New Telluride Colorado Real Estate Resource Now Online

A new Telluride, Colorado real estate website from leading area brokerage Village Real Estate, LLC has just gone online. The new site offers a wide array of features for homebuyers and sellers looking for in-depth, up-to-date information on the real estate market in the region.

Telluride, Colorado (PRWEB) January 10, 2012

Village Real Estate, LLC, one of the most prominentTelluride, Colorado real estate brokerages, recently announced the launch of their new website, TellurideVillageRealEstate.com. A new resource for homebuyers and sellers in the area, the site serves as a window into the diverse and dynamic real estate market of the Telluride region.

“We built our site because we wanted to provide online users with a reliable and easily accessible guide to the Telluride and Mountain Village real estate market,” says Jean Vatter, Village Real Estate’s managing broker. “Most homebuyers get their information from the internet these days, but we all know that not everything we find online is accurate or up-to-date—and when you’re dealing with something as important as a real estate sale or purchase, you definitely want to have access to information you can trust.”

“Through our new site, we hope that anyone interested in properties in the area—whether it’s a ski-in/ski-out condo, a golf course home or fractional real estate—will gain a better understanding of what’s available here,” adds Janice Gerona, another member of the five-broker team that is Village Real Estate. “We have a particular expertise in Fairmont Heritage Place, Colorado real estate and we can tell you more about the various real estate and lifestyle options in The Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge.”

The team’s new site not only boasts extensive information about Franz Klammer Lodge, it also has a fully customizable property search tool, detailed listings of their own featured properties, real estate news updates and more. It also offers access to their monthly newsletter, which provides insights on the region’s real estate market and what life is like in Mountain Village and Telluride.

For more information on currently available properties and to learn more about the services of Village Real Estate, LLC, visit their site at TellurideVillageRealEstate.com or schedule a consultation with the team today.

December Real Estate Data Show Positive Signs

December 2011 statistics released by theNorthwest Multiple Listing Service offer positive signs for a gradual rebound of the housing market. Many factors have contributed to the positive outlook expressed by many industry leaders.

Even with the all-time low interest rates, buyers have been skeptical about venturing into the market. However, many areas are not only seeing an upsurge in sales, but also multiple offers in some price ranges. This is likely due to a mix of new laws that help homeowners delay or prevent foreclosure, new financing options, faster acceptance by many lenders on offers on short sales, hiring by companies such as Boeing, and shrinking inventory.

However, the overall sales price is down 11.8 percent and distressed properties still account for one third of the sales.

O.B. Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate, stated in an article of the Northwest Reporter that he believes the market has undergone a shift.

"Where we've been during the past year is a place of transition. It has been a slow recovery, but the housing market has finally turned a corner, albeit a soft one with some bumps along the way," he said.

While December statistics offer hope for a transition into a better market, we are still facing an uphill battle in a volatile economy. Only time will tell if the decrease in inventory is the result of sellers waiting until after the holidays to list their homes or if sellers are frustrated by the decrease in home values and deciding to wait. The volume of distressed properties must decrease to stop the downward flow of property values.

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service figures for King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, there has been an overall 20 percent increase in pending sales. Last month's pending volume exceeded the number of new listings (4,604) for the second consecutive month. The last time such an imbalance occurred was November 2006. 

Closed sales also outgained year-ago totals. December's completed transactions were up 7 percent from twelve months ago, rising from 4,430 closings to 4,741.

King County saw new listings for the month of December fall from 1,891 in 2010 to 1,552 in 2011. Total year new listings dropped 7,000 from 45,182 to 36,198. Pending sales were up 8 percent over the year. Closed sales were up 10 percent but prices fell 9 percent.

New construction starts in 2011 dipped 1,000 below 2010 numbers with an average listing price decreased 9.5 percent.

On the Eastside, inventory fell 24 percent. Pending sales are up 8 percent and closed sales are up 12 percent from last year’s figures. Market time decreased by 10 percent to 95 days. The median list price fell 4 percent but closed sale price dipped an additional 7 percent. Condominiums followed a close pattern.

This all bodes well for the housing market, but only a continuation of these results will bring certainty to the market. Statistics are released on a monthly schedule. In the coming months we can chart those statistics and hopefully see a consistent gradual improvement.

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Joan Probala is the managing broker for Issaquah Windermere and has 30 years of experience in real estate, construction and sales. She is president-elect (2012) of the Seattle King County Association of Realtors.

What To Do When Your Home Isn't Selling

When you sell your home, the process is almost like going to a job interview.  Selling a home involves presentation, which is one of the key factors that determine the outcome.  Although this may sound a bit weird, presentation is a way of life in the world of real estate.  Buyers in today’s market look for good presentation – many basing their final decisions on it.

If the property you are selling comes with a garage, you’ll need to go through your garage before you sell your home.  Chances are that you store things in your garage, which can easily pile up over time before you realize it.  If your garage is in a messy condition, you’ll obviously want to clean it up.  Buyers look for homes that are in perfect condition, and anything less than perfect will look bad in the eyes of the buyer.

Most homes have some truly outstanding features inside of them.  You should always do your best to highlight the best features of your home, instead of just hoping that the buyer understands what they are.  The ideal way to bring out the best features of your home is to use the proper lighting.  If your home is clean, you can use lighting to bring out the best features in your home, and ensure that they stand out to the buyer.

When a potential buyer first pulls up to your home; the first thing he will see is your lawn.  If your lawn is trimmed and well taken care of, he will get a good impression right off the bat. If your lawn is a wreck, he may immediately pull away.  To give the best impression to the buyer, you should put some thought into how things look.  You can always plant flowers around the walkway and throughout the yard, which will look great to a potential buyer.

You should also make sure that the entrance into your home is a positive as well.  The front door should be in great shape, as well as the entry area into the home.  You can add some plants, paintings, and rugs to ensure that your buyer gets a good impression.  When the buyer walks through the entry way into your home, you should make sure that the view he or she takes in is a good on.  Your biggest goal when showing your home is to ensure that the buyer is pleased.

Keep in mind that it may take some time to sell your home.  These days, homes can sit on the market for months at a time before they actually sell.  If you are having trouble selling your home, you can always reduce the price or simply go back to the basics.  Eventually you will sell your home – although it may take more time than you think.

Tips For Buying Your First Home

For a first time home buyer, the process can get quite overwhelming, giving you the feeling that the financial decisions are rapidly spinning out of control.  When it comes to real estate, most people don’t have a lot of experience or know a lot about it.  In all actuality, buying a home is actually a simple process.  All you need to do is understand the basics, which will go a long way in helping you buy your very first home.

The first thing you should know is to avoid pre payment penalties at all costs.  What this means, is that if you buy the home then later want to sell it before the balance of your mortgage is due, you’ll have to pay a penalty.  You can find a variety of great loans that don’t include these types of penalties.  If you find a loan that does include pre payment penalties, you should immediately turn it down and look for another loan.

You should also be on the lookout for good ARM’s.  If you have a good ARM, then your interest rate and monthly payment will adjust at the exact same time.  This will make sure that your interest doesn’t affect your monthly payment.  If your interest rate does affect your payment, then you will notice the unpaid interest reflecting the overall amount of your loan balance.

You’ll also want to get pre approved for your house as well.  This lets the seller know that you are serious about buying, and will normally work in your favor to give an edge - which is especially handy if there are several others interested in purchasing the home.  Getting pre approved will also save you a lot of time as well.  If you can’t get approved for a loan, you shouldn’t waste your time inspecting it, trying to get a good interest rate, or negotiating with the seller for your ideal price.

Before you purchase a home, you should always be aware of how much you can afford.  Before you attempt to purchase a home, you should always go over your budget and figure out how much money you can spend on a mortgage payment.  If you manage your money smart and know your finances, this shouldn’t take you hardly any time at all.  On the other hand, if you don’t know your finances, this will take you a long time indeed.

If you’ve already purchase your first home, you should always avoid taking any type of home equity loan.  These loans can be very tempting when you get in an emergency and need cash, although most home equity loans add up to more than the value of your home.  You should never, under any circumstances take a home equity loan, as there are many other ways that you can clear up your personal problems without having to jeopardize your home.

Keep in mind that the above are just a few basic tips and that there are many other things you’ll need to know before you buy your very first house.  You’ll need to be familiar with private mortgage insurance, special loan programs, fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgage, and several other things.  Buying a home is an easy process, once you know a bit about it.  If you familiarize yourself with buying a home and learn all that you can about what is involved, you’ll find the home buying process to be easier than you ever thought possible.