This isn’t a Bubble – it is a Doubleheader.

There is no way to have survived the housing crash of 2008 and not be a little skittish about the real estate market right now. We are seeing some of the lowest numbers of inventory in year and some of the highest numbers in appreciation as buyers compete for homes. That coupled with the fact this has been our story for quite some time now – can seem scary (even if you are able to cash in on the appreciation currently.

Boots on the ground, the energy is unnerving as buyers face a scarce number of homes to look at often times not being able to even get a showing. However, times like these, I look at the facts…

  • Interest rates continue to reach record breaking low levels.
  • This is a case of extreme supply and demand. We have a lot of buyers and only about a month worth of inventory. A balanced real estate market would require at lease 6 months of inventory.

With the low level of inventory, I, personally, think we have another several years of this. If you are a homeowner, you will continue to see some incredible appreciation. Buyers, you will continue to compete for homes. Considering this may be our new normal for a bit, this is what I have chosen to do:

Rentals. We currently have two rentals that we plan to hold on to and do conscious upgrades that will ultimately increase rental prices and the value of the home.

Primary Residence.This summer we bought a home that needed substantial renovations and took that project on and added equity through upgrades.

Selling our Old Primary Residence. We had always considered turning this home into a rental, however, it had a quirky layout. it was a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom built in 1917. It oozed charm but the layout was hard and because of this we chose to sell. A small, quirky home is easier to sell in an extreme sellers market.

Going forward.I am not done and am always open to buying more houses. I am always looking for a rental in a good school district in the suburbs. Only recently have I considered WHERE some people will decide to go as metro Denver continues to get more expensive and crowded.

Taking into consideration of what is going on right now in the real estate market and looking forward, I would advise unloading homes that may be harder to sell if the market were to change. Don’t be afraid to buy a home, however, be prepared for a fight. Consider creating your ideal home by adding upgrades to help increase equity. Buckle up and get ready to make money when you choose to sell a home. 

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

Presence over Presents.

What a year, am I right?

This year has been a year of contradictions:

It has felt endless but yet gone so fast.
I’ve had so much family time but still it feels like not enough.
I’ve had to pivot this year but still things are not settled.
Industries have completely stalled while real estate has become more frantic with people competing for their new home. 

And, I have had to sloooooow down life which I have said I have wanted for years but it felt physically uncomfortable doing it. 

We have been handed an opportunity to create life on our own terms and as the year closes and I think about what I want to take into 2021, I have come to a few guiding values:

Home. I have always been a homebody but this year has put that term into a totally different perspective. The only thing you can control is the space in the four walls of your home. It truly doesn’t matter what is going on outside of it and it all starts in the home.

Health. I hadn’t realized how every day stressors got in the way of my health a lot. Health has become a priority – fresh food, exercise and sunlight.

Nature. Ah, sometime the only spot I had my own space this year. There is really no excuse not to be outside here in Colorado with open space, mountains and trails. I need to take advantage of this daily.

Reading. This has always been a huge interest for me and this year it has become a value. Also – I set a lofty goal of reading 50 books this year. I may not hit it (currently at 42 books) but I would love to continue this trend.

Presence. Maybe it is because this year has put a mirror to myself and everyone else but I realized how I was not staying present with a lot of people (and tasks). The pesky phone alerts always distracting me, moving from one task to the next back to the original task… there was always something demanding more of my attention. I have tried very hard to stay present with my family, clients and work. There is truly no better gift to give someone.

Needless to say, we have had nine months of a very different and difficult year and things hopefully are turning around but where can you find the light? What will you hold onto from this time as we head back into “normal life”.

As always, I wish you and your family the best holiday season yet.  🙂

 

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

Why YOU should buy a home.

homeownership

If you are currently renting, this may be the time to seriously consider buying a home. With record low interest rates (still!), it truly is a fantastic time to buy. Low interest rates are not the only perk of homeownership, lets take a look at why you should considering buying a home.

  • As I mentioned, we have historically low interest rates.
  • No more rent raises!  You can have a predictable monthly mortgage payment if you get a fixed interest rate.
  • Customize YOUR home. Paint the walls! Put in new carpet!
  • Pride of ownership.
  • Appreciation. As the market appreciations, so does your home.
  • Mortgage Interest Deductions. Ask your tax professional if your mortgage interest is deductible.
  • Extra savings account – a home equity line of credit allows you to take a loan again the equity you have in your home.
  • Become a landlord by renting out part of your home or all of it (in the future). Consider househacking .
  • Build a community in your new neighborhood.
  • Capital gain exclusion. Unlike a brokerage account, there are exclusions to capital gains when you sell if you stay in the home two out of the last five years.
  • Homeownership is excellent way to build wealth.
  • If you already own a home, selling your current home can mean you get to cash in on your equity. That equity could be used to purchase a new home, pay for a child’s college or just add to our savings. Consider the options.
  • Property Tax Deductions. Ask your tax professional if your property tax is deductible.
  • Create instant equity by adding a bedroom/bathroom or finish a basement for more square feet.
  • Most importantly…. homeownership means the home is your’s (not your landlord’s).

As you can see, there are plenty of advantages of buying a home (financial, emotional and psychological).  Home ownership means something different to each person, what does it mean to you? Whatever the reason, reach out to Liz to start your search today!

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

The Wild Card.

Denver Real Estate

With a very competitive Denver real estate market, buyers can often get burnt out as the compete for their next home. As a buyer’s agent I always like to employ what I call the wild card. The wild card, defined by Wikipedia as ” a thing whose influence is unpredictable or whose qualities are uncertain”. The wild card home is one that pushes buyers to stretch their criteria for a home or offer a creative solution.

Do you need a fourth bedroom? The wild card home may have three bedrooms but an unfinished basement with the ability to add the fourth bedroom. Striking out on getting a home under contract because you are being beaten out? The wild card home might be a home that matches your criteria but has been on the market for two weeks because it needs a fresh coat of paint. Or quite possibly the wild card home may be over your price point but it has a mother-in-law that you can rent for additional monthly income.

The wild card home requires a buyer to think objectively and creatively while being open to potentially pivoting, which are incredibly useful tools to have in the incredibly tight real Denver estate market that we are in currently. Maybe the wild card home could become your ace?

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

The New Rules.

This week’s blog will be short, sweet and to the point (just like this market). As interest rates hit record lows for the ninth time this year and we face extremely low inventory levels there is a new set of rules to play by…

7 showings in a week.
17 showings no offers.
On the market for 6 days.

That’s what it takes to get a home under contract. In other words – homes are selling after 17 showings (7 of which are in the first week) and is on the market for and average of just 6 days.

I will let that sink in but that is one quick market. 

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

The Suburbs – The New Downtown?

Denver Suburbs

For quite some time now I have felt that the Denver suburbs were positioned nicely to continue appreciating quite a bit. Overall, Denver is a young city and as millennials started having families, I felt they would start moving towards the suburbs for more space, schools and more of a community feel. However, I felt that this would be a gradual change over a number of years.

Then COVID happens and now there are people moving in flocks to the Denver suburbs. As I mentioned here, we are starting to see the  Downtown Denver real estate slow. 80202 zip code (Downtown, Ballpark and Riverfront) is actually a buyer’s market now with a little more than 6 months of inventory.

People are heading to the Denver suburbs looking for more outdoor space, office space and space to homeschool. If you are a current client, I have sent you this map but it’s worth a share to visualize the current shift in the marketplace.

Denver Suburbs

As you can see, the suburbs have a lot of buyer demand (in blue) while the city itself is a bit more sluggish (in red). This is a stark change in demand with the suburbs around C-470 (parts of Arvada, Westminster) and Thornton lead the pack with buyer demand.

What does this mean? 
Buyer’s should expect competition in the suburbs (especially the darker blue cities). Sellers continue to have the upper hand and can expect their home to go under contract quickly while buyers compete for it. If you have to buy before selling your home in the suburbs, you will have an easier time buying in a city with less buyer demand (Downtown Denver and cities further out from Denver).

This market continues to be very hot and now the Denver suburbs are getting a cut of an appreciation!