MID-WEEK MARKETS by Jed Marquis

November 13, 2013 by

MID-WEEK MARKETS by Jed Marquis

 

Interest rates are up a slight bit since last Friday on continued stronger than expected manufacturing reports.

What’s Happening?

The 30 year mortgage rate has increased an eighth of a percent since last Friday.  Most of the gain is on low volume and stronger than expected manufacturing data.  Last week we had several stronger than expected manufacturing reports and Tuesday’s ISM Non-Manufacturing Index (yes, a report titled “non-manufacturing” is considered relevant to the manufacturing sector) came in above expectations and we saw a jump in the 10 year treasury but a bigger jump in mortgage rates.  Wednesday we saw buyers step in and start pushing rates back down, again.  The jump was small as we moved from a weak 4.25% to a stronger 4.375% on the 30 year.  The rate increase was more of a rounding factor than a dramatic increase but of course if you’re the home buyer and you get to pay the eighth difference, it matters.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that mortgage applications for both purchases and refinances continued to fall with purchase apps being down 5% and refinances down 8%.  Despite a strong decrease in rates from last month and a slight decrease from last week, applications are at their lowest point of the year.  While applications normally taper off during the fall this is far more than expected.

What To Expect

Thursday and Friday hold a number reports that will affect the markets.  Thursday has GDP (an inflation measurement – low inflation is good for rates) and Jobless Claims.  The  market is expecting 335,000 new jobless claims, down 5,000 from last week.  Numbers above that will be good for rates.

Friday has the Employment Situation Report.  The market is expecting about 120,000 non-farm jobs to be created and the unemployment rate to move back up to 7.3% due mostly to the number of available workers in the pool.

Personal Income is expected to be up 0.2% and spending up the same.  The last report for the week is Consumer Sentiment. Consensus is a reading of 75, up 1.8 from last month but well off July’s readings of 85.

It’s hard to read the tea leaves with this much activity and light volume.  The 4.375% rate should be pretty safe and some economic weakness should drop us back to 4.25%.

Jed Marquis

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Inside Supermodel Heidi Klum’s Ho-Hum New SoCal Manse

November 12, 2013 by

Ridding herself of the various L.A. mansions she once shared with ex-husbandSeal, supermodel and Project Runway host Heidi Klum recently shelled out$9.875M for some brand new new digs in Bel Air, Calif. Though The Real Estalker calls the new place—custom built by Ed Weinberger, who produced such works as The Cosby Show—a “downsize,” the slightly smaller stature of the 11,000-square-foot, six-bedroom manse is hardly worth losing sleep over. More vexing is the seriously seriously odd design choices at play in the stiff Georgian-style home. Indeed, based on these listing photos, the brick-and-stone pile is a mess of chintzy gold light fixtures, jarring pastel walls, and sparse, yet formal, staging. No doubt the sartorially gifted Klum will work her design magic, but until then, do have a look at the as-is listing photos.

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , ,

Why You Should Talk Less and Do More

November 10, 2013 by

Why You Should Talk Less and Do More

A prototype is worth a thousand words.

Although memories of my early formal education have started to fade, I vividly recall two distinct types of learning experiences: brainwork and handwork. The vast majority of my time in school was spent listening to lectures, taking exams, writing essays, and so on. On rare occasions, we’d roll up our sleeves and make stuff. Those few instances when talking gave way to making made a big impression on me.

For instance, when I was 11, while studying the history of the Roman conquests, our assignment was to build a miniature trebuchet—the medieval catapult used to break through thick city walls—and take it for a whirl on the playing field. Of all the history classes I’ve taken, that’s the one I remember most, because it made a remote, abstract concept tangible and real.

Shortening the distance between talking about an idea and prototyping it is key to becoming a successful design thinker. Ideas are of little use if they stay put as ideas. You can only assess their merits when you bring them to life and let others poke at them. The toughest part can be translating the idea into something more concrete. This is where your creative confidence can waver. You might be afraid to commit or worried that others will question your skills. Such obstacles can be overcome with a few simple, but powerful, tricks:

Start Small
Make your first prototype quickly out of whatever materials are at hand. Whether it’s a sketch, cardboard model, video, or improv of a service scenario, making your idea less abstract will help you improve it.

Fail Fast
You’ve probably heard this before. When you’re trying new things, failure is inevitable. Accepting that failure is part of the process is key. As IDEO founder David Kelley famously said, “fail faster to succeed sooner.” It also helps to tell people that what you’re doing is an experiment. That way, it doesn’t seem so precious that they can’t give you honest feedback.

Ask for Help
Don’t assume you have to do everything yourself. Just explaining your idea to potential collaborators will help clarify it and asking for assistance invites others to build on your idea.

The good news is that it’s getting easier for ordinary folks to make stuff. Handy smartphone apps allow you to shoot and edit videos in a snap. New CAD tools, scanners, and printers, which are this close to becoming widely accessible and affordable, allow anyone to make 3D objects in minutes. Even coding is going from geek to gettable, thanks to open-source components like Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

 

What happened the last time you stopped talking and started making?

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Happy Boulder Halloween! Adult Events – No Costume Required

October 31, 2013 by

 

Happy Boulder Halloween! Adult Events – No Costume Required

boulder halloween

If you survived yesterday’s “thundersnow” (seriously — what WAS that?), you just might be down for a scary good time tonight. If your ideal evening doesn’t involve you curled up on the couch with a bag of candy corn (and the hgh fructose corn syrup hangover that goes with it), might we suggest a few all-adult Boulder Halloween events to make this year’s Halloween a dream?

The Monster Bash Dance Party – Hotel Boulderado

This event benefits There With Care and will be at the legendary Hotel Boulderado. Yes, it’s a costume party and it’s only $10 at the door. Doors open at 8pm and the costume contest is at 10pm. Love the hair — hope you win.

Halloween Benefit for Flood Relief – Mocavo

How about raising a glass for flood relief? Nothing scary about that. What’s scary is the folks in the Boulder area not getting what they need to rebuild after the floods! No costume required here — just the chance to chill with Boulder’s entrepreneurial scene starting at 4pm. Drinks are all $5 and proceeds go towards flood relief. No cover Show up at 1909 Broadway and head to the roof.

“A Nightmare on Pearl Street” – Mighty Fudge Studios

Scare up a costume — and make it super scary, yo. 1017 Pearl Street is where you want to be tonight. Warning: you’ll have to climb the haunted staircase to get to the party. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Click on the link above to RSVP through Eventbrite. Festivities run 6-9pm.

If you’re celebrating in spooky fashion over on The Hill, the students of CU have you covered. They’ll have free food and water to help combat those who take the dive and over-imbibe. Thank your fellow students for doing your soon-to-be-making-bad-decisions-self a solid.

And if you were looking for the Boulder Theater Mix Tape 1980 event deets, sorry — it’s sold out. But if you’ve got your devilish heart set on going, standing outside the front door with puppy dog eyes might work to score a wayward ticket. Maybe dress up like a dog. Just sayin’.

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics, Things to Do Tagged With: , , ,

Boulder Startups: Local Resources for Entrepreneurs

October 29, 2013 by

 

Boulder Startups: Local Resources for Entrepreneurs

boulder startupBoulder’s startup scene has created quite the buzz in the tech community. Leading technology publications like The Next Web have tagged it as “the next Silicon Valley”, but those involved in Boulder’s rich startup culture prefer to see the city as simply a great community in which to build a business.

Many of the startups in Boulder come straight out of the TechStars startup incubator. This program, founded in 2006, receive applicants from all over the world who want the chance to be a part of one of the most successful business launching platforms in the world. But even beyond the walls of the prestigious TechStars community, Boulder has created a startup culture that welcome innovation, daring ideas, and fresh avenues for making the connections necessary for a new idea to become a big idea.

Resources to Explore in Boulder’s Startup Scene

If you’re new to town and looking to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, Boulder has you covered. There are multiple events that go on throughout each month and year designed to get you plugged in and moving forward.

Boulder Open Coffee Club – At 8AM every other Tuesday, techies and entrepreneurs gather at Atlas Purveyors on the Pearl Street Mall for a highly energized meetup. Here, you’ll find developers from some of Boulder’s leading startups, marketers, publicity pros, and other individuals who can help you get your new idea off the ground. It’s casual and the event always includes a review of open positions, people looking for positions, and a stroll through current tech-related events.

Silicon Flatirons – No one in Boulder’s startup scene should miss the events at Silicon Flatirons. It’s a program created in conjunction with the University of Colorado – Boulder School of Law and hosts numerous events throughout the year on topics like venture funding, in-depth interviews with local entrepreneurs, and panels designed to shed light on topics like public relations, marketing, term sheets, and other tech issues of use to startups. It’s Boulder entrepreneurship at the most academic level.

Boulder Startup Week – Held ever May, Boulder Startup week is a fantasticly powerful convergence of everything in Boulder that is startups. There’s never a fee to register (while some events do have tickets for sale), entrepreneurs can mix, mingle, and connect with everyone in the Boulder startup scene. You can always stop by the event’s website to see which startups in Boulder might be hiring and as the event nears each year, you can view the schedule of events — there’s something for everyone!

 

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Affordable Housing in Boulder County Housing and Human

October 26, 2013 by

 

Affordable Housing in Boulder County

Housing and Human Services provides affordable housing opportunities to County residents.

Affordable Rentals

We provide clean, nicely maintained one, two and three-bedroom units located in: Broomfield, Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont, Lyons, Erie and Nederland.

  • All units are owned and managed by the Housing Authority
  • All rents are fixed and below market rate from $400-$1,335
  • No rent subsidy
  • View current properties and apply

Housing Assistance Programs

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is a rent subsidy program. For more information go to the Housing Choice Voucher page. 

Senior Housing

We offer housing exclusively for seniors. Seniors may apply for any of our Housing Programs as well.

Check out our new Senior Housing development, Josephine Commons.

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in Boulder County

October 23, 2013 by

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in Boulder County

The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides financial assistance to eligible low-income families who need child care benefits for children from birth to age 12. If you are eligible, a portion of the total child care cost will be paid. You will be required to pay a portion of the childcare costs directly to the provider based on family size and income.

Boulder County administers CCAP alongside its other self-sufficiency-supporting services. This means that we are able to more quickly connect you with other services you may need, including food and housing assistance, Medicaid, and Work Supports.

View our CCAP Flyer:

For more information visit Colorado Department of Human Services.

Who is Eligible?

  • Parents who are working
  • Parents who are searching for a job (within State established time limits)
  • Teen parents (up to age 21) in a high school diploma or GED program
  • Parents needing child care for up to 24 months for post-secondary education or training (up to a 1st Bachelor’s Degree or less)
  • GED, ESL, or Adult Basic Education, for up to 12 months
  • Families receiving Colorado Works/TANF that are completing countable work activities on their Individual Responsibility Agreement
  • Applicants must be residents of Boulder County
  • If applicable, parents must continue to cooperate with Child Support Services
Consider attending a drop-in “CCAP Open Hour” on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am-1pm at *3460 N. Broadway in Boulder and 1921 Corporate Center Circle, Suite 3F in Longmont. No RSVP needed, get application and redetermination packet assistance, learn how to use the swipe machine, understand the client responsibilities agreement, and ask questions. It is optional and drop-in.

 

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , ,

U.S. judge rejects BofA mortgage modification class action

September 21, 2013 by

U.S. judge rejects BofA mortgage modification class action

 
A sign for a Bank of America office is pictured in Burbank, California August 19, 2011. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) – A lawsuit accusing Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) of reneging on promises to help distressed homeowners modify their mortgage loans, and instead driving them into foreclosure, cannot proceed as a class action, a federal judge has ruled.

While expressing sympathy for borrowers facing a “Kafkaesque bureaucracy” and saying their claims “may well be meritorious,” U.S. District Judge Rya Zobel in Boston said the claims were too different to justify allowing a single, nationwide lawsuit.

Wednesday’s decision is a blow for homeowners accusing the second-largest U.S. bank of failing to comply with the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), a 2009 federal program that gives incentives to mortgage servicers to encourage loan modifications and help people keep their homes.

It also marks the latest fallout from a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) that has made it harder to sue companies as a group. Class actions can lead to larger recoveries and more far-reaching remedies at lower cost.

“It’s a sad outcome for many thousands of homeowners trying to obtain loan modifications,” said Gary Klein, a partner at Klein Kavanagh Costello, representing the plaintiffs. “Very, very few of them will be able to pursue these issues on their own. Their one hope for justice was through the class mechanism.”

Forty-three individuals and couples from 26 U.S. states accused Bank of America in the three-year-old lawsuit of failing to help them obtain loan modifications to which they were entitled. They had sought to certify 26 classes, one per state.

‘VAST FRUSTRATION’ OF HOMEOWNERS

The case gained notoriety in June when several former employees, in sworn statements the bank called “demonstrably false,” accused the bank of offering $500 bonuses and gift cards to TargetCorp (TGT.N) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.O) to lie and to stall HAMP applications, because foreclosures or in-house loan modifications were more profitable.

One former employee also said the bank would twice a month conduct a “blitz” to clear out hundreds of files from its HAMP backlog solely because the documents were more than 60 days old, even if all required documents were submitted. Bank of America said “blitzes” were used to find documentation for applications.

“This case demonstrates the vast frustration that many Americans have felt over the mismanagement of the HAMP modification process,” Zobel wrote. “Plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Bank of America utterly failed to administer its HAMP modifications in a timely and efficient way; that in many cases it lost documents, or pretended it had not received them, or arbitrarily denied permanent modifications.”

Bank of America spokesman Rick Simon said: “We respect the court’s decision. We have successfully completed more HAMP modifications than any other servicer and will continue to improve delivery of this and other programs to support our customers in need of assistance.”

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Dena Aubin and Peter Rudegeair; editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Matthew Lewis)

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Credit Repair Companies

September 13, 2013 by

Credit Repair Companies

Make Sure Their Strategy Works for YOU

Credit Repair Companies - Make Sure Their Strategy Works for YOUBy Steve White

Credit scores and other credit worthiness instruments are more important than ever before. Our American way of life, which includes borrowing on and paying with credit, has come to depend on it.

There exist consumers who have had their reputations and credit histories severely damaged by identity theft and credit card scams, or simply due to personal financial circumstances. Thus, they turn to credit repair organizations for help. But consumers must know with whom they’re dealing. On the flip side, legitimate companies must often lookout for those trying to pass themselves off as anything less than ethical.

If you’re in search of a credit repair company, the endless number of organizations claiming to help may be overwhelming. But here’s a helpful tip: Narrow down your search by researching the strategy the company uses, and make sure it works for YOU.

The methods the company uses to repair credit are important. Avoid those using a “standard dispute letter” approach, as this may be insufficient for your needs. A company that follows a pre-litigation approach, used by Consumer Law Attorneys, generally provides the best results. The key to this approach is the initial threat of legal action sent to the creditor. Make sure the firm you choose goes to the creditor first on your behalf.

The “right” company is out there and with this knowledge you’ll be sure to make a wiser choice when enlisting help to repairing your credit.

Steve White is the CEO and President of American Credit, a decade-old credit repair company and financial services firm specializing in credit restoration and consultation services.

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pho Real: Boulder’s Best Pho

August 18, 2013 by

 

Pho Real: Boulder’s Best Pho

By  YourBoulder.com

boulder pho

Ask a CU Boulder student and it’s likely he’ll say that pho is more than a food — it’s a remedy. But I’ll get to that.

Pho is a well-known and well-loved Vietnamese dish, a giant bowl of piping-hot liquid heaven.  It’s deceptively simple – a light, briny beef broth with flat rice noodles and slices of steak, served with an array of toppings and condiments you can add as you wish.  There are few culinary joys like hanging your head over a giant bowl of pho and taking a deep inhale – it’s like a sauna full of gingerbread men.  It truly has rejuvenating qualities, it does wonders for your sinuses, and it’s a blessing when you have a cold.

Don’t worry about nailing the pronunciation – many mistakenly say it like “foe” but it’s more accurate to say “fuh.”  To be technical, there is extra emphasis on the end, like “fuhAH.”  But even if you can’t grasp the cadence of spoken Vietnamese, everyone will know what you mean.  Many who sell it around here will kindly pronounce it “foe” so you don’t feel weird about it!

So where can you get it in Boulder?

The Vietnamese community in Boulder is very small, but there’s an abundance of pho in town.

Chez Thuy
2655 28th St  Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 442-1700 

Chez Thuy is perhaps the most well-known, often recognized by the Boulder Weekly’s “Best of Boulder” and a very popular local destination.  It can get very busy, and complaints about the apathetic service are only exacerbated during their hectic lunch and dinner rushes.  Priced around $9 for a “medium” bowl, their pho definitely does the trick, but it’s hardly the best thing on the menu.

Viña Pho & Grill
1630 30th St
(303) 444-1809 

Viña Pho & Grill is a great place you should go if you aren’t too rushed.  The sizes aren’t as gargantuan as other restaurants but it’s big enough to fill most stomachs, and many locals swear by their method.  Priced at a little over $7 for a small bowl, Viña is definitely worth a taste.

Black Pepper Pho

2770 Pearl St
(303) 440-1948

With more of a modern approach to Vietnamese cuisine, you can expect a clean dining experience and great service at Black Pepper Pho.  The pho itself doesn’t stand out far beyond the other bowls and grill options, but it should be noted they take good care of gluten-free customers.  Purists may not approve, but especially if you pair it with one of their delicious Boba tea options, it’s tasty enough to get a non-believer started.

May Wah
2500 Baseline Rd.
(303) 499-8225

May Wah is tucked away in a big Baseline shopping center and has a reputation for solid Chinese fare.  It’s easy to get lost in their giant menu, but their $8 pho is competitive with Chez Thuy and offers just about every protein combination you could ask for.  They may not be pho specialists but they certainly have a few loyal customers.

Kim’s Food To Go
1325 Broadway St
(303) 442-2829

One of the best-kept secrets in town is the pho from Kim’s Food To Go.  Often overlooked in reviews because of the storefront’s “shack” aesthetic and the lack of indoor dining, its appearance easily belies the quality of the food.  It’s by far the best Asian option on the Hill.  And not only is it one of the only places in town you can find real Hanoi pho, but it’s definitely the best bang for your buck – at a flat $7 for a giant bowl, it’s very tough to beat!

Pho Basil
3280 28th St.
(303) 444-1226

A newcomer to the block, Pho Basil has picked up a lot of steam with daring Chinese dishes and a prominent 28th Street location, but has not made much of its namesake.  There is plenty of delicious food here but the pho is not quite worth the $8 (and it doesn’t help they are known to add your veggies for you).

You & Mee Noodle House
1311 Broadway St.
(720) 214-0585

This seems to be a good place for college students on a budget without a real appreciation for a bold bowl of pho.  The condiment bar allows you to customize your bowl to whatever extent you wish, but you’re going to need it to cover up the bland, canned broth.  However, if you’ve only got $6 in your pocket, it may just be enough to satisfy cravings.

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

BH4U

Filed Under: Real Estate Topics Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »