Joetta Fort - Realtor Denver Colorado Real Estate

I've wanted to make it out to Denver's Dragon Boat Festival ever since I heard about it a few years ago, and when I finally made it I was not disappointed. The brochure said, "More than just a race: Your Weekend Passport to Asia and the Pacific", and that's truly the way it felt.

The Dragon Boat Festival is held at Sloan's Lake, at Sheridan Blvd and W. 17th Ave. It was about a 10 minute drive from my home in Arvada. This year, it was July 25 and 26, and the focus was on Hawaii's 50th anniversary of becoming our 50th state.

We got there in time for the opening ceremony - a parade of all the teams, led by a 75-foot dragon. Just beautiful! The parade was followed by the traditional Buddhist blessing and eye-dotting ceremony.

Watching the races was fun, and the lake was gorgeous. The boats looked fierce and colorful as they cut their way through the smooth water, encouraged by the steady beat of the drums.

And there was soooo much good food. It was hard to choose!

Even the marketplace was fun and interesting, offering items you don't find at most festivals. My daughter and I each purchased a beautiful paper umbrella to shield ourselves from the intense Colorado summer sun.

But with all that, the Performing Arts Stage was a favorite spot. There was traditional music and dance from Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand. For me, it's the music that really takes me to a different place!

There was 'Gateway to Asia', with demonstrations such as egg roll making, lei-making, dance, and a wedding ceremony.

And we can't leave the kids out, they enjoyed Dragonland with hands-on arts and crafts and face-painting.

I write posts on 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 here or considering a move here. I've collected my local info posts here.

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada and nearby communities.

Check out my website.

Joetta’s Neighborhood Newsletter

Hello, Friends & Neighbors!

As we transition from summer warmth to winter chill, I hope the crisp air and glorious colors of autumn bring you good memories and a sense of joy for what’s to come as 2009 winds down. I know some of you will read this newsletter at your desk, some will have your laptop with you in front of a crackling fire, and some will read it on your phones. Wherever and however, I hope you enjoy!

Input from Readers

Senator Evie Hudack would like to invite you to join her for coffee (or breakfast) at Panera Bread Café (7739 Wadsworth) on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 to 8:30 am, to discuss issues of concern to you. The next one will be November 5. She’s also having a town hall meeting Saturday, November 21, from 10:30 am to noon at the Standley Lake Library. Visit her website, http://www.eviehudak.com, to sign up to receive her newsletter, and find out more about what she’s up to.

From Kathy: I do have two questions: Do you know why the Art Cafe closed? It was one of our favorite spots. Also, do you know when Udi's will open? Thanks!

(I put in a call to AEDA (Arvada Economic Development Association) and got answers from Lila Nigh – she made a call and found out Udi’s is shooting for mid-November but definitely plan to be open by Thanksgiving. The Art Café – she’s not sure why it closed, although she knows the building is for sale. They don’t generally get involved in why businesses close. I think the only way to answer this question is by talking to the owners – do any of you readers know them?)

From Louisa: Places in CO that I like: Air Force Academy – they have wonderful football games. Lyons – nice, sleepy town with lots of small town charm. Breckenridge – love the summer alpine slide. Garden of the Gods – lovely place to hike.

Favorite Restaurant – I LOVE the 20th Street Café in downtown Denver on 20th and Arapahoe. They have the best American and Japanese food. Their noodles are great, the food’s awesome.

I would love to know what the average summer water usage for our area is. They recently changed out my meter, and I think that the number they gave me was high, but I have nothing to compare it to.

(I found the following statement on Arvada’s web site: “One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. An average family uses approximately 0.4 AF per year.” That comes to 130,000 gallons (WOW!).If you want to talk more specifically about your family’s water usage you can call the city. Sometimes, when the usage seems high, it turns out that there’s a broken pipe somewhere.)

Here’s a question: Where would people suggest going for a summer vacation with children within CO? I have a 3 ½ and a 1 ½ year old and we would like to get out and do things, but I don’t want to have to fly somewhere in the summer, and in the winter, I just want places to go to do things in the Metro area. Any suggestions?

Here’s an answer from one of my current clients, who has an adorable 2-year old: “I would do a stay-cation in Denver and go to things like the aquarium or Childrens' Museum and zoo. Another option is to stay at a ski resort where they have summertime activities.”

Personally, I subscribe to 5280 and Sunset, and tear out articles about places that seem right for us, and keep in a file. I have an article on Fort Collins, they have Swetsville Zoo – “more than 170 comical characters constructed from scrap metal on display at an outdoor sculpture park”. I also have an article about the Children’s Secret Path in Denver’s Botanic Gardens.

Unfortunately, most of the articles I’ve saved aren’t focused on having little ones along. But you can get a lot of ideas from an internet search - pick a city, check their website for upcoming events, and head out! (There’s a trail with African sculptures in Loveland – might be dull for young ones, but when it opened they had African music and dance, would have been a lot of fun!)

From Amanda: I love Hanging Lake hiking trail, a place called "Indian Springs" in Idaho Springs (rent-able private hot tubs that are hot springs). And Silverton is a GORGEOUS mountain town in the summer.

Favorite Dish - Los Arcos! I love the jalapeno poppers or the bean burrito platter.

Can I have two fav Halloween memories? One was the time you made me an Alice costume and that kid really thought I was Alice. The other one was the time you were gone so Dad tried to help me with my pirate costume and we failed miserably at it. (PS – Amanda is my daughter, if you haven’t figured that out. I meant for her to be a girl pirate, but when I got home and saw the pictures, she had a black mustache, which went SO WELL with her curly blond locks!)

From Georgia: Why is it so important to get a pre-approval letter from a lender when you haven’t even found the house you want?

I’m glad you asked this question, Georgia, because it can be a touchy one. If I’m working with a new buyer, and I start out with conversation about seeing a lender, they might feel like I’m all about the money. But it really is in their best interest to know how much they qualify for, and what kind of loan is best for them.

It’s a heartbreaker to show lovely homes, that the buyer later finds out they can’t afford. Believe me, it’s hard to find homes that fit their budget and that they will like after they’ve seen nicer ones. And the opposite is true too – it’s frustrating trying to find the home people want within constraints that later turn out to be too low. Plus, some loans – FHA especially – automatically eliminate some homes, so it’s good to know ahead of time.

And many people don’t realize that these days no seller wants an offer without a lender’s letter coming along with it. So it’s best to get that taken care of, so when you find the perfect home, getting a lender letter won’t hold up the offer.

I’ll just add here that pre-approval letters differ immensely in quality. Some are worthless. I like a letter from a lender who has pulled credit and reviewed docs (pay records, debts). Some lenders put out letters based on nothing, really. And some want several hundred dollars up front before they’ll actually do any of the up-front work. Stay away from them!

Local Stories Only a ‘Native’ Would Know

I told in my previous newsletter about Shep's grave on the old Boulder Turnpike. I loved that story, and now there’s more!

Ann emailed me this: its maintenance and seasonal decoration were the idea of Dr. Bruner of the Broomfield Veterinary Hospital at 120th and Sheridan. He’s a Broomfield native and I’ve used his vet service since 1969.

And then I heard from Gregg that Shep’s grave was recently moved to the Broomfield Depot Museum. There was a write-up about it, click here: http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_13560972?IADID=Search-www.broomfieldenterprise.com-www.broomfieldenterprise.com

Best Tips of The Month

From Carrisa - “There is a little blurb on Olde Town Arvada in this months 5280 magazine. It is only one page, and things I am sure you have already mentioned in your newsletter, but still cool that Olde Town made a spot in this magazine:) http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0910/feature.php?pageID=1945”

Goings-on in Arvada –

Meet Cindy and see Cookie Lee jewelry’s newest offerings at Novo Coffee on Oct 24^th, 2-4 pm. Novo Coffee is at 7745 Wadsworth Blvd #B in Arvada, near Great Harvest.

Do you sell hand-crafted items, or have a home-based business? Cindy is Putting on a multi-vendor event in November. She’s done these several times, and they’re always very popular. Call Cindy at 303-425-4740 or email Cindypage99@yahoo.com.

Howl-o-ween dogs trick or treat through old Towne, costume and tricks contest

Trick or Treat Street Friday, October 30^th (5-7 p.m.)

Local Real Estate News

Real estate is such a hot topic, I don’t want to take up time or space talking about the same things that are out there on the news every night. But often, the news that we hear is moot, because it’s not local. Real estate is VERY local. What’s going on in Arvada is different from what’s going on in Aurora. So I think I’ll give you my two cents on the hot subjects.

#1 – the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers is coming to an end. You must close by November 30 to qualify, and if you’re getting an FHA loan and just now getting started, that’s going to be a hard date to meet. But the question is – did this government stimulus expense, stimulate anything?

I say yes – it definitely turned the entry-level market into hot property. Homes priced below $200,000 are going fast (assuming they’re priced right). In many cases, the winning ‘bid’ is a cash offer, making the situation surprisingly difficult for those financing their home purchase.

#2 – interest rates. Most people in the real estate field are surprised they’ve stayed so low so long. I see more and more warnings that this can’t last forever, and have heard indications that there’s been some upward movement. Still, we have a long way to go before interest rates are ‘high’ (this is the opinion of someone who’s first mortgage loan was at 14%).

#3 – when will home prices start going up again? I think foreclosures are still holding prices down, even though there have been fewer of them. Joblessness is another huge factor holding the housing market down. Prices will start going up in areas where the job picture is improving.

Based on a meeting I went to in Broomfield – the Broomfield/Westminster/ Arvada area will be positively impacted by people moving in for jobs, but that’s not happening right away. It sounded like the next two to three years will be when we see the biggest impact.

The first-time buyer’s tax credit has bumped up prices in entry-level housing, but no one knows yet if that will hold once the credit expires. And the market for homes above $350,000 continues to be difficult. Homes in that price point will continue to see some lowering for awhile.

See all the homes available for sale here: http://www.homesbetweendenverandboulder.com/

If you have input for this newsletter, or a response to anything I’ve written, I’d love to hear from you.

Joetta Fort~ Metro Brokers ~ 720-353-8031 ~ Joetta.fort@gmail.com

My website: www.DreamHouseHunting.com

Did you know Arvada has a community garden? They had an open house a few weeks ago*, and I stopped by. What a great place, and a nice bunch of people. It’s located at 57^th and Garrison. There are 120 plots. Club membership is $25 per year for individuals, $35 for families, and includes a plot, water, hose. Non-members can rent plots, but they have a waiting list.

You can tour the gardens, and be sure to stop by for your fall decorating needs, such as pumpkins, corn stalks, and gourds. (Please stick to the paths, and - do I have to say it - DON't PICK ANYTHING!) Hours of operation are Monday and Wednesday, 7:30 to noon, and 4:30 to 7 pm; Friday from 4:30 to 7 pm; Saturday 7:30 to noon.

For more info call Kyle or Jackie at Young's 303-422-8408.

*Oh wow - that was back in August!

Arvada is a historic town about midway between Denver and Boulder in Jefferson County, Colorado. There are many different neighborhood styles and homes prices, all served by well-loved schools. Call me to talk about the kind of neighborhood you dream of living in.

Check out my posts on Arvada.

I write posts focused on local businesses as a public service, and am not endorsing any business, nor do I have any sort of 'relationship' with them, other than as a raving consumer. My hope is to give people an idea of the 'flavor' of the community of Arvada, in case they're new here or considering a move here.

I am a residential real estate agent, and would love to assist you if you're considering buying or selling a home in the northwestern Denver suburbs.

Find homes for sale in Arvada.

Check out my website.

Picture this – a husband and wife lived in their 4-level home for more than three decades, and now climbing all those stairs is getting difficult and dangerous. They’d love to get a one-level house, but the nice ones cost more than they could sell their current home for. They can’t use any of their savings to make up the difference, because they need that cash for living.

Or how about this – after raising her family in the home she shared with her husband, a lady has lost her husband, and there is a mortgage on the home. She can’t keep up with the payments, and the house needs some serious maintenance, plus there’s medical expenses from her husband’s illness. Sure, she has equity and she could sell, but she doesn’t want to. She wants to stay in her home, but she’s in danger of losing it to foreclosure.

The answer in these cases, and many others, may be a reverse mortgage.

Now, I know reverse mortgages were awful in the past, and many people won’t even consider them. But today’s reverse mortgage could be a lifesaver for many seniors. They’re not the same dangerous product they used to be.

For one thing, they’re now FHA insured. A person can’t lose their home as long as they live in the house, pay the taxes, and keep the insurance policy paid up. To get a reverse mortgage, a person doesn’t have to have a job, a credit score, assets, or income, You do not give up title to your home. You do not make payments. You are never required to leave or sell the home as long as one borrower occupies the home as the primary residence and the taxes and insurance are paid. Your heirs retain 100% of the excess equity when the home is sold, after the senior leaves it. And today’s reverse mortgage never leaves you or your family in debt. The cash you take out of the home is tax free.

You can get a lump sum of tax-free cash, or get monthly payments. What’s more, it’s now possible to purchase a home with a reverse mortgage.

I know this sounds like a commercial, but I have a heart for the senior citizens of our communities, who’ve worked hard all their life, did everything right to the best they knew how, and are now struggling while they have hundreds of thousands of dollars of equity in their home that they’re afraid to touch.

If you are 62 years of age and you could benefit from this, or you know someone who could, please call Christine Jensen of Cherry Creek Mortgage (303-456-4403). She can get you started in about ten minutes.

Check out my website.

Find all the homes available in Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, North Denver, Thornton, Lafayette, Louisville, Wheat Ridge and Golden.

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The question, "Should I rent or should I buy a house?", is one that many people struggle with. The following is an answer I recently provided. It's not all the information you'll need to make the decision, but should get your thought processes going. Please call me if you have any further questions, or if you're considering buying a house in the area between Denver and Boulder.

Question:

"I'm looking at wanting to buy a condo/loft/townhouse. I've already been doing some searching and want to stay in the downtown areas, since I work there and am not in a point in my life where I need/want a stand alone house and yard to take care of. Is this a good option to do or should I stay renting? I dont plan on moving from my job/location for the next few years at least."

Answer:

There are many things to consider (as I'm sure you already realize!). Buying offers income tax deductions for the interest and taxes, which many people aren't aware of (an accountant could give you the specifics). And you're probably aware of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers you may qualify for if you buy before the end of November.

One good exercise is to figure out how much rent will cost over the next five years or so, compared to the cost of owning a home. The mortgage payment on a town house may be less than rent, until you add in the HOA fees, which may be $200 to $300. But if you get a fixed rate loan, the mortgage payment will stay the same (unless taxes, HOA or insurance goes up), and rent can increase each year.

What I usually do with my clients is start out by discussing how much your current rent payment is, and how comfortable you are with that. Starting there, figure out how much you can spend in order to end up with about that same amount for a monthly payment. Then, take a look at a few places in that price range to get a feel for whether or not you'd be happy in those places.

It's also a good idea to sit down with a lender to get some counsel. I know some excellent lenders who will not push you, but will discuss the pros and cons with you. Let me know if you want some names.

Check out my website.

Find all the homes available in Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, North Denver, Thornton, Lafayette, Louisville, Wheat Ridge and Golden.

Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right.