Monday, August 28, 2017

Labor Day - Trash Collection

Labor Day Service

As we approach the Labor Day Holiday, I wanted to send out a reminder that we do have a Holiday Schedule Change coming up for the week of 09/04/2017 in honor of Labor Day. Due to the holiday we will be collecting trash and recycle one day later than normal for all communities. Your normal collection schedule will resume the following week.

Please put trash totes/carts out for service one day later than usual. Remember to position your cart four feet from any other objects, including fences, mailboxes and other carts, so that we can service it safely.

Safety is critical to Waste Management every day of the year. The holiday is a good time to remind children to give our trucks plenty of space to operate. Encourage kids to watch safely from the front step. Help them understand what it means to stay 15 feet from a truck.

Please remind children never to try to touch a working trash truck, even if it’s stopped. They should never try to add something to a cart while it’s being serviced. If a ball (or pet!) disappears under the truck, they should not chase it. Get the driver’s attention and wait until the driver indicates it is safe to approach the truck.

Need an idea for indoor activities this weekend? Check out our step-by-step instructions for creating your own Garbage Truck costume. Download the activity book too! Or create your own recycling-themed flexagon for addictive family fun.

Thank you for sharing these safety tips with your kids and neighbors. We wish you a safe and pleasant holiday weekend!

Friday, August 25, 2017

Garden Tips

Plant now for flavorful fall harvest

Toward the end of August and early September, conditions are prime to plant leafy greens, herbs, broccoli and root crops for fall harvest. These plants aren't made for the long and intensely hot days of summer. The late-summer with cooling night-time temps and shorter days with less sunshine offer them the right conditions.

Flavor note: Green leafy vegetables - kale, spinach, lettuce, collard greens and chard - also stay sweeter as the sun gets less intense. If you love your salad, plant these greens now.

Also plant broccoli and root crops such as beets, carrots and radishes. Since root crops take time to develop, read the seed packets and look for varieties that mature in 60 days or less. Root crops can withstand light frost and with deep ground freeze protection, can even be picked well into the winter.

Tip: Cauliflower, unlike its cousin broccoli, doesn't get a high rating as it takes too long to mature when planted this time of year

Herbs. Basil, parsley, cilantro, chervil and dill are great herbs to plant in late August. Just know they won't survive a frost unless you provide them with frost protection. Though we often have an early frost toward late September, we usually get right back to warm weather and good growing conditions.

Herbs are also easily grown in containers. By planting them in containers that can be easily moved, they can be brought indoors for overnight frost protection. Whether you move them inside or cover them outdoors, herbs can keep offering their flavorful harvest right up until a killing freeze. And if they are in containers, keep them indoors to enjoy throughout the winter.

Tips for late-season planting:

The most important step to get plants established is to keep seeds and seedlings evenly moist until the plants are a few weeks old.
Make sure the sprinkler system is adjusted to water seeded areas evenly.
Schedule watering times carefully to avoid over- or under-watering new seeds.
Apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer every other week.
Apply a layer of well-seasoned compost to nurture the soil.

Plan ahead for frost protection

With the danger of early frost increasing throughout September, it's important to be ready with frost protection before you hear the freeze warning a few hours before frost. Important reminders:
Use old sheets/blankets - or specialty frost protection available at garden centers - to cover plants.
Avoid using plastic as a cover because it offers no protection and leaves touching the plastic will frost.
You can even string old Xmas tree lights (not LED lights because they have no warmth) on stakes under the coverings to keep your plants really warm.

Don't give up on the growing season yet - plant fall harvest flavor in your garden this weekend!

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Real Estate News

Real Estate Investors: Main Street not Wall Street

Most believe housing is not only a way to enhance one’s quality of life by providing an enjoyable place to live, but also a vehicle to enhance one’s financial situation by providing an attractive investment. This month we will take a closer look at the investment aspect of real estate.

Of course, the most common way to invest in real estate is to purchase a property and live in it. However, once the goal of homeownership has been achieved, the natural next step for many is to purchase a rental property.

This can take on a few different forms:

single family home or condo leased on a long-term basis of 6 months to a year
multi-unit apartment building
the increasingly popular short-term rental property for Airbnb or VRBO

A recent, detailed study of the investment property brought to light some surprising results that contradict long-held perceptions of the rental property market. The key findings of the Real Trends report, the gold standard for research in the real estate industry, include the following:

The majority of rental property owners are actually small entrepreneurs who own five or fewer units. This statistic equates to 10.8 million investors representing 98 percent of all rental property owners, or 80 percent of all rental properties. This is vastly different from the perception that all property investors are large-scale Wall Street players with hundreds of units in their portfolio.
Out of the 43.7 million rental households, 15.2 million or 35 percent are single-family residences that represent 43 percent of rental residences. This segment of the rental industry is second only to apartment buildings.
The first rental property purchase made by investors is typically found with the help of others. Real estate agents are the leading source, followed by friends and real estate investment clubs.
Two thirds of rental property investments are made in the investor’s local area and 52 percent occur in the investor’s city or town. The role of national investors who have no location preference remains a small segment of the market.
Half of investors handle all aspects of property management, 22 percent enlist the aid of a third party for some aspects of property management (primarily leasing vacancies), while 28 percent have a professional do all the property management work.

Many Americans have a goal of one day owning investment property. That may mean adding to an existing portfolio this year, or not for another decade until after the purchase of a primary residence, but the goal remains the same.

The great news for Colorado investors is that we just happen to live in one of the healthiest housing markets in the U.S., if not the world.

A Refreshing Look at the Question “What is my House Worth?”

The year is half over, and the Summer market is in full swing. Let’s take a look at some of the stats for our area to get a better idea of what is going on.