Tycoon in the Making! - Real Estate Investment Success Stories

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Bouquets have a nice income, and they intend to keep it that way. After they retire, they want to be bringing in six figures, and they're counting on the proceeds of their real estate holdings as one of the pillars of that plan.

He figured the houses, at $70,000 each for three beds and two baths, were already under market value by about five percent and ........... Check out more of the story at the link below.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/24/real_estate/

If you're considering Real Estate investments as part of your overall goals, give me a call at 303-913-9993 or send me an email at sandi.miyaki@kw.com and let me help you get started. I've personally have had many Real Estate Investment properties and I'm familiar with 1031 Exchanges, special financing, etc.

Sandi Miyaki, Realtor

Highlands Ranch, Derek Tolan, sets record on way to win at Colorado Open

Derek Tolan is quickly getting the hang of being a professional golfer. He graduated from the University of Colorado, and turned pro less than two months ago, and he has already scored two wins. The first coming less than a month ago, the second coming at the Health One Colorado Open, held this past weekend at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, in Denver.

Tolan’s 22-under par, 262, outpaced the field by four strokes, and shattered the old tournament record by five strokes. For the week he recorded an eagle, 23 birdies, 45 pars, and only three bogeys.

Read more of the story.

Going Green: 10 Tips to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Living in an eco-friendly, energy efficient home is not only good for the environment, but also for our pocketbook. “Green” homes can save us money in the long-run, as well as saving natural resources for our planet. While the best way to have a green home is to buy one that was built that way, there are lots of things you can do to make your existing home more eco-friendly – and save you some green at the same time!

Start with an “energy audit.” Homeowners should start with an energy audit done by their local utility company or some independent energy consultants. You can also visit Home Energy Saver, a web-based energy audit site, at http://hes.lbl.gov. Audits can help pinpoint problem areas and measure energy savings after you improve your home’s efficiency.

Read the full story.

Free Highlands Ranch Real Estate and Area Information

FREE Access to Highlands Ranch Real Estate and Area Information!

Free 2 Page Information Guide on the Highlands Ranch Area

Free Search of ALL Colorado Properties

Free Full-Color Book of Properties in Highlands Ranch Area

Access to Special Buyer’s Reports

Access to Home Seller’s Reports

Free Market Analysis before you Sell in Highlands Ranch

Free 17 page ebook of Educational Real Estate Web Sites

See all New Home Builders in Highlands Ranch

List of the Best Mortgage Rates for Highlands Ranch

Free Access to Mortgage Calculators

Should I buy or Should I rent? (Free Calculator)

Complete Info on the Highlands Ranch Recreation Centers

Check out the Highlands Ranch Schools

Preferred Vendor List for Highlands Ranch Real Estate

Free online access to Local Highlands Ranch area Newspaper

Still don’t see what you’re looking for?
Just contact me and I’ll help find the information!

Email me at sandi.miyaki@kw.com
Or call me at 303-913-9993.

Buy vs Rent - Easy to use calculator

Use this calculator to determine whether you should buy or rent a home in Highlands Ranch. Click on the link below!


Easy to use calculator from www.ginniemae.gov

Richer neighborhoods buck home sales trend - includes Highlands Ranch

Most price increases for single-family homes were in Boulder County, including Boulder and Louisville, and one was in the Douglas County area near Highlands Ranch, according to recent data compiled by Metrolist Inc.

Even in a recession, selling prices of homes continue to rise in some of the Denver metro area’s most desirable neighborhoods. Average prices for houses mostly continued to drop during the first six months of 2009. But sales prices in half of the 10 neighborhoods attracting the highest prices were up over the same period a year ago.

Source: Denver Business Journal

How Much Highlands Ranch Home Can You Afford?

To determine how much of a home you can afford, you need to calculate your expected monthly payment. Most of your payment will go toward loan principal and interest, also called P+I. However, your monthly payment is also likely to include amounts for property taxes and homeowner's insurance. Because of these extra payments, your monthly P+I payment is sometimes called your P+I+T+I payment. If you plan to make a down payment of less than 20% of the home purchase price, you will also have to add an additional amount for private mortgage insurance ( PMI). Lenders require PMI to insure against the higher risk of default that occurs with loan-to-value (LTV) ratios greater than 80%. ( An LTV of 80% is equal to a down payment of 20%.)

Your housing ratio is your total monthly payment divided by your monthly gross income. Generally, the ratio should not be more than 28%. For example, if your monthly P+I+T+I payment is $1,400, your monthly gross income should be at least $5,000.

Read the entire article.

Denver's resale housing market showing hopeful signs

Metro Denver's resale housing market appeared to start returning to normalcy in June, according to sales data Tuesday from Metrolist Inc.

Single-family home sales in June, for example, were equally split between the lower price ranges that appeal to first-time homebuyers and pricier houses that attract homebuyers moving up to larger and/or more expensive homes.

"Earlier this year, the majority of resale home activity was first-time homebuyers, distressed properties and investor activity," independent Littleton broker Gary Bauer said in a statement. "June appears to be the transition to a normal Denver market -- a market with both first-time homebuyer activity as well as 'move-up' activity."

Read the rest of the story here.

5 Steps to a more useful Garage

Great article from CNN. Another way to simplify your life and make it less stressful. Here are the 5 steps and for the details, click on the link below.
Clear out, make a plan, categorize, containerize and safety-proof.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/25/real_estate/

9 Ways to Salvage an Ailing Credit Score

Today's mortgage costs are dirt cheap—if you've got the right FICO rating.

Without even contacting a credit bureau, Jeana Reed has a pretty good sense of what her credit score is. "It's probably the worst they've ever seen," says Reed, a 51-year-old Texan. Like many Americans, Reed's current credit headaches can be traced to a hospital stay. After her husband blew out his knee playing softball, complications from the injury kept him out of work longer than expected, which forced the couple to use credit cards to pay off medical bills. A job loss and a subprime mortgage refinancing later, the Reeds find themselves among the scores of Americans struggling to rebuild a soiled credit history. "I just want to get back on track," Reed says. "I'm not a deadbeat person."

Read more of the story here.

Rightsizing Into Retirement Gaining Popularity - Highlands Ranch

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- If you ask Bill and Maggie Giesenhagen, they'll tell you they don't plan to move from their new home, ever.

"Things are fine. Everything's happening like we thought it would happen. We're enjoying it," said Bill Giesenhagen during a recent visit to their new home.

Within the past year and a half, the couple sold their Lone Tree home, cleared out the cLutter, and moved into a one-level apartment at the Classic Residences (at Hyatt) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Read more of the story.

Ten Questions You Must Ask a Realtor Before You List or....You Could Lose Big!

10 Questions You Must Ask a Realtor Before You List or....You Could Lose Big!

Most of us sell only a small number of homes in our lifetimes. With limited experience in real estate how are we to be capable of maximizing the profits from our home sale? Many home sellers make the critical mistake of thinking all Realtors are the same. They list with the first agent who comes along. Does it make good business sense to put the responsibility of selling your home with someone who has no plan or qualifications? This special report will educate you with valuable information that will help you make the best decision concerning: Which real estate agent should you list with? Check out the 10 item checklist by clicking on the link below:

http://www.totalrealestatesolutions.com/articles

Top 10 things to know before buying Highlands Ranch Real Estate

Courtesy of CNN Money here's a link to CNN Money's Top 10 Things to know before you buy a home. Here's #3. Check out the link below for more!

3. Aim for a home you can really afford.
The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary.

http://premium.money.cnn.com/pf/101/lessons/8/index.html

Douglas County down payment assistance program

Here in Highlands Ranch, Douglas County offers up to $20,000 in downpayment assistance for each individual or family who meets the basic requirements of First-Time Homebuyer Program.

Follow these steps with the Douglas County Housing Partnership, and let us lead
you to your own home in Douglas County!
STEP 1: Attend a FREE First-Time Home Buyer Class* Must attend a CHAFA approved class in person.

Read to learn about the other steps and the entire program.

Free 2 Page Report - Highlands Ranch Info

Below is some general information about the Highlands Ranch area for those interested in purchasing Highlands Ranch Real Estate.

Highlands Ranch is a 22,000-acre master-planned community in Douglas County, Colorado. It is located 12 miles south of Denver along C-470 and approximately 1 mile west of Interstate 25 (I-25).

The Highlands Ranch Development Plan, approved by Douglas County in 1979, laid the foundation for the innovative development of a community with a wide variety of housing opportunities designed to meet the needs of a broad range of new homebuyers. The master plan calls for 61 percent of the land to be devoted to non-urban uses including open space and recreation, 31 percent to residential uses, and 8 percent to business properties. Highlands Ranch currently ranks as one of the top twenty master-planned communities in the country.

For more info, check out this PDF file by clicking here.

Highlands Ranch Real Estate - Newcomer's checklist

Courtesy of highlandsranch.com here is an article of the few things you'll need when you purchase Highlands Ranch Real estate. It starts with:
Newcomer's Checklist
Welcome to Highlands Ranch! In order to help you get settled in as quickly and easily as possible, we’ve provided you with a “checklist” of things to do. We hope you’ll find it to be useful. And once again, welcome! It’s nice to have you here!
AT&T Cable Services: 303-930-2000
Driver License:
Castle Rock (Full Service) 927 Park Street 303-688-4625
Littleton (Limited Services) 311 E. County Line Road 303-795-5954
Electricity and Gas:
Public Service, 303-623-1234

Tips for sellers on short sales -

The number of homeowners selling their home for less than the outstanding mortgage, known as a short sale, is growing, according to government data. But it is still not an easy process. Here are a few things borrowers should consider when pursuing a short sale of their property:

1. Explore other options. Could you qualify for a loan modification that would make your home affordable? Your lender may be willing to lower the interest rate or extend the length of the loan to lower the payments.

Read the entire story.

How to save money when buying a house in Highlands Ranch

We've seen people who will spend all kinds of time looking to save a nickel on a gallon of gasoline or sweat it out in the dark to cut their BGE bill by $25 a month. But some of the same folks aren't always as careful when it comes to spending five or six hundred thousand dollars on a house. In this week's column we'll give you a few tips on how to maximize your home purchase while minimizing the cost. After all, buying a house is a pretty big purchase, and if you're smart about it you can easily save an amount of money that would be equal to a lifetime of clipping coupons. So here are a few things to consider as you embark on your home buying expedition.

Take advantage of government incentives. These days, the government is falling all over itself throwing money at our weak economy. Some of this largess is being extended to homebuyers. Right now, you can get an $8,000 tax credit just for buying a home.

See more of the story here.

5 tips for buying a foreclosed home in Highlands Ranch

Buying a foreclosed home is a little different from buying a typical resale.

In many cases, only one real estate agent is involved.
The seller wants a preapproval letter from a lender before accepting an offer.
There often is little, if any, room for negotiation.
The home comes as is, and it's up to the buyer to pay for repairs.
On the upside, most bank-owned homes are vacant, which can speed up the process of moving in.

Read more of the story.

Highlands Ranch Open Space 2200 acres

Highlands Ranch is a unique community boasting more than 2,200 acres of natural open space areas. This short-grass prairie environment is home to a variety of wildlife, birds, creeks and wetlands... places that are a haven for outdoor recreation. These natural areas are managed and maintained so residents can enjoy them for years to come.

See more of the story here.

Highlands Ranch most Patriotic City in America

On July 1 Highlands Ranch was called the most patriotic city in America by former Gov. Bill Owens.On the fourth, residents and their guests showed that patriotic pride as thousands turned out for an all day extravaganza in Town Center.

See more of the story here.

Don't forget about the $500,000 exemption

Here's a good article as a reminder not to forget about your $500,000 tax exemption (married couples and $250,000 for single people) when selling your house. Enacted 8 years ago, you may have forgotten.

Here's an excerpt from the article- by Walter Updegrave
But here's the deal in a nutshell: A married couple that sells their primary residence can rake in a profit of up to $500,000 without having to pay income tax on the gain, while singles can shelter up to $250,000 from taxes. Read the entire article by clicking on the link.


http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/14/pf/expert/ask_expert/index.htm

What is Your Home Worth? Free, no obligation!

Looking to sell your Highlands Ranch home, but you don't know where to start. Determining the value of your home is a good first step? To start the process, I can send you a quick email with the price of the homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood. Just send me your first and last name, full street address, your email address and you'll receive an email with the most recent sold homes in your immediate area. No obligation.

Just send this information to me at mailto:sandi.miyaki@kw.com?subject=What

Thank you and if you'd prefer to call, I can be reached at 303-913-9993.

Highlands Ranch Monument

After four years of tireless work by a cadre of volunteers, the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument is up and open to the public.

Jeff Alvis, the man who originally dreamed the monument after the first Highlands Ranch resident fell in action in Afghanistan, was proud of what the monument committee achieved.

See more of the story here.

8 Big Mortgage Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Great article from MSN Money on common mortgage mistakes by Liz Pullman Westin.

Starts with:
You can borrow too much or prepare too little. You can misjudge terms or overestimate your credit. With so much at stake, it’s no wonder so much can go wrong.

Not fixing your credit
Not looking for first-time buyer programs
Not being pre-approved for a loan
Borrowing too much
Paying junk fees
Not shopping around for rates and terms
Not preparing for closing costs
Not having enough money after closing

Click on the link below for details - good stuff

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/Homefinancing

40 Year Mortgage - Friend or ???

The 40 year mortgage is being mentioned in the papers again and in my opinion, a 40 year loan is generally not a good idea. Rates are generally higher than a 30 year loan and if you need a 40 year loan to get your payment low enough to handle, then you should consider buying a less expensive home.

Here are some other opinions:
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20050118_40yearmtg.htm
http://loan.yahoo.com/m/cq_fortyyear.html
http://www.century21.com/learn/content.aspx?content_id=243
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6281881/

Check out the easy-to-use tools on the right side to find out what your payments will be for your new home in Highlands Ranch.

Can I afford this home?

A commonly asked question is "Can I afford this home?". While each family has their own level of comfort when deciding on how much to spend on their home, a typical first question is "If I borrow $150,000 at a rate of 6.5%, how much are my monthly payments?". We've just added another easy to use tool on the right side of this website. Simply select the loan amount, interest rate and your zip code and you'll see the monthly payment amounts. Simple, easy and free.

If you're looking to buy or sell Highlands Ranch Real Estate, I'll make it easy for you, I'll keep you informed and I provide great service with no surprises! Sandi Miyaki 303-913-9993