Stuart Dobson

Westminster Fire Station to host Open House and Barbecue

The City of Westminster's neighborhood outreach program will have their 14th annual Fire Station #5 open house and barbecue from noon to 3pm on May 2 at the fire station at 10100 Garland Street.  This event is free and open to the public.  This is a great opportunity to meet, eat and drink (soda), with some Westminster firefighters, members of the Westminster City Council and others in your Westminster Community. 

Kids can ride in a vintage fire truck and see trucks, police cars, ambulances and other public work equipment.  This is a great chance for eveyone to learn more about city services and get to know your neighbors.

Renegotiating your Commercial Lease - Tips and Tricks

This current recession has hit many commercial property managers particularly hard.  Most, if not all shopping mall owners are doing everything they can to retain retail tenants.  Businesses that utilize office space are in much the same situation.  Most office space landlords are also in survival mode these days.  There is a role for the savvy business owner to utilize a commercial real estate broker to renegotiate their lease with their landlord.

Negotiating Tips

Most business owners negotiate every day of their lives.  They negotiate with their vendors, employees, customers, and probably every day at home as well with their family.  However negotiating when you have a great deal at stake, are under stress, or do not fully understand the landscape (such as a real estate transaction) can leave you at a disadvantage.  Imagine trying to negotiate in a foreign language that you do not speak!  That is the situation for most business owners trying to renegotiate their leases.

There are some definate 'DO's' for negotiation:

• Solicit the other person's perspective - What do you need from me on this?
• State your needs - not just what you want, but WHY you want it.
• Prepare options beforehand - have alternative resolutions in mind.
• Do NOT argue - Do not try to prove the other person wrong, it's a waste of time.
• Consider timing - right before lunch may not be the best time, consider re-scheduling in need be.
• Do not give a point without receiving something in return - For every thing you concede, you should get something in exchange.

And, there are some definate 'DON'T's' for negotiation:

• Viewing negotiation as confrontational - You are not trying to win, you are trying to work together to find a solution.
• Trying to 'win' at all costs - This is likely to cause problems in the future.
• Becoming emotional - It is important to maintain control at all times.
• Focusing on personalities - focus on the issues, not the people.
• Blaming the other side - take responsibility, their is NO benefit to arguing.

Negotiation is a tough but worthwhile skill to develop.  If you follow the tips above, you will be much more likley to have a successful negotiation that achieves your goals.

Best Way to dispose of Commercial Real Estate Assets

Most bank asset managers have way too many challenges disposing of real estate assets these days. From houses and homes, including condos and townhomes, to commercial properties and developer projects that went 'south'. They are being inundated with new 'bad' non performing loans, are not able to lend, the FDIC is increasing their insurance requirements, bank examiners are more stringent, public perception is poor, and their capital requirements are as strict as ever. Bankers are being told to lend money on one hand, and to shore up their capital on the other. It's an impossible situation that has been exacerbated by non-performing loans. Even performing projects are running into problems because the borrowers are unable to refinance their loans when they mature.

We have a solution to the bad real estate asset problems facing bankers

There seem to be three major concerns that bank asset managers have when selling properties:

• Who will dispose of the property for the lowest cost?
• Who will sell the real estate the quickest?
• Who will get the bank the most money possible?

Selling for the lowest cost - This is fairly straightforward, how much cheaper than 0% commission can you get? Whether it is 0% commission to 6% or even 10%; what other marketing costs or fees do the real estate brokers want to charge you? For example: We'll be happy to sell a property for actual hard costs (and we'll provide the receipts), plus 0% commission if we are getting the 'buy' side of the deal. Why? Because we can be more efficient with our marketing and selling processes. (see below).

Selling the real estate in the quickest period of time- This is a function of advertising dispersion (signage, online, mailouts, word of mouth, affinity marketing, etc.), and price point. Every Real Estate Broker says that they are the best, they have the best resources to market the property, etc. The price argument is oftentimes the only excuse that most real estate agents use and the easy cop out as to why something isn't selling. The advertising, specifically online advertising (where we know that over 80% of home searches begin), is the dominant factor determining how many eyeballs see the property for sale. Additionally, how a property is described is as important. We're not talking about floral print kitchen window coverings or mountain views here. What were talking about is a 'Persuasion Architecture' methodology that appeals to the most likely buyer of a real estate property. A full description of this is beyond the scope of a single blog post, but we would be happy to explain it to you in depth in person. As for the superior online advertising example, rather than just saying we're pretty adept at it,

We would like to show you:

Do a Google search for:

'Colorado Commercial Real Estate Broker' - #3 out of 2,150,000 million results
'Commercial Colorado Real Estate Broker' - #3 and #4 out of 1,930,000 million results
'International Colorado Real Estate Broker' - #1 and #4 out of 2,110,000 million results
'Colorado Home Sellers' - #2 out of 7,160,000 million results
'Best Colorado Real Estate Broker' - #6 out of 29,700,000 million results

These results were obtained on April 16, 2009.

You get the idea. We have the proven ability to put your property in front of more people under almost any term you choose to market it under. More traffic means more potential buyers, more buyers equals a higher likely sale price and a property that sells quicker.

Selling for the Most Money Possible - This is closely related to the discussion above for primarily the same reasons. We are able to market the property better, to more people, which is more likely to lead to a higher price or multiple bids.

To Summarize, this isn't just about selling real estate for the lowest cost, selling it with a marketing 'trick' or 'gimmick', or just having knowledge and/or ability that doesn't have a practical application. This is about education, experience, hard work, and intelligence being applied in a manner which can maximize the returns for Bank Asset managers looking to reduce their real estate exposure of bank owned properties, or conceivably for those commercial or residential real estate property owners who just want to sell their building or house.

Unfortunately, it is not infinite. We cannot market all properties in an area, we can only help those sellers that list with us until our capacity is exhausted. Contact us now for more information.

Colorado First Time home buyer assistance program

The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority just announced a new program where First Time Colorado Homebuyers can get up to $6,000 or 3.5% of a homes purchase price, whichever is less, to cover closing costs and down payment costs.  The full details of the plan are available here and is called the CHFA Jumpstart Program.

How it works

This program is essentially designed to work in conjunction with the $8000 Federal Home buyers tax credit by offering to 'loan' via a second mortgage on the property the $6,000 or 3.5%.  That second mortgage comes with no interest and no payments due until June 30, 2010.  The idea is that first time home buyers will use their Federal tax credit to repay the second mortage to the CHFA.  Buyers must contribute $1,000 of their own money and take a homebuyer education course.

Colorado lawmakers say the program is for a limited time and are not guaranteeing that the program will be renewed next year.  It will apparently depend on the state of the housing market.

Are you in search for the perfect Wheat Ridge Colorado houses ? Are you finding it hard to choose from the numerous houses for sale in Lafayette Colorado ? If you answer yes to any of the questions above, then you’re in luck, because you’ve found the right article that can help you choose the best home for your family.

Of course, in order to find the best home, you need to shop around Lafayette Colorado real estate listings. Here, you will be able to see different kinds of houses at different prices. Lafayette Colorado houses are also available in different styles, from Victorian to French homes, Foreclosure homes and other types. Also, you will be able to find homes in different locations, so if you want to houses located in the heart of the city, or if you want it in the more peaceful suburbs, then take you have several options.

Are you in search for more luxurious homes? Well, you can find Wheat Ridge Colorado houses that can meet your needs for a perfect home! You can find houses for sale in Wheat Ridge Colorado which has their own master toilet and bath, whose area is the same size as that of the master’s bedroom! You can also get a home with all closets built in and a king sized bed to match! Or if you want a quiet evening alone or with your loved one, then best choose a home with a veranda, or at least a great view of the city!

If you are looking for budget homes then you can choose from a number of homes which are previously owned. Pre-owned homes are perfect for newly married couples who are just starting their new life. Aside from the cheaper price, these have the furniture included in the package.

Though finding the perfect home is tedious, there are just two things you will need to keep in mind before you make your decision – what are your needs and how much are you willing to pay? When you know exactly what you’re looking for, then you can limit your house hunting to units you can afford. This will allow you to choose a home which is within your means.