From wine-tastings to star-gazing, there’s something for every interest here in the Northern Colorado area!

Continue reading to learn more!

My Recommendations for Fun Area Events to Check Out In May!

Beatles Tribute Band: The Fab 4, a well-known Beatles tribute band, will kick off the fifth annual Art Night Out season on May 18 in Lafayette. This annual series has it all: artists booths, an art walk, a children’s art booth, children’s games, live music, and even a beer garden! It’s fun for the entire family!

• When: 4 to 9 p.m. on May 18
• Where: Festival Plaza, at the corner of South Public Road and Chester Street in Lafayette, Colorado
• Admission: FREE
• More Info: Call 303-665-5588

Wine-Tasting and Silent Auction: The New Hope Cattle Dogs Rescue wine tasting and silent auction has become a popular attraction over the years for Northern Colorado residents. Come enjoy a fine night out with your friends while supporting a good cause!

• When: 6 to 8 p.m. on May 19
• Where: Zoom Room, 2318 W. 17th Avenue in Longmont, CO
• Admission: $15 per person
• More Info: Call 303-834-8665

ZoneStock: Come celebrate music and peace at the annual ZoneStock 2, featuring performances by Air Dubai, Wasteland, Stephen Doherty and more! All proceeds will go to support Crossroad Safehouse, which provides domestic violence services in Larimer County.

• When: 5 to 9 p.m. on May 19
• Where: DP Dough parking lot, 534 South College Avenue in Fort Collins, CO
• Admission: $5 cover, which includes 2 raffle tickets
• More Info: Call 970-224-0202

Star-Gazing in Northern Colorado: Make sure to bring your kids to this event, in which a guide will point out the stars and constellations that provided the names for many Harry Potter characters. During the session, participants will also get a chance to view various objects and the moon through the telescopes. Make sure to dress warmly! No reservations are required.

• When: 8 p.m. on May 24
• Where: Bobcat Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, CO
• Admission: FREE
• More Info: Call  970-221-6515

Buying and Selling Northern Colorado Real Estate

As you can see, a lot of the fun events that go on here in the Larimer County area actually help support some fantastic local causes.

If you end up attending on of these events, let me know what you thought of it!

And if you’re considering buying or selling on the Northern Colorado real estate market anytime soon, make sure to contact me, Jason Humpal.

As an experienced Larimer County area REALTOR, I have experience on such area markets as:

• Loveland, CO
• Greeley, CO
• Platteville, CO
• Wellington, CO
• And others!

Until next time,

Jason

While the median home sales price inched up slightly, the average price per square foot actually decreased!

Continue reading to learn more about recent activity on the Loveland housing market.

Properties for Sale in Loveland, CO

Here’s a summary of recent real estate activity in Loveland, based on data gathered by the website Trulia:

• Currently there are 930 homes for sale in this Larimer County community, including 303 in some stage of the foreclosure process.
• Between January and March, the average price per square foot for homes was $136, down 2.9 percent when compared to the same period last year.
• During that same period, the median sales price was $185,000, based on 286 homes for sale.
• When compared to the same period in 2011, the median home sales price increased by 2.8 percent.
• Meanwhile, the total number of home sales actually decreased by 3.4 percent.
• During the week ending on April 25, the average listing price for Loveland homes was $306,117, down 0.7 percent from the previous week.
• During that previous week, the average listing price was $308,360.
• Here’s how nearby communities compared when it came to median sales price:

Johnstown: $198,587
Milliken: $143,400
Mead: $209,400
Platteville: $165,000
Gilcrest: $95,150
Berthoud: $250,000

• During the week ending on April 25, the median sales price for 2-bedroom Loveland homes was $137,500
• The median sales price for 3-bedroom homes was $179,250
• And the median sales price for 4-bedroom homes was $221,076
• Here’s how nearby communities compared when it came to average listing price:

Johnstown: $253,330
Milliken: $190,990
Mead: $337,743
Platteville:$329,963
Gilcrest: $159,450
Berthoud: $382,911

Relocate to Northern Colorado Today!

As you can see, there are still great deals to be found on the Loveland real estate market.

So if you’ve been considering investing in a piece of Northern Colorado real estate, please contact me, Jason Humpal.

As your Loveland REALTOR, I’ll be happy to tell you about the various residential communities in the area as well as let you know about available listings that meet your criteria.

Feel free to get your home search started right away by checking out some of the pre-defined searches I provide online for free. These tools allow you to:

• Search Loveland homes under $150,000
• Search homes between $150,000 and $200,000
• Search homes between $200,000 and $250,000
• Search homes between $250,000 and $300,000
• And so on!

Until next time,

Jason

That’s because the average price per square foot, the median home sales price and the total number of home sales have all increased during that period.

If you’re considering listing your Northern Colorado home anytime soon, I recommend that you continue reading to learn just how much the market has improved for sellers like you.

More Homes Selling on the Fort Collins Housing Market Lately

Here’s an overview of recent activity on the Fort Collins real estate market:

• Currently there are 1,336 homes for sale, including 296 in some stage of the foreclosure process.
• Between January and March, the average price per square foot for homes was $154, up 7.7 percent when compared to the same time last year.
• Also, the median sales price for homes increased was $217,750, based on 532 sales.
• When compared to the same period in 2011, the median sales price has increased 5.9 percent while the total number of home sales has increased by 0.8 percent.
• Here’s how other Colorado communities compared in terms of median sales price:

Severance: $205,000
Loveland: $185,000
Windsor: $244,800
Timnath: $322,584
Laporte: $167,250
Drake: $167,626

• During the week ending on April 25, the average listing price for Fort Collins homes was $334,509, down 0.7 percent when compared to the week before.
• During that previous week, the average listing price was $336,867.
• Here’s how nearby communities compared when it came to average listing price:

Severance: $352,937
Loveland: $306,117
Windsor: $370,912
Timnath: $388,481
Laporte: $380,243
Drake: $242,773

• During the week ending on April 25, the median sales price for a 1-bedroom Fort Collins home was $117,900.
• The median sales price for a 2-bedroom home was $167,000
• And the median sales price for 3- and 4- -bedroom homes was $215,000 and $255,250 respectively.

I Can Help You Sell Your Fort Collins, CO home for sale

Contact me, Jason Humpal, today to learn about my exclusive Fort Collins marketing plan, which will help you secure a successful outcome on the local housing market.

While you’re at it, you may also consider checking out some of the FREE home selling resources I offer online, including:

• Getting ready to sell
• Neighborhood sold report
• Home evaluation
• And more!

Until next time,

Jason

If so, today’s Northern Colorado real estate blog was written with you in mind!

Before you make an offer on your dream home for sale, I recommend you continue reading to learn about how you can protect yourself with the help of contract contingencies.

Investing in a Home in the Greater Loveland, CO Area

For those of you who don’t know, a contingency is any clause that allows you to bow out of a contract after you’ve already signed it.

Contingencies are a great tool for home buyers because they basically allow you to cancel a contract without any penalties. You even get your earnest money deposit back!

Here are some of the most common contingencies that home buyers include when writing a contract:

• Appraisal. When buyers apply for a loan, they have to give the lender the purchase price. Oftentimes, buyers will be required to get a home appraisal to substantiate that price. If the appraisal comes back considerably lower than the purchase price, a buyer can cancel the contract.
• Loan. With this contingency, a buyer can cancel a contract if they are unable to secure the necessary loan to purchase the home.
• Lead-based Paint. According to federal law, home buyers have 10 days to inspect a home for lead-based paint – an issue that is especially common in homes built before 1978.
• Roof Inspection. If extensive damage or wear/tear is determined, a buyer can cancel the contract.
• Wood Destroying Pest Inspection. Check the contract to see who is responsible for paying for the inspection. The contract also should tell you whether outbuildings or garages are included in that contingency’s coverage.
• Early Occupancy Agreements or Early Buyer Possession. In this instance, the buyer and the seller agree that the buyer can rent the property before the close of escrow.
• Private Well Inspection. This contingency is typically brought up for homes with private wells in place of city water services. The inspection would focus on whether the well’s water meeds standard health codes.
• Sewer Inspection: This inspection is looking for clogged or deteriorated sewer lines.
• Preliminary Title Report. This report will detail such information as easements, monetary liens of record, and more. It will also give the buyer a good idea whether the seller can transfer a clean title to the buyer. Always make sure you order a title policy with this contingency.
• Sale of Current Home. This is a very common contingency in which buyers will not close on the new home until they’ve sold their current home. Typically, sellers give buyers a certain number of days to sell their home before they put their home back on the market for another home buyer.

Investing in Northern Colorado Real Estate

As you can see, home buyers in the area have plenty of contingencies at their disposal to safeguard themselves.

By working with an experienced Northern Colorado REALTOR, you’ll be able to discover which contingencies apply best to your situation.

So contact me, Jason Humpal, if you’re ready to make an offer on a home for sale in the Greater Loveland area.

Haven’t found your dream home yet?

Then consider checking out all of my home-buying resources online, including my easy-to-use search feature, which allows you to:

• Search Loveland homes under $150,000
• Search Loveland homes between $150,000 and $200,000
• Search Loveland homes between $200,000 and $250,000
• And so on!

Until next time,

Jason

Now what?

The truth is, there are several things you should do before you actually list your home in order to ensure a successful outcome on the Fort Collins area real estate market.

Continue reading to learn more!

Do These Things Before Listing Your Fort Collins Home

Here’s a checklist of things that you should do before you ever list your home on the Fort Collins area market:

Beautify your home. The cleaner, prettier, and larger your home looks, the higher the offer price will be. So give your home a makeover by doing such things as trimming your front hedges, cleaning out the gutters, mowing the lawn, and giving the exterior a fresh coat of paint.

Don’t forget to declutterize the inside! Like I said, you want your home in top condition for showings. By cleaning out your closets, basements, attics and more, you’re not only making your home look cleaner, but more spacious as well!

Hire someone to inspect your home. Any potential home buyer you find is already going to want to do this before they close on your home. And if they find an issue, it could kill your deal. So remove the element of surprise by finding any problems with your home and fixing it before the buyer even knows about it.

Develop a strategic marketing plan. Your goal is to reach all home buyers in the immediate area who are looking for a home similar to yours in the same price range. You also want to play up your home’s best assets while downplaying its worst. An experienced Northern Colorado REALTOR can help you effectively strike that balance.

Find and work with a real estate agent you trust. Does this individual have extensive experience selling homes like yours? Do you get the feeling that this individual is being genuine or just telling you what you want to hear? Talk with a Northern Colorado REALTOR in depth before you decide to work with that person.

Determine a price on your home. Setting the right price is crucial to your success as a home seller on the local housing market. An experienced Fort Collins real estate agent can help you determine what that number should be.

Be aware of any major shifts on the local housing market and make changes to your strategy accordingly. While it’s a buyer’s market right now, it’s definitely beginning to shift toward a more balanced market. This may have an impact on what’s the most effective way to market your home. So keep an eye out for major shifts on the market.

Navigating the Northern Colorado Real Estate Market as a Home Seller

I hope you found the above information helpful as a Northern Colorado home seller. 

By properly preparing yourself for the market before you ever enter it, you’ll make the entire real estate transaction process easier for you and your family in the long run.

For more expert advice on home-selling in the greater Fort Collins area, contact me, Jason Humpal.

While you’re at it, be sure to check out some of the helpful resources I offer online, such as :

• Free home evaluation
• Neighborhood sold report
• Selling guide

Until next time,

Jason

Here’s why: If you set you list price too high, you’re more likely to scare off potential home buyers.

If you set it too low, you may sell your home quickly but you may also cheat yourself out of the profit you deserve on your home.

But when you set the right list price, everything seems to fall into place: Your home sells fairly quickly and you walk away with a sales price that you’re happy about.

Continue reading to see how you can determine what the right list price is for your Northern Colorado property.

Properties for Sale in Northern Colorado

As I mentioned before, the most common offense I see home sellers committing on the Loveland area real estate market is setting their list price too high.

They may do this for any number of reasons, including:

• They think they have to set the price high in order to have negotiation room
• They overestimate the value they’ve added to their home through upgrades and modifications.
• They’re trying too recoup some of their expenses because they believe that their original purchase price was too high.

Whatever the reason is, it doesn’t usually end well for the Loveland home seller in questions.

More often than not, here’s what happens when you overprice your Northern Colorado home for sale:

• You fail to attract home buyers who are looking in your home’s price range because you’ve priced your home out of that range.
• You may not receive an offer within the first few weeks of putting your home on the market. This can have detrimental effects on your efforts to sell your home, especially considering that you’re most likely to sell your home during this time period.
• After a few weeks go by, you find that fewer and fewer buyers are touring your home. This may be because they see your home as damaged since it hasn’t sold already.
• After not selling your home for several months, you decide to reduce the price on your home. But you’ve already missed the window of opportunity. Buyers are more attracted to “New Listing” alerts than they are to “Recently Reduced” alerts.
• Your home remains on the market while you’re neighbors’ homes sell. That’s because their homes seem like a bargain when compared to your over-priced home.

Obviously, over-pricing your home is not conducive to a stress-free real estate transaction for home sellers.

But here’s what happens when you work with an experienced Loveland REALTOR to determine the best list price for your home:

• Your home sells fairly quickly and with little effort on your part
• Plenty of REALTORS inquire about your home for their buyers
• A large number of home buyers come to tour your home and those tours turn into purchase offers.
• By the time you close on your home, you realize that your sales price is fairly close – if not identical – to your asking price.

I’ll Help You Sell Your Northern Colorado Home

Hopefully at this point you can see the distinct advantages of setting the right list price on your home.

For expert help on determining what the right list price should be for your home, contact me, Jason Humpal.

I’m an experienced Northern Colorado real estate agent with years of experience and I’ve helped hundred of home owners sell their home in a variety of area communities, including:

• Firestone, CO
• Frederick, CO
• Longmont, CO
• Wellington, CO
• And others!

Until next time,

Jason

As most home sellers know, home buyers will typically schedule a home inspection between the time they make an offer on a home and the time they close on it.

Buyers do this to ensure that they’re not investing in a home with a serious and costly unaddressed problem.

But home sellers need not stress too much about home inspections if they follow certain tips.

Continue reading to learn more!

Pass Your Loveland Home Inspection By Watching for These Things

I always recommend to the Loveland home sellers that I work with to complete a home inspection before a prospective home buyer ever has a chance to.

By doing this, you can locate and fix a possible problem before the buyer even knows about it.

Here are the top things that home buyers will be looking for on an inspection report. Hence, you should be looking out for these things as well:

• Roof Problems: Buyers are very wary of buying a home with roof issues because they know how costly fixing the roof can be. Be prepared to fix the roof if your inspector finds deteriorated shingles or rot underneath the shingles.
• Water issues in the basement or crawlspace. Because of the location of these rooms in your home, they’re more prone to have water control issues. One giveaway for this is the smell of mildew, which signals that it’s too moist in that area. Reduce moisture levels by using plastic to cover exposed ground.
• Mold & Mildew: Buyers dread buying a home with mold and mildew issues – especially since many of them are aware of the health issues connected with them. So make sure you have any growth removed before a potential buyer finds it.
• Leakage Problems: Inspectors will be checking your plumbing systems for any leaks. They’ll also likely check your septic system as well. So make sure that when you hire your own inspector that they look for issues in these areas as well.
• Electrical Problems: Are all the circuit breaker configurations and electrical panels in proper working order? If not, you’ll want to fix them before a buyer comes along.
• Heating and Air Conditioning: These systems can be costly to repair and they can make a home owner miserable if they break at the inopportune time. So make sure they’re working.

While this may seem like a lot of things to check on, the good news is that your contract should specify what’s expected to be in good working order at the time of closing.

Thus, you should use your contract at a reference point when it comes to home inspections.

Selling Your Northern Colorado Home Has Never Been Easier

For more exclusive tips on how to effectively sell your home on the Northern Colorado real estate market, contact me, Jason Humpal.

When you contact me, I’ll be more than happy to discuss with you the exclusive marketing plan I can offer you as well as answer any questions you may have.

To get an idea of just how much I can help you as a home seller, be sure to check out all of the free online home-selling resources I offer, such as:

• Free home evaluation
• Getting ready to sell
• Neighborhood sold report

Until next time,

Jason

Today I’d like to tell you about the pros and cons of first-time home buyer loans.

While these types of loans get a lot of publicity for being the answer to every first time home buyer’s dreams, there are some drawbacks to using these types of loans.

Continue reading to learn more!

Northern Colorado Properties for Sale

For those of you who don’t know already, first-time home buyer loans are those loans that provide financial assistance to qualified buyers by using such methods as:

• Forgive loans
• Defer Paymnets
• Zero to no down payments
• Subsidized interest costs
• Grants

Typically, those who get first-time home buyer loans fall into two categories:

• They’ve never owned a home before
• They haven’t owned a home in more than three years.

While first-time home loans have helped a great many buyers get a home, they aren’t without drawbacks.

For one thing, many of these loans come with very specific restrictions, such as:

• The borrower is prohibited from buying a home in certain price ranges
• The borrower is prohibited from renting space in the home to a third party.
• The borrower is required to buy a home that meets certain physical requirements.
• The borrower must make the home in question their primary residence.

These restrictions create unique disadvantages associated with first-time loans:

• Borrowers are limited in the type of home they can buy
• Borrowers are not eligible for certain program benefits should they decide to sell their home too soon.
• Borrowers may be limited to the type of loan they can get
• Borrowers may have to pay recapture taxes in order to claim some of the benefits associated with first-time home buyer loans.

As I’ve said before, first-time home buyer loans can certainly be advantageous for those who could not own a home otherwise.

But oftentimes, it’s more advantageous to get a traditional loan.

Helping You Through Every Phase of the Northern Colorado Home Buying Process

Determining which home loan is best for you can be a complicated process. That’s why it helps to work with an experienced Northern Colorado REALTOR like me, Jason Humpal.

Whether you’re buying a home in Loveland, Fort Collins, Berthoud, Greeley,Johnstown or elsewhere in Northern Colorado, I can help you find your dream home.

Contact me today to see how!

While you’re at it, be sure to check out some of the free home-buying resources I offer online, such as:

• Understanding the inspection process
• Mortgage pre-qualification
• Buying guide 
• And more!

Until next time,
Jason

For instance, even though the average list price has decreased over the last couple of weeks, the median sales price has actually increased year-over-year.

Continue reading to learn more about this developing trend on the Fort Collins real estate market as well as many others!

Northern Colorado Homes for Sale in Fort Collins

Here’s a brief summary of recent market activity in the Northern Colorado community of Fort Collins, based on the real estate website Trulia:

• Currently there are 1,248 homes for sale on the market, including 311 in some stage of the foreclosure process.
• Between December and February, the average price per square foot for Fort Collins homes was $153, up 5.5 percent when compared year-over-year.
• During that same period, the median sales price for homes was $215,000, up 2.4 percent when compared to the same period a year ago.
• In 2011, the median sales price was $210,000.
• During the week ending on March 28, the median sales price for 1-bedroom Fort Collins homes was $116,950
• The median sales price for 2-bedroom homes was $170,000
• And the median sales price for 3- and 4- bedroom homes was $209,939 and $244,700 respectively.
• Here’s how other Colorado communities compared in terms of median sales price:

Severance: $211,000
Loveland: $189,000
Windsor: $239,900
Timnath: $317,648
Laporte: $185,500
Drake: $185,000

• During the week ending on March 28, the average listing price for Fort Collins homes for sale was $339,345, down 0.3 percent when compared to the week before.
• During that previous week, the average listing price was $340,455.
• Here’s how other Colorado communities stacked up when it came to average listing price:

Severance: $326,671
Loveland: $313,559
Windsor: $374,918
Timnath: $364,001
Laporte: $371,472
Drake: $233,707

Your Fort Collins Real Estate Expert

As you can see, Northern Colorado home sellers are making some gains on the Fort Collins, CO real estate market.

To learn how you can get the most out of the Fort Collins housing market as a home seller, contact me, Jason Humpal, today.

When you contact me, I’ll be more than happy to provide you with my expert advice on the most effective way to market your Fort Collins home as well as answer any questions you may have.

Until next time,

Jason

Below, you’ll find just a brief sampling of all the fantastic community events going on this month.

If you get a chance to make it out to one of these events, please let me know what you think of it!

Fun Community Events to Check Out in Northern Colorado in April

Les Miserables in Concert: Experience this classic play alongside your children at The Armory at Brighton Cultural Center. This concert version was created in 1995 to celebrate the play’s 10th anniversary.

• When: 7 p.m. on April 26
• Where: The Armory at Brighton Cultural Center, 300 Strong Street in Brighton, CO
• Admission: $10 online, $12 at the door
• More Info: Call  303-655-2026

Jazz Festival Concert: Come enjoy the musical stylings of the UNC Jazz Band with Brian Lynch, Robin Eubanks, Billy Pierce and others!

• When: April 21
• Where: Monfort Concert Hall, 701 10th Avenue in Greeley, CO
• Admission: Prices vary
• More Info: Call 356-5000

Bicycle Film Fest: Now in its second year, this event is an eclectic mix of mountain biking and rock and roll. This year, the event will feature a panel discussion about how bikes improve the environment as well as a Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race.

• When: 6 to 10 p.m. on April 17
• Where: Dickens Opera House
• Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for Child. Prices at the door increase to 15 for adults and $7 for children.

Social Dance: Experience the fun that is social dancing during this dance lesson hosted by Gravity Dance Productions.

• When: 7 to 11:30 p.m. on April 21
• Where: Millennium Harvest House Boulder, 1345 28th Street in Boulder, CO
• Admission: FREE
• More Info: Call

Invest in a Northern Colorado Home for Sale Today!

If you’ve been thinking about relocating to the Northern Colorado real estate market recently, then I recommend you contact me, Jason Humpal.

I’ve been helping buyers find their dream Northern Colorado home for years and I can help you as well!

You can even get your home search process started immediately by checking out my online tools, which allow you search for Northern Colorado homes by price range.

Until next time,

Jason