Armageddon—the end of times—is an event foreshadowed in the Bible. The Book of Revelation lays out a horrific scene of thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and 75-pound hailstones. The worst of it affects Babylon. But many cities in many nations, the passage says, “fall into heaps of rubble.” It does not specifically mention Boulder County, or the …
An Unkind “Auld Lang Syne” in Boulder County, Colorado Read More »
In real estate as in life, there are some assertions that are almost never spoken out loud. When someone is publicly praised for some sort of daring rescue, the media inquiry often goes like this:. “Sir, today you received the Mayoral Medal of Honor. You halted your vehicle in high-speed traffic, scaled a barbed wire …
Darn Tootin’ I’m a Hero – and Other Things You Never Hear Read More »
At a local pub near my house, someone keeps playing “Cattle Call” on the jukebox. Cattle Call is a yodeling sort of cowboy song made famous by Eddy Arnold in 1944. A group of songwriters once named it one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. It has been playing at the pub …
My Uncle Walter owned a few rental properties in Milwaukee. Single-family homes, mostly, which he bought in the 1970’s. He managed the properties himself, often crawling under kitchen sinks to fix the plumbing or replace the garbage disposal—invariably with little or no skill. Aunt Catherine would say, “Why don’t you hire somebody for that?” He …
If you’re a home owner, you probably get a lot of mail from investors offering to buy your property. Fast, fair, cash, no contingencies, blah, blah, blah. We’ll close whenever you like. We’ll lend you a truck to haul away your stuff; we’ll even clean up whatever you leave behind. Most people don’t know it, …
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? You hear that question occasionally in self-improvement seminars. Realtors consume a lot of that stuff, so I’ve encountered the question more than once. The idea is, if you could operate without fear, you’d perform a lot better. Because fear is what’s holdings you back. Fear …
The following story is true. The names have been changed to protect my clients’ privacy. My old friend Ronnie emailed me from the West Coast. It was group message sent to many people. He would be returning to Colorado, to reside, after more than 10 years away. I responded, welcoming him back. He wrote back, …
In the classic 1967 film “The Producers,” Zero Mostel played a corrupt, washed up Broadway producer. He and a partner raised a ton of cash to put out a show that (they thought) was guaranteed to flop “Springtime for Hitler” would be so bad, they figured it would blow up after one night and they’d …
My own interaction with home buyers suggests it, and DMAR data confirms it. Denver’s real estate market is as hot as ever, at least in the entry-level and “affordable” price ranges. That according to the Denver Metro Realtors Association. Multiple offers are back. Bidding wars have erupted. Last year brought talk of a slight market …
What the World Needs Now: Love Letters to Sellers Read More »
I made a friend named Dave this year. I learned that earlier in the year, Dave and his family sold their 4-bedroom ranch home in Golden. I asked who the listing agent was. The sale wasn’t MLS-listed, Dave said. They sold it to Opendoor. Opendoor is one of several Instant Buyers or “iBuyers” now purchasing …
