Colorado

~ Watching the Snow Fall ~

When I woke up this morning, I decided to work from home. Why? Today the Denver area is in the middle of a blizzard. As I looked out my bedroom window, I could no longer see the dead grass on the ground, just a fluffy white covering. Why submit myself to the dangers of driving on the icy roads along with hundreds of other drivers when I can work from home?

It was actually peaceful and relaxing watching the snow blow in the wind and fall gracefully to the ground. Everything looks so serene and peaceful with a blanket of freshly fallen snow.

Wrigley, my dog, really enjoyed the snow. I watched him hop through it and play. He was having a ball. I'm not sure if he knew what snow was. I adopted him just over a month ago. He came from a shelter in New Mexico and I have no history on him. What I do know is that both of our lives are better because of it.

At one point he was trying to jump up on the fence. He saw a squirrel in a tree and was trying to get to him! He actually got his hind legs up to the half way post on the fence. (Uh oh...Is the fence tall enough???) He had a blast hopping back and forth and around the yard. And I enjoyed the entertainment he gave me!

Wrigley was tired at the end of a fun filled day of playing in the snow! And I was able to continue working....and watch how peaceful Wrigley looked curled up in a little ball. I think I hit the jackpot when I adopted him. He is a very sweet, gentle and loving dog.

What do you like to do when it snows all day?

Step 8: Insurance

Series: 10 Steps to Home Ownership

No one would drive a car without insurance, so it figures that no homeowner should be without insurance. The essential idea behind various forms of real estate insurance is to protect owners in the event of catastrophe. If something goes wrong, insurance can be the bargain of a lifetime.

What Kind? What Cost?
There are various forms of insurance associated with home ownership, including these major types:

1. Title insurance: Purchased with a one-time fee at closing, title insurance protects owners in the event that title to the property is found to be invalid. Coverage includes "lenders" policies, which protect buyers up to the mortgage value of the property, and "owners" coverage, which protects owners up to the purchase price. In other words, "owners" coverage protects both the mortgage amount and the value of the down payment.
2. Homeowners' insurance: Homeowner's insurance provides fire, theft and liability coverage. Homeowners' policies are required by lenders and often cover a surprising number of items, including in some cases such property as wedding rings, furniture and home office equipment.
3. Flood insurance: Generally required in high-risk flood-prone areas, this insurance is issued by the federal government and provides as much as $250,000 in coverage for a single-family home plus $100,000 for contents. Your realtor can explain which locations require such coverage.

Home warranties: With new homes, buyers want assurance that if something goes wrong after completion the builder will be there to make repairs. But what if the builder refuses to do the work or goes out of business?

Home warranties bought from third parties by home builders are generally designed to provide several forms of protection: workmanship for the first year, mechanical problems such as plumbing and wiring for the first two years, and structural defects for up to 10 years.

Home warranties for existing homes are typically one-year service agreements purchased by sellers. In the event of a covered defect or breakdown, the warranty firm will step in and make the repair or cover its cost.

Insurance policies and warranties have limitations and individual programs have different levels of coverage, deductibles and costs. For details, speak with your realtor, insurance brokers and home builders.

Where to find it.
Realtors often provide home insurance and such policies are also available from insurance brokers.

How to get insurance.
The time to obtain insurance and warranty coverage is at closing, so speak with your realtor or insurance broker prior to closing. Be sure to ask about limitations, costs, deductibles and "endorsements" (additional forms of coverage that may be available).

Denver is experiencing the largest snowfall of the year (so far) and is a good day to stay home if you are able. All school districts were closed today, and many businesses are closed.

Sad to say, our mountains that NEED this snowfall is not getting the benefit of this storm. However, there are many accidents all over town, and hope drivers have the essentials needed to make it home safely.

~ Water
~ Snacks
~ Blanket
~ Full tank of gas
~ Gloves, hat and warm clothing

This time of year if you get into a traffic jam, and unable to move for long periods of time, it is not uncommon for some to run out of gas. BE PREPARED!

Today is a day we are to wear RED for heart health, so if you have any heart conditions, find someone in your neighborhood to shovel or use the snow blower for you.

For those that have not seen snow, not experienced this beauty, I have done a short video to show you how beautiful and peaceful a snowfall can be!

Slifer Smith & Frampton Vail Valley

Real Estate Portfolio Issue 2/4-2/10

View it here first! The newest Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate Vail Valley Real Estate Portfolio is ready to view online, and look for a copy in this weekend's Vail Daily. Click the image below to open this online Vail Valley Real Estate Portfolio magazine featuring properties for sale in Eagle County by Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Vail Valley, please contact me. I’d love to help you call the mountains home!

Highlands Ranch Real Estate : Home Affordability Offering Up 40-Year Deals

An article in the Daily Real Estate News reported recently:

Home affordability is at 1971 levels, due to falling home prices and record low motgage rates, pushing home ownership in reach to more families, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Home owners are bringing in nearly double the median income they need to cover the cost of an average home, HousingPredictor reports.

"With interest rates at historically low levels and markets across the country beginning to improve, home ownership is within reach of more households," Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said in a statement.

Home sales have been ticking up, according to recent reports by the National Association of REALTORS^®, the National Association of Home Builders, as well as the Obama administration's December Housing Scorecard.

^{However, some consumers are finding more stringent lending standards for getting a mortgage a roadblock to home ownership, and some housing experts have blamed tighter underwriting standards in recent years for continuing to hold back the housing market.}

^{Yet, even on the heels of news like this another article came out this week reporting that home ownership levels are down to 1997 levels. People are still reluctant to buy whether worried about a job, waiting for the housing market to reach "bottom", or waiting for interest rates to drop even more (highly unlikely at this point), people are still waiting to pull the trigger.}

We'll have to see how 2012 proceeds. Whether the buyers come back to the market or if they're going to continue to play the wait and see game.