A4HB Homebuyer's Blog

Median Price: Mid-Sized Houses Sales through MLS Systems Only: Excluding New Construction
From the Newsletter
A4HB Team

COVID-19, Home Prices & the Great Recession

COVID-19, Home Prices & the Great Recession There are many people concerned right now about the wisdom of buying a house with a pandemic-induced recession looming. It probably makes sense to hold off for a few weeks to see how things begin to shake out. However, there’s pretty reliable data from the Great Recession of 2006-2007 suggesting that the risks of buying a home in our area are relatively low. Mark Twain is reputed to have said that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” The local impact of any COVID-19 recession is likely to “rhyme” with that of the

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A4HB clients at closing with masks on during COVID-19 pandemic
From the Newsletter
A4HB Team

Market Impact of COVID-19

Many of you are wondering what’s going to happen to the real estate market given the corona virus pandemic and its impact on the economy.  We’re just a few weeks into this, but the data below may provide some initial insight.  Effects on Showings First, as public concern with the virus and social distancing began to increase, the number of home showings in Colorado, and nationally, dropped dramatically, beginning March 11th and running through March 31st.  Nationally, this leveled out at about 50% of normal by March 31st, but in Colorado there was a second steep drop beginning April 6th, with showings

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How quickly they sell graphic
From the Newsletter
A4HB Team

What Time of Year Do Prices Increase?

What Time of Year Do Prices Increase? by Norris Minick Prices Increase More in the First Half When people hear that house prices are going up 12% a year, it sounds like they are going up 1% a month over the entire year. However, that’s not really how it works. In a market where prices are surging, nearly all the price increase occurs between January and June. So, when we have a 10% price increase, a house that sold for $500,000 house in January would sell for $550,000 by the end of June. For clients who are starting their house

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Insure Your Condo for Fire & Flood

Why should I get fire and flood insurance for my condo/townhome? One of the eternal mysteries in real estate is the fact that lenders don’t always require condo and townhome buyers to show proof of home insurance before they close.  Nor do they generally require that the property be insured after closing.  In contrast, when you buy a single family home, the lender insists on both. This is because if the house burns down they know they will lose the collateral they have for their loan.  They also know that most home buyers won’t be making $2000 a month payments

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Energy Audit Deal for Boulder County

For $120, Boulder County’s Energy Smart program will send both an energy auditor and an energy advisor to your home.  While the auditor is conducting depressurization tests, infared scans and other inspections, the advisor will install high efficiency light bulbs and low flow shower heads if you want and insulate your water heater pipes.  They’ll even install a programmable thermostat for a $20 co-pay. When the energy audit report is completed and delivered, the energy advisor can return for a follow-up meeting to help you review the results and prioritize home improvements based on the cost effectiveness of recommended upgrades.  The advisor can also help

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