Joetta Fort, Realtor Homes Denver to Boulder

What this report tells you: The best news in this price range is the improvement in the percentage of sales that are foreclosures or short sales. There's still enough inventory to have about a 2-month inventory, but that's what is considered a balanced market.

Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories.

The following information was obtained from Metrolist on February 12, 2012. This report includes only detached single family Arvada homes that sold between $150,000 and $200,000 in January 2012. I'm using the term 'distressed sales' to refer to short sales and foreclosures. A 'regular' sale may also have been 'distressed' in the sense that the home was in need of major work.

• Currently, there are 49 Arvada homes for sale between $150-200,000, and 44 under contract.

Of the 49 that are for sale, 11 are short sales and 9 are foreclosed properties. 41% of Arvada homes currently for sale in this price range are distressed sales.

If you would like any more details or to see any of these Arvada homes for sale, please contact me asap.

Of the 44 currently under contract, 18 are foreclosures and 6 are short sales; a 55% rate of distressed sales.

• 21 Arvada homes sold in January 2012 between $150-200,000, with 79 median days on market. 9 were foreclosures, 0 were short sales, for a 43% rate of distressed sales.

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Arvada homes that sold between $150-200,000 in January 2012 were found in the following neighborhoods:

Sierra Estates * Allendale * Arvada West

Lake Arbor * Alta Vista * Lamar Heights

Far Horizons * Ralston Estates * Trader

King Crest * Maplewood * Huntington Heights

Lakecrest * Club Crest * Tannehill

• 2011 saw 18 Arvada homes sell during January between $150-200,000, staying on the market for a median of 46 days. 7 of these were foreclosures, 3 were short sales; that's a 56% rate of distressed sales.
• 2010 saw 18 Arvada homes sell during January between $150-200,000, staying on the market for a median of 87 days. 6 of these were foreclosures, 3 were short sales, for a 50% rate of distressed sales.

Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories.

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I write posts on real estate issues and local events in the Denver metro area, especially those *communities between Denver and Boulder, as a public service. My hope is to give people an idea of the ‘flavor’ of our community, in case they’re new or moving to the Denver area.

I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly *suburbs northwest of Denver. *Arvada, Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Westminster; also Thornton, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Northglen, Lakewood

Read more about Arvada Colorado, a historic small town between Denver and Boulder.

Find Homes for Sale, no Matter Who Listed Them, at Dream House Hunting.

Gardeners – please visit my blog about high plains gardening, Beauty of Gardening.

Copyright © 2012 Joetta Fort, Broker Associate, Equity Colorado

What this report tells you: The number of homes sold in the past three years has been amazing similar, only days on market has shown wide variance. While last year, homes lingered on the market, this year they moved quickly. BTW - both 2010 and 2011 had mild January weather.

Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories.

The following information was obtained from Metrolist on February 12, 2012. This report includes only detached single family Arvada homes that sold for $150,000 or less. (I'm using the term 'distressed sales' to refer to short sales and foreclosures. A 'regular' sale may also have been 'distressed' in the sense that the home was in need of major work.)

• Currently, there are 9 homes for sale and 20 under contract in this price range.

Of the 9 that are for sale, 2 are foreclosures and 6 are short sales. That means 89% of the homes currently for sale under $150,000 are distressed sales.

If you would like any more details or to see any of these homes, please give me a call.

Of the 20 under contract, 12 are foreclosures and 5 are short sales. 85% are distressed sales.

• 11 Arvada homes sold in January 2012 under $150,000. 35 median days on market. 9 were foreclosures, none were short sales. So 82% were distressed sales.

Arvada homes that sold under $150,000 in January 2012 were found in the following neighborhoods:

Rowans * Peaceful Valley * Willow Terrace

Far Horizons * Lamar Heights * Highlands

Parkland Estates * Sandra Terri * Woodland Vale

• 2011 saw 12 Arvada homes sell during January below $150,000, with 61 median days on market. 9 Arvada homes were foreclosures, none were short sales. A 75% rate of distressed sales.
• 2010 saw 11 Arvada homes sell during January below $150,000, staying on the market for a median of 18 days. 8 were foreclosures, 1 was a short sale, for a 82% distressed sales rate.

Click this link to see Arvada Home Sales in the other price categories.

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Copyright © 2012 Joetta Fort, Equity Colorado

If you're thinking of waiting to sell your house until prices go up, remember that the price of the house you're going to buy will go up too.

So the answer to this questions depends on whether you will be downsizing, or buying up.

In the market for homes between Denver and Boulder, lower-priced homes are 'recovering' more quickly than higher-priced homes. So waiting will mean you will almost certainly pay more for that smaller house than you would pay now. However, if your larger home also increases in value, you would be better off financially if you wait.

I don't have a crystal ball, but I don't believe prices will be increasing on large homes any time soon. You may have to wait several years. So the other thing to consider is, will your life be improved by downsizing now? If so, it's probably better to make the move now.

On the other hand, if you plan to buy a larger house, you're in a great position to buy now. You will be buying that larger home at prices much lower than you would have paid a few years ago, and your smaller house is in pretty stiff demand right now, so it is also a good time to sell.

Best of both worlds!

Check out my market reports for Arvada homes, broken down by price range. You'll see what I'm talking about. I issue a new report each month, so you can easily follow the local trends, if you're so inclined!

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How lovely it is to use fresh herbs in cooking. It's sweet to trek out to the home garden and clip herbs as needed, but if your home is in the Denver to Boulder vicinity that pleasure isn't available in the winter.

So ... grow herbs indoors!

I haven't done a lot of this yet, but will increase my indoor herb gardening, because I'm so happy with the results with my basil plants.

These are growing in pots, which are in an AeroGarden 3. I'm using this equipment wrong, I'll tell you up front. The plants are supposed to grow directly in the water - no soil at all. But I wasn't happy with the results when I grew plants that way.

I had two basil plants in a pot outside last summer, and when the cold temps arrived I transplanted them into smaller pots that would fit inside the AeroGarden.

I have to tell you - they have done better under these lights than they did outside. Whenever I want some fresh basil for pizza, spaghetti, a sandwich, I just snip some and it grows back quickly.

The plants are sitting on my desk, so often throughout the day I will pinch off a little piece of leaf and the scent fills the room. Heavenly!

Let me know if you have experience with indoor herb growing. I'd like to know what herbs you've grown, and what equipment you used.

Happy Gardening!

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I love gardening, but my ‘real’ job is helping folks buy and sell homes, mostly between Denver and Boulder. If you’re in need of assistance with residential real estate between Denver and Boulder, Colorado give me a call. Maybe we could squeeze in some gardening talk too!

Copyright © 2012 Joetta Fort

There's not much to look at in high plains home gardens during the winter months, unless gardeners specifically make it happen.

I suspect most gardeners here between Denver and Boulder just put the gardens out of their minds for the winter months. But those of us who would love to see something green and alive even when it's brrrrrrrrr-cold outside work harder at it.

If you feel like I do, you need to know about Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis). Low-growing, shade-loving plants that bloom in the very early spring here between Denver and Boulder. They look great, even in January after being buring under snow multiple times.

I'm going to plant more Lenten rose in this area, so there will be a whole area of green instead of the winter brown so prevalent around here.

The blooms of Lenten Rose are quite exotic, but not always easy to see. They tend to face downward and hide under under the large leaves. If you shop around for Lenten Rose, try to find varities that have upward-facing blooms.

Hardiness zones 4-7. Don't let anyone graze on your Lenten Rose, as they are toxic (but the good news is - they're 'deer proof'!). See lots of pictures of Lenten Rose here. As with all perennial plants, try to buy from growers in a zone similar to yours.

I was perusing online articles, and found one written about Lenten Rose by a southern gardener (Grumpy Gardener - his blog is fun to read!), called Do You Know the Secret to Lenten Rose?Grumpy Gardener was told the secret to Lenten Rose is lime.

He goes on to say his Lenten Rose do fine without adding lime, but the main reason I'm mentioning this is to say that the soil here between Denver and Boulder is less acidic than most, so you shouldn't need to add lime. But if your Lenten Rose aren't doing well - and you have them planted in light shade - check the pH of your soil.

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Copyright © 2012 Joetta Fort