Was out previewing properties today, and was denied admittance to one home by these big guys.  I wasn't about to argue!   09/01/2010

Darren Smith, a friend and past Colleague, accomplished a great feat this past weekend for his Daughter and his family.  I wanted to share it because the story is so inspiring. I received this email from Darren earlier this year: I hope this email finds you well. As you may (or may not) know, our daughter Perrie has a disorder called Neurofibromatosis or NF. Even if you were aware of this fact, you may not know that, like Perrie, more than one in 3,000 individuals are living with the disorder today.  NF is almost limitless in its reach through the body, with an ability to cause skeletal abnormalities, benign or malignant tumors on any nerve, hearing/visual problems and learning disabilities. We as a family are experiencing firsthand what this disorder is capable of now and in the future... 08/31/2010

August 31st.   Today is my brother Victor's Birthday.  As we get older, I have so many memories from our time growing up together as Brothers. Vic, here is a gift of memories to you: I remember the times before Paul was born when you and I would wake up early and go and watch TV show's on our little black and white TV before Mom and Dad woke up. I remember when John and Saeed lived with us and how the four of us slept in one bedroom, two of us on a bunk and two of us in a trundle bed and how at night we would all talk about what we were going to be when we grew up. I remember the time Brendan McGee smashed into Paul's big wheel and hurt him and how you went over to his house and beat him up. I remember when we visited our Father's family in Iran and all of our adventures there together.... 08/31/2010

Boulder Colorado Sunrise 8-27-10 I went for an early morning bike ride on Friday. It was my first ride since climbing to Chasm Lake near Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I am now training to cycle Trail Ridge in the Park which is an intense climb up above 12,000 feet. Friday morning was a beautiful sunrise. I stopped along Hwy. 36 a few miles north of Boulder in an area with a broad horizon. I took a couple of dozen photos as the sun was rising. Here are a few of the better ones.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Boulder County Homes For Sale   If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in Boulder County or anywhere in Denver Metro please call me. I can help... 08/29/2010

Add Insulation to Increase Energy Efficiency Adding Insulation can be one of the most cost effective ways to save energy. We recently added insulation to our attic over about 2/3 of the house and the cost was $600.00. We went from an R-24 to an R-54. The savings from this upgrade should pay for itself in a matter of several years. Heating and Cooling account for 50 to 70% of the energy used in the average American Home. Because of the large portion of the overall energy bill, it makes sense to invest in the reduction of heat transfer. There are four major types of insulation; batts, blankets, loose fill and low-density foams. The insulation is rated by its ability to stop heat transfer and given a number, an R value. The R value is the rated thermal resistance, the higher the value the ... 08/26/2010

Today is trash day in my neighborhood.  As I was getting my recyclabes out the door I noticed that I had a ton of Sunday "Daily Camera" newspapers in my garage.  That is not unusual, but what is unusual is that all of them were still in their light green bags. I don't subscribe to the "Camera" anymore, I cancelled my home delivery a few years ago.  Yet, lately they have been delivering to us the Sunday edition for free.  And neither my Wife, Smitha, or I have felt it even worthwhile to read it, even when we get it for free.  I cancelled my subscription a few years ago because I felt the quality of the articles had dropped off and most of the paper was wire service stories and ads, hardly any local presence anymore. How about you?  Do you still read the "Camera" in newspaper form? How lo... 08/26/2010

As a Realtor, I am always asked about contacts for local businesses.  Here is a good reference for a company that can help you with a remodel, addition, basement finish, or even a Custom Home. A brief description of the Company along with a few pictures of their completed jobs: LANDS DESIGN Full Service Residential Architectural Design, Drafting, etc! 19 year old business. Design, Construction Documents & 3D Drawings Custom Homes, Additions, Renovations, Basement Finishes, Decks. 176 Cherrywood Lane, Louisville "Interpreting your Vision to Create your New Space" Office: 303‐665‐1428 landsdesign@comcast.net     08/25/2010

A River Runs Through Me… One of my favorite places to go in Boulder to be close to nature is Boulder Creek which runs right through the middle of town. A trail runs right along beside the water. There are a few places along the trail where you can step on the rocks and walk out into the middle of the water. There is one place in particular where I enjoy going to sit. The water runs all around the rock I sit on. As I look up at the water coming toward me the feeling is that the river runs through me—very symbolic considering how our bodies, like the surface of the Earth are mostly made up of water. It’s a very peaceful setting and a great place to collect my thoughts and feelings.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Sear... 08/23/2010

A Bee Fountain At the water fountain near the flower garden at Columbine Unity Church in Boulder Colorado on Saturday there seemed to be a Bee Fest going on. Our men’s group had an early morning pancake breakfast. No one knows who invited the bees but they came in force. I noticed at least three different types: honey bees, yellow jackets and wasps. Fortunately, they seemed more interested in the water than our pancake syrup.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Boulder County Homes For Sale   If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in Boulder County or anywhere in Denver Metro please call me. I can help you learn more about the area, and I can assist with all types of ... 08/23/2010

Sunflowers I took the photos below at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. I was surprised to see such a variety of different types of sunflowers. Frankly, I didn’t even know they came in any variety other than the standard yellow. Sunflowers are truly an amazing plant. The capture the energy of the sun and then display its beauty back to us in such an extraordinary way. It’s like the face of nature smiling back at us.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Boulder County Homes For Sale   If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in Boulder County or anywhere in Denver Metro please call me. I can help you learn more about the area, and I can assist with all types of real estate tra... 08/20/2010

I have lived in Louisville since 1996 and since that time I have been a regular customer of Efrain's in Lafayette, Colorado. Whenever I have Clients in from out of town I always make it a point to go here for lunch during our tour.  The food is excellent!  They have a lot of authentic Mexican dishes and if you want spicy green chile, they have it, and it will make you sweat :) Located on the main street in Lafayette on S. Public Road.  It's locally owned and operated by Jorge Gomez.  Every time I go in for lunch he's always there.  They get busy for lunch so I recommend either coming in a little bit before noon or close to 1pm so you can avoid the peak noon time rush.     08/20/2010

I was out showing homes yesterday in Lake Valley in the North Rim neighborhood.  It's a very pretty area.  Technically, it's not a Boulder address, but those of us who have lived here for years we kind of consider it North Boulder. The Lake Valley Golf Course just meanders through the neighborhood.  The Golf Course does a require a Membership to join.  Price range for this neighborhood starts in the $600,000 to $800,000 range. Here are a few pics of the area: 08/19/2010

Today was the first day of school for most of us in the Boulder Valley School District.  My oldest Daughter, Ria, is going into 2nd grade.  And the first day, today, was a success.  We got to school on time with all of her school supplies, it took three of us to carry them all to school.  Ria met her new Teacher today since he was just hired this past Friday afternoon.  Ria met a lot of her old school buddies and she met some new friends as well today.  And at the end of the day Ria was happy and looking forward to another day tomorrow. The first day of school brings back a lot of happy memories for myself.   Other than Christmas Day, the first day of school was the best day of the year for me when I was growing up.  It was a new year and we all started our lives over by the beginning o... 08/17/2010

I was in Boulder today for an appointment and I took a few pictures at the Boulder Scenic Overlook just off Highway 36 as you come into Boulder from the east. Boulder was founded in 1859.  As you can see from the pictures Boulder sits in a Valley between the mountains and the plains.  08/17/2010

Boulder Colorado Short SalesIt seems like every home owner you talk to these days either would consider selling their house 'for the right price', wants to sell (but can't), or knows 'a guy' who wants to sell but cannnot because they are upside down on the house.  Upside down referring to owing more on a mortgage than the house is worth.  Determining what a house is worth is easy, it is the price the 'market is willing to pay'.  It is NOT the price the house might have sold for  3 years ago, NOT what the homeowner may think it's worth, NOT what a friend, neighbor or Aunt Jane thinks it's worth, it IS WORTH what the market is willing to pay.What if you can't sell for that price?What happens if the homeowner cannot sell the home  for the price they need to sell it for?  The options are pr... 08/17/2010

Balance Balance is one of my favorite words. I believe we need to find healthy balance in both our personal and professional lives. Balance in diet, exercise and recreation means we strive to meet our needs without excess or over indulgence. Emotional balance means we maintain a level of sensitivity without allowing our emotions to interfere with our better judgment. There is balance in nature too. The river rock art below mimics the balance in nature in a most beautiful way. The photos were taken at Boulder Creek near downtown Boulder. When the wind blows or the water rises, the rocks will return to the riverbed and another form of balance will be restored.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Bou... 08/16/2010

Good Morning Boulder I was out early this morning on a bike ride just north of Boulder and caught the sunrise. I tried a couple of different settings on the zoom and all of them seemed to come out okay—just different. I am starting to gather quite a collection of Boulder sunrise photography. It was especially beautiful this morning because of the clouds scattering the light. I finished the 35 mile ride and was back home before 8am.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Boulder County Homes For Sale   If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in Boulder County or anywhere in Denver Metro please call me. I can help you learn more about the area, and I can assist with all typ... 08/11/2010

Are you moving to Boulder?  If you are moving to this area then you might want to consider living in Boulder as well as some of the other cities close by such as Louisville, Superior, Lafayette, Erie, Longmont and Broomfield. I did this video giving an overview of Boulder and the surrounding cities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldKo5pJPODI Part I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1MCmOVAaos Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybZ9F8XMIr0 Part III It's all one video, but I had to break it into three parts because of YouTube's 10 minute limitation. I am sure you will enjoy the videos :) Thanks--Mario   08/11/2010

Edible Flowers? I went to the Boulder Farmer’s Market on Saturday and took lots of photos of people, food and flowers. There was one group of flowers that had such a rich arrangement of shape and color that they almost looked edible. The colors of the flowers bring up thoughts of a juicy grape or cranberry like flavor--yummy to look at and heavenly to smell.      Boulder Green Built Homes For Sale Contact Me Today For More Information Or Call Me @ 720-771-5594 Search More Denver and Boulder County Homes For Sale   If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in Boulder County or anywhere in Denver Metro please call me. I can help you learn more about the area, and I can assist with all types of real estate transactions. I am also a Certified EcoBroker specializin... 08/10/2010

Boulder Dushanbe Tea House is a sight to behold.  Enjoying a meal there, or even just a cup of tea, is like being transported to another country. Please click the link above to read the story of the incredible Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, but I'll whet your appetite by telling you that 40 artisans created hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling, tables, stools, columns, and exterior in cities throughout Kajikistan, then the tea house was re-assembled in Boulder. I went with my daughter, sister-in-law, and niece. We all loved our food and our teas. It was a lovely drive to Boulder from Arvada, only about 20 minutes. Do visit the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House some time, and check out their website first. Having a sense of the history and workmanship of each panel, each facet of the building will... 08/10/2010