More Research in Boulder County - Conoco Phillips Comes to Town

Horrified was first reaction by some hard core Boulderites to the announcement that Conoco Phillips bought the 432 acres in Louisville, once owned by Storage Tek. The truth is that this is going to be a educational facility as well as a hub for renewable energy research. The National Renewable Energy Laboratories is only miles away in Golden Colorado. The new jobs created will surely in the thousands. There will most likely be ongoing cooperative research with the University of Colorado and the School of Mines. It's not going to be another Commerce City as some of the bloggers in the area fear. I think we can look forward to a fantastic neighbor and a source of reliable employment for years to come. Of course this will be another reason to invest in Boulder County real estate. Our local market is stable. Provided by Gregg Ashburn "The Boulder Realtor for Boulder People" RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. 2425 Canyon Blvd #110, Boulder, CO 80302

Interest Rate Report and Boulder County Homes Prices

Rates are up slightly but I expect rates to drop back into the mid to low 5’s in the not too distant future. I will elaborate on why later in this newsletter but I would like to initially discuss the President’s Emergency Economic Stimulus Package. President Bush signed the Stimulus package and as part of the package the Conforming Loan Limits will be increased to 125% of the median price for Boulder County. Based on the numbers provided thus far the number for Boulder will be $459,375. This number appears low but if you will recall on the last increase to $417,000 the number was adjusted upward after the initial release. HUD has 30 days to come up with the “official” amount for Boulder. I would assume that that means that the new limits will go into affect in 30 days. We have not heard any official word as to when we can start using the new limits. The impact on the increase will not be as large as we had hoped because we had hoped for a number in the vicinity of $623,000 - $723,000. What the number does mean is that a person buying a home for $575,000 and putting down 20% can get a conforming rate. I will keep you posted on any and all developments as they occur. A major reason for rates creeping up is that Warren Buffet has stepped in and offered a second level of insurance for municipal bonds. Buffet’s move has created a false sense of security for the troubled credit markets as the municipal bonds are the “low risk” bonds and not the mortgage related bonds. As one expert stated Buffet’s actions are like an ambulance coming to the scene of an accident and transporting the uninjured victims and leaving the injured at the scene to fend for themselves. The crisis in the credit markets is far from over and as Wall Street realizes this fact it will impact the mortgage markets further.

University of Colorado Art Museum (Colorado Collection)

The Colorado Collection, the permanent art collection for the CU Art Museum, University of Colorado at Boulder, contains over 5,000 works of art. The collection was started in 1939 to be used as a teaching tool for students. It has grown into a comprehensive art collection that enriches the educational experience of students, faculty, and the broader campus community, as well as the Colorado public, through exposure to original works of art and by furthering exposure to art history, museum studies, contemporary art practice, and other social and cultural issues that can be addressed through original works of art.The Colorado Collection’s mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, interpret, and contextualize original works of art within a pluralistic research and teaching context. The Colorado Collection focuses on modern and contemporary works of art, as well as works from a diversity of cultural and artistic heritages and histories that range from ancient art traditions through the present. The Colorado Collection is the only public resource of its kind for the state of Colorado and is the only public art collection in Boulder. The collection has grown over the years through the generosity of many donors and modest acquisitions funds. The collection includes works from numerous time periods and cultures, including Old Master works on paper, Southwestern and South American Santos, Southeast Asian pottery, African sculpture, British 18th century prints, American prints of the 1930s and 1940s, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, 19th century photography, Pop art, Minimalist works on paper, and contemporary sculpture, prints, photographs, and paintings. Major gifts by Polly and Mark Addison beginning in the early 1990’s significantly expanded the representation of modern and contemporary art in the collection.

Horie Nekozane [Horie and Nekozane]Utagawa Ichiyusai Hiroshige, Japanese (1797-1858) # 96, from the series "One Hundred Views ofFamous Places in Edo" 1856 woodcut 13 1/4" x 8 1/2"Helen Baker Jones Collection--in memory of her father James H. Baker, former president of CU

Log Jam (Backwaters Up Millinocket Way No. 3) Marsden Hartley, American (1877-1943) 1939-40 oil on masonite 22" x 28" Purchased from Raul Rosenberg & Co., New York

Snake Cup, 1984 Elizabeth Murray (1940- 2007) Lithography 32 x 25 inches GIft of Polly and Mark Addison to the Polly and Mark Addison COllection, Colorado Collection, CU Art Museum, University of Colorado at Boulder

Boulder Colorado is Smartest City

It's no surprise to me that Boulder has been named by "Forbes Magazine" as the smartest city in the United States. I've lived in Boulder for 28 years and have been fortunate enough to meet the the best and brightest that Boulder has to offer. As a realtor you meet them moving to Boulder, leaving Boulder and moving around the city. I think the statistics were actually taken from Boulder County not just the city of Boulder as the Daily Camera reported. It's not just a great place to live, it's a town that helps you live and learn from others.

University of Colorado's Golden Buffaloes Land The #1 Running Back in The Country

CU fans can celibrate the signing of the hands down number one tail back in the country. Darrell Scott chose Colorado over Texas. One of the key factors for Scott choosing CU is that his uncle attends CU and is a football player at Colorado.

A great football team has an impact on all of Boulder, including real estate. The football dollars run downhill into the City of Boulder's coffers. The University of Colorado has a significant impact upon the, already healthy, real estate market in Boulder. There is a steady turnover of condos and homes that are purchased and sold by the parents of CU students. If you'd like to learn about investing during your student's college years please contact Gregg Ashburn at RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. 2425 Canyon Blvd, Boulder CO 80302 Gregg's cell phone number is 303-875-4907.

Boulder Student Housing Rentals and Ownership

There may be another surge in rental prices in Boulder because of the increased demand this winter. There may be another factor about to impact real estate sales and the rental market not only in boulder , but in Louisville and all of Boulder County and the metro Denver area. If, as rumored, one of the nations high tech giants has purchased the Sun Microsystems property in Louisville Colorado we will see more pressure on local home prices and rental prices. It's still a good idea for the parents of University of Colorado students to buy housing for their children while the kids are in college. Give me a call. I'll tell you how it's done. Written by Gregg Ashburn "Realtor" RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. 303-875-4907

Anthem Highlands February News (Colorado)

With the turn of the new year, there are some big changes at Anthem Colorado. Anthem Highlands saw their recreation center begin to “go vertical”, and the beginning stages of the framing process have been amazing to watch. It is exciting to think of all the memories that will be made there in just a few short months. The pools are already in the ground (no water of course!) and the parking lot is down. Just small steps leading up to a big end product! provided by Gregg Ashburn "Realtor" RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. Boulder, CO