Every market has its submarkets, and real estate has plenty: new and resale single-famly attached and detached; for sale and for lease office, industrial and retail space; residential rentals; residential and commercial land, etc.  And all of these have multiple other categories within them.  Usually when one submarket is struggling, others are offering investment opportunities too good to pass up.

The residential rental market is hot in Northern Colroado right now.  Colorado Apartment Insights LLC’s statistics show a vacancy rate of 5.15% for all of Northern Colorado, with the rate going as low as 3.69% in Loveland.  The following factors also make it a prime time to invest in residential rental property:

Changes in lending practices making it more difficult for some people to buy homes;

Apartment construction is down;

Job growth is up;

Echo boomers are coming of age to form their own households;

The supply of homes for sale is shrinking;

Vacancy rates are decreasing and rents are increasing;

Call a Group Realtor to learn about properties on the market that offer excellent investment opportunities.  And check out the list of foreclosure properties on our website. 

With low interest rates, increasing rents, and decreasing vacancy rates, this is a good time to purchase an investment property.  And the misfortunate of some people definitely provides an opportunity for others.  Homes that are in foreclosure can be a good investment, and the purchase process can be easily handled by your Realtor.  The Group, Inc. in Greeley has a Foreclosure Hotline manned by Realtors who are very familiar with the houses in that market that are bank owned. Simplify your search by calling 970-372-2838 to learn about these and take advantage of the opportunity to add properties to your investment portfolio.

Larry Kendall, Chairman Emeritus of The Group, Inc., has developed a sales course called ‘Ninja Selling’.  After observing Realtors for the past 35+ years,  Larry has created a formula to ensure a steady flow of business, providing a Realtor a good income and the ability to ‘have a life’ in the process!  The course is taught throughout the United States by Larry and other instructors who practice the ‘Ninja Philosophy’ and have been trained to teach its principles.

Several times a year, Larry teaches the class here in Fort Collins.  This week there are 150 Realtors in town who have traveled from throughout the country to learn the ‘Ninja Way’ , receive the training from Larry Kendall, and visit The Group’s offices. 

They are sharing ideas with each other, and learning ways to improve the service they provide to their customers.  They will go back to their companies and, in turn, share what they learned with others, who may eventually end up here in Fort Collins to experience the Ninja Selling course themselves.  

When Realtors work together in a cooperative environment, everyone wins, including the customer. One of the Group’s Partners organizes a weekly investment tour.  Group Realtors submit homes they have listed that have investment potential, our ‘organizer’ pares the list down to a half dozen or so, and all Group Realtors are welcome to join the tour.  The touring Realtors look at each property and analyze its investment potential as a group.   In the process, they learn from each other and gain a better understanding of our listing inventory and our real estate market.  The synergy that is created as a result of this weekly investment tour is just another way we are helping our customers buy and sell real estate.

At The Group, we believe the home buying process should be easy. As real estate professionals, having control over as much of the process as possible helps us anticipate and resolve issues immediately.  The many variables when obtaining a mortgage can be a challenge, sometimes causing unexpected problems on the way to the closing table. 

Two years ago, The Group, Inc. formed a joint venture with Countrywide with the goal being to create a “perfect transaction” for our buyers and sellers.   The Group Guaranteed Mortgage has loan officers in each of our six offices to answer questions, counsel customers, provide pre-qualifications, take loan applications, and give the best service available.  Countrywide’s processing center uses state-of-the-art technology to provide loan commitments quickly.  TGGM feels so confident about its service, that it is guaranteed. 

Interest rates are low.  If you are buying a home or thinking of refinancing, call one of The Group’s offices and talk with a loan officer.  We think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy the process of getting a home loan can be.

The Group, Inc. Real Estate held its annual real estate forecast on Monday, February 4, at the Budweiser Events Center. About 1,500 people attended to hear Chairman, Chuck McNeal, present our predictions for 2008. Here is an overview:

Forecast for 2008

Continued low interest rates, projected growth in employment, and quality of life throughout this part of the state will continue to be the drivers of real estate sales. These economic indicators, along with rising residential rents and falling vacancy historically indicate an improving market. Inventory will continue to balance throughout Northern Colorado as builders limit their supply, and foreclosures are absorbed.

While all of our challenges are not behind us, signs point to improvement. Builders, developers, buyers, sellers and investors who do their homework will find opportunity in this market. On the horizon we see pent-up demand and even inventory shortages in some price ranges and neighborhoods as the economy recovers nationally.

To view the video presentation by employers and community leaders from throughout Northern Colorado as well as all information presented at the event, visit the ’2008 Real Estate Forecast’ section of our website.