There are many reasons why you may need a retaining wall on your property like shifting soils or erosion. Many also add a retaining wall as an anchor to a beautiful landscape design. 

Whatever your reason for adding a retaining wall there are many factors to consider. The biggest is whether you want to tackle the project yourself or hire a professional.

By doing the job yourself, you save on the labor costs which can be as much as $75 per hour. 

There are many videos on YouTube that give step by step instruction on building retaining walls. Depending on the size of the job, most average walls can be completed in a couple of day. 

If you would like to learn more, here is a great article that covers the basics on how to build a retaining wall. 

Changes Continue as Market Shifts

Although many analysists still see the market as a slight Seller's Market, demand has dipped due to high home prices and rising interest rates which is causing homes to sit longer before going under contract.  As the summer goes on the Denver Real Estate Market is continuing to shift more towards an even market.

As inflation reached 40 year highs the Fed raised the interest rate multiple times to curtail inflation. The increase did affect mortgage rates as rates did jump dramatically to around 6.5%. Rates dropped at the end of the month and are now around 4.5% for a FHA or VA loan and 5.5% for a convention loan. 

Home buyers are finding even more housing options than they have in months as the market now has 7 weeks of inventory to choose from. Less homes are receiving multiple bids and having the price driven up through bidding wars which is allowing Buyers to reevaluate their situation and not feel as rushed to make a decision. 

While there is uncertainty in the market, the good news is the Colorado economy remains strong. Would you like to learn more? Make sure to check out the full details listed below. 

July 2022 Real Estate Report

July 2022 Market Watch Report

Curious about what’s happening in your neighborhood? 
You can create a custom market report to see all active, under contract, and sold homes within your neighborhood! 

Considering selling or refinancing your home? Get an INSTANT property valuation now!

We're here to serve all your real estate needs. Contact us today!

Significant Shift In The Market

June saw a significant shift in the real estate market after policymakers approved the biggest interest rate hike in 28 years. 

With higher interest rates on top of record high prices, affordability has become a real concern as prospective monthly payments have increased sharply. 

This shift has contributed to a cooling in the market as many buyers have decided to delay purchasing a home. 

The number of closings were down 20% compared to this time last year and down 7.5% compared to last month. 

Pending homes also saw a significant drop as 22% less homes went under contract compared to this time last year. Indications are that this trend will continue into July, 2022.

Home prices dipped some in May but have leveled off in June. The Median home price was $615,000 in June and overall home prices are were up 13% compared to this time last year. 

As the summer selling season continues on, new listings remain steady. The number of available homes rose to a 5 week supply bringing much more opportunities for potential buyers.

June 2022 Real Estate Report

June 2022 Market Watch Report

Curious about what’s happening in your neighborhood? 
You can create a custom market report to see all active, under contract, and sold homes within your neighborhood! 

Considering selling or refinancing your home? Get an INSTANT property valuation now!

We're here to serve all your real estate needs. Contact us today!

More Inventory More Options...

As the spring selling season continues to chug along, there has been an increase in the amount of available inventory available to purchase. Driven by the lure of high prices, Sellers brought 11% new listings to the market in May which led to an increase in pending and sold homes. 

The trend of double digit price increases continued. It was driven by Buyers offering over the asking price, however there are signs that this trend may be cooling some as inventory levels grew to a four week supply.

As mortgage rates continue to rise, affordability concerns for Buyers could cause a further shift in the market. All in all the market should continue to be good for the rest of the selling season and beyond. 

May 2022 Real Estate Report

May 2022 Market Watch Report

Curious about what’s happening in your neighborhood? 
You can create a custom market report to see all active, under contract, and sold homes within your neighborhood! 

Considering selling or refinancing your home? Get an INSTANT property valuation now!

We're here to serve all your real estate needs. Contact us today!

Safety Tips For Doggie Doors

You’ve purchased a home with a large backyard and all your pup wants to do is be outside. But after the 10th time, you have to get up and open the door to let him or her in and out, you start researching doggy doors. Long-term convenience with a fairly simple installation sounds great to you! However, consider how it may affect the safety of your home.

A doggy door is a home feature that can make your house more susceptible to burglary. These doors are almost always placed in a back door or wall of the home, putting it out of the line of sight for passing traffic and neighbors. If a robber is small enough, they may be able to slip right through the door or use it to reach in and unlock the door.As long as you remain conscious and aware of the safety implications, there are several ways to secure your doggy door, keeping convenience in place while protecting you and your family.

The first and easiest option is to select a door that includes a sliding bolt or has a self-locking feature. If you have a security system in place, you can have the design adjusted to include the doggy door and surrounding area. Many of these systems include sensors and cameras intelligent enough to ignore your pet’s body weight or shape, but pick up on anything else. Alternatively, you could install a motion detector that will signal you on your phone or report to your security company if someone is coming in and out of your home.

Regardless of the option you choose, make sure you take precautions to protect the safety of your family members, both human and furry.

How to Keep Mold Out of Your Home 

Finding mold in your house is the last thing a homeowner wants to encounter. Not only is it unsightly and smells unpleasant, but it can pose a serious health threat to you and your family.

Take steps up front to prevent mold in your home by checking gutters and downspouts to ensure water is draining away from your foundation. Check under sinks and near dishwashers and clothing washers for any leaking and repair immediately. Finally, use bathroom fans when showering to limit moisture. After taking these steps, if you still encounter mold, don’t fear!

Here are our top tips for dealing with it. Take precautions. When cleaning mold, make sure to wear proper protection, such as eye covers, face masks, and rubber gloves. Keep children and pets out of rooms where mold exists and run fans or dehumidifiers to expel moisture. Use proper cleaning solutions. The best way to remove mold depends on the surface it has grown on. For interior walls and flooring, use a mixture of bleach, detergent, and water with a sponge or mop. 

Flowers Beds Add Curb Appeal and Enhance Your Home's Beauty

Ever get the itch to do a DIY project? Whenever we do, our favorites involve getting outdoors and mixing up our landscaping features.

Whether it's as simple as installing some lighting or a little more time-consuming like re-plotting plants, a fresh look for the lawn always gives your home a fresh look as well. Here are our top five easy landscaping projects!

Create a pathway.

To guide you and visitors throughout your yard and link different areas together, install a pathway. You can use materials from a variety of materials, including reclaimed pallet wood, flagstones, gravel, and more to add texture and color.

Add a wall or border.

Installing a flagstone, rock, or brick wall around flower beds or trees adds a sleek, clean look to your landscaping and helps separate different sections of your yard.

Install a water feature.

Nothing says zen quite like the sound of trickling water as you relax in your backyard. You can start simple with by purchasing and installing a small feature powered by a solar panel or create a larger focal point in your yard by installing a waterfall wall or small pond.

Light your way.

An easy way to transform your yard is to strategically use lighting. Place cool-colored lights high in trees to recreate a moonlight feel, use pathway lights to naturally guide the eye, or highlight objects or plants.

Plant upwards.

Expand your yard space by drawing the eye to the sky with a trellis fence or screen made of wood or metal. Once you install your trellis, select your climbing plants and vines and get to planting!

Things are heating up

Another month in the books and we are starting to see some much needed inventory come to market.  April brought a 4% increase of new listings. Pending listings were up 3% while closed homes saw a decline by 6% compared to this time last year. 

Month end active listings also reached a level we haven't seen since November 2021 closing with over 2,900 properties for sale.

Inventory continues to be low, however the supply of homes actually increased by one week. There is now a three week supply of homes to choose from. Quality properties continue to see strong competition with most going under contract in less than 4 days with multiple offers and for over the asking price. 

As mortgage rates continue to rise, affordability continues to be a main concern for buyers looking to enter into the market. Some analysts are predicting that if rates continue to climb there will only be a moderate rise in home prices as Buyer demand may potentially ease. 

April 2022 Market Watch Report

Curious about what’s happening in your neighborhood? 
You can create a custom market report to see all active, under contract, and sold homes within your neighborhood! 

Considering selling or refinancing your home? Get an INSTANT property valuation now!

Were here to serve all your real estate needs. Contact us today!

May 2022
Real Estate News
Brought to you by Scott Beard

How To Avoid Homebuyer's Remorse in a Hot Real Eastate Market 

Buying a home is almost always a great investment, and of course it's exciting to find and close on a home that you will get to call your own. That feeling of joy and confidence can fade quickly though if certain things are overlooked during the process. 43% of homeowners have at least one regret about buying their home, and that number jumps to 64% for millennials, according to a recent survey. 

Here are a few tips for ensuring your home purchase is regret-free.

Get to know the neighborhood

Don't let your enthusiasm for a home run away with you. Before making an offer, plan on touring the neighborhood several times. If you see folks outside, stop and chat with them. We've found that neighbors love to talk about the neighborhood and will share both the good and the bad. Do some reasearch on local schools. Even if you don't have school-age children and plan to, buying in the best school district you can afford is a smart move. Homes there hold their value better and are easier to resell. Consider other factors like crime rate, commute times and distance to other things that are important to you like parks or restaurants. These things will have a big effect on how you feel about your new home once you're actually living in it. 

An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered one for their pets. Take these steps to add your pets to your evacuation plan.

Assign pet evacuation to an adult. Everyone should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one parent or adult to the pets. This allows the other parent and the children to focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a high-stress moment when time is of the essence.

Keep evacuation maps and pet carriers readily accessible. If you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. If you pets require carriers, keep them in a place that you can access easily.

Practice your plan. Include your pets in your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be as simple as you think!

Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets. No matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or a GPS-compatible tag can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to the area.

Thinking about getting out into the great outdoors with friends and family in the near future? If you're not an experienced outdoor enthusiast (yet), here are a few quick hiking safety tips to keep in mind:

Do not drink water from ponds or streams unless you have treated it first by boiling, filtering, or using purification tablets.

Carry a day pack containing essential gear. You'll want to carry - rain gear, a layer for warmth, high energy snacks, a first aid kit, a whistle, sunscreen, and insect repellent. And last but not least, be sure to carry enough fresh water to get your through your day.

Dress appropriately for the season and wear appropriate hiking shoes or boots. Layers are the best choice for trying to meet varying weather conditions. And avoid cotton - it insulates poorly when wet and dries very slowly.

Make a plan and share it. Once you've established where you're going, and when you plan to be back, make sure to let someone know. This ensures that if something goes wrong on the trail, help will know where to look.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful state. Get out there and enjoy and happy adventures friends! I you

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