Jackie Long & trusted Mortgage Correspondent Lender Nicole “Kiki” Williams of The Hanson Planning Group (an Affiliate of Megaster Financial) send their clients a good giggle each month with these themed, entertaining & informative postcards. Brought to you by the patience, understanding & true talent of their darling dogs, Boone, Tripp, Grizzly & Mookie.
“What will you think of next?” is a frequent question! We haven’t duplicated a theme yet. We lost two of our original quartet, Molson & Blue in 2012, and were heartbroken to say good bye to Bear in 2013. The last of the old guard left us in 2018, our darling Woody. Our current fierce foursome have been proven prodigies since very young ages! We’ve had a number of guest appearances over the years, as well. And just to clarify, YES they really are fully dressed (hats, wigs, glasses & all) and are really posing like that!
These monthly postcards will not only keep you abreast of timely real estate & mortgage issues, but they’re great fun to find in your mailbox! Which is YOUR favorite? Collect them all! Email us to join the mailing list & receive the magnetic, year-at a glance Dog Calendar!
Also follow us on Instagram at Gone_to_the_Dogs_Denver!
November 2022
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog Housing Market
Rising interest rates have buyers heeling & sellers feeling like they’re in the doghouse, so we’re sniffing out the best way for both sides to get a leg up on the competition!
Our tails are waggin’ for the Temporary Interest Rate Buydown loan program, which allows borrowers to reduce their monthly payment for a limited time. The Buyer’s monthly payment is reduced by a Seller’s Closing Cost Credit (dependent on price). The Buyer receives a lump-sum deposit at Closing, or a “subsidy,” into the borrower’s buydown, or escrow, account. A portion of the funds are released each month during the first 2 years of payments to reduce what the Buyer pays out of pocket. Sellers offering this buydown subsidy make buyers want to sit up & stay at their listing!
A common buydown period is a “2-1.” The mortgage payments in years one & two are calculated at rates of 2% & 1%, respectively, below the loan’s full rate. The dollar difference between the rates is paid via the escrowed buydown subsidy. For Example: With an interest rate of 7%, the first year’s payments are based on 5% and the second year’s are based on 6%. After the buydown period ends, the payment is based on 7% for the remainder of the loan term.
And no one is kept on a short leash! This is a fixed-rate loan, not an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). If interest rates head downward dog, a Buyer can refinance the loan with no penalty & any unused subsidy is rolled over & applied to lower the loan’s principal balance. Now that’s something to bark about!
Kiki is the mortgage financing Leader of the Pack, offering this & other innovative loan options to help borrowers! Call Kiki today for complete details & a stress-free application process!
There’s only one Alpha-Dog in Denver real estate and that’s Jackie! With 20 years of experience, she specializes in helping her clients snap up deals & sink their teeth into the benefits of home ownership!
No bones about it, Jackie and Kiki are a fur-rocious duo always looking to help their clients jump on fetching trends! We’re your Keys to a Smart Move!
October 2022
Don’t be Spooked by a Changing Market
After a decade of hair-raising appreciation on the Front Range, increasing interest rates have had a chilling effect on a long-term Seller’s Market. Redfin recently reported Denver as #5 on its list of the Top 5 Real Estate Markets Cooling the Fastest.
Now may be the perfect opportunity for homebuyers hungry to find a new haunt! Remember, most real estate investments play out in the long game. A recent analysis by the real estate website, Point2, showed the median price for a single family home in Denver doubled from 2011 to 2021. That’s a staggering $94/day increase! And while prices have begun a slow descent into sanity, continual, frightfully high housing demands from a population still creeping up helps keep our market from a dreaded crash.
Don’t be terrified of higher interest rates. Have you heard the expression “Date the Rate & Marry the House?” Capitalize on lower list prices & then refinance your mortgage down the line when interest rates drop, as they inevitably do. Or use the funds Buyers used to have to scare up to write scary offers over list price or to cover any appraisal gap as an option to buy down your interest rate.
It’s a hauntingly familiar story: What goes up will come down! You’ll also have more listings to choose from with increased inventory; more negotiation power on price; and potentially more leverage in requesting inspection repairs if you find any nightmares. With mortgages harder to come by in economic downturns, you’ll also have less competition. A Strong pre-qualification from Kiki will ease Sellers’ minds who may be spooked by horror stories!
Stick with us to have a ghost of a chance for long-term success. Jackie & Kiki: We’re Your Keys to a Smart Move!
September 2022
We’re Changing Up the Old Dog-and-Pony Show
Stock & Real Estate Market changes are prompting many to pirouette their long-term investment & wealth-building strategies. With an Aug 2022 average close price of over $657k & rising interest rates, home buying can be a real high-wire act. The Ringmasters at the Federal Reserve have prompted a marked shift toward Buyers in the Denver area. The average close price actually down 4.53% from July & the average days on market is up 46.15% to 19 days. A normalizing market is a healthy market!
Don’t cannonball your home-buying plans yet! Consider new tricks to keeping your budget on a leash. Find a property to accommodate an Air BnB setup or a roommate to join your pack & contribute to expenses. Prices are declining from their Pandemic Peak, giving you the chance to roll over funds into a rental property for supplemental income.
Over 10 million Americans – 7.1% of US residents — earn money as landlords. Like home prices, rents are still much higher than pre-pandemic. Denver rent is now ~$2,005/mo, up 20.4% since June 2019.
Jackie & Kiki always look at each client’s needs from a Big-Top perspective. Finance any property with Kiki’s aggressive interest rates & circus-free application process. Plus, she has great tips & tricks to get your credit in shape to jump on the perfect property!
Check out this Fresh Air RE listing offering homeowners & investors a doggone great deal:
1385 S Clarkson St – Platt Park Opportunity!
$800,000, 3 bed/3 bath, 2,001 Sq Ft, Zoned for Auxiliary Dwelling Unit!
- Move in & Aib BnB the 3rd Bed/Bath with a Separate Entry
- Create an Efficiency Apartment for Air BnB, Short or Long-Term Rental
- Close to DU — Great Tenant Pool to Lease the Whole House
- 1 Block to Light Rail
- 2 Blocks to S Pearl St Restaurants, Retail, Farmer’s Market
- A 2-Story Great Room Big Enough for an Elephant!
August 2022
Write a Bestseller with Jackie & Kiki!
When you work with experienced real estate & mortgage professionals like Jackie & Kiki, you don’t need to worry about the Fine Print! Jackie’s Library of industry knowledge & interior design expertise help you Edit your home for sale. Buyers will Read Between the Lines when your home’s unique Back Story shines. She ensures you’re not Left on the Shelf in an ever-changing market!
Ready to explore mortgage financing? Not all lenders are created Sequel — Call Kiki first! She Wrote the Book on funding options & will explore them with you from Cover to Cover. Learning how interest rates, closing costs & product options fit your unique Story makes her analysis a Must Read to Plot your Fairytale Ending!
Check out Client Jesse Berger’s Happy Tale about working with us:
“Buying and selling a home can bring on a mixture of emotions. Having lived in Colorado since 1982, the recent sale of my home in Bailey represented my departure from the State I love. This was the 4th home I’ve owned & after making my decision to move, I was confident it would be a difficult sell. However, my own story of loss would have perpetuated negative feelings about the home & set the tone for the experience I was anticipating. Having worked with Kiki for almost 20 years with my mortgage financing, I finally had the pleasure of working with Jackie on the sale. Jackie’s positive outlook reminded me that my personal history & “stories” surrounding the home had no bearing on its ability to sell or to make a happy home for someone new. So, can you judge a book by its cover? Jackie’s impeccable taste in decor resulted in a beautifully staged home that sold in under 24 hours to ecstatic new owners! So perhaps you can! But the truth is, a home is more than just a place to live. It’s the story of a life & the history that comes along with it. Jackie truly understands this & created — by far — the easiest & most enjoyable property sale I have experienced. Kiki’s customer service & industry knowledge remain unmatched & I will continue to trust her with my mortgage needs. I feel so lucky to have two people I can trust to care for me.”
Read All About It! Jackie and Kiki are your Keys to a Smart Move!
July 2022
Unless We’re by Your Side!
You asked for a market change & it’s here! Higher interest rates have increased active inventory 65% from May to June 2022 while the number of Closed homes is down 12.42%. Our clients, however, are still having success in finding & financing homes, as well as finding Buyers for their listings in a single weekend or even a day! Stick with us to ride out market challenges & find your greener pastures! Take it from happy, repeat-clients Chad & Amy Calkins:
“Jackie & Kiki are the truly Dream Team for home buying. When we moved to Denver in 2008, we had the great opportunity to work with Jackie & Kiki for our home purchase. We moved to Colorado almost sight unseen. We didn’t know the area we wanted to live in, so Jackie helped show us several different areas until we were able to find the right one for our family. We lived in that home for almost 14 years but knew it was time to find something new.
We knew right away the only option was to go with Jackie & Kiki again to purchase our next home.Jackie was great with our targeted search in the right neighborhood. We found the house that we knew was the right fit & Jackie worked her magic to get our offer accepted even before all the other offers were in. She has also done a great job with selling our old home. Her staging helped tremendously & we were able to get an over-list-price offer right away. We never had to worry about the behind-the-scenes details, because we knew Jackie would take care of everything & it’s been a breeze!
Kiki worked her loan magic as well and we were able to get all our “ducks in a row” before our house hunt started, so we knew ahead of time what we could afford. She made our purchase so smooth we knew there weren’t going to be any surprises. We have worked with Kiki several times through the years with our first Denver-area home purchase, refinances, and now with our new home purchase. We know she will always work with us to get the best deal.
Thank you, Jackie & Kiki! You are the best team to work with in Denver! You helped us feel welcome when we moved here & have continued to make us know we are home and will be in Denver for the “long haul”.
Plus, we love getting our dog postcards each month & our kids look forward to seeing what each picture will be. Many have graced our refrigerator over the years because our kids liked them so much!
We couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with for our home buying needs!”
June 2022
Don’t Get Fleeced by a Baaaaad Flip
As everyone knows, house hunting in today’s market can make you feel like a lamb headed to the slaughter. Be sure to use an experienced professional like Realtor Jackie Long as your shepherd when navigating the flock of homes available to purchase. Don’t be duped by a skin-deep remodel!
Oftentimes, a renovated home can look very attractive as a move-in ready option with the hard work already done. But could it be a black sheep? Maybe it was renovated for cosmetics & the Seller has disguised shortcuts. Consider expensive items that may ram your pocketbook after Closing. You need to investigate obvious & hidden big issues, like windows; insulation; the sewer line; plumbing & electrical upgrades; inexpensive landscaping due broken sprinkler systems; or professional certifications for roofs & HVAC.
Of course, you should know if the work was permitted so it was done to current code & were licensed contractors used? Hiring an independent home inspector who’s an expert in their field is critical, whether you plan to request the Seller perform repairs or not.
By partnering with an experienced mortgage lender like Kiki Williams, you will also avoid predatory lending practices that could leave you howling mad after Closing. Many loan options offered aren’t in your best interests & should be put out to pasture. Kiki provides her clients with a complete spreadsheet comparing different loan products to ensure ewe come out ahead of the herd! Shear expertise like Kiki’s makes a big difference when you’ll be making those mortgage payments for 15-30 years.
Make sure you partner with professions who will give you something great to howl about! Jackie & Kiki are your Keys to a Smart Move
May 2022
There are Rays of Sunshine on the Horizon!
Rising interest rates have released a torrent of speculation on the impacts to our tight housing market. In early May, The Federal Reserve moved to dampen soaring inflation in the US, announcing the sharpest rise in interest rates in over 20 years. The Fed’s benchmark interest rate was raised by 0.5 percentage points to a target rate range of between 0.75% and 1%. The hike is the largest since 2000 & has home buyers feeling like when it rains, it pours!
After months of drizzling inventory, the number of listings actually increased an outstanding 44.26% in April over March 2022. The potential impacts of more inventory flooding the market are fewer bidding wars, sellers having to fix inspection items & a lack of appraisal gaps. However, as supply is rising like flood waters, so are prices. The average price of a single-family detached home is $825,073, representing a 3.93% increase from April.
These two fronts colliding mean we are actually shifting market weather patterns to a more responsible market. An increase in interest rates helps to limit inflation. While a higher rate can make borrowing money more expensive, it can also increase returns on savings accounts & certificates of deposit, driving a stronger US dollar.
It’s more important than ever to include seasoned professionals like Jackie & Kiki to wade through options to buy a new home; consolidate debt; finance home renovations; leverage home equity to fund educational expenses; or refinance to eliminate mortgage insurance thanks to rising home values.
Make sure you’re swimming with the big fish when it comes to your real estate & mortgage financing needs. Don’t get drowned out by a challenging market – call Jackie & Kiki as your first Keys to a Smart Move!
April 2022
Jackie & Kiki Smooth Out Homebuying Wrinkles
Buyer’s remorse is on the rise, as 75% of Americans who bought a home since the pandemic report two major regrets of their home purchase. Buyers often get distracted by a pretty package & find out too late the home needs more work, repairs & maintenance than they expected. Or it’s ultimately just too small to meet their needs.
Don’t get distracted by the glamour! When buyers see a house putting its best face forward with staging that shines, Jackie’s looking under the surface for the good, bad & the ugly. This includes checking the bones of a property, including assessing the HVAC, electrical panel, roof, windows, drainage & structural condition. Workmanship is also important, as you want more than lipstick on a pig! There’s no doubt buyers in any market must make some compromises. But it’s important to consider your future growth needs before deciding to shave off square footage. Jackie will help you decide which property wins the pageant & warrants an offer!
Like prices, mortgage interest rates are also on the rise. It’s more important than ever to partner with Kiki for your home financing. Qualifying for a loan is the first step, but that’s really just a root re-touch! A true mortgage professional like Kiki will help you understand all your financing options & how rates, closing costs, down payment & appraisal gaps fit with the home you’ve chosen. She can even help you with a credit makeover! Customer service & attention to detail are the deep conditioner of the purchase process so your loan won’t leave you fried. Don’t be fooled by lenders giving lip-service to a fast approval. Mortgage planning with Kiki is the foundation of a solid financial future!
Inject some sense, savvy & skill in your real estate transaction! Jackie & Kiki are your Keys to a Smart Move!
March 2022
The Sky’s the Limit with Our Wind Beneath Your Wings!
Looking to fly the coop & feather a new nest? Low inventory makes it tough to crack into the market. It’s essential for Buyers to get on the stick & scratch together their mortgage loan pre-approval with an expert lender like Kiki before you even look for your new place to roost. With over 25 years’ experience, her expertise & professionalism are no yolk!
People can’t stop raven about her easy-to-understand financing options & provides a refined digital mortgage process to make applying for & obtaining mortgage approval a breeze! Eagle-eyed sellers & listing agents want to know your financing is no lame duck. Megastar’s On-Time Closing Guarantee adds another feather to your cap! Spread your wings with the confidence of a solid preapproval.
Buyers & Sellers are coo-coo for Jackie’s skills to soar above the buyer competition! She’s a rare bird who’s stays on top of inventory like a mother hen & is perched to help you swoop in as soon as home hits the market. Timing is key & the early bird gets the deal!
Log on to www.FreshAirRealEstate.com & enter your wish list to receive instant email updates with new homes – it’s free as a bird! Trust her egg-cellent contract strategies & your offer will take flight. Sellers can rely on Jackie’s proven staging & listing strategies to make buyers flock to their home & go stork raven mad!
Use Jackie & Kiki to Kill 2 Birds with One Stone: We’re the Best Mortgage Lender & Realtor around & Your Keys to a Smart Move!
February 2022
Having a Cow About it Won’t Help
When it comes to today’s ultra-competitive real estate market, you can’t afford to waste your time, money or opportunities when fighting to find the right home. You’ll be submitting a herd of offers if you’re not willing to bet the farm.
Partnering with the right Realtor & Mortgage Professional like Jackie & Kiki means you have the best chance to get your offer accepted – right outta the gate – and avoid skimming the bottom of the barrel when you miss out on your dream home. Our offers don’t curdle in an agent’s inbox when they’re udderly amazing! You won’t have regrets with us by your side – take it from a happy client!
“I am a repeat customer of Jackie & Kiki’s & once again, they didn’t disappoint! I know many buyers are submitting lots of offers before getting a home, but not me. Jackie’s expert advice on competitive offer terms were spot on. Kiki had me thoroughly pre-approved for my aggressive offer & that helped to cinch it. The sellers selected my offer after only 30 minutes — It was a slam dunk! They were so organized with an efficient, streamlined process which made our 3-week closing a breeze. Time is money! Maximize yours in a tough market by going with these two professionals right out of the gate! Thanks ladies – I love my home!” Jayme Wood
Jackie & Kiki: We’re Your Keys to a Smart Mooooooove!
January 2022
Denver’s Market is a Tough Nut to Crack
They say love is a battlefield. So is today’s ultra-competitive real estate market! If anyone tells you we’re starting a new chapter in 2022, you’re being taken for a ride. We saw median home prices appreciate 19.78% in 2021 (DMAR Jan 2022 Market Report). December’s highest-ever average closing price was last month when it hit $626,573. That’s no bed of roses for home buyers.
In the real estate market, time is money. A LOT of money. If you sat on the bench & waited a year to buy the same house, the price would have gone from $455,000 a year ago to $545,000 today. That’s no small potatoes!
Jackie & Kiki invite you to see the world through a different lens & are here to lift your spirits! Jackie’s Buyers rarely write more than one offer as the terms she suggests you include are music to Sellers’ ears. Kiki’s fabulous mortgage products make you the apple of a Seller’s eye in a sea of offers. Kiki also offers financing opportunities to turn any part of your home that’s a diamond in the rough into a room for royalty!
Stick with us to still find a home in a smoking-hot market when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. When you have the best by your side, you’ll find the world is your oyster & think we’re angels in disguise! And since laughter is the best medicine, you can look forward to the coming year of Dog Postcards celebrating the written wordwith metaphors, puns, proverbs, colloquialisms & quips. Hard work is the key to success, but it doesn’t hurt to be smart at a whip!
Jackie & Kiki: We’re your Keys to a Smart Move!
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
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February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
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December 2019
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December 2018
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January 2018 – Here Comes the Year in Movies!
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A Look Back at the Dog Postcards Over the Years…
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In Loving Memory…
