The Housing Market Index, which is based on a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, recently rose 1 point to 61, its highest level since November 2005. This Index is used by builders to determine when they should be building new homes. Given the unbelievable shortage of housing inventory, this is a good […]
Archives for October 2015
Solar Power Rankings
October 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
According to a new report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, the United States solar power market passed the 20 gigawatts of capacity milestone during the second quarter of this year. New installations of solar power during the second quarter nationwide totaled nearly 1,400 megawatts. Overall, the U.S. installed 2.7 gigawatts of […]
A Happy State
October 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment
According to a new study from WalletHub, Colorado is one of the happiest states in the country. The study ranks Colorado the 4th happiest state in America, and top 10 in the following categories: Overall satisfaction (10th) Lowest heart attack rate (2nd) Job security (1st) Sports participation (1st) Income levels (7th) Physical health (7th) The […]
Lower Heating Bills
October 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As fall and winter gradually approach, it may cost lower to heat your home this year. Natural gas prices were at about $3.20 per thousand cubic feet earlier this year and haven’t been above $3 in the last three months. This translates to upcoming monthly heating bills likely being a lot smaller compared to last […]
Best in the West
October 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
According to a new list by Money magazine, Denver is the best city to live in the West. The magazine rated Denver No. 1 in the West, calling it a mecca for Millennials. Did you know that Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers? What aspects of Denver were highlighted? Relatively affordable real estate (when compared with […]
Colorado’s Wind Power Rankings
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
According to new reports from the U.S. Department of Energy, Colorado ranks 7th nationally for wind-power generation capacity installed in 2014, and 10th for total wind power installed through last year. Colorado had 261 megawatts of wind-driven energy production capacity installed last year, roughly the equivalent of the power needed to serve 69,600 typical homes. […]
Be Aware of Closing Costs
October 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The average closing costs to buy a home in Colorado are $1,910, according to a survey by bankrate.com. Be sure you are working with a Realtor(R) who can help you be sure you are not overpaying. The survey asked for costs for a buyer with excellent credit for a $200,000 single-family home mortgage loan, with […]
Solar*Connect Shutdown
October 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Solar*Connect (XCEL’s solar power program that would have allowed customers to pay a premium on their monthly utility bills to support solar energy) has officially been shut down by Colorado utility regulators. The utility planned to allow customers to buy blocks of solar power equal to a percentage of their monthly power usage, from 25 […]
Solar Loan Market Exploding
October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
According to a new study by GTM (Greentech Media) Research, thousands of solar power panels were installed on home rooftops in 2014, but very few of them were owned by the homeowners. About 72 percent of the 1.2 gigawatts worth of solar power panels installed on residential rooftops were owned by third parties, with homeowners […]