Courage Classic, July 30 – Aug. 2
The 21st annual Children's Hospital Courage Classic returns to Copper Mountain for three consecutive, fun-filled days of cycling over three Rocky Mountain passes at the height of summer. About two thousand riders hit the roads from Leadville to Summit County and back, for a 157-mile ride, encompassing backcountry roads, challenging climbs and as always, picturesque views, all in an effort to raise money for The Children’s Hospital in Denver. To donate to the cause or for more information, visit www.couragetours.com.

Copper Triangle Bicycle Tour, August 7
The famous Copper Triangle has long been considered one of Colorado’s classic alpine road rides. Graced with 78 miles of breathtaking scenery, gorgeous roads and three challenging climbs (including Fremont Pass, Tennessee Pass and Vail Pass), the Copper Triangle exemplifies cycling in the Colorado Rockies. The 2010 ride works in partnership with the Davis Phinney Foundation to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease research. For more detailed Copper Triangle info, visit www.coppertriangle.com

.
Fridays at Copper (F AC)
This summer, FAC stands for Fridays at Copper, and it also stands for Free. Copper's FAC includes free music, free movies and free activities. Ok, the activities are almost free – just spend $30 in the Village on Fridays and you get free tickets to the village activities, from bungee to bumper boats. The free music starts at 6 p.m., the free movies start around Dusk!

Friday, July 30
 Friday Night Street Party – Enjoy free live music by Angie Stevens and the Beautiful Wreck, a Denver-based band playing Indie, Americana and Folk Rock.
 Burning Stones Outdoor Theater – A free showing of Breaking Away (PG), the 1979 Academy Award winning, light-hearted and heartwarming tale with Dennis Quaid, all about cycling.
Friday, August 6
 Friday Night Street Party – Enjoy free live music by The Matt Clark Band, playing Rock, Reggae and Blues, this week at Mulligan’s Irish Pub.
 Burning Stones Outdoor Theater – In celebration of the Copper Triangle, enjoy a classic cycling epic, American Flyers (PG-13), about a bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains.

Woodward at Copper
Make sure to check out Woodward at Copper, the first indoor & outdoor ski and snowboard camp on the planet with a focus on terrain park and pipe progression, for those looking to progress their terrain park and pipe skills in the off-season. Starting August 5, the Barn is open Thursdays through Sundays, for the 2, 4 and 6pm One Hit Wonder Sessions, Drop-In Sessions, Barn Privates and Skate/BMX only sessions, as well as Saturdays & Sundays for Barn Only Camp Days. Check out the new Woodward at Copper blog here: www.woodwardatcopper.com/site/blog/. To sign up for a session, call a Copper Mountain Vacation Specialist at 866.534.7444, the Barn at 970.968.3400 or visit  www.WoodwardatCopper.com.
www.CopperColorado.com

If you just want to have a single place for your names and addresses, something like Outlook would work well for you.  At its most basic level, you could even use Excel or 3x5 cards.  This basic functionality speaks to knowing contact information but not addressing interaction with the contact.

If you want something to help you communicate with your contacts, you need a product that has a function that lets you know when you need to call, email or mail contacts.   You might think Outlook does this but it really doesn’t.  If you are out with the flu for a week and come back to work, you would have to go back to each day that you missed to find out who to call, email, etc.  If you called a contact and they were out of town for a few days, you would have to keep track of them on paper as a reminder to call when they got back.

Act, a real contact management system, takes care of this with its Task List.  This is a list of all the contacts that you need to call, meet, email, mail, etc until you have addressed them.  They stay on your list until you have checked them off as complete.  So if you go away for a week, when you come back, you pick up right where you left off.

In my opinion, this interaction with contacts is the entire basis for having a contact management system.  So if it does not have this facility, it is a “contact filing system”.

Therefore, Outlook, Chaos and SharperAgent are contact filing systems.  ACT is the only contact management system that is available and affordable for individuals and small businesses.

As an EcoBroker, I am able to share with you some of the outstanding articles they have provided to us, this one is on enery efficiency and mortgages and how "green" mortgages are out there...please enjoy the article and please let us know if we can help you find your "green mortgage."  We can be found at www.YourSummitRealEstate.com 

Snapshot & Benefits:
Important and growing opportunities exist to incorporate energy efficiency into mortgages. Much of this work is occurring at federal and state institutions, but regardless of their action there is much you can do yourself with traditional mortgages, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit. You are probably aware of a recurring theme that energy efficient technologies cost a little more at the time of purchase, but that they pay for themselves over time because of lower operating costs. Current practice places the desires of many purchasers in conflict with the realities of monthly cash flow. While convinced of the benefits of energy-efficient technologies, many struggle to get through "first cost" issues. By using either a home equity loan or line of credit or a mortgage, purchasers are able to overcome initial costs by stretching payments over time.  Monthly payments are often less than monthly savings delivered by energy-efficient technologies, resulting in net savings.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems (converting sunlight into electricity) provide a great example. An initial first cost of $10-$20,000 can be daunting to a homeowner who normally must wait 10 to 20 years for savings in electric bills to accumulate to a "break even" point. By incorporating the solar photovoltaic system's "first cost" into a 20- or 30-year mortgage, the incremental monthly cost of solar can be less than the monthly savings on the electric bill.

Estimated Cost Savings:
Your financing method can alter important decisions about what you can or cannot afford. It can make the difference between investing in energy-efficiency and/or renewable energy technologies or not. The housing industry has long known that few individuals can pay cash for a house at the time of purchase, yet buyers know instinctively that they will be better off in a home of their own than in a rented apartment. Imagine how the home building industry would suffer if buyers had to pay "up front" or had to make their own arrangements in financial markets. Using a mortgage as a means of stretching out payments for energy-efficient technologies can save you a lot of money and allow you to enjoy benefits.

Issues:
For new homes, wrapping efficiency and renewable energy into a mortgage may be relatively easy. Organizations such as the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Fannie Mae, Energy Star® , and others offer energy efficient mortgage options for homes that qualify. For existing homes, the most readily available option is to use a home equity loan or line of credit. Residential energy efficiency improvement loans are available through some utility companies partnering with Fannie Mae. For more information on the growing number of energy efficient mortgage and loan options, please see our topic page on "Energy Efficient Mortgages."

Regional Issues:
Depending upon how progressive your regional financial institutions are, you may have difficulty in getting the very best rates. However, armed with information about performance and payback, you may be able to negotiate a rate more favorable than what the bank was originally willing to offer.

Be encouraged by the story of seat belts in automobiles in the 1960s. Initially widely resisted by car manufacturers, safety and security are now critical to making new vehicles attractive to all types of buyers. Today, no car, regardless of how low its price, can succeed without a high level of safety equipment. Like seat belts in the 1960s, energy efficiency is emerging as a new area of competition.

Installation (Getting It Done):
Be sure to consult with two or three (or more) or mortgage companies to discover your range of options. Bigger investments are likely to stretch over longer periods.

More Information On This Topic:

American Homeowners Association - Make the Most of Your Home Equity

Stimulus Package Sets Aside Money for Consumers
How could the stimulus package boost green technology? Money for weatherization and energy efficiency improvements are two areas where homeowners may benefit from the stimulus package. Read more...

Could Your Business be “Green Certified?”
Is there an authority that certifies a company as green? The wheels are in motion, says Andrea Green, president of Globally Green Consulting of Los Angeles. According to Green in a recent Los Angeles Times article, green business certifications are “just getting going.” Read how your business could become green certified soon.

Does Cutting Costs Override Green Business Travel?
Green business travel is a mid-level priority for some companies but, for now, the high costs of green travel is still a deterrent, according to a new survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS (an e-commerce software provider for corporate travel and expense). “The survey, which canvassed 300 travel managers and business travelers worldwide, finds that greener travel options such as high speed rail are suffering in the recession as organizations prioritize cost-saving over sustainability.” Read the entire article here.

NAHB National Green Building Standard™ Earns Approval
The National Green Building Standard™ for all residential construction work including single-family homes, apartments and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation was approved recently by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The approval signals a new era for the nation’s builders, remodelers and developers and also provides an extra measure of reassurance for home buyers, said Joe Robson, a home builder in Tulsa, Okla., and chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). A more expansive third-party rating system opens up more opportunities for homebuilders and remodelers to achieve green certification. Read the entire article here.

Lattes in Hot Water Conservation?
You may count yourself among the concerned regarding our planet’s water conservation but has that ever led you to ponder how many gallons are used to create your morning latte? “It’s just a few ingredients,” you say. But have you considered what’s required to make and distribute all the ingredients? And the cup? And the lid? And the sleeve? Find out how many gallons of water it takes to make one latte here.

More Headlines:

High-Tech and Green Lobbies Have Obama's Ear

Five Good Ways to Get Green Power Into Your Home

Will the Stimulus Benefit Homeowners and Buyers?

Washington Report: Non-Repayable Tax Credit

Washington Post and Trulia Announce Real Estate Partnership

Friday the 23 features a Gymkhana Rally in Breckenridge called “Funkana” and a pit crew challenge in the Beaver Run parking area.  On Saturday, the cars will compete in the Keystone Convention Center in a closed circuit rally.  The week end finishes with a concourse on Main Street in Frisco where the proud owners will compete for show honors. 

Stop by the Keller Williams Top of the Rockies  office for a cold drink while you are touring the automobiles.  It is a great weekend and a good excuse to come up and enjoy the best of the Colorado mountains.

http://www.powerlawofattraction.com/ build grow

So, if one of your dreams is owning a Colorado Mountain home, in Summit County, picture the home, the setting, the view, how you will use the home and the feelings all this produces.  Send these feelings (vibrations) into the universe and continually bring up these positive vibrations up and sent them out.  You may be amazed how well this works.  Answer this blog and let us know if this works for you.

http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2009073101

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates go up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It's important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial "comfort zone." To that end, it may be more important to lock in today's relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give us a call here at Keller Williams Top of the Rockies if we can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today's market.  Our office number is 970.368.7000.

Historic Park and Museum with schoolhouse, jail, and chapel to walk through and imagine how it was for the settlers. 2^nd & Main 970-668-3428

 Historic walk.  Pick up a map at the information center.  300 Main St. 970-668-5547

Visit the seven parks in Frisco, bring a picnic and play with most parks offering tables and grills

Hike from Frisco on one of many trails including Rainbow Lake, Ten Mile, Mason Town, the recreation path to Breckenridge, Dillon, or Copper Mountain.  Visit the information center for a detailed map. 300 Main St. 970 668-5547

View the art of glass blowing at GatherHouse Glassblowing Studio & Gallery.  110 2^nd Ave 970-485-2909

Visit “What’s Needling U” for a knitting session on Wednesdays from 2pm-4pm.  279 Main St.  970-668-0381

 Take a trip on our fee bus the Summit Stage and get a great look at the County.  View the schedule at www.summitstage.com

Go fishing in Ten Mile Creek or Lake Dillon

Kids Story Hour at the Frisco Library on Wednesdays. County Commons on Park One Blvd. 970-668-5555

Stroll down Main Street and do a little window shopping in our unique shops.

Extending the deadline to September 30 ensures homebuyers can take advantage of the tax credit by allowing lenders to catch up on the huge volume of loan applications waiting to be processed.
However, this extension only pertains to qualified homebuyers with existing contracts who for some reason weren't able to close the deal before June 30, 2010 –  sorry, those who were not under contract on or before April 30, 2010 are not eligible to receive the tax credit.

Thanks!  Have a safe Fourth of July!

Frisco’s Fourth of July Schedule
Sunday,  July 4th on Frisco Main Street

9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Kids Fishing Derby – Meadow Creek Park (Kids must bring poles)
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Live Entertainment – TBD   – Frisco Historic Park
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - Live Entertainment – TBD  - Frisco Historic Park
12:30 p.m. – Fourth of July Parade – Main Street from Madison to 6th Ave.
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. -Live Entertainment – TBD  - Frisco Historic Park
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Live Entertainment – TBD  - Frisco Bay Marina
9:30 p.m. – Frisco’s Fireworks over Dillon Reservoir. Best Views are from the Frisco Bay Marina.

Ranked the18th best Art Fair in the United States by Art Fair Sourcebook!

Friday- Sunday July 2,3,4, 2010

10 am – 6 pm daily
Downtown Breckenridge in the heart of the Breckenridge Arts District - Ridge Street and Washington. Free Admission

Don’t miss this longstanding Art Festival, a crowning jewel of the holiday weekend in Breckenridge!

The 27th Annual Breckenridge July Art Festival is annually ranked one of the top art shows in the United States. In 2009 this show was ranked 18th in the nation by the Art Fair Sourcebook.

This year,we are very excited about our new location in the center of Breckenridge at Ridge Street and Washington Avenue – in the heart of the Breckenridge Arts District!  Mountain Art Festivals is collaborating with the Town of Breckenridge and Friends of the Arts District to enliven and enrich the Arts District on the July 4th weekend.  

This high quality festival will offer a wide range of art mediums such as painting, metal, wood, glass, ceramics, sculpture, photography and jewelry just to name a few. Click here for a 2010 participating artist list.   (My son is in this show!!)

 In addition to the Art Festival, the Arts District will hold artists demonstrations, a chalk art contest and other activities throughout the weekend which will highlight both the Art Festival and the Arts District.  Town of Breckenridge Arts District for more information.

Looking for a residence in Breckenridge near this location, please check out our website at www.YourSummitRealEstate.com for more information on our listings in Breckenridge....Thanks!

3 Ring Weekend, July 2 – 4: Following the "3 Rings" of The Copper Environmental Foundation's credo - connect, respect, protect - Copper's 3 Ring Weekend is full of eco-'edutainment,' hands-on activities promoting movement, creativity & learning, a mountain carnival atmosphere and live music from Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs, The Martini Shot, Rojos Calientes and Spin Cycle with DJ Laundry. Free family fun also includes the Primp My Ride kid-powered parade and fireworks on Saturday. www.3ringweekend.com

Copper Mountain Half Marathon and Trail 10k, July 3 – 4: In conjunction with 3 Ring Weekend, the Copper Mountain Half Marathon and Trail 10K returns for another great year of competition. In addition to the half marathon through the scenic Rocky Mountains, runners can test their skills with a 10k trail run, and the kids MaraFun. The exhilarating course starts and finishes in the heart of the Village at Copper. www.copperhalf.com

Fridays at Copper (F AC): This summer, F AC. stands for Fridays at Copper, and it also stands for Free. Copper's F AC. includes free music, free movies and free activities. Ok, the activities are almost free – just spend $30 in the Village on Fridays and you get free tickets to the village activities, from bungee to bumper boats.

Friday, July 2
 Friday Night Street Party – Rojos Calientes, Summit County's most exciting, innovative and respected acoustic band, blending Bluegrass, Latin and Folk Rock, at West Lake.
 Burning Stones Outdoor Theater – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (G)

Friday, July 9

 Friday Night Street Party - Angie Stevens and the Beautiful Wreck, a Denver-based band playing Indie, Americana and Folk Rock, on the patio of Endo’s. Burning Stones Outdoor Theater – Hairspray (PG)

Woodward at Copper: Make sure to check out Woodward at Copper, the first indoor & outdoor ski and snowboard camp on the planet with a focus on terrain park and pipe progression, offering week-long Summer Camps for those looking to progress their terrain park and pipe skills in the off-season, as well as the New Woodward at Copper skate and cheer camps. In addition, the Barn is open for Drop-In and One Hit Wonder sessions on Saturdays at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. during the summer. To sign up call a Copper Mountain Vacation Specialist at 866.534.7444 or The Barn at 970.968.3400, or visit www.WoodwardatCopper.com.
Mountain Bike Trails Now Open: Copper’s Mountain Bike Trails are open for the summer season, including Red Tail, Fat Marmot, Elk Alley and A-Road. Hours of Operation are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily (weather permitting). Mountain Bike tickets can be purchased at Guest Services inside Copper Sports – Center Village (formerly the MAC).
www.CopperColorado.com

Want to know the status of I70 before you get on the road?  Check www.GoI70.com for current travel speeds by segment of highway, learn where delays might be, have text messages passed to your phone when conditions change or join a social network to get real time info on conditions/happenings on the highway.  Already on the road? Use www.GoI70.com/mobile. 

As most of you know, I 70 is only congested at specific time of the week and seasons of the year so traffic can easily be avoided.  The website’s blog gives a detailed travel forecast in advance of each weekend and holiday to help those coming from the Front Range plan their trip and avoid the jam.  One of our daily message for the Saturday and Sunday eastbound traveler is “leave after 6:00, home by 8:00”.

The added benefit is that this encourages our guests to reamin in the County and visit our Summit County business.  Please help spread the word.

“GoI70.com – More mountains less traffic.”

If you would like to know more about Summit County and want to, truly avoid All traffic, contact a realtor about the tremendous opportunity to purchase a vacation or investment property in our beautiful mountains, find us at www.YourSummitRealEstate.com. 

  “Zero trans fat.”  That may be true but it could mean the product is high in saturated fat.  Be sure to read the Nutrition Facts label for the full story.

  “Low calorie” or “Reduced fat.”  Compared to what?  Chances are the company has a previous, higher calorie version of the product. 

   “Made with real fruit.”  That may be in the form of a concentrate and the primary ingredient may be sugar.  You’re better off eating an apple.

“Natural.”  This word isn’t regulated.  To be sure a product is natural, buy from a local farmer or buy food that is certified organic by the USDA. 

    Ingredient label tricks.  Since ingredients are listed in order of their proportion in the product, the first three are what you’re primarily eating.

 A manufacturer may use various sugars (sucrose, high-fructose cornsyrup, dextrose etc.) in the product so the word “sugar” isn’t listed first.

 Combining healthy ingredients. The actual amount of the healthy ingredients may put them at the end of the list. By combining them into a “blend” or “mix” they can make it to the top.

  “Yeast extract.” It’s a labeling trick to hide monosodium glutamate (MSG), which can cause side effects for people sensitive to this additive.

     Using the word “wheat.” All flour derived from wheat can be called “wheat flour,” even if it’s processed.  The key is to look for “whole grain wheat flour” on the ingredient list to make sure you’re eating whole wheat.

Looking for property in Summit County, CO??  Leave the rest and talk to the BEST!  Keller Williams top of the Rockies at www.YourSummitRealEstate.com.

There's no question that it could be more difficult for you to get a mortgage loan if you are a free lance viola player than if you are a government accountant. Traditionally, lenders have been more cautious when evaluating loan applications of buyers who are self-employed than people who work for a regular salary.

However, if you are self-employed, there is no reason for you to shy away from applying for a home mortgage loan, especially if your earnings have been in the same field for at least two years. It is a good idea to meet with one or more loan officers before you begin your search. They will probably want to analyze your tax returns for the past 2 or 3 years, keeping in mind that many self employed people can look impoverished on paper, since you can write off some expenses that salaried individuals can not. Try to get pre-approval from the lender, and ask for a letter stating that you have pre-qualified for a loan which your real estate agent can attach to any offer you submit on a home. This will make you more attractive to the sellers.

Let us help you with your home search...we can be found at www.yoursummitrealestate.com.  Thanks!

Mattresses and Box Springs:  Mattresses are made of recyclable materials, such as wire, paper, and cloth.  Not all cities accept them for recycling.  (Go to www.earth911.org to find out if yours does)

Metal Flatware:  If you are retiring your old forks, knives and spoons, you can usually recycle them with other scrap metal.

Milk Cartons with Plastic Spouts and Caps:  Take off and throw away the cap, don’t worry about the spout-it will be filtered out in the process of recycling.  As for the carton, check hour local recycling rules to see whether you should toss with plastics and metals or with paper.

Mirrors:  These are not recyclable through most municipal recyclers, because chemicals on the glass cannot be mixed with glass bottles and jars.  You can donate them to second hand stores, of course.  If the mirror is broken (is it still 7 years bad luck?) put it in a paper bag for the safety of your trash collectors.

We will need to wait for the next article on recycling from A-Z—we are at the end for now.

More recycling tips: L

Leather Accessories:  Are your leather goods gently worn?  Take them to be fixed.  Are they beyond repair?  They have to be thrown in the trash—no recycling option.  (A product labeled ‘recycled leather” is often made from scraps left over from the manufacturing process, which is technically considered recyceled).  You can donate your gently used shoes to www.soles4souls.org, a non profit that collects used footwear and distributes it to needy communities.

Just goes to show, it CAN and WILL snow any given month here in the high country of Colorado.  Come join us so you too can enjoy the weird weather we have here!  Naw, just kidding, the weather isn't any weirder here than anywhere else, at least we don't/haven't encountered any tornadoes and hurricanes!! 

Looking for bargains on real estate in Summit County, CO?  Give us a call at 970.368.7000 or visit us at www.GetYourSummitHomes.com. 

Thanks and here's to warmer and drier air!
Betty