It’s a Combination of Things, Really.
What makes Colorado the place to move to lately? A combo of all that is good in life!
1. We have all four seasons, and enough time to enjoy each of them. Our winter may be long, but we get more sun than most any other state, so you can actually have fun in it! Our falls are BEAUTIFUL. Just go ahead and Google “Colorado Fall”, oh here, I’ll do it for you! Spring and summer also yield potential for rafting, mountain biking, rock climbing, tubing, laying in the sun, and general patio dining in town or the mountains. I dare you to visit here and not try something new! Oh, and don’t forget the good ol’ Broomball!
2. We are a healthy culture. Still rated as the healthiest state in nation (although rising with the country) we tend to eat good food, enjoy the outdoorsy activities and balance out our days with calorie burn and intake.
3. A relaxed nature. We may be busy, but we all know how to kick back. Even in the big cities, you don’t feel rushed even if you have somewhere to be. Everyone is laid back and ready to hang out after work and have a beer. If you need to talk, I guarantee it won’t be hard to wrangle someone out to dinner or drinks for a chat.
4. Community Oriented. I may live in city with about 150,000 people, but it sure feels like a small town. You get all the perks: a great music scene, good schools, a place where everyone knows your name, local businesses and you can still meet a lot of people every day!
5. The ECONOMY. That’s right! This one made the list! Fort Collins and Northern Colorado are in a little bubble all of their own (maybe a bit deflated over the last few years, but resilient none the less). We have new jobs opening up like crazy. Several new ventures are coming to Northern Colorado in the near future, and we have an unemployment rate about 1.5% below the national average as is. People are flocking to the area, and vacancy rates are down, which is also great for investors (especially in real estate).
Overall, the quality of life is pretty high in Colorado. In fact it is in the top 10% of the happiest places in the nation and we are working to keep it that way. We love being outdoorsy, we love experiencing new things and enjoying everything the natural and man-made community has to offer.
Been to Colorado and have a great story? I would LOVE to hear it!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
REO Incentives Offered!
Facing high inventories, banks are looking to fix a growing problem of often vacant and deteriorating properties. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been trying to liquidate their REO’s.
Fannie offered the HomePath incentives starting in 2010. HomePath had several key parts that made it feasible including not needing a perfect credit score and only needing 3% down.
So what are other incentives out there? First is the “First Look” program that the HUD’s National Committee Trust recently started. This program is providing competitive prices on REOs and giving buyers priority access to the homes before they are broadly listed for sale.
Another program offered by JPMorgan, particularly in Detroit, is based on down payment assistance for police officers and city employees. They just have to purchase a vacant home in the city over the next two years. The first buyers will recieve $30,000 in assistance, while others will receive up to $15,000. But act fast on this one, cause only 61 buyers are going to get the benefits of the program.
Do you know of other incentives? Post in the comments and I will add them here!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Fort Collins is a Hub for Foodies. We have so many amazing restaurants that I feel I should highlight a few of my favorites over this month. This time around, we are celebrating all of the great burger restaurants in town.
One in particular sparked this post. Right downtown we have an AMAZING burger place with an innovative, fun loving style. This burger joint is called STUFT, and boy oh boy do they live up to their name! Located right in Old Town on College Ave and Mountain, the burger bar is in one of the rustic buildings with modern modifications to fit the town’s outdoorsy nature. As you can see to the left, the bar has a garage door, which opens up to create an open and airy restaurant feel for the diners inside, even when it’s raining. For those who want some sun, or have dogs, just sit on the actual patio.
The atmosphere is also key to having an amazing restaurant. The inside genuinely feels like a modern, hip bar with a twist. What used to be Elliot’s Mess has been transformed into a new dining experience with an old and comfortable feel. Its dark, but its welcoming. Simply, it just feels like a place where you can kick back, have a pint or two, and enjoy a good burger.
What makes this burger joint one of t
he best in the city? Aside from location and atmosphere, the grub. To order you receive a menu similar to ordering sushi. You get a pencil, and you get to select everything you want. They have new burgers about every month that are featured on the front, with a typical favorite being “The Hangover”. They have every topping you could ever imagine, and they rotate, based on the build your own burger menu because sometimes, someone will be adventurous enough to create a masterpiece that should be shared with everyone. The menu looks a lot like the image to the right, and is double sided. One side having pre-made burgers, the other having a Stuff Your Own Burger Menu. Now building your own burger can be a difficult task given the ingredients, flavors and feel of what you want, but they walk you through the process in a smooth and easy to follow manner. Once done, it usually takes between 10-15 minutes to get your meal. And oh what a meal it will be.
I love seeing my friends eyes light up when they see
whats coming. The mountain of fresh toppings, the choice meat (or veggie burger) and the overall presentation make for an exciting experience. Then add in the taste of the quaility ingredients, the mix of flavors and you have yourself a good meal. I will always suggest this restaurant simply because it is fabulous from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave, pants unbuttoned but still wanting another bite.
There are plenty of other great burger joints in Fort Collins, but none of them really compare to the full experience you get from Stuft. So whenever you visit the area, make sure to stop in and try it for yourself. I guarantee you will leave satisfied!
Watch out for upcoming posts for Localism month! There will be more restaurant features, history, and just general posts that will help you get ot know Fort Collins and Northern Colorado!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Fort Collins is Bucking National Trends!
While New Home sales have been falling over the last few months, Fort Collins is fighting back. Year over year sales of new homes have increased 15.4% according to Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors. In july 314 homes were sold with an average of $252,877, rebounding after a depressing 1st and 2nd quarter. New homes represent less than 1/5 of the housing market but have a larger impact on the economy. For each new home built, 3 jobs and $90,000 in taxes are created.
The national market fell about 1% in July to an adjusted rate of 298,000. A healthy market is generally about 700,000 and the nation is not even pulling half of that. Many buyers backed out of deals on fears that the market would tumble even more come August. General fears about another dip are also keeping consumers from entering the housing market.
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Brewtastic – Follow Your Folly!
In honor of Localism month, and tonights Tour De Fat, I am dedicating this post to some of the best Colorado has to offer: Beer.
Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than ANY OTHER STATE. Fort Collins is host to a number of them, as well as internationally known breweries as well. To name a few, we have:
Anheuser-Busch
New Belgium
Fort Collins Brewery
Equinox
CooperSmiths
Odell Brewing Co.
Hops & Berries (Brew your own)
CB Potts
Did I mention you can get to *almost* all of these on a bike tour alone. If you are willing to go a bit of distance for Anheuser-Busch, you can hit all of them with ease. They are generally located in Old Town, the heart of the city, and make for a fun tour (especially New Belgium!) while visiting, with friends, or just for a fun bike tour. People often take a day and just visit each brewery via bike, drink the beer and enjoy the weather. Most tours are free, they offer a few free drinks, and insight into exactly how each brew is made and what kind of company they are.
New Belgium, the pride and joy of Fort Collins produced Fat Tire, pictured above. This beer has been taking the country by storm. In fact, this company has been taking the nation by storm. Just a few weeks ago I saw a menu in Minneapolis with more brews by New Belgium than all Minnesota and well-known national brands (like Coors or Budweiser) combined! 
They have a variety of beers, a fun loving environment, happy employees, and you can tell that all of that fun and love goes into what they produce. They brewery has a slide, is largely sustainable (one feature they talk about a lot on the tour) and plays a large part in the local community.
“Tour de Fat, put on by New Belgium Brewery, is one of the most prominent bike parades across the country. Every year the tour makes its stop in the Brewery’s home town of Fort Collins. The Tour de Fat was started by New Belgium Brewery as a way to advocate and celebrate beer and bicyclist culture. The tour includes musical acts, as well as performers from the Blue Man Group and circus performers from Cirque du Soleil. “Adding and building in music to the tour came pretty naturally,” Kowal said. “We would use the music to create an atmosphere for the times when we would set up people trading in their cars for bikes along the tour. One time we did a Blues Brothers revival style song for the person who was trading in their car for a bike. It really makes it a moment for that person and the people who see it.” The tour has grown since then, and it will have three stages at the Fort Collins stop this year.
As if locals needed any other reason to dress up, ride bikes and drink beer, the Tour de Fat is yet another excuse.
One of New Belgium’s main concerns is the eco-friendliness of their business. The company was started on the back of a bicycle in Belgium (hence the name and logo of their most recognizable beer – Fat Tire) and since then tried to maintain that image. It’s only natural that a company that is environmentally-friendly and got its start on a bike would create a bike tour that celebrates exactly those things. That, and beer. One of the newer parts of the Tour de Fat –– called the Car For Bike Trade –– is where someone from the tour gets selected to turn their car over to New Belgium. In return for this favor, the participant gets a brand new cruiser bike made special for the event.
Another point the Tour de Fat tries to make is spreading the good name of New Belgium and the beer they make. “The tour gives people a chance to see what New Belgium is all about first hand,” Kowal said. “It also gives us a chance to go out in the community and meet artists and musicians who we might want to include in the next Tour de Fat. Not to mention, it puts us in touch with much of our beer drinking community.”
Along with being sustainable, New Belgium does a lot of giving back to the community. The
Tour de Fat is one way that they make that happen. The tour gives back to the communities it travels through by taking a lot of the money it makes and donating it to local nonprofit stores and companies. Local shops like bike co-ops and Bike Fort Collins are a few of the recipients, and these companies take the money from the Tour de Fat and make biking more accessible to the community. The Tour de Fat has been raising money for these local shops since the beginning, and it has almost raised $2 million for nonprofits.”
New Belgium Brewery has had an amazing impact on the city of Fort Collins, the cities surrounding it, and is making its way to impacting the nation as a whole. The work they do and the beer they brew really stand out. They make a difference, a visible impact on the community, and they LOVE doing it and THAT is why this city LOVES New Belgium!
Happy Tour de Fat!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Agents, Got an IPhone? Top Apps You NEED to Know About!
You know the music billboards top 100? Now IPhone apps have it too! These are the top 5 apps for managing documents, a key instrument to our on the go business! I recommend at least trying ALL of them! Wouldn’t it be nice to NOT have to go back to the office to make copies and just take the files back in the morning?
1. Scanner Pro. Thi lets you scan multipage documents and upload them to Dropbox and Evernote.
Cost $6.99.
2. Documents to Go Premium-Office Suite. This lets you view, create and edit Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files as well as work in other file types such as PDF and Iwork.
Cost $16.99.
3. Documents Free (mobile office suite). Manage/Edit spreadsheet and text files both on and offline. Open files on your PC or Mac.
Cost: FREE.
4. TurboScan. Scan multipage documents, receipts, business cards and convert them all into PDF’s.
Cost $1.99.
5. FileApp. File manager and reader. You can copy files onto the device to look at them while you are out and about.
Cost: FREE.
6. DocScan. Lets you scan and send from your phone! Multipage documents supported. Also exports documents to different programs. Best part?
The cost: FREE.
7. QuickVoice Recorder. Record messages to yourself with TONS of awesome features. Go get ’em tiger!
Cost: FREE!
8. Remote Desktop Lite. Access your workstation from your phone!
Cost: FREE!
9. UPS Mobile. Track packages, find locations, estimate cost and delivery times, AND create shipping labels! Plus more!
Cost: FREE
10. (for IPads) Print Direct. Be able to print from YOUR IPAD! Awesome.
Cost: FREE
There you have it! Some of the top apps you can find to help run your business! Best of luck 🙂
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Where I Come From, The Transplant!
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois I am a happy transplant to Fort Collins, Colorado. Today, on behalf of localism month I am going to introduce you to Fort Collins and, over the next 30 days, I am going to introduce you to Northern Colorado! First, lets start with the history of Fort Collins.
“Fort Collins had its beginning on July 22, 1862, when soldiers were sent from the 9th Kansas Cavalry at Fort Laramie to what is now the town of Laporte to protect the Cherokee trail and to guard the Overland Stage Line.
The name “Camp Collins” was given to the post by Gen. James Craig in honor of Lt. Col. William 0. Collins, the able and popular commander of Ohio Cavalry troops whose headquarters were at Fort Laramie.
After three and a half months, the Kansas Cavalry was replaced by Colorado troops who manned Camp Collins until May, 1864, when Company F of the 11th Ohio Cavalry was ordered by Col. Collins to relieve the Colorado soldiers.
A devastating flood rushed down the canyon of the Cache la Poudre River during the night of June 9, 1864. Flooding Camp Collins, it carried tents, ammunition and some of the cabins downstream. The soldiers managed to retreat to the nearest bluff without lives being lost, but the morning presented a scene of desolation: a sea of muddy water and only the roofs of a few cabins visible.
Soon a search began for a new location for the post. Joseph Mason (credited with being Fort Collins’ first white settler) was living on his farm between the present North Shields and Wood Street on Vine Drive. Mason pointed out land on the Cache la Poudre River in the vicinity of the present Willow St.
On August 20, 1864, Col. Collins signed the order setting aside the present location of Fort Collins as the new military reservation. Here the danger of flooding would be less and sufficient land was available without interfering with the claims of individuals. Thus it is August 20 that Fort Collins Historical Society honors as the celebration of Fort Collins’ birthday.
In October of 1864 the new post was ready for occupation and the term “Fort Collins” is used instead of “Camp Collins” in the order book, although there seems to have been no official order for the change.
For almost two years Fort Collins remained a military post until the last soldiers were evacuated in September, 1866. The only building from the old fort that has been preserved is the Auntie Elizabeth Stone cabin which has been moved to Library Park. Originally located on Jefferson St. just back of the present Major Motor Supply, the cabin was built as an officers’ mess hall, with Auntie Stone in charge. She was the first white woman to be a permanent resident of Fort Collins.
A few farms and ranches were located around Fort Collins and squatters settled on the abandoned military reservation in “Old Town” along the river before legal snarls were untangled to open government land to settlement. Finally on May 15, 1872, Congress opened the reservation to pre-emption homesteading and that same year the Agricultural Colony arrived to buy land and plat out Fort Collins. Old Town had been built parallel to the river, while New Town was attached to it, being square with the compass. Fort Collins was incorporated as a town February 3, 1873. Statistics of 1870 give the entire population of Larimer County as 838 people. (At that time the present Jackson County was included in Larimer County.)
Fort Collins’ first business was the former sutler’s store, Old Grout, at the southwest corner of Linden and Jefferson Streets. Old Grout was so named because of the grouting material of which it was constructed. Razed in 1882, it had served as an all-purpose building for holding meetings, church services, dances, court sessions and incarcerating prisoners, as well as housing the general store.
Realizing that irrigation was necessary for crops in this arid area, settlers near the present Bellvue dug the first irrigation ditch in 1860 to take water from the Cache la Poudre River. From that time on there began to develop Larimer County’s elaborate system of irrigation and water supply that we know today as the lifeblood of a rich agricultural region.
It was with rejoicing that the first railroad was welcomed to Fort Collins as it chugged down Mason St. (its present location) on the morning of October 8, 1877. Livestock and farm products could now be shipped out and consumer goods brought in at a reasonable cost and with savings in time. Travelers, too, found it a convenience, especially before automobiles began appearing shortly after the turn of the century. Another milepost in Fort Collins’ progress was the opening of Colorado Agricultural College (now CSU) in the fall of 1879. Ten years later the first high school opened on the second floor of Franklin School, which once stood where Steele’s Market on West Mountain is now located.
From its beginnings to the present “Choice City” of some 150,000 inhabitants, Fort Collins owes its growth to many factors: mild, dry climate; proximity to mountains, rivers and lakes; location of important industry; favorable conditions for agriculture and livestock; and Colorado State University with 17,000 students as the city’s chief employer.”
So there you have it, an explanation of how Fort Collins came to be what it is today. It continues to grow and thrive, bringing in new residents, new students, new life, and new opportunities every day.
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
What the Heck is the Point of an Architectural Review Board?! What to Expect When Building Your Dream Home!
Architectural Review Board. Design Review Committee. Architectural Review Committee.
Why Do They Exist?! One of these is bound to be the cause of a custom build homeowners stress at some point. So what is the point and how can you get YOUR design approved? Well, the whole point of the Review Board is to keep homes in the neighborhood on the same track architecturally. This helps maintain home prices in the neighborhood high and angry neighbors at bay. They tend to control for character and the reason you probably bought there was exactly that. Everyone who bought in that neighborhood has a stake in the appearance of it, and if its architecturally restricted, they have a stake in the appearance of YOUR home too! That may be a hard concept to grasp, but chances are if you were drawn to the neighborhood to begin with, you probably like the style.
What Do They Do? Typically, ARB’s are put in place to maintain a historic element of an area. Sometimes its for the park service and they are controlling for restoration of OLD structures, others there is a new development going up and they want to maintain a certain standard of quality. Either way, they are controlling for some level of accuracy, character, concept and quality, and if your personal tastes don’t fit within their guidelines, you may be SOL.
Types. There are two types of ARB’s, Public and Private. Public are generally make up of citizens who have been appointed to the position and preside over scheduled public meetings. They tend to oversee older, established neighborhoods. When projects go up for consideration against a public board, the public is invited to comment on the project and the forum is open. Typically projects will be reworked before a final vote if it does not fit within the guidelines.
Private design review tends to be more common in newer developments. Subcontracted architectural firms typically have the final say, and they are never viewed in public. Drawings will be submitted as they are ready and returned later with or without comment. Clearly this can be much more difficult to go through, and no homeowner should make an attempt without knowing what is likely to be, and what won’t be approved.
What To Expect. There are plenty of things you will need for your review, and you should double check with the group you are dealing with to ensure you have everything.
First, get a list of guidelines BEFORE you start planning. Generally, the easier you make it at the first meeting, the easier it will be to get it approved. Board members LOVE easy projects!
If you aren’t sure about your design, ask for a design review.This is non-binding once it is over and allows you to get valuable feedback on your design and what may need to change.
Stay flexible. Just remember that there is always another solution, and who knows, you may like it more the second time around!
Patience is the key to success. Clearly you have worked on this project for a long time. Now you need to relax a little and focus on dealing with the task at hand. They may have questions to ask, and it may take all day, so bring a magazine and a cup of coffee. If you have done everything correctly and gotten a pre-review then you should be okay.
Make sure you bring complete documents! This may be the most important because they cannot give you the okay without complete knowledge of what you are planning. Try to make sure that no question needs to be asked when going through them, and bring a materials board to give a better example. This is just a board of samples of paint colors, tiles, etc that you have picked up and want to use. This can make a presentation work just because it gives a much more full idea of exactly what is happening.
Prepare to Negotiate. Know what you can trade, have alternate solutions available at YOUR disposal and offer to trade. Make sure your requests are reasonable though!
Finally, try to remember that although you hate the process and can’t wait to start building, this is the same group of people who are keeping your neighbors from painting their house purple!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Fort Collins: Booming! Not Busting!
There is an apartment shortage in Fort Collins, and the only solution is to build more. Luckily a few are already being built. Although different reports have different rates that I have seen lately, they range from 3% to 6.3%. Regardless, that is incredibly low and apartments/places to live are in high demand! The influx of CSU students each fall drives rent up, at least 2% from $862 to $877 and they are only rising. Over the next two years Fort Collins is going to add new beds to the rental market.
Loveland has seen even more of an increase, where rent rose 11.7 percent from last year and now hovers around $1,045. The vacancy rate has risen since then from 4.1 to 5.2%. Loveland has seen a lot of economic growth as well with about 10,000 new jobs being created through new companies, more construction and a new development going into place.
Overall, Northern Colorado is in a great place for growth, economically, physically and for students. If you are thinking of moving to the area, just give me a call!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
Is Your Property Rent Ready? 12 Must Do’s!
There are things every homeowner should do to LIVE in their home. But what about the landlords who don’t live on the property? Here are 12 steps that every landlord should take BEFORE renting their space.
1. NEW LOCKS. Make sure you replace any and all locks! You DO NOT want to allow a previous tenant or owner with a spare key open access to the property. This is key for safety, so make sure you do this first thing! If you have an HOA, make sure you include keys to everything when you give them to the tenant, and anything else they will need. If you can replace it legally, do.
2. STEAM THE CARPETS. There is nothing worse than moving into a new place with disgusting carpets. Get them professionally cleaned so that there is no chance they continue to deteriorate. Also, make sure you air it out properly after, because the only thing worse than dirty carpets, is the smell of mold/rot.
3. LANDSCAPE. Take care of anything that needs done in the yards. Cut grass, trim trees and bushes, pull weeds, fix the sprinklers, spray dirt from cracks, etc. This way it not only looks sharp, but it gives the tenants some incentive to keep it looking the way it does.
4. FILTERS. Change them. Air filters are often not taken care of by clients, even though they should be in long term situations. Use the disposable ones if possible, they don’t require monthly cleaning and are less for your tenant to remember.
5. CLEAN. Not just the carpets, but a GOOD professional cleaning, top to bottom. Make sure everything is spotless and move-in ready.
6. LIGHT. Replace light bulbs, potentially with high efficiency ones. Make sure you get ALL of them, including the outside, and wipe down fixtures.
7. INSPECT CEILING FANS. Make sure they are still hanging on tight. Clean the tops of them and ensure they operate correctly.
8. SPIDER/PEST PROOF. Spray spider killer along the outside edge of the property, all openings (doors and windows) and clean out ALL cobwebs, spider webs and the like. Make sure you spray in the basement for extra effectiveness. If you need to, geta professional to do a fumigation.
9. CHECK OPENINGS. Openings are windows and doors. Make sure they don’t squeek, operate without too much effort, are hung correctly, fit the space and are clean. Tracks on sliding doors are particularly important because that can end up as a costly repair if they aren’t taken care of.
10. SCREENS. This is also a security measure to some extent, but it keeps pests out. They need to be in working order and can save lots of money in the long run.
11. MISC. This includes painting and fixing anything that may need it. A fresh coat of paint never hurts, and there is usually a laundry list of items that need some form of repair. Make sure those are taken care of. Tiles and grout are important too, so always double check that!
12. FIRE AND CO2. Make sure you have the proper detectors installed with new batteries and in the right locations. Typically one per bedroom and one on each main floor is good. CO2 is becoming more and more common to watch for as well, so make sure you take care of that too!
By following this list, you should be able to get your place into good condition for renting, and it should be easily maintained by tenants! Let me know if you have any other good ideas for ensuring a smooth process.
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
