da Vinci Realty Blog

Government funds are now replenished so NOW the USDA can offer a home buyer 100% financing based on income levels and location of the property.  It must be a primary residence and located in a rural designated county.  In my area of the Colorado Front Range, the counties that qualify are Clear Creek County and Gilpin County.

These 100% loans come with NO Private Mortgage Insurance and interest rates that make home ownership very affordable

da Vinci Realty has mortgage partners who are savvy to this program so if you are looking to buy before the end of the year (which helps you with 2010 tax deductions), give me a call so I can assist you.

Chris

I am excited to announce that da Vinci Realty, a local family-owned independent real estate brokerage, is the most successful among 45 independent full service companies in Evergreen & Conifer Colorado.  When I examined all the companies in this area that focused on helping individuals buy and sell real estate, the results were overwhelming.  My volume of sales were a minimum 5 times higher than the next closest company.  Is my boutique firm as big as the national brands like Re/Max, Coldwell Banker, or Sotheby's...NO but my success not only makes my firm #1 among independents but also ranks me in the top 10% among individual agents in the Mountain Metro Association of Realtors. 

I've been hired by folks specifically because I own my company and they know the buck stops with me. My marketing strategy, like the rest of my business model, utilizes innovative technology to maximize exposure and increase efficiency.  My Sellers appreciate the fact that my marketing plan exceeds most agents even in those nationally known companies.  My Buyers appreciate the streamlined way they can search for homes, see videos of homes I preview for them, execute contracts online, and how my services go above and beyond their expectations.  I don't build homes, nor manage rentals.  My priority is with families not banks or investors.

Licensed since 2004, I am proud to say that my success and education has helped me earn the Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, and Certified Mountain Area Specialist designations.

My office is the most visible & active location in Downtown Evergreen which I take advantage of by showing featured properties in two large windows and help hundreds of tourists each year get around the foothills.  My Downtown Walking Map is distributed throughout Evergreen, Downtown Denver, Front Range visitor centers, and the Denver Airport.  I love this area and truly enjoy talking to locals and visitors about what makes the Foothills a special place to live and play. 

The Evergreen Colorado real estate market is picking up steam and I am enthusiastic about 2010.  I just hired my first agent and am looking forward to growing.

Hope this message finds everyone doing well and encourages you to make things happen for yourself and your family everyday.

So the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit scramble for Buyers to go under contract by April 30 was truly exciting and fruitful.  I closed 4 deals in May, see Evergreen Colorado Real Estate, due to the madness.  What I see now is that June is going to be really crazy due to the June 30 close date requirement.  Just one of my colleagues has 27 Short Sales set to close in June.  Banks are going to be scrambling which will undoubtedly cause a cluster f%#^.  Mortgage providers need to realize this and get files fully underwritten well before closing.  I'm so used to lenders waiting until the last minute to look at a file and then buyers are required to jump through hoops to satisfy conditions immediately.  As Larry the Cable Guy puts it so eloquently...."just gettr dun"

Agents will need to keep a tight rein on the financing process during this month or we're bound to see delays that cost our clients up to $8,000 in cash.

Like my title suggests....."let the nuttiness begin!!!!"

I am excited to announce that Cindy Gordon has joined da Vinci Realty as a Broker Associate.  This is my first hire so I am enthusiastic as to what the future will bring.  Cindy has an extensive background in the mortgage lending industry so I am confident that she will offer her clients exceptional service and represent da Vinci Realty well.  In today's economy, I am proud of the direction we have taken da Vinci Realty in Evergreen, CO and look forward to many more Realtors joining our team. 

For information about Cindy and the services we offer, please visit www.CoMountainLiving.com.

The good news. The Tax Credit frenzy generated 125 homes to go under contract in the Evergreen & Conifer Colorado Real Estate Market in the past 45 days ending April 30. In 2009, that period had only 77 U/C. This frenzy eliminated 17% of the inventory and helped increase sales by 63% in just a short amount of time!

Year to date stats show an increase in home sales of 24% compared to the same period in 2009. 

I am optimistic that 2010 will be a banner year for da Vinci Realty and the Evergreen Conifer Colorado area. 

April was a very busy month for me.  Besides 1 closing and 2 clients going under contract, on the last day of the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit (April 30), I negotiated 2 contracts (1 with competing offers) successfully.  This month I'll close 4 deals just before the Summer rush.

I believe 2010 will be a great year for real estate in Evergreen and surrounding foothill communities in Colorado.

I am excited about the 2010 real estate market in the Evergreen Colorado foothills area.  Currently I am working with 7 buyers wanting to buy by this Summer.  Most are trying to take advantage of the Home Buyer Tax Credit (see "Buyers & Sellers" page) now extended to existing homeowners.  Others are just trying to take advantage of this "Buyer's Market".  I love working with folks wanting a new lifestyle in the mountains.  All my clients are coming from different parts of the country.  Wisconsin, Illinois, California, Kansas & New Mexico are most popular right now.  My clients have loved my newly updated website CoMountainLiving.com as it has an innovative map search tool and shows as much detail as Realtors add to the MLS.  I have valuable information about how to live in the mountains as well as some fun videos of Evergreen.

2010 is going to be a great year!!!

Radon Gas is present in Colorado.....NO SURPRISE.  Living on rock, it's going to be around.  How much is the question.  Is it also in your Water? These are questions that a good inspector will help you understand.  I know houses, and I know how to sell them.  I don't know Radon.  I trust the experts for that.  If a Realtor tries to educate you on the whats/hows/whens of Radon, don't hang on their word.  Get an expert to test, evaluate, deliver & explain the results as well as some options to mitigate if necessary.

I'll get off my soap box now.

Here's the reason for my post.  A trusted inspector in Evergreen, Colorado has compiled a study spanning the Denver Metro area to the Evergreen/Conifer/Bailey Foothills showing average radon levels, highs and lows.  This study uses data he has retained from 2002-2008.  It's not a complete picture as every property is different but I felt it was a good representation of where radon may be most prevalent.  

For example, it shows that the Genesee/Golden area has the lowest average at 3.0 pCi/L.  Pine Junction to Park Co Rd 43 has the highest average at 16.9 pCi/L where 84% of his tests in that area had levels above the EPA Action Level of 4.0 pCi/L.

The test is really easy to read.  Check out the "Mountain Living" page on CoMountainLiving.com

Hope you find this information helpful.

As you can see from my recent posts, I've had some interesting situations to discuss.  I never thought I'd be in the "blogosphere".  I've used this tool for various reasons....venting, asking advice, giving advice, sharing homes I have for sale, and displaying market activity for Evergreen Colorado real estate. 

I guess the goal is to get referrals through Activerain either from my Realtor colleagues or from consumers who find this valuable network of knowledge online.  I haven't pursued that objective aggressively.  My pleasure has come from speaking my mind...and as my friends, family and clients know..that's not hard for me.

So here's my point of this post.  Paul Collins of Colorado Springs read a post of mine titled "Realtors need to stay away from locations they don't understand"  He just called me to refer a friend in the Conifer Morrison area about an hour and a half away from his office. After making a choice to walk away from a listing due to an out of state Realtor demanding a referral after the fact..see "So Why Do I Owe You A Referral Fee", I am excited that I have a new opportunity to help another homeowner.  I truly believe that if I hadn't shared my situation to the Activerain community, I would not have met Paul and received his referral.

Thanks Paul for trusting me to help your friend.