Boulder Recycling Efforts May Be Stalled by Wild Animals
In an effort to take the , reduce, reuse, recycle, mantra one step further, the city of Boulder has been working on plans to provide service for curbside composting. I’m all for composting and it’s a natural next step in working towards reducing landfill waste. If you think that you’re already maximizing what you can do to reduce your impact, such as recycling, the other logical task is to stop dumping
Even in my own home, we’re contemplating ways to work on better efforts to compost. Now that we recycle almost everything we can and certainly everything that the curbside pickup allows us to include, it’s time to expand. Read more
Green Building Claims Are Sometimes Green Washing
You may have noticed that practically every real estate product being advertised these days is promoted as ‘green’ in one form or another. While there are some specific terms that are useful such as Built Green, LEED Certified, and even something calls a HERS Rating, it can be very difficult to clearly identify what makes a property ‘green’.
“Green Washing” is a term that we’re hearing more lately. It refers to the practice of labeling a product as environmentally friendly, green, or sustainable without the product really having any verifiable substance in matters of ‘green’. Let’s say for instance Read more
Low Flow Toilets In Green Real Estate
One of the topics that sometimes gets overlooked when talking about green real estate, or green building, is water conservation.
You’ve most likely heard about flow restrictive shower heads. You may not know that most modern dishwashers don’t require you to pre-rinse your dishes before loading anymore. But, did you know that low flow toilets have changed considerably since the early 1990’s? Read more
Green Real Estate Community Workshops
One of the most useful take-aways from the EcoBroker conference that I can bring to you is a new set of projects. I’m working on organizing some community workshops to help homeowners understand different aspects of green building.
You can learn about alternative energy sources for your home, such as harnessing solar energy for home electricity use via photo voltaic panels. You’ll have an opportunity to meet people in the construction trade, and other industries, who can help you learn more about how to improve your home’s comfort level, and also lower its carbon footprint. Read more
It’s Painting Time Again
Not only is it that time of year when you see many people painting their homes, it’s especially busy in certain neighborhoods. That’s why I have made a special offer to all of the people that have opted into my Inner Circle and other communication lists, such as the ‘ask Zachary’ form on my Contact Page, and ‘What’s My Home Worth in Today’s Market’ form on my website. Read more
Boulder Realtors And Buyer’s Agents
I think that if you are considering buying Boulder real estate or engaging a Boulder Realtor, you should consider talking about Buyer Agency. There are many Boulder Realtors who can work for you as a Buyer’s agent but you have to do the paperwork to make it official. Choose your Boulder Realtor carefully and check out this video when you’re ready to pick a Realtor to work with you.
Is A Mobile Home A Real Estate Investment?
A mobile home is not a real estate investment. While purchasing a mobile home can be an inexpensive way to acquire housing, it’s not much different than renting a home. In the case of a mobile home, you have an opportunity to buy the structure you live in, but that structure depreciates over time similar to the way a car, truck or boat depreciates. Read more
HOA Advice and Issues
There are many different opinions I hear regarding HOA’s as I help people in their endeavor to buy or sell homes. The now fairly ubiquitous home owner’s associations are mostly considered a good thing in home buyer’s minds.
While the restrictions seem a bit ‘big brother-ish’ to some of us, you might want to consider that for most folks, it’s the HOA that keeps your neighbor from allowing his lawn to turn into a two-foot high weeded lot or a paint-peeling monstrosity. Read more
Foreclosure Prevention Workshop
If you are concerned, or maybe just interested, in how the foreclosure process works, there’s a workshop coming up that you may want to attend. See the link at the bottom of the page for more information.
There are many myths and preconceptions about home foreclosures and most people don’t really have a clear idea about how the process works or, more importantly, how to prevent foreclosure, other than the obvious: make your payments on time. In some cases, that’s not much help, is it? Read more
Boulder Recycling Drop Off Center
If you’re interested in taking your recyclable materials to a drop off center, Boulder has a facility in the eastern part of town that accepts just about everything recyclable. It’s open 24 hours a day and this location takes many of the items that some of the curbside recycling programs won’t pick up for you. Read more
Boulder County Household Recycling Guidelines
Single-Stream recycling is here for most of Boulder County. If you haven’t been keeping up to speed on the recent Boulder County household recycling guidelines, you may not know that in most Boulder county neighborhoods, curbside recycling is now single-stream. Read more
Photo Voltaic Good For Boulder Real Estate
You should know that there are some good times coming to an end if you’re thinking about putting photo voltaic panels on your house. While it’s been a good run for owners of Boulder real estate, the times they are a changin’.
The federal tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2008 unless there’s an extension put in place. The state rebate program may also end soon. Right now the state rebates get you about $4.50 per watt according to David Coddington of 3R Roofing, LLC. Read more
Price Of Going Green, More Thoughts
Here are some additional things I picked up from national publications about the costs associated with going green at home. The sad thing about what I read is that it seems that, once again, the media can’t give us useful information without sensationalizing.
Consider using ratings standards such as Energy Star and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) point systems to help you figure out the costs and benefits. LEED has historically been used in commercial building but it’s making its way into residential with projects right here in Boulder such as The Walnut condo project. Read more
What’s The Price Of Going Green?
One of the things you might want to look at if you’re thinking of ‘going green’ with your home is how long the payback takes. Having said that, I would hope that you’d keep in the back of your head two things:
- Making your home more green can mean more comfort.
- Focusing on green solutions for your home is good for the environment.
Now, what’s the pay-off in dollars? Read more
Top Ten Reasons To Work With A Realtor
When the economy is uncertain, homeowners may want to try to save a few dollars by selling their homes themselves. But, a slower market is actually the best time to have an experienced professional on your team to avoid costly mistakes. Here’s your top ten reasons to work with a Realtor. Read more
Sears In Synch With Home Inspectors Perhaps
Perhaps Sears Holdings Corp should take a lesson from Jeff Lyons from A-Pro Home Inspection, the home inspector I recommend to all of my clients.
In a recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit over a propensity to tip, Sears will fix almost 3.9 million kitchen ranges. Read more
Boulder Real Estate With A Hot Metal Roof?
There’s a national trend that may catch on for Boulder real estate: metal roofing.
With the focus on avoiding asphalt-shingle roofs and their threat to the environment, many renovators and even some home builders are turning to alternatives such as slate, clay tile and even wood shake for the aesthetic appeal as well as the desire to not threaten the environment with asphalt shingle.
Now you won’t see wood shake around here anymore Read more
Green / Eco References
Here are some links to a few websites that I thought might be useful if you’re interested in different resources for green issues. Certainly not comprehensive but just a couple that I came across recently that I wanted to share. Read more
Designing Your Home With An Architect
If you’re thinking of designing a new home to build that ‘dream home’ or looking to remodel an existing home, hiring an architect is an excellent idea. In Boulder, there are many outstanding architectural firms including some locally well known businesses and some more obscure but very talented architects that deserve your attention.
Here are some tips to work successfully with an architect. Read more
Retailers Launch Recycling Initiatives
Big Box retailers such as Best Buy, Office Depot, Ace Hardware and Wal-Mart Stores are each providing different types of intermittent recycling efforts in an attempt to seize on “Green Marketing” opportunities.
While some are better than others, in most cases, these efforts seem to amount to a lot of lip-service and patronizing ad speak rather than full fledged programs that really promote and support recycling.
Here’s what I’ve uncovered so far, see what you think: Read more
Boulder Seniors Have Many Assisted Living Options
As both Baby Boomers and the ’silent generation’ find themselves in their senior years and planning to find living solutions to cover their needs we can turn to many different communities in the Boulder County area.
Sometimes people get stuck on the notion that moving from your home to an assisted-living, independent-living or nursing home essentially means you lose independence. That’s not necessarily the case. Read more
Ways To Create Home Networks
It’s time to think about losing that rat’s nest of cables and let your wired, or better yet some think, wireless network grow with your home electronics.
With the proliferation of new home gadgets and home entertainment options, connecting all your systems has become more important that ever. Not to mention more confusing. Networking companies are offering new technologies, both wired and wireless, to help address the issue. Read more
Energy Tune Your Home With An Audit
Few people know that energy audits have been around for years and years. Typically through utility companies and sometimes for free. They often consisted of eyeball-only inspections that noted basic problems like the need for more attic insulation but didn’t go much farther than that.
Today, with energy costs escalating at an exponential rate, and with a more common awareness in homeowners that it’s just plain bad to waste, thorough and professional energy audits are becoming commonplace. Read more
How To Read Your Real Estate LISTING Contract
The Listing Contract, otherwise officially known as the Exclusive Right-Right-To-Sell Listing Contract, is the document you’ll use when you hire the Realtor you choose to help you market and sell your home in Colorado. As I work in the Boulder real estate market representing both buyers and sellers I’m required to use this and other commission approved forms. It’s always a great idea to understand your real estate contracts and documents.
The Colorado Real Estate Commission has a number of approved forms that they require all Realtors to use. The first of these documents that comes into play for sellers is the listing contract. The main thing to keep in mind Read more
How To Understand Your Real Estate Contracts
One of the simplest and most straight forward pieces of advice I can give anyone in the process of buying or selling real estate is to read the documents and ask questions. In Colorado, the contracts and the majority of supporting documents Realtors use to manage the sale and closing of a real estate transaction have a common thread; they are typically all forms that are standardized and approved for use by the Colorado Real Estate Commission.
One reason that’s good for you as a buyer or seller is that you can look at the completed form and easily see the difference between the Read more
Tips On Selling Your Home
Don’t just take my word for it. A recent Wall Street Journal suggests that homeowners should actually do maintenance on an ongoing basis to ensure that you might get full value and a quicker sale when it’s time to sell.
I firmly agree and I’ve seen many sellers scrambling to get caught up on ‘deferred maintenance’ just prior to marketing their home for sale. How about we call it what it is: “neglect”. Consider a pre-inspection so you know exactly what your home needs. Does your real estate agent offer that for you as a seller? It’s part of the package and paid for by me for all of my sellers. Read more
Join My Inner Circle of Friends!
I want to remind you about my Inner Circle of Friends.
I hope that you’ll come join today and receive the great benefits, offers and invitations others are already taking advantage of now.
Some of you have already joined and have received the benefits of my relationships with local business owners and community members. Recently members have received two of my Special Reports; which you can also get immediately via email when you join. I’ve secured for my Inner Circle Members a free 7 day family membership to the award-winning Lakeshore Athletic Club and Waves Spa, a free lunch/dinner offer at the highly rated Dolan’s Restaurant in central Boulder, and a free housecleaning (BOGO offer) from First Impressions Cleaning.
Besides dining, health and entertainment I’m working now to secure more homeowner related offers for such things as Radon Testing, Window Cleaning, Home Repairs, and perhaps even a special offer for a home energy audit or home energy rating.
When you join, you’ll get EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to Read more
Your Home “Green”? Think Again!
Just because you have a relatively new home, doesn’t mean you little piece of Boulder real estate heaven is as green as you might believe.
One of the commonly overlooked areas in home construction is not just insulation but air sealing.
During a recent meeting with Steve Byers from EnergyLogic, he discussed with me the problems associated with being too focused on only the insulation and ignoring the problem of air leakage. Read more
What’s Hot for 2008: Seven Trends To Watch For
1. Take a cue from high-end homes.
Luxury homes showcase the latest in floor plans, appliances and décor. Check out your local tour of homes or visit some open houses in new construction neighborhoods. Living spaces like mudrooms and home offices are all the rage; formal living rooms are not.
2. Stick with your style.
Many experts agree that Read more
New Year’s Day: Boulder Real Estate Booming
Boulder real estate continues to be a strong investment as many of us watching the local market can attest to and I’m thinking that 2008 will be one of the best years we’ve had in a long while.
Local economists have been predicting that the Boulder real estate market and local economy and job growth will repeat numbers we saw back in the banner year of 2001.
I’m a realist for certain and I’m a firm believer in finding Read more
Bathroom And Kitchen Renovations Improve Value of Boulder Real Estate
Your Boulder real estate will undoubtedly appreciate but why not improve that appreciation potential and enjoy the benefits of a nicer kitchen or bath for the duration of your stay in your new home?
Often homeowners, particularly those that purchased an older house, may be less than thrilled with their kitchen or bathrooms. Yet, some new homeowners are tentative to start major projects right away. If you have the available money or financing, you might want to consider tackling these remodeling projects sooner rather than later.
This Boulder Realtor has long felt Read more
Now This Boulder Realtor is ‘Green’ and this Caught his eye
As a Boulder Realtor I thought it made sense to get my Eco Broker certification. I did it and now everything looks green. Kind of weird considering it’s cold and snowy out there.
Allstate Insurance has rolled out a new ‘Green’ program where they donate money from your policy premium to offset the your carbon footprint and a few other things. Read more
Choosing Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling
The average home spends about $1,900 annually on energy bills.
Heating and cooling accounts for as much as half of a home’s energy use. The EPA provides important recommendations for energy-efficient equipment, including proper sizing, quality installation and maintenance, and other home improvement considerations to help you get the most out of the heating and cooling products you purchase, save energy, and save as much as 20% annually on your total energy costs.
You may want to consider making a change to your Boulder real estate if: Read more
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If you're thinking about buying or selling Boulder real estate or you just want more information, about relocating to the Boulder area call me today!
(303) 520-0070
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