Metro West Advertiser June 6, 2024

by Michael Pintar

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Here Are Some Simple Steps to Take So You Have No Unpleasant Surprises After Closing

The Division of Real Estate’s HOA Information & Resource Center issued some useful advice last week which got me to thinking. It was advice on doing “due diligence” about a neighborhood’s HOA so you’re not blindsided after closing.

With over two decades of representing buyers in the purchase of homes, both with and without a homeowner’s association, I have lots more to suggest than was in that release.

I advise all buyers to look for neighbors who are outdoors, perhaps mowing their lawn, getting their mail, or washing their car in the driveway. Introduce yourself in a friendly manner, explain that your looking at that neighbor’s house which is for sale and would like to know how they like living in this neighborhood. Follow-up questions could include, “Are the homes built well? How’s the HOA? Are the neighbors friendly? Any complaints? Are the schools good? Is there much crime? By the way, do you know why the owners are selling that home?”

Don’t interrogate the poor fellow, but use your judgment in being as warm and conversational as possible. You’ll learn a lot that will serve you well if you end up buying that home. This is one task I want you to do yourself instead of me doing it for you as your agent.

Among the advice from the HOA Information & Resource Center was to request the covenants (or “CC&Rs”) from the county clerk and recorder. That

document is something I can get for you more easily (and free) from my contacts at any title company. I can also ask the listing agent for the covenants and other HOA documents, but keep in mind that one of the earliest deadlines in any contract to buy and sell a home is the “Record Title” deadline and the “Association Documents” deadline, along with an opportunity for you to object or terminate if you don’t like what you read. The covenants are recorded, so they will come to you with the title documents. Just as important as the covenants, however, is how they are enforced by the HOA board and the management company hired by the board.

The most useful HOA documents are the minutes of the last six months’ board meeting and the most recent annual meeting. These minutes will let you know what issues may be bothering the members. (Hopefully, you learned many of those from interviewing neighbors, as suggested above.)

Those minutes will also give you a sense of the financial health of the HOA and whether a dues increase or special assessment might be under discussion. Other documents for you to study are the financial statements, the budget for the coming year, and the most recent reserve study, which lets you know whether they have the financial reserves to deal with future repairs such as replacing the boundary fences, or fixing

How to Do Advanced Listing Searches on the MLS

Unless you’re a licensed broker with access to the MLS, the number of criteria on which you can search is very limited. Typically, consumer-facing websites only allow you to search for price range, city or county, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, and a few other criteria.

But virtually every MLS field is searchable if you ask an MLS member such as myself to do the search.

Schools are very important to parents, and I can define a search area by naming a particular elementary, middle school or high school.

North-facing driveways are a no-no for some buyers. I can specify “Not North” in that field.

Main-floor living is important to many seniors, and I can specify one-story homes or, my favorite, specify main -floor primary bedroom (or non-primary bedroom), thereby allowing for 2-story homes which have main-floor bedrooms.

Is having the laundry on the same floor as the primary bedroom or simply not in

the basement important to you? That can be specified too and it’s required that listings indicate which floor the laundry, bedrooms and bathrooms are on.

Do you want to see only those homes which aren’t in an HOA? Or maybe you want an HOA that includes exterior maintenance of the home. No problem.

I can also search for key words within the listing’s public remarks. I mentioned last week that I did a search for the phrase “outdoor kitchen” and found 67 such listings within 20 miles of downtown Denver. I can search for any word or phrase.

Searching by map is useful, and I can draw a line around a particular neighborhood or multiple non-contiguous neighborhoods in the same search.

I can search for homes with property taxes under a particular amount, or simply homes that do not have a Metropolitan Tax District with an additional tax levy.

The age of the home, 220V wiring in the garage, solar panels, type of heating and cooling all these and more can be searched, but only by an MLS member.

the common area amenities such as parks, playgrounds and trails.

In some cases, the listing agent may have obtained those HOA documents in advance. As your agent, even before submitting your offer, I can ask for them, first looking to see if they’re already posted as “supplements” on the MLS.

Sometimes the “Sellers Property Disclosure” is also posted on the MLS, but if not, I can request that document for you, then ask follow-up questions about items disclosed on it.

Every HOA in the state must be registered with the HOA Information & Resource Center. If they are not registered, they are unable to enforce the covenants or file a lien against a member who is delinquent on dues or fines.

The state legislature has not empowered the Center to license or otherwise regulate HOAs, including to receive and act on member complaints. It’s really quiet a sad situation. Even sadder is the condition of its registry of HOAs. I downloaded the Excel file and was shocked at the amount of duplication and errors in the data entry. See for yourself at the posting of this article at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com.

The link provided for finding a registered HOA takes you to the same form that is used for finding brokers and brokerages, so you enter the name (or part thereof) for the HOA you’re looking for, but it is very hit or miss when I tested it. Entering the ZIP code of the HOA in addition was useful. It also shows if the HOA’s license is expired, which was the case for one I looked up. The phone number was for the clubhouse and a random HOA member picked up. I had to find an HOA document in order to get the number for the contact person. Ugh!

I Just Had a Terrible Thought…

ChatGPT has leveled the playing field for real estate agents. As in most professions, 90% of us aren’t good writers or even spellers! Ask ChatGPT to rewrite a property description or newsletter, and it will do so in flawless English with flawless spelling and flawless grammar, which got me thinking about scammers. Scam texts and emails can often be identified by their poor English and spelling, but if the scammer uses ChatGPT, that red flag will no longer be present. Every year we have to be more and more alert for possible scams.

Just Listed: 2-BR, 1280-SF Fraser Condo

This wonderful condo at 693 Wapiti Drive #A16 features a moss rock fireplace and a skylight in the living room. Off the living room is a deck with marvelous views of Byers Peak. The kitchen has granite counters, hickory cabinets, and double sink with mountain views. A laundry room/pantry is off the kitchen. The primary bedroom has new windows, double closet, a full ensuite bathroom with tile floor and tiled bath area.

$697,000

The 2nd bedroom has carpeting, double closet and new windows. The oversized garage has plenty of room to store firewood, and at the rear of the garage is a huge locked storage space. Reasonable HOA dues pay for water, sewer, snow removal, trash, and internet. Unit comes tastefully furnished. It’s a short walk from downtown Fraser with its many shops, bars, and entertainment. Experience the great outdoors just outside your door. Hike or bike along the Fraser River trail that leads to Winter Park. It’s also on the free bus route to Winter Park. To see it, call David Dlugasch at 303-908-4835. Take a video tour at www.WinterParkCondo.info.

Jim Smith

Gary Howard October 17, 1946 - April 28, 2024

Gary Howard went home to be with his eternal savior on April 28th, 2024. Gary grew up on a farm outside of the Fort Lupton /Brighton area. He graduated from Fort Lupton High School in 1965, where he was the Head Boy and part of the only baseball team in school history to win a state championship. He then went to University of Wyoming, and UNC where he graduated with a Degree in 1969. He spent time teaching where he was a man of it all - math teacher, coach and even school bus driver! After teaching, he went back to work at the

family farm, where he raised his own family.

He loved a good game of cards, Western movies and old country music. He adored his grandsons and would never turn down an opportunity to talk to a stranger.

Survived by his wife, Donna, daughter Ashley (Corey) Guildner, along with his grandsons Corey, Cayden and Carter. Also survived by his stepson Shane Wargo, brother, John (Diana), and sister, Marla (Howard). Preceded in death by his parents, David and Carol (Midcap) Howard.

Cory John McCrea

April 19, 1977 - May 15, 2024

Cory John McCrea was born on April 19, 1977 at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO to Martin and Sheryl (Harms) McCrea.

He graduated from Brighton High School on May 27, 1995. In the Fall of that year he began college at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and earned a Bachelor of Arts with acknowledgment of major achievement in Kinesiology.

4-legged buddy. ey had so many future plans they were working on.

Cory was dearly loved by his family, parents, sisters, brother-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephew, grandparents, aunts, uncles, the Hill family, his close lifelong friends, and so many other friends from K-12, college, and beyond, including his bosses and coworkers.

Cory was a long term resident of Greeley, residing in Greeley from the time he entered college until his passing.

Cory was a social bug and made many friends everywhere he went. In high school he participated in chorus under Mr. omas, drama/musicals under Mrs. Archuleta, and was involved in soccer, diving and wresting, wrestling in the Brighton area from the age of 5 through his Senior Year. After college, he enjoyed playing co-ed softball and golf.

Cory worked for Safeway in high school and college, followed by di ering periods of time working for Mr. Neats Formal Wear, Burke’s Cleaners, and with Edward Jones as a Financial Advisor.

While working at the Greeley Mall for Mr. Neats, he met Robin Hill, who also worked in the mall at a shoe store. Cory and Robin were married in the Methodist Church in Greeley on May 20, 2000. ey were blessed with two beautiful daughters, Raygen and Ashlynn (now 13 and 9).

Cory deeply loved his girls. ey were always excited about spending time together. ey were so looking forward to the opportunities summer would bring for spending time together. When they stayed with their Dad they enjoyed shing, camping, puzzles, playing games like “ row row the Burrito,” which is a Dodgeball Card Game, watched their di erent favorite TV series and movies, and just plain hung out together with Otto, their

Cory is survived by his ex-wife Robin and daughters, Raygen and Ashlynn; Parents: Martin “Marty” and Sheryl (Harms) McCrea; Sisters: Ariana “Ari” (McCrea) Opp with ancé Erik Eisenberg and Cassandra “Cassie” (McCrea) Bell with husband Mike; Nieces: Elissa “Ellie” and Kaitlyn “Katy” Opp, and Kaylyn Bell; Nephew: Blake Bell; Cousins: Brigette (Bundt, Jones) Fischer (Brigette is also our ‘Bonus‘ daughter) with husband Michael and son Hans and daughter Heidi; Tara (Harms) Turner with husband Patrick and son Will, Chelsea (Harms) Iglesias with husband Julio; Uncles: Terry and Dan Harms, William “Bill” McCrea with wife Linda, and Phillip “Phill” McCrea; and Aunts: Susan “Susie” (McCrea, Clark) Terry, Sarah McCrea, and Kim Harms.

Cory, since 1999, had seen the passing of his Grandparents: John and Phyllis (Subbert) Harms and Virgil and Marjorie McCrea; Great Aunts and Uncles: Richard and Darlene (Subbert) Barnhill, James “Jim” and Lowell “Bud” Subbert, and Carl Harms; Aunts: Jean Harms and Joleen (Harms, Bundt) Jones, Lucille “Lucy” McCrea; Uncle: Daryl Terry, and ex-Brother-in-Law Michael Opp.

Cory’s Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from 11:00 - 2:00 at Landing Place Church (11555 Chambers Rd. Commerce City, CO 80603 - it is in Commerce City but has a Brighton zipcode). A reception with refreshments and food will immediately follow the service.

MCCREA

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Coordinator of Regional Center - Burlington

Full-time. Located in Burlington, CO. This position is responsible for assisting with the delivery of credit and non-credit programs to residents of the communities served by the Regional Center. The position has responsibility for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the Center under the direction of the Director. This includes assisting with recruiting, testing, advising, and registering students. For additional quali cations, full announcement & Employment Application, https://morgancc. applicantpro.com/jobs/3360421 or call 970-542-3130. EOE

Coordinator of Regional Center - Bennett

Full-time. Located in Bennett, CO. This position requires regular travel as employee will split time between Bennett, Limon and working remote until a full-time o ce is established in the Bennett area. This position is responsible for assisting with the delivery of credit and non-credit programs to residents of the communities served by the Regional Center. The position has responsibility for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the Center under the direction of the Director. This includes assisting with recruiting, testing, advising, and registering students. For additional quali cations, full announcement & Employment Application, https://morgancc.applicantpro.com/ jobs/3360544 or call 970-542-3130. EOE

Nursing Faculty and Associate Nursing Instructional Personnel (ANIP) Faculty

Community Garage Sale Event

Indigo Trails Community

Located just off Chambers & Bromley in Brighton

June 7 & 8 from 8AM-6PM Daily

Come & visit our friendly neighborhood and take home some wonderful items at great prices!

Full-Time, 167 work days beginning August, 2024. Located in Fort Morgan, CO. The faculty member is responsible for instruction to students in the Associate Degree Nursing program. For additional quali cations, full announcement & Employment Application, https://morgancc.applicantpro. com/jobs/3353651 and https://morgancc.applicantpro.com/ jobs/3353929 or call 970-542-3130. EOE

Nursing Faculty & Clinical Coordinator RN to BSN Program

Full-Time, 187 work days beginning July, 2024. Located in Fort Morgan, CO. Hybrid position (both on-campus and remote work). The faculty member is responsible for instruction to students in the RN to BSN completion program as well as RN to BSN program coordination. For additional quali cations, full announcement & Employment Application, https://morgancc. applicantpro.com/jobs/3360685 or call 970-542-3130. EOE

Academic Technology Specialist

Full-time. Located in Fort Morgan, CO. This position maintains high-quality, e cient delivery of instructional courses and materials using a variety of technology systems, including distance and online systems. Responsible for the troubleshooting, installation, maintenance, and inventory of classroom and instructional distance delivery resources and equipment. For additional quali cations, full announcement & Employment Application, https://morgancc.applicantpro.com/ jobs/3138458 or call 970-542-3130. EOE

Beautiful 2-story home in the Brighton Crossing Subdivision! Situated on a huge 10,807 sq ft corner lot, this immaculate home has a quaint covered front porch that welcomes you. Step inside to a light and bright open oor plan with lots of windows and natural light. This 5 bedroom/3 bath home features an eat-in kitchen with lots of cupboard space and SS appliances, Central A/C, main oor laundry, family room with gas replace, upper-level primary suite has a spacious walk-in closet and 5 pc bath with luxury features. Sprinkler system and large fenced backyard with patio for entertaining. This popular community has many parks, paved walking paths, dog park and the Venture Center & Water Park which includes a kid’s splash pad, tness center and so many more amenities! Make this ‘move-in ready’ home yours today!