Wonderland Lake and Newlands Homes Exceed $1MM Threshold [Analyze This]
by Osman Parvez ---- Last week, one of our blog readers asked how appreciation rates in Martin Acres compared to other Boulder neighborhoods. Great question. Take a look at the following chart. As it turns out, Martin Acres experienced far higher appreciation last year than many Boulder neighborhoods including Table Mesa, Wonderland Lake, and Newlands. The median sold price for a house in Martin Acres increased 17.4%. Wonderland Lake increased 15%, and Table Mesa 11.5%. Newlands, by comparison, gained a paltry 5.1%. Of course, the characteristics of these neighborhoods and the houses within them are quite different. North Boulder [...]
Boulder’s Martin Acres Jumps 22%
by Osman Parvez ---- Looking for an affordable house in Boulder? Wonder where prices are headed in 2016? You should be tracking what's happening in the Martin Acres neighborhood. As usual, this isn't the typical Realtor happy talk or hand waving. Let's look at the numbers. In particular, let's focus on the Martin Acres Index (MAI). 25 houses sold in Martin Acres during the past year. Sale prices ranged from $443,000 (150 S. Lashley) to $749,000 (315 S 42nd Street). The average sale price for basic 3 bedroom, 1 bath ranch homes that matched MAI criteria was $492,500. The [...]
Pop Or Not?
by Osman Parvez ---- Martin Acres is one of our favorite Boulder neighborhoods. Everyone from growing families to college students put their roots down, making the area a diverse part of town. Many of the original owners are still residing in the neighborhood. Martin Park is one of the locations best amenities, along with close access to the rest of South Boulder and its many retail and recreational offerings. Over the years, many owners within the neighborhood have chosen to "pop the top" and expand their homes from the typical original 1950's ranch style. A unique group have completely [...]
Forecast: Bidding Wars Ahead? [Analyze This]
by Osman Parvez ---- Anxious for accurate market data? Check this out. You're looking at the last few years of Boulder real estate appreciation - the change in median sale value for houses, attached dwellings, and the Martin Acres Index are broken out. Show me a better performing asset class with easy access to financing, a high percentage of leverage, preferred tax treatment, and where you can host a dinner party. Houses posted three solid years of gains in Boulder. Condos out performed in 2012 but trailed houses in 2013 before gaining some ground in 2014. The [...]
Martin Acres Index Jumps 12.7% [Analyze This]
by Osman Parvez Planning to buy or sell Boulder real estate? Pay close attention to market conditions if you want to make a smarter real estate decision. House Einstein's Martin Acres Index (MAI) is the average sale price for arms length transactions of basic 3 bedroom, 1 bath ranches in Martin Acres. The data is cleaned for duplicates and other common errors and covers 18 years of market activity. Pay attention to the MAI - even if you're shopping for other property types, price ranges, or locations. It's the most uniform neighborhood and property type in Boulder. Last [...]
Fresh Listings, Why or Why Not [Get ‘Em Hot]
by Osman Parvez Over the last two weeks, over a hundred new properties have hit the market. This should make Boulder real estate shoppers happy. Let's take a look at a few. Not the Bargain Bin at Nordstrom Rack First of all, the following listings are truly new to market. None have been on the MLS for more than 2 weeks so they've haven't been picked through by every buyer in Boulder (yet). I've hand selected them for a variety of reasons (explained below). If you're shopping for real estate in Boulder, add these to your list. [...]
Quote of the Day
by Osman Parvez ---- "Martin Acres... It's a religion!" - Anonymous, speaking on people's enthusiasm for living in the neighborhood. ---- Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. Ready to buy or sell? Schedule an appointment or call 303.746.6896. You can also like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.As always, your referrals are deeply appreciated. -- The ideas and strategies described in this blog are the opinion of the writer and subject to business, economic, and competitive uncertainties. We strongly recommend conducting rigorous due diligence and obtaining professional advice before [...]
2008 Remodeled House Tour
by Osman Parvez ---- Want to see how people have remodeled in South Boulder? Join us at the 2008 Martin Acres House Tour. It's a community event where you'll meet the owners and learn about how they've made big and small changes to their property. Silver Fern Homes is glad to support the 2008 house tour as a corporate sponsor. The event will be held this Saturday, May 3rd from 11am to 2pm. For details, please visit the neighborhood association's website. Tickets are only $2 and can be picked up at any of the participating homes. As you probably know, [...]
Pop Top Experience: An Interview with Camille Hook
by Osman Parvez ---- As you know from a few of our other posts, Martin Acres continues to buzz with construction and remodeling activity. Recently, I had an opportunity to interview Camille Hook, a local resident who completed her "pop top" project last Summer. Martin Acres is a small, well established neighborhood in South Boulder. It's a place where kids play on the street, the neighborhood park hosts picnics and birthday parties, and many folks know each other. It's also an entry point to buying a home in Boulder with prices that begin around the $300,000 mark. Changes are happening [...]
Google Maps: Martin Acres Pop Tops and Renovations
by Osman Parvez ---- As you know from our last post, "Up, Up, and Away!," we're sharing the story of a project undertaken by clients (and friends). They're popping the top and substantially renovating a home in Martin Acres, a neighborhood of Boulder. Recently, we started mapping other homes in this neighborhood that have been substantially remodeled. The Google map linked below will take you to the new Martin Acres Renovation and Poptop Map. I'm assuming most of you are familiar with Google Maps. You can zoom in/out, view a satellite image, or a hybrid image of map and satellite. [...]
Up, Up and Away!
by Osman Parvez ---- When I mention the subdivision of Martin Acres (a.k.a Martian Acres) most people in Boulder know the area to which I am referring. It's that South Boulder neighborhood with more than its fair share of 1960's, 1000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, brick ranches. Love at first sight is rare in a "mid century modern" area such as this one, that was once heavily rented to CU students. But Martin Acres is more than meets the eye and it's on the move... Homes in this Boulder entry level neighborhood are in demand. Average days on [...]
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Testimonials
Osman was a refreshingly honest realtor. He stressed through the entire process that his goal was to make me happy with my home purchase. I greatly appreciated the fact that he never shied away from pointing out the negatives as well as the pluses of different places while leaving the final decision up to me.
We can highly recommend Sophie. Her attention to detail and communication skills are great. Our home was in area that most realtors are not familiar with, but Sophie took extra time to get to know the neighborhood in order to give us quality service. She also brought in a professional photographer to make our home look its best. Even though the listing was in winter, the house sold quickly. With Sophie’s business and people skills, we have no doubt she will be a top realtor in the area.
