by neil kearney | Sep 11, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle |
Last Saturday, my son Ben and I hiked in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area to the Arapahoe Glacier overlook. We originally were aiming to hike to the top of S. Arapahoe Peak, but the wind was incredibly strong and getting to the overlook was the perfect adventure for us on that day. We were hiking for five hours and enjoyed great views, good company, some well deserved snacks and some “blow me over” winds.
Arapahoe Glacier is at the far west end of the watershed owned by the City of Boulder. Access to this area of pristine wilderness is prohibited so to preserve the quality of the water. I believe that Boulder is the only city to own a glacier but I haven’t yet checked with Sarah Palin. I would guess that some towns in Alaska might have a chance to share this distinction.
What a great place to be able to be hiking in an entirely different ecosystem within 1 hour of town. Below are some photos from the hike.
by neil kearney | Mar 5, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle |
Boulder Area Hikes
Royal Arch
http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
The hike to Royal Arch is a Boulder classic. The trailhead for the hike is Chautauqua Park, located at 9th and Baseline. The hike is scenic, convenient and moderately challenging (although ice in the winter makes it more so). Royal Arch is hidden from view and is located in a notch to the South of the Third Flatiron.
From the Chautauqua parking area continue up the old paved road toward the Bluebell Shelter. Just past the shelter is the sign marking the trail toward Royal Arch. The trail is approximately 1.5 miles each way. The first part of the hike is through an attractive side canyon shaded from the sun. After awhile, you will come to a large rock formation and a sign pointing your way down into a new valley. At this point you have a birds-eye-view of NCAR and the plains toward Denver. After a bit of downhill you will begin to wind uphill to the arch. The view from the arch is unique and the hidden nature of the arch makes me feel like I found a secret spot. Give it a try, I’d recommend it!
by neil kearney | Feb 18, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle |
Boulder Area Hikes
Ceran St. Vrain
http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
The Ceran St. Vrain Trail is located Northwest of Boulder above the small village of Jamestown. This trail follows the South St. Vrain Creek and provides a scenic, easy walk through beautiful forest. The trail is easy by most standards and is a great place to bring your dog or guests who are not into hard core, lung-busting hikes. The trail winds through the small canyon and alternates between narrow sections above the creek and wider sections creek side. Dogs are allowed and it seems like at least half of the hikers when I have been there have had have dogs.
The trail is a 4 mile out and back hike. At the end of the trail you can hook up with jeep road 252 to extend your hike to Miller’s Rock or the many four wheel drive roads that connect in the area.
I especially like the tall, dense lodgepole pine forests through which the trail winds. I find it a relaxing place to spend an hour or two. In the summer there are some great tent sites with easy access to the fishing holes.
| Directions from Boulder: 5.5 miles north on Highway 36, turn west onto Lefthand Canyon. About five miles up Lefthand Canyon, follow the right fork to Jamestown. Go through Jamestown, continuing over the top of the hill and past the end of the pavement. After you get on to the dirt road, look for the sign for the Ceran St. Vrain Trailhead. Turn right at the sign, go for about 1/4 mile and park. |
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by neil kearney | Feb 13, 2008 | Uncategorized |
Short Sale Basics
Like it or not the short sale has become a part of the real estate landscape. The two factors that are driving this market are; (1) many homeowners are hurting financially and are in the process or in danger of losing 
their homes to foreclosure. (2) Mortgage companies are not in the business of owning and selling homes and want to avoid the losses associated with the foreclosure process.The process:
What is a short sale? A short sale is an agreement from a mortgage holder to accept from a mortagee less than the principle owed on a home. When the homeowner takes out a mortgage, they make a promise to pay back a certain amount with interest. During a short sale the homeowner asks the bank to take less.
You may run across advertisements of homes that have words to the effect of “subject to short sale approval”. A short sale is a process that takes time and requires patience and acceptance of uncertainty.
- Homeowner needs to sell their home but the current market does not allow them to attract a buyer willing to pay a price high enough to pay both the costs associated with selling and the amounts owed to the bank.
- In order for a short sale to be a possibility the Seller must be able to prove their financial hardship. These people cannot have the money available to make up the shortfall. Having money in a retirement account or in a college savings plan will usually disqualify a Seller from a short sale. The bank wants to see the writing on the wall, if we can’t make this work we will have to foreclose.
- Once a need and a hardship are established the next step is to establish a price that will attract buyers.
- Once a prospective buyer makes an offer, subject to short sale approval, the process begins. A packet of information is prepared to send to the bank. The packet needs to include at least the following; the purchase offer, a HUD -1 showing where all of the money will go from the transaction, the letter stating hardship and financial records of the seller. Individual banks may require more information. A complete and neat package will insure that your situation is considered in a timely manner.
How much time will it take? The time required for an answer varies. The typical time it takes to receive an answer is 6-8 weeks. During this time the bank varifies all information and completes at least one appraisal. At the end of the wait the bank can approve, reject or send back a counterproposal.
So what happens if the bank approves the short sale? The buyer and seller proceed to closing as usual. The bank then has two options with concern to the shortfall. They can either issue a promissory note to be signed by the Seller stating they are responsible for the shortfall or they can issue a 1099. With the issuance of a 1099 the Seller would need to consider the shortfall income and pay taxes on that amount.
No two short sales are the same and you need experienced real estate professionals in order to help you successfully through the maze.
by neil kearney | Feb 11, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle |
Boulder Area Hikes
Switzerland Trail
Sugarloaf Trailhead
http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
The Switzerland Trail is one of my favorite winter hiking/snowshoe trails. The trail is really a single lane dirt road that used to host a narrow gauge railway back in late 1800,’s and early 1900’s, when small mining operations dotted the mountians of Boulder County. The terrain is easy but with the added element of snow and solitude it becomes a great place to brave the elements and bring your dog.
The Switzerland Trail connects Eldora (near Nederland)and Ward and run’s a full 25 miles. But thankfully, you can hook-up at many trailheads and sections along the way. I like the section that runs from Sugarloaf Mountain to the Sunset Townsite. This section is about 4 miles each way and has many small trails that reach the valley floors and let’s you discover and explore the remnants of the area’s mining heritage. The side trails don’t get much use in the winter and they are a great place to get the snowshoe’s out and test the snowpack. During the summer, these side trails provide a challenging (steep and rocky) hike or ride.
As I mentioned, the walking (or biking in the summer) is fairly easy so you can soak up the view and enjoy the wooded forest. During the fall there is quite a bit of color visable in the turning trees.
The trail is usually fairly empty in the winter but I have been passed by four-wheelers. During the summer slow moving four-wheel drive vehicles make the trek.
| Directions: Take Canyon Blvd. out of town into Boulder Canyon toward Nederland. Just over 5 miles and after Magnolia Road take a right on Sugarloaf Road. Continue 5 miles up and then take a right on Sugarloaf Mountain Road, continue .9 miles up to the trailhead. |
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