Boulder, CO

Boulder Issues New Roof Mandate

If you live in the city of Boulder, you may be required to replace your roof before 2014. The city of Boulder has issued a new roof mandate that will require all homes within the city of Boulder which currently have a roof covering which consists of 50% or more of wood by volume to be replaced before January 1, 2014.

The new ordinance states that no new wood roofs can be installed including any that have been treated with fire retardant treatments. It further states that no person owning a building with a wood roof shall fail to remove or cause to be remove their existing wood roof.

The city of Boulder issues the new roof mandate to help protect Boulder residents from unnecessary risk of fire. Although wood shake roofs were used extensively in the past, not only for their aesthetic appeal, they also had good insinuative qualities. Unfortunately, they also substantially increased the risk of structure fire. Wood shake roofs have a class C fire rating (or no rating), which offers little or no degree of fire protection. In contrast, most types of clay tile, concrete tile, slate, metal, and composition shingles have a class a or class b rating which offer a high degree or moderate degree of roof protection.

Homeowners who have wood roofs should start their research now. Their research should include a study about the various types of roofing material available, their cost, lifespan, pros and cons. Homeowners should also make sure they choose a reputable roofing company; ask for references and check to see if they are a member of the Better Business Bureau. Also, do your online research to see if the company has a history of complaints or negative comments. Of course, you can also check with your local real estate professional who typically has worked with numerous roofing companies through his/her varied real estate transactions.

I took a trip down memory lane today when my Mom emailed me this photo….

I snapped this photo (probably with a disposable camera!) of my sad little Christmas tree in 2000, my first holiday away from my family. I was living in a house in Boulder, CO, with 4 (yes, FOUR) male roommates. Let’s just say, they weren’t as “into” Christmas as I was. So, when they decided not to go in on a tree with me, I resorted to a more creative technique.

I found a hand saw in the garage and cut a branch off the gigantic fir tree/bush in our rental front yard. Then I stuck the branch in a 5gal bucket with some bricks and water, strung some popcorn and cranberries, made a tinfoil star, grabbed a few candy canes and, voila! Christmas Tree!

Unfortunately the first night my roommate’s dog at the popcorn and cranberry garland… all of it. Next he worked on the candy canes. Poor guy pooped peppermint string and berries for days.

Merry Christmas!

Coming in at a close second is The Newlands/Old North Boulder with a total score of 52 out of a possible 60!

Here's the scoring break-down:

1. Walk Score - 7. Dependant on location within the community, while still being walkably close to downtown and it's amenities, homes here are also very close to the Ideal Shops, the N Boulder Rec Center, & Boulder's fabulous Community Gardens.

2. Proximity to Boulder Mountain Parks - 9.5. Starting at the foot of the Mt. Sanitas trailhead, just N of the mouth of Boulder Canyon, and surrounding the extremely popular N Boulder Park, The Newlands and Old North Boulder abut climbing, hiking and enjoying so many of the amazing outdoor opportunities of Boulder, one might not know where to start.

3. Proximity to Downtown Boulder - 9. Being just N of downtown, it's still just a short distance away for any and all to walk or roll right over to the shopping, dining, arts, music & entertainment for which Downtown Boulder is so famous.

4. Community Aesthetics - 8.5. While the Newlands is full of gorgeous (and a few not-so-appealing) complete remodels, many of them are build to the lot lines, leaving very little yard or green-space to buffer the differing styles. Old North Boulder is still full of those "Built-Ford-Tough" 50's & 60's brick ranches with more classic craftsman remodels, and the owners on this side of Broadway like their yard space (and so do I). To add to it all, the charming retro-50's Ideal shops and N Boulder Park create some beauty amidst the equally charming hodge-podge of these very-different-yet-similar neighborhoods.

5. Percentage of rentals vs. owner-occupied - 7.5. With very high property values still, and the highest desirability of any neighborhood in town, there's just not a lot of room for rental investors while still this close the heart of our fair city.

6. Affordability - 7. While property values in the Newlands have far exceeded the reach of most buyers, thanks to the gigantic, top-end renovations, Old North Boulder still offers more buyers opportunities to purchase a good older home with solid bones in the #2 neighborhood in town. I'd give the Newlands a 6, and Old N Boulder an 8, therefore the average is 7.

For more information or for comments, questions or other general feedback, call or email me, and we'll chat.

Boulder, CO Condos For Sale: A market review of the past 12 months (through September, 2011), indicates that the overall Boulder condo market has improved. Using IRES data as of today (10/12/11), you might be surprised at the variety of condo/attached dwelling inventory available in the City of Boulder, with units ranging in price from under $100K to nearly $6M! And with 433 attached units on the market today, IRES reports that 65 (or 15%), are under contract. Feel free to review a statistical report that summarizes the general Boulder condo market activity over the past 12 months:

It's typical for there to be some seasonality in Boulder condo-market stats, but the data in the above report reflects some note-worthy trends. Specifically, the 13.8% increase in the median price of a sold listing is encouraging, as is the increase in the average price/square foot, the decline in the MSI (months' supply of inventory), and the decrease in the DOM (days on market). The combination of all these factors is reflective of an improving market overall; however, it is important to note that these results do not apply to every market segment. Boulder luxury condos have not performed as well in the past year, with longer marketing times and higher inventory being common.

If you've been considering buying or selling a Boulder condo or if you would like more specific information on a particular sub-market in Boulder, feel free to contact us at 303-441-5647 or visit us online.

I love the mountains. Being close to the mountains was one of the reasons I moved to Boulder. I definitely am in the flat lands more often, and wouldn't want to do all my business in the mountains, but I get excited when clients contact me to look at mountain properties. Gives me a chance to get out there and take in some wide open vistas.

Showing properties in the mountains does have its unique, um, "moments." Many of the roads higher up in Boulder County are not paved - they're well-graded and well-maintained, but unpaved nonetheless. That means you're occasionally in for a rough ride depending on where you're going, and you always have to be on the lookout for washboards in the road (for those not in the know, that's a phenomenon where the road gets rutted like a washboard, and, if you're going too fast, can cause for some interesting unintentional maneuvers). Mostly, though, you can't complain about the roads. I give a lot of credit to the powers in charge for that.

What I AM going to complain about, though, :) is the occasional unkept driveway. Once you get off those county-maintained roads, it's a whole different animal. Most homeowners recognize the importance of access and keep them up. Others, not so much. When you're touring a bunch of properties and see a driveway that is just a rutted drop-off on the side of the road, it can give one a bit of heart palpitations (especially when you're by yourself, as I was yesterday, and there's no cell coverage). I think it's worth getting out and checking out the situation first before taking the plunge. The picture here is of a driveway that at first, from the road, looked treacherous, but turned out to be nothing. But I was still glad for all-wheel drive!

Another thing unique to the mountains is that while GPS works, it's not nearly so accurate as it is in the flat lands. So, as a Realtor showing properties you become highly dependent on your knowledge of the area and the directions given to you by the listing agent. Giving directions in miles is most helpful; directions such as drive on Generic Rd. and look for red bridge not so much. How long on Generic Rd.? What shade of red?? It can truly be an adventure. But once the buyer finds their dream home/retreat, it's all worth it. True serenity can't be located with a GPS!