Colorado Home Journal Nov 09

N ov em be r 2 0 0 9

Give and Live

GREEN Mortgage and CREDIT SCORE DO WHAT YOU

L OVE

Fro m

MATT HUDSON

yo u r

WHAT YOU DO

720-981-4109

B ro ke r

matt@coloradohomerealty.com

green

community close-up

give and live Eco-Friendly Holiday Tips and Gift Ideas T he holidays are right around the corner and it’s a perfect time to be green and live green. Not because green is one of the traditional colors of the season. I’m talking about repurposing, recycling, and reusing.

According to National Geographic, between Thanksgiving and New Years, Americans throw away an extra million tons of garbage each week. This excess trash includes holiday wrapping, packaging, cards, party decorations, etc… Why not cut down on the trash during the holidays AND the rest of the year with these simple eco-friendly tips: Recycle Your Tree: Instead of taking up space in a landfill, recycled trees can be ground up into wood chips which can be used as mulch.

Low-Energy Lights: Look for lights made with LEDs which are 90 percent more efficient than traditional lights.

Send e-Cards or Eco-Friendly Cards: Sending eCards this holiday season won’t waste a single tree or you can look for cards printed on 100% recycled paper or tree-free cards.

Travel Eco-Friendly: If you are going to fly for the holidays, you could consider purchasing carbon offsets or consider eco-tourism.

Party Green: Avoid disposable products when entertaining or consider products from recycled materials.

Make Your Own Decorations: DIY decorations: such as strung popcorn, decorations made of pine cones and wreaths made from evergreens and other natural materials.

Give Green Eco-Friendly gifts this holiday. Here are some eco-friendly companies with “green” gift ideas.

Clothing That Honors Both People And the Planet Fashion trends come and go, but for the Indigenous family, the vision to style the world in organic, fair trade fashion was founded over thirteen years ago. On a trip to South America, they encountered the priceless beauty of the local artisans. The richness of the culture and amazing knitting techniques prompted them to bring back more than souvenirs.

The Indigenous Team has helped form a scalable artisan network through the Indigenous clothing line that reflects a commitment to sustainability and socially responsible actions. This global collaboration weaves together the employees of Indigenous, the artisans from around the world, and most importantly their customers.

They are committed to: • Supporting and preserving fair trade wages and artisan cooperatives • Investing in natural and organic fibers and environmentallyfriendly dyes • Spreading the beauty of handmade, eco fashion Their founding principles have helped to enrich the path for the eco-fashion and sustainability trends of today.

Become a part of the Indigenous family!

www.indigenousdesigns.com

Sprig Toys, Inc Where Play Comes Naturally Once upon a time, there were three talented toy designers who were taking the industry by storm. Their award-winning toys were selling like hotcakes. They were happy and successful. Then one day the designers visited the factories that turned their computer renderings into real toys. They eagerly watched the assembly line with anticipation, and quickly realized the harmful impact their toy production had on the nearby air, soil, water, plants and people. They were devastated.

The designers went back to the drawing board, only to face another disturbing toy trend that threatened to control their designs. Passive “watch-me” electronic toys were gaining popularity, encouraging otherwise healthy kids to become more inactive. The designers refused to be part of the problem, so they

joined forces to become the solution. Team Sprig is dedicated to infusing creativity, smart design, quality manufacturing, earthfriendly materials, product satisfaction and responsible business practices into a superior line of fun, kid-powered toys.

Active kids, happy parents, healthy planet.

What a wonderful world.

www.sprigtoys.com

For the Wine Enthusiast, Organic Pinot As a paleontologist in Jurassic Park, Sam Neill hunted dino’s, but in real life, the actor seeks the perfect grape. Since 1993, Neill has owned Two Paddocks vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand, and two of his wineries are certified organic producers. This means the wine (and fruits and veggies) is grown without pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. “We are dedicated to producing sustainable, ecologically sound wine,” Neill says in his engaging and often amusing blog. “We believe that red wine (in moderation) is good for you, and that it should be the healthiest wine possible.”

Cheers to that!

www.twopaddocks.com

Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC) was founded in 1993 in effort to spread awareness and to make an impact on the growing number of plant and animal species that are disappearing from Earth. ESC now embraces a new definition of “endangered” - that all species, habitat and humanity are endangered on our planet, not just animals on a list. Today, more than 30 ESC products are available to customers who crave premium, all-natural chocolate – and who share their commitment to protect the Earth. They believe that all life is precious and deserves our respect, kindness and care.

Through their premium chocolate products, ESC seeks to spread environmental awareness and ignite compassion for all life on our planet.

Savor Chocolate. Save Our Planet.

www.chocolatebar.com

company spotlight

social company we are a

T o Better Communicate with You, Colorado Home Realty (CHR) has begun “blogging.” The blog… www.coloradohomere.wordpress.com will serve as a valuable source of information for new home shoppers, sellers, sales agents and real estate industry professionals. The CHR blog will be updated frequently with relevant information about community and area happenings and events, local real estate news and trends, corporate news, and more.

The blog will be updated using a “team blog” approach.

All Colorado Home Realty Consultants will submit content covering green living, the economy, fair housing, local attractions and more.

Users can sign up via RSS feed to receive email notifications when news is posted or subscribe to the news feed through their preferred reader.

Colorado Home Realty also has a social fan page set up on Facebook where stories and photos/videos of current company wide activities are available. We would love for you to become a “FAN” of our facebook page….check it out: http://bit.ly/120Q8u Write on our Wall, upload photos, and join other fans in discussion groups. The fan page will also be updated regularly.

Colorado Home Realty encourages the company and our extended family of clients, and industry partners to embrace these social mediums and use them as ways to increase the connection between all who have a relationship with Colorado Home Realty.

We are a big family and we love what we do.

real estate

5tohome upgrades avoid Home office

If you convert a bedroom into an office, your home will be listed as having one less bedroom -- oops. Also, people will try to envision a room for their “little one”, but won’t be able to make the leap past your piles of papers.

Concrete patio It’s almost guaranteed to crack. And there’s really no good way to repair it.

Green marble counters Steer clear of boldly colored finishes and materials. Loud patterns can put buyers off. If you’re going with granite counters, choose a neutral or solid black.

Tennis and basketball courts Not everyone is a sports fan, and these eat up large amounts of yard space.

Wall-to-wall carpeting It’s a personal choice that likely won’t appeal to the majority of buyers, especially if it has stains on it.

listings

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BEAUTIFUL CONDO WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS AND ECLOSED LANAI. WILL SELL FURNISHED CORNER UNIT W/ UNDER-BUILDING PRKG, ENCLOSED LANAI, COZY MODERN BROWNSTONE LIVING, WALK TO TOWN CENTER, 2 MASTERS RANCH BEING SOLD FULLY FURNISHED, GREAT INCOME PROPERTY NEAR CIVIC GREEN PARK, PRIVATE COURTYARD, UPGRADES EVANSTON W/ TERRACE, COURTYARD, FINISHED BASEMENT, CHEFS KITCHEN, SS APPLIANCE SLAB GRANITE END UNIT ON 2ND FLOOR, MASTER SUITE & BATH, RESERVED COVER PARKING, STARBUCKS BAY WINDOW NOOK, UPDATED BATHS, MAIN FLOOR MASTER + LOFT, FENCED PATIO AREA, COMM POOL LUXURY ABOUNDS IN THIS NEW 3 STORY TWN HOME, WALK TO SHOPS & DINING, HEART OF CC NORTH OVER 1800 SQ. FT, END UNIT, UPGRADES, STAINLESS APPL, TREX DECK, 2 CAR GARAGE

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$89,900 $30,500

SPACIOUS, NEWLY LANDSCAPED FRONT YARD, CULDESAC NEW CARPET, PAINT AND FLOORING; NEWER FURNACE, A/C, H2O HEATER, ROOF AND WINDOWS ROXBOROUGH, LOFT, UPSTAIRS LAUNDRY OVER AN ACRE, ENDOF CUL-DE-SAC, OPEN SPACE PRICED TO SELL, UPGRADES GALORE! PROFESSIONALLY LANDSCAPED FABULOUS ROCK FIREPLACE, COMPLETELY RE- FINISHED BASEMENT, WALK TO SCHOOL. FANTASTIC CULDESAC INCREDIBLE HORSE PROPERTY, OVER 5 ACRES $100K PRICE REDUCTION, 4-CAR GARAGE CUSTOMFLOOR, HUGE COVERED PORCH, 4 CAR GAR., VIEWS TO BE BUILT! WATER FEATURE, MSTR RETREAT W/SPA WALK TO RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND CIVIC GREEN PARK MOUNTAIN VIEWS, PRIVATE HOT TUB, WALK-OUT BASEMENT TO BE BUILT! 48 IN GAS RANGE, 2 DISHWASHERS, 60 IN FRIDGE GARDEN LEVEL BASEMENT ON CULDESAC ST & EASY TOCARE FOR SMALL YARD.NEW CARPET & WOOD FLR TOTAL REMODEL IN BERKELY, NEW ROOF, HUGE YARD DTC LOCATION, 2MINS 2LT RAIL.1BLK FROM PARKS GOURMET KIT W/CONCRETE COUNTERS & STAINLESS STEEL, 2 A/C UNITS NO HOA PRE-FORECLOSURE OPPORTUNITY, 4 BEDROOM. 3BATH RANCH WITH FULL BASEMENT HUGE PRICE REDUCTION, 9700 SQ. FT. LOT LG CORNER LOT WITH OS GARAGE AND RV PRKG, SLAB GRANITE BACKS TO OPENSPACE AND GOLF CRS, SPACIOUS KIT, SECLUDEDMASTER, WALKOUT BSMT, LOTS OF LIGHT MOUNTAIN HOME IN CONIFER, CUSTOM BUILT, SLATE, MARBLE 5 CAR ATT/DET GARAGE, 2 ACRES A-FRAME ON 1 ACRE LOT, PRIVATE W/ ASPEN GROVE, ORIG HDWD FLRS, LEASE OPTION

PRIVATE PAVED DRIVE, READY FOR YOUR NEW HOME. POSSIBLE BUILD TO SUIT. MT LVG W/ EASY COMMUTE YEAR ROUND ACCESS, EASY BUILDING SITES, POWER & ROAD

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$226,000 $179,999 $230,000 $484,900 $399,900 $545,000 $499,500 $689,000 $1,499,999 $1,280,000 $338,000 $379,900 $1,106,000 $355,000 $274,900 $279,900 $969,000 $215,000 $239,900 $169,900 $644,500 $699,500 $139,000

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credit score

Do mortgage inquiries affect my credit score?

W hen shopping for a mortgage, you may have concerns about

having your credit report pulled numerous times within a short period. This can occur while shopping for a “perfect mortgage” with multiple lenders / mortgage brokers over the span of a few weeks or months. While mortgage inquiries can certainly add up, they won’t necessarily lower your credit score or affect your ability to obtain financing.

The developers of the Fico score know how mortgage shopping works, and have adjusted their super secret algorithm to count multiple credit inquiries in a certain time span as a single inquiry.

This time period can range from 15-45 days, depending on which scoring formula is being used. If your mortgage shopping spans a few months, it will look back at older inquiries grouped together in a typical shopping period and treat them as a single inquiry.

Of course, credit inquiries can and will affect consumers differently based on their credit profile. For those with limited and damaged credit history, an inquiry will probably have a larger,

negative impact, while doing very little to affect a consumer with years of solid credit. If you find yourself just below a certain credit score threshold, you may be able to use an older credit report if all the information is the same other than the inquiries; or you can ask for an exception.

Keep in mind that keeping balances low and paying bills on time is far more important than worrying about credit inquiries. Your main concern should be securing the best possible mortgage, not fretting about a few points on your credit score.

NOTE: Don’t apply for other forms of credit (credit cards, auto loans, etc) before or during the mortgage shopping process; these can drag your credit score down, potentially taking you out of the running for that mortgage.

Even so, an additional credit inquiry will likely only lower your credit score by five points or less, so it may not even be a concern if you have solid credit.

love

lifestyle

do what you

what you do

The Five Things You Need to Know About Finding the Work You Love

“Y ou’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers … If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” Steve Jobs in a Stanford commencement speech One of the keys to happiness — as well as productivity and effectiveness at work — is finding work you love, that you’re passionate about.

Work you want to do, instead of just have to do.

If you really want to do it, it barely seems like work at all.

The difficult thing for many people is finding what that work is in the first place. They don’t know where to start, and it seems a hopeless cause.

It’s not. You can find that work, but it’ll take some effort. Here’s what you need to know about finding the work you love: 1. It won’t find you — you have to seek it. Doing the same ol’ thing everyday isn’t the way to find the work you love. Sometimes, you get extremely lucky and it just lands in your lap. you’ve got to take action, and you’ve got to seek it.

2. You can’t stop looking until you find it. As Steve Jobs said, never settle. Keep looking. Don’t give up the search.

3. You’ll have to look in lots of funny places. Explore. Try new hobbies.

Talk to new people. Read articles everywhere. Inspiration might come from someplace you never imagined.

4. You might not love it completely until you get good at it. Once you get good, it’ll be something you can’t stop doing, because you’ll get a thrill at doing something great.

5. Once you find it, you have to pour yourself into it. Don’t spoil it — truly pour yourself into that work. Don’t ignore the other loves in your life, but when you’re working, devote yourself completely to that work.

Here’s how to go about seeking your passion: 1. Break out of your routine, and dare to ask. You’ve got to stop what you’re doing and be bold enough to ask yourself if you love what you’re doing.

2. Spend time thinking about it. It’s good to take an hour or two to really think about the question. It’s worth the investment. Really think about what you love, about your life, about what you want to be doing.

3. Think of what you already love. Do you have hobbies? What do you like reading about or talking about with others? Is there some thing you always wanted to do but forgot about, or were too afraid to pursue?

4. What are your dreams? Is there something you’ve always wanted to accomplish in life? Almost everybody has some dream like that, sometime in their lives, but often they don’t thing it’s realistic. Give it more thought now.

5. What are you good at? What are your strengths? Do you have any talents? Is there something you’ve always excelled at? Pursue these things.

6. Take action. If you don’t actually do anything, you’ll never find it.

Start doing research, start making calls, make appointments, take career assessment tests. Take action, now.

7. Explore new things…

8. …and once you find something interesting, pursue it.

9. Then take action – again. Now that you’ve learned about it, give it a try! You might be able to pursue it within your current job, or do it as a side job or just as a hobby at first. Write to people who are doing it to find out how they got started. Pursue your dreams!

“Getting up in the morning and having work you love is what makes life different for people. And if you get into a position where you really don’t love what you’re doing, get off it. It’s easy to be on someone else’s track or something that sounds like a safety play.”

Bob Woodward From http://zenhabits.net/

10822 West Toller Drive, Suite 180 Littleton.CO 80127 720.981.4109

ColoradoHomeRealty.com