Benefits of Listing Your Colorado Vacation Home in the Winter

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Colorado house in the snow

Listing Your Colorado Vacation Home In The Winter

While it’s true that there are fewer buyers during the winter in Colorado, listing a vacation home in the winter has its unique benefits. If you’re considering selling your Colorado vacation home, it’s important to understand the benefits of listing your home during the winter as opposed to the spring or summer. Knowing these benefits can help you sell your home successfully and potentially sell it faster.

Colorado Winter Sports
Individuals who are searching for a vacation home in Colorado are most likely looking to take advantage of the winter sports in the area, as well as the stunning winter beauty. From skiing to ice climbing, adrenaline junkies often look for beautiful homes that they can live in while they visit some of Colorado’s most promising winter sports locations. Even if your home is a little distance away from these locations, most individuals don’t mind because they’ll save a lot of money. Colorado vacation homes very near those popular ski locations or other winter sports locations can be very pricey. If a buyer can find a beautiful home that is thousands of dollars cheaper and 100 miles further from their favorite winter sports spot, chances are they’re going to take advantage of it.

Less Competition
Because there are fewer buyers, there are also fewer sellers during the winter in Colorado. You can take advantage of that because you’ll have less competition when you list your home for sale. Then, the individuals who are specifically looking for a Colorado vacation home are far more likely to actually view your listing and check out the benefits and features of your home than they might normally be.

Décor Advantage
Many people wait until spring or summer to sell their vacation homes, because they can deck it out with blossoming flowers and outdoor beauty. However, those who are selling a Colorado vacation home in the winter can do the same thing with holiday décor. Rather than fresh flowers in vases on the inside, try scented candles, potted fir trees, and glistening ornaments. While it may not appeal to every potential buyer, you’ll strike the same chord with those who would be impressed with spring and summer flowers.

Serious Buyers
Individuals who are willing to go out into the snow, brave the cold and show up for a house showing are not only interested buyers, they are serious buyers. The chances of them simply wanting to “browse” your home without intentions of purchasing are very slim. In addition to that, because there is less competition for those home buyers, you can potentially get a better price for your house than you would be able to in the spring or summer. This, combined with the fact that you’re dealing with serious buyers, is a wonderful reason to list your Colorado vacation home in the winter.

Overall, while most individuals consider the spring or summer the best time to list a home for sale, Colorado vacation homes can sell quickly and for a higher price during the winter.

8 Reasons To Use a Real Estate Professional in Colorado

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Real Estate Professional In Colorado

8 Reasons to use a Real Estate Professional in Colorado

Before selling your Colorado home, you should really consider utilizing the services of a real estate professional. While selling your home is something you can certainly do on your own, there are some unique advantages in enlisting the help of a qualified real estate agent.

1. An Agent Can Be the Middle Man
One of the biggest benefits of hiring a real estate agent is that they deal with potential home buyers so you don’t have to. This includes everything from the initial call to accepting offers and closing the deal.

2. Outlining the Benefits
Your real estate professional in Colorado can look at your home with a neutral stance and determine the best benefits, or unique attributes that will appeal to buyers. Those can then be advertised to draw in the largest number of interested individuals.

3. A  Real Estate Professional in Colorado Knows What the Market is Looking for
Whether you’re selling a home in Colorado Springs, Beaver Creek, Glenwood Springs or somewhere else, your real estate professional knows what your target market is looking for. He or she can use that information to better advertise and market your home.

4. Creating a Price
One of the hardest parts of selling a Colorado home is determining the price to sell it for. A qualified real estate agent can help you set a price that is fair to you, and a value to potential homebuyers. They know the market and the trends in the area and can use that knowledge to determine a great asking price.

5. Showing Your Home
Your real estate professional in Colorado can be in charge of showing your home when potential homebuyers want to see it, so you don’t have to take time out of your busy schedule to do it. This is very important if you’re moving out of the area before your home is sold. The agent can also lockbox the home so it’s protected when it’s not being shown.

6. Aesthetics
Another important role of a real estate professional is to help you in preparing the home to be seen. This includes staging the home or removing personal items, advising you on how the home should be cleaned or freshened up, and ensuring that it has great curb appeal.

7. Marketing
Your agent will know how to market the home in the best way for the surrounding Colorado area. This will help ensure that you get offers faster and that the home reaches a wider group of potential homeowners.

8. Negotiating
Finally, your Colorado real estate professional can negotiate with potential buyers to ensure that you get a great price and the buyers are happy with the value they’ve received. This might include accepting or rejecting offers, creating counter offers, reviewing contracts and more.
Having a real estate professional is essential when selling a Colorado home. They can help sell the home faster for a fair price and take a lot of the burden and responsibility off your shoulders.

Colorado Sellers Property Disclosure

by BULL Forms in Features with 3 Comments

Colorado Sellers Property Disclosure

As a Colorado real estate professional you are aware that your seller’s must complete the Colorado sellers property disclosure for their property. The current workflow typically entails emailing your clients the property disclosure and then waiting for them to complete it (many times with multiple revisions), sign and date the form and then send it back to you via fax or email.  In addition to degrading the quality of your document due to multiple transmissions back and forth, you are wasting precious time waiting for your customer to fax or email the property disclosure back to you.

Our goal at BULL Forms has always been to make your jobs easier. Completing the DORA Colorado Sellers Property Disclosure should not require hours of work.  Great news, we just launched a new feature… Share

Sharing a CREC Contract

Once you are ready to share a form, click on the share icon from within your form, outlined in red below:

BULL Forms Colorado DORA Share Icon

Once clicked, a window will open requesting that you enter the information on the parties that you would like to share the document with.

Send Colorado Sellers Property Disclosure For Completion

You can send the email to multiple parties by entering a comma between each of the emails.  Also, you should enter some descriptive comments so that the parties you are sharing your document with are aware of what and why they are completing the form.

Once completed, the parties will receive an email like the one illustrated below:

BULL Forms Colorado DORA Share Email

The link will expire after 7 days.  If the parties you shared the form with are having issues clicking on the email, instruct them to copy and paste the link into their web browser.  Once they have clicked on the link they will be taken to the Division of Real Estate contract you chose to share with them.  It should look familiar to you as it is similar to our classic view.

Once they have completed entering their information in their Colorado sellers property disclosure they will click on the submit button, as pictured below:

Colorado Sellers Property Disclosure Screenshot

Once your clients click on the submit button, you will receive an email informing you that the parties have completed the form you requested.  The email is sent to the account you have registered with BULL Forms Colorado and looks like the image below:

BULL Forms Colorado DORA Sharing Completed

When you log back into your account the form will have all of the information your parties entered into the document.  You can now send this document to them for e-signature.

The sharing feature is available for all of the forms, therefore, you can share a contract with an attorney if they would like to review a contract or with any other interested parties.

Thank you and we hope this speeds up your Colorado sellers property disclosure tasks.

The BULL Forms Team

Auto Insert N/A into Colorado Real Estate Contracts

by BULL Forms in Features with No comments

What to Do With Blank Fields In Your Colorado Real Estate Contracts

Here at BULL Forms we are constantly striving to offer the best real estate contract software to all of our users.  We include e-signatures and unlimited file storage at no additional cost.  We are constantly adding features and improving our product based on feedback provided by our users.  We love feedback!

All too often we write a new blog post and it starts off with, “based on customer requests we have added a new feature”, but here we are again…  Our customers were frequently requesting a way to insert N/A into all of the empty fields in their Colorado real estate contracts.  We have added this functionality and you can activate the feature in under 4 clicks.

How to Enable Auto N/A in your Colorado Real Estate Contracts

First step, click on dashboard near the top right of the screen
to enter your dashboard area.

Colorado Real Estate Contracts Dashboard

Once your dashboard is loaded up.  Click on the personalize tab:
BULL Forms Colorado DORA Preferences Tab
Scroll down to the bottom of the tab.  Under the autofill N/A section click on autofill N/A on and then click on the green update button:
BULL Forms Colorado DORA Click Here
As promised, 4 clicks and you have no enabled auto N/A insertion into all of the empty fields in your Colorado Real Estate Contracts.  Now every time that you generate a form, all of the empty fields will have an N/A inserted by default.  We feel like we know the next question you are going to ask.  “I don’t want N/A in all of the fields, just most, how do I remove the N/A from one field?”
Great question, to have a field show up as blank, simply enter 1 space into the field you do not want anything printed in.  Please ensure you are only entering 1 space, if you enter 2 spaces N/A will print in the field.
Thank you for your continued support and we hope we are making your Colorado Real Estate Contracts solution easier.
BULL Forms

Rental Income from Colorado Real Estate

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Looking for Rental Income from Colorado Real Estate?

Look no further Rental Income from Colorado Real Estate can provide that extra money you need.  Renting out your Colorado real estate can result in a steady, monthly stream of income. The great thing about renting out properties is that the income doesn’t end with a sale, but rather is continual for many years if you choose. There are some tips to follow if you plan to rent out your Colorado real estate.

Rental Income From Colorado Real Estate

photo by Arden

Look for Top Tenants Only

You should spend a little time and perhaps a little money to make sure your tenants are top-notch. This will result in regular rent and fewer problems than if you simply rent to the first person who calls your number. Ask for references for the past several years and actually call those references to determine the potential tenant’s rental history and whether they’ve had any issues with previous landlords. Anything that might raise a “red flag” should be looked at more in-depth, and if red flags are raised, it’s probably time to move on to another potential tenant.  There are several companies that will perform in-depth background checks that include criminal backgrounds and credit checks.

Market Well

You’ll want to market the property well, both in the newspaper and online. Craigslist is a great option for you, as many people check there when trying to find a place to rent. Search Craigslist in your area to see if there are a good amount of listings in the area.  If there are not it is possible that most rentals are in the MLS.  It might be beneficial to contact a real estate professional to inquire about listing your property for rent. If you do list your property online, make sure you create an eye-catching headline that offers up a few benefits about the property. For instance, if it’s across the street from an elementary school or a park, use that in your headline. “3-bdrm 2-bath home across from park, new appliances – $700 monthly” is a great way to incorporate those benefits into the headline. This will draw the eye of potential tenants who have smaller children and want a nice place to live.

Make Your Expectations Known

During the process of selecting a tenant, it’s important to make your expectations known. For instance, if you want the rent paid on a certain day of the month, let your tenant know that and warn them that if the rent is not paid that day, there will be a late fee that they must also pay. If you want the lawn maintained, make sure they know it’s their responsibility and suggest a schedule that they use to maintain the lawn. It’s best to have these things drawn up in your contract so that there’s no confusion and the tenant knows exactly what is expected of him or her.

Know the Law

Finally, if you plan on generating rental income from Colorado real estate properties, make sure you’re familiar with the tenant/landlord laws in the state and county your property is in. This way, when you run into any situation, you will know precisely how to act so that you’re in compliance with the law.  If you are not familiar with the tenant / landlord laws it is probably best if you contact a real estate agent that is.

This is a great investment opportunity and can be a great monthly income stream. As long as you research beforehand and know your rights and the law, you can make your Colorado properties into lucrative investments.

DORA updates CREC contracts for 2012

by BULL Forms in Forms with No comments

Updated CREC forms from DORA

The following is a list of newly updated forms effective as of the first of the year in Colorado.  BULL Forms has already updated these CREC Contracts in the system. Enjoy.

Sales Contracts

  • CBS1-10-11   –  Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate-Residential
  • CBS2-10-11   –  Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Income-Residential)
  • CBS3-10-11   –  Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate-Commercial
  • CBS4-10-11   –  Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate-Land
  • CBSF1-10-11  –  Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Colorado Foreclosure Protection Act)

Addenda to Contracts

  • LB36-10-11   –  Licensee Buy-Out Addendum to Contract to Buy & Sell Real Estate – This form is to be used when a broker enters into a contract to purchase a property either: (a) concurrent with the listing of such property; or (b) as an inducement or to facilitate the property owner’s purchase of another property; or (c) continues to market that property on behalf of the owner under an existing listing contract.
  • PCO70-10-11    –  Post Closing Occupancy Agreement
  • RA33010-11    –  Residential Addendum to Contract to Buy & Sell Real Estate
  • SSA38-10-11   –  Short Sale Addendum (Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate)
  • SSA39-10-11   –  Short Sale Addendum (Seller Listing Contract)

Disclosure Documents

  • SPD19-10-11   –  Seller’s Property Disclosure (All Types of Properties)
  • SPD29-10-11   –  Seller’s Property Disclosure (Residential)
  • Estoppel Statement   –  Estoppel Statement

Notice Documents

  • NTC43-10-11   –  Inspection Objection
  • NTC43R-10-11   –  Inspection Resolution
  • NTT44-10-11   –  Notice to Terminate

Counterproposal

  • CP40-10-11   –  Counterproposal

Agreements to Amend/Extend Contract

  • AE41-10-11   –  Agreement to Amend/Extend Contract

 

 


Finding Great Real Estate in Colorado

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Looking for Great Real Estate in Colorado

Colorado is a beautiful state that offers something for everyone. Gorgeous mountains are just part of the landscape, and Colorado offers up a full four seasons; changing leaves in the fall, snow in the winter, mild weather during the spring and hot summers. It’s a wonderful state to purchase land and real estate, but there are some things potential home buyers or real estate investors should know before purchasing Colorado real estate.

Finding Cheaper Real Estate

One of the best ways to find affordable real estate in Colorado is to check just outside the major cities and tourist areas. For instance, rather than looking for a home located in Denver, try finding a home in the nearby Littleton or Idaho Springs. Real estate is cheaper in these areas, but the drive to Denver is very short so it’s easy to enjoy all the draws of the city. With location being one of the most important aspects of finding real estate, looking just outside your target area can help you save thousands of dollars on a home or real estate property.

Foreclosures

Looking for low-priced foreclosures in Colorado is a great idea, especially considering that this state is often at the top of the list for highest number of foreclosures in a state. Investing in a home or property in the middle of a foreclosure can save you thousands of dollars. There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind, though. Foreclosed Colorado homes may be damaged homes, and it could take money to make them habitable or “flip” them into a property that is going to sell for a profit. Make sure you understand the full condition of a property before committing. Looking for foreclosed homes in Colorado is a great way to find affordable real estate.

The Colorado Water Real Estate Issue

One thing you should know about before purchasing real estate in Colorado is that many pieces of Colorado property are simply no good because the owners cannot get running water to the property. Because Colorado is naturally a dry state, and because nearby large cities have purchased up most of the Colorado water supply, there are many pieces of property where adequate water supply is simply out of the question. In fact, those who sell property in Colorado are required under the Colorado House Bill 07-1156 to supply buyers with information regarding how the water is supplied to the property and what condition the water supply is in. It is recommended that you contact the company or individual supplying the water to find out the condition of the water supply before buying or committing to Colorado real estate properties.

Consider Hiring an Agent

While you can certainly find great real estate in Colorado on your own, hiring an agent may be a good move. Agents familiar with the area can help you secure a great piece of real estate that is promising, whether you plan to live there or sell it for profit. Be sure to research the agent and agency to ensure that they’re trustworthy, and you can really save a lot of money on Colorado real estate.

Overall, Colorado is a great place to invest in, but it’s important to do your research first and be sure you know what you’re getting into.

Focusing on Curb Appeal can Help Sell a Home

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Curb Appeal In Colorado Matters

Colorado features some of the most beautiful homes and natural areas in the United States. However, when it comes to selling a home, it’s important to do what you can to enhance the natural beauty of the land and the aesthetic features of the home. There are some great ways that real estate agents can focus on the curb appeal of a home to increase the chances of selling it.

Colorado Curb Appeal Real Estate

photo by sisterbeer

Taking Care of the Lawn

Make sure the lawn is cut and weeded, to give the home a well-manicured look. Weed any flowerbeds and plant season-appropriate greenery or flowers. Trim all the hedges and make sure trees are pruned. Many simple things can update the look of a lawn, including mulching trees and flowerbeds, and adding paths from garden pavers or stone.

The Exterior of the Home

If necessary, clean the exterior of the home with a pressure washer, or repaint it to give it a pretty, fresh look. Gutters can be cleaned and painted to match the trim of the home, and any loose siding should be repaired as well. Make sure that the windows are cleaned and polished, as well as any fixtures attached to the exterior of the home, from doorknobs to mailboxes and decorative accents.

Sidewalks

Ensure that no weeds are growing beside or through the sidewalks and check for cracks or crumbling on walkways, steps, and patios. Make sure the sidewalks are swept and cleared, or in winter, salted to prevent ice build up. Edging walkways with flowers or greenery can instantly improve the curb appeal of a home and doesn’t cost a lot of money.

Clutter

Ensure that all exterior areas of the home (sidewalks, lawn, patios, etc.) are free of clutter and that personal items like bicycles, children’s toys and gardening equipment are stored in garages or sheds. The garage door should be kept closed, and all other outdoor items should be neat and tidy. Curb appeal can be improved by symmetrical additions of hanging plants and flowers near porches and patios.

The Roof

Make sure there are no missing or broken shingles on the roof, and that the chimney (if the home has one) is clean. Ensuring that the roof is clean and free of pine needles, dried leaves and other debris is another great way to increase the curb appeal of a home.

Other Personal Items

Any other personal items belonging to the family (such as RVs, ATVs, and other large items) should be stored in another place while the home is being listed for sale. Patio furniture, sand boxes, swing sets and other personal items can take away from the curb appeal and prevent potential owners from being able to imagine the home as theirs. These should be moved to a new location so the lawn and surrounding areas act as a blank canvas for potential homebuyers.

Making sure the curb appeal of a home is wonderful is one of the best Colorado real estate tips, and allows potential homebuyers to see the value of a home before they ever step foot indoors.

Thinking of selling your home and need the Colorado Real Estate Forms ?

Holding a Successful Open House in Colorado

by BULL Forms in Real Estate with No comments

Open House In Colorado

One of the best ways a Colorado real estate broker can successfully sell a home is by holding an open house in Colorado. It gives the realtor a chance to bring in several prospective home buyers and allows those potential home buyers to see the home and personally experience everything it has to offer. There are a few important tricks to holding a successful open house in Colorado, and by using them, a real estate broker can increase the chances of selling the home.

Accentuate What Buyers are Looking for in Colorado Homes

Individuals who are in the market for Colorado homes are typically looking for a few important things. For instance, if the house you’re selling is a beautiful ranch-style home with an open floor plan, make sure there is no clutter and that the potential buyer can easily envision his or her own things within the home. If the home has a large basement area, make sure it’s completely cleaned out and make a point of showing the homeowners the space and talking about the different things that can be done with it. Accentuating the home’s features is a great way to succeed in Colorado real estate.

Deep-Cleaning the Home

While cleaning is a no-brainer, before holding an open house, it should be completely deep-cleaned. This means everything should be gone over with a fine tooth comb to ensure that the house is spotless. Use dusters to clean baseboards and crown molding, make sure all corners are dusted and clean, scrub bathrooms until fixtures look brand new, and make sure any furniture remaining in the home is spotless. One thing that can really help is a fresh coat of paint to brighten walls.

Staging your Open House in Colorado

One of the most useful marketing tactics in selling Colorado real estate is to ensure that the home is staged properly. Great staging helps the prospective buyers see the potential in a home without seeing the connection to the previous owners. All personal items should be removed (pictures, clothing, etc.) and only neutral furnishings and decorations should remain. If walls are painted an eccentric color (magenta, teal, lime green, etc.), they should be repainted to a neutral color. This allows the home to act like a blank canvas that visitors can mentally project their stuff into, making them more likely to really consider the home.

Extra Tips

There are a few great tips Colorado real estate agents use to hold a successful open house in Colorado homes. Simmer a small pot of spices (orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, etc.) on the stove to create a delicious, welcoming scent or bake cookies. Provide flyers with pictures of the house to those who visit and want to think about it. Another great tip is to talk about the home as if the buyers were already seriously considering it. For instance, “This would make a great playroom for the little one on the way.” This will make the potential homeowners look at the house as if it were theirs and envision what they might do with the different rooms and areas.

Using these Colorado real estate agent tips and tricks, as well as advertising the open house as much as possible, can help you hold a more successful open house. That will translate into selling more beautiful Colorado homes.

Looking for an affordable Real Estate Form Solution to write up the contracts you get from your open house in Colorado? Look no further.

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