Bruce Drogsvold
Broker Associate
Wright Kingdom
1844 Folsom St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 303.443.2240
303.541.1948
FAX: 303.786.8377
About Real Estate
Real estate is second only to the pursuit of happiness as the largest investment in people's lives. Yet in many ways buying and selling real estate is like fixing your car. If you have the right tools, knowledge of your subject matter and enough time to do all the work, you can probably fix it yourself. But you might prefer to just give the job to a good mechanic...or a good real estate agent. They can both usually save you money and headaches.
The first step to buying property is to find out what you can afford to buy. Contact a couple of your favorite financial institutions, banks, mortgage brokers, credit unions, etc., and determine your "loan-ability." If you go out hunting for real estate armed with a pre-qualification letter, or better yet a pre-approval letter, you are going to dramatically increase your chances of buying what you want.
The real estate market is constantly changing, and it takes a very short time for a buyer to get up to speed about present market conditions. In fact, a day seeing as few as five or six properties can be enlightening. Once a property has been found and a contract has been written and accepted by the seller, the work truly begins. From loan application to loan approval, from the title work to the inspections, from all the deadlines and the 1001 details to the closing table, everything must be carefully tended. Be strong, be patient but determined, and one day that property will be yours.
Imagine the sale of your property as a wedding day when your real estate gets married to a new buyer. You are the doting mother and/or father who must attend to every detail until the Big Day when your baby gets put on the market. A fresh coat of paint, removal of old carpet and tidiness are obvious, but the more documentation that you can provide, the easier it will be to comfort the nervous "um..." buyers. They will be looking for problems, imperfections, weakness. What will you need? Do you have a survey? Has the septic been pumped? How deep is the well? Gallons per minute? Potability? Utility bills? Easements? Road maintenance agreements? The foundation? Furnace? Hot water heater? Roof? Warranties? Blue prints? Radon? Lead paint? Asbestos? Insurance? Taxes? Flood plain? On and on...
Typically, you'll spend less if you prepare before, rather than after that special buyer has come into your life. Also, generally speaking, you'll have a stronger negotiating position if you sell your property before you buy a new one. Finally, price it right. It's no better for you to be high and dry than to price it too low. Get good market information from your favorite Realtor.
I've lived in Boulder County since 1972. I presently live with my wife, Susanne, two children, Lauren and Kirk, and their grandmother, Angela. During the past 25 years I've been a member of:
- Boulder and Denver chambers of commerce,
- Boulder Board of Realtors,
- Always Buy Colorado,
- The Naropa Institute,
- Boulder County Restaurant Association and,
- The Wilderness Society.
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