of your home.  Smells create atmosphere and ambiance.  Some common smells that deter buyers are pet odors, smoke, and mildew/mold. So, what can be done? Take the smoking outside.  (Keep in mind, smoke in the garage DOES seep into your home.) Do a deep cleaning, including the furniture, walls, floors, and carpets.  It will take some extra time and effort, but well worth it.  A fantastic company to help is ZeroRez.  If those pesky odors still linger, then consider painting the walls with a bottom coat of primer. Replace the carpets altogether.  The return may be worth the cost. Do not cook a meal before a showing.  Som... 04/20/2010

I’m looking through a catalog of outdoor furniture and garden gear thinking, “People in Colorado shouldn’t buy that, or that, or that.” Then I realized, people new to Colorado might benefit from my years of experience with Colorado weather. So here’s my thoughts …. On the first page is a lovely outdoor floor lamp. It’s tall and stately. Don’t buy that – the wind will blow it over and you’ll be constantly picking it up. Until it breaks. Then you’ll throw it away.  (The same advice goes for those table umbrellas.)   Next page, some lovely cushions. Don’t buy those unless they have straps. The wind will blow them away and your neighbors will deny that they landed in their yard. Just wait until your neighbor buys cushions, and they should be yours soon. There’s some pretty rugs for the pati... 04/16/2010