3,552 listings
SATURDAY, June 28, 2014
fort collins • loveland • windsor wellington • timnath
2 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
NEW HOME DEVELOPMENTS
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 3
4 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 5
Mortgages
Homebuying School A new government counseling and education program can lower mortgage fees lower fees to qualified homebuyers The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Administration are preparing to aid prospective homebuyers by rolling out a new four-year pilot program called Homeowners Armed With Knowledge that will reduce the cost of FHA loans and provide housing education for those who qualify. HAWK enrollees who complete approved housing counseling before purchasing a home will be eligible for a 0.50 percentage point de-
crease in the FHA’s 1.75 percent up-front mortgage insurance premium, in addition to a 0.10 percentage point reduction in the annual insurance premium, which can be as high as 1.35 percent of the loan. For a $100,000 30year FHA loan, for example, this can yield a savings of approximately $7,700 over the life of the loan. HAWK requires participation in three counseling and education sessions before these fees can be reduced: • A pre-purchase course
(completed before the home purchase contract is signed) that covers things like applying for a mortgage and improving your credit score. • A pre-closing course (completed before the loan closes) that reviews mortgage loan information provided by the lender; and • A post-closing housing course (completed during the first year of homeownership) that examines issues such as budgeting homeowner expenses and how to prevent delinquency.
“The idea is that homeowners who arm themselves with knowledge through HUD housing counseling will be better prepared for the true cost of homeownership and will have a higher likelihood of being successful and avoiding default,” says Brian Faux, chief operating officer for 1st Alliance Lending in East Hartford, Connecticut. The program has an estimated start date of Oct. 1, 2014. For more details on the HAWK program and to find
a list of HUD-approved home counseling agencies participating in HAWK, visit HUD. gov. —Erik Martin © CTW Features
6 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
Mortgate Rates
June 26, 2014 June 13, 2013
U.S. Fixed-rate 30 year U.S. Fixed-rate 15 year Southwest Fixed-rate 30 year
4.14% 3.22% 4.17%
3.98% 3.10% 3.99%
Southwest Fixed-rate 15 year
3.26%
3.14%
How To Compete Without Cash A
s cash buyers continue to inundate recovering markets, it’s easy to feel like the underdog if your offer includes a pre-approval letter for a mortgage. In some places — especially in the Midwest and Florida — more than half of sales in the first quarter of 2014 were closed with cash, according to a recent Zillow analysis. “Cash is always the dealsealer and the best way to get deals,” said Joe Spake, a
longtime real estate agent in Memphis, where nearly half of first-quarter sales were allcash. “Just, not a whole lot of people have it, especially in the regular-people realm. The average working person is going to have to get a mortgage.” Across the country, cash buyers are on the decline, but in some markets you’re still very likely to be pitted against one. We asked agents in the country’s most cash-rich markets for advice for buyers who want to stay
competitive without cash. The bottom line is the bottom line Cash buyers come in looking for a deep discount, said Tony Baroni, an agent in Tampa, which trails only Miami in the percentage of homes purchased with cash. “At the end of the day, all the seller cares about is how much money they’ll get,” Baroni said. “Some sellers don’t care if it’s cash or financed.” Tucson agent Spirit
Messingham has seen buyers get intimidated when they go up against all-cash offers. “What I tell people … is that most sellers don’t care if I give them a bag of dirty old cash or if I give them a loan from a local lender,” he said. Get a solid loan If you can’t write a fat check, get pre-approved and know how much you can put down on a home before you start shopping, agents said. Spake believes it’s worth seeking out a local lender. The seller or listing agent might even recognize the lender’s name — or at least the bank’s name — and that could give you an edge. Plus, Spake said: “I can go to that person’s office and stand on his desk if I have to.” How much do you want it? Cash buyers are often investors, so they’re looking for a great deal. If a competing buyer is shopping for a home, it’s sentimental. The home might be worth more to them than the asking price. “When we go up against a cash buyer, you need to act decisively,” Messingham said. “How badly do you want it? Because it’s not just an investment. It’s not like we’re trying to buy Apple [stock] at a 52-week low. This is going to be your home.” Lyn Miller, an agent in Miami, agreed: “Sometimes you’ve got to offer over the
asking price to get them.” Keep it simple One major advantage of cash is simplicity. Relying on the loan process adds a level of complexity to the deal. To compensate for that, agents said it’s important to make your offer straightforward and simple. Baroni recommends short inspection periods and lots of earnest money. In Memphis, a popular market for investors, Spake tells his buyers not to ask for anything they don’t really need. “The bottom line for me is to make the cleanest deal for the seller possible,” he said. “I want them to pick me, and I don’t want them to have a lot of hidden paragraphs” in the offer. Personalize it Baroni took a chance recently and delivered an offer with a photo of his buyer and a letter explaining the buyer’s story. The offer came in $5,000 lower than the highest offer on the table, but the seller picked his client anyway. A human angle is something investors often can’t bring to the table, and it can sometimes seal the deal just as well as a briefcase full of George Washingtons. Emily Heffter, a reporter and writer for Zillow Blog, covers celebrity real estate, unusual properties, and other real estate topics. Read more of her work here.
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REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 7
Selling
Garmmar Grammar Matters Typos, truncations and errors can run rampant in a real estate listing. Here’s why proper grammar is vital to successful selling
I
n this fast-paced era when abbreviations, curiously worded slang and 140-character-or-less tweets dominate our modes of communication, it’s easy to understand why many people value speed, reach and convenience over proper spelling and syntax. But that’s a mistake when it comes to listing homes for sale, say real estate experts. A joint study from Redfin and Grammarly, a grammarcheck website, examined spelling and grammatical errors in more than 100,000 luxury listings (homes priced at $1 million and up) in 52 metro areas in 2013. Among the key findings, compared to all listings included in the study, home listings with perfect spelling and grammar and no abbreviations: • Had a higher sale-to-list price ratio • Were more likely to sell above the list price • Sold for 10 percent more • Sold three days faster • Were 5 percent more likely to sell within 30 days “This is a reflection of the fact that a listing agent who took the time to proofread their listing and make sure it was perfect before hitting the market also did everything else right in terms of pricing, staging and mar-
keting,” says Karen Krupsaw, vice president of real estate operations for Redfin in Washington, D.C. “It also suggests that they will also be organized and efficient when it comes to negotiating offers and closing the sale.” A poorly written description leaves a bad first impression. “It says that the agent, and, by extension, the homeowner, doesn’t care enough about details,” said Bill Golden, a Realtor with RE/MAX Metro Atlanta Cityside in Atlanta. “This, in turn, leads a prospective buyer to wonder what other details or important facts may have been overlooked or omitted.” Redfin data show that a home receives nearly four times more views online during its first week, so the first impression truly matters, says Krupsaw. “A polished, wellwritten listing description reflects that the listing agent and sellers are detail-oriented and have likely taken good care of the home and will be easy to work with when it comes to negotiations and closing tasks,” she adds. Will Rogers, broker/Realtor with Fenwick Keats Real Estate in New York, says clean, well-composed text also makes a difference in other literature created
about a home. “Sale sheets that are distributed when viewing the home should have the same proper spelling and grammar as an online listing,” Rogers says. “However, it is perfectly acceptable to use abbreviations in literature and forms of communication that customarily use short cuts, such as classified ads and tweets.” Krupsaw agrees. “Twitter and texting have earned their place in real estate as modes of quick and efficient communication in today’s very fast-paced market,” she says. “Today, clear
communication is about adjusting the style to the mode of communication, so listing descriptions and printed marketing materials are different from Twitter and texting.” To ensure that a home listing is well-written and grammatically correct, sellers should provide their agents with a list of details and special features about their residences, and the agents should carefully spell check and fact check things like proper names (e.g., “Jacuzzi” is a brand name, not a synonym for hot tub), says Ed MacLaughlin, agent with
Shorewood Realtors in Hermosa Beach, California. Keep in mind, however, that many multiple listing services have tight word or character limits, so agents often have to pack a lot of information in a small space, which is why abbreviations are common in such listings. “Determine ahead of time which features are most important to describe or point out, and stick to abbreviations everyone knows and understands,” Krupsaw says. © CTW Features
8 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 9
10 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 11
Real Estate Transactions
The following information about recent real estate sales is supplied by Weekly Homebuyers List, Inc. of Lakewood. Names, addresses, cities, ZIP codes and phone numbers of all new homeowners are available from Weekly Homebuyers List, Inc on sticky labels. Call (303) 744-2020 or visit www.weeklyhomebuyerslist.com
Bellvue • 135 River Ridge Lane; Buyer: Scott & Kathleen Markle; Seller: Lisa Ann Hofmann 2003 Revocab; $499,900
Berthoud • 1075 6th St. Ct.; Buyer: Robert & Alice Peck; Seller: Nationstar Mortgage LLC; $114,500 • 311 Turner Ave.; Buyer: Brandon & Casey Lohr; Seller: Thomas & Iris Orlandino; $152,000 • 807 Welch Ave.; Buyer: Adele Smith; Seller: Berthoud Investments Lllp; $193,000
Look to us Saturdays for a successful home search.
• 206 Victoria St.; Buyer: Bonnie Abramovits; Seller: Debra L. Mastellone; $255,000 • 1159 Navajo Place; Buyer: Chad & Kathleen Dillon; Seller: Candelario Garcia; $294,000
Denver • 2367 Forest Road, Unit 200; Buyer: Debra & Caleb Pinardi; Seller: Ervin & Karen Weinmeister; $2,705,000
Estes Park
• 309 Cheyenne Dr.; Buyer: Karen Norris; Seller: Kim P. Tarpy; $370,000
• 645 Park River Place; Buyer: Peter & Susan Borup; Seller: R. & Kathleen Tyson; $330,000
• 3349 Landmark Dr.; Buyer: Scott & Janet Behringer; Seller: Buer Homes Inc; $732,300
• 930 Old Ranger Dr.; Buyer: Curtis & Amy Fox; Seller: Juana & Noel Saenz; $353,500
• 1021 Mount Cameron Way; Buyer: Kenneth & Jane Gutcher; Seller: Schroetlin Custom Homes LLC; $735,000
Fort Collins • 1158 N. Taft Hill Road; Buyer: Colin & Mary
Fisher; Seller: Joseph Ricciardi; $80,000 • 1301 University Ave., Unit A203; Buyer: Albert & Joelle Scott; Seller: Brian & Dana Scholz; $122,900 • 720 City Park Ave., Unit D433; Buyer: Yuetao Zhang; Seller: Robert & Dawn Sharkey; $132,300
• 3002 W. Elizabeth St., Unit 3B; Buyer: David Lacount; Seller: Kimberly G. Seifert; $165,000 • 2560 Orchard Place; Buyer: Ben Gannon; Seller: Corjan Igasan Boot Family Rev; $185,000 • 1012 Cuerto Lane, Unit B; Buyer: Daniel & Kimberly Carter; Seller: David & Lauren Rand; $200,000
See TRANSACTIONS page13
12 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
Transactions
Great Faces, and a Great Place to Retire South Dakota
The No. 1 place to retire, based on factors such as local weather, cost of living, crime rate, health care quality, tax burden and well-being. Source: Bankrate
(Continued from page 11) • 2408 Orchard Place; Buyer: Craig Karn; Seller: Adrian Garrett Wemple; $219,900
• 2308 Summerpark Lane; Buyer: Mitchell & Nicki Gonder; Seller: Patti K. Kiser; $230,000
• 1917 Oakwood Dr.; Buyer: Vicki & Michael Mickelsen; Seller: John & Kelly Roberts; $233,500
• 2508 Ballard Lane; Buyer: Philip Carpenter; Seller: Wjd Holdings LLC; $231,400
• 2716 W. Mulberry St.; Buyer: Donavan & Megan Mayse; Seller: Cynthia J. Kampen; $236,000
• 520 Bannock St.; Buyer: Ryan Osborn; Seller: Encore Homes LLC; $234,300
• 1120 Argento Dr.; Buyer: Ryan Dunn; Seller: Shaun & Kelly Geisert; $285,000
• 317 Stover St.; Buyer: Greg Vogel; Seller: Robert Breckenridge; $235,000
• 1904 Adriel Ct.; Buyer: Paul & Shannon Sheridan; Seller: Gwen K. Wardell; $145,000
• 2245 Bar Harbor Dr.; Buyer: Dayna & Andrew Hudson; Seller: Journey Homes LLC; $239,200
• 808 Glenloch Dr.; Buyer: Tracy Stevens; Seller: David & Jane Obrien; $190,000
• 749 Peregrine Run; Buyer: Sarah Arnold; Seller: Sandra J. Mitchell; $240,000
• 2521 Sunbury Lane; Buyer: Chris & Brittney Ouellette; Seller: Journey Homes LLC; $224,700
• 2545 Sunbury Lane; Buyer: Monika Gaier; Seller: Journey Homes LLC; $247,600
• 1103 Elgin Ct.; Buyer: Mary Selby; Seller: Tami & Ridvan Uctuk; $225,000
• 521 Muskegon Ct.; Buyer: Rebecca Schall; Seller: Encore Homes LLC; $253,100
See TRANSACTIONS page16
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 13
14 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
CLASS CLASS Classified Classified 9 x 11 9 x 11 Full Color
www.coloradoan.com/homes | An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado
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16 SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
An advertising supplement serving Northern Colorado | www.coloradoan.com/homes
Transactions
(Continued from page 15) • 927 Campfire Dr.; Buyer: Melanie & Ryan Grasmick; Seller: Melody Homes Inc; $258,200 • 2469 Ashland Lane; Buyer: Ryan & Ali Fontenot; Seller: Nicholas & Laura Holian; $262,000 • 2433 Sunbury Lane; Buyer: Kasey Jordan; Seller: Jj Construction Northern Colo; $262,500 • 914 Cottonwood Dr.; Buyer: Dorothy Goodman; Seller: Leila R. Koontz; $287,000 • 314 Talon Ct.; Buyer: Candace Ryder; Seller: Thomas & Virginia Bryan; $290,000 • 2015 Falcon Hill Road; Buyer: Maria Manning; Seller: John & Karen Omalia; $293,000 • 1108 E. Lake Place; Buyer: Jode Duval; Seller: Courtney J. Cronin; $299,000 • 5512 Rix Road; Buyer: Bryan & Cassandra Clark; Seller: Robert & Greta Jones; $325,000 • 915 Campfire Dr.; Buyer: Michael Guilfoy; Seller: Melody Homes Inc; $325,000 • 508 Remington St.; Buyer: James Macdowell; Seller: Tara L. Tyger; $375,000 • 2401 Hawthorne Ct.; Buyer: Joe Schorsch; Seller: Alex & Kelly Dwoinen; $401,000
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• 1909 Cottonwood Pt. Dr.; Buyer: John Henderson; Seller: Dennis D. Johnson; $799,500 • 730 E. County Road 66e; Buyer: William Willimsen; Seller: Timothy & Wendell Lanham; $925,000 • 1737 Springmeadows Ct., Unit B; Buyer: Judith Macknight; Seller: Love Gratitude LLC; $129,000 • 5220 Boardwalk Dr., Unit B12; Buyer: Kurt & Kathleen Taylor; Seller: Mnh Sub I. LLC; $165,000 • 6603 Antigua Dr., Unit 31; Buyer: David & Kristin White; Seller: Cameron Shinn; $175,000 • 5922 Neptune Dr.; Buyer: James & Kris Dunlap; Seller: Va; $178,500 • 6708 Antigua Dr., Unit 56; Buyer: Christine Capizzo; Seller: Richard Keith Riddoch; $181,000 • 5220 Boardwalk Dr., Unit 114; Buyer: Kathryn Zwetzig; Seller: Ruth K. Baysinger; $182,000 • 2702 Rigden Parkway, Unit F2; Buyer: Richard Pegg; Seller: Kathryn Hudson; $192,000 • 3105 Swallow Place; Buyer: Cab Esposito; Seller: Raymond Rafiti; $205,000