Amy Ballain

Each year, springtime ushers in warmer weather, flowers in bloom, the crack of a baseball bat (go Rockies!) and renewed energy for the housing market. After the winter hibernation, anxious homebuyers come out in force trying to find that special place to call home, and sellers finish up last minute touchups and put their homes on the market.

This year is no exception. The Colorado market seems to be gradually heating up along with the temperatures. Most of our local offices are reporting steady to improving sales activity and overall market conditions.

Don't get me wrong. While many parts of the Colorado are seeing progress on the housing front, the picture isn't uniform across the board. Some cities are experiencing stronger markets than others. In some communities, certain price ranges are hot while others are tepid. And even within a local market, while one property may get eight or 10 offers, another sits idle waiting for a single buyer.

Nonetheless, the recent uptick in activity in general is providing encouragement to Realtors as well as home sellers.

A variety of indicators-including investor and cash purchase levels and adjustable-rate loan use-are pointing toward a more normal market. And while the housing market has certainly moved well back from its challenges two years ago, we still have a ways to go.

Distressed properties are still an issue in some counties and drag on prices. Mortgage financing is still problematic for some borrowers as well.

What this tells us is, we appear to be moving in the right direction. I'm encouraged that the spring rejuvenation in many of our markets will continue in the months ahead, especially if the economy and the local job market continue to improve.

I have a bit of a Cinderella story to tell you that you might enjoy, and please forgive me if I gush and go on and on but one of the agents on my team who happens to also be a dear friend of mine was just recently named 2009 NORTH METRO DENVER REALTOR ASSOCIATION ROOKIE OF THE YEAR!!!

Her name is Heidi Marshall and she is an excellent, and wonderful Realtor. She has only been licensed for 1 year and she had over 2 million in production in her first 6 months of being an agent.

Heidi started out in real estate industry since 2001 first as a New Home Counselor for John Laing Homes, and now as a licensed Realtor with Keller Williams Northwest - Red Door Group since October of 2008.

Heidi is full of energy, enthusiasm and ethics. She prospects, farms, attends the NMDRA marketing meetings, is a team player both in her Keller Williams office and on our team. Heidi is also involved in community service and last but not least she is a great mother and fantastic wife. She has a wonderful and supportive husband, Gui and a beautiful daughter Emy.

Heidi also has raving fans. Her clients love the way she works, and she adds her own personal touch to each transaction. Heidi has been a friend and coworker of mine since I first met her in 2001. She is a true friend, a true professional, and a class act. I am honored to work with this spunky, go-getter and hope that her career keeps on bringing her many blessings! Way to go Heidi!!!! Love you gal!!!!

Ode to Otis

I had to share my feelings of excitement that I experienced while shopping at Costco yesterday. There amongst the frozen food items was a box with a name that brought back many memories from my days as an on-site new home counselor for John Laing Homes. The name was Otis Spunkmeyer. Otis Spunkmeyer is a great company that began in California. They have the number one selling cookie dough in the food service industry. While I worked at John Laing Homes we baked fresh cookies daily and our customers loved the smell while the cookies baked and visiting children and adults LOVED to enjoy the fresh-out-of the-oven treat. My longtime co-worker and good friend Linda even loved eating the dough frozen!

Now that they are selling the cookie dough at Costco I can create the same homey feeling at my open houses. I can also use the cookies to quickly and efficiently make up care packages for my clients. The box of Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough sells for $12.99 and makes 75 cookies. The best part is the cookies are already formed into small dough balls ready to just put in the oven. It's simple, cheap and Zero trans fats!

So if you are out and about in Broomfield and see one of my open houses please stop in for a treat!

One of the traditions we have in our family is that we plant our garden on Mother's Day each year. We prep and plant, water, fertilize, weed, and watch the garden become a beautiful and producing little raised bed. My kids get so excited and we all love seeing the changes happen on a daily basis. We have learned year to year what to do to prep the soil the right way, which plants work best on the hot west side of our backyard in sunny Broomfield Colorado, and what to do to keep the bunnies away! Most of all, we love enjoying the fruits of our labor like the delicious tomatoes, yummy zucchini and cucumbers.

Enjoying the fruits of your labor is an agricultural metaphor. An apple tree farmer, for example, labors to plant, water, and prune his trees so that it can yield lots of delicious apples. Those are literally fruits of his labor. In the same way, the fruits of your labor are the rewards that come from a job well done. Whether that be a closing, a happy homeowner, a thriving real estate team, a nice fat paycheck, or whatever benefit you gain from your investment of work. To enjoy those fruits simply implies that, for the enjoyer, the effort was worth it.

To enjoy the harvest one must put in the effort to reap what they sow. In real estate this means putting in the time, doing the prospecting, asking for referrals, treating your clients like precious plants that will produce fruit!!! Just like with a garden what you do TODAY will produce fruit in a couple of months.

I hope you are all enjoying your harvest!