First Time Home Buyer in Colorado: Outline Posted on August 3, 2017 - 9:45 pm by Stacy Sanchez First Time Home Buyer in Colorado: Outline The title of this blog is “First Time Home Buyer in Colorado: Outline” which means that the next few words will summarize the process of buying a home in Breckenridge. It’s one thing to start looking at websites of all the homes, but when you’re ready to get serious, it’s good to know what you’re getting into. This list might not cover everything, and definitely not all the details, but it will give you an overall feel of what you need to be doing to purchase real estate in Summit County, Colorado. We were recently at a realtor meeting and heard how in one area of Colorado, 30 documents were involved in the buying process. Here, it’s less than that. So, that’s where working with an agent is essential to easing the headaches. I am here to ask you to please be flexible when it comes to communicating between agents and owners. On both sides. This is a serious commitment from everyone involved, as these are investments that are very important to families. We all want it done as fast as possible, trust me. I understand that and want to be your helping hand along the way. Buying Home in Breckenridge Congratulations on getting to this point in the article, because that means you really are interested in learning about what you can do for your future dream home in the mountains. Let’s get to it. Here is the Outline for First Time Home Buyer in Colorado: Start saving right now – Your Initial Deposit will affect your monthly payment Get to know your credit score – Analyze and work on improvements where you can What is your ideal monthly payment – How much can you really afford? What are your other expenses? What kind of property do you want – Single family home, slopeside condo or cabin in the woods? How will you pay for your mortgage – Is your job stable or do you have financial support? Get preapproved – Find a lender and being the process to find out how much you qualify for Find the right agent for yourself – Find someone you click with to make it as fun as possible Plan to live in the home for at least five years – Your long term game plan starts now Who will view the house? – Are you in the area? Make a plan to tour homes Preparing to make an offer – Put your best foot forward and include a personal note as a nice touch Home and Property Inspections – This will identify all details about the home and what needs updating Summit County Real Estate and Property Now that you have a general idea about what’s going to have to happen for you to call yourself a homeowner, you can start to browse some areas and get a feel for the market. If you don’t know the difference between Summit Sky Ranch, The Shores, or the Blue 52, that’s where we come in. I have an extensive knowledge of the area, including off the beaten trails and adventures that I’ll share with you as we talk homes, we’ll talk about all the fun places you can put on your trip list. These are hikes and mountain journeys within an hour of where you live. Please contact us to learn more! Get Answers to Your Questions CONTACT US Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.
Wildfire Protection Plan for your Colorado Mountain Home Posted on July 12, 2017 - 9:50 pm by Stacy Sanchez 1 Wildfire Protection Plan for your Colorado Mountain Home This blog is titled Wildfire Protection Plan for your Colorado Mountain Home, and will discuss the action steps needed to create a safe space around your home, pet considerations, drones and evacuation planning. This is front and center with the latest wildfire that started on July 5. So, I thought it was a timely post that will have information that will be invaluable to first time home buyers and longtime Breckenridge locals. A good defense is your best offense when it comes to wildfires and planning ahead. Preventative measures can be taken to make sure your home is as safe as it can be, your essential information is stored safely and also accessible when needed, and that you have a plan for your home, your pets and your family. Create a Defensible Space The first page that you should look at is on the Summit County government website that discusses Summit County Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation issues and provides many links and resources. At the top of the list of resources is a page for details about creating a Defensible Space around your home and property. The bottom line is to remove and minimize natural fuels for wildfires from around your home and detached structures. I’ve included a wonderful infographic with the basics below. Be sure to check out the chipping program that helps ongoing annual efforts: “If you clear woody vegetation from around your home and stack it in a slash pile, we’ll chip it and haul it away for free..” Anything you can do to help firefighters save your home is going to be well worth the time and efforts. After all, this is your investment, and that’s why we’re writing this article. To help you save your home. Get Emergency Notifications I signed up for the emergency notifications and get traffic updates and now, communication regarding wildfires. It was great to get notified about the evacuation notices being lifted, and even became aware of another wildfire that had to be put out on Mt. Baldy. That one was especially troubling, as I had considered it as an alternate route, should Breck be put on full evacuation. We were packed and ready to go, and that would have meant roads would have been at a standstill. Boreas Pass goes up and over to Como, connecting to Highway 285. But, they actually closed the road for a bit while they got the fire under control. Sign up and get notified about relevant emergencies that will affect you, your home and your family. Make sure you have an external power source to charge phones as you move. Prepare for not being able to plug in for 12-24 hours. I’m looking into a hand crank that can continue to generate energy, versus a power bank that will eventually run out of juice. Having both would be ideal. Pet Considerations Our pets are our family, and that means you need to make a plan for them too. I wasn’t able to embed the post and video like the others on this post, so click here to watch a good preparedness video regarding pets and evacuating them. Bottom line is to get a grab bag together for them, and practice loading them into trailers, cars and travel crates. Make sure you have someone who knows about your pet, how to access your home in an emergency and where to go and what to do next, if you are unable to return to your home quickly. Your pet will be stressed, but you don’t have to be. You can rest assured that you have a plan and that your pet has a greater chance of survival when it counts. Flying Drones Over Wildfires is Illegal We are all gawkers when it comes to accidents, so it’s no surprise that people want to pull over, watch the fire, and take pictures. Some of us even have drones now, and those that flew them near the fire hindered the airborne support as ground crews wouldn’t give the green light to the helicopters and planes until all potential hazards were removed from the airspace. Please spread the word and get drone operators used to the fact that their hovering cameras are not allowed during emergencies and could cost lives and money if used inappropriately. Evacuation Checklist I will admit that I didn’t have this entire checklist ticked off when the #peak2fire was underway. I did have a fireproof safe with essentials should I have not been home to respond and pack. We are used to traveling, so had backpacks and clothes ready, and when pressed to think about, there wasn’t much we couldn’t leave behind. We had family memorabilia in containers and it would have been easy for us to gather items like computers, personal documents and nostalgia and hit the road. We were actually deciding whether to take bikes and stuff. I saw posts from friends loading their prized fishing rods and other stuff that has sentimental value. Now, think about if you were to get that emergency text in the middle of the night. It’s 3 AM and you have 20 minutes. What would you take? What would you leave behind? Is your pet bag ready? I’ve included a link to a comprehensive checklist, so CLICK HERE to see the full list. When You Return Going home is all I would think about should we be evacuated from our house. But, I have learned that there would be a few things you would need to do once you are given the go ahead to return. Please think about the following when allowed back to your property. Food safety – Check the food in the fridge. You may have to throw away some items if you’re unsure if they’re any good. Don’t risk it and just toss it. A neat trick for knowing if your freezer shut off is to place a coin on a cup. Click here to learn about that trick. Most jarred items will still be safe, and even canned goods should be ok. That is, unless they were exposed to high heat from a fire. Private wells – Have them professionally checked out before using again. Wildlife – Please do not leave pet food or water outside. Report any distressed or hurt wildlife to the authorities. Garbage – Please pick up trash and safely contain with lids and other sealed containers to discourage wildlife from getting into it. Septic Systems – Flame retardants and other chemicals may have been used, so we recommend a professional check for any damages. Odors – Central heating systems may need air filters changed and to be checked by a professional HVAC person. Place odor absorbers and dishes of vanilla, vinegar and activated charcoal to help. Air Quality – Pay attention to the newscasts and notifications as personnel will give proper respiratory warnings. This is important for those that are sensitive and susceptible to breathing difficulties. Power – Electricity may or may not available, so make sure you have a way to cook food. You may need to transport your own water until your water source is clear and flowing too. While this post is a good list of resources, there are many more out there, and is just the start of your wildfire preparedness. It sure was scary to see all the smoke and everyone started thinking really hard about what to do next. Luckily, we have a great community full of professionals, and with the help of social media, locals were connected and sharing photos, links to official pages and communicators and we all had the best and most recent information we could get. This was a wake up call for all of us. We live in a beautiful forest mountain environment and forest fires are to be expected. It’s not a matter of if they will happen again, but when they will happen again. Next time, I hope we’re all a little bit more prepared. Please contact us with any questions about information presented in this article. Please share! Get Answers to Your Questions CONTACT US Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.