Northern Colorado's Most Amazing Farm Homes

Ever thought about getting a little space out in the country?  The country is closer than you think!  After seeing these homes, you might put on some overalls and take the back roads to check out these farm and ranch gems in Northern Colorado.

1245 N. County Road 29, Loveland, CO 80537 $1,750,000 - 5 Bed / 4 Bath - 70 Acres

22748 Co. Rd. 3, Berthoud, CO 80513 $725,000 - 5 Bed / 3 Bath - 7.5 Acres

3715 W. Co. Rd. 4, Berthoud, CO 80513 $725,000 - 3 Bed / 3 Bath - 10 Acres

4736 Rim Rock Ridge Rd, Ft. Collins, CO 80526 $1,195,000 - 6 Bed / 8 Bath - 40 Acres

Leadership Northern Colorado Graduates

2012 Leadership Northern Colorado Class Graduates

Fort Collins, Colo. – The third Leadership Northern Colorado class completed their six month program on Tuesday, June 26 at the Budweiser Event Center.  Twenty-seven participants completed the 2012 program and were recognized at a graduation event sponsored by Public Service Credit Union.  Leadership Northern Colorado has now graduated 85 participants.

Leadership Northern Colorado, a joint initiative of the Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland chambers of commerce, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County, is designed to build human capacity and to identify, define and address the issues facing the Northern Colorado region.  The program was sponsored in 2012 by McWhinney Enterprises.

The 2012 Leadership Northern Colorado graduates are:

Keely	Aggers	United Way of Larimer County
Stacey	Baumgarn	Colorado State University
David	Bruni	US Bank Community Banking
Kyle	Christensen	Make Change NoCo
Sharon	Courtney	Foothills Gateway
Royce	Danford	Kennedy & Coe, LLC
Alie	Daniel	Exodus Moving & Storage
Dan	Dennie	Banner Health - North Colorado Medical Center
Sean	Dougherty	RE/MAX Alliance
John	Drigot	Poudre Valley Health System
Isaac	Essay	1st National Wealth Management
Travis	Guerette	RLH Engineering
Bryce	Hach	Homeward 2020
Steve	Hayes	1st Choice Realtors
Gerry	Horak	City of Fort Collins/CSS-Dynamac
Johnny	Hyde	Burns Marketing
Julie	Johnson Haffner	McKee Medical Center Foundation
Alexis	Kanda-Olmstead	Colorado State University
Brett	Kemp	Flood and Peterson
Nathan	Klein	Loveland Commercial, LLC
Laura	McFadden	Security Service Federal Credit Union
Peter	Meyer	Brinkman Construction
Teresa	Mueller	Mueller & Associates, CPA, LLC
Jared	Reimer	Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors
Scot	Sanders	The Career Center at Colorado State University
Nicole	Yost	Fyn Public Relations
Marie	Zimenoff	A Strategic Advantage

The program was produced by the Fort Collins Area Chamber, the Loveland Chamber, the Greeley Chamber, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County with assistance from a steering committee:

Kristi Benningsdorf, First Western Trust Bank

Bill Becker, Security Service Federal Credit Union

Catherine Doering, First National Bank

Roxanne Fry, Community Foundation of Northern Colorado

Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Area Chamber

Judy Knapp, Community Foundation serving Greeley and Weld County

Jessica MacMillan, Great Western Bank

Sarah MacQuiddy, Greeley Chamber

David May, Fort Collins Area Chamber

Amanda Miller, The Place Setting Company

Dawn Paepke, McKee Medical Center Foundation

Nancy Patton, Public Service Credit Union

Lee Ann Sterling, Greeley Chamber

Applications for the 2013 Leadership Northern Colorado program will be available in the fall. Anyone interested in learning more about the program or applying should contact Ann Hutchison at 482-3746 or ahutchison@fcchamber.org.

About Leadership Northern Colorado

Leadership Northern Colorado is a program developed and designed through collaboration of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, Loveland Chamber of Commerce, Greeley Chamber of Commerce, Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County. The regional development program is designed to build human capacity and to identify, define and address the issues facing the Northern Colorado region. The six-month interactive program for 30 select leaders from across the region will focus on regional issues, regionalism and regional leadership skills. For more information, visit www.LeadershipNorthernColorado.com.

The Accidental Landlord Start-Up Kit

The term "accidental landlord" has become much more common these days as folks who have seen their once cherished equity dissolve have turned to renting out their homes without any prior intention. 

There are several situations in which these accidental landlords might come about.  Most commonly, these folks need to move for one reason or another, but they may end up in a short sale situation, or needing to bring money to the table to cover the difference.  Also, folks who aren't as financially strapped are now seeing opportunities in the thriving rental market and are willing to rent out their home for the monthly cash flow while waiting for the market to appreciate. 

Whatever the reason, there are more and more accidental landlords every day throughout the country.  With that, comes a whole new set of responsibilities, headaches and challenges, but it is very rewarding if done right.  Follow these guidelines to set yourself up for success.

Treat Your Rental Like a Business and Investment
As with any investment or business, you're likely to have an advisor or two to help you navigate the complexities of any situation.  Owning a rental property is no different.  Once transitioned into a rental, you're likely to face several issues you never thought you'd face as an owner occupant.  I recommend enlisting the services of a competent and experienced real estate or business attorney and a personal accountant.  These advisers will help you organize your new business, provide consultation on both legal and tax matters to help you maximize your knowledge and your return on investment.

Know Your Insurance
Your homeowners insurance policy might not cover the types of incidents that arise while land-lording.  When tenants occupy your home, there is a whole new array of damages, financial loss and accidents that can occur.  Talk to your homeowners insurance company and discuss additional coverages to protect you.

Create a Strong and Specific Written Lease
It's the litigious world we live in.  People like to sue and lawyers like people who like to sue.  A specific, written lease creates a legal advantage for you when problems arise.  It will also help the tenant know what is expected of them, spelling out all the terms and conditions.  Make sure to include language on payment (and late fees) and what type of maintenance is required for both parties.  Clearly state a beginning and end to the lease agreement.  There are several templates for leases that can be found online, however, I urge you to create specific clauses, statements or conditions that describe your individual property.  Your lawyer could also help you in this case.

Know the Fair Housing Laws
All states have laws prohibiting certain types of discrimination when it comes to renting or purchasing property.  As a rule of thumb, DO NOT discriminate for any reason.  Even asking a prospective tenant about marital status, religious views, familial status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation can land you in hot water.  Screen your tenants carefully with credit checks or background checks but never reject a potential tenants application without a valid reason.

You may be an accidental landlord, but intentionally following these guidelines will put you in an excellent position moving forward.  Best of luck!

Jared Reimer is a real estate broker with Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors in Northern Colorado.  Real estate is his passion and he always wants to connect with like-minded and savvy real estate fans.  For more information or to get in touch with Jared, please visit his website at www.ReimerRE.com or email him at JaredReimer@ReimerRE.com