I had a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) assignment to complete in Golden, Colorado last weekend. When I left Louisville, (5300 ft. elevation) it was approx. 34 degrees and starting to snow. I headed up through Golden Gate Canyon State park, where there was a lot of snow already on the ground. By the time reached the BPO subject house, it was approx. 26 degrees and snowing steadily. On the way back, i stopped in Central city (gambling town) and enjoyed a $7 prime rib dinner. I proceeded to lose $40 at the slot machines. All in all, a good day for real estate and enjoying the Colorado mountains. Here are a few pictures from the trip. http://tinyurl.com/5pcutz  or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-O5g9O6DV8   (You may have to copy this link and paste into your browser window)   12/07/2008

This is one of the reasons why we love living in Louisville, Colorado!   It seemed like the  whole town showed up for our parade of lights, held in downtown Louisville.    We had marching bands, scout troops, dance clubs, local merchants, the fire department with Santa riding on top of the ladder truck, great fun! The weather favored us with 45 degree weather and no breeze.  Just cold enough to remind one that it is winter here, but not so cold as to dampen the festivities.   Here are a couple of videos from tonights fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNGU9drGdYc   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW3jugV7jzc   12/05/2008

  Foreclosure Help in Colorado 1-877-601-HELP If you or someone you know are having trouble making house payments, or are facing a foreclosure situation, HELP is available. The Colorado Foreclosure Hotline can be reached at 1-877-601-HOPE (4673). This is a FREE counseling line provided by the State of Colorado's Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce to help residents who are in need. A highly trained team of counselors is available to offer guidance and help. If you are not late on your payments, but feel you may be in the near future, this is a good place to start to seek acvice on how to handle the situation. If you are behind on your payments and are not sure what to do, call the hotline. If you  have received a notice of foreclosure for your property, it might not be too late. If you are... 12/05/2008

  Interested in Denver Foreclosure Investing?  Hop on the bus and let us show you the best in Denver Foreclosed homes!   Saturday December 13, 2008 9-1pm. Motivated sellers coming together with bargain-hunting buyers is a “once in a lifetime event,” says Rob Kelly, Realtor with RE/MAX Alliance real estate , and organizer of the Denver Foreclosure Tour. “First-time buyers, investors, contractors, or just people with vision, are all perfect matches for these sellers.” On Saturday December 13, 2008 from 9-1 PM, Mr. Kelly is taking a bus load of prospective buyers to view 6-8 homes in Thornton, Northglenn and Westminster, CO.  These cities are "bedroom" communities located within a 20 minute commute of Denver, Colorado. International Interest...from Japan! Our first tour on November 15th wa... 12/05/2008

Here is an interesting story by John Rebchook with the Rocky Mountain news:   Colorado is doing a bit better then the rest of the country, at least in terms of being late on their mortgages.  Granted, it's not great news, but it's a step in the right direction. The percentage of homeowners in Colorado who are two months behind on their mortgages is almost 15 percent lower than the national average, according to a new national report. In Colorado, 3.38 percent of the homeowners were behind in payments during the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. That compared with 3.96 percent nationally, a 14.6 percent difference, according to the report released Monday by Chicago-based TransUnion LLC, a credit reporting agency. You can read the whole Rocky Mountain news story here: http://tinyurl.co... 12/05/2008

Here is a bit of bright news to end the week:   Colorado Foreclosures have dropped 14% since 2007.  Looks to be a variety of factors, from a change in our foreclosure law, to support from foreclosure counseling services, to an increase in Short Sales.   This mirrors what we are seeing in the sub $200k inventory market.  Our MLS inventory is actually at a 2-3 month supply in many neighborhoods.  Hopefully this will contribute to a recovery in early spring.   You can read the whole story by John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain news if you follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/6mowle 12/05/2008

  We just got our holiday tree put together, the girls had a great time decorating it...I always worry about having a "real" tree, especially after it's been up for a few weeks in our traditional low humidity Colorado air.   Here are a few helpful tips that we are following, better to take a little time now and make sure your home is safe for the holidays, Rob Kelly   CSA’s Top Twelve Tips for Holiday Home Safety 1. Going out? Lights out! Always turn off holiday lights when you leave the house unattended or when going to bed. 2. Don’t be dismayed, but discard the frayed. Carefully inspect holiday light strings each year and discard any frayed cords, cracked lamp holders or loose connections. When replacing bulbs, unplug the light string and be sure to match voltage and wattage to the or... 12/03/2008

Holiday Events Home For The HolidaysOn Public Road In Old Town Lafayette I wanted to send an invitation to everyone for a free event next Sat. Dec. 6th. from noon-4:00p.m. In Lafayette, 502 So. Public Rd. (Held inside Casa Alvarez and in the parking lot) Children's activities; Create an ornament and stamp a holiday card- FREE! (By, Harmony's A.C.T) Visit Santa; 2p.m. Real reindeer; 2-4p.m. Complimentary hot chocolate and cookies! Colorado Spirit Chorus 11th Annual Holiday Event Come make an eatable wonderland scene out of edible goodies! This years theme is Fairytales. This is for the whole family! $20 per family group. The info on the Louisville Recreation catalog is correct, but was misprinted on my web site, sorry for the confusion. This Sunday Dec. 7th. 5-7p.m. at the Louisville Ar... 11/30/2008

Louisville Cultural Council Coming Events 2008 Young Artists Exhibit Opening Reception: Friday, November 21, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Afternoons: November 29 & 30, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Parade of Lights: Friday, December 5, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Afternoons: December 6 & 7, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Louisville Center for the Arts 801 Grant Avenue FREE LCC and the Louisville Art Association (LAA) are pleased to announce our annual art exhibit featuring gifted young artists from Louisville Schools. Please join us for refreshments during the opening reception Friday November 16, featuring 2 quartets and a small choir from Monarch High School. View over 175 pieces of student artwork selected by Louisville art teachers. Artwork is available for viewing over several weekends in November and December. LCC thanks Gary Guerriero a... 11/29/2008

Both of our children will be marching in the parade this year.   One in Browinies (Girl Scouts), the other in "support" mode, keeping an eye on the younger girls. Enjoy musical entertainment provided by local schools & churches, a living manger, and visits with Santa. The Parade begins at 7:00pm at the end of Main Street and ends on South Street. All floats and entries must have lights. For more information call 303.666.5747. 11/29/2008

This is a big hit each year with our kids!   It's a great little outdoor rink, they have music playing,  cookies, hot chocolate, and even horse drawn carraige rides this year!   Louisville, Colorado-Winter Skate Open til Feb 15! Located at the Steinbaugh Pavilion in Historic Downtown Louisville, WinterSkate is an old-fashioned ice skating rink complete with skate rental, concessions and traditional holiday music. Celebrating its eleventh year as the original outdoor ice skating rink in the community, WinterSkate presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy the winter season in a beautiful small-town setting. Hours of Operation Open seven days a week! Mon–Wed: 2pm–8pm Thu: 2pm–10pm Fri: 12pm–10pm Sat: 10am–10pm Sun: 10am–9pm Hours are subject to change due to inclement weather and/or manage... 11/29/2008

LED Holiday-Lights Exchange Program for Louisville Residents On Sunday, November 30 2008, from 10am - 2pm, Louisville residents can take their old strings of incandescent holiday lights to the Louisville Recreation Center, 900 West Via Appia, and exchange them for Discount Coupons to purchase new sets of LED Holiday Lights at participating Louisville merchants. One (-1-) Discount Coupon will be given per each string of turned-in incandescent holiday lights, up to a maximum of three (-3-) coupons per household. Lights can be the larger C-7/C-9 sets or smaller ‘minilite’ sets. The Discount Coupons allow a $4 discount off the price of any one set of LED holiday lights the customer chooses, from participating Louisville merchants. They include Albertsons, Home Depot, King Soopers, and Walgr... 11/29/2008

A little late for Thanksgiving day, but we had our first real snow of the year.  Started last evening...at first light I shot this picture facing East (towards DIA).  Still pretty mild temps, in the mid 30's, by this afternoon most of the snow has melted from the sunny areas.  The kids took snow cone syrup out around mid day, and made fresh Colorado Snow cones.  And yes, they avoided the yellow ones. 11/29/2008

  November 28,2008-Louisville, CO www.DenverForeclosureTour.com Motivated sellers coming together with bargain-hunting buyers is a “once in a lifetime event,” says Rob Kelly, Realtor with RE/MAX Alliance real estate , and organizer of the Denver Foreclosure Tour. “First-time buyers, investors, contractors, or just people with vision, are all perfect matches for these sellers.” On Saturday December 13, 2008 from 9-1 PM, Mr. Kelly is taking a bus load of prospective buyers to view 6-8 homes in Thornton, Northglenn and Westminster, CO.  These cities are "bedroom" communities located within a 20 minute commute of Denver, Colorado. International Interest...from Japan! Our first tour on November 15th was a big hit, and we have since gathered international attention!  A film crew from NHK (Jap... 11/28/2008

Our community has been excited since learning last spring that Conoco Phillips will be bringing a large R&D and coporate center to Louisville, CO.   While this may be primarily of interest to Boulder County and Colorado residents, some of you may be in areas which will see an out migration of folks who are re-locating to Louisville. Those of us in the Real Estate and related industries are very interested in learning more about this potential influx of home buyers and renters.   The ulimate build out of the Conoco Phillips facilty could be 7000 employees, but that will take some time, probably till 2025.   Here is a quick FAQ from Conoco Phillips on the upcoming move to Louisville, Colorado:   http://www.conocophillips.com/social/energy_tomorrow/louisville/faqs.htm   "Thinking of Real E... 11/25/2008

I'm interested in events that others may be using to promote their brand and business...I thought I would share what we are doing.   Here are a few that we organize and sponsor, targeted to the Real Estate Investor client.  All are fun, relatively low cost,  with generally positive results in attendance and feedback.   Cash Flow 101 game-Primarily geared to the RE investor folks.  We get together at a local bakery once a month and play Robert Kiyosaki's "Cash Flow 101".   it's like monopoly on steroids for adults.  We play for 3 hours, it's a great chance to spend quality time with potential buyers, plus it's fun to play!  Usually, the primary topic is real estate, so you get a 3 hour window to share ideas and get in front of potential clients.   Investor Tag Along-as active investors, ... 11/24/2008

I found this interesting, in tough Real Estate times, raise the fees on folks trying to make a living!   I guess in the big picture, it is probably a good idea, we have a lot of Real Estate "professionals" in our State, many of whom are not actually practicing Brokers.  For you folks out of state, are you seeing  increases in your licensing fees?   Here is the full article if you are interested:   http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/22/real-estate-license-gets-more-expensive/   "Thinking of Real Estate?  Think of Rob!" www.RobKellyColorado.com www.DenverForeclosureTour.com Twitter: @RobKellyCo 11/24/2008

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."George Bernard Shaw   This just popped up on some "quote of the day" service.  Some of them are corny or cliche'd but this is one that resonates with me.   In my adult life, I've always expected postive things to happen to me...with this expectation, I've typically been rewarded with an awesome family, career and income growth.  Not that it's been easy by any stretch, but it reinforces my belief that you "get what you expect".     I've seen the flip side of this, with friends and associates who expect doom in gloom in all aspects of their life and... 11/23/2008

As you may have seen from a previous post, we launched our inaugural Foreclosure Bus Tour last Saturday.  www.DenverForeclosureTour.com if you are interested.   I've been flooded with emails from Active Rain agents and questions from other agents in my office, generally curious about the following:   "How did it go?" "How many people showed up?" and of course, of interest to most of us making a living in this business... "Did you get any buyers?"   From the top...It was awesome!   We had a 32 person bus scheduled, 10 bank owned/HUD homes to see, and a a group of 23 investors/interested parties willing to commit a chunk of their Saturday to tour these homes and spend time with a Realtor (me), Mortgage broker, Attorney, and Home Inspector.  Of these 22 attendees, approx. 10 were "unmet" p... 11/18/2008

Has anyone worked through one of these yet? Thought i'd share this with other active investors and investor focused Agents.   Our goal is to execute one of these, understand how to smoothly and safely conduct a Self Directed IRA investment, and then share this opportunity with our clients.  We are getting a lot of interest from investors who are very displeased with their stock market focused IRA funds. We are under contract for a SFR using our  Self Directed IRA investment, using Entrust New Direction IRA.  http://www.newdirectionira.com/ We've locked up a nice brick ranch style fixer  in Northglenn, CO.   The goal is to rehab and then re-sell this property.   We have a decent re-sell market in this are for home like this in remodeled condition for between $165k-$175k.  Our purchase pr... 11/11/2008