Bridger is still doing his CrossFit, and he’s loving it. I’m really proud of him because CrossFit is no joke. He’s started baseball, too, and that’s going well. I’m giving him some responsibility this summer by allowing him to babysit Sterling. I’m very hopeful that they will survive and prosper.
Speaking of prospering, we’ve been talking to our financial advisor and working on our future savings. She’s helping us figure out our taxes which is great because I know zilch about taxes. If you’re looking for an excellent financial advisor, I’ve got your girl! Reach out for her details.
We’re starting an event group at my office, and we’ll have quarterly client appreciation parties. Everyone who reads this blog is invited! It’s for you, clients, friends and family of clients; basically, anyone who wants to give me their contact info is welcome. Stay tuned for more info.
Let’s talk pies now, shall we? I know, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I’m finalizing orders now. Times and dates of pickups are below:
- Conifer
- Thursday, November 17
- At Keller Williams Conifer, 10875 US Hwy 285, unit D202, Conifer, CO
- From 12:30pm - 2:30pm
- Pine
- Friday, November 18
- At my house in Pine
- From 11am - 1pm
- Conifer
- Friday, November 18
- At Keller Williams Conifer, 10875 US Hwy 285, unit D202, Conifer, CO
- From 6pm - 7pm
- Arvada
- Saturday, November 19
- At Keller Williams Avenues Realty, 5701 Yukon St, Arvada, CO 80002
- From 10am - 12pm
- Evergreen
- Saturday, November 19
- At Keller Williams Foothills Realty, 32214 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen, CO
- From 1pm - 3pm
I’m super excited about this! We have 40 orders in, and I know more of you want one, so you may still have the opportunity. Feel free to call or text me at 303-328-8800, and we’ll do our best to get you your pie!
Shout out time! It’s the one-year homebuying anniversary of one of my clients, Marcos! Congratulations!
My Real Estate Status
Bummer news: we had to terminate one of my contracts based on horrible inspections. There was a horizontal foundation crack, which means something is pushing in on the foundation, and it takes a lot of work to get those fixed.
Plus, you have to disclose it forever, so if the problem does get fixed and you buy the house but want to sell it down the road, you still have to disclose that it happened. Even if it was 50 years ago. It’s a red flag. You also have to keep monitoring it forever. It’s a lot of work. And expensive.
The quote for fixing all the issues (drainage problems, foundation cracks, and rust on the supporting beams) came in at $15,000 (not horrible). But the aluminum wiring and the scorching in the panel (a fire waiting to happen) were quoted at $67,000! The alternative would be to not remove the aluminum but replace the connectors and upgrade the panel to meet safety requirements, which was still $35,000. Obviously, this stuff was a dealbreaker for my client.
Did I mention the snakes? There were so many snakes. I mean, they were in the yard, but still. No, thanks.
I have a lot of buyers at the moment, and that’s awesome because I’ve been telling my sellers to hold tight for a second unless it’s necessary.
If you’re buying and selling in this market, then great! You’ll be selling low and buying low, which equals out (as long as you’re staying within the same market). And some areas are still hot. I actually just put an offer on a house that got other offers, however, none of us were at or over asking but still, they had more than one offer.
Side note, we didn’t get the house, and if you want my opinion, that’s a good thing. Headed to check out another more fabulous place this afternoon.
The Importance of Pricing Your House at Current Market Value
Current Denver Area Real Estate Market
The market rebounded with more showings and more buyer activity following Halloween Weekend. Active inventory is starting to trickly off as we get closer to the holiday season, with a jump in withdrawn listings. This year-end purge of expired and withdrawn listings is what typically helps fuel our spring market. We'll continue to watch these numbers closely. Supply in months dropped this week back down to 2.0 months worth of inventory, constricting our market.
Based on data this last week the numbers came into 14 showings should yield you an offer. If you have had a total of 14 showings and no offers it may be time to make a price reduction. Keep in mind, it's taking longer to get buyers through properties with an average of about 1.6 shows per property per week. Median days on market this week for pending transactions was 24. Patience is key in this market.
VA Loans Can Help Veterans Achieve Their Dream of Homeownership
For over 78 years, Veterans Affairs (VA) home loans have provided millions of veterans with the opportunity to purchase homes of their own. If you or a loved one have served, it’s important to understand this program and its benefits.
Here are some things you should know about VA loans before you start the homebuying process.
What Are VA Loans?
VA home loans provide a pathway to homeownership for those who have served our nation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes the program like this:
“VA helps Servicemembers, Veterans, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. As part of our mission to serve you, we provide a home loan guaranty benefit and other housing-related programs to help you buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home for your own personal occupancy.”
Top Benefits of the VA Home Loan Program
In addition to helping eligible buyers achieve their homeownership dreams, VA loans have several other great benefits for buyers who qualify. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs:
- Qualified borrowers can often purchase a home with no down payment.
- Many other loans with down payments under 20% require Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). VA Loans do not require PMI, which means veterans can save on their monthly housing costs.
- VA-Backed Loans often offer competitive terms and mortgage interest rates.
A recent article from Veterans United sums up just how impactful this loan option can be:
“For the vast majority of military borrowers, VA loans represent the most powerful lending program on the market. These flexible, $0-down payment mortgages have helped more than 24 million service members become homeowners since 1944.”
John Bell, Acting Executive Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Loan Guaranty Service, also explains why this program is so powerful:
“It provides early ownership for many people that would not have that opportunity to begin with. Since there’s no down payment, it allows people to hold their wealth and it gives them the ability to have long term financial security by being able to own a house and let that equity grow.”
Bottom Line
Homeownership is the American Dream. Our veterans sacrifice so much in service of our nation, and one way we can honor and thank them is to ensure they have the best information about the benefits of VA home loans. Thank you for your service.
What Our Clients Are Saying
"There really are not enough good things to say about Victoria. I could go on and on listing all her amazing qualities, yet I will try to be brief.
What sets Victoria apart from most is her integrity. I truly trust Victoria, which I cannot say about most people. I trust her knowledge & advice, her diligent work, the tireless effort she puts forth day in and day out, and her authenticity. She has always been dependable & honest and puts so much effort into every aspect of her life and career while always maintaining her uplifting demeanor. I feel very fortunate to know Victoria."
-Benjamin R.
Have we worked together? If so, I would love to hear how it went! Please consider leaving a brief review here (they truly make a difference)!
Upcoming Events
- Cannabis Speaker Series – Ripple Brand Technologies- Learn about the science of cannabis from industry experts
- Herbs For Moms: Preventing Holiday Burn-Out- We all love the holidays but it can be a lot, this event teaches you about stress-relieving herbs (see link above) and meditation
- The Old Man and the Old Moon- What will he do? Choose his work or choose his love? Find out during this musical performance.
- Purple Disco Machine- House, disco, and funk combine to make for some stellar beats
- My Fair Lady- Who thinks Eliza Doolittle was perfect just the way she was? Not sure? Check out the show and get back to us.
