At Home Colorado - Boulder County Edition

REAL ESTATE

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BOULDER COUNTY

Home Is Where Most Everything Is – Until It’s Not

Open Homes and Virtual Tour Quick Guide Looking for a home? View comprehensive listings of local virtual tours and open houses taking place from all across the area.

January 14-15, 2022

FEMA to offer Marshall Fire Repair, Rebuilding Sessions Disaster survivors affected by the Marshall Fire can visit select Boulder County home improvement stores in the coming weeks to get rebuilding tips from mitigation experts.

FHFA Announces New Conforming Loan Limits If you’re thinking about purchasing a home in 2022, here’s what you need to know about the latest conforming loan limits.

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NEWS COLORADO HOME AND REAL ESTATE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michaela Phillips Tom Kalinski Mary Lynn Bruny Paul F. P. Pogue Katie Laughridge Lori Borgman

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Thais Hafer Toni McNeill Mary Romano

MANAGING EDITOR Greg Stone

EDITORIAL

At Home Colorado is a weekly publication designed for the Colorado home and real estate community. The Boulder County edition publishes Friday in the Boulder Daily Camera and Saturday in the Longmont Times-Call.

Submit your real estate and home-related news, press releases and article ideas to: gstone@prairiemountainmedia.com.

ADVERTISING

To advertise in At Home or to promote your open house or virtual home tour visit AtHomeColorado.com/Advertise, call Thais Hafer at 303.473.1456 or Toni McNeill at 303.684.5329. .

At Home is an marketing feature of the Boulder Daily Camera, Greeley Tribune, Longmont Times-Call and Loveland Reporter-Herald. ©2022 Prairie Mountain Media.

READ MORE ONLINE AT: ATHOMECOLORADO.COM 2

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FHFA announces new conforming loan limits Each year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets new limits for conforming loans in response to the current market conditions. As expected, home MICHAELA prices across PHILLIPS the country are continuing to rise, so the limits for mortgages acquired by government-sponsored enterprises Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have been determined accordingly. If you’re thinking about purchasing a home in 2022, here’s what you need to know about the latest conforming loan limits: Establishing the new baseline According to the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA), the national baseline for conforming loan limits must be adjusted each year to account for changes in average U.S. home prices. The FHFA’s latest records demonstrate that the price of properties are continuing their upward trajectory–up by 18.05% between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021. Thus, the new conforming loan limits are rising by the same amount for 2022. In most counties, the baseline will be $647,200 (an increase of $98,950 from 2021).

A note about down payments If you’re planning to get a conventional loan in an area with the average conforming loan limit, here’s a look at how your down payment can affect the amount you can qualify for: • 3% down: $667,000 purchase price

As expected, home prices across the country are continuing to rise, so the limits for mortgages acquired by government-sponsored enterprises Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have been determined accordingly.

(Photo by Jungwoo Hong on Unsplash).

What’s your county’s limit?

Although conforming limits are set at $647,200 for most areas, counties with high cost of living have higher thresholds. If you’re planning to purchase in Colorado, several counties have aboveaverage baselines (often referred to as “high balance” loans).

Here are a few to be aware of, since you’ll need a down payment of at least 5%: • • • • • •

Adams: $684,250 Boulder: $747,500 Broomfield: $684,250 Denver: $684,250 Douglas: $684,250 Jefferson: $684,250

• 5% down: $681,000 purchase price • 10% down: $720,000 purchase price • 20% down: $809,000 purchase price If you’re in the process of shopping for a home (or thinking about getting started), the new conforming loan limits set by the FHFA will work in your favor. There’s no question that buyers are noticing the rising prices of properties, so these updated baselines will help more homeowners-to-be achieve this goal.

Michaela is the Senior Lender for Synergy One Lending in Boulder. She enjoys teaching her clients the pros and cons of being a Real Estate Investor. Contact Michaela at 303.579.5517, e-mail michaela@michaelaphillips.com or visit michaelaphillips.com.

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FEMA to offer repair, rebuilding sessions DENVER – Disaster survivors affected by the Marshall Fire can visit select Boulder County home improvement stores in the coming weeks to get rebuilding tips from mitigation experts.

Mitigation specialists from FEMA will be on hand to answer questions about home repair, ignition resistant construction, putting together supply kits and hiring a contractor.

The FEMA specialists will be available Thursday, Jan. 13 through Tuesday, Jan. 18 at the Louisville Home Depot (1200 W. Dillon Road) during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Additional mitigation events will be held at home improvement stores in Boulder County in the coming weeks.

•

Thurs. Jan. 27 – Tues., Feb. 1: Home Depot, 1600 29th St., Boulder

•

Thurs., Feb. 3 – Tues., Feb. 8: Lowe’s, 1171 Dillon Road, Louisville

•

Thurs., Feb. 10 – Tues. Feb. 15: Home Depot, 393 S. Hover Road, Longmont

•

Thurs., Feb. 17 – Tues., Feb. 22: Lowe’s, 355 Ken Pratt, Longmont

Disaster survivors may also contact a FEMA mitigation subject matter expert with their questions at the following email address: fema-r8-hmhelp@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA assistance is accessible to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter, Braille, CART, etc.), please make your request as soon as possible. Email fema-r8-hmhelp@fema.dhs.gov.

Last minute requests will be considered but may not be possible to fill.

To learn more about how mitigation efforts help individuals and communities visit fema.gov/emergency-managers/ risk-management.

BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / LONGMONT TIMES-CALL

MARSHALL FIRE

Outpouring of generous support and resources for Marshall fire survivors • • • • • • •

Boulder County residents have been hard-hit by the gut-wrenching devastation wrought by the Marshall Fire that so quickly swept through our communities.

TOM None are so KALINSKI impacted as those who tragically lost so much and now face a long road to recovery.

In an outpouring of love and generosity, the Boulder County community has come together quickly to help in any and every way possible.

Today we want to add our support by sharing resources for housing and financial assistance for those who need help as well as information for the many who want to donate money, time and goods.

Housing assistance One critical way to support our friends, family and dear neighbors is through donating to help with short- and long- term housing

needs for those whose homes were lost or damaged. Many survivors will need housing for the next year or more while they sort through the details of rebuilding their home.

The link below will take you to the fund to provide housing relief, set up by Colorado Association of Realtors® and BOLO Realtors®.

We invite you to join us to give in support of our Colorado neighbors in crisis. Visit coloradorealtors. charityproud.org/Donate/ Index/17404.

Boulder County Disaster Assistance Boulder County Disaster Assistance Center’s Southeast Hub offers a comprehensive range of services from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week at 1755 South Public Road in Lafayette. Services include: • Consultation on property loss and filing claims for assistance • Gift cards for replacement of food and transportation costs • Information about shortand long-term housing

Help with vital records Referrals to emergency shelter Food assistance Mental health services COVID-19 tests Transportation vouchers Referrals for personal finance planning

Donate goods Many of our community members want to donate new items or those in good condition. The recently opened Marshall Fire Donation and Resource Center is collecting donations at Flatirons Crossing Mall in the former Nordstrom’s location between Macy’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Visit the website for details and lists of items needed as well as those not accepted: boulderoem.com/ marshall-fire-donations-andresource-center.

Financial assistance In a recent news conference, Governor Jared Polis pointed out a little-known source of financial help for those impacted by the fire – the Small Business Administration offers 30 year loans of up to $200,000 at 30 years at 1.8% interest for those who qualify. Governor Polis noted that the average FEMA payout for Marshall Fire survivors is $6,000, making other sources of funds like the SBA loans and other donations from individuals and foundations crucial to help survivors put their lives back together.

Community Foundation Boulder County is one such stand-out organization. With the help of over 57,000 individuals, foundations

and companies, the organization has already raised $19.5 million in donations both locally and internationally, according to CEO Tatiana Hernandez. The organization has distributed $3.8 million to nearly 1,400 individuals and families. You can donate at coloradogives.org/ bouldercountywildfirefund.

“We do hope this initial donation gives people a small sense of stability while they try to navigate what comes next,” Hernandez said. “It has truly taken a village to wrap our arms around our friends and neighbors.”

“Our community has, as it always does, shown up for each other in an enormous way. We are still at the beginning of a long road, but I know our community will rebuild better and stronger than it was before,” noted Hernandez.

For additional resources for those who need help and those who want to help, visit remaxofboulder-remaxelevate.com.

Tom Kalinski is the broker/ owner of RE/MAX of Boulder, the local residential real estate company he established in 1977. He was inducted into Boulder County’s Business Hall of Fame in 2016 and has a 40-year background in commercial and residential real estate. For questions, email Tom at tomkalinski33@gmail.com, call 303.441.5620, or visit boulderco.com.

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THE LIGHTER SIDE

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Home is where most everything is – until it’s not

t is said that home is where the heart is, where family and pets and memories are.

But really, home is where most everything is: things large and MARY LYNN BRUNY things small, such as nail clippers.

Who normally thinks about nail clippers? No one. They are part of the innocuous background stuff of one’s life that keeps it humming along its merry way.

But then one morning you wake up and you need your nail clippers but you don’t have them. Actually you don’t have anything that was in your home because it and all its contents have disappeared like an evil spell was cast upon them.

Such was the case of my husband’s childhood friend who along with his family lost their Louisville home of 25 years and its contents in the Marshall fire.

They had about 30 seconds to wrangle their dogs into a vehicle during the 100 mile an hour winds in blackout conditions to escape their neighborhood that was burning down.

We Front Range folks often feel like we live in paradise, but on this day paradise was in chaos.

Our friend and his family are fortunate, of course. They have each other and their pets. But his mention of needing nail clippers got me thinking about the myriad of items we all have in our homes and take for granted: things for function, for comfort and for joy.

Over decades our family has

collected what seems like a gazillion things. For instance, we have enough old musical instruments to form a band (granted a very bad one). We have enough athletic equipment to start a small gym. (So why am I out of shape?) We have an embarrassing amount of beauty-related items (with not much result to show for the effort). I kid here, but you get my point. We live in the land (okay, house) of plenty.

When you think about losing a home, you think of the most important things: people and pets. But all other things you have gathered over the years play their part too. They’re the things that make a house feel like a home, whether they are items imbued with special meaning or just handy stuff. And suddenly for 1,000-plus households all these things

are gone.

Now I am looking at our home with new eyes. I’m sure many Front Range folks are doing this as well. We know it very easily could be us now staying at a friend’s place with our only remaining worldly possessions being the clothes on our backs and the vehicles in which we escaped.

It’s so very easy to take the abundance in our lives for granted: the abundance of family and friends and pets, of our homes and things, of food and clean water, of electricity and gas, of the opportunities to do activities.

And safety: most of us have felt abundantly safe in our homes.

If there is one lesson we have all learned in the last two years is that we should not take anything for granted. Apparently now this even includes having flipping

nail clippers.

Most people who have been on the planet a while have experienced some type of hard loss. The silver lining of loss is that it often results in a deeper appreciation of what remains, fractured as it is. Broken hearts and spirits often eventually love and appreciate more deeply. This is what we can hope for the folks who have lost their homes: may their gratitude prevail over their sadness. And may the support of the community lift their spirits as they work through the challenging months ahead.

Mary Lynn Bruny writes about local real estate and home-related topics for At Home Colorado.

Email her at ml.bruny@comcast.net.

To read previous The Lighter Side articles, go to athomecolorado.com/ the-lighter-side.

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BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / LONGMONT TIMES-CALL

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12 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING 1945 Canyon Blvd BOULDER $6,000,000

CLASSIC AND QUINTESSENTIAL 115 W Pine St LOUISVILLE $2,250,000, 6 Beds, 5 Baths, 4240 SqFt

PRIVATE RETREAT W/ VIEWS 277 Alpine Dr NEDERLAND $1,895,000, 4 Beds, 4 Baths, 3908 SqFt Shannon McGuire 303-475-2297

6 CUSTOM ESTATE LOTS 0 CR 16 1/2, Lots 1,4,8,9,12,16 FREDERICK $1,450,000, 5.25 Acres

30 ACRES - FLAGSTONE QUARRY 2463 Steamboat Valley Rd LYONS $1,250,000, 30.67 Acres

CHARMING HORSE PROPERTY 8029 Firethorn Dr LOVELAND $825,000, 5 Beds, 3 Baths, 2464 SqFt

TUCKED AWAY ON 3 ACRES 286 Brook Rd BOULDER $785,000, 3 Beds, 3 Baths, 3020 SqFt

AMAZING MOUNTAIN VIEWS 263 N Cherrywood Dr LAFAYETTE $780,000, 5 Beds, 4 Baths, 3270 SqFt 1-3 Sat n e Op

BUILD A LAKEFRONT DREAM HOME 7670 W Grand Ave LITTLETON $675,000, 0.13 Acre

SOLD TOGETHER OR APART 1525 Spruce St 1A & 1B BOULDER 1,275,000 (together), 3052 SqFt

COOL & SOPHISTICATED 444 17th St 903 DENVER $530,000, 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 1065 SqFt

BRIGHT AND SUNNY TOWNHOME 2269 Watersong Cir LONGMONT $506,000, 3 Beds, 3 Baths, 1531 SqFt Sean Chance 303-704-0123

COMPLETELY RENOVATED 7473 Singing Hills Dr BOULDER $400,000, 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 965 SqFt

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS 1149 W 102nd Ave NORTHGLENN $395,000, 4 Beds, 2 Baths, 2704 SqFt

PRISTINE MOUNTAIN LAND 0 Moose Dr LYONS $350,000 40 Acres

GREAT LOCATION 2707 Valmont Rd 211B BOULDER $338,900, 2 Beds, 1 Bath, 792 SqFt

GREAT SPACE FOR SMALL OFFICE 118 8th St DACONO $324,990, 1980 SqFt

UPGRADED TOP TO BOTTOM 5120 Williams Fork Trl 209 BOULDER $260,000, 1 Bed, 1 Bath, 625 SqFt

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME 105 Millionaire Dr E BOULDER $225,000, 5.95 Acres

CHARMING 2 OFFICE CONDO 777 Poplar Ave 765 BOULDER $195,000, 383 SqFt

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REAL ESTATE

You can’t outsave the market: the lowdown on low down payments First-time home buyers frequently face the challenge of saving for a large enough down payment for their first home purchase.

Home price DUANE appreciation DUGGAN rates along the Front Range often exceed 10% a year, making it virtually impossible for a first-time home buyer to outsave the market.

This means time is of the essence in order to be able to buy a first home. In the city of Boulder, loan limits are tough due to higher home values and the large down payment required. However, in the rest of Boulder County – and into Weld and Larimer County – lower home values, loan limits, and loan programs are such that together, they can make for the perfect combination for a first-home purchase.

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AT HOME COLORADO

the least expensive single-family home is in the $650,000 range.

However, outside the city limits of Boulder, there are more opportunities to utilize FHA financing. Mortgage insurance is required for FHA loans, which allows the lender to accept more risk. The disadvantage to the homebuyer is the additional expense of the mortgage insurance.

First-time home buyers frequently face the challenge of saving for a large enough down payment for their first home purchase. (Photo: Pexels).

• Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans - FHA loans have long been the “go to” loan program for lower down payments and credit scores.

In fact, if the price of a home and the loan limits line up, a

homebuyer can be approved with a 3.5% down payment.

Nevertheless, the current loan limit for Boulder County is $747,500, so it barely scratches the surface to be helpful within the city limits of Boulder, since

Another unique opportunity for first-time home buyers is to purchase a duplex, triplex, or a fourplex with 3.5% down. The catch is that you will need to owner-occupy one of the units.

Nonetheless, it’s a great way to start a real estate portfolio with a low-down payment and have the tenants paying for a substantial chunk of the mortgage payment.

• Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) - CHFA and its lender partners have helped CONTINUED – See Page 10

BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / LONGMONT TIMES-CALL

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2223 Sunridge Circle #28 Broomfield 5356 Deer Creek Court Boulder New Listing! $350,000 New Listing! $1,180,000 Townhome Living. Front Range Views.

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8850 N. County Line Road Longmont 10443 Isabelle Road Lafayette 15600 Peoria Crossing Road Byers 7 Bed, 9 Bath $3,875,000 Land $1,300,000 Land $2,225,000 Luxury home with barn on 35 Acres!!

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LAWN AND GARDEN

Colorado had hottest six months in history, new data shows

By Conrad Swanson The Denver Post (TNS) DENVER (Jan. 13) – The average temperature for the last six months is the hottest recorded in Colorado and the country as a whole, according to data released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The next-highest six-month average temperature peak in Colorado came during the 1930s Dust Bowl era, the data shows.

Colorado, and the rest of the country is unlikely to see an exact repeat of the Dust Bowl because we’re able to manage the land better than during the 1930s, Climatologist Becky Bolinger of Colorado State University said. But there are some similarities in the extreme temperatures, abnormally dry climate and the dust storm that swept from Colorado to the Midwest last month.

“We are currently experiencing climate change,” Bolinger said. “It’s not something that will happen in the future. We have it happening now.”

The federal data shows that the

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AT HOME COLORADO

(Photo: Shutterstock).

average temperature in Colorado between July and December of 2021 reached 53.4 degrees, more than a degree and a half warmer than the same six-month span in 2020.

The next highest six-month average in Colorado came in 1933 at 52.1 degrees, the only other time in the state’s record when that average exceeded 52 degrees, the data shows.

Nationally, the six-month

average hit 59.77 degrees last year, more than a full degree higher than during the same period in 2020, the data shows. The next closest peak nationally came in 2015, when the six-month average reached 59.32 degrees. The national July-December average has only exceeded 59 degrees in 1998, 2015, 2016 and last year.

Relatively speaking the average temperature increase, in Colorado and across the country, might appear slight but it makes a large difference, Bolinger said.

Higher temperatures lead to more moisture and water lost into dry soils or to evaporation.

Those dry conditions elongate the state’s wildfire season (which many experts now describe as yearround) and increase the amount of fuel that can exacerbate the fires once they start.

As an example, Bolinger nodded to the Marshall fire, which sparked late last month in Boulder County.

Following that fire and considering the increased risk due to climate change, experts told The Denver Post that High Plains suburbs need more work to prevent

or mitigate fires in the future. In addition, temperatures in parts of western Colorado have been rising at nearly double the rate as average global temperatures, scientists say.

Because the hotter, drier climate worsens water supply issues, particularly in the Colorado River basin on the Western Slope, climatologists have been keeping a sharp eye on snowpack levels and drought conditions across the state.

Currently, most of the Western Slope has now recorded above normal snowpack for this time of year, Bolinger said. But that trend needs to continue into the spring in order to recharge parched soils and refill water reservoirs.

Recent snowfall to the east as well likely means drought conditions, analyzed by the National Drought Mitigation Center, might improve in the coming weeks, Bolinger added.

Even so, less than 5% of the state’s landmass is considered “abnormally dry” while the rest is considered to be in either “moderate,” “severe” or “extreme” drought.

BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / LONGMONT TIMES-CALL

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Low down payments (continued) over 100,000 homebuyers in Colorado achieve homeownership. In fact, CHFA provides home buyer education classes that help first-time home buyers learn the process of buying a first home. CHFA programs generally mirror FHA programs. However, the current loan limit of $548,250 makes it difficult to afford a first home in most of Boulder County.

• U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – Without a local military base, Boulder County has never been a huge VA market. However, we do have veterans who choose Boulder County as their home, and they should be sure to compare VA financing opportunities to other options. Typically, VA loans are generous in terms of no down payment and tend to be more lenient in terms of qualifying. In 2022, there is virtually no limit on the loan amount, other than what you qualify for based on VA loan underwriting standards.

Check with your mortgage lender for current details, rates,

and closing costs.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Years ago, we used to call these farm home loans because these loan programs target rural areas. When I started selling real estate in 1978, even Lafayette and Louisville still qualified for these loans. No longer! Today, you can still qualify for them in rural areas of Boulder, Weld, and Larimer counties. Even though the name implies that the property is a farm, this is not necessarily the case. Some of these programs allow for 100% financing. There are geographic limits, income limits, and loan limits that can make it difficult to qualify, but it might be worth contacting your mortgage lender to see if you do.

• Conventional-Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Conventional loans, widely known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, provide a mortgage base to the housing industry. These institutions created by Congress

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provide liquidity to banks and mortgage companies that make loans to finance the purchase of homes. For first-time homebuyers, loans with 3% down are available as long as the homebuyer qualifies for the monthly payment. In Boulder County, the loan limit in 2022 is $747,500.

• Home Renovation Loans Maybe all the fix-and-flip TV shows make renovating a home a common desire for first-time homebuyers in order to save money by buying a fix-up property. There are a few loan programs out there if this is the direction you want to go.

FHA 203(k) loans are designed for homebuyers who would like to rehabilitate a home.

This FHA loan bases the value on the improved value of the property and thereby finances the improvements within the first mortgage. This program still comes with a 3.5% down payment.

• Down Payment Assistance CHFA, mentioned above, offers down payment assistance grants that do not need to be repaid. If you qualify, CHFA even offers second mortgage loan programs that can contribute to your down payment when you are using a CHFA first mortgage loan program.

The State of Colorado has created the First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account program. A maximum of $50,000 can be contributed to it and can grow to $150,000 without accruing state income tax. This homebuyer savings account allows people other than a homebuyer to contribute to the fund, such as family members or even wedding guests!

• Check with local municipalities for other possible down payment assistance programs.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also offer home renovation loans that will include the cost of improvements for the first mortgage and with a 3% down payment.

• Teachers, Police Officers and Firefighters - There are loan programs specifically designed to help teachers, police officers, and firefighters buy their first home. The benefits could include low down payment and a more attractive interest rate.

In summary, now is the time to get on track to buy your first home! Check with your Realtor® and mortgage lender to come up with a plan that works for you.

Duane Duggan is an awardwinning Realtor® and author of the book Realtor for Life. He has been a Realtor for RE/MAX of Boulder in Colorado since 1982 and has facilitated over 2,500 transactions over his career. He has been awarded two of the highest honors bestowed by RE/ MAX International: The Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Legends Award. For questions, email DuaneDuggan@boulderco.com, call 303.441.5611 or visit boulderco.com.

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AT HOME COLORADO

BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / LONGMONT TIMES-CALL

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HOME FINANCE

These are the 5 biggest consumer fintech trends to watch for in 2022

By Mary Wisniewski Bankrate.com (TNS) It’s never been hotter to be a fintech brand.

Fintech startups – which include all kinds of companies aiming to disrupt lending, saving, payments and more – raised $94.7 billion over the first three quarters in 2021, according to CB Insights.

Their names are appearing on stadiums, podcasts, in subway cars and even on sneakers.

Celebrities endorsing the tools are on an upswing – Leonardo Dicaprio backs Aspiration.

MrBeast partners with Current.

Megan Thee Stallion buddied up with Square’s Cash app. There are even trade publications like FinLedger and FintechFutures devoted to the beat.

And everyday consumers are using the tools, too. In 2021, nearly 9 in 10 Americans (88 percent) now use technology to manage their finances, according to a Plaid survey published in October. But there are a lot of fintech offerings you might not know about.

Here are the biggest fintech trends to watch for in 2022 that will help you save time and money.

1. Digital bank accounts for specific communities are on the rise All kinds of fintech startups are partnering with financial institutions to offer digital bank accounts designed for communities that traditional banks have largely ignored over the decades.

Digital banking apps exist for the LGBTQ community (Daylight), for migrants (Majority) and even for the formerly incarcerated (Stretch).

You don’t have to be part of the community to sign up for the products, but these startups are building the accounts to solve problems that specific groups encounter. For example, Daylight customers can receive their payment cards in their chosen names (rather than necessarily their legal names) – allowing trans people to avoid being deadnamed (the name they used before they transitioned). Stretch, for another, offers job leads for companies 12

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Fintech startups — which include all kinds of companies aiming to disrupt lending, saving, payments and more — raised $94.7 billion over the first three quarters in 2021, according to CB Insights. (Photo: Dreamstime/TNS).

who hire those individuals with criminal records.

While thousands of financial institutions already exist across the country, many consumers are still underserved. Expect more tailored digital banks to launch in 2022 to fill in these gaps.

What’s the promise: You can bank somewhere that helps solve your nuanced problems as well as lets you deposit a check.

What to watch out for: Most of these options are newer, so the accounts may lack a full set of digital banking features that you have come to expect.

2. More name-your-payday options will emerge You no longer have to wait until the end of the week or month to collect your paycheck.

Chime, Varo and Current are among the growing list of challenger banks that let their direct deposit customers receive paychecks a couple days early.

Even some traditional banks like Fifth Third Bank are making the perk available.

Other fintech companies let you change your payday frequency more than once and are accessible

through your employer or the app store.

For example, Even partners with employers like Walmart and PayPal to let their hourly employees access up to 50 percent of their earned wages, among other things. The idea is to get paid after a shift, rather than waiting for a check to hit. Earnin, for another, is a standalone app that lets you withdraw some of the wages you’ve already worked for without paying any fees or interest. Some of these services may ask you for optional tips, but you don’t have to pay them anything.

What’s the promise: It’s an on-demand world. Expect more employers to let you name your own payday. Also expect more bank accounts to let you collect your paycheck a little bit sooner than Fridays. 2021 closed with JPMorgan Chase saying its direct deposit customers will soon have this feature.

What to watch out for: If you access your wages earlier, your paycheck will be lower later.

Mind your cash flow. Some of the fintech apps ask for tips, too.

Make sure the default tip setting is

set at the amount you wish to pay, if you wish to pay anything at all.

3. Your favorite fintech app is becoming safer and easier to use For more than a decade, there has been a battle over the way fintech apps work: It’s over bank data – your data.

All sorts of money-management apps (think PayPal’s Venmo and Mint) require your bank data to work. To grab that data, there is a good chance the apps require your bank login credentials. Not only is that practice considered risky, but it’s likely a reason you’ve encountered an error in, say, using your budgeting app.

But there is a big movement toward embracing what some other countries have made law.

It’s known as open banking and it could change what it means to be a financial institution.

For consumers, it means sharing your financial data will get easier and safer. If it goes as intended, it’s also expected to help you improve your financial health in all sorts of ways, such as making it cheaper to access credit. This work is happening behind the scenes, so

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it won’t require you to change the way you interact with your favorite fintech app either.

What’s the promise: Your fintech apps will become more reliable to use. Plenty of industry observers expect more fintech innovations to develop that could help improve your financial health in ways not yet discovered.

What to watch: If you no longer use a fintech app, make sure it’s done consuming all the comings and goings of your money. Your bank app may help you discover which nonbank app has what bank data.

Wells Fargo, for example, offers a feature that shows which app is pulling your bank data. Other banks like Chase, Citi and Bank of America also offer tools to help you rediscover what company has what. If your bank doesn’t have a dashboard, you aren’t out of luck.

You could use a portal offered

by Plaid to see which data you’ve shared and whether you want to keep sharing it.

4. ‘Buy now, pay later’ options are so buzzy that ‘save now, buy later’ options are coming With splashy announcements like

Amazon letting some shoppers split up their bills into monthly payments by checking out with Affirm, “buy now, pay later” became one of the buzziest trends in 2021. It’s an alternative to a credit card payment, but it still has a dark side of making it even easier for you to spend more than you can afford.

In the coming months, expect antidotes. In 2021, Accrue Savings offered a glimpse of one by launching a bank account that encourages consumers to save for a product or service before buying it. The startup encourages a save now, buy later mindset by partnering with retailers like Camp and Casper to market these accounts.

If you sign up for one, the account will set you up on a savings schedule and you will receive a debit card that connects to the retailer when you hit your goal. Yes, you could use a savings account, but the experience will also include retailer rewards and other features designed to keep you motivated.

What’s the promise: It’s easy to buy something on a whim. Seek out a payment option that helps

Real·tor Real·tor noun noun

An expert who will search for your dream home.

An expertyou whoone. will And search forvolunteer your dream home. then in your Help you one.

And it then volunteer in your Help neighborhood to make better.

Ask your neighborhood to make home search app to do it allbetter. that. Ask your home search app to do all that.

you build healthy financial habits, so you don’t take on debt for a non-essential purchase.

What to watch: Make sure you can access your money when you want to — for example, factor in the time it will take to receive your debit card if you use Accrue Savings. Also, account for your smaller savings goals using fintech apps within your overall budget.

5. Money tools for couples — and those uncoupling — will multiply (no joint account required) The options for the ways couples can manage their money together continue to multiply and they look different from yesterday’s joint bank accounts.

For example, Zeta lets couples pay bills together, like rent, and set savings goals as a pair. But it also lets users set sharing controls on what a partner sees. It’s not the only option. Also consider Firstly and Qapital’s Dream Team.

Apps are being built for different stages of the relationship, too. Nymbus, for instance, is developing Hitched, a financial app designed for

newlyweds. Onward is an expense tracking app that aims to help co-parents manage their money.

Figuring out money issues with someone else is often unglamorous and plenty of people don’t want joint bank accounts to do it. Startups aiming to help resolve issues in all kinds of relationships (roommate, exes, newlyweds) will continue to design experiences that aim to simplify the ongoing tasks.

What’s the promise: A joint account isn’t the only way to manage money with someone else. The new options are designed to let partners manage money on their terms and without the need to have the same bank account (although that’s also an option).

What to watch: Don’t overdo it by messaging your partner about finances in an app. There’s always a risk of adding friction, rather than removing it when communicating about money.

(Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com.)

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STYLE AT HOME

2021 trends we want to bring into the new year

By Katie Laughridge Tribune News Service (TNS) There is nothing quite like the start of a new chapter to reflect on days (and styles) past. Each year brings such breathtaking trends that it seems a shame to leave them all behind. Now don’t get me wrong, there are quite a few things I would like to leave in 2021 as we begin a fresh and exciting 2022, but I can’t help but reflect on a few items I hope to bring with me as well.

Spots and polka dots I loved the revival of polka dots and all things spotted in 2021.

There was no shortage of this beloved pattern and its variations to play with. From the sweet and delicate dotted Swiss to the bold and graphic oversized polka dots and everything in between, there is a dot for you no matter your aesthetic.

Whether perfectly spaced and proper or organically tossed

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around, spots and polka dots have a light and cheery disposition. We loved them on everything from upholstery to lamps to tabletop accessories for a much-needed spot of fun for our homes.

Menswear-inspired decor As a lover of textiles, when I think menswear I immediately picture fabrics I would find in a refined haberdashery. Inspired by men’s classic suit styles, any material from pinstripes to plaid or herringbone to houndstooth can be used to bring masculine charm to a space. Tweed, plaid, leather and argyle are another few I can’t seem to get enough of for everything from upholstery to window treatments to accent pillows. My absolute favorite touch? A leather welt or cording whenever we can sneak one in!

When it comes to rich and elegantly manly colors, I am drawn to dreamy green, lush navy, luxurious camel, deep gray,

tobacco brown and oxblood red. I picture a posh, suave suit with all the trimmings and then bring those hues into my home (and office) spaces. Complementary materials to add can range from faux bone and horn to tortoiseshell, or really anything you could find in a cuff link. Adding impeccably tailored touches such as metal studs, pintucks and velvet trimming to your upholstery gives the sharp and polished look of menswear to your furniture and overall spaces.

Colored glassware Colored glass more recently had its heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s when it was brought into homes in a big way. However, I would classify colored glass as a newly returned trend, and I for one am tickled pink. The colors have been revamped to include softer pastel shades, beautiful jewel tones and modern shapes that are as exciting to look at as they are to use.

As a new traditionalist (and

someone who believes in the “more is more” decor mantra), I am all for another way to bring a pop of color and excitement to my home. Colored glass is a jewel on your table and in your cabinet.

When you are done elevating your tabletops, colorful glassware is the perfect addition to a glass or opendoor cabinet display. Don’t worry if you can’t decide on one color for your home. Mixing and matching is not only accepted, but strongly encouraged.

I hope to explore these trends much more in the coming year, and add in a few new ones to the mix!

I’m sensing 2022 will have its own share of exciting home fashions for us to enjoy and with which to experiment, so stay tuned!

Adapted from nellhills.com.

Katie Laughridge is the owner of interior design destination Nell Hill’s. For more information, contact Katie at info@nellhills.com.

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RECENTLY LISTED HOMES UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

BOULDER | 1080 FAIRWAY COURT 2

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