Tag: Fort Collins Real Estate

How Northern Colorado Towns Were Named

Have you ever wondered How Northern Colorado Towns Were Named? Keep
reading to learn about the history of Fort Collins, Loveland, and Windsor.

How Northern Colorado Towns Were Named, Fort Collins

Fort Collins ColoradoFort Collins owes its name to a man by the name of Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins. Collins was a naive of Ohio who came to Colorado when his cavalry was sent to the Overland Trail area in approximately 1862. He was the commander of the cavalry and set up a fort near the present day LaPorte. The fort became known as Camp Collins. In 1864 after many problems such as starvation and altercations with the Native Americans the camp was moved to where Fort Collins is today. By 1867 the military camp dissipated and Collins went home to Ohio. But many settlers began calling the area Fort Collins. It was established as a town in 1873.

So…how did Loveland get its name?

Loveland Sculpture ParkLoveland was named after another William. William Austin Hamilton Loveland was President of the railroad company Colorado Central. As was common in 1877 William Loveland was responsible for reaching agreements with land owners for the railroad to continue to be built across land. David Barnes gave permission for the railroad to continue through his wheat field. Barnes soon after decided that he would build a town around the railroad. After Barnes and Loveland became friends Barnes decided to name the town Loveland. Loveland did not settle in the town named after him, he went on to live in Golden, later moved to Denver where he lived until his death.

How about how Windsor was named?

American Widgeon Duck Fort Collins

Mr J.L. Hilton built a ranch on the land where the town of Windsor is today. On the ranch Hilton had an Inn for travelers. The travelers like to stay at the Inn because it was midway between Fort Collins and Greeley. That is a distance that is easily traveled today, but not in the 1800’s. Travelers started calling the place the “half way house.” This was certainly not a good name for a town. It was officially named Windsor in 1890. It was named after the Rev. Samuel Asa Windsor, a pastor that would occasionally conduct services in the town.

So that is How Northern Colorado Towns Were Named. If you are interested in the history of the area or just want to know what it is like to live here, contact us. We can provide you with a personalized tour of the region.

How Will an HOA Impact My New Home

HOA’s (Home Owners Associations) impact us all.  If you live in a neighborhood with one you are affected and if you are looking for a house to buy and the home you like is in an HOA you are affected.  What are the pros and cons of HOA’s?  Lets first cover some cons.

Cons:

  1. Will an HOA impact my new HomeThey cost you money. If you are a buyer and looking to buy a home in a neighborhood with an HOA that cost per month will affect your ability to qualify for a loan. What you get for the amount that it costs you may or may not be important to you. Make sure you know what you get for that monthly cost.
  2. They may affect your ability to use the home and the property in the manner in which you wanted to use it. For example, you may have wanted to park your new boat in your driveway.  The HOA may not let you.  Or perhaps you have three, large dogs…the HOA may limit the number of animals and the size of animals that you are allowed to have.

Pros:

  1. Homeowners Association Pro and ConWhen you live in an HOA the homes there maintain a more uniform and overall nicer look. Some would say that they maintain a higher property value because of this. You do not have to worry about your neighbor painting their home bright pink and you have to live with it.
  2. Depending on the services that are provided by the HOA, you may not have to maintain the exterior of your home. You also may not have to shovel snow or maintain your yard. Doesn’t that sound nice?
  3. You may also have your hazard insurance covered by the HOA. If that is the case you can be saving money on insurance only having to pay to insure personal belongings and the interior.  If you were to think a total loss, insurance would pay for appliances, cabinets etc.

HOA’s provide services and keep the neighborhood consistent and have some control over how you live and use your property.  Some people are OK with that, others are not.  HOA’s do cost you money.  Make sure that you understand the services that are offered and what they cost before you consider a home in an HOA. As always Contact Us with any questions you may have.

Real Estate Photography

Horrible Real Estate PhotoWe see it almost every day, a great house in a great location with amazing features. Unfortunately, the listing is ruined because the listing agent went through and took pictures with their cell phone. Sometimes this nets hilarious results. Yet it is always disappointing to know that the seller hired someone to list their home. Someone who didn’t take the marketing of the property seriously. There is an oft heard remark in our real estate market that all you need to do is list a property. Put it on the MLS and it will sell. However, not properly representing a house can result in it selling for below market value.

IMG_1981A picture is worth a thousand words

Our MLS system allows us to add up to 40 images for each listed property. That is 40,000 additional words forming statements about your property, and its value. When we list a home we utilize professional quality photography to display your property in the best but also realistic light. We also don’t over edit photos to generate interest by misrepresenting your property.

The Right Equipment

Real Estate CameraOur marketing photographs are taken using a wide angle lens on a professional DSLR camera. We happen to prefer Canon. We utilize a tripod to insure that we are able to use long exposure times while keeping the image razor sharp. This means that we don’t have to crank up the ISO on the camera’s settings. Using a high ISO leads to a grainy texture in images which degrades the image quality. This is especially true when viewed in a full screen context online. We shoot in camera RAW to insure that we are capturing the most information. This means  we have the most leeway when it comes time to post process the images before uploading them to your listing.

IMG_1990Time to Edit

We have spent countless hours perfecting a suite of Lightroom presets. These allow us to correct images in post processing. It also insures that each image in the photo deck is colored and contrasted almost identically to all the other photos in your home marketing. This means when perspective buyers click through to view each aspect of your home there aren’t jarring color or lighting changes. They can focus on your property. Moreover, they won’t be distracted by the editing choices of the photographer.

At The End of the Day

All of this means that when your house is posted to the MLS and then sent out via IDX to hundreds of home websites potential buyers are able to see it in the best light. Using professional photography is the best way to market your property. This generates interest better than any other communication method. It is attention to detail like this that makes us the best real estate agents in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Let us know when you are ready for us to begin the marketing process for your house by Contacting Us.

Should I Sell My Home Myself?

FSBOSome property owners decide to sell their homes themselves to save money on commission. In the real estate world we call this a For Sale By Owner, or FSBO for short.  Do you really end up with more money in your pocket when you sell your home yourself?  According to NAR, National Association of Realtors, the median price of a home sold by a real estate agent last year was $280,000. The median sale price for a “for sale by owner” was $200,000.  So these homeowners could have sold their home for more money. They certainly would have less hassle if they used an agent.

So what are the benefits, other than more money, to working with an agent.

  1. An agent knows the market and can help a seller to set a price for their home that will attract the most buyers.  More buyers means a shorter time period to an offer.
  2. Agent know who to reach out to today’s buyers using up to date marketing and old fashioned marketing that works.
  3. Agents can help with staging advice and refer you to the right service providers so that you home is prepared to excite buyers once they see your home.
  4. An agent can make recommendations to a seller one what improvements might be needed that will pay off in a higher sale price for the home.

Bottom line, Realtors® are professionals that regularly sell homes. Should I Sell My Home Myself? Most homeowners do not have the knowledge to best represent themselves and look out for their best interest in the sale of their home. It is a complicated process and you don’t want to find yourself selling for less than you could. Contact us for help in your next real estate transaction.

How Is The Real Estate Market?

So, How is the real estate market? That is a very important question to have the answer to if you are considering stepping into the market after things open back up the end of April.  This is good information to know whether you are a buyer or a seller. Remember that the real estate market varies place to place. 

Some parts of the country will be affected more by this Pandemic than others. 

In Colorado on 4/10/2020 real estate was deemed non-essential.  It took Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) several days to get clarification from the Colorado Attorney General on what that meant.  Additionally, we learned on 4/14 that we were not to have open houses or show property. Realtors were allowed to have walk throughs of properties already under contract and manage the sale of a property. 

Moving Forward

What has happened over the course of the past few days is that realtors are providing clients with as much information, photos, virtual tours, 3-D tours and disclosures on properties so that they would feel comfortable writing an offer on a property sight unseen.  Once the contract had been negotiated and accepted then the buyer and agent could see the property and do a walk through.  For the two buyers that I wrote contracts for using this method, both are moving through the process to closing.  Only surprises at walk through were happy, good surprises.

What is the market like right now for our area?  I have been tracking two numbers for the six weeks and would like to show you how those two numbers have been changing.  I have been tracking new listings on the market and under contracts in Fort Collins and Loveland area.  For the week starting March 8th and going to the 14th and every week after that I will show you those two numbers.

Current Market 2020

  • Week 1 New listings    3/8 – 3/14     129                       Under Contracts      75
  • 2nd Week New           3/15 – 3/21    122                       U/C                            68
  • 3rd Week New             3/21 – 3/28    106                      U/C                            57
  • 4th Week New            3/29 – 4/4     130                      U/C                            46
  • 5th Week New             4/5 – 4/11      109                      U/C                            39
  • 6th Week New            4/12 – 4/18    59                        U/C                            59

This information shows that even after the Attorney General ordered that real estate was non-essential that real estate was happening.  Additionally, houses were being listed for sale and going under contract. The number of homes coming on the market has been pretty steadily declining.  The number of homes going under contract has been going down with the exception of last week. 

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Looking Ahead

One of the big questions now is what will happen after the “Stay at Home” order is lifted.  I think that real estate will bounce back.  Whether that bounce is a V shape graph, rebounding quickly or a U shape graph, with us rebounding more slowly we will have to wait and see.  I believe that housing will rebound.  We live in Fort Collins, Colorado.  One of the most desirable places to live.  People have spent more time in their homes in the last six weeks than many of them ever have. 

Many may have decided that “home” is not for them.  Moreover, that means they are ready to move.  Many have said that we have pend up demand out there.  I have talked to lenders that have told me that they are busy as can be with buyers getting pre-approved.  Additionally, they want to be ready when the “Stay at Home” order is lifted. This is good news for us all.  So how is the real estate market? Time will tell…but I think that the future of real estate is bright! Contact us for a personalized market analysis of your property.