Colorado REALTOR Magazine May 2021 by Colorado Association of REALTORS

c o lo r a d o

MAY 2021

REALTOR Official Magazine of the Colorado Association of REALTORS®

MAGAZINE

MEET FIVE

R E A L T O R S® WITH HEART Page 8

PLUS: CAR's Virtual Fair Housing Event Page 5

Eight Graduate from CAR Leadership Academy Page 14

Median Price of a Home in Colorado tops $500,000 for First Time Page 16

c o lo r a d o

REALTOR

c o lo r a d o

MAGAZINE

REALTOR

The COLORADO REALTOR® is published by the Colorado Association of REALTORS® 309 Inverness Way South Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 790-7099 or 1-800-944-6550 FAX (303) 790-7299 or 1-800-317-3689

MAGAZINE

MAY 2021 ISSUE:

EDITOR: Lisa Dryer-Hansmeier, V.P. of Member Services: lhansmeier@coloradorealtors.com DESIGNER: Monica Panczer, Creative Marketing Specialist: monica@coloradorealtors.com The Colorado Association of REALTORS assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manu scripts, photographs or art. The acceptance of advertising by the Colorado REALTOR® does not indicate approval or endorsement of the advertiser or his product by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. The Colorado Association of REALTORS® makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily the opinions of the Colorado Association of REALTORS®.

Pandemic Has Taught REALTORS® How to Adapt.......................................................... 4 Virtual Fair Housing Event......................... 5

REALTOR® Association Value Makes Sense........................................................... 6 Meet Five REALTORS® With Heart............... 8 Eight Graduate Leadership Academy...... 14 Market Trends for April............................ 16 Real Estate Snapshot................................ 23 EIGHT GRADUATE FROM CAR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

This is a copyrighted issue. Permission to reprint or quote any material from this issue is hereby granted provided the Colorado REALTOR® is given proper credit in all articles or commentaries, and the Colorado Association of REALTORS® is given proper credit with two copies of any reprints.

Thriving in the New Abnormal................. 24 Mitigation Efforts Key as 2021 Wildfire Season Approaches.................................. 26 Every Move Is Personal and Unique......... 29 CAR Foundation Celebrates 30 Years....... 30 FirstBank Shows How First-Time Homebuyers Are Overcoming Unique Challenges................................................ 32 Social Media Marketing........................... 34

The term “REALTOR®” is a national registered trademark for members of the National Association of REALTORS®. The term denotes both business competence and a pledge to observe and abide by a strict Code of Ethics. To reach a CAR director who represents you, call your local association/board.

See CAR’s New Consumer Videos ............. 36 Free Tax Webinar...................................... 37 Five Important Tips for Posting to Your Real Estate Social Media Accounts................... 39 RPAC Major Investors and Update........... 40 10 Questions You’d Better Ask When Interviewing an Accountant..................... 42 MITIGATION EFFORTS KEY AS 2021 WILDFIRE SEASON APPROACHES

Identity Theft Protection Webinar........... 44 CAR 100 Year Celebration........................ 45 RPAC Bingo............................................... 46

The Pandemic Has Taught REALTORS® How to Adapt FROM THE CHAIR

Robert Walkowicz 2021 Chair of the Colorado Association of REALTORS®

CLICK FOR ONE THING VIDEO FOR MAY

As we come out of a year of quarantine and virtual meetings, hopefully we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. The 2021 Region XI Conference will take place in-person from July 7-9 at the beautiful Gaylord Hotel in Denver. You can learn more here. CAR’s 100 Year Celebration will be held in-person at the incomparable Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, October 17-20. Plan on attending this incredible event geared for all REALTORS®. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear from engaging speakers, attend enlightening education sessions, browse an exposition hall, and partake in a centennial celebration of CAR! And, of course, this gathering will be enhanced by the beautiful surroundings of the Broadmoor and its customary high standards. More details will be available soon, so keep an eye on your inbox. I look forward to seeing you in Colorado Springs this October. As state and local municipalities being to ease restrictions, REALTORS® are asking questions. What lasting changes will impact our profession? What effects will this have on the way we conduct business? What legislative impacts on the state and national level could be coming that are pertinent to the housing market? Unfortunately, none of us have a crystal ball to know the answers. What we do know is that according to statistics, home square footage is likely to increase as more people can work from home and need a designated office, or two. Some people can work from anywhere in the country and not be tied to an office location. We also know that our local Associations, CAR, and NAR will continue to fight and protect private property rights and support legislation for home ownership. There is not much good about a global pandemic and loss of human life. However, I am ever an optimist and choose to try and learn from every circumstance and situation. Maybe some positive learning experience can be taken from this situation regarding our profession. We can adapt and we can adapt faster than we ever thought possible. Personal relationships with our clients, our friends, our family, and our legislators are at the very core of what we do and who we are as people and as REALTORS®.

CAR's Virtual Fair Housing Event June 16, 2021 | 9:30 am - Noon CAR’s virtual Fair Housing event will focus on: • The History of Fair Housing • Gentrification • Economic Diversity • Solutions for Teams and Individual Agents • Support and Resources to Go Forward with the Commitment that REALTORS® Support Housing for All

In 1959, the State of Colorado was the first in the Nation to pass statewide fair housing laws to prevent discrimination in housing nine years before the signing of the federal Fair Housing Act. Take the pledge to recommit to Fair Housing and show the real estate industry that we are the miracle.

Nate Johnson

Obi Jacobi

Chad Nash

Redkey Realty Leaders History & Gentrification

Windermere Real Estate Moving Forward Panel

Real Estate Doctor Moving Forward Panel

Lisa Haynes

Bill Deadman

Natalie Davis

Mortgage Brokers Assoc. Economic Diversity

Investigative Reporter Moving Forward panel

Evolution Group Moving Forward Panel

FROM THE CEO

Tyrone Adams CEO of the Colorado Association of REALTORS®

REALTOR® Association Value Makes Sense Does anything in 2021 make sense anymore? We are coming out of a pandemic where, unfortunately, many people lost their jobs, yet employers today are having a hard time reopening because they cannot find people who want to work. Another example is existing single-family homes for sale in Colorado are down about 70 percent compared to this time last year, but Colorado is still in the top five of places people want to live. In fact, in 2020 we had a net migration of 36,000 people moving to Colorado. The other piece that does not quite make sense is our membership numbers rising to the level they have this year. We currently have approximately 28,500 members out of 40,000 active real estate licensees in Colorado. This is the highest our membership has been since 2006. We actually budgeted for an eight percent decrease in membership for 2021! What does make sense is the value CAR continuously develops and promotes on your behalf to assist you in becoming more successful. Most of you know about our core benefits: political advocacy, legal and risk, research, and professional development, especially after our value was put to the test in 2020. Additionally, many of you are aware of the CAR Foundation, CAR’s philanthropic arm that promotes safe and attainable housing, consumer education, natural disaster relief, and provides grants to 501c3 housing organizations. The CAR Foundation has been doing some amazing work in our communities over the past year, including providing mortgage and rental assistance to 34 families who lost their homes during last year’s wildfires.

CAR Foundation 2020 Grant Recipients 6

There is one more part of CAR’s value proposition that gets overlooked that I wanted to bring to your attention: CAR Business Services (CARBS). We have an entire marketplace specifically for you and your business needs. They include:

• FirstBank – banking and mortgage options

• Exodus Moving and Storage – moving services

• CTM eContracts – buyer and seller contract forms

• IXACT Contact – organizational tool

• Williams Underwriting Group – E&O Insurance

• ITPlease – technology support

• Kaplan Real Estate Education – professional development

• IdentaVault – Identity Theft

• Alpine Association Benefits – affordable healthcare

• Blue Social – digital business card

• Taxbot – mileage and expense tracker

• Legal Shield – legal coverage

• Office Depot/Office Max – office needs

• JUV Tax – bookkeeping and accounting

• LoLo – relationship marketing

• 24 Hour Fitness – wellness

• Amarki – marketing tool

• Hyatt Place Denver SouthPark Meadows – hotel

Check out the CAR Marketplace and see what products and services you can use for your business. Contact Kevin Jackson, Executive Director of Business Development, at kjackson@ColoradoREALTORS.com if you have any ideas for additional benefits CAR can offer Colorado REALTORS®. While there is a lot of things going on in this world right now that makes you scratch your head, one thing you will not be confused about is why CAR exists. To be the collective voice for real estate and consumer property rights, and to advance Colorado REALTORS® as industry leaders in knowledge, ethics, and professionalism. We feel the benefits and features we are offering is a great start to achieving our mission. Thank you for being a Colorado REALTOR®!

COLORADO’S

HEART AWARD

BOB BELL

TIFFANY CANADY

BRENDA CASE

2021 MEET THE FIVE REALTORS® WITH HEART

SEAN DOUGHERTY

MATT ROBBINS

MATT ROBBINS Colorado’s Heart Award Winner 1971 GHS Football Memorial Foundation Bringing a Small Town Back Together After Tragedy REALTOR® Matt Robbins leads a memorial foundation that honors one town’s tragic loss by creating opportunity for the future.

his year, the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation established the Colorado’s Heart Award to recognize those REALTORS® serving their communities with distinction. In March, CAR began accepting nominations and nearly four dozen were received. The CAR Foundation is thrilled to announce that Matt Robbins is the 2021 winner of the Colorado’s Heart Award. He will receive a $3,000 donation to his charity.

High school football season, especially in a small town like Gunnison, Colo., brings to mind Friday night varsity games under the lights, greetings from friends and neighbors in the stands, the roar of the crowd when the home team scores. Sunny and crisp Saturday morning junior varsity games, Colorado bluebird sky overhead, and fans and family spread out in the grass alongside the field. And the busses lined up outside to carry the visiting team home.

District finalists include: • Bob Bell – Metro District • Tiffany Canady – Southeast District • Brenda Case – Western District • Sean Dougherty – Northeast District Each District Finalist will receive a $750 donation to their respective charities. Award winners will have applications submitted on their behalf to NAR's Good Neighbor Award.

One fall weekend during the 1971 football season changed the town of Gunnison forever. On Sept. 11, 1971, a school bus carrying the Gunnison High School junior varsity football team crashed on the east side of Monarch Pass. Many passengers were ejected as the bus rolled several times. Eight teenage players and one coach never came home, and many

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more were injured. The town was shocked and devastated. In a small town, everyone knows everyone. These kids were everyone’s kids. “It deeply affected everyone in our small town and everyone had to handle their grief as best they could, without much in the way of counseling or professional help,” remembers REALTOR® Matt Robbins, GHS class of ‘73, who operates his company Monarch Realty here.

1971 JERSEY RETIREMENT CEREMONY who exhibit the ability to overcome adversity in their lives.

“People were struggling,” said Roxie Rule, who also graduated from GHS in 1973. “Other players on the bus had survivor’s guilt.” Robbins would have been on that bus, said Rule, “but he was called up to play with the varsity team that weekend.”

The Foundation also pledged to advocate for school bus safety, awarding the “Paul Medina Safe Bus Driver of the Year” award each year. Paul Medina, the District Director of Transportation at the time, was instrumental in changing bus safety regulations following the crash, regulations that are now standard across the country and dubbed, “The Gunnison Package.” The Foundation continues to monitor bus safety by sponsoring events that educate children and drivers about the ongoing importance of safe school bus transportation.

“As tragic as this accident was, it did bring our community and school closer,” said Robbins. “Many community members worked tirelessly to help the families, to improve bus safety standards, and to rehabilitate those survivors that were injured.” But the real “a-ha moment” came 20 years later, said Robbins. “I noticed every class get together or reunion always ended with discussions of the bus accident. An idea hit me that perhaps we could form a nonprofit entity to try and do something positive to help our community and at the same time honor the memory of those we lost.”

Robbins has served on the Board for the past 25 years. Two GHS football players who survived the bus crash are also deeply committed to the Foundation’s Board, as well as a number of other community members. “Creating this Foundation brought the community back together,” said Rule, who also serves on the Board. “Once the idea of the Foundation was formed, I learned once again that there is nothing like the value of teamwork,” Robbins agreed. “I am so very thankful for the Foundation Board members who have given their time to help make a difference.”

Robbins formed the 1971 GHS Football Memorial Foundation in 1996, 25 years after the accident, with its mission to retire the football jerseys and a coaching jacket of the players and coach who were lost. The jerseys and jacket now hang in Gunnison High School, a forever reminder to all how precious life is.

His Board is gearing up for a busy year. A memorial event for the 50th anniversary of the crash is in the works for September 2021, and the Foundation wants to increase fundraising to provide larger scholarships in support of fast-rising college tuition costs. Bus safety will also continue to be a priority for the Foundation.

Beyond creating a permanent memorial at GHS, the Foundation endeavored to raise funds to award a university, college, or vocational school scholarship each year to one female and one male graduate of Gunnison High School in memory of those who died. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 50 scholarships totaling nearly $200,000 to students

Giving back to the community has long been an important part of Robbins’ life. His parents set strong examples of community service. “They were always helping someone through a rough patch,” Robbins recalled. “Once I became a REALTOR®, their example helped me to become more involved with a variety of community projects and hundreds of fundraising auctions.” In more than 30 years of auctioneering, Robbins has conducted more than 500 auctions and raised over $40 million for other nonprofits, including President Jimmy Carter’s Carter Center and scores of others. continued on next page

“Helping people was one of the main reasons I became a REALTOR® and it is still the most satisfying part of my job,” said Robbins. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have a wife and family, a Foundation Board and an auction crew that all felt the same way.” Contact Robbins at matt@monarchrlty.com and learn more about the 1971 GHS Football Memorial Foundation here.

2020 FOOD PACKING BEGINS

BOB BELL Metro District Finalist Food For Thought Denver Nourishing Young Minds Denver REALTOR® Bob Bell brought a community together to fight weekend hunger

kids who need food,” said Bell, but “leading a ‘family’ of doers who will not take no for answer” has enabled the program – still 100% volunteer; the Board members cover administrative costs – to grow to serve students at 72 schools throughout Denver, Aurora, Adams County, and Westminster. With the help of hundreds of volunteers packing food weekly at several packing sites across town, delivery drivers in donated trucks bringing the meals to schools, and school staff distributing the Power Sacks, Food For Thought provided more than 1,500,000 meals to nearly 11,000 students in 2018-2019.

All schools have one thing in common: noise. On elementary school campuses, young, high-pitched voices giggle and shriek and yell. In middle and high schools, the murmur of conversation rises and falls, sometimes excited, sometimes indignant. Lockers slam, bells ring. But on Friday afternoons when the voices recede and the hallways empty, thousands of children in Denver go home to silent pangs of hunger.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Food For Thought never missed a beat, pivoting to provide meals for “grab and go” distribution sites at Denver schools.

REALTOR® Bob Bell is a north Denver native and still runs his business, Mile Hi Property, there. When he learned that many children in Denver often have nothing to eat all weekend after leaving school on Friday, he decided to act.

“Nothing gets in Bob’s way from achieving success,” said Craig Myles, REALTOR® and Food For Thought volunteer. “Rain, shine, pandemic, whatever, he is going to get that food delivered every Friday. We’ve never missed a Friday.”

“Just being educated about the compelling problem of childhood hunger in my backyard was all the inspiration it took,” he said.

All because of the hard work of Food For Thought volunteers, said Bell. “I have learned that people are good. When presented with a problem and given a way to solve that problem, the love and passion of people has no bounds.” He added, “My profession as a REALTOR® constantly exposes me to people at their most vulnerable moments and has groomed me to see a bigger picture in my local world.”

Bell founded Food For Thought in 2012 determined to help the students at two schools. In both schools, more than 90 percent of their students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, a federal program that provides students whose families fall below certain income thresholds with free breakfast and lunch at school.

Thanks to Bell and his family of Food For Thought volunteers, the picture looks a lot better for thousands of children.

Staffed 100 percent by volunteers, Food For Thought delivered more than 32,000 meals that first year, in “Power Sacks” that help feed a family of four over the weekend. The program has grown exponentially every year since.

Contact Bell at milehiproperty@gmail.com and learn more about Food For Thought here.

“Time is a premium in life and there are more Denver BOB BELL continued on next page

TIFFANY CANADY Southeast District Finalist HBA Cares Building Futures By connecting those in need to construction industry partners ready to help, REALTOR® Tiffany Canady rebuilds lives.

is always another project for another deserving family or nonprofit partner. In recent years, projects have included building a lift for a paralyzed 10-year-old boy to enable access to the family’s split-level home, constructing a new playground with equipment specially designed for children with disabilities, and building a guest house associated with a local hospital to provide supportive housing for families with loved ones in critical treatment.

Renovation. Remodeling. The terms conjure images of grand kitchens with acre-wide islands, or spa-like master bathrooms. But for some TIFFANY CANADY families, renovations are necessary just to access their homes safely, or to keep their businesses open.

“Tiffany has been instrumental in getting projects done, like our recent project with construction partner GE Johnson to build parklets to expand outdoor seating for restaurants struggling under COVID restrictions,” said Lisa Weidenbach, staff liaison from the Home and Building Association.

REALTOR® Tiffany Canady spends hundreds of hours a year helping to make those renovations happen for families who need them as a volunteer with HBA Cares, the philanthropic arm of the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs. HBA Cares connects construction industry partners with nonprofits and assists in managing projects to support transitional and accessible housing for community members.

That project saw more than 40 volunteers dedicate an entire day to helping downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado restaurants by expanding their sidewalks and seating spaces. “Through amazing volunteers we were able to build outdoor seating for our downtown restaurants to stay open and provide protective gear and meals to our essential workers,” Canady recalled. “It's clear no one succeeds alone, and it was evident our community was not just going to survive, but thrive together and rise up.”

Canady operates her business, The HomeBound Team with Keller Williams Partners, in Colorado Springs and has been working with HBA Cares for six years. In that time she led fundraising efforts, planned events, recruited volunteers and rolled up her sleeves to help at construction project sites. She currently serves as Board President.

The most rewarding part for Canady has been the people. “The opportunity to build strong relationships. We don't operate in a transactional business, we operate in the business of relationships. To forge relationships with community members, builders, trades, and no profits that are like-minded and strive to leave a legacy of love,” she said.

“It's an honor to serve alongside our Board members and forge relationships and partnerships in our community to aid in transitional and accessible housing,” she said. “I focus on the good, and Colorado continually reminds me there are plenty of great people out there on a mission to leave the world better than they found it. My role is to help make the connections and share the story.”

“She genuinely cares about her community and lives and breathes a lifestyle of giving,” said REALTOR® Zach Thompson, a colleague with The HomeBound Team. “As a REALTOR® I am fortunate to serve families in one of [the] biggest investments of their life, a place they call home, the opportunity to live the American Dream. My work over the last six years with HBA Cares has allowed me to help families and individuals of all walks of life work on building that dream through partnerships that extend programs to aid in transitional and accessible housing,” Canady said. “Giving, and surrounding myself with leaders that dig in the trenches has helped me grow in so many ways, and I am grateful to have such a tremendous state and community to engage with.”

Connections are at the heart of HBA Cares’ mission, and there

Connect with Canady at tiffany@buysprings.com and learn more about HBA Cares here.

BUILDING OUTDOOR SEATING DURING COVID-19

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Case, who has spent much of her life on the Western Slope and operates her business, Back to Basics Realty, here, jumped in, assuming project leadership roles and coordinating efforts. She picked up and dropped off donations and recruited others to do the same for the group’s Distribution Day, held every week at a local church. Community members walk through to donate or pick up food and supplies. The distribution event has helped about 10,000 families in a year, donating more than 150,000 pounds of food. Case also oversaw a mask making and distribution project, enlisting and organizing volunteers to produce and deliver more than 50,000 masks during the year.

VALENTINES DELIVERIES AT THE WILLOWS

“Seeing the panic and fear in our community when the realization of the pandemic [hit] along with the lack of supplies and services was the biggest driving factor” to getting involved, Case said. “My mother was very active in the community and she is my inspiration in so many things I do. I think I’ve always been a bit involved, but as an introvert I rarely call attention to myself.”

BRENDA CASE Western District Finalist Mutual Aid Partners Neighbors Helping Neighbors REALTOR® Brenda Case organized grassroots community efforts to ensure everyone had what they needed during the pandemic.

That changed as the Mutual Aid movement grew. “I have learned to speak up and reach out for whatever needs our community might have. I’ve learned the importance of community in a way I’m not sure I truly appreciated before,” Case added.

Grand Junction, Colo. sprawls across the Grand Valley, on one side a thriving city, on the other lush farmland and the heart of the state’s wine country. Rimmed by staggering red mesas, bathed in the watercolor sunsets of the quintessential American West, it is also a close-knit community, and at no time has this been more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. While across the country the pandemic isolated neighbors, in Grand Junction it brought them closer.

Perhaps the most meaningful Mutual Aid Partners project for Case has been senior engagement. When caring for her late mother before her death six years ago, Case learned just how lonely rehab and senior facilities can be. With her mother as her inspiration, Case recruited community members to deliver gifts for more than 2,200 seniors and facility care staff at the holidays. They also delivered gifts for Valentine’s Day and Easter, and enlisted elementary schoolchildren to make and send uplifting cards. Under Case’s leadership, this program will continue with strong participation. “She led our Team Leaders and now procedures are in place for ongoing flow of these events,” Burton explained.

“The shutdown hit us here in Grand Junction a little later than the rest of the state, but when it hit people really needed help,” said Janna Burton, CEO of the Grand Junction Area REALTOR® Association. A mutual aid Facebook group was formed by community members, where neighbors cold share food, supplies, and support to others in the group. The movement quickly grew and soon the group had thousands of members. REALTOR® Brenda Case volunteered to organize them, working with Mutual Aid Partners, a nonprofit founded to provide structure to the efforts and enable fundraising.

“The most rewarding part was probably watching our community come together while it seemed like the world was falling apart,” Case said. “It was a beautiful thing.”

“Brenda got the community organized to help,” said Stephania Vasconez, Executive Director of Mutual Aid Partners. “It’s incredible how much of our community she has touched.”

Contact Case at brenda@backtobasicsrealtygj.com and learn more about Mutual Aid Partners here.

Burton agreed. “Brenda saw the need and has worked so hard to give her time. [She is] a vital link in this relatively new chain in our community.”

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SEAN DOUGHERTY Northeast District Finalist Realities For Children Improving Reality For Children In Need REALTOR® Sean Dougherty gives his time, talent and treasure to provide at-risk children a second chance at a bright future.

involved in our Back To School item collections, Santa’s Workshop Toy collections, and Bikes for Tykes all while sporting his signature Hawaiian shirt.” The most rewarding part for Dougherty? “Seeing these kids after they’ve become successful young adults. I had one young woman come up to me at a hockey game and gave me a hug, saying ‘thank you for believing in me.’ She’s in school and looking forward to getting out in the world and making her way,” he said. “It’s so cool to see them as adults now and knowing that RFC was able to help them overcome so much in life!”

Because no child should be forgotten. It’s the maxim that inspires the work of Realities For Children, a Northern Colorado organization that provides support for the emergent and ongoing needs of children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, or are at-risk. The organization provides emergency funding, organizes distribution of critical items, hosts youth activities and cultivates community awareness in addition to working to break the cycle of abuse through special direct grant programs and scholarships for the youth they serve. Realities For Children’s volunteers and supporters are passionate about the mission and committed to making a difference for these children.

Dougherty’s dedication to Realities For Children has been integral in spreading the word about the organization’s work. And as a REALTOR® it has given him an opportunity to cultivate relationships within the community. “I have always found that the more I know about my community, the more I’m able to help my clients as well as other agents in my community. Plus, it helps my head and my heart knowing that I’m able to give something back to the community that has given so much to me.”

For 14 years, REALTOR® Sean Dougherty has been one of them. “The challenges that I hear from these kids – I just want all children to be happy, it’s what they’re supposed to be. Yet when I see and hear some of these kiddos’ stories, it hurts my heart,” he said.

Realities For Children and the youth it serves are certainly better for having Dougherty as a champion. “At every opportunity Sean is available to participate, contribute, lend a hand and offer direction on how to reach further into the darkness of child abuse in our community, said Secher. “His efforts and investment in service beyond self make our community a better place.”

He initially got involved by partnering with a friend to raise money for the Realities For Children Triumph Awards, which gives scholarships and post emancipation mentoring to at-risk and abused youth who want to go on to college or advanced education after high school. Dougherty and his friend created a poker tournament that ran for five seasons and raised about $75,000 for the program.

Dougherty perhaps said it best: “When asked, I am there.” Contact Dougherty at sean@hawaiianshirtguy.com and learn more about Realities For Children here.

Dougherty didn’t stop there. He operates his business, The Aloha Team with Re/Max Alliance, in Fort Collins, so he became a sustaining Business Member, helping to underwrite the administrative costs of the organization and ensuring that 100% of donations directly fund services for kids. Dougherty also participated in and sponsored the organization’s annual Realities Ride and Rally, which has grown into a world record setting event and a major benefit for at-risk children. He has held leadership positions on committees and currently serves as a Realities for Children Ambassador as well. “Sean is truly a champion for children in need,” said Craig Secher, Executive Director of Realities For Children. “He has been personally dedicated to bettering the lives of the children we serve for the past 14 years. Annually he is actively

BIKES FOR TYKES

Eight Graduate from CAR Leadership Academy The Colorado Association of REALTORS® recently celebrated the graduation of eight REALTORS® from its 2021 Leadership Academy program, an exclusive four-month training and development program designed to nurture future association leaders through in-depth industry and association knowledge. Working with CAR staff, mentors, and professional instructors over the course of the past year, Leadership Academy participants developed a wide range of skills including Media Training, Strategic Planning, Political Advocacy, and an expanded overall knowledge of Colorado’s real estate industry. “The Colorado Association of REALTORS® Leadership Academy is a proactive positive program to support and develop future leadership and enable them with skills that can be utilized at local associations,” said CAR Chair Robert Walkowicz. “I look forward to the participation and contributions of this year’s class.”

The 2021 Leadership Academy graduates include: • Michael Beninati - Denver Metro Association of REALTORS® • Micah George - Grand Junction Area REALTORS® Associatio

The 2021 graduates represent the sixth graduating class of the Association. Participants are selected from local REALTOR® Associations across Colorado.

• Tyler Harris - Grand Junction Area REALTOR® Association • Ty Hutchins - Pikes Peak Board of REALTORS® • Angela Kemper - Denver Metro Association of Realtors® • Dawn Mullin - Vail Board of REALTORS® • Katia de Orbegoso - South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association • Mindy Stone - Estes Valley Board of REALTORS® Applications for the 2022 Leadership Academy are currently being accepted. REALTOR® members interested in strengthening their leadership skills who are passionate about the industry are encouraged to apply. Applications are available here.

MARKET TRENDS

Median price of a single-family home in Colorado tops $500,000 for first time

INVENTORY OF ACTIVE LISTINGS STATEWIDE - APR 2021 16,583

6,244

5,676 2,076

-65.8%

-66.8% APR 2021

APR 2020

SINGLE FAMILY

APR 2021

TOWNHOUSE/CONDO

Above asking price trend reaches new highs as insatiable homebuyer appetite continues and sellers ask, “what’s a buyer willing to pay?”

area, the percent of list price received came in just shy of 105% for single-family homes and 102.6%for condo/townhomes. Statewide, the numbers showed 103.6% for single-family and 102.1% for condo/townhomes. “Officially, sales price/list price comes in at 104%, but REALTORS® will explain their experience is closer to 10% over list price in the moderate price ranges,” said Boulder/Broomfield area REALTOR®, Kelly Moye.

Despite the first month-over-month increase in the inventory of active listings in nearly a year, an insatiable homebuyer appetite quickly offset those gains with increases in the number of properties under contract and closed in April, according to the latest data from the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR).

For some, this furious market is raising questions about a bubble and the potential for a painful crash. Last week, Google reported that the search “When is the housing market going to crash?” had spiked 2,450% in the past month. The answer we’re seeing from economists: There’s no comparison. “Many industry experts believe there is no bubble; instead, the demand for housing in the west, particularly in resort areas, is higher than ever due to the migration of people leaving big cities,” said Durango-Area REALTOR® Jarrod Nixon.

Market conditions continue to drive pricing for all property types in the Denver-metro area and across the state to new record highs with the median price of a single-family home in Colorado topping $500,000 for the first time, a price point that has doubled in just over 7 years. Whether you’re looking in the Denver-metro area or any other market across the state, the median condo/townhome price has risen approximately 20% year-over-year to a record $380,000, while the Denverarea single-family home hit a median price record of $562,250 in April.

The struggle for prospective homebuyers doesn’t end with inventory as rising prices continue to negatively impact affordability. The CAR Housing Affordability Index, a measure of how affordable a region’s housing is for consumers based on interest rates, median sales price and median income by county, is down between 15-18% for all property types statewide from a year ago.

“In April, the average freestanding home in Denver sold for its highest percentage above asking price than ever before. The last three months, in fact, have broken records month-overmonth with the average home in April selling for 105.5% of asking price,” said Denver-Area REALTOR® Matthew Leprino. The above-asking price trend, prevalent across the state in recent months, continued through April with record highs also set across all property types and markets. In the Denver-metro

REALTORS® continue to look at the market and wonder is there a break? Will we ever see a slowdown? Will affordable housing be something we see again? “Builders cannot break ground fast enough, so no reprieve there. Interest rates remain low, so that continues to push prices and buying. For the short term, there is no calm in site.

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BOUDER/BROOMFIELD

It’s a real estate storm and buying frenzy that does not appear to be burning out soon,” said Colorado Springs-Area REALTOR® Patrick Muldoon.

“In Boulder and Broomfield counties, we haven’t seen numbers like this, well……ever. Heading into the summer, Boulder County single-family homes have already experienced 28% appreciation, and we’re not even at the end of the summer when we typically see our biggest jump in prices for the year. ‘If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with,’ must be playing in homeowner’s heads as they discover it’s too expensive to move to suit their needs, so they end up staying where they are and making home improvements. This lack of fluid mobility in the market has kept inventory so low that the increased demand continues to push prices up.

Taking a look at some of the state’s local market conditions, Colorado Association of REALTORS® market trends spokespersons provided the following assessments:

AURORA “Looking to find a single-family residential home under $300,000 in Aurora? Unfortunately, there is not one to be found. Even the median price of an Aurora condo/townhome is now at $290,000, up 11% from April 2020. The median home price in Aurora is at $465,000, a 14.8% increase over last year. That said, our 80019 zip code has only 14 listings available at a median price of $512,639, up 12% over 2020. The 80015 zip code is now at a median price of $500,000, up 18.3% over last year while 80011, which encompasses original Aurora, now has a median price $401,000, a 19.7% increase. If you are looking in this area, understand that there are only 10 available listings. The Aurora condo/townhome inventory is down 76.9% over last year with just 81 condo/townhomes available compared to 351 this time last year.

“Officially, sales price/list price comes in at 104%, but REALTORS® will explain their experience is closer to 10% over list price in the moderate price ranges. Boulder’s neighbor, Broomfield, also puts up big numbers for the year with singlefamily homes up 16% and condos/townhomes keeping up at 15% so far for the year. “The only soft spot here are condos and townhomes in Boulder. They have had a modest 4% appreciation and listings are up 4.7%. It is likely that the owners of these smaller properties in a more dense environment are moving to more space for work and play, leaving the Boulder condo market much softer than its single-family counterpart.

“Centennial represents the same low inventory, down 68% over this time last year for single- family homes and a median price of $605,000, a 17% increase over April 2020. Townhomes/ condo in Centennial show a median price of $430,000, but you will only find seven of those types of properties available today.

“Most professionals agree that this market is not sustainable. The question is, when will it end and what will happen to initiate it? This is not a market bubble that will burst but instead, it is likely the lack of affordability that will eventually affect the demand and the market will slow down and balance out,” said Boulder/Broomfield-area REALTOR® Kelly Moye.

“Looking to zip code 80111, Greenwood Village and Englewood, we see a median price of $894,000, up 30% over April 2020. Inventory is down 75% and there are only 13 available properties. Townhome/condos in that same zip code are up in price 86% over last April at a median price of $465,000 – that is not a typo.

BROOMFIELD/I-76 CORRIDOR “With the ability to work from home and the population increase in Denver suburbs, we are seeing an increase of people migrating out to the I-76 corridor. This area provides the ability to buy more home for the money the farther east you go. Sellers in this area are experiencing a great return on their real estate investment. From a year ago the average home sells prices have increased in Adams County by 13.5%, Weld County by 16.2%, Morgan County by 19.7%, and Washington County by 15%. With many people on the move, the stats are showing that it is a great time for homeowners along the I-76 corridor to list their homes and cash in on this market,” said Broomfield-area REALTOR® Jody Malone.

“It is important to note, that buyers are getting homes. Occasionally, offers fall out of contract giving potential buyers an added opportunity. Will this ever slow down? Yes, of course, the questions we all have are, when and why? For the immediate future, we have a housing shortage and a number of buyers looking to take advantage of low interest rates and join the ranks of home ownership. Stay vigilant. There is a house out there for you,” said Aurora-area REALTOR® Sunny Banka.

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COLORADO SPRINGS/PIKES PEAK AREA

in most cases, paying significantly more than a house may be worth at that snapshot in time. We REALTORS® have and hopefully will always continue to advise against the practice but the fact of the matter is that if you want a home, you will likely need to show a seller just how much you want it. While the practice of paying more than a house is worth is certainly risky, the changing tides prove that that risk, in some circumstances, is short lived. Take for instance someone who offers to pay $20,000 more than a house is worth – and their offer gets accepted. That home then closes and the neighbor down the road now lists their home $5,000 higher than that. Not only has every other neighbor now appreciated in price by $25,000 but the homebuyer who paid $20,000 more than asking has gone from $20K in the hole to $5K in the black.

“Real estate has been a very interesting thing to follow for the last year. In one of the most trying times in our history, where an entire world economy was closed down, real estate brushed it off, hit they gym, and grew in strength. A year ago, we were trying to determine whether or not we were going to be actively selling at all. REALTORS® statewide were back and forth on new rules, regulations, and safety precautions. Looking back now it seems we pulled off the impossible. We continued to represent buyers and sellers safely and pushed through one of the hardest markets we have ever seen. And this shows in our stats locally. We are up 21% on all properties sold year-over-year. The housing market pushed up 19% on the medium price range and sadly, active properties dropped 56%.

“Because of these practices, the latest data from the Colorado Association of REALTORS® shows that in April, the average freestanding home in Denver sold for its highest percentage above asking price than ever before. The last three months, in fact, have broken records month-over-month with the average home in April selling for 105.5% of asking price. The only time other than the last three months that the average went above 101% was during May 2016 and that number quickly fell back to the 100% just two months later and even below asking just a month after that. A direct reflection of the multiple offers and bidding above asking-saga we see today, buyers are looking at lower budgets as their opening bid as the asking price in today’s market is merely the reserve price and not entirely an indication of ending value,” said Denverarea REALTOR® Matthew Leprino.

“Is there a break? Will we ever see a slowdown? Will affordable housing be something we see again? It’s hard to say. Institutional investors are offering obscene amounts of money to gobble up homes and beat many individual homeowners out on purchases. One in five reported sales nationwide are going to institutional investors. And this isn’t just an American problem. Canada and other countries are also seeing these large corporations grabbing up inventory and turning those homes into rentals. Builders cannot break ground fast enough, so no reprieve there. Interest rates remain low, so that continues to push prices and buying. For the short term, there is no calm in site. It’s a real estate storm and buying frenzy that does not appear to be burning out soon. “Economic numbers remain terrible nationally, the stimulus money the FED prints is leading to inflation, and the world continues to battle with COVID-19. Real estate remains a safe haven for money. As long as supply remains low and demand is high, housing market trajectory is heading north,” said Colorado Springs-area REALTOR® Patrick Muldoon.

DURANGO/LA PLATA COUNTY “What is this house worth? That is the question all buyers and sellers are asking in today’s market. The answer is: what a buyer is willing to pay. La Plata County continues to see significant increases in both average sales price and number of units sold. The average sales price for a single-family home in 2020 was $565,678 compared to $704,112 in 2021, a 24.5% increase. Units sold are also up more than 24%. Prices are being driven by the complete scarcity of available product and low interest rates. Inventory of homes for sale dropped over 70% compared to April 2020 for single-family homes and more than 85% for townhomes and condos.

DENVER COUNTY “Today’s buyer has fundamentally shifted their methods and the effects are beginning to ripple through your neighborhood. While each transaction brings new tales of what worked and what didn’t, today’s consumer and yes, their REALTOR® are tasked with finding newer, more creative methods of standing out from the rest. Long ago, the ‘love letter’ was the way to romance a seller into accepting your offer – no more. Today, the love letter comes in the form of a larger overall check and,

“Bidding wars are the new normal, with most new listings going under contract within days of hitting the market. As a

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result of sellers not wanting to endure the stress of multiple offers and countless showings, many homes are being sold off-market and never hit the open market. It is not unusual for a home to sell for tens of thousands over the asking price. Many buyers are using escalation clauses and few (if any) contingencies in their offers.

Homes are selling almost as fast as they can be placed on the MLS. Days on market for single-family homes has been slashed to 42 days compared to 70 in April last year, a drop of 40%. Year-to-date days on market has also dropped 72 to 54, a 25% decrease in time. Townhouse/condos have again taken the lead with a whopping cut in days on market to 42 from 108, 61.1% less compared to April last year. Year-to-date townhouse/condos have been on the market 45 days less, a 42% decrease. As of August 2020, the average time from offer to close was 45 days (per Ellie Mae).

“The perception is that sellers are reaping all the benefits of this hot market, but unless they are leaving the area, sellers are finding themselves in the same shoes as their buyers when trying to find a suitable replacement property. The true winners are the second homeowners and investors that can sell today and wait for the market to cool down.

“The ‘climate’ out there is causing a clamor for the best value for the money, and fast, but this is also driving prices up at a feverish pace. The average sales price for a single-family home in Larimer County reached $543,754 in April, an 8.5% bump from April last year. Year-to-date, the average sales price climbed 12.3%. The percent of list price received, 103% for single-family in April, is directly affected by the short inventory and climbing prices. Townhouse/condos have been experiencing the same with the average sales price up 13.9% in April to $361,864. Percent of list price received has also gone over asking at 101.8%, a 2.1% increase from April 2020.

“There is talk of a housing bubble in our market. Many industry experts believe there is no bubble; instead, the demand for housing in the west, particularly in resort areas, is higher than ever due to the migration of people leaving big cities. Many locals believe Durango has been undervalued for decades compared to other resort markets in Colorado. Buyers, taking advantage of continued low interest rates and increased options for working remotely, are choosing Durango for its natural beauty and endless outdoor offerings. The forecast for the market is more of the same for the foreseeable future,” said Durango-area REALTOR® Jarrod Nixon.

“Larimer County is currently running with almost no supply of inventory. In April, the months supply of single- family homes fell from 2.4 months to only 0.6. Townhouse/condos had an even larger dip in inventory from 3 months to 0.6, an 80% decrease.

ESTES PARK

“As we go from hot to cold with rain, lightning and ice, this is no different from the climate in the real estate market,” said Estes Park-area REALTOR® Abbey Pontius.

“The highs and lows that our clients are feeling right now are comparable to the dramatic weather we are experiencing. Hot and cold, with a chance of rain, snow or lightning. What will they experience? Cold returns on offer after offer that are outbid? Heat when they are feeling the pressure to buy, but can’t find anything in their price range? The constant conversation about the inventory and where the next new listing may pop us is definitely a strike of lightning in the atmosphere. Where will the hot spot be? If only we had some sort of crystal ball to tell the future.

FORT COLLINS “Compound Appreciation. Most of us are familiar with the term Compound Interest. It is one of the single greatest wealth-building concepts of economics. The short version of this concept is that if you invest a principal sum (let’s say $10,000) in an interest-bearing account, stock, annuity, or commodity of some sort, the interest earned on that investment compounds on a set interval (let’s say monthly at 5%). The original $10k after one month of investment time at that growth rate is now worth $10,500. The investor has made $500 by doing nothing but leaving the principal in the investment portfolio. In the second month, the interest is now calculated on the new principal amount of $10,500 and earns

“In Larimer County, new listings are slowly arriving on the market, but only at a drizzle with year-to-date single-family homes down 7.6% compared to 2021. However, in the month of April, new listings exceeded April 2020 by 25.3%. Is that spring we are feeling in the air? Townhouse/condos are electrifying the market with 52.6% more listings this past month compared to April 2020, and year-to-date they have increased 10.7%.

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$525. Total value in two months is now $11,025. When you parse out the compound interest calculation over the course of a year, the original 10,000 after 12 months is now worth over $18,000. The gains (if consistent) are exponential.

ahead. Only time will tell as the summer months near to see if the pent-up drive to purchase a home will take a back seat to the pent-up need for family vacations in June, July, and August,” said Fort Collins-area REALTOR® Chris Hardy.

“The same kind of thing is happening in the real estate market, except it is more like Compound Appreciation. The combination of constrained inventory and high demand leads to competitive offers on homes for sale. The competitive offers on homes for sale leads to a purchase for over the asking price. As long as the buyer consummates that purchase, the sale price for that home now becomes a statistical comparable for similar homes for sale in the same market. The cycle continues and we see double-digit appreciation on homes compared to what the relative value was at the beginning of the year. Is this leapfrog in valuation sustainable? Probably not – but until demand abates, prices are likely to continue to climb.

FREMONT/CUSTER COUNTIES “We are continuing the frenzy here in Fremont and Custer counties. Every month, the new listings come in less than last year and there are more new sales. We are seeing more vacant lots selling than in our typical market and mountain property prices are rising and selling quickly. Our vacant mountain property inventory has seen a significant reduction in numbers in the last year. “We are seeing buyers trying to negotiate with sellers before the property goes on the market, trying to get an edge. The ‘we will buy your home,’ postcards are out in force, looking for ‘uneducated’ sellers. It is a seller’s market, but sellers beware, the market changes on a daily basis,” said Fremont and Custer County-area REALTOR® David Madone. Custer County by the Numbers: Median price of $425,000 is up 53.2% year-over-year Average price of $476,824 is up 49.7% year-over-year New listings are down 1.3% Sales are up 36.2%. There is 2.3 months supply of inventory

“With median prices in Fort Collins for April sales pegged at $510,000, affordability is at a decade long low. With the average sales price of homes 3.4% over the asking price, Buyers are leveraging all their discretionary cash in the hopes that the home will appraise for close to the over-asking purchase price. In some cases, buyers are bringing tens of thousands of dollars to closing, in addition to a traditional down-payment of 5-20% of the purchase price. There are no signs of the demand for homes lessening any time soon. The average days to offer for homes listed on the market after March 1 is a grand total of four. Homes are being snapped up as quickly as they are being listed. New listings increased 24% year-over-year which is a great number but nearly every single house that came on is now sold. If nothing else came on the market in the next 3 weeks, everything currently for sale would be sold.

GOLDEN/ARVADA – JEFFERSON COUNTY “New listings in Jefferson County are up 50% from this time last year despite the fact that this past month had one of the lowest volumes of inventory on record, down 67% from a year prior. Days on market was down 50% and our months supply of inventory was down 73% from this time last year. With so little inventory, home prices continue to climb as the median price for a single-family home hit $610,000 in April. For condo/ townhomes, the median sales price reached $340,000 with average days on market at 12.

“This isn’t just a tale about sub-median priced homes. All segments of the market in northern Larimer County are seeing high demand and exponential growth in sales. Sales of homes between $1 million and $2 million have doubled year over year. Homes sold between $500k and $699k are up 71% compared to the same time frame last year. Yes, the COVID-19 shutdown of the real estate market is playing a role in making some of the housing data a bit noisy – but the sheer number of sales in those high-end price points remains stunning. The shifts of home buyers from detached homes to condos and townhomes continues as sales in the $400k range for townhomes/condos have more than tripled in the last 12 months.

“Buyers still need to be aggressive with their offers going over list price and covering the difference in cash from the appraised price and the purchase price. Homes for sale enter the market on Thursday or Friday and are under contract on Monday. For most offers, buyers are waiving the inspection and making their earnest money non-refundable at some

“The momentum of this market appears to be full-steam

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point early on in the contract process,” said Golden/Jefferson County-area REALTOR® Barb Ecker.

This is the second consecutive month that contract price has exceeded list price. “With just 192 active listings in April, we are down more than 50% over April 2020. Eighty new home permits were issued in April bringing the Pueblo County total for the first four months of 2021 to 268, about half of what was issues in all of 2020. Pueblo West leads the pack with 153 permits,” said Pueblo-area REALTOR® David Anderson.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS/GARFIELD COUNTY “It looks like the secret is out, it is a seller’s market. New singlefamily listings increased 23% in Garfield County over April 2020. Not surprisingly, those listings were gobbled up in 3-4 days on market as buyers aggressively worked to outbid each other. The frustration level for buyers is at an unprecedented high with brokers pulling out all the stops to try to get their client into the home. Sold listings are up 39% with the average days on market down 46% to 46 days, just over what it takes to sell a home. The months supply in the single-family sector fell 67% to a ghastly 1.2 months. The average sale price of a singlefamily home in Garfield County topped out at a whopping $720,000, an increase of 35% over April of last year and likely the highest average of all time.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS/ROUTT COUNTY “Buying real estate in many markets including Steamboat, is kind of like playing the game, The Price is Right. Given the multiple offer scenarios, the seller is certainly determining which buyer-contestant has the right price. The biggest disparity is that in the game, whomever comes closest to the price without going over wins; whereas, with current real estate conditions, if you are not bidding over the (list) price you are likely going to lose.

“Unlike some other counties in Colorado, the townhome/ condo market showed good strides as well. New listings were up 66.7% and sold listings had an unbelievable 140% increase. Average sale price was up 39% with 100.7% percent of listto-sale price. The current inventory was down almost 60% landing at 1.3 months of inventory. The townhome market did see longer days on market compared to last year, as the frustrated single-family buyer decided to settle into an attached unit instead of fighting the battle. The big question on everyone’s mind is ‘When will it end?’” said Glenwood Springs-area REALTOR® Erin Bassett.

“Looking back at April, two single-family home sales over $10 million skewed the average sales price to over $2 million with the median sales price sitting at about $1.3 million with average days on market at 35. New listings were basically the same as the prior year however, the townhouse-condo market saw an increase of 71%, which was devoured by the insatiable buyer demand resulting in a 200% increase in pending sales. The average sales price for multi-family was $846,918 in April with the median $715,000 and days on market at 23 days. The record low days on market reflects the high number of cash transactions and sellers taking a sure thing without appraisal delays or possibilities of appraisal objection- even though a buyer may be willing to absorb the appraisal gap.

PUEBLO “The Pueblo housing market has remained strong for sellers and builders through the month of April with buyers still having to fight over the small number of homes for sale. April saw new listings rise 23.1% over last year and are up 6.6% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2020. Pending sales jumped up 56.2% over last April and sold listings were up 19.2% over 2020 and are up 5.3% year to date.

“Active listings for single and multi-family were a low standing inventory of 45 for each category with a month or less supply. May and June typically bring a new crop of listings and we look forward to those just as we look forward to the new buds and flowers spring brings. As Edwin Way Teale said, ‘The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.’ It is possible to buy a home in the Yampa Valley – retain an experienced and dedicated real estate broker for your best chances of success and while competing might be stressful, keep your eye on the prize,” said Steamboat Springs-area REALTOR® Marci Valicenti.

“Median prices in April rose to $275,000, up 18.1% from last April with the percent of list to sale price up 4% in April to 101.9%. Sitting on less than one month’s supply of homes for sale, buyers are pushed to write contracts above listing price.

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SUMMIT, PARK AND LAKE COUNTY

TELLURIDE

“Buyers beware. Being a buyer in this market is competitive business. It takes a crazy mix of hurry up and wait to find that perfect property. Buyers have to be ready to write a seller friendly offer (statistically over list price) the moment a desirable property hits the market. Even as they express fatigue and frustration, there are still more buyers than sellers so, until that balances out, buyers have to eat their Wheaties to stay strong through the process.

“April 2021 sales were up 168% over April 2020 with buyers increasingly targeting the Mountain Village and the rural subdivisions west of Telluride due to the amount of inventory available in those market areas. April 2020 sales in the Mountain Village were $8.9 million compared to this April’s $57.3 million. We are seeing more sellers moving out of the market to locations in and out of Colorado. However, the buyer demand has not waned. In the first four months of this year, sales are up 108% over the same period last year.

“With prices rising, the percent of locals buying and selling has dropped to just 18% of sales in Summit while 47% come from the front range and 35% are from out of state, mostly Texas and Florida. About 35% of the transactions were cash. The good news for buyers is that more properties sold than ever before, up 146%. So, although the active inventory was down 55%, new listings were up 84%. Summer is usually our busiest selling season, and the unknown is if we will follow previous trends. If so, there may be more to buy soon,” said Summit-area REALTOR® Dana Cottrell.

“Based on what has happened in the Town of Telluride, the continued decline of available inventory might start to slow the Telluride regional market around the end of summer. Available inventory is so low in Telluride and asking prices have gone up so much in the last 12 months that sales are slowing down significantly,” said Telluride-area REALTOR® George Harvey. The complete reports cited in this press release, as well as county reports are available online at: http://www.coloradorealtors. com/market-trends/

MEDIAN SALES PRICE STATEWIDE - APR 2021 $502,000 +19.5%

$420,000 $379,950 +20.6%

APR 2021

APR 2020

SINGLE FAMILY

APR 2021

$315,000

APR 2021

TOWNHOUSE/CONDO

Real Estate SnapShot STATE OF COLORADO - APRIL 2021

PERCENT OF LIST PRICE RECEIVED

3.6%

Historical Median Sales Price

103.2

YTD 2021=101.8% YTD 2020= 99.2%

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

Single Family Condo

State of Colorado $600000 $500000 $400000

-26.2%

$300000 $200000 Sep 2018

Dec 2018

Mar 2019

June 2019

Sep 2019

Dec 2019

Mar 2020

June 2020

Sep 2020

Dec 2020

Mar 2021

YTD 2021= 31 YTD 2020= 42

Median Sales Price

MONTHS SUPPLY

0.7

-70.8%

APR 2020= 2.4

Single Family Condo

State of Colorado 600000

400000

$502,000

500000

19.5%

400000

$477,786

15.1% $415,000

$420,000

13.4%

$315,000

200000 150000

200000

100000 100000

APR 2021= 13,351 APR 2020= 9,442

31.0%

$357,313 $315,000

250000

2021

YTD 2021= 43,376 YTD 2020= 41,838

20.6%

300000

3.7%

$379,950

350000

2020

2021

APR

50000

2020 YTD

Inventory of Active Listings Total Market

2021

Single Family

2021

-65.9% -65.8%

2020 2021 5000

10000

15000

Total Market

2021

2020 YTD

Single Family

2021

40.5%

2020

34.9%

2020

Condo 20000

2021

APR

2021

-66.8%

2020 0

2020

Sold Listings

2020

Condo

2021

25000

60.8%

2020 0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000 12000

APR 2021= 12,214 APR 2020= 6,309 YTD 2021=42,594 YTD 2020= 32,508

Percent changes calculated using year-over-year comparisons. All data from the multiple listing services in the state of Colorado. Powered by 10K Research and Marketing.

For more data visit ColoradoREALTORS.com

THRIVING IN THE NEW ABNORMAL by Larry Kendall, Author of Ninja Selling

" Homes that received the most views and contracts were staged and had professional photography, video and virtual floor plans available with the listing.”

Three New Skills to Help Your Business Post-Pandemic. When will things return to normal after the pandemic? This often-asked question assumes our experience was some sort of cyclical event such as daylight automatically following darkness. But what if there were structural changes caused by the pandemic? What if these changes are the new abnormal? Here are three new skills required to thrive:

1. VIRTUAL VIEWING. Due to the lockdowns, buyers became very comfortable viewing properties online—even making offers without physically seeing the property. Here are the facts according to the National Association of REALTORS®. • 63% of buyers last year made offers

without ever physically viewing the home. • Buyers viewed an average of nine homes before writing a contract. – Five of these were virtual viewings. – Four of them were physical viewings. – How a home shows virtually often determines if it “makes the finals” and is viewed physically. STRATEGIES IN THE NEW ABNORMAL: • When working with buyers, have the knowledge and the tech skills to serve them virtually. • When working with sellers, make sure your listings “shine” online.

2. BRING YOUR “A GAME.” Due to virtual viewing and contracts, listings need to shine online. Homes that received the most views and contracts were staged and had professional photography, video and

virtual floor plans available with the listing. These homes received more views, more contracts, sold faster and had fewer cancellations.

• Step 2: Price. Develop your pricing strategy. This is based on the condition of the home, as well as current market conditions.

In one study, homes where real estate professionals brought their A Game were viewed online for 90 seconds on average, whereas homes that did not have staging, professional photography, video, and floor plans were viewed for only four seconds.

• Step 3: Promote. Launch your marketing program – MLS, online, open houses, social media, outreach to potential buyers, neighbors and REALTORS®, etc. Follow your “marketing syntax.” Syntax is the order and sequence of words. For example, “The dog bit Johnny,” and, “Johnny bit the dog” are the same words. But when you change their order, the meaning changes—and therefore so do the results. The same is true with your marketing syntax. Follow the “package, price, promote” order, and you will get the results you are looking for. Unfortunately, some associates do the right things but do them in the wrong order. The most common mistake is promoting (Step 3) before they have packaged (Step 1).

Your next listing is embedded in your current listing. Because of virtual viewing, future sellers are now more often picking their listing associate based on how the associate’s listings show up online. Who is bringing their A Game? Sellers want to list with those REALTORS®.

3. THE THREE-STEP LISTING LAUNCH. The obsession with “speed to market” is a trap. Putting a home on the market before it is properly prepared (staged) and the marketing materials (A Game) are ready results in a lower sales price and hurts the seller. The best associates in our industry follow the three-step listing launch.

Develop your three new skills and you will thrive in the new abnormal!

• Step 1: Package. Package the house well (staging) and prepare your marketing materials (professional photography, video, floor plans, etc.). Take the time to get the home as move-in ready as possible.

in the May 2021 issue of REAL TRENDS newsletter and is reprinted with

Larry Kendall is one of the founding partners of The Group, Inc., a real estate company that is owned equally by its sales associates and staff. He is also the author of “Ninja Selling.” This article originally appeared permission of REAL TRENDS Inc. Copyright 2021.

Mitigation Efforts Key As 2021 Wildfire Season Approaches May Is Wildfire Awareness Month On the heels of the state’s three largest wildfires on record in 2020, and with several wildfires already occurring in Colorado in 2021, wildland fire professionals have issued dire warnings of what’s to come in the year ahead due to Colorado’s pervasive drought conditions and predictions of above-average temperatures through early summer.

southern Colorado and into the central part of the state by the second half of the month, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Traditionally, Colorado faces the most wildfires during June and July. Continuing our collaborative and proactive outreach to members and residents throughout the state, the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Project Wildfire Taskforce is partnering with local associations to support numerous local mitigation programs and education events taking place across the state. From sharing of resources and suggested activities that homeowners can undertake to help mitigate their properties and prepare for the unexpected to tool kits, apps, portals and more, the information and events are focused on helping educate and raise awareness among our state’s residents as we enter the 2021 wildfire season.

Despite near record-setting March snow seen across much of the state, snowpack remains below average in the mountains across Colorado and the concerns and challenges facing local, state and federal wildland firefighters, as well as millions of Colorado residents, become even greater as the calendar turns to the most challenging months of the year. With May designated as Wildfire Awareness Month, wildfire experts, as well as insurance and REALTOR® professionals are encouraging the nearly three million Colorado residents living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) to prepare their homes and communities for wildfire in the weeks and months ahead.

“We want to be better prepared to protect the resources that are so important to all of us,” said Governor Jared Polis. In addition, Polis has called on owners of houses built in areas at risk for wildfires to prepare for their potential, taking responsibility to clear “home perimeter” defensible space that could slow a wildfire and help firefighters protect them.

The spring outlook points to “above normal” potential for large wildfires through May and “above normal significant fire potential” is predicted to continue, expanding in June across

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“Every homeowner should be aware of their wildfire risk and the associated responsibility to reduce that risk, not only to protect their property, but also to improve the safety of first responders,” said Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Daniel Beveridge. “There are numerous examples from the past few seasons showing that proactive wildfire mitigation efforts are effective and now is a perfect time for people across the state to take action.”

Based on recommended fire-mitigation activities from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) advises homeowners complete the following activities at home while practicing social distancing.

Top 10 Wildfire Season Preparation Activities: 1. Rake and remove pine needles and dry leaves 5 feet from the home as well as under decks, porches, sheds and play structures.

Although COVID-19 related restrictions will continue to prevent many Colorado residents from conducting group mitigation activities, wildfire officials encourage individual homeowners to take advantage of this early spring season and any extra time at home to engage in a wide range of lowcost mitigation steps proven to protect homes and land and help reduce damage to structures and communities.

2. Remove leaves and needles from roofs and gutters. 3. Sweep porches and decks clear of any burnable plant material. 4. Move firewood piles at least 30 feet from the house, preferably uphill.

From completing home inventories, including photographs and video, to cleaning gutters and rooftops, to trimming backyard shrubs and trees and removing flammable materials from the perimeter of the home, there are a wide range of easy steps that homeowners can complete safely at home. Reviewing insurance policy details and updating coverage are also key steps in the process along with creating and reviewing evacuation plans and emergency toolkits.

5. Transfer items under decks or porches to a storage area. 6. Cover any exposed eave or attic vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh screening. 7. Ensure home address signs are clearly visible from the street. 8. Contact the local Office of Emergency Management to register for emergency notifications and encourage your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.

“Before your home is in the path of a wildfire is when you need to take steps to help make sure you are insurance ready,” said Rocky Mountain Insurance Association (RMIA) Executive Director Carole Walker. “Using this time at home to create an inventory of personal belongings and checking in with your insurance professional to review coverage are projects we usually procrastinate that will help homeowners be financially prepared for wildfire and natural disasters.”

9. Confirm at least one alternate path out of your neighborhood other than the one most commonly used and be prepared for potential evacuation requiring the alternative route. 10. Create an inventory of valuables in your home including written summaries, photography and video. Source: CSFS and NFPA continued on next page

Wildfire experts and key stakeholder organizations and professionals across the state offer a diverse range of resources and recommendations to help Colorado citizens prepare for and respond to wildfires, including:

coloradoforestatlas.org/

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which founded the National Wildfire Preparedness Day in 2014, offers comprehensive research and a wide range of downloadable fact sheets, brochures, checklists and visuals to help residents understand wildfire threats and the steps needed to help protect homes. For more information and access to NFPA tools, visit: https://www.nfpa.org/

Colorado Association of REALTORS®, in cooperation with wildfire and insurance industry experts, produced a consumer-focused Colorado Property and Insurance Wildfire Preparedness Guide featuring best practices in wildfire mitigation, defensible space, safety and insurance preparation for property owners, frequently asked questions and direct links to a wide range of local community resources for residents. The guide is available at ColoradoProjectWildfire. com.

The CSFS also offers mitigation resources: https://csfs. colostate.edu/wildfire-mitigation/

The Rocky Mountain Insurance Association (RMIA) provides a range of wildfire specific downloadable tools, templates and education for homeowners, including home inventory checklists, wildfire prevention tips and evacuation planning tools via its website: http://www.rmiia.org/catastrophes_and_ statistics/Wildfire.asp. In addition, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has launched its Home Inventory App for consumers to create and protect a record of their belongings, as well as tips on disaster preparation and more. The App can be accessed from the App Store and Google Play.

“Although it’s easy to be distracted by the drastic changes that Coronavirus has brought to our lives over the past year-plus, we can’t take our eyes off of the significant and potentially deadly threat that wildfires bring to our state each year,” said Ulrich Salzgeber, chairman of the Colorado Project Wildfire Taskforce for the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. “With more than 28,500 members living, working and supporting communities throughout our state, we will continue to be proactive in helping educate and support homeowners and residents living in these WUI areas about the steps they can take and the resources available to them to mitigate their properties and be prepared for the growing wildfire risk.”

The Colorado State Forest Service hosts the Colorado Forest Atlas, a web portal providing a suite of interactive mapping applications about Colorado’s forests and wildfire risk. These applications provide Colorado residents the best available information about their fire risk and forest conditions: https://

EVERY MOVE IS PERSONAL AND UNIQUE HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

house if your client chooses. Other moving companies and van lines will off load into a warehouse or self-storage, and then reload when delivery time arrives, increasing the chance of damage to belongings and the cost to your client by an additional $5,000 for a typical household.

You are an integral and valued resource for all of your client’s needs before, during and after your client closes on their home. We also understand that you want to be the confident “go to” resource when helping your client have a good moving experience. We are the preferred moving and storage company for Colorado Association of Realtors. Let us share our moving tips with you so you can better inform and help your client.

THE PEACE OF MIND CHECKLIST We recommend giving your client two full months to plan their move. By doing this, it is possible to take an overwhelming endeavor and turn it into a smooth, manageable experience. We have the information for you to share with your client on our website under Resources: Essential Moving Tips, Moving Planner, Your Relocation Checklist, What to Expect on Moving Day, plus more. Or, just ask. We will share our Moving Resources with you on your website and in your client’s information packet.

EVERY MOVE IS PERSONAL AND UNIQUE The most difficult part of a move can often be coordinating all the details. Our professional team can help simplify your client’s move by utilizing our years of experience, quality of equipment and personalized planning services. We are expert at working together as a team to problem-solve. We find the best solution to successfully meet your client’s needs, no matter what unforeseen issues may arise.

We join you in your commitment to protect and promote the interests of your client. Exodus Moving and Storage would like the opportunity to earn your trust and provide Peace of Mind. Best wishes, Ilan Levy, President, and all the “Crew” at Exodus.

THE SECRET OF A STRESS-FREE MOVE - PLAN FOR STORAGE Exodus offers unique storage options which take the stress of a move off of your client’s shoulders. Whether your client is moving across the street, across Colorado, or across the country, closing dates can change or the new home may not be ready or available as planned. You can help your client to be prepared. Exodus offers storage for overnight or longer but, most importantly, once your client’s belongings are loaded and placed in a vault or in an exclusive moving trailer we do not unload or move their belongings until final delivery out of storage. We even offer to store that trailer inside our ware-

ABOUT EXODUS 4700 Marketplace Dr Johnstown, CO 80534 6436 S Racine Circle Centennial, CO 80111 970-484-1488 29

CAR Foundation Celebrates 30 Years of Serving Colorado Communities with Release of Inaugural Impact Report Welcomes New Board Chair and Executive Director Founded as the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Housing Opportunity Foundation (CARHOF) and having evolved into the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation, the philanthropic and community engagement arm of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® this year celebrates three decades of helping Coloradans. The CAR Foundation’s mission to support safe and attainable housing, advance homeownership for all Coloradans and provide housing related disaster assistance continues to transform lives thanks to the support of REALTORS® and industry partners. To commemorate its 30th year, the CAR Foundation has released its Inaugural Impact Report, detailing the impact of much-expanded grantmaking during 2020.

ed by making more than $350,000 in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations, an increase of nearly 600% over the prior year. With support from the National Association of REALTORS®, the CAR Foundation also provided almost $50,000 in grants for mortgage and rent assistance directly to 34 families who lost their homes in the fires. In total, CAR Foundation support touched more than 4,735 lives in 2020.

“We are proud of the CAR Foundation’s legacy of service and grateful for the REALTORS® and industry partners who have come together over the years to support our work,” said Deborah Shipley of REcolorado, 2021 CAR Foundation Chair. “We’re excited to share the story of our impact throughout the state in 2020 – one of the most challenging years in recent memory

The CAR Foundation has an impactful 2021 planned as well, having welcomed Shipley as Chair. As the Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing at REcolorado, Shipley brings unique perspective of the real estate industry and a wealth of marketing and nonprofit expertise to her leadership of the Board.

Across the state, 2020 was a year of unprecedented need. In one year, Coloradans experienced the loss of thousands of jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, jeopardizing their ability to pay for housing in a market already reeling from an affordable housing crisis; and devastating wildfires that burned more than 650,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes. The CAR Foundation respond-

Shipley has served on the Foundation Board since 2018 and has more than 20 years’ experience managing marketing and public relations strategy in corporate and nonprofit settings, making her well-suited to lead the CAR Foundation’s efforts to increase its visibility and engagement.

Deborah Shipley

These metrics and more are included in the CAR Foundation’s Impact Report 2020, along with grantee profiles and testimonials from Coloradans who were helped by CAR Foundation grant funding. The Impact Report is available here.

“My vision for the CAR Foundation is to grow our support for Colorado communities every single year, and I believe we do that by structuring the Foundation’s operations for success and stability in the future and cultivating close working relationships with local associations,” she said. “We plan to connect with our local communities, learn about their needs and compliment local efforts.”

for Coloradans.”

2019 CAR Foundation Event

In her free time, Shipley can be found making some turns on the slopes, getting in a round of golf, or cheering on one of her two sons at a baseball or lacrosse game with her husband.

McDermott also facilitated a full Strategic Planning process for the Board, culminating in a new three-year Strategic Plan the Board voted to approve during their April 2021 meeting.

In January, the CAR Foundation hired a new Executive Director, Amy McDermott. McDermott’s background includes nearly 20 years of nonprofit communications, operations, and executive level fundraising roles. A Colorado native and Navy spouse, McDermott is passionate about serving Colorado communities and believes Amy McDermott strongly in the CAR Foundation’s mission. In her first 90 days in her role, McDermott undertook an expansive Listening Tour, enjoying 46 (and counting) conversations with Board members, CAR staff, REALTORS®, supporters, industry partners, and every single 2020 grantee organization.

“The CAR Foundation has such an important mission,” said Shipley. “Our reimagined Vision Statement really says it all: we believe every Coloradan has the opportunity to achieve a self-sufficient, productive life built upon a vital foundation of safe, attainable housing.”

“The common thread in all my Listening Tour conversations was opportunity. There is tremendous opportunity for the CAR Foundation to help tens of thousands of Coloradans each year by funding qualified organizations, and at the same time elevating the REALTOR® brand by spotlighting the incredible work REALTORS® are doing to support their communities,” said McDermott. “We want to spread the word and inspire REALTORS® to get involved.” To inspire REALTOR® involvement and grow awareness, the Foundation launched the Colorado’s Heart Award, a reinvigoration of the Good Neighbor Award. Read about the inaugural statewide winner and district finalists on page 8 in this issue.

The Board identified four Strategic Priorities for the Foundation: Fundraising, Marketing, Measuring Our Impact/Community Engagement, and Organizational Stability. The approved Strategic Plan expresses Goals, Tactics and Targets for each priority, and can be viewed here. The Foundation plans to continue investing in Colorado communities in 2021. “We know there is still significant need – every single one of our 2020 grantee organizations is still experiencing exponentially higher demand for their services than ever before. Our Colorado communities still need our help,” McDermott said. With support from Colorado REALTORS® in the form of a $50,000 matching funds grant, the CAR Foundation will soon be announcing the 2021 Grant Cycle, titled, “Invest in Colorado.” A matching gifts fundraising campaign will launch aimed at raising an additional $50,000 or more, offering the opportunity for members and corporate partners alike to have a direct impact on the lives of Coloradans with their donations.

FirstBank Shows How First-Time Homebuyers Are Overcoming Unique Challenges Bank Launches Empowering Homeownership Campaign to Highlight How it Makes Owning a Home Possible

homebuying journey thanks to FirstBank’s personal approach to lending. It also includes helpful resources on everything from how to successfully navigate major obstacles like the down payment process to homebuying in today’s market.

Buying a home is one of the most significant and emotional investments a person can make. In addition to creating a financial foundation, a home becomes the platform where a lifetime of memories are made. Sadly, it is increasingly becoming more difficult to find a “dream home,” whatever that may look like. Soaring prices, limited inventory and the recent economic downturn are just some of the challenges facing buyers.

Spread across Colorado, Phoenix, Ariz., and Palm Desert, Calif., these customer stories range from an individual trying to get out of a bad lease-to-own situation, a Vietnamese immigrant who lost his job at the beginning of the pandemic as he was looking to buy, and a customer who, despite having no credit at the onset, was able to secure a mortgage, opening the door to an investment property and a commercial building to help grow his business.

Many people have personal, and even financial, obstacles that can make buying a house or qualifying for a mortgage challenging. That is why FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on ‘banking for good’, is launching its Empowering Homeownership program. It showcases real FirstBank customers, each facing unique challenges, on their path to buying a home.

Thankfully, all these stories have happy endings, and the reason is FirstBank’s lending philosophy: to do right by its customers and meet them where they want to be met. As a result, their loan officers are not paid on commission and instead focus on finding the best solution. They also operate as their own underwriters for each loan and are a dedicated contact available—day or night—to help customers through the entire home-buying process. This allows mortgage decisions to be made quickly by real people — not an automated system — who

By visiting efirstbank.com/empowering (efirstbank. com/empoderar in Spanish), you can view the stories of five individuals, to see what hurdles they’ve faced and how they were supported throughout the

continued on next page

listen to and understand each customer’s needs. What’s more, FirstBank partners with several affordable housing programs and nonprofits to help make homeownership possible for first-time buyers, and it ensures all homebuyers are educated on the different options available to them. Because of this approach, FirstBank has a very low number of past-due or foreclosed mortgage loans compared to competitors. In addition to Empowering Homeownership, FirstBank has created a list of resources that cover all you need to know before, during, and after your purchase. Visit FirstBank’s Smart Cents Blog for all the latest tips and tricks. Or for more information on FirstBank’s mortgage offerings and process, visit https://www.efirstbank.com/products/credit-loan/ mortgages.htm.

REAL ESTATE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO POST There is a direct correlation between marketing and overall sales, but how you’re marketing and identifying the right time of day for the best results is like cracking the code.

With Amarki, you will spend less time on marketing and more time doing what you do best - selling homes! Empower yourself and your business by creating and launching any digital marketing campaign in three easy steps!

As a real estate agent, one of your most important roles is that of a marketer. You’re constantly marketing yourself and your services, your clients’ properties and marketing your community to potential buyers. Ninety-eight percent of older millennials start their home search on online websites and social media.

Learn more about CAR’s partnership with Amarki and try Amarki RISK FREE by signing up for your FREE account here.

Sixty-two percent of real estate agents said they devote at least an hour a day to marketing themselves and their listings. But what happens if you’re not a digital marketing expert or unfamiliar with the best ways to do this? The hours spent figuring out your marketing takes time away from you doing what you do best, which is selling homes. Therein lies the problem. How do you spend that one hour a day marketing and what do you do? Best time of day to post on social media = 7:00am – 9:00am Based on the activity of thousands of agents over the first three months of 2021, our research indicates posting between 7:00 am to 9:00 am will give you the highest opportunity (in-terms of users online) to get your posts noticed because everyone is just waking up. Most people can’t resist checking their phones to see what they missed while they were asleep. Social media provides so many benefits aside from just generating leads. It can help you build trust and recognition in your community and showcase your authority and expertise as a real estate professional. Social media also allows you to nurture relationships with your clients.

CONSUMER AWARENESS See CAR’s New Consumer Videos for 2021

Many things have changed in the last 100 years. What hasn't changed is Colorado REALTORS® commitment to you. Now, and into the future, we believe that everyone deserves the feeling of knowing you're home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojPuLDVdP_Y

We understand the value of home. For over 100 years, Colorado REALTORS® have been there for you. We're here to help you find your perfect home and make homeownership a reality for everyone. https://youtu.be/C6J81viRuD4

TAX WEBINAR

FREE TAX WEBINAR As a real estate professional, you have a whole list of tax deductions available to you. ABOUT THE WEBINAR

business–tax free!

Are you sure you’re paying as little in taxes as legally possible?

• The IRS approved "Healthcare Refund" that you have never heard about even though it has been in the tax code for 60+ years! This could be the easiest money you can find with average savings of almost $6,000/year for those that qualify.

Join Sandy Botkin, a former IRS tax attorney, who used to teach the tax code to other IRS attorneys. When Sandy was on the "inside" he saw how effective our tax system was at extracting money from everyday Americans. After years of seeing the government scam people out of their hard-earned money, he couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t be part of a system that was deliberately taking more money from taxpayers than they actually owed. Sandy is on a mission to help as many small business owners keep as much of their money as possible.

• Travel points are great... But they are worth nothing when compared to the cash savings you can get when you plan your travel so that you get bonus tax deductions! • The little-known trick to write-off your equipment twice! (Including your cars, computers, furniture, and more!)

offense and defense against the IRS and protect your money. So, if you’re in business, and you like the idea of keeping a much bigger chunk of your hard-earned money out of the IRS’ greedy hands… Join TAXBOT for this FREE Webinar! Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 12:00pm MT TOPIC: How can two people with identical incomes get two very different tax refunds?

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• How to "create" $15,000 in extra cash using some simple home office tips your CPA hasn't mentioned to you. • How to automatically create a good

Here are a few of the things you'll learn at this FREE webinar: • Why most self-employed people "donate" an extra $10,000 to the IRS and how to make sure you get every deduction you are legally entitled to! • How to legally pay for your kid’s hobbies, sports, video games, and even their college education–through your

ABOUT TAXBOT Taxbot is an app that helps automate mileage and expense tracking for self-employed people. And it does it according to IRS rules so you can rest easy that you could win in an audit.

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BENEFITS

Five Important Tips for Posting to Your Real Estate Social Media Accounts

hether you have been in real estate for years or are new to it, you know social media is paramount. When it comes to marketing, there are endless opportunities to showcase your real estate business with email marketing, text marketing, drip campaigns, agent websites, etc. However, social media has come to be one of the most dominant and effective marketing tools used by real estate agents, especially when it comes to gaining leads.

increase your chances of having your posts spotted by social media users. Your hot prospects could be hiding within those viewers. Using tags such as #realestate or #homeforsale can increase your viewership and build social followers. Maximizing your use of social media also consists of tagging popular accounts. For example, every time you attend a real estate event, tag the organization. This will boost your popularity on social media and could land a hot prospect.

In fact, according to an article published by the National Association of REALTORS®, social media is regarded as one of the top three tech tools that have given REALTORS® the highest quality leads, with an astounding 47 percent of leads being generated through the consistent use of social media.

2. POST VIDEOS. PERIOD. What is more boring than constantly viewing a page of any business and seeing the same static looking posts of a product or service? Put yourself in the shoes of your leads. Would you want them to see the same mundane photos of homes or rather a dynamic first-person view of a home? We say this over and over again, but it is quite crucial. This does not mean you need to purchase a drone or the highest quality DSLR camera. In fact, most smartphones come equipped with excellent quality cameras. Better yet, everything can be added to your social media right away on Instagram and Facebook stories.

We have compiled some tips for you to consider when posting to your social media accounts. These tips are often disregarded or overlooked but may benefit you in the long run.

1. USE HASHTAGS AND TAG POPULAR ACCOUNTS FREQUENTLY. When using hashtags frequently in your posts, you are increasing viewership. Using popular and generic hashtags will

3. HOLIDAY POSTS ARE A THING.

5. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.

This is an easy tip to overlook, but it is also quite important if you want to grow and build your repeat and referrals business. If you are not posting anything for holidays, it may be a little cold. Holiday posts are a way to engage with your followers and leads in a more personal way. They will also make you look like less of a robot and more of a human being behind that computer. Why not accompany your holiday e-cards provided by your favorite CRM with a nice holiday message on your social media accounts? Also, posting messages on other important days is another way to bring your community of followers together and engage better as well.

This is probably one of the cardinal rules of social media, but seems to get easily disregarded. There are some social media users who think posting every day or several times a week is best for your business. In fact, even the quality of their posts is not sufficient. It is best to steer clear of this tactic. There are specific times you should post and it is better to post less than over-do it. Posting good quality content 2-3 times per week is good enough. With a reliable real estate CRM, you can even schedule the posts you would like on your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, choosing when they will be posted and what kind of content they will contain. Just remember, don’t overdo it.

4. CREATE A UNIFIED AND COHESIVE THEME.

TO WRAP IT UP.

Strong visuals and graphics are key when you are posting on social media, especially on Instagram. However, there is such a thing as going overboard. Being all over the place with your graphics does not appeal to the viewer and, in fact, will make viewers steer away from your page. When content looks unified with similar filters and edits and there is a cohesive color scheme, viewers find it more visually appealing. Even better is having your display photo on all of your social media real estate accounts contain your logo or a similar photo. It just looks much more put together this way.

What may work for some real estate agents may not work for others. Play around with your social media accounts and find what works for you. Just remember to keep these tips in mind when you are posting. If you find it hard to keep up with your social media accounts, give our automated social media posting tool a try for 30 days at no charge!

2021 RPAC MAJOR INVESTORS Thank you to our new and sustaining Major Investors for 2021. You play a huge part in reaching our goal!

• John Gillam

• Tyrone Adams

• Justin Knoll

• Sheryl Griego

• David Anderson

• Piper Knoll

• Lauren Hansen

• Ann Bagwell

• Scott Matthias

• Edwin Hardey

• Brandon Brennick

• Christopher McElroy

• Nobu Hata

• Bobbie Carll

• Siân Murphy

• Toni Heiden

• Natalie Davis

• Everett Nordby

• Deborah Howes

• Michelle Martinez

• Mike Papantonakis

• Janene Johnson

• Stew Meagher

• Laura Ruch

• Kevin Kuebert

• Robbin Merta

• Scott Sammons

• Jill Limberg

• Kelly Moye

• Tami Spaulding

• Tammy Marasia

• Kristin Muldoon

• Cathrine Sullivan

• Janet Marlow

• David Barber

• Mark Trenka

• Bonnie Smith

• Amy Dorsey

• Courtney Tschanz

• Kay Watson

• Linda Romer Todd

• Jon Wade

• Kathy Christina

• Robert Walkowicz

• Greg Zadel

• Karen Frisone

• George Harvey

• Larry McGee

• John Mitchell

• Bob Fullerton *as of 5-5-21

RPAC Pie Face Showdown Results

Piper: 9 Votes - $1,749 Keith: 7 Votes -LOOK $1,950 WHO HIT THEIR 2021 Tyrone: 11 Votes -RPAC $2,623 GOAL: Scott M: 8 Votes - $2,750 Scott P: 25 Votes - $7,818

We had great participation during Spring Summit for our RPAC Pie Face Showdown. With 60 votes, we were able to raise nearly $17,000 for RPAC! Your investment in RPAC gets us that much closer to hitting our RPAC goal of $820,000. A special thank you to all the Major Investors who put their faces on the line for a pie in the face.

If you weren’t able to catch the Facebook Live of Scott Peterson, the “lucky winner” of the showdown take a pie to the face, use

Congratulations to these four local

the link below to watch!

associations who hit their RPAC goal. Way to go!

https://youtu.be/87cUDZdqcwc

Piper Knoll: 9 VOTES - $1,749 Keith Kanemoto: 7 VOTES - $1,950

•

Glenwood Springs

•

Grand County

•

Steamboat Springs

• Telluride

Tyrone Adams: 11 VOTES -$2,623

TOTAL RAISED: $16,890

Scott Matthias: 8 VOTES - $2,750

Scott Peterson: 25 VOTES - $7,818 TOTAL=$16,890

10 Questions You’d Better Ask When Interviewing an Accountant By: Sandy Botkin Not having a good tax preparer can cost you thousands every year. Taxbot is dedicated to simplifying complicated tax issues for business owners. But tax reduction is a team sport when it comes to your choice of a tax preparer. You need someone on your team who you can trust. The first person you should seek to have on your team is a good tax accountant or advisor. One of the most common questions we get asked by our thousands of clients is “How do I find a good tax accountant to file my taxes?” Sadly, of the thousands of tax accountants and advisors available, only a fraction understand the complex world of the small business owner and the strategies they have at their disposal. The truth is many accountants are great at filling standard taxes and others may specialize in corporate taxes. They are probably even good at what they do. Most of them, however, do not focus on self-employed individuals like you! Another item to consider is that some accountants might just be timid! There is a big difference in a timid accountant that “files” your tax return and one who aggressively looks for legitimate deductions for you.

that you can ask to see if an accountant is the right fit for your business. Here are some suggestions: 1. What designations or credentials do you have? Look for “enrolled agents” (people who pass a special IRS examination), certified public accountants, ex-IRS agents, or attorneys, etc. We like preparers with legal backgrounds because they tend to be more aggressive but also know the law. 2. Are you in practice full time? Hopefully, the answer will be yes. If you are in business, you need someone who takes pride in what they do and stays current with all the updates to tax law. A part-time person just can’t do this. You don’t want a rookie experimenting on you! Look for someone with at least 3-5 years of experience with business returns. 3. What percentage of returns do you do for businesses vs personal filings? This is a big clue. Most of your franchise locations, like HR Block, do mostly personal returns. Business taxes are much more complicated and require someone with more experience. If they personally do less than 20 percent of their returns as business returns, you are better off finding someone else.

Accordingly, here are some questions

If you are in business, you need someone who takes pride in what they do and stays current with all the updates to tax law.

4. What are your fees, and do you have a written fee schedule?

9. How do you treat deduction gray areas?

Cheaper is not necessarily better. You may get what you pay for! In fact, we believe you should pay your professionals well. A well-paid tax accountant (assuming they are qualified on all the other questions) will pay dividends for years into the future.

The best advisors will tell you that the area is gray and give you your options. Stay away from advisors who say, “The area is not clear, so don’t take the deduction.”You should be the one to decide your appetite for risk. The key is having your complete documentation of the event in question.

5. Are you personally conservative, aggressive, or somewhere in the middle? Find someone who matches your personality. Personally, we like someone who is aggressive on strategy, but very conservative on documentation. This means someone who is looking for every possible deduction you can take while insisting you have the correct back-up records and documentation to prove it. 6. What review process do you use in order to ensure a quality product? Accountants are humans and sometimes make mistakes. A good accountant will always have someone else that’s well qualified review their work. 7. Do you specialize in business taxes and are you available year-round for tax questions? They should say yes! If they don’t then it’s time to move on. Taxes are too important a part of your life to not have a professional who specializes. You may have questions during the year so it would be nice to go to someone familiar with your tax records. 8. What is your attitude toward tax audits? Unfortunately, many tax preparers recommend not taking legitimate tax breaks at all if it could possibly trigger an audit. These accountants are a “hazard to your wealth”. Audits happen. As long as you are ready for them with good documentation and you haven’t done anything wrong then you should be taking ALL of the legal deductions you deserve.

10. Do you offer pre-year-end tax planning as part of your tax service? If so, is there an extra fee for this? Don’t shy away if there is an extra fee. It could be worth huge money to you. Chances are, the pre-season tax planning and strategy will easily save you much more than the fee. Don’t wait until tax time to find a tax professional, smart tax management is a year around effort. Conclusion: These questions may not be all-inclusive. However, they will certainly “separate the wheat from the chaff” and enable you to make much better decisions as to whether an accountant is right for you! If you don’t know where to begin your search for a good strong business accountant maybe we can help. Contact Taxbot customer support at 855-4829268, chat in the Taxbot app, or email support@taxbot.com. We’ll put you in touch with someone who can help. We will not share your information with anyone.

Sandy Botkin is a CPA, Tax Attorney, and former IRS trainer. He has authored many helpful books on the subject of taxes, including 7 Simple Ways to Legally Avoid Paying Taxes, Lower Your Taxes: Big Time, and Real Estate Tax Secrets of the Rich. He is the Cofounder of Taxbot.

IDENTITY THEFT: THE 5-EDGED SWORD COMING FOR YOU AND ME Have you ever wondered what “identity theft” really is?

In addition to the 5 main types, you’ll also learn: • The 3 Major Myths of ID Theft

We all work hard to establish our good name, both personally and professionally. We constantly hear about data breaches happening to companies or 3rd parties that may hold our information…but what does that really mean? And is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?

• The 3 Main Ways our Information is Breached • The Top 10 Tips for Best Practices • The Biggest Risk to Manage • The Most Comprehensive Solution

Attend our upcoming webcast to learn about the breadth and depth of ID theft and what you can do to protect your household. To register, simply click the link at the end of this article.

“Identity theft is something we shouldn’t ignore, but we also don’t want to live in fear,” adds Mr. Gardner. Register for our upcoming educational and empowering webcast exclusively for the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. By attending, you will receive valuable insight and become the most informed person you know. Additionally, you’ll gain the ability to use this newfound knowledge to empower your household, your clients and the people you love.

After experiencing ID theft firsthand in 2004, Alex Gardner decided to become a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist and has been part of a group that’s been researching ID theft for over 17 years. Due to their findings, he’s been on a mission to raise public awareness. Over the years, Mr. Gardner has contributed to a book on ID theft and has become a sought-after national speaker to provide the best available tips and solutions for adults and children of all ages.

To learn more about how to shield your household from the “5-edged sword” known as ID theft… Register now for this FREE Webcast! Date: Wednesday June 23, 2021 at 12:00pm Mountain Time. Click here to reserve your seat for this FREE training (limited to the first 1,000 registered)

“It’s been one of the most fascinating (and horrifying) things I’ve ever learned about,” says Alex. “But knowledge followed by action is power.”

ABOUT IDSHIELD: IDShield provides industry-leading 24/7 proactive monitoring of your identity, and is the only provider where a simple phone call puts you in touch with a dedicated licensed fraud investigator who will provide complete identity restoration services, all backed by an Unlimited Service Guarantee. LEARN MORE

One of the things Mr. Gardner will cover in more detail in our upcoming webcast is an important distinction his research has shown him, that there are 5 different types of ID theft: 1. Credit/New Account Fraud 2. Driver’s License/Fake IDs 3. Tax/Employment/Unemployment 4. Medical-related 5. Character/Criminal

RPAC BINGO June 2021 Cost to play: $25

Celebrate June RPAC month by purchasing a BINGO card for $25 and start playing! You will have opportunities to get out and support your community, meet new members, and talk about RPAC! Each board has prize giveaways as listed below:

3 ways to win: RPAC BINGO Get 3 new rpac investors

PLANT SOMETHING/ START A GARDEN

PICK UP GARBAGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Fair Haven Class

SEND A HANDWRITTEN NOTE TO A FRIEND/FAMILY MEMBER

Do 30 minutes of exercise

INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO A NEW MEMBER

JOIN RPAC PARTICIPATION OR MAJOR INVESTOR COUNCIL

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

EAT AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

ACU CLASS

ATTEND A CONGRESSIONAL VIRTUAL MEETING

Go on a hike

Confirm your registration to vote

HAVE COFFEE WITH A FRIEND

Share your “Why I invest in RPAC” with 5 members

ATTEND A LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING

HAVE AN LPC MEMBER BRIEF YOU A PIECE OF LEGISLATION

EMAIL US YOUR FAVORITE RPAC EXPERIENCE

ksavery@ coloradorealtors.com

SUPPORT A LEARN ABOUT LOCAL SHOP THE CAR IN COLORADO FOUNDATION

You Could Win: $25 Visa Gift Card. (3 winners)

R PAC BINGO Get 3 new rpac investors

PLANT SOMETHING/ START A GARDEN

PICK UP GARBAGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Fair Haven Class

SEND A HANDWRITTEN NOTE TO A FRIEND/FAMILY MEMBER

Do 30 minutes of exercise

INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO A NEW MEMBER

JOIN RPAC PARTICIPATION OR MAJOR INVESTOR COUNCIL

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

EAT AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

ACU CLASS

ATTEND A CONGRESSIONAL VIRTUAL MEETING

Go on a hike

Confirm your registration to vote

HAVE COFFEE WITH A FRIEND

Share your “Why I invest in RPAC” with 5 members

ATTEND A LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING

HAVE AN LPC MEMBER BRIEF YOU A PIECE OF LEGISLATION

virtual/in-person

EMAIL US YOUR FAVORITE RPAC EXPERIENCE

ksavery@ coloradorealtors.com

SUPPORT A LEARN ABOUT LOCAL SHOP THE CAR IN COLORADO FOUNDATION

virtual/in-person

DO SOMETHING TO HELP PREVENT WILDFIRES

Attend a d&I meeting

Blackout

Realtor® “R”

Classic BINGO

virtual/in-person

DO SOMETHING TO HELP PREVENT WILDFIRES

Attend a d&I meeting

You Could Win: $100 Gift Card to a local restaurant of your choice. (2 winners)

R PAC BINGO Get 3 new rpac investors

PLANT SOMETHING/ START A GARDEN

PICK UP GARBAGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Fair Haven Class

SEND A HANDWRITTEN NOTE TO A FRIEND/FAMILY MEMBER

Do 30 minutes of exercise

INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO A NEW MEMBER

JOIN RPAC PARTICIPATION OR MAJOR INVESTOR COUNCIL

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

EAT AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT

$25 RPAC INVESTMENT

ACU CLASS

ATTEND A CONGRESSIONAL VIRTUAL MEETING

Go on a hike

Confirm your registration to vote

HAVE COFFEE WITH A FRIEND

Share your “Why I invest in RPAC” with 5 members

ATTEND A LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING

HAVE AN LPC MEMBER BRIEF YOU A PIECE OF LEGISLATION

EMAIL US YOUR FAVORITE RPAC EXPERIENCE

ksavery@ coloradorealtors.com

SUPPORT A LEARN ABOUT LOCAL SHOP THE CAR IN COLORADO FOUNDATION

virtual/in-person

DO SOMETHING TO HELP PREVENT WILDFIRES

Attend a d&I meeting

You Could Win: One Night Stay at the Broadmoor during the CAR 100 Year Celebration (1 winner)

RULES – You can purchase a BINGO card anytime in June 2021 with a $25 RPAC Investment. All

finished cards MUST be submitted to Kerrianne (ksavery@coloradorealtors.com) no later than 5pm MDT, Wednesday, June 30th, 2021, for your chance to win. You will need to provide proof of completion for each item (pictures, email confirmations, etc.). All submissions will be entered into a drawing correlated with the board they submit for a chance to win. 46

Colorado REALTOR Magazine May 2021

Articles inside

10 Questions You’d Better Ask When Interviewing an Accountant

Estate Social Media Accounts

Free Tax Webinar

FirstBank Shows How First-Time Homebuyers Are Overcoming Unique Challenges

Social Media Marketing

Pandemic Has Taught REALTORS® How to Adapt

Eight Graduate Leadership Academy

Meet Five REALTORS® With Heart

Thriving in the New Abnormal

Market Trends for April

Mitigation Efforts Key as 2021 Wildfire Season Approaches

CAR Foundation Celebrates 30 Years