This Summer has brought the heat. This past week all along our beloved Front Range multiple wildfires have broken out in the foothills to the West with evacuations to follow suit. If anyone out there needs anything at all please do not hesitate to reach out and I will guide you to any and all resources available. To first responders and fire fighters who are all out there right now saving our towns: we are forever grateful for your selfless efforts, we literally cannot thank you enough. Please be safe, take care of yourselves and those in your communities!

June 1st marks my 38th circle around the sun and therefore, naturally lends itself to a time of reflection amidst excitement. This celebration unravels my 20th year in Boulder, having moved here at the age of 18. The town has evolved in the past two decades without giving up its character. And although real estate and rental rates continue to rise as we move into the 2nd half of 2024 we are experiencing an abundance of opportunities and a plethora of options for Homebuyers (many of which are 1st time Homebuyers).

I was a 1st time Homebuyer in a much less forgiving market back in 2015. Kelley & I were renting a lovely South Boulder townhouse (which was my 11th rental in 11 years). It just so happened a Realtor put up a for sale sign in the window for the end unit of our building and we were able to get it under contract before they put it live on the MLS. That stepping stone led us down the path of homeownership and created a solid foundation for us to build on. I had already spent years helping other people buy homes. However, the lessons learned from that initial purchase were absolutely life changing and I am here today to say to everyone: “Buying a home is a much more attainable concept with more options, opportunities, and long term benefits than you think!”

How will I be celebrating this Birthday weekend in Boulder? Showing condos, Efrain’s for dinner with the family, Pearl St. Pub to play some songs (witnessed a 21st birthday “kiss of the buffalo” just like I had to 17 years ago), swim lessons at the East Boulder Rec Center, Bear Cub Brigade at Arapaho Ridge Rock Park, an open house at my listing + a new bluegrass jam at Blackbelly. Some things change, some stay the same - and therein lies a well balanced Boulder evolution.

"MAY YOUR FAMILY SHARE LAUGHTER, YOUR SONGS ALWAYS PLAY.

MAY YOUR WISHES COME TRUE, EVEN THOSE LEFT UNPRAYED

HAND ON MY SHOULDER, GENTLE CLOUD ON THE HILL

MAY YOUR HEART'S DOORS BE OPEN, FOREVER AND EVER, MAY YOUR GLASS BE FILLED"

-JB

BIRDS ARE CHIRPING, THE SUN IS SHINING AND THE MARKET IS HOT! THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUYING, SELLING, AND INVESTING AS WE MOVE INTO THE SUMMER. THE 1ST HALF OF 2024 HAS BEEN A STARK CONTRAST TO THE 1ST HALF OF 2023 (WHEN THE DUST WAS STILL SETTLING FROM THE FED'S RISE IN INTEREST RATES, 2022). AS RENTAL RATES CONTINUE TO RISE, I AM EXPERIENCING MORE ENGAGEMENT WITH 1ST TIME HOMEBUYERS (WHO ARE OFTEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY WAY MORE OPTIONS THAN THEY THOUGHT POSSIBLE). I CAN LINK YOU UP WITH A FEW INCREDIBLE LENDERS TO EXPLORE THE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND LENDING PROGRAMS AT YOUR DISPOSAL. OFTENTIMES, "IF YOU CAN RENT YOU CAN OWN." GREAT LENDERS WILL WORK DIRECTLY BACKWARDS FROM YOUR NEEDS WHILE GUIDING AND PROVIDING YOU WITH A PLETHORA OF OPTIONS. THEY WILL ALSO ADVISE ON THINGS LIKE CREDIT REPAIR PROGRAMS, WORKAROUNDS FOR DTI (DEBT TO INCOME) RATIOS, AND ADVISE ON A VARIETY OF INTEREST RATE BUYDOWN OPPORTUNITIES. IF IT ISN'T QUITE ADDING UP AT THIS TIME, FEAR NOT! THEY WILL CARVE OUT A CLEAR PATH FOR YOU TO FOLLOW OVER THE NEXT 6-12 MONTHS TO GET QUALIFIED FOR A MORTGAGE LOAN. THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 25 YEARS AGO. THE 2ND BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE IS TODAY!

Meanwhile in Colorado... Boulder's Spring has brought a few feet of snow intertwined with days of sunshine and 60 degrees, just the way we drew it up! The real estate forecast includes steady showers of home sales for 2024. Listings are evaporating quickly as the ever growing number of buyers are condensed into more competitive situations. Some buyers may even offer to purchase the home without an inspection - not a good idea."Caveat Emptor" or "Buyer Beware" means that once you own the property you own all of its problems too. The whole spirit of our real estate contract allows Buyers the ability to do as much due diligence as possible to determine if the property is suitable for them "at their sole subjective discretion" and that there are no major unforseen costs. Because, the stakes are high - fully informed decisions are daisies and daffodils while uninformed decisions are golf ball sized hail.

Marching right along to the real estate beat. As anticipated, transactions, multiple offer situations and loan applications are on the rise. Homes continue to appreciate in desirable areas, pointing directly to the persistence of home values in these environments. With that in mind, real estate is an industry filled with other industries that have a direct impact. One prime example is insurance. As they pay out more in claims than they are bringing in, they are imposing that cost directly on the consumer. Some insurance policies have risen around 20% in a year. Furthermore, many insurance companies have stopped writing policies in areas prone to wildfire, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters as they 'cannot assume the risk'. Private insurance options are available that may be more expensive, however all insurance is getting to be more expensive. A Buyer's ability to obtain homeowners insurance has always been built into our real estate contract. Now more than ever it is critical to ensure that you can insure your property!

The past few years of undulating fluctuations in real estate markets and values across the US can be attributed directly to the FED raising interest rates which led to record low numbers of Mortgage Applications. Shift to present day, Q1 2024 and we are seeing an uptick in sales, multiple offer situations, and homes that were NOT sold in Q4 of 2023 going under contract quickly. Regarding interest rates - there are ALL sorts of Lender workarounds to the interest rates for Buyers. Side Note: the interest on your primary residence is tax deductible. People move, buy and sell because of the things that are going on in their lives, not because of interest rates. From a macroeconomics level - the millennial generation (largest generation) is moving into its 30s - the average age where Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac mark the 1st home purchase. We are quickly moving into a robust real estate market with more sales than we have seen in the past few years, particularly in desirable areas such as our local Boulder & Front Range markets.