FlatIron Crossing Summer Concert Series

Did you know that the FlatIron Crossing Mall in Broomfield has a FREE Summer Concert Series?  The concerts are held in the courtyard area outside of the AMC Theaters, and they kick off on Thursday, June 7th from 6pm to 9pm.  Here is the entire summer concert calendar:

JUNE
06/07/12 - Phat Daddy
06/14/12 - Champions, an Eighties Band
06/21/12 - Chase N The Dream - Motown/Old School R&B
06/28/12 - Soul X

JULY07/05/12 - The Margarita Brothers
07/12/12 - Boogie-Liscious
07/19/12 -The Nacho Men
07/26/12 - Funkiphino

AUGUST
08/02/12 -Hot Lunch
08/09/12 -Dotsero
08/16/12 -Raising Cain
08/23/12 - The Tripping Griswolds
08/30/12 - FACE

What Is Radon?

Radon is a tasteless, odorless gas that is naturally present in our environment.  It is produced by the decay of uranium in soil and water.  Radon gas is known to cause lung cancer in humans, and can be an environmental hazard in certain homes.  To discover if your home is at risk, you can have a test done to measure the levels of radon gas.  The gas is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), and the EPA strongly recommends that homes with levels above 4 pCi/L take action to mitigate the gas.  The EPA also recommends mitigation for levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L, since they say that there is no "safe" level of exposure to radon.

Radon gas exposure is greatest in basements, because they have the closest proximity to soil (where radon gas is produced).  All homes with a basement should have their radon levels tested.  Homes with finished basements should absolutely have their levels tested, since residents are spending more time in a finished basement and could be facing greater exposure to radon gas.

For more information about radon, read the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon, A Citizen's Guide to Radon, and A Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction (all provided by the EPA).  The EPA also has a video on the topic, which you can download at http://www.epa.gov/radon/realestate.html.

Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/radon/aboutus.html

Arvada Summer Concert Series

Looking for something fun do to this summer?  The Arvada Center's Summer Concert Series is kicking off on Saturday, June 9th.  Tickets for the series are now available for purchase!  Here is the concert schedule:

Indigo Girls with full band & The Shadowboxers

Saturday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.
$45 - $65 covered seating

$37.50 lawn

Aaron Neville

Sunday, July 15, 7:30 p.m.

$42.50 - $55 covered seating

$32.50 lawn

Lucinda Williams

Sunday, July 22, 7:30 p.m.

$35 - $50 covered seating

$30.00 lawn

Los Lobos & Steve Earle and the Dukes (and Duchesses) featuring Allison Moorer

Saturday, July 28, 7:30 p.m.

$42.50 - $52.50 covered seating

$35 lawn

Los Lonely Boys

Friday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.
$40 - $47.50 covered seating
$32.50 lawn 

Pink Martini

Sunday, August 12, 7:30 p.m.

$45 - $65 covered seating

$40 lawn

Asleep At The Wheel

Sunday, August 19, 7:30 p.m.

$35 - $45 covered seating

$25 lawn

"Weird Al" Yankovic

Thursday, August 23, 7:30 p.m.

$42.40 - $55 covered seating

$32.30 lawn

John Hiatt & The Combo

Wednesday, August 29, 7:30 p.m.

$42.50 - $55 covered seating

$37.50 lawn

For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.arvadacenter.org/summer/events.

Willow Run Real Estate Updates

Image from Google Maps

Hi readers!  Here are my monthly real estate updates for the Willow Run subdivision in Broomfield.  The following updates are current from the day of the post, and includes brief information on active listings, listings under contract, and listings that have been sold in the last month.  If you would like more details or photos from any of these listings, please e-mail me at erinjoynt@gmail.com. 

Active Listings:

12554 Alcott Street - 4bd 3ba - $263,000

12548 Elm Lane - 4bd 4ba - $229,900

2807 Calkins Place - 4bd 3ba (This listing is a for sale by owner.  On Zillow, the list price is $264,900.)

Listings Under Contract:

12524 Elm Lane - 3bd 3ba - $256,000

12536 Bryant Street - 4bd 3ba - $250,000

12537 Eliot Street - 3bd 3ba - $239,932

Sold Listings (from the last month; note the sales prices are the final price minus consessions):

2817 126th Avenue - 4bd 3ba - $239,600

2872 Fernwood Place - 3bd 4ba - $246,500

2820 Elaine Drive - 3bd 3ba - $224,000

For sold listings: the average number of days on the market was 26, with the average sales price equaling 97.61% of the average listing price.

E-mail me if you would like to sign up for the Willow Run monthly e-newsletter, which includes details and photos for all of the listing.  Also, if you live in another Broomfield subdivision and are interested in receiving similar monthly updates for your area, please let me know. 

4 Things to Research Before Purchasing

Before you purchase a home, there are some things that you might want to research about the home and about the neighborhood.  Here is a short list of some things to think about:

1) Crime - Look up the crime rates and criminal activity in the neighborhood.  You should be able to find this information through your city or town's police department website.  If you are having trouble finding anything online, try calling the local police department.  You may even want to ask if any crimes or deaths have occurred in the specific property that you are looking to purchase.  Another thing to look into would be the registered sex offenders in your neighborhood.  Again, there should be a website for this information, or the local police department can provide it for you.  You may regret your purchase if you find out about these things afterward, so it is best to do a little research beforehand.

Your real estate broker cannot discuss any knowledge they might have about crime or events such as a death (in Colorado, anyway).  Even if they specifically know that a sex offender lives in the neighborhood, or that a murder took place in the home that you are hoping to purchase, they cannot tell you this information.  They cannot even hint at it to you. 

2) School Ratings - Again, another common question that real estate brokers cannot answer is whether a neighborhood is a "good" neighborhood or has "good" schools.  They can help direct you where to find school ratings, or to the district websites, but they cannot answer whether a school is "good" or not.  Neither can they provide names of neighborhoods with "good" schools.  This is information that you will have to research on your own.  In Colorado, a great website to start looking for school performance information is http://www.cde.state.co.us/utility/k12schls.htm.

3) Neighborhood Dynamic - It may not cross your mind to find out what the feel of your neighborhood is, but it could greatly influence your decision.  Talk with the neighbors in the neighborhood you are considering.  You may found out that one of your neighbors has loud parties every weekend or on weeknights, which would prevent you or members of your household from getting a decent night's sleep.  Then again, you may be looking for this type of lively neighborhood!  It never hurts to talk to your potential neighbors.  Be sure to talk with a few neighbors, to make sure you aren't receiving biased opinions.

4) Shopping & Entertainment - Check out what businesses are near the home that you are considering purchasing.  You can do a quick search on Google Maps, but it may not show you all of the nearby businesses.  Driving around the area would be your most ideal option.  You may discover that the home  you are considering is too far away from businesses that you regularly visit.  Or, you may be debating between two different homes, and the surrounding businesses may make one home option much more appealing. 

Open House at 1790 W 131st Court, Westminster, CO 80234

This weekend is the Nationwide Open House Weekend!  I will be holding an open house at 1790 W 131st Court in Westminster, CO 80234 on Saturday from 11am to 2pm.  This 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home is in the Amherst subdivision, just east of Zuni and south of 136th Avenue.  This home has a great location.  It is right next to Amherst Park and Arapahoe Ridge Elementary School.  It is also close to a number of shopping centers, open space, trails, and Big Dry Creek Park.  Feel free to stop by to say hello!

Broomfield Notice of Property Values

Broomfield's Assessor Department will be sending out postcards with a notice of property value for property taxes.  The notices will only be sent to those owners who have had a change in property value since last year.  These changes could be a result of new construction, additions or remodels to the existing home, changes in land status, or changes in property use.  These postcards will be mailed to property owners on May 1st.

For owners who do receive the postcard and want to appeal to the assessor, or who have questions about the value that was put on the card, can do so by visiting the assessor's office in the west wing of the George DiCiero City and County Building at 1 DesCombes Drive.  Phone calls can also be made to the assessor's office at 303-464-5819.

If any mistakes are found in the legal description, ownership, mailing address, property classification, or property attributes, owners can either visit the assessor's office or fill out and send in the bottom portion of the Notice of Valuation.

See more information at Broomfield's website.