9/2: Bike In Cinema, New Belgium
9/3: Girls Night Shopping, Old Town
9/3: FAC, Museum Courtyard
9/3: Gallery Walk, Downtown
9/4: Tour de Fat, New Belgium
9/4: Brazil Fest, Rodizio Grill
9/5: Mountain Festival, Rist Canyon
9/6: Colorado Run 5K/10K, CSU Oval
9/8: Science Cafe, Avo’s
9/9: Bike In Cinema, New Belgium
9/10-26: Homegrown Ft. Collins, Downtown
9/11: Oktoberfest, Downtown
9/11: Historic Homes Tour, more info
9/14: International Night, Library
9/16: Bike In Cinema, New Belgium
9/18: French Nest Market, CCP
9/18-19: Sustainable Living Fair, Legacy Park
9/22: Art Cafe, Avo’s
9/23: International Night, Library
9/25: Harvest Festival, GOSC
9/26: Arias@Avo’s
9/30: Growing Together, GOSC
A good credit score makes all the difference when applying for a home loan. On May 22, 2009, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 was signed into law, marking a turning point for American consumers and ending the days of unfair rate hikes and hidden fees. While the new law offers significant safeguards for consumers, there are new practices designed to skirt the law that consumers need to protect themselves against.
Stay as informed as possible, read your statement, report any irregularities immediately, and watch out for these tricks:
SHORTENED BILLING CYCLE
The CARD Act requires companies to allow a window of at least 21 days from when a statement is mailed and when payment is due. Cardholders are reporting being shortchanged on billing cycle time and then being assessed late-payment fees.
ADVICE: Watch out for shortened payment dates.
SUNDAY DUE DATES
The CARD Act stipulates if a creditor does not receive or accept payments on weekends or holidays, then the date is extended and late-payment fees shouldn’t be triggered. However, some banks say they’re open for business even when there’s no mail delivery.
ADVICE: Don’t assume you are safe.
LOW-LIMIT CARDS
The CARD Act says a card’s total annual fees can’t exceed 25% of a borrower’s credit line. However, some issuers may be evading the fee restrictions by charging an up-front processing fee that doesn’t fall under the 25% cap.
ADVICE: Watch out for processing and other fees.
FALSE INACTIVE FEES
Issuers will no longer be able to charge inactivity fees or extra charges for people who don’t spend a certain amount each year, effective August 22. However, some issuers are charging an annual fee that’s waived if cardholders reach a certain spending threshold.
ADVICE: Watch out for conditional annual fees.
REBATE OFFERS
Some credit cards offer refunds on finance charges when customers pay on time. However, rebate offers aren’t governed by the CARD Act, and such offers can be revoked suddenly and for any reason, leaving cardholders stuck with higher charges.
ADVICE: Rebates may translate to real savings in finance charges.
Source: Keller Williams Realty, Inc., “This Month in Real Estate”, released 8/7/2010.
AUSTIN, TEXAS (July 30, 2010) —According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in the United States, has received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms for the third year in a row. The company also ranked second among home sellers in the study for the second year in a row.
“We are incredibly proud of our associates for earning this distinction and want to thank them for their commitment to their clients and communities,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “We see this honor as demonstration of our company philosophy that it is the agent’s brand that matters most and no amount of money spent on advertising can replace the influence and reputations our agents have in their local communities. Our associates have earned this on their own, by building relationships in their communities.”
The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers and sellers customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the buyer’s experience with their agent, the real estate office and a variety of additional services. Keller Williams Realty performed particularly well in the agent and office factors. And, overall satisfaction of buyers for the industry was up over last year.
Additionally, the study noted that the importance of real estate agents has increased substantially in the past year, with buyers and sellers relying on the negotiating skills of their chosen agent and help in navigating the market.
“It is thrilling to see our firm, once again, get public recognition for its incredible focus on customer satisfaction from such a prestigious group. Our associates continually demonstrate that it is possible to deliver the highest level of customer service in one of the toughest real estate markets on record,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be in business with them, and want to congratulate them on their hard work and dedication.”
In the past year, Keller Williams Realty has continued to grow despite the well-publicized turmoil in the real estate industry. In addition to becoming the 3rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing RE/MAX®, Keller Williams Realty was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine and was voted the Most Recognizable Brand of Real Estate Franchises and the Trendsetter of the year for 2009 in an industry-wide survey for the Swanepoel TRENDS Report.
July 2010 Fort Collins Real Estate market statistics are in. Each month we track the following leading market indicators for Fort Collins, Colorado:
U/C = Under Contract
Solds = Number of sold properties
MSI = Month’s Supply of Inventory
************************* What is the MSI? The MSI is an estimate of how long it will take for all the homes in a market area to be sold, or absorbed, based on the number of homes currently on the market and the rate that homes have sold in the past. A market is considered balanced when the MSI falls between 5-7 months. Under 5 months is considered a seller’s market and over 7 months is considered a buyer’s market.
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8/1: Human Race, Downtown
8/6: FAC in the C, Museum
8/6: Gallery Walk, Downtown
8/10-12: Sounds on Square, Downtown
8/11: Science Café, Avo’s
8/13: FAC in the C, Museum
8/15-16: Pooch Plunge, City Park
8/21: French Nest Market, CCP
8/21-22: NewWestFest, Old Town
8/25: Art Cafe, Avo’s
8/27-28: Greek Festival, Old Town
8/27: History Mystery Challenge, Museum
8/28: Old-Time Music Festival, Avo’s
8/28: Annie Walk, Main Library
8/28: Tour de Farms, more info
Good news for northern Colorado - Fort Collins, CO and Loveland, CO made Money Magazine’s ‘Best Places to Live 2010‘ list. Fort Collins came in at #6 and Loveland at #33. Fort Collins’ economic stability, biking trails and microbreweries were all featured by the magazine. It is worth noting that this isn’t the first time Fort Collins hit a high note with Money Magazine. In 2006, Fort Collins was named the #1 ‘Best Place to Live’ and in 2008 the city took the #2 spot. Click here to view Fort Collins’ Money Magazine profile.
In profiling Loveland, Money Magazine highlighted the city’s abundant recreational opportunities, public art displays, golf courses and affordable homes. Loveland received similar attention from U.S. News & World Report when named the #7 “Best Place to Live” in 2009. Click here to view Loveland’s Money Magazine profile.
What does Fort Collins have in common with the following places: Silicon Valley, CA; New York City, NY; Huntsville, AL; Fort Wayne, IN? All five cities were recently profiled by USA Today as cities on the rebound.
In exploring Fort Collins’ recovery, two key factors were highlighted: (1) the region is backed by Colorado State University (CSU) - a large, steady employer and (2) the city has embraced the new energy economy. The Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2) and CSU’s Green Power Project are just two examples of these important factors of success at work.
Temperature Check
Key economic indicators are used to measure the temperature of our local economy. In the past year, the area has seen increased sales tax collections, a rise in residential and commercial construction, and new restaurants are hanging “open” signs. Check out how you can Be Local Northern Colorado and continue to make our great city thrive!
The city of Fort Collins is gearing up for a fun 4th of July weekend. If you are in town, head into Old Town for live music, face painting, a pie eating contest and other fun activities. The musical line-up includes: Soul Proprietor, The Informants, and 3 Twins. The event is FREE and open to the public, so come down for some summer fun.
Looking for something a little different? Just a few blocks from Old Town Square the Avery House is hosting an Old Fashioned July 4th. The day will be filled with historic activities and games, a dress up tent, mandolin music, hot dogs, ice cream and more! Stop by between 11:00am-6:00pm to partake in the special activities.
Fireworks Show
Finish the day with a grand fireworks display at City Park. Fireworks beginning at dusk, around 9:35pm. For more information, visit the Downtown Business Association website.
As a company we wish you a fun and safe 4th of July weekend!
9/2: Bike In Cinema, New Belgium
A good credit score makes all the difference when applying for a home loan. On May 22, 2009, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 was signed into law, marking a turning point for American consumers and ending the days of unfair rate hikes and hidden fees. While the new law offers significant safeguards for consumers, there are new practices designed to skirt the law that consumers need to protect themselves against.
8/1: Human Race, Downtown
The city of Fort Collins is gearing up for a fun 4th of July weekend. If you are in town, head into Old Town for live music, face painting, a pie eating contest and other fun activities. The musical line-up includes: Soul Proprietor, The Informants, and 3 Twins. The event is FREE and open to the public, so come down for some summer fun.
