June Meetup: Agenda Confirmed
by Osman Parvez The remaining presentation slots have been confirmed for Monday night's Boulder Real Estate Meetup. The agenda looks promising. I hope to see you there. Greg Sherwin - Boulder Creek Community: Community is a playground for the unfolding of the soul... Allan Parr - Restaurants and Coffee Shops; Why They (can) Make Good Neighbors (Wildcard Presentation) Warren Hultiquist on so called "Incompatible Development": Council To Regulate Hopes and Dreams Catherine March of March Insurance Agency: Homeowner's Insurance 101 Scott Rodwin of Rodwin Architecture: How to meet the residential green building codes in Boulder and a new idea for turn-key design/build [...]
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 [...]
Followup on Martin Acres House Tour
by Osman Parvez ---- Now that the 2009 Martin Acres House Tour is behind us, here's a few quick observations: - Attendance was great, possibly a record. Although there were some clouds in the morning, it cleared up and the sunshine brought out a crowd. - The houses on the tour offered plenty of food for thought. Over the years, owners have made their properties so much more livable, adding space and functionality in many different ways (and usually for less than I would have expected). I walked away with at least a dozen ideas on how to do the [...]
The 2009 Martin Acres House Tour
by Osman Parvez ---- We are a proud sponsor the 2009 Martin Acres House Tour. Volunteering on behalf of the neighborhood association. The tour is this Saturday, May 16 from 11am to 2pm and features recently expanded pop tops, sustainable energy efficient improvements, and affordable do it yourself remodels in Martin Acres. You'll have a chance to meet the owners and connect with others in the community. It's also great way to get to know Martin Acres, a bright spot in Boulder's real estate market. Proceeds from the event benefit Chase House and Creekside Elementary. Tickets are only $5 [...]
Boulder Real Estate Meetup – Agenda
by Osman Parvez ---- The Boulder Real Estate Meetup is TONIGHT, May 4th, 2009. We're meeting at 7pm at 1942 Broadway (SE Corner of Broadway and Pearl). If you haven't heard of the Meetup, it's a great opportunity to connect with others in the community on real estate related issues. Each month, I bring in several Boulder area professionals to present on real estate related topics. To keep things interesting, presentations are kept short and concise - about 5 minutes with an additional 5 for questions. There's also an opportunity at the beginning for informal networking. The public is invited [...]
10 Reasons People Are Homeless and What You Can Do About It (Video)
by Osman Parvez ---- There are many reasons I love living in Boulder, but just like other towns and cities, we struggle with challenges. If you've walked around the Pearl Street Mall or nearby parks, you know that homelessness is a problem here. At last month's Boulder Real Estate Meetup, I asked Joy Eckstine, Executive Director of the Carriage House Community Table to talk to us. She presented 10 reasons People are Homeless and 10 Things You Can Do About It. About the Carriage House Community Table: The Carriage House Community Table provides a safe, supportive community for the homeless [...]
Opportunities and Misconceptions in Residential Lending (Video)
by Osman Parvez ---- From last month's Boulder Real Estate Meetup, here's Dan Spiegler of Premier Mortgage Group with Opportunities and Misconceptions in Residential Lending. --- The next Boulder Real Estate Meetup is this Monday, May 4th. We have a great lineup of presenters scheduled. We'll also discuss current market conditions. Come meet other people interested in Boulder real estate and enjoy short presentations on key real estate related issues. The MEETUP is at 1942 Broadway, 3rd Floor (Follow Signs). RSVP HERE ---- Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. Ready to buy or sell? [...]
How to Choose Your Home Inspector
by Osman Parvez ---- How do you pick a home inspector? A home is probably one of your largest financial investments. When you're getting ready to buy, pick an inspector who not only knows his stuff, but will give you an unbiased inspection. Certifications are minimal at the state level. Virtually anyone can be a home inspector and over the years, we've seen some poor examples (one memorable inspector couldn't operate a window latch). At the March Boulder Real Estate Meetup, I invited Phil Gage of Homefront Inspection to tell us how to go about choosing a home inspector. It [...]
Home Improvements – Neighbors Helping Neighbors
by Osman Parvez ---- Would you like to make home improvements and save some money? At the April Boulder Real Estate Meetup, urban planner and local resident Eric Stonebraker talked to us about his "Do It Yourself" efforts to update his Boulder house. With the support of neighbors and friends, he's been steadily making improvements and repairs, and sharing what he's learned. As it turns out... having a great neighborhood (with an email list) has many benefits. Here's "Affordable Do It Yourself Home Improvements - Neighbors Helping Neighbors" ---- Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. [...]
7 Facts on Sewer Line Replacement – Jeff Anderson
by Osman Parvez ---- Why replace sewer pipe when you can line it? Sewer line root intrusion is a common problem in Boulder. Most older homes will have some degree of intrusion and so many owners have the roots in the line trimmed back annually (rootered). This approach may work for years but at some point, a more substantial fix ($$$) will be necessary. Because of the cost - we encourage our clients to have the line checked as part of the inspection process. So what do are your options if you have a problem? At the March Boulder Real [...]
Gratitude
by Osman Parvez ---- Let me take a moment to share my appreciation of those who attended last night's Meetup. The quality of these events just keep getting better - with informative presentations by knowledgeable people. The questions asked during the Q/A portions of each presentation often took us to interesting places and the ending conversation on where the Boulder market may be headed was thoroughly enjoyable. I'll get the video and podcasts put together and posted here shortly. ---- Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. Ready to buy or sell? Schedule an appointment [...]
Boulder Real Estate Meetup – April 6th
by Osman Parvez ---- Since January, I've been hosting a monthly Boulder Real Estate Meetup for people who are interested in discussing real estate related topics. The meetups have been good opportunities to learn new information and engage in great discussions It's community oriented, with presentations that are about various aspects of buying, selling, and owning homes in Boulder. There's also a wildcard presentation at each meetup. The next Meetup is tomorrow (Monday) and you're invited! WHEN: Monday, April 6th at 7pm (tomorrow). WHERE: 1942 Broadway - 3rd floor (suite 314). That's the corner of Broadway and Pearl Street. WHO [...]
Historic, Really?
by Osman Parvez ---- Here's a look at how at how efforts to (further) limit house sizes are conflicting with property rights. For about the past year, I've been attending City Council meetings on the issue of pops and scrapes (now called incompatible development). At the public hearing portion of these meetings, certain members of the Landmarks Board regularly speak up (supposedly representing themselves) about the need for stricter regulations on house sizes. At a few of these meetings, I've noticed these same Landmarks Board members seem to have organized like-minded residents to speak from the same position, thus creating [...]
An Interview with Greg Sherwin, Founder of Boulder Creek Community
by Osman Parvez ---- Boulder Creek Community is the brain child of Greg Sherwin, a long term Boulder resident. We happened to catch Greg one early morning and sat down to ask him a few questions. Q. What gave you the idea to create a co-housing community in Boulder? A few years ago, I examined my life and wanted to know if my purpose was something more than what I had been doing. I had been a successful real estate broker, owner and rental manager for 30 years and was just starting a new career in psychotherapy. But after all [...]
Podcast and Video: Meth in Your Home? (Longmont Police)
by Osman Parvez ---- For the Wild Card Presentation at the last Boulder Real Estate Meetup, here is Cmdr. Tim Lewis from the Longmont Police Department discussing the signs of meth use. Given the extraordinary cost (personal and property) for meth addiction, this discussion is useful for anyone who suspects a meth problem. Podcast: Meth In Your Home? (MP3) Video 1: Video 2: Video 3: Video 4: -- The March Boulder Real Estate Meetup is tonight. Please RSVP if you wish to attend. Hope to see you there! ---- Want to get blog updates via email? Click HERE. [...]