Tuesday, April 22, 2008

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TAXES: In 2007, the Assessor's Office revalued, per state law, all 41,000 properties in La Plata County. This included all taxable vacant, residential, commercial, personal and natural resource properties.



The Assessor's Office updated the value of real estate properties from the 2004 level to the 2006 level of value. This means that they used market sales to project the increase in value, as during those years there was an overall increase. Oil and gas properties saw a drop in value in 2007 due to slightly lower production, lower prices and increased expenses.



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Thursday, April 17, 2008

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SLOWDOWN: The first quarter statistics are out from the Durango Area Association of Realtors and sales were down. The total number of home sales within the city limits was down 45% compared to the same period in 2007 while the number of sales of homes in the county was 24% lower. The median price of homes in Durango slipped 5%.

While the national housing slowdown is do doubt affecting our market it is important to remember that we have just come through one heck of a winter. We had several buyers wanting to come into town and just couldn't get here. We encouraged them to wait until the snow clears and now we're as busy as ever.

Anyone thinking of purchasing in the Durango area should do it now.

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Friday, April 11, 2008


MELTDOWN: Downtown Durango will have a familiar sound as the 14th annual Bluegrass Meltdown kicks off today. Bluegrass music seems to be synonymous with mountain towns. We have several local groups that play bluegrass and even more that tour through the area. Blue grass music is fun, energetic and dynamic. Our annual meltdown is a celebration of the coming of spring with great music, food, beverages and good times.

This year's festival features two-time Grammy Award winner Jim Lauderdale and three-time Bluegrass Music Award winners, the Infamous Stringdusters. Scheduled performances are held at the Strater Theater, Abby Theater and the Elks Lodge.

The best part of the meltdown, however, is you never know where or when an impromptu jam session will pop up. Restaurants, street corners or parks - Durango will be alive with music. What a place to live!

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

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TIS' THE SEASON: As spring approaches we need to be reminded that warmer weather also brings back our old friend, the black bear. Even thought it's early in the season we had our first reported bear sighting last weekend. So, let's review living with the bear.

Black bears tend to frequent the Durango area when they come out of hibernation in the spring and in early August as they start packing on fat for their winter hibernation. Although they're here for their natural foods such as berries, oak acorns, plants, vegetation and the like, they've also found that we humans provide them with a food bounty of our own - be it bird seed, fruit, pet food, barbecue grill scraps and trash. Normally shy and secretive in the wild, bears have an amazing sense of smell and have learned to associate humans and their homes with food. Sadly, people unwittingly feeding bears NEVER ends well for the bears. Bears that pose a human safety risk or cause property damage in their attempts to get food are captured and moved away. If the same bear causes problems anywhere else after being relocated it is humanely destroyed by wildlife officers. Bumper stickers seen around town proclaiming "Garbage Kills Bears" are all too true.

Don't attract bears to your property through your carelessness with trash and other attractions. Safely store trash during the week and put it out the morning of pickup only. Take down bird feeders when bears are around or make them absolutely inaccessible to bears. Securely store or remove anything else that may attract bears to your home. The responsibility of coexisting with bears lies with all of us that have chosen to live in bear habitat. Be part of the solution and be considerate of the welfare of our bears and your neighbors.

If Mary and I can answer questions or provide more information give us a call or email. We'll be happy to assist you.

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Friday, April 04, 2008

GOOD NEIGHBORS: BP America will contribute $1.1 million to a fund to help low and moderate income families in La Plata County buy homes, the Regional Housing Alliance announced Thursday.

The money will go toward second mortgages for buyers to make up the gap between what they can afford and the cost of entry level houses in the area. The money is expected to help 20 or more families get into homes.

BP, a global energy company, is the area's leading natural gas producer. We're a good neighbor. This is one of the things you do when you operate in a community," said Curtis Thomas, director of government and public affairs in the Rockies for BP.

The mortgage program will be targeted at families that make between 80 percent and 125 percent of the area's median household income, or $49,000 to $78,000 for a family of four.

Those interested in receiving second mortgages through the Regional Housing Alliance should call (970) 259-1418

Reprinted from the Durango Herald-Katie Burford-Staff Writer

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

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EARTH DAY: Capping of Earth Day week, the city of Durango, in partnership with San Juan Basin Recycling Association, will offer a two -day recycle collection event for computers and additional electronics Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Durango Recycling Center, 710 Tech Center Drive.

Nominal fees are associated with some items such as televisions and computer monitors. Items such as keyboards, cables, cell phones, printer cartridges and cell phone batteries will be recycled free of charge.

For additional information, contact the recycling division at 970-375-4831

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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

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VALUE: CNN carried an interview with a Orange County individual regarding the economic and housing problems in southern California. People are out of work, foreclosures are up in Orange County as they are in many other areas of the country. One statement in the interview stood out. He said, "I can't sell my home for what it's worth."

It's funny that homeowners have no trouble adjusting their value opinion when prices are increasing but in a declining market refuse to recognize value decreases. Market value is the price at which a seller is willing to sell and the price at which a buyer is willing to buy. While often a bitter pill, failure to recognize and accept true market is a mistake most seller's can't afford to make.

http://HomesInDurango.com