About Denver's University Hills

Our wonderful sellers, whom we have grown to love dearly, finally got to the closing table yesterday. Originally scheduled to close on November 30th, this transaction has been a nightmare. The buyers and buyer's agent have been wonderful. Unfortunately the lender they chose was a completely different story. After four extensions, we got to closing yesterday and found that the lender hadn't bothered to order the wire. In Colorado, we fund at the table. Don't you think if a lender is going to do business in Colorado, they would pay attention to this? Our title company called the lender and got them to wire funds at 2:00 yesterday afternoon and luckily, the money arrived before we were finished. I won't mention the name of this horrible lender, but I guarantee that I will never be in a position to do business with them again, EVER!

Here is a photo of my business partner, Will Hamm and our clients, Joan and James.

We know that the new buyers will be happy in their new home as it was filled with happiness and love for many years.

Ring ring, ring ring, is it a client looking for an insurance quote? Maybe this is the big commercial lead that calls me once in a while, that eventually turns into that big policy! (Me) "Thank you for calling Denvers Insurance & The Ahbe Group, This is Mark how can I help you? (pause, then I am put on hold and hear some lovely elevator music.) 10 seconds later, (telemarketer) "hello" (me) " Yes this is Mark, how can I help you? (telemarketer) " Hi is the agency owner around?" (me) " your talking to him" (telemarketer) "oh yes, My name is Dan I am with ABC company, how are you doing today? (me) I am great do you need an insurance quote or have any questions about insurance?" (telemarketer) " No Mark, I was actually wondering where do you get your ink from? (me) "Ink for what, my pens I buy already include ink in them", I jokingly say. (telemarketer) "Oh Mark, I am talking about for your printers in your office". (me) "Oh, okay, I actually don't use printers, see I am a huge environmentalist, so everything I do is electronic."(of course this is not true, I go through a lot of ink and paper a month between the fax, laser printer, jet printer and copies.) " I also think ink companies are evil! (telemarketer) " um, okay?". (me) You guys are always promoting and selling your evil ink!" " "And do you know what ink goes on?" (telemarketer) "Well sir it goes in your printer????" (me) "No your wrong, it goes on paper, I Didn't ask where it goes! "And do you know where paper comes from" (telemarketer) "Uh, trees sir...." (me) "Exactly, you guys are killing trees!" " Not only that you need a large forest, in order to pay for all your expensive ink!" "So where is the hypocrisy there?" (telemarketer) "(hear clicking of phone and the telemarketer hang up.)"

Eventually they hung up on them. And of course I do use printers, ink and paper and so on. Especially as an insurance agent. I am not necessarily an environmentalist. But when you call me, put me on hold for 10 seconds while playing crappy elevator music, not even listen to my name when I answer, and not even know who the Owner of the agency when you call? Come on now! My website gives it to you on a Golden Platter of Who I am and what lines of insurance I sell and where I am located.

I cold call all the time. 95 percent of all cold calls made to my agency are horrible...

If your going to cold call, do it right.....

Denver Mortgage News:

On the first Friday of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report from the month prior. This month, though, because the first Friday of the month was also the first day of the month, the report was delayed one week.

The report hit the wires at 8:30 AM ET this morning.

More commonly called "the jobs report", the government's non-farm payrolls data influences stock and bond markets, and, in the process, swings a big stick with home affordability figures in Denver and nationwide.

Especially in today's economic climate.

Although the recession has been deemed over, Wall Street remains unconvinced. Data fails to show the economy moving strongly in one direction or the other and, absent job creation, economists believe growth to be illusionary.

Consider:

1. With job creation comes more income, and more spending.
2. With more spending comes growth in business
3. With growth in business comes more job creation

And the cycle continues.

The prevailing thought is that, without jobs, consumer spending can't sustain and consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the economy. No job growth, no economy recovery.

But there's another angle to the jobs report, too; one that connects to the housing market. As the jobs market recovers, today's renters are more likely to become tomorrow's homeowners, and today's homeowners are more likely to "move-up" to bigger homes. This means more competition for homes at all price points and, therefore, higher home values.

And that brings us to today's jobs data.

According to the government, 95,000 jobs were lost in September. Economists expected a net loss of 5,000. However, if public sector jobs are excluded from the final figures, jobs grew by 64,000. This is a positive for the private-sector, but still trailed expectations.

Wall Street is voting with its dollars right now and mortgage bonds are gaining, improving CO mortgage pricing.

So, although the September 2010 jobs report doesn't reflect well on the economy overall, home affordability in Colorado and around the country should improve as a result.

How much does a Denver mortgage cost? The answer depends on where you live. But no matter which your locale, chances are strong that you'll pay more for a mortgage in 2010 as compared to 2009.

According to Bankrate.com and its annual Closing Cost Survey, a typical $200,000, purchase mortgage now carries an average $3,741 in closing costs -- up nearly 37 percent from last year.

As defined by Bankrate.com, "closing costs" is defined as the sum of two numbers. The first group is labeled "origination charges", a category that includes such items as underwriting fees, application fees and processing fees. These fees are paid directly to the loan originator's company at the time of closing.

The second grouping of costs is labeled "third-party fees". Third-party fees include appraisals, credit reports, settlement fees and title searches -- items paid in connection with the loan, but not paid to the lending bank or broker.

It's unclear why closing costs appear to have escalated into 2010, but bankrate.com suggest that recently-enacted federal lending laws are a culprit:

1. The new law requires Denver loan officers to be accountable to a Good Faith Estimate's accuracy. Bankrate.com's prior-year surveys may have been "understated", therefore, because of a lack of accountability.
2. The cost of federal compliance is high, and banks may be passing on compliance costs to consumers

To see the complete list of closing costs by state, including where Colorado ranks, visit the Bankrate.com website.

The general consumer needs to learn to trust their independent insurance agent. The insurance agent is knowledgeable and has thoroughly researched and studied the business, therefore, he or she is articulate in assisting you with your most in-depth needs. There has to be a level of trust in allowing your insurance agent to obtain your information in order to offer you the best quotes and prices available. Let your insurance agent "do the walking for you". Let your agent use his or her time in finding the best possible insurance company and pricing for you, and let that person actively research and look into all of the necessary guidelines and laws in insuring you properly and completely.

With work, school, and family schedules, most people don't have time, even though they think they do, to research the insurance market properly. That is what the independent insurance agent is for........so let your insurance agent do the work for you.

Karen W. Schneider

CSR

Denvers Insurance, LLC