Keller Williams Realty - Loveland Colorado

The Fort Collins-Loveland Airport is working on a one-of-a-kind “Wingless Flight” program that may very well take-off after recently receiving a $221,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to cover start-up costs. The vision for the program is to allow travelers to arrive at the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport, go through security and check bags, then board a secure bus that takes them directly to a terminal concourse at the Denver Internal Airport (DIA). As a result, travelers will be going through the arrival, check-in and security process with a smaller pool of people. Why travel via bus? The Fort Collins-Loveland Airport is located too closely to DIA in order to offer air service between the two locations. The “Wingless Flight” program could be the ideal connection.

Fort Collins-Loveland Airport officials now need to work with DIA, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), airlines and bus companies in order to turn the idea into a reality. Conversations with these key players have started and if a feasible implementation is agreed upon then the “Wingless Flight” could launch within a few years.

Source: Reporter-Herald, “Speedy DIA connection planned from Loveland airport” by Tom Hacker, 9/28/2011.

Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado is pleased to announce Joy Ferguson as the company’s new Relocation Director. “We knew we wanted Joy to head our Relocation Department the minute she walked in the door. Her dedication to a high level of professionalism and expertise in the field are self-evident. We are thrilled to have her leading our relocation team and expanding our level of service to the local community,” said Heidi DeForge, Managing Broker/Team Leader of Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado. Joy has a proven track record of over 10 years of success in corporate relocation.

Prior to joining Keller Williams, Joy served as Relocation Coordinator and then Relocation Director at john greene, Realtor in Naperville, IL. Joy was involved with major group moves into and out of the Chicagoland area. “Joy Ferguson did such an outstanding job for our company as Relocation Director. Her personality, ability to procure new business and maintain old relationships made us highly successful and respected in the Relocation Community,” said Reid Pederson, General Manager of john greene, Realtor. In 2009, under her leadership, john greene Realtor’s Relocation Department earned the “Crown of Excellence” award from LeadingRE (Leading Real Estate Companies of the World) for outstanding referral performance. “Joy Ferguson is one of the most professional, reliable and knowledgeable leaders in the relocation field. She has been an exceptional mentor to me, and she is a valued and admired member of the relocation community,” said Kate Santo, Vice President and Director of Relocation Services for Prudential Rubloff Properties.

Joy has earned her Prudential Relocation Specialist certification as well as the Weichert Relocation Resources, Inc. Relocation Specialist. For more information on Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado’s relocation services, contact Joy Ferguson at (970) 576-5418 or go to JoyFerguson@kwnoco.com.

How do you feel about taking over as Relocation Director for Keller Williams Realty of Northern Colorado? Beyond excited! Keller Williams has national recognition and a tremendous local presence. It is a company which has embraced technology and still maintained its core values. Understanding the importance of valuable relationships and having a highly trained team of real estate agents is key to the current and future real estate markets.

What attracted you to relocation over ten years ago? I was intrigued by the significant number of people moving because of their careers, and what this entailed. These tended to be employees with a specific skill set, e.g. technical, managerial, etc. It is vital to understand the additional layer of stress involved – often it means families having to sell their homes in one part of the country and move to another in a very short “turnaround” period.

What does Northern Colorado have to offer Corporate Relocation? Northern Colorado has private sector research facilities, world class universities, and a highly skilled labor force. There is a strong statewide commitment to making Colorado attractive to many industries. Of course the 300+ days of sunshine helps too!

As the weather gets cooler, some homeowners could be considering undertaking home renovations or updates before the holiday season. Here are a few findings about updates and home sales:

• Homeowners typically spend considerably more on updates to their home when planning to live in and enjoy it, with an average of nearly $9,000.
• In contrast, homeowners only spend an average of $3,400 when making updates in preparation to sell.
• The most common updates performed before listing were paint, flooring, and light fixtures.
• Although the majority of buyers were least likely to compromise on the location, 16% were least likely to compromise on updates.
• 75% of homes sold were either fairly updated or very updated.
• Sellers began repairing their home 1 to 8 weeks in advance of listing.

Source: Keller Williams Realty, Inc., “This Month in Real Estate,” released September 2011.

The Loveland Police Department received high marks from community members in the recently released 2011 Citizen Satisfaction Survey. The survey, which has been conducted every three years since 2000, is used by the department to gauge the wants and needs of the community.

Out of the 341 survey respondents:

• 93.1% are satisfied with the department’s general level of services.
• 91.9% are satisfied with policing in their neighborhoods.
• 77.1% are satisfied with the department’s quick emergency response.
• 71.9% are satisfied with police crime control in neighborhoods.
• 69.9% indicated police have adequate ethnic/cultural awareness training.
• 67.3% are satisfied with department handling of citizen complaints.

The Loveland Police Department has several community outreach programs. The Loveland Community Night Out, Citizen Academy, Fishing Derby and Santa Cops are just a few examples. The department also offers free vacation home checks. This program is run through the Loveland Senior Police Volunteers (LSPV). LSPV members are at least 50 years of age and assist the department in law enforcement efforts. Through the Vacation Home Checks Program, LSPV members provide free home checks during vacations for residents living within city limits. To learn more about the Loveland Police Department, you can visit the city website at: http://www.ci.loveland.co.us.

>> Click here view a complete copy of the 2011 Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Source: Reporter-Herald, “Loveland gives police an ‘A’ on survey” by Madeline Novey, 8/20/2011

The ‘Bridge to Windsor’ is newsworthy for Northern Colorado

Representatives from Weld County, Windsor and Fort Collins recently gathered for ground-breaking construction at the interchange of I-25 and Highway 392, also known as the bridge to Windsor. A two-year construction plan is underway that will transform the now small, two-lane bridge into a four-lane gateway to Windsor that includes:

• A bridge that accommodates two lanes in each direction.
• A left-turn lane in each direction.
• A 6-foot bike lane and 6.5-foot sidewalk on each side of the bridge.
• Longer ramps.
• Frontage road realignment on the west side of the interchange.
• Expanded carpool/vanpool parking area.

In addition to addressing safety concerns, the bridge improvements will open the door to retailers who have otherwise overlooked the area due to transportation concerns.