411 CORE

Carbon Monoxide Law Effective July 1, 2009

Carbon Monoxide Alarms. Note: If the improvements on the Property have a fuel-fired heater or appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage and one or more rooms lawfully used for sleeping purposes (Bedroom), Seller understands that Colorado law requires that Seller assure the Property has an operational carbon monoxide alarm installed within fifteen feet of the entrance to each Bedroom or in a location as required by the applicable building code, prior to offering the property for sale or lease.

Colorado Real Estate is on the Rebound...#1 in the Country!

Colorado Real Estate is on the rebound...#1 in the country.  Watch the short video below, to hear the good news.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

8K Homebuyer Tax Credit...ANOTHER Reason to Buy a Home.

First-Time Homebuyers, now you have another reason to buy.  The new stimulus plan tax credit is now available, below are the main points: 

- Tax credit is increased to $8,000
- Tax credit is 10% of purchase price but no greater than $8,000
- The income limits remain the same: ($75,000 for an individual; $150,000 for a couple)
- FTHB (no ownership in last 3 years) and principal residences only
- Tax credit is available until December 1, 2009
 - Recapture of tax credit is now waived (no repayment required) as long as they live in the home for 3 years
- The provision is retroactive to purchases made on or after January 1, 2009
- Waiver of prohibition on financing by mortgage revenue bonds is included
- Married: both have to be FTHB's
- Tax credit will be claimed on federal income tax return

Call me to begin your home search in the Denver Metro area, my service is top tier, and I can help you find your home in any of the following Colorado counties:  Denver, Centennial, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, and Adams.

Stefan Geyer, 303-858-8100, Home Real Estate, www.StefanMax.com

Denver Resident Crime Map

Do you want to identify crime information for a particular Denver neighborhood?  You can, by going to www.denvergov.org/denvermaps/crimemapping.  The site allows you to identify the criminal offenses that have occured near a specific address, park, school, or library.  Not included are juvenile crimes or crimes which involved sexual assault.  Be safe!

Is Your Home in a Flood Zone? It Will Cost You.

Is your home, or a home you are buying, is in a flood zone?  If so, you will likely pay a great deal more for property insurance each year; much more than if your home is not in a flood zone.  Not to mention, your home also runs a higher risk of experiencing some degree of flooding in the future.  If you want to find out if a home is in a flood zone, you can check with an appraiser, or on your appraisal report.  The flood zone information is typically found on page one of a standard appraisal report.  Alternatively, you can go to the FEMA website, just CLICK HERE.  Save some money and stay dry...buy homes outside of flood zones!

SOLiD Architecture Talks 'Green' | Denver, Colorado

If you are a fan of forward thinking building design, I recommend taking a few minutes to look at the web site of SOLiD Architectural Design, a Colorado company.  You will see homes like the ones pictured here, and you will also see some of their unique commercial projects, including the Tokyo Joe's Restaurant on 13th Avenue in Denver.  They were also responsible for building the Shoshone Development, which is an urban infill project in Denver (pictured below). 

I contacted Owen Beard at SOLiD recently, and asked him if his company incorporates any 'green' features into thier designs.  He answered with the following:

'It seems that Solar electric is the most popular green feature. Right now we have 3 or 4 projects that incorporate photovoltaic panels. This is probably because there are great rebates from power companies and the government.  It would be nice if I could find clients that foot the extra bill for gray water reuse systems, on site water retention, natural or recycled fiber insulation, no V.O.C. plywood and steel construction.  These would greatly increase the interior air quality while reducing the impact on the environment. But some of these add a lot of extra cost to a project.

A while back I designed a bog that would use cattail to convert gray water to usable irrigation water. The system is simple and really quite attractive. It ends up looking like a water garden. Since I do have clients that are environmentally aware I have recently been pushing steel structural systems. Even new steel has a high percentage of reused material and nearly all of it will be recycled after the building has been torn down. So it doesn't end up in a land fill.'

SOLiD Architectural Design is located at 70 South Cherokee Street, Denver, Colorado, 80223.  The phone number is 303-825-2313.

 

Colorado Architecture #3 | Highlands

West Hayward Place is one of my favorites streets in Denver for viewing homes from the Victorian Architectural Period.  These homes were built in the late 1800's and reside in the popular Highlands area, which is approximately a five minute drive from downtown Denver.  The street is very peaceful, with old trees with large canopies providing blankets of shade.  Victorian Cottages primarily line the street, with their acute roof slopes creating a pattern of triangles lined up.  Upon closer look, you will see what makes these homes so unique; the detail in the woodworking on the gables and the use of vivid and contrasting colors of paint. 

These homes were built during a time of rapid industrialization, so new innovations in architecture and design were occurring, evident by these homes.  Wood detailers spent a great deal of time adding their designs to a home, such as fish scale shingles, and ultimately adding character.  I think it adds a quirkiness or playfulness to a home.  Some argue that the extra detailing creates needless complexity.  I appreciate that each home was given a unique personality.

Assessed Value; Dispute Your Property Tax Value

  I am a full time Realtor, but manage to squeeze in an appraisal or two most days, because I am good at determining the value of a home and I like to stay current on neighborhood trends throughout the Denver Metro area (yes, I work more than I should).  One of the trends that I have seen for far too long now is that property values have generally been going down.  It is a reality.  The other reality is that you may be getting taxed on an assessed value of your home that is far too high.  A $250 appraisal can be used to dispute your assessed value and ultimately save you much more than $250 in taxes each year. 

Below are links to the the major Denver Metro County Assesor web sites that explain the prescribed process for disputing assessed value.  Contact me if you would like me to help you dispute the assessed value of your home. I am also talented in helping you price a home, before putting it on the market, to ensure no time and money is wasted on an incorrect price.

Stefan Geyer, Certified Appraiser

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Denver:

http://www.denvergov.org/Assessor/ProtestingYourPropertyValue/tabid/378144/Default.aspx

Adams:

http://www.co.adams.co.us/index.cfm?d=standard&b=1&c=7&s=24&p=282

Jefferson:

http://co.jefferson.co.us/assessor/assessor_T80_R8.htm

Douglas:

http://www.douglas.co.us/assessor/Protest_Appeals_Process.html

Arapahoe:

http://www.co.arapahoe.co.us/Departments/AS/faq.asp

Broomfield:

http://www.broomfield.org/centralrecords/assessor.shtml#agree

Colorado Architecture #2; Arapahoe Acres

Driving through Arapahoe Acres is like driving into the past, a seemingly secret neighborhood, untouched by time...an absolute thrill is you appreciate architecture.  It is the only neighborhood in the country to be listed as a Historic District, by the National Register of Historic Places, since post WWII.  The neighborhood is located approximately fifteen minutes South of I-25, near Hampden and University Blvd.  It is a quiet area, yet only a short drive to Downtown Denver.  You will know you found the neighborhood when you see homes like this: 

There are 124 homes in the neighborhood, built between 1949-1957, and typically no larger than 2,000 square feet.  To fully appreciate the homes in the area, I highly recommend viewing some or all of the 32 listed at the Arapahoe Acres website.  The homes in the neighborhood represent two styles of architecture, Usonian Style and International Style.  The Usonian Style, developed by Frank Lloyd Wright, designed kitchen and living areas to be flowing and the bedrooms and bathrooms were designed for privacy and quiet.  The roofs have shallow pitches, with no attic spaces, and there are no basements, as a means of controlling costs in a post-depression era.  The entrances are often set-back or hidden for privacy.  The International Style, associated with Modernism, was largely influenced by the Bauhaus School in Germany (shut down by the Nazi regime).  The International Style is defined by a buildings use of volume, symmetry, and applied ornament. Each home is a rare work of art, located in a unique neighborhood, not duplicated in Colorado.

Stefan Geyer

ECO Broker|Realtor|Certified Appraiser

www.StefanMax.com

Investor Alert, FHA 90 Day Deed Restriction Rule Suspended

The White House temporarily suspended "flipping rule that imposes a 90-day waiting period before foreclosed homes can be sold in order for these buyers to receive FHA (Federal Housing Administration) insured loans.

According to the release, ...

"For one year, the Federal Housing Administration will no longer impose a 90-day waiting period before foreclosed properties can be sold to receive government-backed loans" as "part of an effort to help speed the sale of foreclosed properties".