Working with the Right Realtor for You in this Market

There’s no denying that many home buyers in Denver are all discovering there appears to be fewer and fewer houses on the market these days. While the demand is quite high in this seller’s market, the inventory continues to drop. In May, which is just the start of the big summer selling season, the inventory for homes for sale in metro Denver fell by 3.4% to 5,463. While this happened, the prices for the average home including condominiums and single-family detached homes, reached a new peak of over $400K, an increase of almost 9% over the last year.

While builders are pulling more permits to try and keep up with the demand, many of the homes they are building are in the higher price ranges leaving the market for lower price ranges even harder to get into. Many people are trying to get into the market and make first-time homebuyers are finding it harder to find a home within their price range. And with such a competitive market, it can be discouraging to keep making offers on homes when buyers know there is a chance for there to be 20 other offers on the table.

As a Realtor, I hear these stories all the time from my buyers. They are scared to get into the market, they think it is impossible to get a house they like in an area they want, they are afraid they will have to give up a lot to please the seller or that they have tried to find a home before and it ended up being so disheartening they stopped for a while waiting for the market to “slow down”. I hear all of these frustrations when I meet with buyers and from our first meeting I let it be known that one of the reasons they are sitting in front of me is because they are serious about buying and they have come to me to be their front-of-the-lines person.

As a certified Realtor, I continue to educate myself on the market, the trends, best methods and laws so that I can be the best for my clients. It is imperative when looking for someone to represent you, you find someone with certified training who has your best interests at heart. Personally I make a guarantee that I will be there every step of the way during the process and I am available all the time for when my clients have questions or concerns. Buying a home is the biggest decision of many people’s lives and they need someone they can trust more than anything. I am trustworthy and confident in my ability to perform as a Realtor and as a negotiator when things get tough. I have my MCNE designation for negotiating which sets me apart from many other realtors.

I understand how daunting buying a home can be and I would love to help you see the process does not have to be that way. Give me a call or email today and let’s grab coffee and discuss what you want in a Realtor, what I can do for you and how we can go about finding you the home of your dreams.

June Metro Denver Market Statistics

The Challenges of Today’s Real Estate Market

Today’s real estate market is booming in Denver, there is no denying that and everywhere you go people are talking about it. But with a booming market comes challenges and with challenges comes frustrations and with frustrations comes disappointment. We are in a seller’s market right now meaning that sellers have more power when it comes to selling their home. Buyer’s, on the other hand, have a much harder time when it comes to finding a home they love and not having 15 other offers on the table to compete with. I ask my clients one very important question when we start working together and that is this: Are you prepared to be in the real estate market today?

I’m not asking that question to scare anyone away or to make people reconsider their desire to buy/sell a house, I am saying it to let my clients know they need to be super realistic when they enter the market, especially my buyers. I want them to be ready to not get the first house they fall in love with, or the second or the third. I want sellers to be prepared for when they accept what they think is the perfect offer, there’s a 25% chance something will happen and the contract will fall through. I want buyer’s to understand that even if they offer $30k over the asking price that isn’t a guarantee they will win the home.

Currently in Denver there are a few big things going on that make this real estate market challenging. The first would be a historic low inventory of homes on the market and especially homes in the right price range. Denver has people moving here daily and we are having a hard time keeping up with the demand from buyers. That’s another big issue, the buyer demand is so high and especially for homes that are in the $300-$400k range which is the place all first time homebuyers are landing as well as many others. For anyone looking in that price range I always tell them, it will be a battle but I will fight for you the whole way and make sure everything is right and held up on my end to get you the home you want. Another issue is that houses just are not being able to be built fast enough. You may drive around and see a lot of scrapes and new builds but many people want to live around the city and the home range just isn’t there for the demand.

Because it is a sellers market, many sellers put their homes on the market on a Thursday or Friday with a deadline for contracts by Sunday night leaving buyers feeling rushed and overwhelmed. Buyers are also frustrated with high demands by sellers like opting out of inspection and appraisal contingencies which leaves the buyer with less protection should something be found wrong.

All of these stresses can add up to people pulling themselves out of the real estate market hoping that things will eventually die down. I hate to say it but with the rate at which Denver is going, that is never going to be a case here. We may level out of course but slowing down is not in the books. The best suggestion I can give to buyers and sellers is do your research before you decide to buy or sell your place. Understand the realities of today’s market, invest time and energy into knowing what could happen and the biggest thing, hire yourself a really good realtor who knows the market. A realtor can be your best friend through the process and is really there to handle all of the ups and downs. If you are thinking about getting into the market, go ahead and give me a call, I would love to set up some time to sit down and discuss what your wants and needs are and how I can help attain those. 

Cleaning Your Home and Where to Donate Lightly Used Items in Colorado

It seems the weather has finally taken a turn for the better and I am sure many of you, like me, are letting out a sigh of relief knowing the snowy weather is behind us. As the days get warmer and the sunlight stays around a bit longer, now is the perfect time to clean out your house from its hibernation state. Every spring/summer, I make an effort to have one big clean to start the season off. There is something about giving my house a big head to toe cleaning that makes me feel like I am ready to take on the warm weather and my house is too. Below are a few cleaning tips I have picked up and continue to gather over the years to help me with the scrub down:

·      Windows – It may be easiest to just wipe down the inside, but you really should try to wipe down the outside as well and if you have some high up windows, look for a good window cleaner. Tip: wash your windows on a cloudy day so the sun won’t dry the cleaner in streaks before you are done.

·      Window Screens – Take a scrape of carpeting and use it to wipe down your screens. This method picks up all the dirt and dust that has gathered.

·      Patio Furniture – Your furniture has been sitting out in the cold weather and probably needs a little tlc before you put your cushions back on it. Take warm water with a squirt of dish detergent and wipe everything down with a sponge. Rinse everything off with your garden hose when done and let those pieces air dry.

·      Your closet – It really is true, organizing your closet is the first step in organizing the rest of your home so start there! Help your significant other and your kids go through their closets as well and compile a box full of clothes that can be donated to one of the many great local charities in Colorado. Some of my personal favorites are:

o   Precious Child, Broomfield CO – This is where we take my daughter’s lightly used clothes and toys.

o   Dress for Success, Denver CO – This is a great place to give your old professional clothes and it is for a good cause, the name is exactly that, it is a place women can go get clothes appropriate for work.

o   Goodwill/Denver Rescue Mission, Denver CO – Both of these are great organizations to donate everything from clothes to appliances to furniture.

o   Every Creature Counts & Dumb Friends League, Denver CO – Let’s not forget our furry friends! I also clean out our dog’s things in the spring and anything she has outgrown we like to donate to one of these organizations. Pets need good supplies too!

There are many wonderful organizations to donate to in Colorado so make sure to check those out before you get rid of any clothes, appliances, etc. Happy cleaning!

Why Your Relationships Should Always Be A Priority

Someone once told me that I was a ‘relationship first’ kind of person. At first, I didn’t know how to take that statement, was it a compliment? Was it a jive at how I took on both my personal and professional life? I realized quite quickly that the person was just stating the truth about what they had seen in me when observing me in my every day life, the one fact was clear, I led every encounter in my life with a relationship first approach.

For my personal life this means that I think it is important to have close and meaningful relationship with the important loved ones in my life. I take the time every other week to have time with just my husband.  We have date nights and make sure to take time with just us. With my family I make an effort to keep building and growing my relationships with each of them and work on growing together as a family. My beautiful daughter is someone I work really hard to have a healthy, loving and encouraging mother-daughter bond with because I know that as her mother what I do now and will continue to play a large role as who she looks up to and who she takes after. Our actions, how we deal with other people, the way we take on the world, all of these things our children watch with close eyes so I think it is imperative that we develop and nurture healthy relationships with them from the time they are born long into adult hood.

For my professional life saying I lead with relationships means that when I meet a client, my first thought goes to how to find a way to connect with them so we can start the foundation for a good relationship. My clients always start off as my clients but as we continue to work closely together and as one project turns to multiple projects or house deals, I work on making those relationships turn from client only to friend and mentor relationships. It is imperative as you continue to build your business that you take every relationship you have ever had and nurture them. One thing that is easy to do in real estate is to have one encounter with a client and once the deal has been done, many agents never follow up with their clients after that. I can tell you right now, the effort you put in to keeping contact with your client will only do good things for you in regards to referrals and later business of your client down the road. You want your client to know they are not just another client on your list, that you do care about the deal you did and you will continue to care as the years pass about their wellbeing and lives.

If you want to listen to a great talk about the importance of continuously building and nurturing your personal and business relationships, listen to Randi Zuckerburg with Dot Complicated on Sirius Business; she has great insight into the matter.

Just remember, it takes time to build and grow every relationship in your life so it is up to you to make time for each of those relationships. The personal and the professional are both important to your personal and professional success, give them each the love and care they deserve and need.