Real Estate News with Terri Taydus, AHWD, CNA, CRS, GRI

Thinking about selling?  Let's chat soon and strategize how to best move you up to your dream home in 2022!


Your House Could Be the Gift That Keeps Giving This Holiday Season

 

Many buyers are searching for a home right now, but there aren't enough for sale. Let's connect to start the process of selling your home this winter.

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on December 23rd, 2021 2:36 PM


Get the latest real estate market information for Boulder County Colorado! We are seeing a market recovery since the COVID Shelter in Place order in early March.  This is good news for both home buyers and sellers!  

I work all throughout Boulder County (as well as the City of Broomfield and Westminster).  

If I can be of any assistance to you or anyone you know, please do not hesitate to contact me!

CLICK HERE May 2020 market stats for Boulder County. These stats are for single family homes.  If you would like to see the stats for condos and townhomes, please just ask, I am happy to send them your way

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on June 10th, 2020 8:23 PM




Get the latest real estate market information for the City of Broomfield Colorado! We are seeing a market recovery since the COVID Shelter in Place order in early March.  This is good news for both home buyers and sellers!  

I work all throughout the City of Broomfield (as well as the City of Westminster and all of Boulder County).  

If I can be of any assistance to you or anyone you know, please do not hesitate to contact me!

CLICK HERE May 2020 market stats for the City of Broomfield. These stats are for single family homes.  If you would like to see the stats for condos and townhomes, please just ask, I am happy to send them your way!

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on June 10th, 2020 7:48 PM

Please tune in to my business FB page; Terri Taydus - Boulder Colorado Properties, this Saturday, 6/13, at 12:45PM MST for my LIVE, virtual Open House!

I am the LAST person to do a live ANYTHING on social media, yet, here we are!

I will be doing my best to answer your questions, and give you a live walk through of my listing at 2016 19th St #20 in Boulder CO.

Come show me some love and tune in!

CLICK HERE to be connected to my FB Business Page (and while you are there, please "Follow" me for all of the most up to date real estate information in Boulder County, Westminster and Broomfield!)

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on June 10th, 2020 6:05 PM

Some GOOD NEWS!

We are showing properties again, and the market is reflecting this good news!  With each showing, we are respecting all of the safety protocol for COVID, and taking the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe.  This means that there are a few more hoops to jump through: COVID Disclosures to sign, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and often times shoe covers (depending on what the Seller requires)

I showed a mountain property this past weekend, it was new on the market, priced in the $600k range, and by the end of the weekend there were two offers on the property.  This type of activity is being seen throughout the local market.  We are starting to see multiple offers on homes in all price ranges, slightly less in the over $1m mark, but those homes are moving as well!

For my home buyers, I have strategies in place to help you submit a strong offer that gets noticed!

For my home sellers, I have an excellent marketing package that will give your home maximum exposure, and I am skilled at helping you navigate a multiple offer situation!

So what does this mean to you?  If you are thinking about selling, NOW is the time to list!  If you were on the fence about buying, it’s time to get back out there!   Inventory is starting to increase, and interest rates are still low; this is good news for both home buyers and sellers!

Ready? Set? GO!!!!!!

I’m here, and I’m ready to assist you, your friends and family.  Please call, text or email if I can be of assistance.

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on May 12th, 2020 6:56 PM

Believe it or not, there are lots of things you can do to prep your house for a sale without even going to the store!  Your real estate plans don't have to be completely on hold even while we've hit the pause button on other parts of daily life.  Tackling small projects from cleaning the corners you may normally skip, to tidying up your yard, are easy and necessary wins if you're thinking of marketing and selling your home once life starts to return to normal.  CLICK HERE to read more!

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on April 19th, 2020 5:06 PM


Market Update for February 2020 https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png Boulder County Market for Single Family Homes. Looking to buy or sell a home? I can help
Would you like a Market Update for condos and townhomes? Message me and I will send an update right to your inbox.
Buying or selling outside of Colorado, or outside of the Colorado markets that I service? I can help you find a reputable agent in your area! I am here to help.

CLICK HERE to read more!

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on March 13th, 2020 9:59 PM


Market Update for February 2020 https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png Broomfield Colorado Market for Single Family Homes. Looking to buy or sell a home? I can help
Would you like a Market Update for condos and townhomes? Message me and I will send an update right to your inbox.
Buying or selling outside of Colorado, or outside of the Colorado markets that I service? I can help you find a reputable agent in your area! I am here to help.

CLICK HERE for more information!

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on March 13th, 2020 9:56 PM


Market Update for February 2020 https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png Boulder County Market for Single Family Homes. Looking to buy or sell a home? I can help
Would you like a Market Update for condos and townhomes? Message me and I will send an update right to your inbox.
Buying or selling outside of Colorado, or outside of the Colorado markets that I service? I can help you find a reputable agent in your area! I am here to help.

CLICK HERE to learn more!

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on March 13th, 2020 9:29 PM

The housing market has started off much stronger this year than it did last year.  Lower mortgage interest rates have been a driving factor in that change.  NOW is a great time to market and sell your home!  Please CLICK HERE to read more...

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on February 29th, 2020 10:46 PM

Here is your market update for Boulder County, Broomfield and Westminster!

Thinking about buying or selling your home?  I can help.  Please contact me if you, or someone you know, is thinking about buying or selling :)

CLICK HERE to see the Market Update for Boulder County single family homes (use your browser's back button to return to this blog).

CLICK HERE to see the market update for the city of Broomfield single family homes (use your browser's back button to return to this blog).

CLICK HERE to see the market update for the city of Westminster single family homes (use your browser's back button to return to this blog).

Would you like to see a market update for condos and townhomes?  Just ask!  I am happy to provide you with that information.

Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on February 9th, 2020 6:32 PM

Learn & Sip; Real Estate Tips!

This is a FREE event!

Come hear from one of the local industry's top home appraisers, Adam Howell, and learn which home improvements add value to your home, and which improvements are considered "maintenance" and do not add additional value.

Terri Taydus and Kate Kelley, licensed Realtors with WK Real Estate, will be on hand to discuss how appraised value can affect the sale of your home.

Adam, Terri and Kate will be available to answer all of your questions regarding market value, marketing and selling your home!

Complimentary appetizers and drinks will be provided.

Space is limited, so CLICK HERE to reserve your space today!

Posted in:Selling Your HomePosted in:Real EstatePosted in:Boulder Real EstatePosted in:Housing marketPosted in:Real Estate Market and tagged:
Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on February 6th, 2020 9:14 PM

2020 Expert Forecast in Numbers

 

The expert forecast is looking bright when it comes to the 2020 housing market. Let’s connect to talk about how these numbers can bring you one step closer to homeownership this year.

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on January 16th, 2020 7:54 PM

December 2019 Real Estate By the Numbers!  Looking to buy or sell a home in 2020?  I can help!  Please reach out to me for a complimentary consultation :)


December by the Numbers

 

Knowing what's happening in the real estate market is key to making your home search a successful one. Let's connect to determine how low mortgage rates and more can drive your process forward.

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Posted in:Selling Your HomePosted in:Real EstatePosted in:Buying a HomePosted in:Boulder Real Estate and tagged:
Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on December 23rd, 2019 4:02 PM

My clients, their satisfaction and their safety is my #1 priority!  It is for that reason that as of early May I will be switching from the standard lockboxes for all of my listings, to the new SentriLocks.  This will ensure the safety of my Seller's homes and is just one more way I go above and beyond to provide excellent service to my clients!

Please CLICK HERE for a video about these new lockboxes, and some of the issues with the old lockboxes.

Thinking of selling your home?  I would love a bit of your time to show you all that I have to offer as a listing agent!  Please call, text or email if I can be of any assistance.
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on April 3rd, 2019 3:06 PM


First, I am not here to bash Zillow – that would be horribly hypocritical of me considering I market myself on Zillow.com.  But what I do want to do is educate you so that you can make a good decision when you choose an agent to help you from the Zillow website.

Zillow used to be an amazing platform for home buyers to connect with a real estate agent to assist them when searching for and purchasing a new home.  Buyers could click on an agent to the right of the home they found on Zillow and that agent would contact them and provide property information and assist the buyer from the beginning stages of their home search to the closing table.

The buyer knew a bit about the agent that they had selected on Zillow.com as they could read their bio, their reviews, and even link to that agent’s personal business webpage if one was available.  This put the power in the buyer’s hands to make an educated decision regarding the agent they selected.

Buyers often look at the number of “Recent Sales” an agent has (listed to the right of the agent’s star rating) and factor this into their decision making process.

BUYER BEWARE! This is where things get a bit deceptive.

Zillow is now allowing TEAMS and entire brokerages to market themselves as one on the Zillow.com website.  This is not a particularly new practice, but it is becoming much more prevalent with brokerages promoting themselves and gobbling up the lion’s share of the marketing space. 

What does this mean to you?  This means when you are shopping on Zillow.com and you look to the right of a particular listing to choose an agent, you may see that one (or more) of the agents have HUNDREDS of “Recent Sales”  When you see this, you are most likely looking at the COMBINED SALES for the entire brokerage or team.  Same holds true with the reviews – the reviews are for multiple people on the team or that work for the brokerage and not necessarily for the agent your inquiry will be assigned to.

It’s a bit like agent roulette.  You have no idea of the experience, the quality of service, or knowledge of the local market that the agent you are assigned to may possess.  Your “lead” will simply go to the next agent that is up in the “round robin” service for that team or brokerage. You could end up with a new agent with little experience, that is trying to build their business, or you could get lucky and get a more experienced agent…like I said, agent roulette.

I clicked on one such “team” that showed a total of 313 “Recent Sales” and 170 reviews.  This was for a team of 25 team members ranging from 0 personal reviews to 45 reviews.   However if you simply clicked the button to the left of this brokerage’s name based on their “313 Recent Sales”, you would have no idea who’s desk your inquiry would end up on – you may get lucky and get one of the more experienced agents, or you may end up with someone that has only been in the business a short time…agent roulette.

The individual agent with 20 reviews of her own may be your best choice.

Take control of your property search and choose an agent based on THEIR merit vs. the combined efforts of an entire brokerage or team. 

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on January 27th, 2018 10:19 AM

 

I recently helped my Buyers close on their new home.  They were ecstatic that they were able to purchase an updated condo in South Boulder, with a garage, for a reasonable price without the need to pay over asking price, or surrender any of their contingencies! 

How was this even possible in this hot market where such properties are selling in record time with multiple offers?  There are two reasons:

  1. My Buyers were working with a knowledgeable and skillful buyer’s agent (me), and…
  2. The Sellers were using a discount listing service in order to “save money on commissions.”

So how much money did the Sellers really save? Well, as we sat in our closing, held at the listing office inconveniently located in Denver for a Boulder sale, we, the buyers and myself watched a continuous loop of properties scroll across a screen with the bold “SOLD – Seller saved xxx!” scrawled across the front of each property, implying that the seller of the particular home on the screen had saved money by listing with this discount brokerage.  As we watched we saw the property that my Buyers were there to close on that morning.  The claim on the screen was that the Sellers had saved approx. $6,000 by listing with this particular brokerage.  But did they really?  Let’s take a closer look…

 

  • The property sat on the market for 79 days before receiving an offer. 79 DAYS – in a hot market where properties are selling in a matter of days (my Seller’s property in the same neighborhood sold before ever hitting the open market!) Although I was willing to work with my Buyer on this property, many agents will not show a property that is not offering what is considered a fair commission. This discount brokerage listed this property offering a discounted buyer’s agent commission, and the property sat there losing precious time on the market and costing the Sellers the carrying cost on a vacant / staged property, thus chipping away at the Sellers proceeds from the sale.
    • Something that the Sellers failed to keep in mind, and their listing service failed to educate them about, was that although they were priced in line with the most recent comps, they did not take into consideration that the comps that they used paid a fair commission to both the buyer’s agent and listing agent, and this amount was built into the list price, so for these Sellers to offer to pay the agents less, they were actually overpriced.
  • Eventually, not having the showings or offers that I am sure the Sellers were anticipating, the listing office offered a fair buyer’s agent commission. I discovered that the Sellers were indeed willing to offer a fair Buyer’s agent commission because I picked up the phone on behalf of my Buyers and had a conversation with the listing office. Being an experienced agent and familiar with the market in my local area, I knew that my Buyers would now need to act fast, and I was banking on the inexperience of the “team” that was listing the property to work in my Buyer’s favor…and it did! My Buyers followed my advice and presented a strong offer, simultaneously as the updated commission was published in the local MLS (had this of been my listing I would have done an email blast to the entire MLS with the announcement of the updated commission to try an rally some additional interest – I never saw such an announcement from the discount brokerage). My Buyer’s offer was fair, however they did not offer more than list price and they did not waive any of the buyer contingencies. Without much hesitation, their offer was accepted. This was EXCELLENT for my Buyers :)
    • But could the Sellers have gotten more for their nicely updated condo? Probably. Had they been working with a savvy listing agent they could have potentially secured multiple offers thus driving the sale price over asking (possibly more than the $6,000 they supposedly saved), and possibly could even have had some of the buyer contingencies waived, such as the appraisal, or home inspection. The listing office’s lack of marketing skill and effort potentially cost the Seller thousands.
  • Lastly, let’s talk negotiations. As the Buyer’s agent I never once communicated with the actual listing agent, as one was never available. I did however communicate with a number of different “assistants” that were handling the sale of this home. Chances are these assistants never met the Sellers, so they did not know what the Sellers motivation for selling was, nor did they have an actual relationship with them so that they could best negotiate on their behalf. Nope. Although always pleasant and helpful, they were basically glorified clerks. This all played to the benefit of my Buyers J I asked for something for my Buyers and presented good reason for my request, and the listing office never bothered to negotiate, they simply got permission from the Seller and granted anything my Buyers wanted – it was awesome…but maybe not so much for the Sellers. The Sellers even agreed to pay over $1,000 to cover the Buyer’s Closing Costs (ka-ching! Take that $6,000 “savings” down by $1,000). This lack of actually having an agent that knew the Sellers that would be driven to work in their best interest may have also cost the Sellers $$ in poor negotiations on their behalf.

Even IF the listing office would have received multiple offers, they had no idea the financing challenges that face this particular subdivision.  Knowing the area, I was familiar with these issues and was able to not only advise my Buyers accordingly, but also use it to strengthen their offer by educating the listing office and assuring them that my Buyer’s lender was well aware of the issues and prepared to get their loan closed.  Had multiple offers come in, the listing office (not being local) would not have known to advise the Sellers of the pitfalls that could have terminated the contract in the last days of the transaction. This could have cost the Sellers a lot of money in time off the market, not to mention the inconvenience and frustration.

In the end, we did close, and my Buyers are very happy with their new home. After losing out on a handful of multiple offer situations prior to this (due to their financing limitations), it almost seemed too easy for them to make this purchase.

So how much did the Sellers actually save?  Well according to the listing office they saved approx. $6,000 but if you look closer you will see that maybe that number is not so accurate:

Extra time on market costing Sellers carrying costs such as mortgage and staging costs x approx. 2 months = $$$

Poor negotiations on behalf of the Seller = $$

Loss of potential offers due to lack of marketing / poor marketing - $$$

Given the condition and location of the property, it is safe to say that the Sellers could have potentially made considerably more than they saved had they worked with a local, knowledgeable listing agent.

Remember, the Seller still ended up paying a fair buyer’s agent commission.  Any “savings” that were realized by the Seller was on the listing office’s commission…and did they really save anything?  Maybe this was more a case of “you get what you pay for” ;) When you are dealing with the largest investment you will most likely ever make, is it really worth it to be pound wise / penny foolish?  Work with an experienced Realtor that knows the market and will invest the time in looking out for your best interest.

Are you thinking about listing and marketing your home for sale?  If so, I would love the opportunity to meet with you and show you all that I can offer you as your listing agent.

Looking to buy? I can also help! I work all throughout Boulder County and am networked with excellent Realtors® throughout Colorado, and the country. If you are thinking of buying or selling outside of the areas that I service, I would be happy to refer you to a well-qualified agent J

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on July 9th, 2017 3:13 PM

According to a recent survey conducted by Genworth Financial Inc. at the Annual Mortgage Bankers' Association Secondary Market Conference, mortgage professionals say that first-time buyers still believe a 20% down payment is necessary to buy in today's market.

This may not be true...  CLICK HERE to read more...
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on June 10th, 2017 7:36 PM
I feel so fortunate to work with Colorado Landmark, Realtors!  They are helping me take my business to the next level in luxury real estate. My recent induction into LuxuryRE was mentioned in our local newspaper's Briefcase section :)   PLEASE CLICK HERE

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Boulder County, please contact me.  I would love to help!

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on May 4th, 2017 7:53 AM

What is the MLS and why is it important to understand your options if you are buying or selling a home? MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service.  This is the data base licensed real estate agents access when looking for available properties to share with their buyers. Realtors® also use this data base when searching for comps to help determine the suggested list price for your home.

As a seller it is important that your home have maximum exposure in the MLS so that agents can find your home to share with their home buyers.

As a buyer it is important that the Realtor® that you are working with have access to the MLS so that they can send you as many available properties as possible to choose from.

Here along the Front Range we have two predominate MLS’s; IRES and REcolorado. IRES is the predominate MLS used for Boulder County and much of Broomfield, Westminster and the surrounding areas.  REcolorado aka: Metro, is the predominate MLS used in the greater Denver area as well as much of Broomfield and Westminster and surrounding areas.

Even though each system services its own geographic area there are often times some overlap.  For example, if an agent from Denver lists a property in Boulder County it used to appear in both MLS’s for agents both in the Denver area and Boulder County to access. Now, unless your Realtor® belongs to both systems it will only show up in the system that they subscribe to.  

Prior to March 2, 2017 both of the local MLS’s worked together and when you searched in one, or listed a property in one, it showed up in both.  This assured that you had the maximum exposure whether you were listing your home to sell, or searching for a new home to purchase.

As of March 2, 2017 this is no longer the case.  The two local MLS’s went their separate ways.  So why is it important for you to know this? As a licensed Realtor® I pay an annual fee to belong to IRES.  As of yesterday I also paid to join REcolorado.  This is to insure that my clients continue to get the maximum exposure whether buying or selling.

 If you are buying or selling a home in the local Boulder / greater Denver area

it is important that you work with a Realtor® that subscribes to BOTH systems.

 A note to my current clients; please bear with me while I learn the new REcolorado MLS.  It is very different from IRES and it may take a little time for me to get your property searches running smoothly in both systems

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me J


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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on March 2nd, 2017 5:46 PM

Every homeowner wants to make sure they get the best price when selling their home.  But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house?  Here are two keys to ensuring you get the highest price possible.  CLICK HERE to read more...
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on December 26th, 2016 10:53 AM


Many people are interested to know what kind of return on investment (ROI) they can expect when upgrading certain items in their homes and which items they should prioritize first.  This is especially relevant when selling their home or investment property

CLICK HERE to see which home improvement items will yield you the best ROI!

Information courtesy of RISMedia/ Housecall
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on December 15th, 2016 12:22 PM



Please join me for my first attempt at Facebook LIVE!


CLICK HERE to be connected to my FB Business Page. If you "Like" my business page you will receive the notification on Wednesday when the live session starts :)

DATE: Wednesday, November 16th 

TIME: 12:00PM Noon

DURATION:  Approx. 10 – 15 minutes

TOPIC:  Three Important Steps When Purchasing a Home!

I will be taking your questions and discussing a few things that you may not have thought of when preparing to purchase a home.

Hope to see you there!

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on November 12th, 2016 1:01 PM


Recently there has been a lot of talk about home prices and if they are accelerating too quickly. In some areas of the country, seller supply (homes for sale) cannot keep up with the number of buyers... to continue reading click here!






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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on October 26th, 2016 5:31 PM


So you’ve decided to sell your house. You’ve hired a real estate professional to help you with the entire process and they have asked you what level of access you want to provide to potential buyers...CLICK HERE to read more...
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on October 12th, 2016 7:06 PM



At some point during your home buying journey, there is a good chance that you will need to wire funds to the title company - either your Earnest Money, Down Payment, or the complete Purchase Price if you are paying cash.

Unfortunately there are some bad people out there that are just waiting to hack you out of your hard earned money! They do not care who they hurt, and they do not care that their maliciousness could cost you your new home.

At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I want to make you aware that there is a very real scam out there being perpetrated by hackers.


The thief hacks into a Realtor or title company's email and contacts you requesting that you wire your funds to a specific account.  From your end the email appears to be coming from your trusted Realtor or Title Company. The thief has you wire your money to an account that they have control of (typically it goes some place outside of the country) and you never see your money again.  They back out of the email server leaving no trace that they were ever there. 

At this time, there is no way to catch them.  Your money is gone and your purchase terminates unless you have other means of paying.

I am advising my clients to physically pick up the phone and speak to a person at the title company to obtain wiring instructions.  Then, call again to confirm that they received them.  

Never wire your money via wiring instructions that have been sent to you by email!

If you receive an email that appears to be from your Realtor, and something does not seem "right", ALWAYS make sure you verbally connect with your Realtor before providing any personal information via email. 

As your Realtor, I will never ask you for your social security number (the title company will need this info so you can call and give it directly to them), or your bank account numbers.  

Be smart, report any suspicious activity, and take the extra step of calling the title company before and after you wire any money.

Please CLICK HERE to be taken to a recent Channel 7 News report regarding this scam.

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on October 9th, 2016 11:22 AM

Here is a great article that may better help potential home buyers and sellers understand the challenges with Appraisal Deadlines:

Here is an excellent article will help you understand what to expect when you order an appraisal.

Dearth vexing anxious market

The northern Front Range is scrambling to keep up with sales.

Source:            By:  Aldo Svaldi           Denver Post              September 25, 1016 

Home appraisals are taking longer to complete and costing more, and that is vexing homebuyers, mortgage borrowers, real estate agents and loan officers along the northern Front Range.

“As the Denver real estate market has roared back, we’ve been met with a shortage of appraisers to keep up with the record number of homes that are going under contract and being sold each month,” said Anthony Real, chairman of the market trends committee at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Rael’s research shows that the cost to appraise a standard home in metro Denver, which ran around $350 a few years back, is now costing closer to $600 and looks headed on its way to $800. Some of that increase reflects the rush fees that already overloaded appraisers are charging to meet closing deadlines.

Closing deadlines are getting pushed back because of the appraiser shortages and complicating life for buyers and sellers alike, and in some cases causing tempers to flare, Rael said.

There are simply fewer appraisers. We are running into a time-versus-price auction.

The tightness became noticeable when the metro Denver housing market started heating up again in 2013. But the breaking point came this summer when the Brexit vote caused interest rates to plunge, setting off a surge in mortgage refinancings in the middle of the peak home-selling season.

Appraisers, booked solid, charged premiums to get the work done and the level of desperation grew.

Warren Boizot III and Ned Garber both work seven days a week, 12 hours a day with their Denver firm BLG Appraisal Group, taking only two weeks off a year for vacation to recharge and a day now and then to attend courses to stay on top of their craft.

They have followed that crazy schedule, winter and summer, since 2013, motivated by memories of the housing crash where work was hard to come by.

“We are working as hard as we can,” said Garber, who is quick to add he isn’t complaining.

The appraisers said they are booked three weeks out. If someone wants to get in faster, they and other appraisers charge a fee, which irks some in the real estate industry. But if they promise a delivery date, it is as good as gold.

“It is a grind. Someday I will wish I had a Sunday off,” Boizot said.

Boizot said for every appraisal he accepts, there are about five to 10 that he turns away, either because the timing doesn’t work or the customer doesn’t want to pay a rush fee.

He uses the analogy of someone needing to see a dentist on short notice for a hurting tooth. Dentists book patients months ahead, but can keep the office open late on short notice at an added cost.

As with so many things wrong about today’s real estate market, the problems go back to the housing boom and bust. When the housing market came to a screeching halt, a lot of appraisers had to find other work to survive.

Regulators cracked down, trying to create distance between those requesting appraisals and those doing them and they boosted training requirements and the amount of time it took to do an appraisal.

Licensed appraisers must have an associate degree or 30 credits of college coursework and take 150 hours of appraisal-related courses. Certified appraisers, a step up, need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

Back in 2007, Colorado had 3,431 licensed and certified appraisers, but this year that count is running close to 2,500, said Eric Turner, education, communication and policy manager with the Colorado Division of Real Estate.

Not only are there fewer appraisers, but as a group they are getting older, with an average age nationally of 53. And hardly any new ones are coming into the fold in Colorado, even though work is plentiful.

Last year, the state issued just 52 new licenses or approved an upgrade of a licensed appraiser to certified. This year, the number of new entrants or upgrades is running around 37.

“Out of that 52, more were upgrades than new licensees,” Turner said. Contrast that with the loss of about 100 appraisers a year on average in Colorado since 2007.

So why aren’t more college-educated and underemployed millennials rushing into the field? To obtain a license, an appraiser must spend 2,000 hours in an apprenticeship over the course of a year or more with an experienced appraiser. A certified appraiser must spend 2,500 hours across two or more years.

The only way to become an appraiser is by doing appraisals, and there’s the rub.

Garber and Boizot said they are so busy, they don’t have time to train anyone. Even if they did, they don’t know of a noncompete agreement strong enough to keep an apprentice in this market from walking out the door with a year’s worth of training on their dime.

“No one wants to take an apprentice under their wings,” Garber said.

Not only are there far fewer people doing appraisals, each appraisal takes much longer to complete — about six to eight hours on average — and the penalties that come with getting it wrong are much higher.

“The way the system has changed, it is becoming more cumbersome and less profitable,” said Thomas Raff, a certified appraiser in Westminster. “The report is more comprehensive now than it has ever been. It takes much more time.”

Trying to pin down values in a rapidly moving market like Denver’s is a more complicated task than working in a flat and stable one, which in turn exposes appraisers to more risks if they get it wrong.

“The analysis of comparables is a black art and very valuable,” Barnes notes.

Buyers, after getting repeatedly outbid, can become so desperate to win that they make inflated offers above already elevated list prices, leaving appraisers to absorb their wrath when the valuation comes up short.

“My job is not to hit that contract price,” Garber said. “We are not obligated to hit that number.”

Coming in low, if anything, actually is more timeconsuming, in that it requires dealing with more complaints. But appraisal objectivity is an important line of defense in protecting the financial system, he said.

Boizot said one change that could go a long way toward making the home sales process more efficient would be basing the list price on an actual appraisal, rather than an agent’s estimate.

Appraisals are one of the last pieces to fall into place, and buyers and sellers rush toward a closing. Any kind of delay further up the chain often shortens the time appraisers have to get the job done, he said.

Housing sales are already leveling off as summer moves into fall and a slowdown could become a more permanent feature. If mortgage rates rise, that too could put a dent in demand for refinancings.

Still, the more pressing problem of not enough appraisers working the craft remains.


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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on October 1st, 2016 3:23 PM


It's that time of year; the seasons are changing and with them come thoughts of the upcoming holidays, family get-togethers, and planning for a new year.  Those who are on the fence about whether or not now is the right time to buy don't have to look much further to find four great reasons to consider buying a home now, instead of waiting.  CLICK HERE to read more...
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on September 26th, 2016 9:55 AM


BEWARE THE ACCURACY OF FREE CREDIT SCORES

As more and more companies offer free credit scores, we as lenders are getting more and more shocked and upset clients because their credit score is not as high as was indicated by the online scoring services.

CreditKarma seems to be the worst and scores can be as much as 150 points higher than their actual FICO score.  Why is this?

There are several different answers based on the service that you use to pull your score.

For the major reporting agencies, TRANSUNION, EXPERIAN, and EQUIFAX have developed their own model which they would like to see replace the current FICO score.  Their scoring system is called VANTAGESCORE.  As an example, FICO scores range between 300 - 850 while VANTAGE scores range between 501 - 990 so right there you would have a large disparity even if the algorithm was exactly the same.

The scores for most of the free services are considered "educational" and are not the REAL FICO scores that lenders use.  Supposedly if you read the terms and conditions of CREDITKARMA it states that they use a different scoring model than any of the major reporting agencies.

If you want your actual FICO score that is used by all of the major financial institutions you need to go to www.myfico.com and pay for them.

The bottom line is that you CANNOT rely on the free credit scores and you should not use them to monitor your credit.

Other factors that impact your score even for companies using FICO is that companies are coded by industry.  For example, if you apply for a credit card the score will be weighed more heavily towards your revolving credit history.  If you buy a car it will look more closely at your history with installment debt and likewise with mortgages the score will be scrutinized even more because of the large loan amounts and the higher risk of such transactions.

Other entities and even some mortgage lenders will only provide you with one score when in fact FNMA requires that you pull all three scores and the middle score is the one used to calculate your credit worthiness.

All three major reporting agencies use the same FICO algorithm so why do the scores vary?  The reason is that not all businesses report to all three bureaus so the data reported is different and hence the difference in the actual score.

For a potential homebuyer your first step to buying a home is to find a lender to work with that offers free credit scores and free credit analysis to help you understand your score and how to improve your score.

Everyone is looking for the lowest rate and the best way to get the lowest rate is to get your credit score over 740.

The other reason to start the home buying process with the credit analysis is that time is your friend and the more time you have to increase your score the better your results should be.  Often it is as simple as paying down balances and/or opening a new card.

You also want a lender that will work with the bureaus and update your score for you.  If you wait for the creditor to report the changes to the credit bureaus it could take months whereas a lender can get you a rescore typically within 5 - 7 business days.

In summary, you want to know your FICO score before starting the home buying process.  You ideally want a score over 680.  You can get a loan with a score as low as 580 but you will not be happy with the terms or rate especially If you put less than 20% down as it will also adversely impact your mortgage insurance premium.

The milestones that you want to shot for go in 20 point increments from 680, 700, 720 and top out at 740.  There are negligible opportunities to lower your rate even more over 740 but in general any score over 740 will get you the best terms available.

As a last note, DO NOT pay off old collection/derogatory accounts without talking to someone with knowledge and access to the scoring parameters as it is typically in your best interest not to pay off this debt as it does little to improve your score and can actually have a negative impact on our score.

You should speak with a qualified lender before signing up with any of the CREDIT CORRECTION companies as most are for profit and do so at an expense to you.  They often offer to negotiate a lower pay off but fail to tell you that this will probably still have a negative impact on your score.

Joe Taydus of Mutual Security Mortgage in Boulder offers all of the above services and does so at NO COST to his clients.

The above information was provided by Joe Taydus of Mutual Security Mortgage in Boulder CO. For more information, please contact Joe directly:

Joe@MutualSecurity.com
(303) 443-5575 - Office
(303) 514-1151 - Cell
NMLS# 309188  LIC# 100017955

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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on September 22nd, 2016 12:03 PM


When a homeowner decides to sell their house, they obviously want the best possible price with the lease amount of hassles.  However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is to actually get the home sold...CLICK HERE to read more.

If you are considering selling your home, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you for 30 - 40 minutes to discuss your needs and show you all that I can offer you as your listing agent!  There is no cost of obligation for my consultations :)
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Posted by Taydus Taydus, AHWD, CNE, CRS, GRI on September 20th, 2016 11:30 AM

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