Do These Real Estate Tips Really Apply to YOU? 

We've learned these tips through years of experience as top REALTORSŪ. But we know that YOUR situation might be different. That's why we're here. 

It's our job to personally advise homebuyers and sellers. Ask us if any tip that we've included here really applies to your situation. 

PLANNING YOUR MOVE:
Before Moving Day -
*Call mortgage co. & HOA to stop any automatic drafts to your monthly payments.
*Send change of address cards to monthly correspondents.
*Give forwarding address to post office or change address online at www.usps.com.
*Provide new address to DMV/Drivers license/Vehichle registration/Voter registration.
*Notify financial institutions and order new checks with new address.
*Notify schools and arrange to have transcripst/records forwarded to new schools.
*Notify delivery services of change of address.
*Notify telephone and cable services.
*Cancel or change trash company.
*Arrange moving services. 

Helpful Phone Numbers:
Qwest - 800-244-1111
EDS Waste Solutions - 303-278-8600
Xcel Energy - 800-895-4999
IREA - 800-332-9540
Brook Forest Water - 303-674-8194
Evergreen Metro District - 303-674-4112
Kittredge Sanitation and Water - 303-670-1827
Rocky Mountain News - 303-954-5000
The Denver Post - 303-954-1010
Comcast - 800-266-2278
Direct TV - 800-280-4388
Dish Network - 888-825-2557
WisperTel - 303-670-8400
ADT Security - 800-238-2727 

Do any of these tips raise questions for you? Didn't find what you're looking for? Let us know! We am happy to answer ANY questions. It's our job! There's no obligation, and we promise to get back to you quickly... 

Thirty Nine Years of Home Price Gains 

Despite all the news headlines over the past year about the housing market bubble and housing market slump, the final figures for 2006 actually look quite respectable. Home prices squeaked out a gain of 1.1% for the year. That means that in our 39 years of tracking sales and prices, each and every year has posted positive home price growth. Existing-home sales in 2006 posted 6.48 million units -an 8.4% decline from 2005, but still the third best year on record. The more cyclical new home sales fell by 17.3% to 1.06 million in 2006 for the fourth best year on record. All in all, not that bad. 

Nothing to Sneeze At 

With the economy and job market performing nicely, 2007 will likely bring another respectable housing year. The number of existing-home sales will essentially match that of last year and home price gains will squeeze out a gain. As for the new home construction sector, the jury is still out. There are few additional months of adjustment. We need to wait for the high inventory of new homes to trim down before builders start to increase production.  

The latest fourth quarter economic expansion was much stronger than anticipated. GDP grew by 3.5% in the fourth quarter of 2006 - compared to the 2.4% originally forecasted. The job market also is stronger. A regular once-a-year benchmark revision by the Labor Department shows that it had undercounted payroll employment by three quarters of a million people for 2006. That's almost like saying that all of the jobs in the Super-Bowl celebrating In the Indianapolis area were left out of the original count and are only now being added to the official figures. 

The current unemployment rate of 4.6% and the 2.15 million net new job additions over the past 12 months are both indications that the state of the U.S. economy is all fine and good. Record stock market and record housing market valuations also lifted the aggregate U.S. households net worth to $54 trillion - the highest ever. That is five times as high as the U.S. annual consumption. In other words, we have enough wealth to buy the same amount of things and maintain the same standard of living for the next five years without even bothering to work.  

Export Advice 

But Americans WILL be working. Is is a part of the American spirit to want to accumulate even more wealth. One particular sector that will be busy is companies involved in exports. U.S. exports have increased significantly in the past year and were the prime reason for the robust fourth quarter GDP growth. And while the dollar has been on a steady decline since peaking in 2002, a weaker dollar helps those exports since a weaker dollar means U.S. products are cheaper abroad. There is gernally a long several-year lag time before exports actually kick-in from the fall in the dollar, but it looks like we have already reached that point. Exports grew by 12.5% in 2006, and will gain one of the key drivers of the economy in 2007. From Peoria (Caterpillar earth-moving equipment) to Seattle (Boeing Aircraft), companies producing exportale products will make significant gains. 

Job additions overall should be close to two million in 2007. With mortgage rates projected to remain favorable throughout 2007 (averaging 6.6%), the two million new jobs would typically lead to 250,000-350,000 more home sales. But we are still in a typical year with a high housing inventory overhang brought on by the exit of investors/speculators. The inventory needs to thin out before the housing market revs back up to cruising speed. Home sales are, therefore, projected to not increase in 2007. But come 2008 

and betond, a steady 3% to 5% increase in home sales will be the norm. Home prices by then will also begin to outpace CPI inflation growth. Housing Home prices by then will also begin to outpace CPI inflation grwoth. Housing will again prove it can provide attractive long-term investment returns.  

~National Association of Realtors 2/2007 

What Can Home Buyers Expect to Fix? 

Negotiating a purchse contract isn't easy when home sellers expect to cling to expectations based on last year's real estate market, and buyers refuse to overpay. Equally challenging are the renegotiations that can occur after buyers do inspections.  

How do you successfully navigate the second round of negotiations? The goal is to come away from the bargaining table feeling that you've struck a good deal, ideally without alienating the sellers. After all, you may need to impose on the sellers for return visits to the property before closing. And, you hope the sellers will leave the place clean and tidy.  

Before you begin a dialogue with the seller about who is to fix what, you should have a clear understanding of the purchase agreement. For example, does the seller warrant the condition of the property, or are you buying the property in its present condition? 

Let's say the contract states that the seller warrants the roof is free of leaks. You ask a roofing contactor to inspect the roof. He says there is evidnece of past leaks and recommends replacing the roof before the next rainy season.  

In this case, it's reasonable to expect the seller to provide a leak-free roof at closing; it is in the contract. However this does not necessarily mean your are entitled to a new roof.  

Most sellers will seek a second opinion. Another roofer might recommend patching instead of replacing.  

Transactions can break over differences of opinion about the extent of a problem and the appropriate remedy. It helps if both parties have open minds and a willingness to cooperate on reaching a mututally satisfactory solution.  

In many cases, a seller warranty is not a part of the contract. Instead, the buyer agrees to purchase the property in its present condition subject to inspections.  

Depending on how the inspection contingency is written, the buyer may have the unilateral right to withdraw from the contract and have his deposit returned, without even giving the seller the opportunity to repair defects. Likewise, the sellers may be under no obligation to make repairs. If a good faith effort is not made to work out a solution to the property problems, the deal is off and the buyers deposit will probably have to be returned.  

Negotiations over inspection issues often fall apart because one party feels that the other is taking unfair advantage. A successful negotiation involves give and take.  

Many people think it's acceptable to ask home sellers to repair health and safety issues. Even so, some sellers refuse to pay if they have lived comfortably with these issues for years with no problems.  

Sellers may feel a buyer is negotiating in bad faith if they ask sellers to pay to correct a defect that they were aware of before they made their offer.  

Suppose you are buying "as is." You signed a seller disclosure that said the roof needed to be replaced. An estimate to replace the roof was included with the disclosure. When you removed you inspection contigency, you made it conditioned on the sellers replacing the roof. 

This kind of request would enflame some sellers. Emotions can run high during a residential home purchases and transactions, particularly if the sellers are still occupying the property. 

Sellers are often offended when buyers lose sight of the big picture and insist the seller take care of minor defects. It is best to focus on the major issues. 

Make sure you understand what happens if the sellers turn down your requests to repair defects, particularly if you don't want to lose the house. As your agent, I can effectively work through these issues for you.  

Discovery: Real Estate agent marketing little changes in 32,000 years. 

FRANCE - Ten days ago, they were a group of agents enjoying a week of team-building spelunking in th northern slopes of the Pyrenees. Today they're the darling of the real estate industry after they happened upon an archaic "fridge magnet" - a find which has turned long-held beliefs about real estate history on its ear. 

"At sundown, I entered a secluded cave overlooking the river to have a wee" said Shelia Miller, spelunking enthusiast and five-time winner of the Real Estate Consistency in Marketing Award. "I was inside the cave thinking about pre-historic squatters - and admiring the expansive rock ceilings in what must have been a highly - desirable shelter - when my helmet light revealed a face on the cave wall in front of me."
Next to the beautifully preserved pleistocene-era cave art, the group discovered several markings that linguists have deciphered to read "Tor Puts Soul in Sold". Experts conclude that a primitive cave broker painted his likeness and slogan on the cave wall as a self-promotional "cavewarming" gift for his client. 

Archaeologists believe that excellent art work indicates the image was somehow protected from the elements. "It appears that there was a mammoth wall hanging covering the art for centuries, keeping intact, "speculates Dr. Art Mundan of Hartouth University. "Perhaps the gift wasn't fully appreciated by the ancient cave dwellers." 

"Clearly, this is one of the earliest, most exciting examples of real estate marketing ever unearthed," said Miller. "How ironic it is for our group of agents to discover that the very way we currently market to our clients is the same primitive way our early ancestors did it. I'm sure homeowners, would agree that you should'nt mess with a good thing." 

While many real estate professionals are excited about the rich history behind their promotional efforts, ther are a few skeptics. Among them is Rick Rickbaugh, member of the $100 Million Dollar Club. "I've known for quite some time that the maketing tactics my colleagues rely on are rather archaic," said Rickbaugh. "Fortunately for me, many in this industry will continue to leverage Stone Age marketing."  

The discovery also debunks long-held "finders-keepers" assumptions regarding cave residency. 

Real estate community shocked: Agent calendars date back to BC
"Archaeologists learn agent "gifts" have been ineffective for 30,000 years." 

AFRICA - Archaeologists reveal that the 30,000 year old skeleton found near Trinil in Java, once thought to be the earliest example of primitive "ape man", was in fact a resdiential cave broker bludgeoned to death by a prehistoric promotinal calendar. 

"Near the skullcap, we found a crudely-fromed slate calendar, which we believe is a Pleistocene-era version of the modern day agent calendar," said Lawrence Grier, Head of Archaeology of Cordal University. "We've deciphered crude markings on the slate to read "Everything I Touch Turns to Sold," said Grier. "This leads to us to conclude that the remains were actually those of a first generation residential cave broker on self-promotion expedition."  

"Evidence suggests the victim was going cave to cave with his promotional caledars when he encountered a disgruntled caveowner. Given the large number of similar calendars found in the cave, we believe the killer 'snapped' at the prospect of another worthless promotional trinket. He dealt the fatal blow with the ill-timed gift," said Dr. Jason Friedman, Executive Director of the American Anthropoligical Society. 

The shocking findings now confirm the long-standing suspicion that industry marketing tactics have been backfiring for thousands of years. Agents Agaist Defamation of Trinkets had no comment.