The barbecue to benefit the Roice-Hurst Humane Society was a huge success. Not only did we sell a bunch of hotdogs, but we managed to find a new home for one very lucky dog. Not bad for four hour event! Thanks again to Ace Hardware in Clifton(next to City Market). They supplied all the hotdogs, buns, and soda. We were then able to sell the hotdogs for a donation and let me tell you there are some generous folks in Clifton. I, also, need to thank the men at the grill. It was a warm day, a hot job, and they smiled the entire time. I've included some pictures of our day. 08/11/2008

This is a summary of July's Real Estate Market Statistics, for more detailed statistics check out the following graphs. The Summary for July 2008 looks like this - 1,721 active listings(homes for sale), 287 homes sold, and the average days on the market(DOM) is 172. July and June were very similiar in the number of transactions(homes sold) this month. However, there was a very slight increase in July. The average price of homes sold this month went up by $305. You can see the graphs at http://www.grandjunctionrealestateblog.com/ . 08/11/2008

Yes, they are down. According to the local paper, the building permits are down by 50%, and that is a significant decline. Part of the reason is due to tougher lending practices. In Mesa County, a majority of our builders are smaller and self-employed. Therefore, the lenders aren't lending them the money to build their next home until the home they are currently building is under contract or sold. The lenders do this in order to reduce their risk. Another reason is a number of builders decided to build larger more expensive homes and now those homes are sitting on the market longer than planned, partly due to the tougher lending practices. Not as many people can afford to buy those nice expensive homes. However, there are a lot of homes out there for sale and it is a great time to find ... 08/11/2008

Market Statistics for July 27, 2008 - August 02, 2008 According to our local MLS, there are currently 1,728 active residential listings in Grand Junction, 314 homes are under contract, and 79 homes sold last week. They are broken into areas below- City Area - 188 active/5 sold North Area - 268 active/ 14 sold Northeast Area - 182 active/ 11 sold Southeast Area - 169 active/ 8 sold Clifton Area - 90 active / 5 sold Orchard Mesa Area - 182 active / 9 sold Redlands Area - 225 active / 12 sold Fruita Area - 285 active / 13 sold Palisade/East Orchard Mesa Area - 66 active / 2 sold Northwest Area - 29 active / 0 sold West Area - 44 active / 0 sold Whitewater - 39 active / 0 sold The Different Neighborhoods in Mesa County - This is a general guide to the different areas 08/06/2008

That sure makes it sound worse than the actual numbers suggest. It is true that foreclosures are up over last year. A local article is saying that we had a 21% increase over last year, however I think that it is important to look at the numbers. Mesa County had a total of 242 foreclosed homes in the first two quarters versus 191 for the same period last year. Compared to other cities in Colorado and in the U.S., we are doing pretty good especially for a community our size. Mesa Co. foreclosures outpace statewide increase - Local Article 08/06/2008

There will be a barbecue to benefit the Roice-Hurst Humane Society this weekend, August 9th, from 11-3 at Ace Hardware in Clifton. Some of the folks from our office are working with Ace Hardware to make this event happen. All proceeds from this barbecue will be donated to Roice-Hurst. Non-monetory donations will be accepted, as well. The following are some of the items they need: Purina Cat and Dog Food Wet Cat and Dog Food Cat Litter Old Blankets and Towels  If you would like to make a donation, but are unable to join us at the barbecue, we are accepting donations at the front desk of Monument GMAC Real Estate (on the corner of Patterson and 28 1/4 Road). Ask for Lyndsy. Also, it you would like to help out at the barbecue send me an email. 08/06/2008

As a Realtor, on a regular basis, I'm asked about how well certain schools are performing. This is a tough question to answer as every school has good and bad points. However, there is a state-wide test (CSAP) and the results were recently released. I will include a link to the results below along with a link to the school accountability report. Please note that private school results aren't included. 2008 School District #51, Mesa County, CSAP results - Broken down by school and subject School Accountability Report for School District #51, Mesa County Charter School Exceeds State Averages - This charter school isn't part of school district #51, but is sponsored by the state. 07/30/2008

The answer to that question is going to be different for each individual. There are a few factors to consider before investing in a rental. As a general rule, lenders are going to require that you have some money to put down on your investment. A rental can provide some tax breaks and write-offs, an accountant can tell you the different ways you might benefit. In the end it comes down to the bottom line, how much return will you see from your investment? It is important to know what your expenses will be. Your expenses included mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, any utilities you might pay, management fees(if you chose to have a company manage your building), any HOA dues, times of vacancy, and other miscellaneous expenses. There are different ways you can see a return. You can break e... 07/24/2008

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that the lenders have tightened their standards. Although, there are still ways to qualify for 100% financing it isn't as easy as it was a year ago. I always suggest that talking to a lender should be your first step in buying a home. Once you and I know where you stand, we know exactly how to proceed in order to find you the best and most house for your money. One of the most important factors is your FICO (credit) score. Do you know your FICO score? How do you stack up and what does it mean? If you are unsure I would recommend that you check out the following websites. myFICO - This website is recommended by Suze Orman. For a small price you can find out what your FICO score is and if needed how to improve it. CreditBloggers, Where do you rank... ... 07/24/2008

This is a summary of June's Real Estate Market Statistics, for more detailed statistics check out the following graphs. The Summary for June 2008 looks like this - 1336 active listings(homes for sale), 282 homes sold, and the average days on the market(DOM) is 120. There was a slight decrease in sales last month. Although, in the $500,000-$750,000 price range there was a notable increase in sold homes. There was a slight decrease in the number of transactions(homes sold) this month. This month was similar to April's as fas as transactions. The median price of homes sold this month went up by$18,889. Part of this is due to the increase of sales in the $500,000-$750,000 price range. You can see the graphs at http://www.grandjunctionrealestateblog.com/ . 07/11/2008

No. Not Really. What do you define as a lot? We have seen an increase in foreclosures in Mesa County, but not even close to the amount the national media is making it out to be. I recently read this http://kevinwade.blogspot.com/2008/06/foreclosures-its-going-to-be-okay.html and found it very interesting that just 4 states accounted for more than half of the country's foreclosure activity. You might find the following links interesting: For more homes currently in the foreclosure process, in Mesa County - Mesa County Assessors Office, Public Trustee Forbes article - Smart ways to Profit from Foreclosures 06/20/2008

This is a summary of May's Real Estate Market Statistics, for more detailed statistics check out the graphs at http://grandjunctionrealestate.blogspot.com. Please note, there is a substantial difference in inventory and days on the market for homes priced over $500,000. The Summary for May 2008 looks like this - 1345 active listings(homes for sale), 337 homes sold, and the average days on the market(DOM) is 113. There was a slight increase in sales last month. Most noticeably, in the $200,000-$300,000 price range. There has been a steady increase in the number of transactions(homes sold) each month, since January. The median price of homes sold this month went down by $17,156. 06/12/2008

The US Housing Housing Market Index, from Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, has Ranked Grand Junction Colorado at #2 for Home appreciation in the last year. Our homes went up by 9.08% this year. We did come in behind Thibodaux, Louisiana, they had a whopping 11.22% for home appreciation this year. Coming in the top 6 were #3-Wenatchee, WA, #4-Austin-Round Rock, TX, #5 Billings, MT, and #6 Provo, UT. As a whole, the state of Colorado came in at #23 with 2.29% increase this year, 1% this quarter, and 18.22% over the last 5 years. The big picture for Grand Junction real estate looks like this, .14% increase this quarter, and over the last 5 years a 64.42% increase. Grand Junction was listed as #3 last quarter. Our office has been watching this closely. We had a slower winter ... 05/23/2008

Grand Junction is a beautiful town! It is a treasure to those of us who visit and live here. Once someone has been to Grand Junction they don't soon forget it.  There is always an enjoyable story to be told and they tell it with a smile.   Just click on any of the following links to learn more about the Grand Junction area- Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau City of Grand Junction City of Fruita Palisade Chamber of Commerce Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce Mesa State College Mesa County School District 51, Public Schools K-12 The Daily Sentinel, a local newspaper 05/23/2008

Every year, since I was seven, come Memorial Weekend I knew where I was going to be, at the JUCO National World Series Baseball Tournament. This tournament goes all week long with the championship game on Saturday. I enjoy watching good baseball, in fact, when I was in high school, I would ditch school just to go watch the games. I wasn't the only kid there either. Once I had my drivers license, if my younger siblings found out I was going they would beg me to pick them up form school. It got to the point that my mom would just write a note so our absences were excused. The school district eventually changed the school schedule so that schools get out the week before JUCO starts. I don't know if it had anything to do with the missing students, but I'm sure there are less kids missing th... 05/22/2008

There is an old wives tale about the Swan's neck. The saying goes that once the Swan's Neck has broke it is safe to plant your garden, because there won't be another freeze. The Swan's neck is part of a swan shape that forms once it has snowed on the Grand Mesa. The Grand Mesa is to the east of Grand Junction, it takes about 45 minutes drive there, is known as the world's largest flat top mountain, and the elevation is 10,000-11,000 feet. You can read more about the Grand Mesa in this article. From Grand Junction looking at the Mesa, the swan sits close to the top on the right hand side of the mountain. During the winter it is very easy to spot. Due to an above average snow fall and the colder temperatures we had, it has taken the swans neck longer than usual to break this year. Althoug... 05/21/2008

I find the following market statistics for the Grand Junction area very interesting. The average price of homes has increased, but our volume is down a bit. I'm sure these are directly related. One big change compared to last year at this time is how many months of inventory we have. Last year at this time under under $100-$500 was closer to 45 days. Things have slowed down compared to last year, but compared to the rest of the nation we are doing pretty good. 05/15/2008

The most important thing to do is de-clutter. Paint should be very neutral. As a real estate agent it is a very hard, to tell a client, to get their Teddy Bear collection off the bed and take the moose heads down. Everyone has a different idea, about what is good decoration. No clutter, no knick-knacks, no eye catching anything, would be a good rule for a seller to follow. A buyer wants to move mentally in the house. The buyer cannot move in if there are many visual distractions. As a Realtor of 25 years I myself, catch myself looking at the stuff, not the house. If I am distracted, after seeing 1000's of homes, think about the First Time Home Buyer! Clean and clutter free is the key. Think House Beautiful! Less is better!Elizabeth BirminghamEB Realty www.AskforElizabeth.comwww.Realtyin... 04/02/2008

Welcome to Grand Junction, ColoradoThere is an old Ute Indian "curse" that says that once you live in the grand valley area, you can never leave for good. If you leave, you will always return. I believe it must be true, but I don't think it is a "curse", I consider it more of a "blessing". After spending most of my adult life in Grand Junction, my husbands' work took us to the Denver and Phoenix areas for a few years. Now we are back in Grand Junction. This time for good. Here are just a few things I love about the area: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIESThere is a wide variety of places to go and things to do in the valley. The natural beauty of the surrounding area still enchants me after all these years. THE GRAND MESA NATIONAL FOREST  This is a view of the Grand Mesa from my back yard in Palisade,I... 07/06/2007