Boulder Inventory and Condo Sales Up, House Sales Fall [Analyze This]
by Osman Parvez ---- Let's talk about market conditions. A couple of weeks ago, I analyzed the Boulder real estate market by comparing negotiated discounts, price per square foot, and sales volume. If you haven't read that post, click HERE. It shows a slight cooling in market activity, quarter over quarter. Data is available for April. Here's an update. Condo and town home sales show an 11.8% increase for April, year over year. House sales are down 9.2%. Monthly activity for a small market like Boulder is typically volatile, but this does continue and deepen the trend that I noted [...]
No Time for Love, Dr. Jones [A Few Quick Updates]
by Osman Parvez It's the end of February and the market is already heating up. Here's a couple of quick updates. 1. The Boulder Real Estate Meetup is tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6pm. Please RSVP. I suspect given the popularity of the topic, it will be standing room only. There are now 30 developments on my list for discussion. The hand out I've prepared will definitely not be a one-pager. 2. Over the weekend, a loan officer I've never worked previously screwed up and caused my client (the buyer) to push out the closing date. Luckily, [...]
Showings for the Weekend? [Listings]
by Osman Parvez Yay! The weekend is upon us and there is a pile of new inventory. What's worth seeing? Let's walk through it. A quick search of the MLS shows 24 new listings hitting the Boulder market since Monday. I removed 13 of those listings because they're either refreshed old inventory or spec projects (i.e. imaginary houses). That leaves 11 worth your consideration for this weekend's showing schedule. I think 8 are worth a look. Let's take a closer look (all the listings). Ready for showings? Let me take you to see these properties this weekend. Call me at [...]
The Patron Saint of Real Estate? [Listings, Not So Hot]
by Osman Parvez --- I was wandering around Grand Rabbits in Boulder the other day, shopping for my niece and nephew's presents, when I came across this little gem. Take a look.... That's right. For only $5.99, you can have your very own Patron Saint of Real Estate. I suppose, if you're having trouble selling your house it certainly can't hurt to appeal to a divine power. In addition, you might consider calling a seasoned and experienced Realtor with a proven track record. You know, just saying... Anyway, since we're on this topic, let's look at a few listings [...]
The Peloton a Value Investment? [Notable Sale]
by Osman Parvez Right now, I'm reviewing sales from last month for my upcoming research report. We usually put a handful of notable sales in our research report on Boulder real estate, but there were too many in December, so I've decided to publish a few on this blog. Why Notable The intention behind House Einstein's notable sales is to help you understand market conditions. Whether you're buying or selling, we believe knowledge of the market will help you make a smarter decision. As a seller, perhaps it will give you a reason to negotiate with that lowball offer [...]
The Peloton – An Owner’s View
by Osman Parvez ---- So what's it like to actually live at the Peloton? An owner sent us the following: Hi House Einstein - I was reading some of your blogs about The Peloton. If you'd like the views of an actual resident . . . My wife and I moved there in June, and we adore it. The Community Center is awesome. Our neighbors are wonderful and we are "gelling" into a very caring community. The HOA dues, while expensive, cover almost everything - and electric bills are minimal. Overall, cheaper than the cost of utilities and a club [...]
The Peloton – Photo Tour and Impressions
by Osman Parvez ---- Last month, residents finally started moving into The Peloton. With phase one's recent completion, we headed down to The Peloton to take a look at a few units. Phase one includes the two east buildings with about 200 residential units, and the three floor community building. Shots of the exterior were posted with the development map update, and we've posted two new sets of the interiors of a loft and two bedroom. Note that the units do not come furnished. The loft is 956 square feet and priced at $409,400. The two bedroom is 1,673 square [...]
The Peloton – Inside Scoop!
by Osman Parvez ---- The Peloton hosted an open house on Friday celebrating the grand opening of a community building. As I mentioned in my last post, a $100,000 incentive was also being offered. That sounded like a big discount. So on behalf our clients and you loyal readers of this blog, I sent a top operative from Realty Unique to investigate... me. I toured the facility, sampled the catering, and chatted with the sales people. Here's what I found... Wait. First, I should mention that I didn't really know what to expect. Like you, I've seen and heard the [...]
Peloton – Save $100K?
by Osman Parvez ---- Hmm... the Peloton is offering a $100K discount on condos. Ah, but today only. Seems I was right to hold off on that Vespa. I'm going to try to swing by the sales office to hear their pitch. Frankly, with this promotion not to mention the advertising saturation, it doesn't seem like the Peloton is selling so well. This latest push, assuming it's true, also seems like quite the smack in the face to buyers who already put their deposits down at full price. It reminds me of Steve Jobs recent marketing goof when he dropped [...]
Boulder Development Map
by Osman Parvez ---- Although I planned to hike and camp this weekend, rain in the mountains and a leaky tent convinced us to cut the trip short. The good news is that the break allowed time to catch up on the latest Boulder real estate development projects. I rode around town on my bike, running errands and stopping by construction sites. The result is a custom Google map with photos highlighting projects. Green - Projects in some stage of the planning process. Purple - Projects underway. Blue - Complete or mostly complete projects. Click HERE to visit the new [...]
The Peloton Breaks Ground
by Osman Parvez ---- There's another giant construction crane in Boulder, but this one's not downtown. Development of the $150MM Peloton development at 33rd and Arapahoe is picking up steam. If you haven't noticed the massive crane, you can't miss the advertising carpet bombing. Our local NPR station is sponsored by the Peloton. City buses carry the slogan of a "new way to live in Boulder" and salespeople were chatting with potential buyers at the Boulder Creek Festival. Through a haze of hyperventilation and hallucinations, I'm pretty sure I even saw the Peloton's advertising while running the Bolder Boulder. The [...]
In Da Club?
by Osman Parvez I like the Peloton, I really do. But their latest marketing tactic is a bit of a gimmick. They're throwing in a Vespa scooter if you buy a condo on selection day (November 18th). They're also promising membership into their exclusive "Pinnacle Club," but again only if you buy a condo on selection day. Tell you what, forget about selection day. Buy one of their condos and use me as your agent, I'll throw in a free Vespa* too. I'll also give you membership into the Osman Club, which includes a decoder ring so you can dicipher [...]
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Testimonials
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.
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.
