Sharon Cardwell AMERICAN HOME, INC. 98765 West Iliff Avenue Lakewood, CO 80228 DEADLINE FOR ORDERING Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Permit #123 Lakewood, CO THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE: 5:00 p.m. FRIDAY • AUGUST 12 Sharon Cardwell REALTOR® QUESTIONS? Call Brett Koller 720-287-5715 / [email protected] “Knowledge. Experience. Dedication.” Dear Friends: Colorado in September is truly spectacular. And this year will be no exception. So here’s hoping you find the time to explore our beautiful state and drink in the splendor of Colorado in the fall. To help you plan a trip, whether it be a half day or a weekend, ask me for this month’s free Report entitled: Best Colorado Road Trips for Fall Color. (Check the inside of this newsletter for more details.) If you do head out on a scenic road trip, be sure to take your camera. And speaking of photos--if your home looks particularly beautiful at this time of year, take photos for the future. When the time comes to put your home on the market, those photos can be crucial in helping prospective buyers fall in love with your property. Seasons change...as do the seasons of our lives. Whether your changes involve a growing family, or an empty nest, call me and let’s talk about getting you into a home that best suits your changing lifestyle. ‘TIS A PRIVILEGE TO LIVE IN COLORADO! Sharon Office: (303) 777-2222 Cell: (303) 567-2380 Fax: (303) 772-3277 Email: [email protected] Web: www.SCSellsHomes.com COLORADO REAL ESTATE News & Views NEWS AND ARTICLES OF INTEREST TO THE COLORADO HOMEOWNER If your home is currently listed for sale, this is not intended as a solicitation. SEPTEMBER 2011 Rethink your landscaping and improve your home s value While the gold and silver mines of Colorado played a huge part in shaping our history, water has played, and continues to play, an even greater part in not only our past, but in the future of Colorado and the West. Now consider this: one in three Americans live in the western states--and these areas are also among the fastest growing in the nation. With a growing population dependant upon obtaining a sufficient water supply, and the common occurrence of droughts in Colorado, managing water usage in Colorado will become an increasingly important topic. According to statistics from the Colorado State University Extension, outdoor water use accounts for about 55% of the residential water use in urban areas along the Front Range, most of which is used to water grass. In addition, many Colorado residents use over 200 gallons of water per capita per day. Contrast that to Arizona residents who use 20% less water than Colorado residents, yet live in a harsher climate than ours. That’s because Arizona residents compensate by using native, drought-tolerant plants, shrubs, trees and flowers to beautify their landscaping. It’s called “xeriscaping” and it refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation. Now that it’s September, this is an ideal time for homeowners to replace water-thirsty grass and shrubs with xeric materials. In fact, many of these xeric plants do best when planted in the fall. So why not take advantage of the garden sales, and make landscaping changes that will dramatically cut your water usage, and improve your home’s value by making it less costly to maintain. If you’d like to learn more about the principles of xeriscaping in Colorado, here are three excellent web resources: http://coloradowaterwise.org/XeriscapeColorado http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/ Xeris/xeris1.htm http://www.lot-lines.com/the-20-bestxeriscape-plants-for-colorado Landscaping is just one of the many aspects that determine the value and appeal of your home when it comes time to sell. As a Colorado real estate specialist, call me if you’d like to discuss your home and how to improve on its salability factors. NewsBriefs ▼ According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, five years ago, the median cost of a home in Vail, CO, was $562,000. The median cost today is $385,000. If youʼve ever given thought to buying a second home, these lower prices, combined with todayʼs low interest rates, provide a great opportunity. If youʼd care to take a look at second home opportunities anywhere in Colorado, or around the nation, call and letʼs talk. ▼ Married couples no longer comprise the majority profile of households. In 1960, married couples made up 75 percent of total households. In 2010, that percentage dropped to 48 percent, according to U.S. Census data. Meanwhile, “family households”–which includes married couples with no children–has grown from 45.1 million in 1960 to 77.5 million in 2010. And non-family households (people living alone or households where no one is related) increased nearly five times in the last 50 years–from 7.9 million in 1960 to 39.2 million in 2010. ▼ Optimism among home builders is growing as new building permits (an indication for future building) increased 2.5% in July to a 624,000-unit pace. Permits for the multifamily segment rose 8.2%, reaching its highest level since October of 2008. ▼ In its latest economic and housing market outlook report, Freddie Mac says that the housing market is unlikely to experience a “double dip,” and home sales are projected to reach above last yearʼs pace by 3 percent to 5 percent. ▼ Homeowners looking for additional income are opening up their homes and renting out spare bedrooms to offset mortgage costs, which has made “home-sharing” the latest trend to catch on in some parts of the country, particularly in affluent areas. Programs and companies nationwide have sprung up to help play matchmaker to homeowners and renters. COLORADO CORNER Fun Tidbits and Trivia about Colorado • The United States federal government owns more than 1/3 of the land in Colorado. • Colorado contains 75% of the land area of the U.S. with an altitude over 10,000 feet. • The Dwight Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel between Clear Creek & Summit counties is the highest auto tunnel in the world. Bored at an elevation of 11,000 feet under the Continental Divide, it is 8,960 feet long, and the average daily traffic last year was 31,210 cars. • Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States at 10,430 feet elevation. • Denver has the largest city park system in the nation with 205 parks in the city limits and 20,000 Acres of parks in the nearby mountains. • The tallest sand dune in America is in Great Sand Dunes National Monument outside of Alamosa. • Colorado has the highest mean altitude of all the states. • Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other state. • The highest suspension bridge in the world is over the Royal Gorge near Canon City. The Royal Gorge Bridge spans the Arkansas River at a height of 1,053 feet. Is your home ready for winter? Ready or not, “Old Man Winter” is coming. By performing a few simple home winterization tasks, you will protect your property, make it safe for yourself and visitors, and even lower your energy bills. A weekend of preventative home winterizing maintenance in the fall will save you from expensive hassles next summer. Clean your gutters, or rain and melt-off from snow will not flow freely and can damage your roof and walls. If you don’t like heights, hire a professional to do the dirty work. You might want to consider gutter guards to keep out the clutter. Service your heating system. This includes replacing the filters and checking to make sure the system is working properly. You can replace the filter yourself, but servicing your heating unit is best left to the professionals. Inspect for cracks. Mice will soon be looking for an escape from the cold--so make sure they don’t take up residence in your home. Check the foundation and crawl spaces. Move all debris and plants from the foundation. If you see any cracks, no matter how small, seal them. Mice can find a way into your home through the tiniest of cracks. Inspect the seams around your windows and door frames for gaps. Be sure to examine the seals around dryer vents and other holes in your home's exterior. Caulk to seal any gaps. Conduct a simple test to see if your deck needs to be treated. Sprinkle water in different areas and notice what happens. If the water forms a bead, your deck doesn't need to be sealed. However, if the water soaks into the boards, it is time to seal the deck. Replace any damaged boards before you proceed with sealing. Get equipment ready. Check the snow blower, and locate any other snow removal equipment needed. Conduct an attic insulation inspection. Insufficient insulation can create an ice dam which is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home causing damage to walls, ceilings, and insulation. Have your fireplace inspected. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, it may not need to be cleaned, but it should be inspected in case there’s a blockage from debris that may have blown in. Check for low limbs that may be too close to your home or to electrical wires, and trim them back. Visit: http://www.kiplinger.com /tools/slideshows/slideshow_pop. html?nm=FallMaintenance This Month s Free Homeowner Report: Best Colorado Road Trips for Fall Color Round up the kids...grab the camera, and head out to see some of the most spectacular scenery on earth: Colorado in the Fall. From a few hours, to a few days--weʼll give you a complete guide to: • The BEST fall foliage viewing in the Front Range and throughout the state. • Resources to tell you when the colors are at their height. Simply call or email for this FREE SEPTEMBER REPORT! FOR THE Cutting home energy expenses doesnʼt mean you have to freeze in your home. No- and low-cost steps to save energy. The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills – nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. With winter right around the corner, now’s the ideal time to think about saving energy while keeping warm this winter. Here are some tips to help make the task easier. Consider a home energy audit because it can show you the biggest energy problems within your home--and provide recommendations for improving your energy loss. If you’re with Xcel Energy and you’re interested in a home energy inspection, contact Xcel at 1-800-895-4999. For details on their home inspection programs, check out this website: http://www.lightlytreading.com/ homeowners/services/index.html To find independent home energy audit firms, search the term “Colorado Energy Audit” in the phone book or on the Internet. Homage to Education COLORADO HOMEOWNER Here are four small steps you can take that can also make a dent in your heating bills this winter: 1. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings. 2. Let in some light. Open blinds on south-facing windows during the day to let in the sun. Close them in the evening to add a bit more insulation. Depending on the location of the windows, this could provide just enough mid-day warmth that on some days, you may not need to turn on the heat. 3. Block drafts. This is best done with weather-stripping, but even a rolled up towel at the base of the drafty door will help. 4. Close unused rooms that don’t need to be heated. For more information, visit: http://www.coloradoenergy.org/ Click on “Tips & Information” and visit the Consumer link. The Short Sale: A better alternative to foreclosure For homeowners who are upside down and can no longer make their mortgage payment (because of either a job loss, divorce, or an option ARM that’s resetting higher), in the past, the only option was letting the bank foreclose. However, another option, called a “short sale,” is generally the best choice for homeowners in this predicament. In today’s market, an agent is hired and when a contract offer is in hand, if the bank agrees to eat the loss, the short sale process proceeds toward closing. In some cases, the lender could demand that the seller share in the loss, but this is an issue addressed within each contract. That’s the really short, highly condensed version of how a short sale works. I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. • Mark Twain It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education, than to have education without common sense. • Robert Frost Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. • Malcolm Forbes • Robert Green Ingersoll An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. • Anatole France Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. • Edward Everett He who opens a school door, closes a prison. • Victor Hugo Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle. • Robert Anthony The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. • Robert M. Hutchins Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. • William Butler Yeats The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. • Aristotle Q Name the seven states that touch the borders of Colorado. COLORADO HISTORY TRIVIA Colorado is bordered by Wyoming and Nebraska on the north. To the south is New Mexico and Oklahoma. In the east, Colorado is bordered by Nebraska and Kansas. And to the west by Utah. The southwest corner of Colorado meets Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. GREEN IDEAS Banks, investors, and even the federal government have all publicly stated that if a person is qualified for a short sale, the deal needs to be considered. Overwhelmingly, banks receive more on their investment through a short sale than through a foreclosure, but short sales involve a great deal of work, and at times, “overworked/understaffed” mitigation staff may take the easier way out (foreclosure) rather than go through the hassle of a short sale. So a “short sale” is never guaranteed, but it is worth pursuing, because it has less negative impact on the long-term financial record of the seller. The main qualification for a short sale is that the seller be experiencing some type of "financial hardship." This can include: loss of employment or income, divorce or separation, relocation or job transfer, major illness and medical expenses, high dollar repairs without A the resources to make them, increased bills, or higher living expenses. The short sale market has lately become a target for scam artists who prey on individuals facing financial hardships and foreclosure. As a word of warning, never sign a quit claim deed, power of attorney, or an "option contract" without consulting an attorney or experienced agent. A good rule of thumb to understand is that anybody trying to purchase your home will look out for their own best interests in the transaction, not your best interests. Real estate short sales are complex transactions involving intense negotiations with the loss mitigation departments of the various financial institutions, as well as extensive paperwork that is required. A short sale must be conducted with a real estate agent, so if this is of interest to you and you’d like to know more about this process, let’s talk. CHANGE Unlike life, seasons change with a more consistent level of predictability. There’s a certain predictability to Mother Nature . . . like the changing kaleidoscope of colors as the landscape prepares for winter. Unfortunately, our daily lives are not as predictable as the seasons. Whether the decision is made by you or someone else, if you need to make a move, call me. The road to your new home can be made predictably smoother when you’ve got me by your side to guide you from start to finish. Sharon SNAPSHOT OF MY BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: Study the market. Educate myself to changing trends and resources. And convey that knowledge to my clients in a way that helps them make smarter, more informed decisions. YOUR BUSINESS AND REFERRALS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. Sharon Cardwell REALTOR,® GRI American Home, Inc. 98765 West Iliff Avenue • Lakewood, CO 80228 Office: (303) 777-2222 • Cell: (303) 567-2380 Fax: (303) 772-3277 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.SCSellsHomes.com “Knowledge. Experience. Dedication.”