Brandon Del Campo

Boulder's Homeless Shelter

I am in the business of helping people buy and sell homes. Buying a home has been labeled the "American Dream". Not everyone in this world will be fortunate enough to live that dream. Some may not even be able to live the dream of renting. Homelessness exists in all communities. Boulder may have the nickname of "The Boulder Bubble", but we are not immune to the issues of the homelessness.

With an ever growing population of people living pay check to pay check and more and more people getting upside down on their mortgage, we have a large population that have one foot OUT the door. I think you would be shocked if you researched the number of people that are just one financial step away from being truly homeless.

You might be thinking, "this seems like a strange topic to cover on a real estate blog", but my point with it, is to highlight the wonderful aspects of our community. The fact that Boulder has such a respectable homeless shelter and rebound program, makes me feel proud to live in Boulder. Boulder's Homeless Shelter cares about ALL in our community and goes beyond providing a roof when needed.

I ended up at the homeless shelter today with Vickie Slade, another agent at my Keller Williams office. Vickie and I were at a real estate seminar where social media expert Ben kinney was speaking. Ben has mastered the new ways in which real estate is marketed and connected to buyers. It was an excellent seminar and will no doubt help Vickie and myself bring the next level of service to our clients. Vickie had organized the seminar and there were lunches left over when we were breaking it down. I made the suggestion that we bring the left over lunches to Boulder's Homeless Shelter. Vicke, being the wonderfully caring person that she is, thought it was a great idea and off we went.

When we got there, the shelter was actually closed. It doesn't have mid day hours in the months where the weather is good. Luckily, we ran into Rene and Val. Rene is the director of programing and Val is a case manager. They are the two in the picture above. Rene and Val gave us a very informative overview of the shelter and how it works within the community. I was very impressed with their passion for the mission of the Boulder Homeless Shelter and will find some time in my schedule to volunteer with them in the future.

Donations and volunteers are very crucial to the success of Boulder's Homeless Shelter. If you would like to make a donation, volunteer or gather some more information on the shelter, please visit:

www.bouldershelter.org

We all have times where we are able to extend our hand and help someone get back up. What have you done lately to reach out?

Cheers,

Homes For Sale in Boulder - Ward

I always like to start a blog with a nice picture. This is the river in Left Hand Canyon on the way up to Ward. It is a section that has been impressively dammed by some beavers. You will see divine images like this all the way up the canyon. The best part of Ward is that it is just a hop, skip and jump from Homes For Sale in Boulder. Well, in my case, it was just a quick bike ride up. This photos from this blog were taken on a training ride I snuck in between morning and afternoon appointments. It takes me about 1:45 min to ride up from Boulder.

One of the main reasons people choose to buy a home in Boulder is because of how easy it is to escape city life. Some people find that being outside of the city all together is even better! Right now the median price for a home in Ward, CO. is around $318,000.

Part of the appeal that Ward has to many people, is its unique eclectic mountain mix that resides up there. You will find people that like a slower pace in life and enjoy the seclusion's that a mountain town offers. Brainard Lake is also just above the town which I will cover in another blog. It is an extra 3-4 miles up and was just too cold for me on the bike this day. Here are a few pictures of Ward! If you have any questions about Homes For Sale in Boulder or Homes For Sale in Ward, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy the pictures!

Left Hand Canyon on the way up to Ward.

When you ride, you know this sign very well as you don't have much more to go! I think the peace sign really says it all regarding the mindset of the people up in this gorgeous canyon.

The general store in Ward. I was looking forward to my descent back to Boulder....until the weather changed and I froze my butt off!

One of my favorite pictures from Ward. A little bit of "art" on the side of the road just across from the store.

These really are WORLD FAMOUS COOKIES! They are know by cyclists all over the world that come to ride. I was lucky to get the picture as the owner of the store does not like any pictures taken inside. Why? Well, that is just how they are up in Ward. It is a much slower and relaxing way of life. I had two cookies. My record is 5!

Ward is in Roosevelt National Forest. I was so happy to make it to this sign as it got REALLY cold and I had to stop about four times because my hands were frozen! The weather up here can change very fast so you always want to be prepared with extra clothes.....do as I say, not as I do! haha

I hope you enjoyed this quick blog installment of Homes For Sale in Boulder - Ward. I will continue to highlight the areas around Boulder when I get out for a ride. If you are thinking of making a move and would like more information, don't hesitate to ask!

Extra info on the town of Ward:

http://www.colorado.com/ward.aspx

Cheers,