Pretty daunting statistics for anyone looking to sell their property. However all is not gloom and doom. In Broomfield the number of homes sold in the first quarter was up 16%.

Some local realtors are recommending caution but are not without optimism. They say the phones have started ringing a little more often and many calleras have questions about the market and what the professionals see happening.

Of course many people still are hesitant to make any kind of decision because things are still so unsettled in the economy. People are not only losing jobs but those who are still employed are taking cuts in pay.

It will certainly be interesting for all of us to see what this next quarter brings. Spring typically means a boost in business for  a lot of us. Let’s hope that is true in 2009!

One thing to consider is setting the stage. Remember you are not just selling a house, you are selling a home. Some of the tips realtors recommend are putting fresh flowers in some of the rooms. Don’t overdue it but make it look natural. Scents are also very important. Sense memory is one of the strongest. It may seem corny but baking a pie or cookies or even having some pot pourri bubbling on the stove can really make an impression when someone comes through the door.

The other thing to thing about is making sure your yard looks good. The windows are sparkling, the gutters are clean, the weeds are pulled.  Curb appeal is extremely important especially in a down market.

We have some great professionals in our Consumer Services Guide that can help you with all of your spring clean-up needs. Check us out online or in print!

To this end we have partnered with the online real estate site Zillow.com.  Zillow is a relatively new site but has already moved up to be the number to homes for sale website.

Through our partnership with Zillow we have several options to offer you. You can run a featured listing on Zillow for a full thirty days for only $20.  A featured listing means your property moves up to the top of a list when potential buyers are searching for property.

One of the concerns we hear about Zillow is regarding estimated property value that appears on the site. Zillow calls this a “zestimate” and there are several places on the site that lets potential buyers know that it is only an estimate and does not reflect the actual price.

Please call one of our real estate professionals today and let us help you market your properties.

Susan Lind 303-473-1452

Kelly Hendershot 303-473-1171

Vickie Lane 303-473-1376

We’ve sent out letters and emails to most of you and called a lot of you, too. We would really like to talk to you about the opportunities we have and we welcome your feedback.

To that end we have invited Mark Eamer, the Director of Business Development at Zillow to come to the Camera to speak with us and as many of you that would like to join us.

On Monday, February 16th, we are hosting a luncheon from 12:30 to 2:30 or you can join us from drinks and appetizers from 3:00 to 5:30 . Both events will take place at the Camera office at 1048 Pearl S, Boulder. We will even pay for parking at the City of Boulder parking garage on Walnut next to the St. Julien.

Please RSVP to any of the Real Estate Team:

Kelly Hendershot 303-473-1171, hendershotk@dailycamera.com

Susan Lind 303-473-1452, linds@dailycamera.com

Julie Smith 303-473-1451, smithj@dailycamera.com

Vickie Lane 303-473-1376, lanev@dailycamera.com

So what are the alternatives to no money and bad TV? What do we do for fun? I think it is time to get creative. There are so many things to do that or low cost or even no cost. I think we’ve gotten so used to entertainment being provided for us that we’ve forgotten how to find it on our own.

The average cost of an adult movie ticket after 5pm is $10-$12. Of course off hours are cheaper. For around $20 you can get unlimited movie rentals from Netflix and Blockbuster for a month. You can now rent $1 movies at grocery stores and fast food places. Or you can visit your local library. Most libraries have large numbers of movies for rent.

Libraries also have lots of books. You can borrow them for free. I come from a big family of readers and I grew up in a tiny town. We didn’t have a library but every couple of weeks we’d pile into the car and drive the 70 miles (round trip) to the county library. We’d all check out the maximum ten books and be entertained for days. You can also read all of the current issues of most major magazines at the library for free!

Another thing to do is have a family game evening. They are many, many games out there that are fun for a  broad range of ages. Most of us have board games tucked away in the closet. Bring out some of the games we played as kids and see how your children enjoy them. (I really wish I still had my old Mystery date game!) Not only can it be a huge amount of fun, but it is good quality family time.

If you can’t afford to eat out get creative in the kitchen. There are lots of fun, festive meals that you can make on a budget. Get everyone involved. We used to make won tons and since we had a large family we would have to set up an assembly line to make enough. It was always fun.

Even though the weather has been cold and not so conducive to outdoor activities there are still lots of things to do. Build a snowman with your kids or make some snow angels. Kids really love to see their parents acting like kids! If it’s cold and you can’t stay out long go back in and make hot chocolate.

If nothing else comes from these trying times hopefully we will be able to get back to some basics. We can do things as a family. It’s not feasible to drop the kids off at the mall with some cash so have a family home evening. Have a game night. If nothing else drag out the family videos. Life is short. Don’t spend money, spend time like the valuable resource it is.

Bonfils Blood Center

Today is January 15th. Middle of the month. Two weeks past New Year’s when most of us, whether we admit it or not, have made some kind of resolutions for the coming year.

Studies show that eighty percent of us make the same resolutions year after year. Some studies claim that at least ninety-two percent of all resolutions will not be kept. Not very good statistics for those of us who have vowed to lose weight or quit smoking or live more responsibly!

One thing I think we should all consider is helping others. Even in the best of times this is important and, as we are all too well aware – these are not the best of times. I know it feels like there’s not much you can do and most of us don’t have extra money to donate right now, but there are things that don’t cost anything but a little time.

One of the best things I think we can do is give blood. Talk about a gift. Quite literally, it is the gift of life. You can go to any center and give, and in this area Bonfils Blood Center had nine community donor centers.  You can also organize a blood drive at your business or church or for your organization. Bonfils will come to you!

Here at the Camera and Colorado Daily we are having a blood drive. I would like to issue a challenge to all of you to do the same. Let’s have some friendly competion for a very worthy cause.

Each week Bonfils Blood Center needs more than 4,000 donors to meet the needs of needs of the community and to prepare for emegencies. Step up and help them out.

If you’ve finally come to terms with the end of the season, the year and the holiday cheer, but still haven’t recycled your Christmas tree you can still do so.  If you go to Colorado Recycles you will find a statewide, county by county information base for recycling your tree. What did we do before the Internet?

There are other  options to consider. Some areas offer curbside pickup. There may be some restrictions on size and whether or not the tree is flocked. All ornaments must be removed. Some non-profits offer a pickup service. The boy scouts pick up trees in some states. They usually ask for a nominal donation. If you do take a tree to a recycling center most places will take up to two, so help out a neighbor or older person who might not be able to do it on their own.

If none of these solutions work, and you don’t have a handy wood chipper in the garage, cut the tree into workable pieces and put it in with your yard waste. Or turn it into a bird feeder and sanctuary. Put it in the backyard with some popcorn and fresh orange slices and the birds will flock to it. Make sure that all decorations and tinsel are removed. Eventually the tree will become so dry and brittle you can break it up by hand.

Remember that you should never burn your tree in the fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils. Burning the tree may add to the creosote buildup in the chimney greatly increasing the risk of a chimney fire.

Lastly be responsible. Don’t dump your tree on the roadside, your neighbors yard, open space or any other place you think of. Last weekend I was heading home and I saw a man coming from Sterling Court dragging a tree. He crossed Valmont, tossed the tree over the railing by the ditch at the corner of Kings Ridge and Valmont and then turned and walked away. I can’t imagine what he was thinking!

As I got further into the article I realized that it was a serious topic. I didn’t know that so many people felt a need to get their dogs drunk. Why? Dogs are the most loving, trusting creatures on earth. They do not deserve to be treated badly. Would you wish a hangover on your best friend. No!!! Drink responsibly yourself and take good care of your friends, canine and human.

As we head into the new year we can only hope that the market will be good for both property managers and realtors. For myself, and the rest of the real estate team here, we would like to extend our thanks for your continued business. We also want you to know we are here to help you.  Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can best help you. If there are things you would like to see us do better or just differently we welcome your feedback.

We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership with all of you in 2009! Happy New Year!

In the latter half of my life Christmas Eve has become a time of reflection for me.
I like to sit back and think about the past year and all that happened and what, if anything,  it all meant to me.  This year I’m not so sure I want to look back at 2008.  A lot happened and most of it wasn’t so great. This year I think I will only look forward and hope for a better new year for all.

As Maxine would say “Christmas is just plain weird. What other time do you sit in front of a dead tree in the living room and eat candy out of yours socks?”

Best wishes and Happy Holidays to all!!!