Centennial, Colorado House for Sale: 3891 E Long Court, Centennial, CO, 80122: Littleton School District

Spend the holidays in your new house!

Please join me at this home on for an Open House on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 from 4:30-7p with drinks & Hors D'Oeuvres.

3891 E Long Court, Centennial, CO, 80122

Have to sell your home before you buy? This home is a perfect match! Seller would consider a contingency contract.

Exterior Features: Just under .25 Acre, corner lot, sits on cul-de-sac. Large deck in backyard with mature trees. 

Easy access to Denver Tech Center, South Suburban Golf Course, and Linksview Park.

Move In Ready, Cozy Two Story Home: professionally remodeled offering separate Formal Living/Dining Rooms with Bay Windows; New Flooring throughout;  Kitchen Cabinets/Granite Countertops; New Baths; New Wrought Iron Rails; Finished Basement with Family Room and additional Bedroom. 

This Corner lot sits within a Cul De Sac and offers just under .25/Acre;  large deck off the kitchen; mature trees. It's within walking distance to the South Suburban Golf Course and the close to the Denver Tech Center. 

Popular Highlands 460 Neighborhood within the Littleton School District - Highland Elementary, Powell Middle, and Arapahoe High. This home is ready to create new memories for its next family.

Join me, Jim Holmes, at the Open House on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 and contact me here for more information.

Seniors Visiting Seniors in South Denver

I've recently launched an initiative throughout South Denver called "Seniors Visiting Seniors," a Senior ambassador program designed to help brighten the lives of Seniors in retirement and assisted living facilities.

It’s a fairly simple concept based on giving Seniors an easy way to connect with other Seniors through requested visits within a Senior Community.

The pilot program was launched at Someren Glen Retirement Community, which is part of Christian Living Communities in Centennial, Co.

Contact Me for Help in Selling or Buying a Home in South Denver

The idea is based on the exact opposite message we have all seen hung on hotel room doors boldly stating 'DO NOT DISTURB.'

Instead, the same style of door hanger stating 'I WOULD LIKE A VISIT' is given to all residents should they ever want to request a visit for any reason. They may be lonely and just need someone to listen. They may have been dealing with something difficult and just not know anyone well enough to reach out for support of any kind.

Here are a few ways I intend for this program to be beneficial to all concerned: 

1) Staff at the communities can be alerted to any potential physical or emotional problems their residents are experiencing.

2) The residents themselves benefit from knowing that someone cares and by the emotional boost they receive from the Ambassador visits.

3) Senior Ambassador volunteers from within the community have an opportunity to support their peers, stay active and truly enjoy getting to know their neighbors better often by sharing stories and discovering common interests.

4) This will encourage socialization and connections among the residents of the community themselves, with those who are being visited inspired to get out of their apartments or rooms and become members of the program themselves, visiting others and actively participating in "Seniors Visiting Seniors."

5) During the summer months, we plan to recruit school-age kids to take part in the program as well, bringing a sense of youthful exuberance to the visits. 

With the help of my assistant, Christine Watson, and the support of Someren Glen's Life Enrichment Director, we have begun the process of recruiting and training Ambassadors, with an initial 26 visits already placed.

Feedback from the Ambassadors has been quite positive. It’s been a pleasure for them, while making a great difference for all the folks they visit.

My vision is that this program be primarily resident-driven, placing no additional burden on community staff.

As a south Denver real estate agent who specializes in helping seniors or their caregiver families negotiate the complexities of a late-in-life move, I love the opportunity to be able to give back to our community and enrich the lives of all involved in this project. The more communities and people we can get involved in this initiative, the better!

If you'd like more information on including the "Seniors Visiting Seniors" program at your community along the Denver Front Range, or if you're involved with a group of youths who may like to be involved as Ambassadors in the summer months, please contact me here for more information.

Evergreen House for Sale: 126 Mountain Sage Path, Evergreen, CO 80439

How the Government Shutdown Affects Home Loans and Mortgages in Denver

Here's what buyers and sellers of homes in the south Denver area can expect as a result of the shutdown of the U.S. government.

Many U.S. agencies involved in the federal approval of loans for houses in Colorado - in addition to agencies you may need customer service from as part of the home sale process - are not open for business.

Here's a rundown of their status and what you can expect in terms of non-service and delays. This information is via The National Association of Realtors. - Jim Holmes

Please feel free to contact me here for ANY of your real estate needs.

What a Government Shutdown Means for Real Estate Transactions

(As of October 1, 2013)

Congress has failed to approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) providing funding for most government operations. Therefore, spending authority for most of the government expired at midnight on September 30, 2013. Until legislation providing for funding is signed into law, many offices and programs of the federal government are now shut down. This means many, but not all, government programs, including some that impact federal housing and mortgage programs, have been suspended or slowed due to the lapse in government funding. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires each agency to have contingency plans in place. The information below is based on NAR staff review of agency agency contingency plans for the current shutdown and past experience with previous shutdowns and near-shutdowns.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS is closed and has suspended the processing of all forms, including tax return transcripts (Form 4506T). These transcripts are required for many kinds of loans, including FHA and VA, so delays can be expected if the shutdown is protracted.

Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Social Security Administration is closed and has suspended most customer service functions. According to the SSA Contingency Plan, verifying Social Security numbers through the Consent Based SSN Verification Service will also be suspended during the shutdown, a further complication for mortgage processing.

Federal Housing Administration

HUD’s Contingency Plan states that FHA will endorse new loans in the Single Family Mortgage Loan Program, but it will not make new commitments in the Multi-family Program during the shutdown. FHA will maintain operational activities including paying claims and collecting premiums. Management & Marketing (M&M) Contractors managing the REO portfolio can continue to operate. You can expect some delays with FHA processing.

VA Loan Guaranty Program

Lenders will continue to process and guaranty mortgages through the Loan Guaranty program in the event of a government shutdown. Expect some delays during the shutdown.

Flood Insurance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will not be impacted by a government shutdown, since NFIP is funded by premiums and not tax dollars. Changes to the flood insurance program scheduled to take effect on October 1 will be implemented as scheduled.

Rural Housing Programs

For the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, essential personnel working during a shutdown do not include field office staff who typically issue conditional commitments, loan note guarantees, and modification approvals. Thus, lenders will not receive approvals during the shutdown. If the lender has already received a conditional commitment from the Rural Development office, then the lender may proceed to close those loans during the shutdown. A conditional commitment, which is good for 90 days, is given to a lender once a USDA Underwriter approves the loan. If a commitment was already issued, the funds were already set aside and the lender may close the loan at its leisure. If Rural Development has not issued a conditional commitment, the lender must wait until funding legislation is enacted before closing a loan.

It is important to note that the traditional definition of “rural” for qualifying communities for assistance will be continued in effect during the shutdown. We expect that language to continue the current definition will be included in whatever funding measure is eventually enacted.

Denver House for Sale: 1201 Eudora Street, Denver, CO 80220

Attention Investors*Fix & Flip! Prime Denver Neighborhood! Ranch style w/ 3 beds on main flr* 3 ba*

A Poem for Senior Citizen Family Caregivers

I recently discovered a poem that I know speaks with emotion to anyone who is a caregiver of a senior citizen. If you know of a family caregiver who works passionately to meet the needs of their loved one, please feel free to share this with them.

As a Denver Front Range REALTOR who specializes in helping elders and their caregivers through the sale of a family house, I'm regularly fortunate to meet dedicated folks from Colorado who daily face the obstacles spoken of in the poetry below. - Jim Holmes

Contact Me for No-Obligation Advice on Buying or Selling a Denver Front Range House

"Caregiver"

By Sue Green

"The surreal world I live in

Thrust there over night

It was a stroke that hit him 

Since then just nothing’s right

The frustration of it all.

The many hats I wear

The tasks that never end

The new roles that I bear

I wake up in the morning

Wishing for the past

Stick to his routines

And never move too fast

There’s someone living in my house

I know there’s someone here

Why do I feel so all alone

Even when he’s near?

Some days he comes to visit

And talks of things we share

‘tho conversation’s brief

And oft’ too short to bear.

I try to see it his way.

I try to help him out.

I know he faces struggles

For him, no easy bout.

A different world he lives in

His own pace that he sets

I try to make him understand

He sometimes tries, and yet

Can I know the effort that it takes

To put together words to talk?

Can I feel his inner struggle 

When he tries to walk?

I can only be there

Let him know I’m here

I can sit beside him

And try to ease his fear.

It’s a surreal world we both live in

Just ‘one day at a time.’

With some days still a struggle

When all is not sublime."

Evergreen Home for Sale: 126 Mountain Sage Path, Evergreen, CO 80439

{Infographic} Fannie Mae Home Sales Outlook and Mortgage Rates for Denver Through 2014

Fannie Mae recently released their anticipated housing forecast for Denver, Colorado and the entire U.S. This 12-month forecast ranges from August of 2013 through August of 2014 and shows a robust home sales outlook over the next year. It also includes a look at the previous 12 months of action, back to the third quarter of 2012.

The number of homes sold will increase nicely and the average price of those homes will also rise. However, mortgage rates will also jump significantly.

Contact Me for Advice on Buying or Selling a Denver Front Range House

So if you've been considering selling your Colorado house, now would clearly be the time to begin heavily investigating the possibility of such and finding the right REALTOR for your needs.

At the same time, if you've been considering buying a Denver-area house, now is the time to do so before the mortgage rates move even higher.

Whether you're a buyer or seller, I stand ready to help. Contact me for a no-obligation discussion of your situation. I'll provide a free market analysis and happily offer advice!

Denver House for Sale: 1201 Eudora Street, Denver, CO 80220

Honoring Colorado Senior Citizens and World War Two Veterans: Rocky Mountain Honor Flight

You've probably heard of the Honor Flight Network, a national initiative that began in 2006 with the goal of flying every able and willing World War II veteran to Washington D.C. to visit "their" World War II Memorial. The trip is completely free of charge to these heroes.

Our local chapter of this excellent program is Rocky Mountain Honor Flight, a Denver Colorado based non-profit organization formed in 2007.

I was inspired to provide more information about Rocky Mountain Honor Flight when I happened across news that Dick Raiter, a veteran and resident of the Holly Creek Retirement Community in Centennial, would be treated to an Honor Flight to D.C. on September 12 of this year. Here's a photo of Mr. Raiter with his daughters Debbie Colussy (L) and Marty Frampton (R).

This is such a fantastic program that honors our veterans and offers them a 3-Day, free trip to D.C. where not only are they honored, but they receive the opportunity to honor and remember their friends and lost colleagues.

Need Help Buying or Selling a Denver Front Range Home? Contact Me for a No-Obligation Chat

All Honor Flight programs operate exclusively on donations from patriotic individuals and businesses. I hope you'll take a few minutes to learn more about our Rocky Mountain Honor Flight and consider a donation or perhaps even volunteering opportunities with the group. They do heartfelt work.

From Evergreen to Englewood to Lone Tree to Aurora to Centennial to Denver to Highlands Ranch and everywhere in the area, if you know of a veteran who should make the trip (and that includes terminally ill Korea or Vietnam veterans) please pass along the info to them and encourage them to fill out an application to be added to the list. - Jim Holmes

Donate to Rocky Mountain Honor Flight via PayPal

Photos courtesy of Stephen R. Brown Photography

Download Veterans and Volunteer Applications

Evergreen, Colorado House for Sale: 203 Sioux Trail, Evergreen, CO 80439

Activities for Seniors with Alzheimers or Dementia in Denver

In my job as a Realtor along the Denver Front Range - one who often specializes in working with senior clients or their caregiver families - I often get the honor of helping seniors with diminished memory. I see the heartache that family members experience as they struggle to deal with a parent who seems to be slowly slipping away.

But those same family members often share with me the ways that they cope and also work to motivate their parents to stay in the present. I thought I'd share with you some of their advice. - Jim

Are You a Senior Citizen or Family Member Who Needs Advice on Selling the Family Home? Contact Me for Advice

Utilizing the 5 Senses is one of the best ways to help seniors with dementia or Alzheimers enjoy activities that used to be a fun or important part of their lives.

The smells and activity of cooking or baking can bring back memories and inspire a senior. Offer them (and yourself) the Gift of Taste.

*Try encouraging them to help you bake cookies. They may not remember how, but drop some cookie dough in front of them and a senior citizen in the Denver area may just find themselves excited to spread the dough out and spoon it up. Hands often remember better than the mind.

*Sample different flavors of tea

*Sample holiday treats that can bring back warm memories, like candy canes, jelly beans, pumpkin pie, and the like.

Sound

*Very few things evoke memories like music. It's a powerful thing. Spend some time with your loved one and their favorite music. Again, holidays and special occasions typically stand out, so sing some holiday carols to them, along with Happy Birthday (insert the names of family members), Here Comes Peter Cottontail, etc.

*Grab a CD with some of their favorite music or tunes from the era in which they grew up. You can also take them to as many local concerts and performances as possible, be it a park concert in Aurora, a big show in Denver, or a school concert in Evergreen.

Again, whatever the music, it's a powerful tool that magically enlivens the mind.

Smell

Once again, the proper smells can bring life to the eyes of your Mom or Dad with dementia or Alzheimers. Stimulate their senses with the lavender sachets you know they love, or orange peels slowly simmering in a pot on the stove. As I mentioned before, holiday smells are powerful and bring back memories of their family members and special moments, so burn candles with holiday smells like peppermint, pumpkin pie, or other holiday spices.

These are just a few, simple things that have worked for other family caregivers along the Denver Front Range. If I may assist your family in the sale of a home, or advise or refer you to other senior-focused professionals that may be of help to you, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Aurora, Colorado Home for Sale: Villas at Cherry Creek 5031 S Auckland Court, Aurora, CO, 80015-3911