Beautiful 2-Story in Highlands Ranch Backing to Greenbelt!

332 Winerthur Way, Highlands Ranch, gorgeous, 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 4,234 total square feet of family friendly living with professionally finished basement. Enjoy formal living and dining rooms, 2-story tall family room adjacent to the spacious kitchen, main floor study, home theater room, a wet bar and pool table area in basement rec room.

FRANTKTOWN COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE

COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE

Friday + Saturday, June 6 + 7, 8 am – 3 pm

Pine Creek West, Franktown, CO 80116

        5 miles east of street light at Highways 86+83, Take Hwy. 86 east to North Rocky Cliff Trail, turn north.

• Equipment including never-used diesel generator
• Furniture and miscellaneous household items
• Clothing and toys

 

Amber Alert-Missing 5 yr old Boy

I just received an emergency phone call from the Douglas County: MISSING: 5 YEAR OLD BOY: 4 feet tall, 78 lbs, blond hair & blue eyes, camouflage hoodie, is nonverbal and autistic. If you seen him, or have information, please call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department: 303 660-7500

DougCo Tax Assessors Public News Release

Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Here is a public news release about how our property taxes will be assessed this coming June:

The 2009 Reappraisal and Notices of Valuation from Teri Cox, Douglas County Assessor

On May 1st, Notices of Valuation for the 2009 reappraisal will be mailed to all property owners in Douglas County. Every two years the assessor’s office revalues all real estate in the county as of an appraisal date set by state law. This year the date is June 30, 2008. One way to think of an appraisal date is to ask what your property could have sold for on that date. Every reappraisal, we disregard the old valuations and start from scratch using an entirely new sales list. In other words, we aren’t allowed to adjust values up or down by a percentage, but instead have to analyze sales from a specific time frame –in the case of the 2009 reappraisal this was from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008. On June 30, 2008 our economy looked very different than it does today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 11,350. The Unemployment Rate was 5.6%. While the June 30, 2008 economy no longer exists, Colorado law still tells us that we must value property as of that date. We cannot consider sales or market influences that occurred after June 30, 2008. Whether you own property in Douglas County or anywhere else in Colorado, the same dates apply because reappraisals are part of our state constitution. For more information about the 2009 reappraisal and sales from your area, please visit the Douglas County Assessor website at: http://www.douglas.co.us/assessor, or phone our office at 303.660.7450.

GOLF OPPORTUNITY AT PERRY PARK

GOLF OPPORTUNITY AT PERRY PARK

Take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to play the world class golf course at Perry Park Country Club in Larkspur Colorado! The Douglas County 4H Foundation is sponsoring a benefit golf tournament on July 13, 2009. Registration begins at 8:00am and Tee Time is at 9:00am. The tournament will be a scramble format with a shotgun start.  An awards banquet and meal will follow the tournament, plus lots and lots of door prizes! Proceeds from this tournament will be used for educational financial assistance to Douglas County youth through 4H scholarships. Since its inception the foundation has given over $1,000,000 in scholarships.  The Foundation has a long and successful history of providing educational programs and scholarships to the youth of Douglas County. Please join us in continuing this effort. Sponsorship opportunities are available. If you are interested in playing in the tournament or being a sponsor please contact Maryjo Woodrick at CSU Extension / Douglas County 720-733-6930.  

Citizens Can Receive Critical Alerts

Douglas ETSA Using High Tech Notification

Feb 08, 2009 at 06:53 PM

“This is an Important Article from Douglas County. I think Everyone should sign up for this alert-Amy” Citizens and Businesses Can Sign Up to Receive Critical Alerts During Emergencies  Douglas County will begin using 3n InstaCom™ Citizen Alert, an emergency notification system provided by 3n Global, the leading global emergency notification system provider, to communicate with thousands of businesses and residents in minutes in an emergency.   The Douglas County Emergency Telephone Service Authority (ETSA) and it’s member organizations will be able to alert residents about severe weather, fires, floods, toxic environmental issues and other emergencies using 3n InstaCom Citizen Alert. Messages can be sent to residents on any communication path desired – cell phone, home phone, email, text messaging, fax, pager, PDA and more – ensuring that residents and City staff receive life-saving emergency information and important public service announcements in minutes. Citizens listed in the County’s 9-1-1 database will be automatically subscribed to alerts by phone, though any citizen may self-register, provide additional contact information or opt out.   “We have a commitment to our citizens to protect them from any danger that threatens our community. The ability to reach all residents quickly during an emergency to warn them and provide guidance is critical to upholding that commitment, which is why we are rolling out 3n InstaCom Citizen Alert,” said CoryFriend, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Communications Manager. “The 3n emergency notification system ensures the 3 dispatch centers will be able to react accurately and efficiently in a natural disaster or other crisis.”   Cinta Putra, CEO of 3n, commented, “A robust emergency notification system is an essential tool for cities that need to notify thousands of residents and businesses rapidly and efficiently during an emergency. 3n is proud to have been chosen by the Douglas County 9-1-1 Authority as a critical component of its emergency response plan.”   To sign up for emergency alerts use the links on our website at https://nnn1.3nonline.net/OptIn/citizens/optin.action?party=136368

Where is the new Rueter-Hess Reservoir?

If you are like me you’ve heard about the new Rueter-Hess Reservoir (boy, you would think they could have come up with a more charming name like-Pond on the Plains Reservoir, or Oaisis in the Prairie Reservoir). The reservoir will be huge, about one and a half times bigger than the Cherry Creek one. The dam will rise 185 feet and the reservoir will encompass 1170 acres. It is located about three miles southwest of downtown Parker on Newlin Gulch, which is a tributary drainage of Cherry Creek.

Economic Stimulus Plan Benefits the Housing

This great article is from Paul Oehm with Banc Group Mortgage Corporation and I thought it was important to get the information out as quickly as possible.

 

Revised February 17, 2009

Just signed and sealed…a $787 Billion Stimulus Plan made up of tax cuts and spending programs aims at reviving the US economy. Although the package was scaled down from nearly $1 Trillion, it still stands as the largest antirecession effort since World War II. Home owners and potential homebuyers stand to gain from key provisions in this stimulus plan. Here is what we know as of today…

 

Tax Credit for Homebuyers

First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November 2009 may be eligible for the lower of an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit. Remember a tax credit is very different than a tax deduction – a tax credit is equivalent to money in your hand, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income. The tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years.

 

Additional Housing-Related Provisions

Tax Incentives to Spur Energy Savings and Green Jobs — This provision is designed to help promote energy-efficient investments in homes by extending and expanding tax credits through 2010 for purchases such as new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, or insulation.

Landmark Energy Savings — This provision provides $5 Billion for energy efficient improvements for more than one million modest-income homes through weatherization. According to some estimates, this can help modest income families save an average of $350 a year on heating and air conditioning bills.

 

Repairing Public Housing and Making Key Energy Efficiency Retrofits To HUDAssisted Housing—This provision provides a total of $6.3 Billion for increasing energy efficiency in federally supported housing programs. Specifically, it establishes a new program to upgrade HUD-sponsored low-income housing (for elderly, disabled, and Section 8) to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and frames.

 

Expanding Housing Assistance—This provision increases support for several critical housing programs. It includes $2 Billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help communities purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed, vacant properties.

 

More Help for Homeowners in the Future

Another thing to keep an eye on in the coming weeks is President Obama’s plan to help struggling borrowers before they are faced with a default on their mortgage.

 

According to reports, the Obama administration is discussing plans to help borrowers who are struggling to stay afloat, but who have not yet fallen behind on their payments. At this point, details are scarce; however, reports indicate that President Obama is looking to spend approximately $50 Billion to directly help homeowners before they face foreclosure and financial disaster.

 

While this is good news for individual homeowners, it will likely be good for the housing industry as a whole. That’s because, assisting struggling borrowers before they default should help stop the wave of foreclosures, which are estimated to top two million this year. That, in turn, will help stabilize home prices.

What Happens To Your Credit if You Stop Making Your Mortgage Payment

What Happens To Your Credit if You Stop Making Your Mortgage Payment?Credit Pain

What happens to your credit score if you stop making your monthly mortgage payments? I found out some useful information from Tim Duval, a Mortgage Loan Consultant, with WrStarkey Inc.

Short Sale: A short sale will strongly hurt your credit score. The vast majority of lenders will not approve you for a mortgage for at least 12 months, maybe more, after the short sale. A short sale is, you own your home but have stopped making payments, and have sold the home to a buyer, at a lender approved reduced price, that is lower than what you owe on the property.

Foreclosure: A foreclosure will strongly hurt your credit score. It is very similar to a short sale. The vast majority of lenders will not approve you for a mortgage for at least 12 months, maybe more, after the foreclosure. A foreclosure is, you own your home, have stopped making payments, and the lender has foreclosed on the property and taken possession.

Behind in Payments or Skipped a Payment. Unfortunately, this also can impact your credit scores by reducing your score approximately a hundred points. Right now, lenders like to see a 720 credit score for a home purchase, so a reduction of 100 points to 620, may cause difficulty in purchasing a new home or getting a car loan.

What can you do? There are some great programs offered by Douglas County including a Foreclosure Mediation Program. I would think all the counties would have something similar but Douglas County will sit down, meet with you and offer mediation between you and your lender.

Not Able To Pay Your Mortgage Payment? Terms to Know

Not able to Make Your Mortgage Payment? Terms to Know before Talking To Your Lender.

If you are struggling to make your mortgage payments, you may want to discuss your concerns with your lender. Below is a list of terms that may help you in your communication.

 Loan Modification: If you can prove you are upside-down in your current mortgage (you owe more on the home than you can sell it for), you might be able to get your current loan modified. Lenders have much more to lose by foreclosing and much more to gain from a loan modification

Short Sale: You may want to get out from under a property you can no longer afford, but you cannot sell it for enough to pay back all the money you owe on it. Lenders may be willing to accept less than they are owed to allow you to sell and walk away debt-free, but they will want to see a Comparative Market Analysis (call me and I’ll do the research and provide you with one) and copies of your taxes, bank statements, etc., before agreeing to such a proposition.

Short refinance: Like a short sale, a short refinance (short refi) calls for the lender to accept less than the full balance due on the loan, so you can refinance into new mortgage with a lower balance and lower monthly payments. Before agreeing to a short refi, lenders want to see a Comparative Market Analysis (call me and I’ll do the research and provide you with one) to make sure the property is truly worth less than what’s owed on it.

Principal forbearance: A principal forbearance is sort of a cross between a short refi and a loan modification, but the lender does not completely forgive the difference between what’s owed on the property and its market value. Instead, the lender agrees to collect the difference later – when you sell or refinance the property. Like a short refi, the new monthly payment is calculated on a lower principal balance (based on the property’s market value), resulting in a lower monthly payment.

The Comparative Market Analysis is key for establishing the property’s true market value.  It is important for you to contact your lender, to find out what your options are, but be sure to speak with the “Loss Mitigator” and not just a customer service rep. Please email or call me if you need a Comparative Market Analysis, and with this important information in hand, you will have a professional opinion of the current value of your property, which will assist you in your communications and negotiations with your lender. Amy Maier, Amy@AmySellsHomes.net or 303 660-8600.

The terms above are provided by Ralph R. Roberts who is a consumer advocate, spokesperson for Federal Loan Modification Law Center, host of KeepMyHouse.com, and author of numerous books, including Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies and Loan Modification For Dummies (Summer, 2009). Ralph is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan and can be reached at RalphRoberts@RalphRoberts.com.