In my last article, Part 1 of “Coronavirus and Buying a College Condo” I discussed how buying a condo or house for your child to live in when going to college can be a worthwhile investment and can also have financial as well as other benefits for your college student. As you evaluate this decision, […]
Preparing for the Threat of Wildfire
While the forests and grasslands of Boulder County are very beautiful places to live, they are also the locations with the greatest menace of wildfire. (Photo: Marcus Kauffman, Unsplash). Living with the wildfire is something Colorado residents have dealt with for years. Since the 1950s we have been mindful of Smokey the Bear’s message […]
Coronavirus and Refinancing Your Home
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the mortgage rate to historic lows due to investors fleeing to the safety of government securities.. (Photo: Bigstock). The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the mortgage rate to historic lows due to investors fleeing to the safety of government securities. Fixed mortgage rates tend to follow the ups and downs […]
Coronavirus and the Local Residential Real Estate Market
Changes are taking place in the real estate market due to the Coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: Bigstock). The coronavirus pandemic has hit the global and national economy, but as stay-at-home orders have been gradually lifted, changes are taking place in the real estate market. To learn how COVID-19 has affected our local residential real estate […]
Coronavirus and Real Estate: Counting Our Blessings
Everyone morning when we wake up, we have to wonder, “when will this all end?” But in fact, that’s the wrong question. The coronavirus will not just end on a specific date. The question should be: “How should we adapt and change to deal with this virus, […]
Real Estate: Refinance or not?
When interest rates drop, you might wonder whether or not it makes any sense to refinance. Interest rates for a 30-year mortgage loan are currently below four percent, continuing the opportunity to refinance at a historically low rate. When interest rates drop, you might wonder whether or not it makes any sense to refinance. Unfortunately, […]
Average and median prices of single-family homes
(Photo: Bigstock). Over my career, many people have asked me about the pricing hierarchy in our real estate market. By pricing hierarchy, I mean comparing the average and median prices of homes in our various market areas. California first coined the term “drive until you qualify,” as in the distance you have to drive from […]
“Instant Offers” or iBuyers – What’s it all about? – Part 2
“Instant offer” or iBuyer programs – that are grabbing so much attention in the media – are based on the concept of a company buying a home directly from a home seller with a cash offer often without having to clean or stage your home. As I describe in Part 1 of this article, this […]