The5280group's Blog

Amazing HUD program in Colorado for law enforcement officers, teachers, firefighters, and EMT’s

the5280group — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:48:18 +0000

HUD offers an unbeatable program for Law enforcement officers, pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and firefighters/emergency medical technicians. It’s called the Good Neighbor Next Door Program. HUD offers a substantial incentive in the form of a discount of 50% from the list price of the home. In return you must commit to live in the property for 36 months as your sole residence. When you choose to use an FHA- insured mortgage, the down payment is only $100! Eligible Single Family homes located in revitalization areas are listed exclusively for sales through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program. GNND buyers can bid in lottery, exclusive, and extended phases, but can bid exclusively on insured single unit homes in revitalization areas in the lottery phase. GNND buyers are given preference over government agencies and nonprofits in the selection of a bid-winner in the lottery phase.

Attention Teachers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters and EMT’s! Don’t miss out on this opportunity…

Search for available properties at www.hudhomestore.com, enter State and Buyer Type: Good Neighbor Next Door.

View Q & As

Need more info on buying a HUD owned property?

Amazing HUD program in Colorado for law enforcement officers, teachers, firefighters, and EMT’s

the5280group — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:46:19 +0000

Attention Teachers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters and EMT’s! Don’t miss out on this opportunity…

Search for available properties at www.hudhomestore.com, enter State and Buyer Type: Good Neighbor Next Door.

View Q & As

Need more info on buying a HUD owned property?

Own your own home in Colorado for as little as $100 down

the5280group — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:36:33 +0000

Own your own home in Colorado for as little as $100 down. This popular HUD program is back and is an amazing opportunity! There are a few specific requirements that the buyer must meet; such as, it is valid on HUD owned properties, you must intend to occupy the property as your principle residence, your must utilize FHA financing and offer a full list price. This program is currently set to last thru October 2012, at which point HUD will re-evaluate the program.

To search currently available HUD homes, please click here.

If you would like more information, or would like to set up a showing on a HUD owned property, please call us at 303-654-0197.

The 5280 Group at Re/Max Momentum

303-654-0197

Sell your home in Colorado…Price it Right

the5280group — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:56:51 +0000

Looking to sell your home in Colorado? It all comes down to price. In reading a recent article regarding the potential harmful effects of changing a listing price and how that can affect how long a property is on the market, it reminds me how crucial it is to get a property listed at the right amount from the very beginning. A good and accurate CMA, as well as an honest and open discussion with a seller is needed in achieving this correct price.

In the study, they cited that homes that undergo price changes, either up or down, will result in a property being on the market longer. Interestingly in this study it showed that the bigger the price change, the longer the effect it will have on the property being on the market.

So take note sellers and brokers. Taking a listing, or listing a property at a price that is not well researched and reflective of the current market conditions will only result in the seller waiting longer, and the broker working harder. Therefore, be sure to price a new listing correctly from the beginning as it will be most advantageous to all parties.

Here is a link to the article written by Ken H Johnson with Florida International University as it appears in the Journal of Housing Research, as well as the research from Knight (2002).

Facebook and your kids…Keeping them safe

the5280group — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:13:07 +0000

With school starting back up, your kids are sure to make a ton of new friends, and with Facebook being the communication style of choice for your kids and their friends here are some tips on keeping your kids safe on Facebook.

Facebook & Kids – What Parents Need to Know

Posted by Chris Young on Apr 22, 2011

Safety!

We begin talking to our kids about it as soon as they can crawl and continue talking to them about it into their adulthood. As parents, we want to make sure that our kids are always protected and safe. So, when it comes to Facebook safety, are you up to speed?

Last week, Facebook introduced a new suite of safety tools which is intended to keep users informed and promote a safer environment. Simply put, this new suite contains several things that parents might want to know about including new safety features, resources and ways to report issues.

When it comes to our kids’ safety within Facebook, I find that a good place to start is the Family Safety Center which categorizes topic areas of Facebook specifically for parents, teachers and teens along with outlining the various tools and resources available. Upon exploring the section for parents, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Facebook implements stronger safety features for its users under the age of 18, making sure that their Facebook profile and posts don’t show up under public searches. Also, if someone under 18 years old shares their location (through Facebook places), only their direct connections are notified. This section also offers “Tips for Parents” encouraging them to get involved in their children’s Facebook accounts.

Here’s a few basic tips that we recommend to help keep your kids safe:

If you’re not on Facebook already, have your kid(s) help you set up your account

Become a “Friend” with your kid(s)

It’s a good idea for you and your kids to go through the various privacy settings, figuring out what is comfortable for both of you

If you or your kids do have issues with others on Facebook, know how to report it.

Source: [firstamtech.com]

Save energy and money this summer…

the5280group — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:35:31 +0000

This article is compliments of our friends at Abacus Inspection Service.

Turn Off Pilot Lights in the Summer

by Martin Newmark

Turning off pilot lights in gas fireplaces and furnaces during the summer can save a substantial amount of energy, and money. First you won’t burn gas that you won’t use, and second your air conditioning doesn’t have to work overtime to cool off the heating effects of the constantly burning pilot light.

How much does it cost to run a pilot light? Calculations I’ve made from data on the web and our (Denver, Colorado) current cost of natural gas ($0.82/therm) indicate that you will spend between $3.60 and $5.40 per month per fireplace or furnace to run a pilot light. Turning the pilot light off from April through September would save approximately $22 to $32 per fireplace or furnace per year. Another authoritative source suggested that 3-4% of the fuel cost for a furnace with a pilot light is due to the pilot light. This is the reason that newer, more fuel efficient gas burning appliances are designed to not have a pilot light in favor of electronic ignition.

So, how do you turn off the pilot light? And, how do you turn it back on when it starts cooling off in the fall? Read on and I’ll tell you.

Does My Fireplace or Furnace Have a Pilot Light?

The first thing to determine is whether your fireplace or furnace has a pilot light. Some fireplaces and most furnaces I see don’t have a pilot light that is always burning. So, I don’t want you looking for something you don’t have.

The best way to determine if you have a ‘standing’, or ‘always-on’, pilot light is to look at the control knob for the fireplace or furnace. On a fireplace you will usually find the control knob under the fireplace behind a grate or door. On a furnace this control knob will be inside the furnace cabinet. Once you find this control knob you can determine if the pilot light is always on if there is a ‘pilot’ position on a knob in that compartment. So, if you see the word ‘pilot’ on the knob you know that there is a standing pilot light. See the image below.

Position of the Valve

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the valve is in the ‘on’, ‘pilot’, or ‘off’ position at first glance. Look closely for a small bump, sometimes painted red, near the knob.

Locating the Flame of the Pilot Light

Before you turn the pilot light off, it’s nice to know where the pilot light flame is. Knowing where the flame is will help you the most when you go to re-light it, but it will also give you the confidence that you have actually turned it off when you do the next step. Locate the flame by looking around your fireplace for a small burning flame. Sometimes it’s hard to find if it’s in the back or behind some of the logs. If you can’t find a burning flame it may be out already.

Turning Off the Pilot Light

You would think that turning off the pilot light is as easy as turning the knob to the ‘off’ position. Sometimes it is, but most often you have to push the knob in and then turn it to ‘off’. Other times you will need to push a little lever out of the way so that you can turn it to ‘off’. Look and try with your particular model and you will figure it out. My main advice is to not force it. When you figure yours out it should be relatively easy. Once you turn the knob to the off position the flame you found in the previous step should be out. If it isn’t you have a defective valve that needs to be replaced.

Turning the Pilot Light Back On

Turn your pilot lights back on when you feel that first chill in the autumn air or when you’re ready to use your gas fireplace or furnace for the first time of the season.

Remember that you are working with gas that burns and can explode. You are literally playing with fire! If you don’t feel comfortable trying this yourself ask someone that does to help you.

Before you begin make sure you don’t smell any gas – a rotten egg odor. If you do, don’t try to light the unit. Call a service technician.

If you don’t smell gas, determine if you need a lighter to light the pilot. Many newer gas fireplaces have a button, usually red, that when pushed will click and create a spark at the pilot light location. If you don’t have a spark button use one of those extra long lighters that lets you create a flame about four inches away from your hands.

Now you’re ready to turn the valve to the ‘pilot’ position from the ‘off’ position. You may need to press down on the knob to get it to turn. Next, light your lighter and put its flame near the pilot light inside the fireplace or furnace, or press the clicker button to make sure that it is sparking (this may be hard to see in some fireplaces). Now press the knob, or a button near the knob, to get gas flowing to the pilot light. You should hear a faint hissing sound which is the gas flowing to the pilot light. With a lighter the pilot should light fairly quickly. If you have a spark button press it repeatedly until the pilot light ignites. Sometimes it may take a few seconds to a minute for the pilot light to ignite. If this happens be sure to stop and get help if you smell gas.

When the pilot light ignites you will need to continue to hold the button down on the valve to keep gas flowing until the thermocouple (a small rod that the flame hits) gets hot enough to tell the gas valve to keep gas flowing to the pilot light. You will need to hold this button down for 15 seconds to one minute. If the pilot light doesn’t stay lit after that you may need a new thermocouple, there may not be gas service to the unit, or some other problem. Call a competent repair person for help.

Here is a link to Abucus’ site to check out.

The 5280 Group of Re/Max Momentum

303-654-0197

Tips on preventing foreclosure

the5280group — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:34:29 +0000

Tips to Prevent Foreclosure

Be proactive. Contact your loan servicer immediately.
- You can find the contact information on your monthly mortgage bill or coupon book.
- Lenders can work out plans to allow you to stay in your home.
- Ask about foreclosure alternatives.
- Be prepared to disclose detailed financial information.
- Provide requested information in timely manner.
- Be ready to change your spending habits and create a budget.
- Open mail and respond to calls from your loan servicer promptly. Failure to respond in a timely manner can result in more foreclosure actions and additional cost.
Consider refinancing your loan.
- Refinancing to a fixed-rate, fully amortized lower-cost loan may help.
- The FHA offers a program that helps homeowners with good credit refinance. It’s called FHA Secure.
Talk to a housing counselor. HUD approves trained counselors to work with not‐for-profits focused on preventing foreclosure. Search for HUD counselors.
Get in touch with your local government agencies. Your city, state or county may offer programs for people having trouble making their mortgage payments.
Notify your other creditors. You may be able to lower interest rates on your credit cards or consolidate some of your other loans. You can put the savings toward your mortgage.
Create a budget. You may find areas you can save and put the money toward keeping your home.
Re‐read your mortgage agreement. Understanding the document is critical.
Talk to a lawyer if you think you may have been a victim of predatory lending. Your local university may host a legal clinic. There also may be fair-lending counseling agencies in your area.
Beware of anyone who says you don’t need a real estate professional or title company when selling a home.
Do not sign over the deed to your property to any organization or person if you are not working directly with your lender to get your debt forgiven.

If you are facing foreclosure, or need to talk to an expierenced team of Realtors, call us today.

The 5280 Group of Re/Max Momentum

303-654-0197

[Source: remax.com]

Want to take a ride in a hot air balloon? Come see us this weekend…

the5280group — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:31:53 +0000

Come join us at the Adams County Fair this weekend! The Re/Max balloon will be there and we will be offering free rides. If you have never been to the Adams County Fair, check out their site to see what’s in store.

It will be a great time for all, so come see us this weekend! Be sure to look for the Re/Max Momentum booth!

See you there!

The 5280 Group of Re/Max Momentum

Raiders of the Lost Ark at sunset….

the5280group — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:07:04 +0000

How long has it been since you’ve seen Raiders of the Lost Ark? Too long? Come join us tomorrow night and watch it under the stars. There will be live music, friends and fun. Admission is free and it’s located at the Prairie Center in Brighton off of 136th and I-76. Bring a chair or blanket to get comfy and join us at 7pm for music and the movie will start at sunset.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The 5280 Group at Re/Max Momentum

303-875-1800

Looking to try something new? The Denver Roller Dolls are ready to show you how to derby…

the5280group — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:01:57 +0000

Looking for a fun, new activity to try? Head over to the Broomfield Events Center on Saturday July 24th from noon to 5pm and skate with the Denver Roller Dolls and watch them demo how to play derby. Admission and skate rentals are free, but they do recommend you wear some protective gear. This event is being sponsored by The City of Broomfield.

If you are looking for some more details, head over to www.denverrollerdolls.org.