About Boulder County, CO

Rock Creek CO Home Sales Report

Superior Co homes sales are tied to Rock Creek Homes. The recent statistics are the strongest numbers we have seen in Rock Creek and Superior CO for the last two years. The Rock Creek Subdivision currently has 3.5 month of inventory on the market compared to 6.1 months of inventory in October 2008 and 4.7 months of Inventory in October 2007.

We are also beginning to see the median price of the properties sold is equal the current inventory on the market, which tends to indicate that Buyers and Seller have similar expectations in the market.

The next indicator to look at is the Average Days on market has jumped to 170 Days. This is a similar pattern that I saw when looking at the Louisville CO market a couple of days ago. This is a nice movement, since it says Buyers are beginning look at the stagnant inventory and determining it now makes sense. This of course can be the result of Sellers expectations becoming more realistic.

Between October 2007 and October 2008 we saw the median price of Homes in Superior and Rock Creek fall. The October 2008 to October 2009 shows nice trending upward in the last half of the year.

Overall Rock Creek is showing foundation for a strong market moving forward. When we combine this with the expanded Home Buyer Tax Credit through April of $6,500 and the fact that the employment rate in Boulder County has been strengthening Rock Creek is one of my best bets for appreciation in 2010.

Rock Creek Homes for Sale.

LEED Certified Homes and Green Home Buyer Benefits

In my last post I introduced LEED and the LEED for Homes program. In this post I’ll review the LEED for Homes Certification system and LEED home buyer benefits. All LEED programs are managed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification systems are periodically updated as new benchmarks are determined.

LEED for Homes is a rigorous certification program with well defined metrics for green home performance nationwide. The rating system evaluates home’s performance in eight principle categories.

1) Sustainable Site Selection: Location in proximity to schools, shopping, work and transit along with other factors enhancing the quality of life are encouraged. Attention to potential erosion, pollutants and interference with natural environment is discouraged. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Homes conveniently located central to work and community services means less travel time and lower fuel cost in addition to more efficient use of personal time.

2) Water Efficiency: Innovative techniques and technologies are used in LEED homes to reduce a home’s water use and to incorporate creative ways to reuse water. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Lower water bills and more efficient use of water resources.

3) Energy Efficiency: LEED homes use up to 60% less energy compared to the International Code Council’s standards for minimum energy efficiency. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Lower energy bills and lower carbon emissions.

4) Materials and Resources: The use of recycled and reclaimed materials is encouraged in LEED homes. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Efficient use of resources and lower carbon emissions.

5) Indoor Environmental Quality: LEED for Homes certification establishes benchmarks for indoor air quality by minimizing exposure to potential toxins and pollutants. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Healthier homes mean healthier people.

6) Innovation: LEED encourages innovative ways to improve a home’s performance while improving durability and comfort. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Innovative design and creative selection and use of materials take advantage of the latest technologies to help maximize operating performance which can increase comfort and lower operating costs.

7) Site Development: LEED homes use construction processes that minimize environmental impact and incorporate design practices that protect the land where the home is built. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Improved landscaping and external water management systems.

8) Awareness and Education: LEED is actively involved with helping to educate homeowners about green home features. A LEED certified home is intended to be an educational example to the community. LEED Home Buyer Benefits: Everyone benefits with greater community awareness of the features and benefits of LEED certified green homes.

LEED for Homes certification is awarded on the basis of points earned from compliance to LEED rating benchmarks. A total of 136 points are possible. The more points achieved, the higher the rating which means higher home performance.

There are four levels of LEED for Homes certification:

1) Certified: 45-59 points

2) Silver: 60-74 points

3) Gold: 75-89 points

4) Platinum: 90-136 points

LEED homes help create a healthier home and a healthier planet. LEED home buyers benefit from purchasing a LEED certified home while helping protect the environment and helping preserve natural resources.

Visit E3GreenHOMES.com for information about locating Colorado green homes in Denver and Boulder areas.

John Thomas

(m) 720-771-5594

(e): john.thomas@e3greenhomes.com

Previous Posts: LEED Certified Homes are a Green Home Buyer's Dream (Part 1 of 2)

LEED Certified Homes are a Green Home Buyer's Dream

LEED homes are healthier and more comfortable for their occupants. In this post I will introduce the LEED for Homes certification system and highlight the benefits for home buyers.

LEED stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.’ The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to establish guidelines for characterizing and monitoring compliance with green building benchmarks. The first generation of benchmarks called LEED Version 1.0 began in 1998. LEED Version 2.0 was released in early 2000. Both Version 1.0 and 2.0 apply to commercial buildings. Adherence to the benchmarks is voluntary and consensus-based and relies upon existing proven technology. The purpose of LEED is to encourage and support the building industry toward the adoption of more sustainable building practices.

Following the LEED rating systems for the commercial sector, LEED for Homes first arrived as a part of a pilot program in mid 2005. Designed exclusively for the residential market, LEED for Homes was officially launched as a part of LEED Version 3.0 in late 2007. The LEED for Homes certification program was developed to provide a means of determining how well a home is designed and built with regard to energy and resource efficiency and to evaluate the how healthy a home is for occupants.

By November of 2008 1,084 homes across the U.S. had received LEED for Homes certification and over 13,600 homes had registered to pursue certification. Today, approximately 3,000 homes have received the LEED for Homes certification and over 16,000 are registered to pursue LEED for Homes certification.

The USGBC estimates potential energy savings of 30% for the average home rated at LEED-Certified level compared to homes built to the Internation Energy Conservation Code. Energy savings of up to 60% are possible.

Homebuyers seeking a premium green featured home will want to consider one that is LEED certified because a LEED Certified Homes are a Green Home Buyer's Dream.

As a certified EcoBroker, I can help homebuyers locate and evaluate LEED certified homes in Colorado. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

Visit my website at E3GreenHOMES.com for information on Denver Colorado Green Homes.

John Thomas MSEE, MBA

(m) 720-771-5594

(e): john.thomas@e3greenhomes.com

Previous Post: Green Building Renovation Market Forecasts is Great News for Home Buyers & Sellers

Many U.S. markets that avoided the housing boom are now seeing the greatest growth in home values

"They're easy to overlook, with home prices plunging from Manhattan to Los Angeles and almost everywhere in between. But look at the smaller metros where housing bubbles never took shape, and you'll find some of today's strongest markets.

Boulder, Colo.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Pittsburgh; Little Rock; and other slow-but-steady metros are now among the nation's safest markets, and many of the homes in those markets continue to appreciate, if only modestly.

These are metro areas "where folks didn't bake 10% to 12% increases into their financial expectations," said Stan Humphries, chief economist at real estate site Zillow.com. "That was a good expectation to have."

Working with data from Zillow.com, BusinessWeek came up with the strongest housing markets by ranking metro areas based on the share of single-family homes in which values rose in the second quarter compared with the second quarter of 2008. In the top-ranked metro, Boulder, an affluent Denver suburb that is home of the University of Colorado at Boulder, 59.39% of homes appreciated during the past year, and the median home value rose 2.12% on a year-over-year basis.

No. 1: Beautiful Boulder Boulder was one of several college towns on the list, which also included a few military towns such as Fayetteville, N.C., and Jacksonville, N.C. Both government and university jobs have been relatively reliable during this recession. Affordability also seems to be a plus in this economy. Oklahoma City; Tulsa; Binghamton, N.Y.; Springfield, Ohio; Cumberland, Md.; and most other metros on the list have median home prices below $200,000 (some are under $100,000).

Boulder has several factors working in its favor. The town has controlled growth by putting limits on development and by acquiring more than 50,000 acres of open space for a greenbelt that surrounds the town. With the boundary of the Rocky Mountains to the west, the supply of new homes has been restricted.

Boulder's economy and housing market have slowed, but the University of Colorado provides jobs and a steady flow of tenants for the area's many rental homes. Demand for housing is also strong in part because the area is so pretty, said Tom Thibodeau, global real estate capital markets professor at the University of Colorado.

"Every year 5,000 undergraduates enter, and they don't want to leave when they graduate," Thibodeau said.

By Prashant Gopal"

Wait a second. At a time when real estate prices have been in almost perpetual free fall for more than a year, are there really places around the U.S. where home values are going up? Unbelievable as it may sound, yes. According to real estate site Zillow.com's second-quarter home value index, there are more than 30 metro areas across the country where values have risen from the first quarter of the year to the second quarter. The winner? Boulder, Colo., the affluent Denver suburb where the share of homes with increasing values rose nearly 60%.

Methodology: The metros are ranked by the share of homes with rising values in the second quarter compared with the second quarter of 2008. The annual change is the year-over-year change in median values for the metro in Q2 compared with the same period last year. The quarterly change compares the second quarter with the first quarter. The ranking is based on Zillow.com's Q2 Home Value Index, which is the median "Zestimate" for a given geography for a given time period. The Zestimate™ is Zillow's estimated market value of a home. This figure is computed by taking many different data points from public records and entering them in a proprietary formula.

Rank: 1

Metro: Boulder (Colo.) Share of homes with increasing values: 59.39% Median value: $347,200 Annual change: 2.12% Quarterly change: 3.86%

Boulder, about 35 miles northwest of Denver, has had a relatively stable housing market, in part, because it is home to strong employers, including the University of Colorado, as well as a base of affluent residents. The supply of homes is limited in Boulder by the mountains to the west and its tens of thousands of acres of protected open space.

For the article, please click HERE.

We set up a light stage for a home in Mill Village, a new urbanist community, an inviting place. Feel free to take a peek!

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