The best way to make memories over the holidays
It’s that time of the year again, the holidays are upon us and parties, events and gatherings are happening every night of the week it seems. Meeting with friends, entertaining co-workers and of course, spending much needed time with family is in order. So how do you keep track of all these amazing events and seeing all these wonderful people? I know for my family and I it is important to figure out different ways to document these wonderful times together so we can have memories to last a lifetime.
To help me figure out some ways to best capture these memories, I turned to one of my favorite daily mentors, Darren Hardy, who put together a great list of half a dozen ways to make memories with your loved ones and I am going to share them with you:
· Capture the memory – take a lot of visual photos with everyone at your gathering. Then upload them to a photo sharing website and send everyone a link to the album so everyone can share in the memories.
· Sound of music – find out what everyone’s favorite Christmas song is and who sings it. Then, go online and download every song and put together a little family album that everyone can listen to.
· Box O’wishes – have a small box placed at each persons spot at the dining table with everyone having an index card for everyone in attendance. Ask everyone to answer questions about the other people at the table and when they are finished put the answers in that persons box. This is a nice way to share good feelings and memories of each person there.
· Box O’questions – each person comes up with questions they would like to know about everyone in attendance and then you can all sit down and read them to one another and get to know one another better.
· Time versus trinkets – with your close friends and family, the best thing you can give them is your time. Give them a card filled with sentimental memories, a list of gifts they will receive throughout the next year or any other ways you can spend time with them.
· Don’t’ just get together, give together – do something meaningful together for someone else. Ask each person coming to your get together to bring some non-perishable food or some gently used clothes or some blankets and take all of these things to a local shelter. Or give a financial contribution to your favorite charity or figure out a place you can all go volunteer for a day.
And during the holiday season, if you know anyone who doesn’t have family or friends to spend time with, invite them to join your festivities!
Have a great holiday everyone and safe travels to anyone traveling!
The most popular Aribnbs in Denver
If you ever heard a great comeback story, the story of how Airbnb came to be would definitely rank up there as one of the best stories. The three men who started it actually presented the idea a few times before anyone picked investing in the company and started it because they were living in San Francisco and were having a hard time paying the rent. It took them nine years to get where they are today spanning all over the world and catering to college kids, travelers and businessmen alike. The company is worth over $25 billion dollars and continues to grow. People use the website when traveling for fun or for work and love the experience of getting to stay in some unique homes. Airbnb is working to roll out a new program called Airbnb Select that will target high-end vacationers with specialty listings. The company also recently paired up with WeWork, the co-working space company found in many cities, offering people traveling for work a place to stay for however many days while also having the ability to use the shared work space during their stay.
In Denver alone this year, Airbnb’s occupancy rate increased from 10% to 61% according to an October report on the city’s hospitality market from broker service CBRE Group. The latest report from November 1st shows Denver Aribnb’s had 310,000 guest arrivals and 3,200 active hosts who earn and average of $6,800 per year. Many people find Airbnb a great way to make a little extra money or to help pay their mortgage. I have clients who stay with their significant other on the weekend while renting out their place. For my clients who travel a lot for business, they find Airbnb a great way to keep cash flow coming on their homes while they are out of state.
One thing to be weary of though is if you live in a condominium complex. Many new condo buildings are putting rules regulating just how many people can provide Airbnb services or if they will allow the service at all. I help many clients buy investment properties and one of their first questions always is, can we use this space for Airbnb? I always make sure to check with the HOA board as well as research into the building. If they are a homeowner, there is no problem I would just recommend if they are traveling a lot to have someone they trust be able to clean the home and check on it after visitors have left.
So what are the popular Airbnb’s in Denver? It seems the most popular places for people to stay when visiting is in carriage homes, row homes and lofts. The Denver Business Journal was able to pull the most popular Airbnb rentals in Denver so take a look to see what appeals to visitors coming to our city:
Conforming loan limits are going UP in 2018
From the title of the blog, some of you may be jumping up and down with excitement over the news that conforming loans limits are going up which we know means more purchasing power to the borrower aka you! But for those of you who are sitting there going, sounds great, but what exactly is a conforming loan and what does it have to do with me, let me explain.
A conforming loan is a mortgage loan that conforms to GSE guidelines (GSE is Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). The most well-known guideline is the size of the loan, which for this past year the limit was around $424,100 for single family homes in the US (even though it could vary in certain areas). So, the limit is how much can actually be borrowed and coming in 2018, loan limits are going to go up which means a lot of good things for borrowers.
Investopedia describes conforming loan limits as the following: The limit on the size of a mortgage which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase and/or guarantee. The conforming loan limit is set annually by Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's federal regulator, The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). OFHEO uses the October to October percentage increase/decrease in the average house price in the monthly interest rate survey of the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) to adjust the conforming loan limits for the subsequent year.
What does this mean for a Borrower? More purchasing power! Mortgages, which exceed the conforming loan limit, are known as jumbo mortgages. The interest rate on jumbo mortgages can be higher than the interest rate on conforming mortgages. A borrower whose mortgage amount slightly exceeds the conforming loan limit should analyze the economics of reducing their loan size through a larger down payment or possibly using secondary financing to qualify for a conforming mortgage verses a jumbo mortgage.
The new base limit for single family homes in the continental US is $453,100 but her are the limits for the different cities and counties in/around the Denver area:
Denver $529,000
Boulder $578,450,
Broomfield $529,000
Adams County $529,000
Jefferson County $529,000
Douglas County $529,000
So that makes for some exciting times for borrowers next year! If you were thinking it is time to buy in the market, there is no better time then the present. With interest rates still low and now the conforming loan limits going up, you have much more purchasing power and that is an exciting thing. Contact me today and let’s grab coffee and chat about your loan options and how we can get you the house you want in the New Year!
Fun things to do in Denver in December
Hope everything had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now we are only a few days away from December (hard to believe with these 70-degree days we are still having, what is this Colorado?) but the holiday seasons are upon us and with that there are tons of amazing things to do around the city with your friends and your family.
Denver Parade of Lights – Dec 1 – Dec 2
Join the Downtown Denver Partnership along with 9News for the annual parade of lights through downtown Denver. This free parade will feature marching bands, ornate floats and an appearance by Santa himself. You might not need to dress as warm this year as previous years but having some hot chocolate along for the ride never hurt anyone.
Denver Zoo Lights – Dec 1 – Dec 31
Spanning over 60 acres, the Denver Zoo lights is a different way to experience the zoo. Every night the zoo will close at 5:00pm and reopen at 5:30pm and will include a meet and greet with Santa, illuminated animal sculptures, nightly entertainment and of course encounters with some of the zoo animals.
Santa’s Village at Chatfield Farms – Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays starting Nov. 24 – Dec. 24
Head to the Botanic Garden’s other property Chatfield Farms to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus while they lead their reindeer throughout the colorful holiday lights that illuminate the farm.
Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens – Now – Jan 1
Every night until January 1st, you can head over to the Botanic Gardens for the Blossom of Lights which transforms the gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland complete with an interactive LED light and sound display as well as warm drinks and tasty treats for purchase.
The Nutcracker Ballet at Ellie Caulkins Opera House – Nov 25 – Dec 24
This has been a tradition with many families for years, taking everyone to see the Nutcracker ballet. These performances sell out quickly so make sure to get tickets sooner then later or you will miss out! The Colorado Ballet has been performing this experience for over 60 years now, selling out almost every performance they have.
Denver Pavilions Holiday Carousel – Dec 15 – Jan 2
For just $3/ride, you can enjoy the lights and sounds of this stunning carousel while enjoying the views of downtown Denver. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Food Bank of the Rockies so you are helping to give back this holiday season to those in need.
Ice Skate at DIA – Nov 25 – Jan 1
That’s right, as soon as you deplane at DIA you can head to the skating ring to have a few laps before you get picked up (or have a little skate before you take off). Open from 9:00am – 9:00pm daily is located between the airport’s main terminal and the Westin Hotel.
Denver Christkindl Market – Nov 17 – Dec 23
Located on 16th Street Mall at Skyline Park, this market changes the space into an “old world” European Christmas village with wooden vendor huts, twinkling lights music and an authentic German Bier Hall.
Denver Ice Rink at Skyline Park – Nov 22 – Feb 14th
Right across the street from the market you can find the ice rink set up right by the clocktower downtown. Take friends or the whole family, it’s only $6-$8 for skate rentals except on Sunday, rentals are free!
A Christmas Carol at Stage Theatre – Nov 24 – Dec 24
Presented by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, this classic Charles Dickens’ novel is brought to life over the holidays. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge is a classic story of his journey to redemption, finding the true meaning of the holiday season.
There are plenty of other great activities to do this December in Denver and the surrounding areas. Check out the links below to find more fun things to do:
https://www.denver.org/events/