Home Repairs to Do Before You Refinance - Northern Colorado Homes for Sale - Mike Nelson Real Estate KW

Property values have come roaring back. Many can now refinance their loans by virtue of having additional home equity. And increased property values can also put homeowners in a better financial position to sell their home without entering short sale territory. But the fact remains: Everyone wants to attain maximum value for their real estate and home repairs can help.
So what’s the best barometer of a home’s true worth? Simple: the amount a ready, willing and able buyer is willing to pay at any given point in time. Unfortunately, appraisal estimates can be skewed, especially when not all the home repairs and improvements are taken into consideration. This is why you should weigh all home improvement decisions carefully before you commit.
When You’re Refinancing
Unlike in years past, the weight of an appraisal to determine the home value for the purposes of refinancing a mortgage is based upon the facts (which are primarily based on other homes that have sold) and what the property description is.
Improvements that may help a refinance valuation:

• Additional bedroom or bathroom
• Addition to the lot size
• Addition to the garage
• Improvement that expands the “use” of the home

When it comes to improvements such as landscaping, painting, any home improvement more “cosmetic” in nature, realize that the primary benefit is for the enjoyment of the property, not for trying to influence value.
When Selling
A home buyer is going to take into consideration all of the facts associated with the property, location, lot size, square footage, bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as additional cosmetic improvements that have been done that add to the look and feel of the home.
Improvements that may help a sale price:

• New paint job
• Freshly maintained landscaping
• Remodeled and/or upgraded interior
• Deck and/or patio addition
• Additional bedroom or bathroom
• Addition to the lot size
• Addition to the garage

What’s the Biggest Bang for Your Buck?
These include the high-ticket items that increase square footage. An additional bedroom or an additional bathroom increases the square footage, which in turn allows an appraiser to make higher adjustments when determining valuation against other comparable homes around the subject property.
Refinancing
Let’s say you have funds ready for possibly improving your home for long-term enjoyment. Instead of using the funds to make home improvements in an attempt to enjoy your home more, you might actually see a greater benefit if you used that money toward a refinance. Over time, the money you save from refinancing could then be put toward those home improvements down the road.
Selling in the Near Future

Typically, you won’t get a dollar-for-dollar recapture on the home improvement cost, even when selling. Because the weight is given to improvements that expand the use of the house (i.e. bedroom, bathrooms, etc.), it’s more common to expect 20 cents on the dollar, or maybe 30 cents on the dollar, depending on the improvement in such a scenario. Because the market is the strongest indicator of price, the market will dictate sales price followed by additional improvements and subsequent marketing of the home.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-repairs-refinance-113050474.html

40 Energy Savings Tips for Denver - Northern Colorado Mike Nelson Real Estate

1. Close shades, drapes and blinds during the day (all directions).

 2. Wear lightweight clothing (short sleeves, shorts, cotton).

3. Set the air conditioning thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. Raise it higher to 80-85 degrees when away in the day. Note that settings below 78 degrees increase your cooling cost 8-12% per degree. Each degree makes a big difference. And setting your air conditioner at 70 degrees instead of 78 can almost double your operating cost!

 4. Don’t choose a lower air conditioning temperature when you first turn it on. It won’t cool faster if you set it lower. Set low, it cools longer, not faster.

5. When weather is mild, use fans instead of the air conditioner. Your central air conditioner will use about 100 times more energy than a fan at medium speed.

 6. If you have ceiling fans, run the fans and the air conditioner at the same time but set the air conditioner 2 or 3 degrees higher. You’ll feel just as cool, but your overall cooling cost will be 15%-25% lower!

7. Turn off ceiling fans when you’re away. Fans cool your skin. Fans don’t cool the room! Turn them off if you’re not going to be there to feel the breeze.

 8. Use a microwave instead of the range/oven. The microwave doesn’t heat the kitchen.

9. Keep windows and doors closed while air conditioning.

10. Change the air conditioner’s air filter monthly during heavy use. When it’s clogged, airflow is restricted -- cooling costs rise, and your system may eventually suffer a compressor failure with a $1,000+ repair bill!

11. Arrange items in your refrigerator for quick removal and return. Your refrigerator cools the food but heats the kitchen! The longer the door is open, the longer it runs, heating the kitchen and raising your air conditioning costs.

12. Vent the clothes dryer to the out-of-doors. Otherwise it pours heat and moisture into the house air.

13. If your dryer has an automatic cycle, use it. Over-drying wastes energy and wears out your clothes.

14. Clean the dryer lint filter screen frequently and check the outdoor vent opening. When lint slows the airflow, the dryer runs longer. When the vent is clogged the clothes get a long, ineffective tumbling.

15. Drink plenty of cool liquids. Avoid caffeine or alcohol. Eat lightly. Cook outdoors.

16. Plant shade trees. Outside shade can reduce air conditioning costs 30%. Shade on the east and west is most important.

17. Seal air leaks around doors and windows. Use caulk and weather-stripping.

18. If you have central cooling, keep all air conditioning supply registers open; don’t close off rooms or registers. That doesn’t save money, and it may lead to costly problems.

19. Check for air duct leaks. Duct leaks in the attic or under the house cost you money.

20. Close your fireplace damper!

21. Replace your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat.

22. On your central air conditioner’s thermostat FAN setting, always set the fan to AUTO, never set the fan to ON. This is important: Don’t move the fan lever to “ON”! Set the fan on “AUTO”. On AUTO, humidity is kept lower, costs are much lower and comfort is higher.

23. Keep up the habit of turning off lights as you leave a room, especially in summer. Lights add a lot of heat to the room.

24. Have a qualified service technician conduct a seasonal checkup on your central heat pump or air conditioner. Your springtime servicing should include a check of your thermostat including leveling it if necessary; a check of your system’s refrigerant charge; cleaning evaporator and condenser coils if necessary; and check for duct leaks and repair as necessary.

25. Consider a pool pump timer. Pool pumping 24 hours/day with a ¾ horsepower pump motor can cost nearly $80/month at current electric rates. A timer is well worth its installed cost.

26. Bulk up your ceiling insulation. The highest recommended level for our region is “R38” (38 Rvalues) or about 14 inches depth of the newer kinds of blown white fiberglass insulation. A good protective layer of ceiling insulation prevents heat from moving inward in summer and holds heat inside in winter.

27. Use your bathroom vent fan after a shower.

28. Reconsider having an old refrigerator or freezer in your hot garage!

29. Avoid rooftop power ventilating fans. They tend to cost more to operate than they save, especially if the thermostat is set too low.

30. Make sure your air conditioner’s return-air grill has plenty of clearance. Floor-level grills sometimes get covered by a rug or blocked by furniture.

31. Use a clothesline.

32. Make sure your clothes dryer isn’t throwing lint onto your outdoor cooling condenser coils!

33. If you have a waste-heat-recovery water heating system, make sure the little pump is still working! Otherwise you may go for years without realizing that the system does nothing.

34. If you’re replacing your old air conditioner, don’t pressure your installer to oversize your new system. Bigger isn’t better. A system correctly sized for your house will run longer but for less cost, dry the air better and give greater comfort than the next bigger size.

35. If you’re replacing your old air conditioner, replace both halves if it’s a “split system”. If you replace only the outdoor condensing unit but keep your old indoor blower-coil, you’ll likely end up with a mismatched, low-efficiency system.

36. Make sure your air conditioner’s thermostat is well away from any source or heat. Keep lamps at a distance to avoid false high temperature readings and unwanted long cooling runtimes.

37. If your garage was long ago converted to an enclosed, heated and cooled room, make sure it has ceiling insulation.

38. Make sure your ceiling fans are breezing downwards, not upwards. A common problem.

39. If your air conditioning ductwork is under the house and your supply air registers are at floor level, check all of them from above with a flashlight. First, it’s easy for the register vanes to be accidentally kicked shut. Second, make sure the duct boot under the vent is still connected. When you look down through a floor register, you shouldn’t see the earth!

40. Keep all air conditioning supply air registers open. Don’t close off rooms or registers. That doesn’t save money, and it may lead to costly problems.
http://www.servicedenver.com/Energy.html

Homes for sale in Fort Collins Colorado - Northern Colorado

Homes for sale in Fort Collins Colorado SEARCH below to find your next home or Contact Mike Nelson at 720-999-6818 to find out more about Fort Collins Real Estate

Homes for sale in Fort Collins Colorado

Fort Collins is a vibrant community of 145,000 set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver, CO. 

As a regional center for employment, shopping, and healthcare, Fort Collins offers the convenience of a small town with all the amenities of a larger city.  With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year and low humidity, Fort Collins residents enjoy pleasant weather year-round.  Fort Collins is an active community. From musical concerts and powerful plays to food and beer tasting extravaganzas, Fort Collins has it all.  Indoor and outdoor activities are enjoyable in every season.  

Money Magazine ranked Fort Collins as the "Best Place to Live" in America in 2006.  Please click here to see all Fort Collins recognitions

Demographics:

Fort Collins is the fourth largest city in the State of Colorado, with an estimated population of 145,000, including 26,000 students at Colorado State University.  Fort Collins' population is well-educated, with 44% of residents having a high school degree and 48% of them holding a bachelor's degree.  Household median income of $45,846.  Please click here for more demographics.

Climate and Proximity:

Fort Collins, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, low humidity, and moderate winters, enjoys a mild climate year-round.  The area receives approximately 16 inches of rain and 59 inches of snow per year.  The average high temperature during the summer months 83.5 degrees.  In the winter months, it is 44.0 degrees.

Fort Collins sits at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, approximately 65 miles north of Denver CO and 45 miles south of Cheyenne, WY.  Fort Collins' elevation is 5,003 ft. above sea level.

History:

Fort Collins began as an army camp along the banks of the Poudre River.  In 1867, the camp was dismantled, and the army moved out of the area.  Although the military was gone, a settlement remained.  In 1873, the city of Fort Collins was founded.  Over the years, Fort Collins has grown and changed, but you can still see reminders of the past in the Historic Old Town District and many other sites around the area.  Colorado State University's began in the 1870's, when the institution was founded as the Agricultural College of Colorado.  For more information on local history, see the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center's local historical archives.

On September 24, 2004, the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 100th anniversary, making it one of the oldest established organizations in Fort Collins.

 Education:

Fort Collins offers one of the best educational environments available in the United States.  Poudre School District students exceed the state average by 9 to 19 percentage points in the proficient and advanced categories for reading, writing, math, and science on the rigorous CSAP tests and scored above the state on the 11th grade ACT assessment.

Colorado State University gives students a tremendous range of educational opportunities from undergraduate to graduate and professional programs.  Colorado State University was founded in 1870 as the state's only land grant institution.  Today, over 100 undergraduate programs are offered in a curriculum that ranges from liberal arts to veterinary sciences.  CSU has over 26,000 students that come from all 50 states and nearly 80 countries.  In addition to being Fort Collins' largest employer, CSU positively impacts the cultural aspects of Fort Collins. World-renowned speakers, sporting events, and cultural celebrations all help to give Fort Collins a personality you will love.

Front Range Community College offers a college curriculum as well as programs in vocational and technical areas.  Thousands of students attend the college in pursuit of the 22 associate of art degrees, 17 high school programs, and 25 occupational degrees.  The Fort Collins campus is the second largest and most rapidly growing community college in the state.  

Lifestyle:

Colorado has earned a worldwide reputation as an area that offers an unparalleled lifestyle, and Fort Collins represents the very best of Colorado.  Exciting recreation and sports activities, festivals, cultural activities, high-quality healthcare and great senior accommodations make Fort Collins a choice place to live.

From activities for the extreme athlete to the leisurely weekend enthusiast, Fort Collins has it all.  In town, residents take advantage of 820 acres of developed park land, including 6 community parks and 44 neighborhood/pocket parks as well as 29 miles of trails offering scenic views of the Poudre River and the beautiful Rocky Mountains. 

Golfers of all abilities love Fort Collins' eight beautiful golf courses and everyone will enjoy swimming, figure skating or playing hockey at the popular EPIC (Edora Pool and Ice Center).  If you want to escape the city limits, your favorite ski resorts and cross-country trails are in your backyard and summertime offers opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping and more.  Trout fishing and whitewater rafting are popular activities on the nearby Cache la Poudre River. 

There is no better place than Fort Collins for spectator sports.  Colorado State University fans delight in watching the popular Rams football, basketball and volleyball teams.  A short drive to Denver puts you in the seats of a Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies or Denver Nuggets game.  The annual Greeley Stampede in Greeley and the nationally-acclaimed Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming are popular summer day trips.

 Healthcare:

As a regional center for medicine, Fort Collins is home to thousands of general practitioners and specialists of every kind.  Poudre Valley Health System is Fort Collins' full-service medical center.  With 72 specialties, the hospital is able to provide the quality of care often found only in larger cities.  Nearly 2000 health care professionals give patients personalized care using the most up-to-date technologies and procedures.  

In 2008, Poudre Valley Health System received the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.  The Malcolm Baldridge award continues to drive improvement at PVHS, which ultimately leads to better patient care.  PVHS was the only healthcare organization to receive this award.  For more information on Poudre Valley Health System, please click here.

Columbine Health Systems is a locally owned and operated healthcare network that has been providing services since 1971 that focus on addressing the comfort and safety of seniors. Services include skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities as well as independent and assisted living options. 

Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital provides comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation services to patients with functional deficits resulting from injury or illness.  The Northern Colorado Long Term Acute Hospital provides advanced long-term acute care, including high observation/critical care, for patients who require time to heal from catastrophic injury or illness.

Cultural Activities:

Cultural events and festivals abound in Fort Collins.  Local performing groups include Canyon Concert Ballet, the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, the OpenStage Theatre Company,  and the Bas Bleu Theatre Company.  In 2011, The Lincoln Center will unveil its first expansion/renovation, providing residents with a first-class performing arts center. 

The Historic Old Town District is home to numerous events, including the annual New West Fest in August, Saint Paddy's Day parade and the Concert Under the Stars summer series.  For a community calendar, please click here.

Senior Living:

Seniors will find excellent amenities designed to suit their specific needs in Fort Collins.  Housing choices are numerous and a variety of programs offer employment, volunteer and educational opportunities.  The City of Fort Collins runs numerous activities through its Senior Center.  Programs include arts and crafts, fitness, computer training and outdoor recreation.  Day trips to popular destinations in Northern Colorado are also done through the Center.

Shopping:

A variety of choices make Fort Collins a great place to shop.

The Foothills Mall, offers residents a large variety of local stores and nationwide retailers, including Sears and Macy's, as well as a variety of smaller shops.

Historic Old Town, boasts local specialty stores and restaurants in an outdoor pedestrian mall.

Front Range Village, Fort Collins newest outdoor mall is located on the southern edge of Fort Collins and is home to SuperTarget, Lowe's, Babies & Toys R Us, and several smaller retailers.  Front Range Village also includes the Council Tree Library.

For a complete list of retailers, please visit our membership directory.

Dining:

With more restaurants per capita than most cities in the nation, Fort Collins offers a great selection of places to satisfy your appetite.  From spicy Mexican to delicious Italian and exotic Vietnamese, you can try a different cuisine every day.  And don't forget to try a great hamburger and beer from one of the local microbreweries.  Fort Collins is home to Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company as well as many others. Fort Collins' local restaurants, combined with nationwide chains, provide endless choices of different styles of food to satisfy everyone's cravings.

To view a complete listing of restaurants, please visit our membership directory or visit www.ftcollins.com.

Quality of Life:

Click here for a living report on the quality of life in Larimer County.  The Compass site pulls together data from various sources that indicate our community's social, economic, and environmental health.