Email: Forgetting Something?

        

We live and die by our computers, smart phones, and tablets.  We bank and conduct thousands of dollars of business every day online.  We connect via Bluetooth to our cars and wireless speakers and headphones.  We are on Snapchat, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Musicly, and a bunch of other sites 24/7, but it’s time to revisit a basic basic --- email.  I personally receive over 200 emails a day regularly, but it wasn’t until I got hacked (this morning!) that I finally changed my password after almost 2 years. 

How long has it been for you?  I would bet most people haven’t changed in over a year on their email alone!  Here are some basic tips for safer email as suggested by Deborah Gales of Red Earth Software, Inc. along with, of course, changing your password on a regular basis!

1. Stop Spam & Phishing Emails

Spam is not only a nuisance; it can also pose security risks. Phishing emails entice recipients to click on malicious links and provide credentials or confidential information, which can result in security breaches.

2. Use a Multi-Antivirus Scanner

With new threats being introduced daily, it is important to use multiple antivirus engines in order to increase the rate of detection and reduce the window of vulnerability. Since email is one of the main sources of malware, it is advisable to use a fast performance multi-antivirus scanner to scan incoming email attachments for email-borne threats. Read more about why multi-scanning is essential for email security.

3. Check for Confidential Content

Make sure that no confidential content is sent via email by checking emails and attachments for sensitive information such as social security numbers and credit card data.

4. Prevent Targeted Attacks

Zero-day and targeted attacks can go undetected by anti-malware engines, since they are only sent out to specific groups and individuals. In order to protect against these unknown threats, email attachments should be "sanitized" by converting to a different file format and removing any possible embedded threats. For instance, by converting a Word file to PDF, any potentially harmful scripts can be removed.

5. Check Internal Emails

Malware is usually found in emails coming from external sources, but if an employee's machine gets infected, malicious emails can be sent via internal email. Employees are also more likely to click on an infected email attachment if it is from a co-worker. For this reason, it is important to ensure that your email security solution also scans internally sent emails.

6. Train Employees

Train your employees not to click on links or open attachments from unknown senders. Even if the email is from a known sender but somehow looks out of the ordinary, teach your employees to be cautious. In addition, have an email policy in place that lists the dos and don'ts of email use. Read more about how to create an email policy and download a sample policy.

7. Block Emails with Many Recipients

Instead of using an email marketing tool, some employees might decide to send one email and include all recipients in the To:, Cc:, or Bcc: field, for instance to inform customers about a new promotion. This can result in unintended exposure of valuable client contacts, damage to reputation, and privacy breach claims. Emails with more than 15 recipients should therefore be blocked at the server level before they can do any damage.

8. Block Large Email Attachments

Emails should not contain attachments that are larger than 10 MB. An email that's bigger than 10 MB will most probably not arrive, and the recipient might not even get an undeliverable message back. In the worst case, a large email attachment can bring a whole network to a halt. To prevent this from happening, set an email policy to block large emails and notify the sender, providing alternate methods for sending large files.

9. Archive Emails

Make sure that you keep a backup of your emails, so that if a disaster should occur, you can still revert to your backup. In addition to using backup tapes, check if your email security solution also provides mail backup functionality.

10. Add Legal Footer

To comply with regulations, make sure that each email that is sent out includes the necessary legal footer.

Remember that your internet safety is just that --- yours! 

The Simonson Team is always here to help give you great advice, whether for internet safety or buying or selling your dream home.  Call us today for a fast and simple evaluation to help you with your real estate needs! 303-229-6026!

March 2016 Market Profile -- Great News, But You Need To "Move" Fast!

Welcome to the "Blizzard Of 2016"! With over a foot of snow on the ground and yesterday's winds topping 50 mph, I thought it would be a great time to give you some news that will get your temperature up!  Read on and you will see some great info to help you make the biggest decisions of your life that much easier. The market is hot -- make that burn work for you! Call the Simonson Team today!  303-229-6026.

7 COUNTY METROPOLITAN DENVER MARKET UPDATE

MARCH, 2016

Market Metrics:

By the numbers, the inventory of available homes for sale is 3,627 homes at February month end, 4,081 homes came onto the market, 3,971 homes went under contract, and 2,925 homes closed at a median sold price of $328,000 and an average sold price of $375,696 resulting in a closed dollar volume of $1.1 Billion. 

Monthly Market Recap:

Single Family:                                                           Condo:           

Active Inventory is 2,847                                           Active Inventory is 780     

Sold Homes is 2,024                                                   Sold Homes is 902                       

Average Price is $417,538                                          Average Price is $282,106

Median Price is $360,000                                           Median Price is $226,000

Average Days on Market is 46                                   Average Days on Market is 42               

Year To Date Market Recap:

Single Family:                                                           Condo:           

Sold Homes is 4,066                                                   Sold Homes is 1,706           

Average Sold Price is $414,851                                 Average Sold Price is $276,572    

Median Sold Price is $354,000                                   Median Sold Price is $221,250

Average Days on Market is 46                                   Average Days on Market is 42

Source:  REcolorado.com – March 3, 2016

The above representation for Single Family and Condo includes real estate activity in the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, and Jefferson.

Market Facts:

February was another amazing month in the Denver home market.  Even though consumer confidence decreased month over month, the consistent media exposure talked about the #1 home market being the Denver area.  The number of homes for sale set a new record low.  With that being said, active listings are in high demand.  Buyers and Sellers need to be aware of all facts impacting the Denver home market as the prime home selling and buying season is here.

Real estate is local.  While the above is a representation of the Denver market as a whole, please contact The Simonson Team to better understand your specific real estate market.

7 COUNTY METROPOLITAN DENVER MARKET UPDATE

MARCH, 2016

Advice to Sellers

What should you do if you are ready to sell your home?  First and foremost, don’t overprice your home, make your home shine and stand out from the competition, and de-clutter.  Many current home owners are in the process of preparing their home to be sold; but, they are doing upgrades that are costly, not necessarily desirable by potential buyers, and negative net returns.

Here are some things to think about for upgrades:  energy efficient, low emission, tankless water heater, “Next” type thermostats, kitchen upgrade, open floor plan, hardwood flooring, new counter tops, “amped” appliances, and multiple charging stations.

With continued Denver population growth and consumer demand for home ownership, market frenzy can be expected for the next several months.

 Seller preparation includes a good pricing comparison analysis, instructions on staging, what are the top improvements, introduction to a net sheet to understand the bottom line, and a conversation on how the market functions.  As such, the homeowner looking to sell a home needs a professional who is a local expert, is hyper local market knowledgeable, and can assist in the Professional plan to sell one’s home.  Now is the time to reach out to The Simonson Team.

CALL DAVID AND KRISTA SIMONSON AT 303-229-6026 TODAY!

Advice to Buyers

What should you do if you are ready to buy?  First and foremost, focus on your lifestyle and must haves.  Next, pre-qualify so you know what portion of the market you can participate in.  The current Buyer motivation relates to high rents, low number of active homes for sale, and household formation.  Last but not least, do it now.

The prime home selling and buying season is here.  Be aware of moderate home price growth and potential increase in mortgage interest rates.  Create your home buying plan and stick to it.

Know what you want in a home, where you want to live, and what price range you can afford.  Complete the pre-qualification process so you know the price range that you qualify for when you are purchasing a home.  Be prepared, manage your expectations, and be open to looking at the entire Denver market.  Reach out to The Simonson Team today about your best options and opportunities to participate and succeed in the purchase of your “Dream” home.

CALL DAVID AND KRISTA SIMONSON AT 303-229-6026 TODAY!

Take this advice to heart and you can be successful where others fail! Don't ever think that something is impossible in real estate, especially in today's market.  Stranger things have happened than what you may believe!  Call us today so we can help you realize your dreams!

,David and Krista Simonson are here for you! 303-229-6026

What did Punxsutawney Phil have to say? And did the Simonson Team agree?

A face only a mother can love. Or, if you agree that a pampered groundhog by the name of Punxsutawney Phil is the best predictor of the continued length of Winter and the early arrival of Spring, then you can love him too.  The Associated Press was on hand in Gobbler's Knob in upstate Pennsylvania and here's what they had to say:

The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, say the furry rodent has failed to see his shadow, meaning he has "predicted" an early spring.

Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the "forecast" at sunrise, just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early.

In reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 18 times. There are no records for the remaining years.

In New York, Staten Island Chuck agrees with Phil; an early spring is coming.

The groundhog did not see his shadow as he emerged from his home at the Staten Island Zoo early Tuesday.

The Simonson Team says:
That could mean a very active spring season for everyone! The nicer the weather, the quicker the market has proven to move for buyers and sellers!  Call us today to check this forecast and how it can benefit you! 303-229-6026!

January's Market Update!

While there is no crystal ball in real estate, market trends tend to be accurate when looking both back and forward.  Our market continues to be unique in that we continually set the bar for the nation on real estate trends and setting records every year!  REMAX Professionals put together this information and we wanted to share it with you.

We at the Simonson Team look forward to helping you realize your dreams of buying or selling a home this year through our thoughtful and thorough professionalism.  Call us at 303-229-6026 with any questions you may have.

2015 was a record setting year with 53,481 homes sold and a closed dollar volume of $19.3 Billion. Happy New Year, and whether you are a Seller or a Buyer, be prepared as Metro Denver is now one of the top destination cities in the United States. In closing the year and looking forward into 2016, the top concerns are tight inventory, home affordability, appraisal issues, tight credit, and TRID. Now is the time to reach out to the Simonson Team!

Is Coffee The Greatest Thing Ever?

Everyone has a morning routine.  We get up, wake the kids up, start getting ready for the day (work, school, etc.), and work our collective way to the door.  During that time, while some people may or may not have breakfast I personally indulge in at least 1 big cup of coffee before even leaving the house.  Quite a few people I know stop for a cup on the way to the office, and while we have three large pots sitting in the lobby, I even have my own personal coffee maker in my office!

Renee Jacques of the Huffington Post definitely sees the benefits of this "miracle elixir" as stated below.

Are we addicted to this or is it just that good?  You decide!

There really can't be any adult in this great big world that has never tried coffee. It's consumed everywhere, and judging by the amount of Starbucks locations in the United States alone, (in 2012, there were 10,924!) we love our caffeine.
And that's fine. In fact, there are many advantages to being one of the 54 percent of Americans over 18 who drink coffee everyday. Coffee can be pretty amazing for your brain, your skin and your body. Read on to discover 11 reasons you should wake up and smell the coffee...
Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than anything else.
According to a study done in 2005, "nothing else comes close" to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.

Just smelling coffee could make you less stressed.
Researchers at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress. Note, this aroma study doesn't relate to stress by itself, only to the stress felt as a result of sleep deprivation. Now, we're not entirely sure if this means you should keep a bag of roasted coffee beans on your nightstand every night, but feel free to try!
Coffee could lessen the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
ScienceDaily reported in 2012 that drinking coffee may help people with Parkinson's disease control their movement. Ronald Postuma, MD, the study author, said, "Studies have shown that people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, but this is one of the first studies in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement symptoms for people who already have the disease."

Coffee is great for your liver (especially if you drink alcohol).
A study published in 2006 that included 125,000 people over 22 years showed that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less to develop liver cirrhosis -- an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that could lead to liver failure and cancer. Arthur L Klatsky, the lead author of the study, told The Guardian, "Consuming coffee seems to have some protective benefits against alcoholic cirrhosis, and the more coffee a person consumes the less risk they seem to have of being hospitalised or dying of alcoholic cirrhosis."
Studies have also shown that coffee can help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). An international team of researchers led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School revealed that drinking four or more cups of coffee or tea a day may be beneficial in preventing the progression of NAFLD.
Coffee can make you feel happier.
A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. And apparently it's not because of the "caffeine high" -- Coke can also give you a caffeine high, but it's linked to depression. Study author, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, told Prevention.com that the proposed reason coffee makes you feel good is because of those trusty antioxidants.

Coffee consumption has been linked to lower levels of suicide.
A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent. The proposed reason is because coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

Coffee could reduce your chances of getting skin cancer (if you're a woman).
Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School followed 112,897 men and women over a 20-year period and, apparently, women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day are much less likely to develop skin cancer than those who don't.
Coffee can make you a better athlete.
The New York Times reports, "Scientists and many athletes have known for years, of course, that a cup of coffee before a workout jolts athletic performance, especially in endurance sports like distance running and cycling." Caffeine increases the number of fatty acids in the bloodstream, which allows athletes' muscles to absorb and burn those fats for fuel, therefore saving the body's small reserves of carbohydrates for later on in the exercise.

Coffee could reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Coffee also lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study from The American Chemical Society. The study's researchers found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent. Subsequently, with every additional cup, the risk gets lowered by 7 percent.

Drinking coffee could help keep your brain healthier for longer.
Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that people older than 65 who had higher blood levels of caffeine developed Alzheimer's disease two to four years later than others with lower caffeine. Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the USF, and co-author of the study, said, "We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimer's disease. However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer's or delay its onset."

Coffee may make you more intelligent.
You usually drink coffee when you are sleep-deprived, right? Well, that much-needed jolt not only keeps you awake, it makes you sharper. CNN reports that coffee allows your brain to work in a much more efficient and smarter way. TIME reporter, Michael Lemonick, says, "When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning -- most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence."
Moral of the story? COFFEE IS THE BEST THING EVER. KEEP DRINKING IT.

Also on HuffPost:

What Realtors Do Behind Your Back!

Realtors continually are looking to help you buy or sell a home. Heck, we at the Simonson Team do that every day! But Realtor.com came up with a great article that truly gives a better breakdown for what we do every time we start working for you. Remember the Simonson Team when you have questions about this article or your personal market and read on!

Have you ever wondered what on Earth your real estate agent is doing behind your back? No, we don’t mean anything underhanded, naughty, or downright felonious—far from it, in fact. So relax. What we’re talking about is a mystery: In the sometimes confusing, occasionally hectic, and always stressful world of buying and selling, what are your agents really doing behind the scenes? We’re here to shed some light! For every hour an agent spends in your presence, he or she will spend an average of nine hours out of eyesight working on your behalf. Why? Because agents don’t get paid if they don’t close the deal! Unlike lawyers who bill by the hour, agents won’t receive a penny until (or unless) a sale comes through. It’s all a gamble, in which they could shoot snake eyes and come away empty-handed. This is the business. So if you’re wondering what that commission is actually going toward, we’ve compiled a list of things agents do when you’re not watching (or should be doing—if they’re not, maybe you need a different agent!).

They shop property online

Don’t we all? And yet, their real estate research goes beyond oohing and ahhing over a few photos on a Saturday night. Darbi McGlone, a Realtor® with Jim Talbot Realty in Baton Rouge, LA, estimates she spends about two hours each day researching potential properties. “This could include looking up flood zones, previewing the homes for out-of-state clients, or any number of specific things,” she says. Plus, listings come and go fast in the real estate world, so agents need to check their multiple listing service database constantly, or else they’ll miss out. Sometimes the process of matching up properties with clients can take a very long time. “I have a client who wants a Mid-Century Modern house in Carlsbad, but there aren’t many there,” says Rachel Collins Friedman, a Realtor with Sotheby’s International Realty in San Diego, CA. That means that she’s been searching the database regularly for that particular kind of property for three years (here’s hoping all that patience pays off).

They go prospecting

Of course, there’s nothing like seeing a house in all its brick-and-mortar glory, which is why most Realtors worth their salt spend tons of time driving around checking out new listings. In Friedman’s San Diego area, they call it “caravan day.” “It’s a good way to preview properties, and it’s a good time to network with other agents and talk up your listing,” she says.

They attend pitch sessions

Agents don’t spend all their time sizing up homes. According to Friedman, they also spend tons of face time with other pros at pitch sessions—gatherings of local agents at cafes where they swap listing info in order to spread the word about your property if you’re selling, or to find the house that checks every box on your wish list if you’re buying.

They spend their own money on marketing

In addition to not getting paid until a deal is done, selling agents also spend their own money on marketing: magazine and newspaper ads, fliers, hiring a photographer, glossy prints, and premium placements on listing sites. “Agents can spend thousands marketing a property,” says Friedman.

They write up offers and counteroffers

Offers and counteroffers are an extremely important part of the transaction, as they can save or net you thousands of dollars on a sale. Yet getting to the right price requires written offers and counteroffers every step of the way. “It’s time-consuming to be writing them up, explaining to the client how to counteroffer and the ways to do so, and just keeping track of it all,” Friedman says.

They stick around for inspections

You might not be present when it’s inspection time, but a good agent will be. This gives the agent an immediate knowledge of what’s going on. Anything from termites to an iffy foundation can be relayed to the buyer immediately, according to Friedman. McGlone estimates inspections take roughly two hours.

They smooth bumps in the road

Not every sale goes smoothly—buyers and sellers get difficult all the time—but good agents try to shield their clients from the high drama unless there’s a reason to fill them in. “It’s called putting out fires,” says McGlone. “It’s just fixing issues that a lot of times buyers and sellers never needed to be made aware of.”

They keep you calm when the pressure’s on

Good agents don’t just hand you a house. They can also act as a therapist, making your sale much less stressful. “People get emotional. You have to be a problem-solver and keep a positive approach and come up with a positive solution,” Friedman says. “It might not take a lot of time, but it takes emotional energy.” Tell that to your therapist.

Now that you have a glimpse into our “every day”, don’t forget to get the professional help you need to get top dollar for selling or the best deal for buying. Call the Simonson Team today at 303-229-6026!

September's Housing Sale

David reported yesterday to the Denver Post that real estate in the September Month were tought but Denver is still a good real estate market. Read more:

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_19084543

For more information call David & Krista for more information 303-229-6026.