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Colorado Basement Made Inviting for the Whole Family

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“I don’t want it to be beige, I want it to be fun!” That was the first direction the client gave interior designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin for the renovation of a family basement in Parker, Colorado. This meant bringing in color, texture, comfortable furniture and, perhaps most importantly, an inviting bar for entertaining. The homeowners, a couple with several kids who were away at college, had recently relocated from Texas. They knew they’d be renovating a good portion of their home. It was clear that the daylight basement would be the most popular spot for the whole family to gather when the kids were home from school, so it was renovated as part of phase one.

Photos by Michelle Gardner of M.G. Photography

Basement at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Parker, Colorado
Size: 550 square feet (51 square meters)
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors
Contractor: Jim Ince of All About Bathrooms

Before: “I love working with clients who have relocated here,” Bagley Catlin says. Having moved to the Colorado Rockies from Southern California three years ago herself, she has a keen understanding of what it’s like for newbies who may feel like a fish out of water. This is helpful toward establishing trust early on in the design process.

“This room was an empty box,” Bagley Catlin says. The project contractor had no idea what the half wall might contain and wanted nothing to do with trying to remove it. Instead, Bagley Catlin designed around it. One other existing detail to note is the white panel behind the TV. This is the main water shutoff for the house, and it was important to keep it accessible.

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After: Fortunately, the half wall was in the perfect spot to serve as the bar the homeowners had on their wish list. The first selection they made was the beautiful live-edge piece of walnut that serves as its counter.

“Once I saw the counter installed, I knew we could not leave the bar’s base as drywall because it looked so unfinished,” Bagley Catlin says. “So I suggested we wrap it in fluted walnut paneling.” Local company Blacksheep Woodwork crafted both the walnut counter and paneling.

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Before: The bar area was a blank slate. It had a nice-size window for a basement that let in natural light.

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo
After: That window allowed Bagley Catlin to go dark in the bar area without turning it into a black hole. The cabinetry is rift-sawn white oak with a dark stain. The upper cabinets have ribbed glass doors. “This texture subtly distorts what’s behind the glass,” Bagley Catlin says.

Blacksheep Woodwork also crafted the bar’s live-edge walnut shelves and routed channels in the bottoms of them for LED rope lights. The lights wash down the backsplash wall and illuminate the countertop.

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“The green tile is everything,” the designer says. The backsplash tile is ceramic with a crackle finish. “Installing crackle tile can be more labor-intensive. Because it can be porous, it needs to be sealed before it’s installed,” Bagley Catlin says. “The finish almost looks like it has waves in it, and it looks aged. There is a longer lead time on this tile because it is custom-made to order.”

This countertop is a durable quartz from Pental. Its gray coloring takes a back seat to the star of the room, the green backsplash tile.

Backsplash tile: Eliot Brazil crackle tile, Encore Ceramics

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo

“We really maxed out the functionality of this bar,” Bagley Catlin says. There’s a beverage fridge, a wine fridge, a panel-front ice maker and a bar sink. For storage, there’s a mix of glass-front and solid cabinet storage, as well as open shelves for display.

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The flooring is composed of luxury vinyl planks. This is a good choice for a basement and has a hardwood look. The leather bar stools add a rugged Colorado touch.

Flooring: Prominence Plus Ash Oak, Shaw Floors

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Wanting to bring the fun of the backsplash over to the bar seating, the homeowners chose to add a green epoxy to the walnut countertop.

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo

“I suggested the vertically oriented grid composition for the backsplash to give it a different dimension from the usual,” Bagley Catlin says. “I also suggested we go with a medium grout rather than a dark one to really set the tile off in contrast.”

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo
Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo
In the family room, custom built-ins were important and worth the investment. The carpenter included easy access to the water shutoff. The TV swings out to reveal it. A mix of closed and open storage in the built-ins allows for display up top, with room for things like games and extra blankets below. “This couple loves to travel and they lived in Japan for a while, so they wanted places to display things they’ve collected from around the world,” Bagley Catlin says.

“The green color and the dark cabinets on the bar side across the room are so intense that I knew we needed a color punch on the built-in wall,” she says. Sherwin-Williams’ Still Water anchors this side of the room in a deep blue.

Wall color: Natural Tan, Sherwin-Williams; trim color: Simply White, Benjamin Moore

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | InteriorsSave Photo

The couple chose and sourced the upholstered furniture and the rug themselves. “They wanted a place for the whole family to hang out and be comfy,” Bagley Catlin says. “I added custom pillows to elevate the look.” The throw pillows and blankets zhuzh the seating up, add punches of color with earth tones mixed in, and bring in a Colorado mountain (faux) furry feeling.

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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .

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Bathroom of the Week: Organic Modern Style in Colorado

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These Littleton, Colorado, homeowners knew exactly what they wanted to get out of their bathroom renovation, right down to the cabinet hardware. In fact, they presented interior designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin with the most thorough Google Doc design she’d ever seen in her professional career. “They knew the finishes they liked, that they wanted organic modern style, and they even had determined the subcontractors that they wanted to use,” she says. “What they really needed help with is my specialty. Often clients come to me knowing that their bathroom is broken. They know that it doesn’t function or flow correctly, but they don’t know what’s wrong. I know how to give them a layout that will work for them. After we get that right, we can make it beautiful.”

In this case, a primary sitting room led through a hallway to the primary bathroom. Two separate vanities and a tub with a very large deck made the flow awkward and wasn’t making the most efficient use of the space. The homeowners also wanted to borrow space from the bathroom to enlarge their closet. Bagley Catlin took all these factors into account when reconfiguring things. The result is a light-filled bathroom full of bells and whistles, such as dual jet sets in the shower, special storage inserts in the cabinetry and a stunning new coffee bar that helps the couple wake up and caffeinate on the way to their morning showers.



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .

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Sweeping changes have arrived for residential real estate in Colorado

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A landmark settlement in a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors could transform how homes are bought and sold starting on Saturday, potentially lowering commission costs and providing greater transparency.

But it could also complicate home purchases for first-time buyers and shake up the real estate brokerage industry.

“This is an opportunity for us to adjust and adapt. In this day and age, so many people are seeking out transparency, and this change in practices gives us that,” said Natalie Davis, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Downtown in Denver.

Although buyers and sellers alike could always negotiate terms, including the commission rate, with their agents, industry practice settled into a pattern where sellers paid commission costs in the 5% to 6% range for both sides of a transaction.

Home sellers in Missouri sued to end the practice, which they argued wasn’t fair and had them paying more out of pocket than necessary. The National Association of Realtors settled the case in March for $418 million and agreed to change some of its long-standing practices effective Aug. 17.

One of the biggest changes regards the posting of what a seller would pay an agent bringing a buyer to the table on the multiple listing service or MLS, which local Realtor associations have historically owned.

Agents could see the cooperative compensation information, but consumers didn’t have easy access. So long as sellers were footing the bill, wrapping the commission costs into the sales price, which lenders would finance, it didn’t matter much.

“No longer can real estate brokers put their commissions on the MLS. But they can put that information on their own websites. That is what you are going to see more of. But that will be up to each individual brokerage,” said Tyrone Adams, CEO of the Colorado Association of Realtors.

Buyer agents can contact the listing agent directly to obtain that information when it isn’t publicly available, an added step, but not a huge one.

Separating the commission information from platforms owned by Realtors was meant to address allegations of collusion, while also providing sellers more flexibility in compensating buyer agents.

“Sellers will need to be aware that by not offering compensation, they may diminish the buyer pool. It is the buyer’s choice, not the Realtor’s choice,” said Kelly Moye, a Realtor based in Northglenn.

Steering, or the practice of agents avoiding listings that are less favorable to them, is still prohibited. But it isn’t against the law for buyers to set such conditions.

That is where the tug of war will happen. A buyer who doesn’t have the extra money to cover their agent’s commission may want to limit the listings they consider to only those where the seller has agreed to pay.

But the starter-home market is also where homes sell the fastest and with multiple offers.

Even when the seller is willing to pay a buyer’s agent, showing up with a commission request below the competition could save a seller money and push an offer to the top, said Holden Lewis, a home and mortgage expert with Nerd Wallet in a blog post.

By negotiating on the front end with their agent, buyers can improve their chances when it comes to securing a purchase.

Agents will want to get paid — either by the seller or the buyer — and contracts will state that. But if the buyer is strapped, which is often the case with first-time buyers, they should try to negotiate terms.

“The contract will state how much you will pay the agent representing you either in a flat fee or a percentage of the purchase price, both of which are open to negotiation. Other elements up for negotiation include duration of the contract and geographic area (one or more addresses, zip codes, cities, and counties) for the scope of your search,” Holden said.

The settlement requires buyer agent agreements, which Colorado has long required.  Even standardized contracts leave room for negotiating. If an agent isn’t willing to budge or can’t seem to justify what they are asking for in compensation, consumers are encouraged to look elsewhere.

“As to the regular contract with a financial obligation to compensate the buyer agent, they should not sign this agreement unless they’ve read and understood it and it’s fair to them,” said Stephen Brobeck, a senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America.

Buyers should request a copy of the agent contract and review it closely before signing, avoiding agents who don’t provide an advanced copy. Buyers should always weigh the services they will receive against the costs.

“We suggest they aim at the dollar equivalent of 2% or less of the sale price,” Brobeck said.

The average buy-side commission paid on a home purchased in Denver was 2.56% in July, down from 2.64% in January, according to a study from Seattle brokerage Redfin. Denver had the 18th highest commission of the 50 metro areas that Redfin examined.

Home tours a sticking point

Most listing agreements don’t allow a buyer to show up and tour a home on their own, aside from an open house. Part of that is to protect sellers, who typically leave when a showing is held and who don’t want strangers walking through their personal space unaccompanied.

The National Association of Realtors, as part of its proposed settlement, is requiring that brokers sign a “touring” or “showing” agreement before taking a potential buyer through a property. It isn’t a full-blown buyer-agent agreement, but will likely discuss compensation should the person touring decide to buy a home.

“The idea is to provide transparency to the buyer regarding compensation and where it will come from,” Moye said.

The Colorado Real Estate Commission, however, argues that showing agreements aren’t required by state law and are part of licensed brokerage duties, said Marcia Waters, director of the Colorado Division of Real Estate.

“That isn’t a consumer-friendly practice and if someone wants to see a property, they shouldn’t be forced to sign an agreement,” Waters said, adding the commission has told the Colorado Association of Realtors as much in a letter.

The Real Estate Commission provides many standardized forms the industry uses, but hasn’t created touring agreements and doesn’t plan to, Waters said.

“If brokers are using touring agreements, they have to hire a licensed Colorado attorney to draft those,” she  warned.

A tougher time for first-timers

Current homeowners who are trading up will typically have enough equity in their homes to cover the cost of an agent. They are also less likely to need hand-holding and can take on more tasks themselves. More concern is focused on first-time buyers.

“First-time buyers are those who need the agent the most. They are also the least likely to be able to afford their buyer agent compensation,” said Lindsey Benton, broker/owner of Live.Laugh.Denver. Real Estate Group.

Downpayment and closing costs are already a burden for many first-time buyers and covering agent fees will add to the upfront expenses that lenders still haven’t figured out how to roll into a mortgage. First-time buyers are also the most vulnerable if they try to go it alone.

The changes could revive less common practices, such as transaction brokers, who behave as arbitrators for both sides rather than fiduciaries for one side or the other, or using an attorney to draft a legally binding contract or buyer self-representation.

New technology-focused alternatives are already arriving. On the same day the NAR changes took effect, San Francisco startup Shay, which describes itself as the “first self-representation” platform for homebuyers, launched.

The tagline on its homepage is: “Buy a home without a realtor. Save $1000s.”

“Paying a real estate agent a fixed percent of a home transaction is simply a bad deal for many homebuyers. We enable homebuyers to save money by doing it themselves. This is similar to how TurboTax gives tax filers an alternative to accountants or Expedia gives travelers an alternative to travel agents,” said Peter Jeffrey, the company’s CEO and founder in a news release.

The platform offers more than 20 guides to help buyers with each step of a transaction and claims its AI models can generate offers, assist with negotiations and review agreements.

Adams counters that purchasing a home is the most complex transaction most consumers will ever undertake and having a trained professional assisting comes with important benefits.

“People will have more conversations about these things and understand what it means for them. That isn’t a bad thing,” he said.

Originally Published: August 17, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.



This article was originally published by a www.denverpost.com . Read the Original article here. .

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Mountain-town real estate experts give tips on selling properties in high-end Colorado

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What makes a house unique are important to include on online listings. This shot of a Breckenridge home demonstrates the view of Breckenridge Ski Resort that can be seen through the property’s large glass windows.
Tripp Fay/Courtesy photo

There’s a reason “location, location, location” has become one of the most-used real estate phrases of all time. When it comes down to it, in many situations, location sells. People in the market for luxury homes often seek one out in scenic areas. 

Location can help a property stand out. But in popular resort communities, many homes on the market can claim to have a great location. Many people wonder how they can give their property a leg-up on the competition, so Summit County real estate experts offered a handful of tactics people looking to sell their luxury property can deploy when the competition is also pointing to its backyard and the mountain views in the High Country. 

Aerial shots that give a bird’s eye view, such as this one of a home near Breckenridge Ski Resort, help buyers get an idea of what a property’s surroundings are like. Tripp Fay/Courtesy photo

Many local real estate agents emphasized the importance of maximizing curb appeal when vying for bids in a resort-town market. 

Dana Cottrell, a Realtor for the Summit Resort Group and president-elect of the Colorado Association of Realtors, said curb appeal becomes more paramount based on the price of the home. She said the more expensive the property is, the higher the expectation is that it will have strong curb appeal.

That means investing in smart landscaping decisions as you own the home, and, when you’re ready to sell, Cottrell said curb appeal also means getting rid of any weeds in the front lawn or driveway, ensuring the lawn looks well-kept and highlighting the property’s tasteful landscaping. 

Jim Schlegel, a branch broker with Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate’s Ten Mile Team, said outdoor amenities — such as pools or fireplaces — can also help enhance curb appeal. A property that’s set up in a way that facilitates large gatherings or parties is likely going to stand out compared to others on the market.

A still image shows off the living room of a home on Timber Trail Road in Breckenridge that is listed for nearly $20 million. Investing in unique amenities and creating artistic touches in a room are important parts of marketing a property in a resort-town market like Summit County.Tripp Fay/Courtesy photo

Cottrell and Schlegel said in an era where many people rely on the internet to scope the scene for what luxury homes are on the market, it’s also very important to evoke good curb appeal in a property’s listing online. They said the best way to do that is to get aerial drone footage of the property so people can get insight into it — and its surroundings — before visiting it in person.

Cottrell said that high-quality aerial drone footage is becoming a standard in the luxury home market — so much so that some buyers are starting to expect it.

High-quality visuals are important tools to both show off the uniqueness of a property and its interior. It can be the difference between someone opting to tour a home — or not. 

This aerial drone shot demonstrates a 6,200-square-foot, ski-in-ski-out residence on Snowy Ridge Road in Breckenridge sold for $12 million, making it the most expensive home sold in Summit County in 2023. Jonathan Huffman/Summit Multimedia

“A buyer could be from anywhere from London to Mexico City. … Being able to present that property fully and show it off and make it enticing is important because it can get somebody to hop on a plane from London to come see it,” Schlegel said. 

Schlegel generally instructs photographers photographing homes he is selling to show how different aspects of the home function through the still images. For instance, he asks the photographers to have the faucet on when photographing the bathroom, and he wants the fireplace to be all lit up when capturing the living room. 

He added it’s crucial to showcase all the amenities that make the home unique in a listing, especially if the unit can be categorized as a ski-on, ski-off property, which he said are generally the fastest selling in Summit County. 

Cottrell said it’s imperative to showcase the home while it’s at its prime in a listing, which is largely dependent on making sure the home looks spotless. She said even a small smudge on a bathroom mirror can impact how buyers view a home. 

Realtors that sell luxury homes say that outdoor amenities, such as fireplaces overlooking sweeping views, help make a property more enticing to buyers.Tripp Fay/Courtesy photo

Alongside ensuring that every window sill looks dustless and every counter appears immaculate, it also means taking out anything like family photos before staging a home and offering tours. 

“T​​he whole idea is you want a buyer to be able to envision themselves living there,” Cottrell said. “Having family photos on the wall can make that hard to do.”

While selling a luxury home can be tough in a market where “great locations” are everywhere, Cottrell said its useful for the seller to have patience. Luxury homes tend to stay on the market longer, so people interested in eventually selling should keep this in mind.

Editor’s note: This story originally published in the June/July Summit County Home magazine.





This article was originally published by a www.summitdaily.com . Read the Original article here. .

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How To Sell A House By Owner In Colorado | Bankrate

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Key takeaways

You don’t have to work with a real estate agent to sell your house in Colorado. However, doing so can make the process much easier.

If you take the “for sale by owner” route, you won’t pay a listing agent’s commission, but you’re still on the hook for the buyer’s agent’s fee.

Without agent representation, it’s a good idea to hire a real estate attorney to review the contract and other important paperwork.

Realtor fees are one of the biggest expenses homeowners face when selling their home, no matter what state they’re located in. If you’re trying to cut costs, you might have considered not hiring one and instead taking the “for sale by owner” or FSBO path.

There are pros and cons to this method: Owner-sellers are responsible for all the work a listing agent typically handles, which is significant. On the other hand, you’ll have more control over the process and won’t have to pay the commission for that agent. Here’s an overview of how to sell by owner in Colorado, so you can decide if going it alone is right for you.

Selling a house without a Realtor in Colorado

When you sell your house without a real estate agent’s help, you take on all of an agent’s usual duties yourself. This includes everything from creating the listing to preparing the closing paperwork — and everything in-between. Here are some of the main responsibilities you’ll assume with a FSBO sale.

Create your listing

Putting together a listing is one of the first things you’ll need to do to get the word out about your home. This involves writing a compelling description of your property that covers:

Basic information about your house: Its age, lot size, square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms are all important to include.

Special features: Got a hot tub for post-skiing soaks, or an impressive mountain view? Be sure to play them up.

Other relevant details: You’ll also want to add information about the neighborhood and local school district. Distance to amenities, shopping or main roads might be important in smaller towns, too. And if your property is part of a homeowners’ association (HOA), go into detail on that, too.

To bring your listing to life, include high-quality photos — taken by a professional, if possible — depicting both the inside and outside of the house. Buyers will see your listing online first, and if they aren’t impressed, they’ll keep on scrolling and never bother to come see it in person, so photos matter more than you might think.

But of course, the most crucial part of your listing is the asking price. How much is your home worth? To determine the answer, you’ll need to research local comps, or how much other, similar homes in your area are selling for.

Try to set aside your feelings as the owner and be as objective as you can when setting your price. The median sale price of a single-family home in Colorado was $548,950 as of January 2023, according to the Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR). However, prices vary widely across the state, so prices in your area may be lower or higher.

Market your property

When your listing is ready, your next task is to get it seen by prospective buyers. Start by putting it on your local multiple listing service (MLS), a database of for-sale properties in your area. Usually, only real estate professionals can access the MLS, but there are local and national services that will list it on your behalf, usually for a flat fee. In Colorado, these companies include Home Savings Realty, Flat Fee Group and Houzeo. Some firms have multiple packages to choose from, which might include yard signs, photos and more.

On top of that, you can promote your property in local community groups, on websites like Craigslist and on social media. Be mindful about how much personal information you share online, though — you don’t want to attract scammers or compromise your safety.

Next up: Scheduling open houses or private viewings to get home shoppers onto your property. Ask interested buyers to include their mortgage preapproval letter with their offer so you can confirm that they have the financial means to back it up.

Close your deal

Ideally, you’ll bring in a few offers so you can compare them and pick the best one. This part of the process often involves negotiating pricing, contingencies and seller concessions, so be prepared for some back and forth with the buyer’s agent.

Once you’ve agreed on a price and other details, you’ll draft a purchase and sale agreement. It’s a good idea to have a real estate attorney review this legal document — or even better, draw it up. An attorney can also look over other important paperwork to make sure your interests are protected.

Required disclosures for Colorado home sellers

As a home seller in Colorado, you must complete the state’s seller’s property disclosure form. In it, you’ll describe any previous or current problems with the house, including the building itself or its appliances and major systems (such as electrical and water). If the property is part of an HOA, you’ll also need to disclose that, and provide the buyer with information about its rules, bylaws and finances. Other required forms may include a green disclosure, which details your property’s energy-efficiency features, and a lead-based paint disclosure.

Do I need a lawyer to sell my house in Colorado?

No, you don’t need a lawyer to sell a house in Colorado. But hiring one anyway is a smart idea for all sellers, especially those who are going it alone. Navigating a real estate transaction can be tricky, with a lot of paperwork and complex contract language, and any misstep can have serious implications. A local real estate attorney will know your area’s laws, look after your interests and ensure the deal is completed correctly.

Pros and cons of selling a house by owner in Colorado

If you’re on the fence about selling without an agent, consider the benefits and drawbacks as they apply to your situation:

Pros

You’ll pay less in commission: Without an agent representing you, there’s no need to pay their commission. Agents typically receive between 2 and 3 percent of a home’s sale price, so based on the median price in Colorado, you’d save between $10,979 and $16,468. You’ll still have to pay the same amount to the buyer’s agent, though.

You call the shots: With a FSBO listing, you’re free to do things however you’d like. From pricing to marketing to negotiating, it’s all up to you.

There’s less back-and-forth: Real estate agents usually have multiple clients at the same time, so there might be delays in scheduling and communication. You don’t have to worry about this if you sell independently.

Cons

It’s hard work: As licensed professionals, agents know the ins and outs of the Colorado housing market and have extensive experience with creating listings, attracting buyers and managing the closing process. Without this knowledge, selling a home can be challenging.

You might earn less money: There’s a lot of money at play in a real estate transaction, and a negotiation misstep or mistake in your paperwork can be costly. In addition, according to NAR data, you might not earn as much on your home sale: In 2023, they say, FSBO homes sold for a median of $310,000, while agent-assisted properties had a median sale price of $405,000.

It can be harder to find buyers: Agents work hard to promote your property, and they often tap into their network of fellow agents to do so. Without these connections, you might struggle to attract buyers. In fact, NAR data shows that 57 percent of FSBO sellers sold to someone they already knew.

FAQs

Can you sell a house in Colorado without a Realtor?


Yes, you’re free to sell a home without hiring a Realtor in Colorado. But a FSBO sale require a lot of work, including creating and promoting your listing, showing your home to buyers and negotiating a deal, so make sure you’re ready for the time commitment.

Do I need a lawyer to sell my house in Colorado?


No, Colorado does not legally require you to hire an attorney to sell your house. However, it’s advisable to do so anyway to protect your interests in such a big financial transaction — especially if you don’t have an agent guiding you through the process.



This article was originally published by a www.bankrate.com . Read the Original article here. .

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