Should Boulder Rethink Its Housing Policies?

By Ron Rovtae
LoKation Real Estate
Boulder County CO

303.981.1617

Look out Boulder! Your housing policies are becoming unpopular! 

In fact, growth-limiting planning and zoning policies nationwide are coming under the microscope because they disproportionately curb construction of affordable homes. 

Boulder Housing Policy may be 
in need of a whole new look.

To encourage more affordable residential construction, President Trump this week announced creation of the White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing Development.

The Trump Administration is not alone in raising this issue. 

The Obama Administration expressed similar concerns in its 2016 "Housing Development Toolkit."

And the Joint Centers for Housing Studies at Harvard called attention to the relationship between planning and affordable housing when it released “The State of the Nation’s Housing 2019” Tuesday. 

“These constraints, largely imposed at the local level, raise costs and limit the number of homes that can be built in places where demand is highest,” said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Harvard group. 

It looks like a consensus is forming. So it might be time for Boulder to reconsider its approach to housing and growth.

Policies Boulder established 40 to 50 years ago seem increasingly out of date. And the negiative consequences of these policies cause increasing discomfort among residents for multiple reasons.

Even local leaders who still stand steadfastly behind these aging principles complain about consequences. 

Boulder housing prices and rents have soared. The affordable housing stock has diminished considerably. The city's efforts to encourage more affordable housing have grown more anemic as the costs of land and construction have soared to prohibitive levels.

Even the city's stock of middle-income homes is dropping. This also has alarmed Boulder leaders. 

As a result, many long-time Boulder residents are packing up and leaving every year due to the cost of living, especially housing costs.


Many current residents complain of traffic congestion in a city with a growing population but little geographic growth to accommodate additional residents.

And racial diversity has declined, even though City Council made diversity a policy goal three-and-a-half years ago.


Somehow, it seems unlikely these outcomes were envisioned when the current growth policies were put in place. But it also seems unlikely current leaders will come to the rescue without encouragement.

This is an election year. There will be a number of community forums during which City Council candidates will discuss their ideas about housing, growth and other pressing issues.

Hopefully, all candidates, including incumbents, will prepare some fresh approaches for keeping the city vibrant while providing housing across all levels of the economic spectrum.

If not? Well . . . it's voters' choice this year.

Please vote!


(I've intentionally made some pronouncements in the second part of this piece without stating statistics. You can find many pertinent numbers on the maps at the Joint Centers for Housing Studies at Harvard. You will have to mouse-over the Boulder area in each map. There also are many statistics in this older article. The Community Foundation's most recent Trends Report is also a great place to see the numbers. We can't wait for the next census report, if it ever comes.)


Ask Ron all your real estate questions: 303.981.1617 

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Ron Rovtar has been a leader in Boulder County residential real estate for more than a decade. He is a broker associate LoKation Real Estate in Boulder, CO. Ron can be reached at 303.981.1617. Or you can E-mail him directly. To learn more about Ron, please visit his website. For more about life in Boulder County and nearby, check out Ron's Facebook page. Ron Rovtar does business as Front Range Real Estate, Ltd. 

 Photo and Article ©Ron Rovtar


 #BoulderRealtors #AffordableHousing #Boulder #CityOfBoulder #Realtors #BoulderHousing #BoulderHomes #Growth #Zoning

Ten Great Ways to Reduce Stress During a Real Estate Transaction

By Ron Rovtae
LoKation Real Estate
Boulder County CO

303.981.1617

Real estate transactions are stressful! No question about it.

Here in Colorado, a state-approved purchase agreement with unremarkable “additional provisions” runs 16 pages or more. There are multiple stipulations, deadlines, disclosures, inspections, mortgage concerns, an appraisal and other important tasks and events.

There also are many people involved –– real estate agents, a mortgage broker, a mortgage underwriter, a hazard insurance broker, an appraiser, inspector(s), a closer and other title insurance company personnel.

It boggles the mind!

But you don’t have to go crazy keeping up. 

Each contractual stipulation exists for a good reason. Collectively they ensure your deal is wrapped up as pretty and neat as one of Grandma’s special birthday gifts.

So, while these tasks may seem onerous, time-consuming and/or confusing, they also offer you a high degree of security.

As for all those people? They handle many necessary chores. Don’t hesitate about asking for enlightenment when you do not comprehend what they are doing –– or why. Understanding the process can reduce stress all by itself.

Additionally, you can take a number of simple steps to reduce stress on your own.

Here are ten great suggestions:

1) First and foremost, take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Eat healthy meals at regular times. Take time for important relationships. Do whatever you normally do to relax or blow off steam: run, walk, hike, meditate, arrange flowers, read a book, play your favorite sport, have a good laugh, or even a good cry, if necessary.

2) Never hurry major decisions. And don’t let anyone hurry you. If you are not sure a proposal works for you, or if you and your partner see an issue differently, take the time to sort out your feelings or work out a compromise.

3) Make important decisions when you are rested and mentally focused. For most people, this is in the morning, but not first thing.

4) Talk to your real estate agent at least once a week, more often if much is happening. Your agent should initiate regular conversations. But you can and should call when the need arises. Between calls, write down questions when they occur to you and keep a list where you can access it next time you talk to your agent. Informed buyers and sellers sleep much better.

5) Read everything. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Then think about what you’ve read. Talk to your REALTOR®. Where necessary, talk to another expert. Get satisfactory answers to all your questions. Then reread everything before signing anything. Mistakes and surprises are really stressful. They often occur simply because a party to the transaction did not fully understand something that person agreed to, usually in writing.

6) Be clear about the difference between what’s in your best interest and the negotiating positions you’ve chosen to achieve your interests. Such flexibility lets you negotiate creative solutions without sacrificing your best interests. For example, a buyer may want inspection resolution work completed at closing, but may get a better result if money is provided to finish a job afterward when the buyer can better monitor quality and appearance. (Note: buyers applying for a mortgage need to talk to the lender before arranging something like this.)

7) Rely on friends, neighbors and family. Send the kids to play at a cooperative neighbor’s house. Ask a friend to pick up a few necessities during a regular grocery trip. Invite a close acquaintance out for a relaxing coffee break. People understand the stress you’re under. Most will happily help.

8) Don’t panic if you experience buyer’s or seller’s remorse. Take a deep  breath and reflect on your reasons for getting into this deal. Remind yourself about what you will accomplish by moving. Then sleep on it. Usually, you will feel better. If you still have serious misgivings, then talk your real estate agent as soon as possible.

9) Reward yourself for major accomplishments such as getting your home into selling condition or negotiating a purchase contract that makes sense for you. Treating yourself after passing a milestone will help you release stress that built up while achieving the milestone.

10) Close the deal as quickly as reasonably possible. Time is erosive to deals. It often seems as if the number of problems arising during a contract period is proportional to time spent under contract. So it usually pays to move things along with prudent swiftness.
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Ron Rovtar, has been a leader in Boulder County residential real estate for more than a decade. He is a broker associate LoKation Real Estate in Boulder, CO. Ron can be reached at 303.981.1617. Or you can E-mail him directly. To learn more about Ron, please visit his website. For more about life in Boulder County and nearby, check out Ron's facebook page. Ron Rovtar does business as Front Range Real Estate, Ltd. 

#Boulderrealtor #realtor #realtors #Boulder #Colorado #realestateagents #stress #stressreduction #transactions #realestatetransactions #selling #buying #home #homes #howto #reducestress #homebuyers #homesellers #sellinghome #buyinghome #boulderrealestate


Article and photo
© Ron Rovtar

Should I Ask a Real Estate Agent for a Reduced Commission?

By Ron Rovtar
LoKation Real Estate
Boulder County CO

303.981.1617

If you’ve read any post about “what realtors don’t want you to know,” then you definitely know real estate commissions are negotiable. 

It’s in all the articles! 

But here’s something the authors don’t articulate. 

Paying less may result in reduced services. 

This may be okay with you. But you should know what you will sacrifice. 

© Ron Rovtar

Here’s my advice: 

Be a good negotiator. 

Seek the best balance between price and value. 

To start, let the agent speak first. 

Learn exactly how the agent works. Then ask many questions about, home pricing, marketing, negotiating, customer service, communications and anything else important to you. 

Write down everything the agent promises. 

Add any other tasks you would like accomplished. 

Now discuss commission. 

There may be wiggle-room in the agent’s first offer. 

Probe for it by countering with a lower number. 

Make sure the "wiggle-room" does not cost you services. Do this by reviewing with the agent the list of services you previously wrote down.

Next, consider the service package itself. 

Maybe some extras can be trimmed to save you money. 

If so, negotiate further.

Finally, make sure everything you negotiated is in your written agreement with the agent.

And here’s an additional tip: interview multiple agents. 

Competition improves your negotiating position. And you will learn a lot about buying or selling property. 

Ask Ron all your real estate questions: 303.981.1817

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Ron Rovtar is a broker associate at LoKation Real Estate in Boulder, CO. Please call Ron with all your real estate questions at 303.981.1617.  To learn more about Ron, please visit his website. You can connect with him on Linkedin. For more about life in Boulder County and nearby, check out Ron's "Live In Boulder facebook page. Ron Rovtar does business as Front Range Real Estate, Ltd.  E-mail Ron.

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