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Home Values and Sales Surprise in October
The entire region had a pretty surprising turn around in October as both home values and sales had positive movement. These closings were the result of homes that went under contract in late august, through early October - many of these buyers were able to take advantage of the very, very brief period where interest rates dropped staggeringly close to the 6% range, which have since rebounded closer towards 7%. Across the board, sales were up, and prices popped up nicely too. Last month was make or break for this market, and it appears that the health of the market will be deemed by this real estate doctor as "fair". It will be a pretty lackluster Winter as demand and listings *should* seasonally recede. For buyers: your opportunity lies in picking up homes that have been lingering...
morePrices Remain Steady Across the Region
September, in my opinion, was a make or break kind of month for the Northern Colorado real estate market. The market has been pretty transitional for the last several months, building up inventory, waiting on interest rates, waiting for buyers to enter the market, waiting for "better" news, etc. For the ones who have been in the market - good for you! It hasn't been as easy as it used to be, but if you're working with an experienced and flexible Realtor, chances are you made it through just fine. The world may never go back to low interest rates for buyers, or insane demand for sellers, but we're in a much more balanced market, which allows both sides to play fair. It does take quite a bit more finesse, but it is completely doable with the right partner on your side. It still be...
moreMarkets Hover as Rates Head Downwards
August was neither fantastic nor poor, there was "adequate" energy in the market, but nothing overwhelming. July was, after all was said and done, a pretty poor month for the market in terms of sales, so it was good to see a bit of a positive bump as we head further into the back half of the year. A huge positive has been a move in the interest rates, down to the low 6%'s (as of this post) that wasn't felt in August, but will certainly help to get some mortgage applications going. It will be an interesting 8 weeks in the real estate world as low(er) mortgage rates will potentially help some fence-sitting buyers enter the market, where inventory is still increasing. Buyers will have more choices, and with better buying power, can potentially make more advantageous moves. Let's not...
moreMixed Signals in 3 Major Markets In July
July is often a huge question mark in Northern Colorado real estate. Typically, we do see some kind of a slump, but it often comes in varying degrees. Most times it is perceptible for a few weeks. Other times, it can feel like the sky is falling. This year, it has felt a bit more like the sky is falling. We have our typical slump due to families taking their family vacations and the bulk of the selling season energy was swallowed up in April, May and June. An additional wrinkle that we are facing in the market is that there is finally some definitive hope for interest rate reductions in coming months. We did see a pretty major drop in the first week of August, in anticipation of the fed meetings in September. Whether it is our traditional July slump, or buyers pulling out and...
more138 E 8th Street, Loveland CO - FOR SALE - $915,000
Welcome to 138 E 8th Street in Loveland, just steps from downtown Loveland. There are two incredible homes on this property, a completely renovated 1900's era bungalow and a lofted ADU built in 2016. The property is low maintenance and allows for a variety of uses for a smart and savvy buyer:
- Multi-Generational
- 2 Family Compound
- Live In One, Rent the Other
- Rent Both - Short Term (AirBNB or VRBO) or Long Term
These homes are walkable to everything that downtown Loveland has to offer: restaurants, grocery stores, breweries, entertainment venues, schools, churches and so much more. Click here for a more detailed MLS description.
moreValues and Sales Stay Steady in June
While June is typically a pretty ferocious month in the real estate market, it was actually pretty quiet across Northern Colorado. There were some mixed metrics which should lead one to believe that real estate is very local - some communities may be on fire while others might be struggling. The good news is, no communities in NoCo are struggling. With prices remaining steady (and certainly not declining appreciably), inventory remaining low and interest rates not budging from around the 7% mark, it is hard to gain too much upward momentum. Many sellers (who will become buyers once their home sells) are remaining on the sidelines, not wanting to give up their 3% interest rates.
moreA Big May for NoCo Real Estate
This market has guts! While interest rate relief appears to be coming well into next year, buyers are still very competitive in Northern Colorado, while many more sellers are jumping into the market. It is great to have some energy in the market. While the Loveland/Berthoud market lagged in sales as compared to the rest of the region, prices across the board were up as compared to 2023. I'm excited to see fewer buyers and sellers sitting on the sidelines. I understand fear is a huge factor in decision making, but when buyers and sellers are actually educated and empowered - fear is removed and opportunities can be capitalized on.
moreDo You Have the Right Coverage?
I get it - we all need insurance but do we really understand it? There's health insurance, car insurance, life insurance and of course, home insurance. Usually, insurance is a set it and forget it kind of thing - we get a quote from an agent when we purchase a home, and we just keep paying the premium - set it and forget it. We might occasionally shop around for a better deal, but beware, a better deal might mean coverage that will bite you later. Let's talk about it.
moreHome Values Improve this Spring
As we get further into the year, we are seeing the traditional "energy" in the market as weather warms up, school is drawing to a close and people are on the move, AKA the spring rush. Typically, we see strong inventory and demand for homes through August and into September, but it could also be a quick flood of homes April through June with a less than stellar July and August. Time will tell, but as it stands now, we're in a good and healthy season!
moreReal Estate Market Dissapoints in February
It's still very early in the year, but after 2 months, the real estate market in Northern Colorado is pretty disappointing. Nothing is fundamentally flawed about the state of housing, we are just in the middle of a period with very low energy after several years of nothing but optimism and action. There is nothing wrong with slow and steady, but when there are few homes on the market, it is tough to get excited. Within the next 2-3 weeks, we are likely to see the number of homes pop up as the spring selling season gets started. This could be a very exciting time as we test actual buyer demand.
more2024 Landlord Updates
The Colorado State legislature was busy in 2023 crafting, modifying and updating many of the landlord/tenant rights, roles and responsibilities that all landlords must incorporate into their business practices in 2024. Whether you are an accidental or intentional landlord, here are handful of the most recent updates. As always, consult a real estate attorney to make sure you're protected and working within the law.
moreNew Year, New Hope for NoCo Real Estate
The Northern Colorado real estate market is off to a bumpy start in the new year. The problem with digesting or predicting stats in the first year of the month is that the sample size is way to small to really make any kind of big prognostications - we have very little inventory, so every sale (or lack thereof) can skew the figures quite a bit. What we're left with after the first month of 2024 is a pretty wobbly region - Fort Collins outperforms, Greeley/Evans maintains and Loveland under performs. It won't be this way for the entire year.
moreTough Times May Be Behind Us
WE DID IT! We made it through the most uncertain, difficult and stressful real estate years in the last decade. Let's also remember it was very difficult and uncertain in 2020. It was beyond stressful for homebuyers in 2020, 2021, and 2022. It was terrible for almost everyone in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Often times, we are so myopic when it comes to "tough", "stressful" and "unprecedented" markets, that we fail to remember that we all made it through something similar just a few years back, only this time the variables and players are a bit different. We can always count on a changing and evolving market. That's why I'm employed! I live through the good and the bad every day so that you can make sense of the market and trends when it is your time to buy or sell. And, for what...
moreSales Struggle in November, Prices Dip Slightly
As expected, the Northern Colorado real estate market had a pretty dreadful November, mainly the result of peak interest rates in the late September/October timeframe. It's a complicated time being a homebuyer, unless you take a leap of faith on the right home, and hope that the interest rates will begin to come back down. Some buyers are seeing this as an opportunity to pick up properties without ANY competition. Across the region, with waning demand, buyers are now seeing about a 3% reduction off of list price on average. If you're dipping your to into the market, understand this could be an amazing opportunity. Interest rates are already down 1% from their peak just 6 weeks ago, prices are off their highs and you have much, much less competition. The next 2-4 months might be the...
morePrices Hover As Good News May Be On the Horizon
The homes that closed in October were the result of contracts written in mid August through September when interest rates were accelerating towards the peak of about 7.8%. Even with the highest rates since the year 2000, there was still a "reasonable" amount of activity in Northern Colorado given the climate and rates appear to be stalling and potentially dropping in the new year. Sales are still down between 20-30% even with a bit more inventory than typical, however, much of that inventory is has been picked over and is sitting. In a unique market like this, it can be both difficult to sell a home, while also difficult to buy a home. It takes deep market awareness, patience and strategy to put the pieces together on either side. Working with an experienced real estate...
moreReal Estate Prices Hold Firm, Inventory Ticks Up
The warm summer months are officially over as we head into fall. Typically, fall is a time where inventory begins to drop off and much of the buyer demand cools off since there are fewer homes to tour. The fall of 2023 is a bit of an anomaly, which is to be expected since the majority of the year has been an anomaly - with interest rates keeping buyer demand at bay. We are actually seeing an uptick in inventory when it typically declines - this is 100% a result of lingering listings that have been on the market for months. Something has got to give - either rates or prices and it doesn't appear that rates will be falling anytime soon.
moreInventory Increases as Demand Wanes
The tide is definitely (and finally) shifting after higher and ever increasing interest rates keep pummeling the Northern Colorado real estate market. The action isn't some fast paced, furious back and forth, rather a slow and creeping standstill tug-o-war. Sellers are finally starting to feel the pain of fewer and fewer buyers in the market. It used to be you would put your home on the market and get a flood of buyers. Now that is reduced to a trickle. Not to be forgotten, buyers are feeling the pain too. Home prices are remaining generally steady (give or take a few percent here and there) while rates continue to increase, nearing 7.5% for exceptionally well qualified borrowers. Buyers have to commit to a high payment, with hopes that rates will recede once inflation is...
moreMixed Signals for Northern Colorado Real Estate
We have reached the midpoint of the Summer and typically, this is when the market is at it's maximum volume, but this year, things seem pretty muted and honestly, a bit disappointing. While rates seem to have peaked, they are still perceptibly "too high" for many cash strapped buyers. Affordability in Northern Colorado has been a major concern over the last decade, but it has only really hit home when the cost to borrow has increased exponentially within the last year. All things being equal, Northern Colorado has weathered the interest rate storm fairly well, as prices are still holding strong - at least in Larimer County.
moreInventory Increases (Finally) In Northern Colorado
School is out and folks are on the move in the late Spring in Northern Colorado. Northern Colorado has been long suffering from lack of available inventory, which was making it even more difficult on buyers. Higher rates, more competition and lack of quality, move in ready homes have put a damper on sales this spring. Although the amount of homes available have ticked up nicely in May, it is still not the perfect market for both buyers or sellers to do what they need to do, so many are deciding to do nothing. My advice: the market is what you make of it - it will never be perfect. The rewards come to those to are active rather than sitting on the sidelines. Work with a professional who can help educate you on the market and one who will navigate through the bumps and hurdles you...
moreNoCo Sales Drop, Prices Hold Firm
This time of year is really the point in the real estate cycle where we begin to understand how things will play out for the remainder of the year. As it stands now, our inventory has jumped up quite a bit from March into April (a welcome sign for homebuyers) but there are no appreciable signs of any major improvements to the Northern Colorado real estate market at this stage in the game. Inventory is still struggling - sellers are still holding back, probably due to concerns on finding a replacement property while rates are in the mid 6% range, with no signs of improving, unfortunately. The economic pressure of higher rates has still not brought values down much in Northern Colorado, simply because inventory shortages are keeping buyers somewhat competitive, where houses are...
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