Yesterday we attended the grand opening for Lennar's new community at Sorrel Ranch in Aurora, Colorado.  They are featuring their Inaugural Collection with new homes starting in the $270's.  Skip Wilcox and Rod Dutcher greeted everyone with a warm smile and a handshake (except me - I get hugs). There were a large number of Realtors there to preview the homes.  We saw lots of familiar faces, especially members of the Aurora Board of Realtors. Lennar had a nice spread with their freshly bakes Otis cookies and a nice spread from Qdoba Mexican Food (one of my favorites).  Everyone dropped business cards in the drawing bucket in hopes of having their card drawn for a $50 Visa gift cards.  To my surprise, they called me last night to tell me that I was one of three winners.  What a deal! Free... 01/14/2011

You have found the home that you want to buy. You were able to pick your Realtor. You were able to choose your mortgage lender. So why can't you pick your own appraiser? HVCC (Home Valuation Code of Conduct) This was made active in May, 2009. The idea behind HVCC is to remove any influence on the appraiser to provide a specific value. This allows a property to be appraised for what the current market condition actually is. It is not dependent on the loan amount or by how much cash out a borrower is trying to get. The hope with this program is that it will help to stabilize the market prices of homes and eliminate more home being "under water" (owing more than what they are worth. In the past, some appraisers were influenced by a mortgage lender lender to get a certain value to make the ... 01/13/2011

Kick your bad habit day! What is your bad habit? We all have a few. Many of us don't even realize we have it until it is pointed out to us. Here is a quick list of the top bad habits out there. See, you are not alone!   Bad Hygiene Habits   Burping. Picking your nose. Passing gas. Not picking up after yourself and acting like a slob. Biting your fingernails.     Nasty Public Habits Exaggerating your stories at parties. Putting your feet on the furniture. Taking forever to get to the point in a conversation. Making embarrassing, humiliating, or degrading remarks about others in public. Reading emails or texting while talking to someone. Do any of those apply to you? Or do you have others that are not listed here. There are plenty of ways to try to break a bad habit. Start with trying to ... 01/12/2011

Blackstone Country Club in Aurora, Colorado had a great event this morning.  Together with Lennar Homes, Ryland Homes and Homes by Falcon, Blackstone put on a very nice event. It started with a continental breakfast and networking opportunity.  Next we had a free seminar conducted by Outsource Locally on the benefits of using Facebook for social media marketing.  Megan at Outsource gave us lots of great advice and tips about how to get more out of our facebook experience. Dale Honning, professional photographer, was there to offer professional headshots for those of us who needed to update our images as well as virtual tours.  Dale may be the newest memeber to ActiveRain as soon as I send him an invite.  He did a great job.  We will see tomorrow when I post my new mugshot on AR for all ... 01/12/2011

Today was the Realtor day at Blackstone Country Club.  We had the opportunity to view many of the model homes in the neighborhood.  One builder who has a very impressive product is Homes by Falcon.  We met with Darrell Schmidt of Falcon and took a tour of his spec home located at 27406 E Jamison Circle.  =This two story with a walkout basement is on the tenth fairway of Blackstone golf course.  This four bedroom home offers 3,667 finished square feet and has a gorgeous main floor master bedroom suite complete with fireplace.  The entry is done in tumbled marble and offers a gas log fireplace as well.  Since it was another snowy day in Colorado, the golf course is a little hard to make out, but trust me, it is there.  This home is offered at $699,500 and is completely finished and ready ... 01/12/2011

National clean off your desk day Look at that mess. You have files everywhere. You have phone numbers written down on sticky notes. Random facts and figures with no idea of where they belong. TIME TO CLEAN IT UP!!! Welcome to Nation Clean Off Your Desk Day! The one day a year put aside to get things in order. It goes well with our start your year off the right way campaign. If you are more organized and know where things are, you can be a lot more effective and productive.  If a client comes in to your office to meet you and sees a nice work area, they are more likely to work with you. You appear to have your act together. If you receive a phone call, imagine how much faster you will be able to answer your client's questions if you are not digging through piles looking for something. So... 01/11/2011

Skip Wilcox of Lennar opens the new Sorrel Ranch community in Aurora, Colorado.  Skip has moved from Lennar Beacon Point to their newest community at Sorrel Ranch.  Skip began his real estate career in 1971 before joining Lennar Homes in 2001 where he was a new home consultant at Heritage Eagle Bend, Saddle Rock, Castle Pines North and then Beacon Point.  Skip is very excited to launch the new community at Sorrel Ranch.   Lennar will be hosting a Realtor grand opening this Thursday,  January 13th from 12:00 until 1:30.  This is a great opportunity for Realtors to talk with the sales staff at Sorrell Ranch and take a look at the great models and community. Sorrel Ranch features the Inaugural Collection with homes ranging in size from 1,446 to 2,214 square feet with a price range of $277... 01/11/2011

We all like going to the movies. It is even better when we can go for free. It is even better than that when we can go to an early preview of an upcoming mpvie. This movie is already generating Oscar hype. Come check it out and see it for free!       Click on the movie poster to get a free pass for two to a screening of Blue Valentine at the Mayan Theatre, tonight. Perfect night to bundle up and head to a movie! Here's how it works. Print out the voucher, show up early as this is first come, first served, enjoy. Please read the voucher for details. Get your ticket and we will see you all there!     01/10/2011

Happy Monday! Here is a list of great fun things to do around town this week. If you have somethinf that we missed, let me know!  01/10/2011 - PITCHAPALOOZA: The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: PITCHAPALOOZA is the American Idol for books. Bring your book pitch to a panel of judges consisting of Book Doctors Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry plus guest industry insiders and local authors. You get a minute for your pitch before the judges critique everything from idea to style to marketplace potential and much more. The judges pick a winner who will receive a detailed consultation from Eckstut and Sterry tailored to his or her book. The winner receives a personal introduction from Eckstut and Sterry to a literary agent perfect for their pitch. Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm C... 01/10/2011

Scams # 2. Pls   read enclosed    for more info details. sincerely yours.   ATTN MY GOOD FRIEND I AM MR. PAT ANOSIKE A SENIOR STAFF WITH THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN). I WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP YOU GET YOUR MONEY BY BRINGING OUT PART OF YOUR TOTAL CONTRACT SUM AMOUNTING TO FIVE MILLION US DOLLARS. BUT PLEASE FOR SECURITY REASONS DO NOT TELL ANYBODY THAT YOU HAVE YOUR MONEY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE CASH AT YOUR DOORSTEP. THE MONEY IS IN TWO SECURITY-PROOF BOXES WEIGHING 10KG EACH THAT IS 20KG FOR THE TWO BOXES. WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT YOU MUST COMPENSATE US WITH FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR MONEY. THEREFORE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO RE-CONFIRM THE UNDER LISTED DETAILS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR ONWARD SHIPMENT OF YOUR OVER DUE CONTRACT FUND: YOUR FULL NAME:...... 01/09/2011

Shares your favorite quotes! Your quotes can motivational, inspirational or otherwise! Here are some of my favorite quotes; A happy family is but an earlier heaven.George Bernard Shaw Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.Bill Cosby The wind is a very difficult sound to get. It's always changing. Don Van Vliet Thank you very much for sharing your quotes! Adam 01/09/2011

~ What is the Benefit of signing a Buyer Agency Agreement? ~ Not every state practices Buyer Agency.  We are priviledged here in Colorado to have been practicing Buyer Agency for many years.  When I got my real estate license, almost 18 years ago, Buyer Agency/Representation was already in practice. Before Buyer Agency, all agents worked for the seller.  Buyers did not have representation.  They were purchasing homes believing that the agent they worked with was 'on their side.'  That was not the case.  By signing a Buyer Agency Agreement, you are agreeing to work exclusively with this agent and in return that agent has additional duties beyond the standard duties of an Agent.  A Buyer's Agent has the following additional duties and will represent you by: Promoting your interests with t... 01/09/2011

Universal Letter Writing Week We all love to get a personal note in the mail. A quick note to say "Hi" or a letter from an old friend that brings you up to speed. Who can forget the little notes that Mom used to put in your lunch bag? However, when was the last time you sat down and wrote a letter to someone? A nice, hand-written letter. Not an email or a blog. For me, it's been awhile. So when I came across the Universal Letter Writing week, it made me think of those Christmas letters that I had received. I enjoyed reading them, they brought up great memories and a sense of someone caring about me from afar. All I had sent was a family picture card.  Sure, a card or an email sends your well wishes. But it lacks a sense of personalism.  Sit down on this beautiful Sunday afternoon and wr... 01/09/2011

Learn To Ski Day   Living in Colorado, I love to ski. I am very fortunate to have the slopes a little over an hour away. As I was looking onlione today, I found that today is National Learn to Ski Day! For those of you who want to snowboard, that's ok as well! :) I have included a list of great ski resorts that are near everyone. So, no matter where you live, you can get out and get going. Have an adventure!   WESTERN Alaska California Idaho Nevada Oregon Washington ROCKIES Arizona Colorado Montana New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mid West Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Minnesota Missouri Ohio North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin Mid Atlantic Alabama Georgia Maryland New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia EASTERN Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New Y... 01/08/2011

It is that time again - The National western Stock show has returned to Denver! It is running from January 8, 2011 through January 23, 2011 and is located at the National western Complex. For directions, click here.   As always the National Western Stock show has a great long list of events. There is something for everyone here. From horses to cattle to dog shows. And don't forget the rodeo! This year there will be Bull riding and bronc busting and of course the rodeo clowns. The National Western Stockshow will also be featuring a great Wild West show this year. Are you interested in art? Come check out the art exhibits.and choose your masterpiece for your home. If you like shopping or are looking for that special gift for someone, There is the Trade show. You can find everything from h... 01/06/2011

National Financial Wellness Month What a better way to start the new year than celebrate National Financial wellness Month? This is a great time to come up with a plan to get your family's financial goals in order. Do you plan on taking a vacation this year? Plan on buying a new car? Paying off debt? Whatever the goal that you have, start planning now to make it happen. Look at the expenses that your family has. Where can you trim? Do you have an account set up to put money in every payday towards your goal? If not, start today!!! Go down to your bank and open a small savings account. Many banks will offer you incentives to open an account. Most importantly, stick to your plan. You don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to come up with the money that you need for your vacation. ... 01/05/2011

Lennar's Adonea Community in Aurora, Colorado offers eight different floor-plans with square footage starting at 1,000 to 2,214.  The price range for these brand new quality homes is from the $180's to the mid $200's.  Adonea currently has many homes ready for you to move in to now.  If you are looking for a ranch style home, Lennar is offering unbelievable prices on two of their "Latte" floor-plans.  These homes are completely finished and offer hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, central air conditioning, 2 car garages and front and back yard landscaping.  All you need is your finishing touches and you can enjoy living in a quality Lennar home tomorrow.  The addresses for these special homes are 25900 E Byers Place and 26030 E Byers Place in Aurora, Colorado and they are pri... 01/04/2011

"Should I pay points to buy down my rate?" This is a question that comes up on most every mortgage transaction. Most folks have heard that points are bad, never pay them. They simply don't know what they are for. Contrary to belief, points are not there simply for the lender to make more money on you. However, if they are not used correctly, they can be costly. First, let me explain what a point is. A point is equal to 1% of your loan amount. In our example, let's use a $200,000 loan. So, a point would be $2,000. A point will be used to lower the interest rate. Sometimes referred to as "buying it down". On average one point will save you about 0.25% - 0/375% on your rate. Next, what needs to be determined is how long will you keep this loan. This is the MOST important question when it c... 01/04/2011

If you are looking for a few fun things to do with the family to start your new year, here is a list of fun things around town this week! If you know of something good that I missed, let me know! 3D Snowflakes Make a large snowflake to hang in your room, after listening to a wintertime tale. Ages 3-11. Reservations required. Held at select Arapahoe County Libraries throughout the month of January. Check the website for details. Date: 01/03/2011 Age: School-Age Kids Price: FREE Location:Select Arapahoe County Libraries Denver, CO Website: http://www.arapahoelibraries.org Geology Family Exploration Day Learn about ice age fossils, help build a mammoth, participate in mining activities, see dirt from Mars and more. Bring your unidentified rocks and mineral to consult with members of the Co... 01/03/2011

~ Baby, It's Cold Outside, I Mean Inside! ~ I went to bed last last.  All was well.  I snuggled into my bed, underneath the electric blanket.  It was a good thing.  This morning when I woke up, my house was a cold 55 degrees!  Yep, you heard me....55 degrees.  Brrrrrr! I layered myself in clothing.  I then went down in the basement to find out the problem.  The igniter wouldn't stay lit.  More money out the door...and it's going to be overtime as well!  Crap!  And now, I have to stay home and wait for the service guy to arrive.  Change of plans.  I will stay at home and continue to work on my taxes. I took Kobi out for a walk.  It was about 34 degrees out.  So when we got home, it actually felt warmer in the house! I turned on my gas fireplace and grabbed a few blankets and went to work... 01/02/2011