Food for Real Estate Thought(s)

Boulder County Market Data

Blizzards and Snowshoes, the ultimate Cure for Brown Boulder Winter Weekends

Tags

boulder, Chautauqua, Colorado, snow, snow shoeing

OK, I just have to post these pictures. After living in Boulder for almost 19 years, we saw the most breathtaking scenery while snowshoeing in Chautauqua this morning. BOULDER ROCKS!!!!!! Come visit, you may never leave!

The End of a Blizzard and Snow Spaghetti

Tags

blizzard, boulder, denver, patio furniture, snow, Snow storm, snowshoes, spaghetti

It is Saturday morning, February 4 and we are enjoying a wonderful fire, good coffee and gently falling snow. It definitely looks like the end of the storm, and as storms go in Boulder, this one has been great. The snow plows did an amazing job, and for most of the day the main roads were totally clear. Driving was a breeze, because most people avoided it as much as possible.

My office was quiet and cozy, and I was SO productive during the few hours I was there. There is something very freeing and fun in showing up when few others do, wearing sweat pants, Sorels, my favorite “sheep” jacket and a cozy home knit scarf, walking around the empty cubicles while talking loudly on my cell with the speaker on. It does not take much to make me feel like a super star!

A good friend flew in from New Jersey last night and despite all worries about canceled flights, she arrived at the Denver airport ON TIME! It was fun getting calls from other friends wanting to make sure we were ok. When a Colorado storm makes the national news, I am always amazed at how the reality of living here seems so different from the way the news is reported. Makes me wonder about all the other news. But that is for another blog.

Here are some pictures of our wrought iron patio table. I love the snow on top of it, and then when we looked closer, we saw that the weight of the snow started to push “snow spaghetti” through the little holes in the surface. It makes me want to go out and play, it brings out the kid in me, and I love it. So instead of staying in and doing everything on the dreaded to do list, we are going to do some “snow playing”, preferably on snowshoes. Gotta go……

Woohoo, BLIZZARD in Boulder.

The beginning of the February 2012 blizzard. (around 9PM on Thursday, Feb. 2)

This was taken at 9AM on Feb. 3, 2012.... it is still snowing.

And here is the forecast for the next few days! So many things to love about Boulder.

BIFF: The Cure for Brown Winter Weekends in Boulder

This is the time of year where everything in and around Boulder is brown. Unless of course a white blanket of snow covers everything. This morning, I was hoping that was going to happen, but after about 45 minutes of heavy snowfall, everything remained brown, and it was wet and cold! I am not complaining though, after all temperatures this past week had been as high as 62 degrees. Yes, that is right, it is a well kept secret here in Boulder, and the weather can change instantly.

So, what do we do in Boulder when the hills are brown and the grass is dry? What do we do during those weekends when we do not want to brave I-70 to go skiing, or we don’t even want to venture up to Eldora to play in the white stuff? Well, one of the best events to hit Boulder, during these brown winter weekends is BIFF, the Boulder International Film Festival. BIFF has been around since 2008 and typically takes place during President’s Day weekend. Over the last 4 years, Boulderites have been treated to some glitz and glamour, and we can all pretend to live in Hollywood for a few days. Our town is transformed to something very foreign to us. There are tents on Pearl Street with lights and cameras, and people in very fancy clothes who are being interviewed by other people in very fancy clothes. All the restaurants are full, and so are the hotels, and there is excitement in the air. It is not the usual excitement of  the Bolder Boulder or a triathlon, it is the excitement of Hollywood hype, the excitement of something temporary and unusual.

My husband and I like to walk around town to see if we can spot anyone really famous. We actually have seen James Franco, Chevy Chase and Alec Baldwin! We also have enjoyed watching some very interesting documentaries, short films, Indie movies and pre-release screenings. We have gone to interesting panel discussions.After most movie screenings, discussions are led by the producer, director or one of the actors which makes what we just watched so much more meaningful!

The dates for BIFF 2012 are February 16 – 19. As of this moment the schedule has not been published, but here is the link to their website: http://www.biff1.com/

Hope to see you during BIFF!

Transition vs Change

Tags

buy, move, realtor, sell, Transition

This is a bittersweet post. I am starting with the bitter, so you know this will get better…..

Most people don’t like change. Change conjures up visions of negativity. Most people don’t welcome change. They are comfortable with what they have. After all, there is the saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Most people think they are not in control of change. It happens to them, they are a victim of it. It happens quickly, and they are left with picking up the ugly changed pieces, and adapting or resisting and trying to change back to what once was. And we all know that there is no going back. We also know that change is inevitable! And that is the bitter part, we hate to give up what we once had.

And then there is transition. What I like about transition is that we accept that change is inevitable, and we plan for the transition. We are not victims of it.  We feel in control of it. We can do it at our own pace. It SEEMS gentler and more positive. We are usually proud of ourselves for making a smooth transition. And that is sweet!

And here is the even sweeter part. In my job I get to help people who are in transition. I get to help people who:

*are having a baby, *want to buy their first home, *are getting a new job, *are moving to Colorado, *want a bigger house, *have become empty nesters, *want to buy a “kiddie” condo, *want a 3 car garage, *are getting married, *want to buy an investment property, *are retiring, *are getting a divorce, *want to buy a 2nd home, etc….

I absolutely LOVE working with people who are in transition. I love facilitating the  process that will ultimately result in keys being handed over, moving trucks showing up, and change having a sweet ending!

So, who do YOU know who is in transition? When you think of someone, please introduce us via e-mail, reply to this blog, or call me with their information. I promise I will take great care of them!

Well hello there, World of Blog

Tags

Blog, boulder county, real estate

I am so excited about finally entering the world of blogging, and the first thing I want to write about is this AMAZING class I took this past Thursday in Denver. It was called BoldTech,  and we had to pay $99 to attend. Because it was in Denver, and because I had to pay, I had really high expectations. Driving to Denver during morning rush hour is kind of a big deal, and I will do almost anything to avoid it.  Lunchtime in Denver is fine and doable, and actually very enjoyable, but an early morning trip is not fun, to say the least! Luckily, the weather cooperated, and my friend Karen drove in the HOV lanes most of the time. What could have easily been a 1 hour + trip, took us a mere 35 minutes. So, yay for getting to class early and having the best seats, close to the electrical outlets! Our laptops were charged all day.

Chad Hyams, our instructor, covered what was easily 3 days worth of information in about 6 hours, and how fun and entertaining it was. Here we all were (about 200 of us) with computers, smart phones, tablets, cameras etc….. and we actually learned how to use these tools to leverage our businesses! Here is my biggest “aha” from this 6 hour class: “I HAVE TO HAVE A BLOG!” Did you know that 9 out of 10 Americans have an on-line presence and that 77% of internet users read blogs?  And obviously, you are one of them! So, I have no choice, and I happily created this blog today! Here is what I will be blogging about. On a weekly basis, I will share news with you about Boulder County. From time to time I will share real estate news, photos, statistics, and I will let you know about upcoming events, like BIFF (Boulder International Film Festival), or the Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, or the start of the Farmers’ Markets in Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and Erie. I will show you my new listings and show pictures of happy clients, and I will remind you that I can help you with all your real estate needs.

And I hope you will read my blog, and share it on your Facebook pages, twitter, linkedin etc…. And please, please, please give me feedback, comments or ask me questions. I promise I will answer you!

Happy reading, everyone.

Here Chad is showing us the peak times a post will get noticed on FaceBook.