Blogs by Author - Brian Lee Burke

Nov 10, 2026 • 5 min read

How Buying a Home Changes Your Life: 8 Benefits of Owning in Colorado

The benefits of buying a home go far past a front door key. Homeownership in Colorado changes your monthly budget, your long-term wealth and your sense of stability. Here is how buying a home changes your life, the case personal-finance author Dave Ramsey makes for owning, and how our Home Loan Readiness Program gets you there if your credit or debt is not quite ready yet. If you are looking for

Home Buying

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Recent Blogs

Nov 5, 2023 5 min read

Colorado Home Maintenance Tasks You Can't Skip

The maintenance task Colorado homeowners regret skipping is almost always tied to the season, not the house. A sprinkler blowout missed by two weeks, a furnace filter never swapped before the first hard freeze, or gutters left full of cottonwood seed through a spring hailstorm — each one turns a 20-minute task into a repair bill.Front Range homes deal with 300-plus days of sun, low humidity, inte

Nov 5, 2023 8 min read

Owning a Second Home in Colorado: Costs and Rules

A Colorado second home runs on a different set of rules than a primary residence: different financing terms, different property tax treatment in some cases, different insurance needs, and, if it sits empty part of the year, different maintenance risks. Here is what to plan for before buying a second property in Colorado, whether it is a Front Range condo, a foothills cabin, or a mountain-corridor

Nov 5, 2023 6 min read

9 Reasons to Know Your Colorado Home's Value

Knowing what your Colorado property is worth right now — not what you paid, not what a neighbor's listing said — changes the numbers behind almost every real estate decision you make. Here are nine specific reasons a current value opinion matters on the Front Range.A home listed above market value sits. Denver metro buyers watch days-on-market closely, and a price cut after three weeks signals a

Nov 5, 2023 7 min read

Modern Home Style in Colorado: A Front Range Guide

The fastest way to give a Colorado home a modern look is to declutter, swap in a neutral or dark color palette, and add glass or light-catching surfaces that work with the state's abundant natural light, none of which require a permit or a structural change. Front Range buyers respond to clean, uncluttered rooms because they photograph well and read as move-in ready, which matters in a market whe

Nov 5, 2023 6 min read

Buying a House That Needs Work in Colorado

Buy a house that needs work in Colorado when the purchase price plus a written repair budget, plus 15% for surprises, lands at least 15% under what the finished homes on the same street sold for in the last 6 months. If the math does not clear 15%, you are paying retail for a project. On the Front Range the surprises have names: expansive soils, clay sewer lines, radon, hail-worn roofs, and asbes

Nov 5, 2023 7 min read

How to Keep Geese Off a Colorado Rental Property

Geese leave a Front Range rental property in two ways: with a change to the habitat they land on, or not at all. Mylar tape, decoys and a single motion sprinkler rarely hold past the first week. What works is removing the reasons geese pick that lawn in the first place, paired with a deterrent routine a property manager or landlord keeps up through nesting season, and knowing which moves need a s

Nov 4, 2023 5 min read

Realtors in Windsor, CO: What to Look For

Windsor, Colorado, located just outside Fort Collins along the stunning Front Range of northern Colorado, is a thriving and rapidly growing town. With its reputation as an outdoor enthusiast's paradise and a burgeoning small business hub rooted in agriculture, Windsor offers an attractive backdrop for residents. The real estate market in Windsor, CO, is experiencing robust growth, with an anticip

Oct 31, 2023 8 min read

Real Estate Investing in Colorado: Maximize Your Profits

The fastest way to lose money on a Colorado rental is buying on a feeling instead of the numbers. A property that cash flows in Pueblo can lose money in Cherry Creek at the same purchase price, because taxes, insurance, HOA dues and rent caps differ block by block along the Front Range.Start with the numbers, not the neighborhood. Pull the last 90 days of comparable sales and rents for the specif

Oct 30, 2023 6 min read

Chimney Cleaning in Colorado: What to Look For

A Front Range fireplace gets more use than most people expect, cold mountain air pulling through Denver's Front Range from October through March, and every hour of use packs a little more creosote into the flue. Knowing what a real chimney cleaning service checks, and the actual cleaning schedule Colorado's climate calls for, keeps that convenience from turning into a chimney fire.Once a year for

Oct 27, 2023 4 min read

Winterizing in Colorado: Backflow Preventers and Sprinkler Blowouts

As the crisp chill of winter approaches, it's essential to prepare your home for the colder months to prevent costly damage and ensure the protection of your water supply. One crucial aspect of winterizing your house is understanding backflow preventers and adequately maintaining your sprinkler system. Please explain the significance of backflow preventers, explain their simple terms, and discuss