Halloween festivities start today in Boulder. Below is a list of events to help celebrate this spooky holiday. Visit Downtown Boulder for a full list of events:

Friday Oct. 28 - Sunday Oct. 31
Halloween Mayhem will take place each night of Halloween weekend. This event includes a costume contest with music and drink specials at License #1. The winner each night will receive a $50 bar tab. 

Saturday Oct. 29
Want to get your spooky groove on? Bring your friends to Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place. DJ Jahsonic will be there and a costume contest and potion cocktail specials. 

Halloween! Oct. 31 
Bring your tiny tricker treater out on the 1100th Block of Pearl to trick or treat in the Munchkin Masquerade. The event goes from 3-6pm and is sure to provide delicious treats. 

For a full list of participating Munchkin Masquerade stores, visit Downtown Boulder's Halloween Page

Perfectly located on the corner of 9th and Pearl Street, is Boulder's newest Italian Restaurant; . Large, window-lined walls give customers a beautiful view of the Flatirons and a heated patio allows customers to enjoy Boulder's crisp mountain air through the Fall. 

's Passion as described from the restaurant itself:

From the tabletops of Italy, tucked away in small trattorias, food is not prepared with great passion, it is served with genuine gratitude. The menu choices are modest, yet tailored to honor the past and blend with the present. Truly the signature of Italy. 

Our wish is to create a setting that encourages you to dine, linger and reminisce, so that your experience with us becomes something special. By bringing seasonal menus and a distinctive wine list from the Italian peninsula's diverse regions, we want you to feel at home and celebrate with us as family. 

So with a commitment to combine the best ingredients with honest recipes and capture the unique, hidden flavors of Italy, we present !

Buon Appetito!

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Food at Mediterranean Italian and Authentic Italian food and is inspired by regions in Italy such as Sicilia, Toscana, Roma, Liguria and more. If you're looking for a decadent dinner with wonderful food, drink and ambiance, just the place. For a more casual meal, visit their lunch special. Lunch not only offers equally delicious flavors, but more reasonably priced dishes as well. 

For a full menu and more information on this restaurant, visit  

Mapleton Hill Historic District - Asking ​$1,799,900. Nestled under the flatirons is of the most sought after neighborhoods in Boulder; the historic district of Mapleton Hill. Enjoy fine dining and shopping only five blocks from Pearl Street Mall and beautiful mountain views and outdoor activities only minutes away at North Boulder Park and Mount Sanitas.  Its simplistic grandeur is framed by the silver maple and cottonwood trees that line the streets. Consistent with the Victorian and Queen Anne style architecture, 707 Maxwell was built in 1913 and is a traditional brick Four Square home. Sip coffee on the elegant front porch while enjoying the sprawled out yard and garden area. Entertain guests in the notable backyard and flagstone patio. Don't miss out on your ticket into this popular neighborhood. Designated by the Colorado Historical Society and located with immaculate views of Boulder's pristine mountains, residents of Mapleton Hill are not quick to sell their homes. 

Click the link to view more pictures and learn more about  or view www.707MaxwellAvenue.com for a more detailed look

Green Magic Homes are innovative, earth concious and spectacular to look at. 

A Green Magic Home is defined as: A home "composed of prefabricated vaulted panels manufactured with composite laminate materials, confined laterally by walls in reinforced soil, with a high index of stabilization and protection from climate meteorological harmful effects change and UV radiation. The technology is designed to adapt to any type of topography, either flat, with moderate land slopes or steep slopes."

Green Magic Homes is a prefabricated modular building system, with structural components made in FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer), which are specifically designed to fit together to provide infinite design possibilities for spaces, access, lighting, ventilation and room connections. Shipping world wide is made easy with modules that are sized and packaged to fit into one or two shipping containers.

These homes are easy to install, lightweight, waterproof, mold resistant and have a long-lasting designs that stands up against natural disasters like tornados and earthquakes. They are exstremely easy and quick to build. This is attrivuted to the "perforated flaps that screw and seal together and are anchored to the foundation." The structure's geometry and curves allow for extra stablility "adding thermal mass and providing carbon recycling, oxygen production and airborne pollutant removal."

Homes are covered with earth and vegitation. Traditionally soil, sand and adobe is used to seal the structure. This allows for a natural insulation. 

Goals and Uses for these homes include:

• Development of Eco-Hotels or Ecological Cabins for Rent
• Development of Ecological Condos
• Ecological Communities or Eco-Villas
• Camping areas with Cabins embedded in the mountain
• Cabins in areas of Ecological Reserve, where traditional buildings are forbidden, but where our technology is accepted because it blends completely with nature.
• Projects in the desert with our homes covered with sand desert.
• Projects in the snow with our technology covered with snow.
• Floating houses on the water with our technology, which is not affected by water or moisture.

Learn more about these amazing structures on Green Magic Homes
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While Google's big entrance into Boulder is creating a lot of positive buzz, it has also had some negative feedback as well.

For one, the building may be an eye sore against the pristine mountains of Boulder. The building itself will be modern and spectacular, but a city that is very much thriving while maintaining its small-town vibe will be over taken by ample traffic and the large buildings being built. This could have an impact on Boulder' culture as well. A fairly laid back, active and food-conscious city is about to be taken over by leaders in innovation and the tech world, which will no doubt influence the community. That being said, Boulder is trending to a more upscale city. With Pearl Street revamping the west end of downtown and the St. Julien hosting big names such as the Dalai Lama, this city has definitely benefited from its face lift. Another concern of the new construction, however, is its lack of integration of restaurants, shops and living. Being strictly a business site, will deter the rest of the community rather than welcoming them in. 

The new campus will also have huge impacts on Boulder's affordable housing and public transportation. With the increase in high paying jobs and Boulder residents, will come a higher probability of high-end housing. While this will be beneficial to the city financially, it will devastate the potential for more affordable properties to be built, thus creating a gap in who can and cannot live in Boulder. 

Learn about the pros of Google on our other blog and learn more about this issue in the article, "Google breaks ground on new 330,000-square-foot Boulder campus"

Google is a company that employs 40,000 people world wide. It has locations in Europe, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, the Asian Pacific, Africa and 20 major cities in America.  Boulder is already one of the company's locations, but with the company's expansion in the city, there are expected to be many positive additions to Boulder. 

What started with 340 employees will grow to 1,500 employees on a 330,000 square foot, modernized Google campus. Located at , the construction will include three four-story buildings and parking underground. 

Boulder is already a leader in entrepreneurship and start up tech companies, but with Google's new campus being built, job opportunities are expected to sky rocket. With this giant company making a statement in Boulder, the city will bring in top leaders in innovation and technology and it will create many high paying, quality jobs. The new campus is also expected to bring in more money from taxes and investments.
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Learn more in the article: "Google Breaks Ground on new 330,000 -Square-Foot Boulder Campus"











Google breaks ground on new 330,000-square-foot Boulder campus

It's not everyday you get an inside look at a multi-million dollar home! Not only is this home filled with expensive art and the home of a celebrity, but it houses a small community. Split up into five condos, each unit is sure to impress. Learn more about Casa del Depp in the article written by RISMEDIA below:

Peek Inside Johnny Depp's $12.7M Art Deco
By Nick Caruso
RISMEDIA, Thursday, October 06, 2016--
 
Johnny Depp loves art. His Los Angeles penthouse, now on the market for $12.7M, beats you over the head with this fact from the very second you lay eyes on a single photo. It's got a mural by Brazilian artist twins OSGEMEOS sprawled on the entire dining room wall. Paintings, photographs and other artsy-fartsy pieces suck up space on every single surface and line of vision. From its purple- and blue-hued velvety furniture to its metallic kitchen table set with probably-hand-painted chairs, I can't tell if I dig its semi-Warholian vibes or want to roll my eyes at its pretension.

The home is made up of five separate condos, the first of which the fraudulent Willy Wonka bought in 2007. All five units were purchased directly from the developer for a cool $7.2 mil, so Depp stands to make a nice little chunk of change if he gets the asking price.

With pops of bursting color in the home's bedding, curtains and furniture, Casa del Depp has a vintage-inspired look that serves many of his living and entertaining needs, which of course includes an art studio. Because Johnny Depp is artistic and loves art! Each unit is a loft, with its own ensuite bedrooms on the second level.
 
The building (the Claude Beelman-designed Eastern Columbia Art Deco building, located in downtown LA) has its own shared gym, swimming pool and "leisure terrace," however, Depp's portion comes with several of its own private terraces.
 
While nearly every single wall is plastered with framed photos and paintings (because ART), one can take reprieve from the overload with stunning views of LA's historic buildings, mountains, and to the west, a glimpse of the contemporary downtown scene.
 
Depp concurrently has two other properties on the market: one mansion in France and another in Venice.
 
Photos courtesy of CNN
 
This post was originally published on RISMedia's blog, Housecall. Check the blog daily for top real estate tips and trends.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: [email protected].
Copyright© 2016 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission.

The Boulder County Farmers Market is starting to rap up for the year. The Wednesday markets have closed for good and the last day for the Saturday farmers market is November 19. So, make sure you drop by before the last day! Enjoy fresh food and a great community vibe along the Boulder Creek in beautiful downtown Boulder. 

About Boulder Farmers Market:

Visit Downtwon Boulder to learn more about the Boulder County Farmers Market or read Downtown Boulder's description of the event below:

"The Boulder County Farmers’ Markets is a Colorado nonprofit corporation established to provide an outlet for local agricultural producers to sell their products directly to the public.
The Boulder Farmers' Market began in 1987 and  has grown over the years to become a well-organized ``family" of approximately 150 participants. They include professional farmers with hundreds of acres, weekend farmers with small acreage, backyard gardeners or hobbyists, and teenagers working small plots to earn extra money. We also involve selected representatives from several local food establishments, as well as local artists at our monthly art shows.
Visitors to the Boulder County Farmers' Market will find a wide variety of fresh Colorado-grown produce suited to their personal choices. We have farmers who use conventional methods of growing, and those who are certified organic growers. All items marketed as "organic" have been grown on farms that are certified by the State of Colorado. In addition to the traditional vegetables that you might expect to find at the Market, many unique items are also offered, such as golden beets, white eggplant, purple beans, seedless yellow watermelon, and European lettuces. Farmers from Western Slope orchards make the trip each week to share their beautiful tree-ripened fruits.
In addition to high-quality produce, customers can also find fresh and dried flowers, bedding plants, corn stalks and Indian corn for fall decorating, homemade scented soaps, pot-pourri, wreaths, and other farm-oriented crafts. Rounding out the ``earthy" selections are farm-fresh eggs, honey, roasted chilies, and prepared food and drinks."

Just like getting married, having a baby or building equity are variables that push young people to go out and buy a home, there are also variables that push older people to buy a home different than the one they bought in that earlier life stage. Maintenance, too much space, stairs and a high mortgage are all variables that affect seniors. Read below to learn about reasons to move, downsizing vs renting and different loans a senior can qualify for below:

Reasons for a Move:

1. Being Lonely: One huge and unfortunate part of growing older is that those you love may no longer be with you. One huge motivation for downsizing is that the home you have may simply be way to big for one person. There is no reason for one person to have to maintain a huge home and feel lonely in all the extra space. So, downsizing to a condo is a great solution. Not only is it easier to maintain, but it also puts seniors into a community. This in and of itself is huge for people to get on the right path to being surrounded by people and feeling less lonely again. 
2. Lack of Finances: When seniors retire, finances become more of a stress. This is especially true with increased medical bills that seniors may have. So is it worth continuing to pay the mortgage? One idea would be to sell your home and downsize, thus giving you an easier mortgage and some extra spending cash. Another idea is to refinance your home at a lower rate or a payment over less years. 
3. Non-Genuine Buyers: The older you get, the more careful you have to be to not fall victim to schemes that are targeted at seniors. This happens with people ask seniors for money in the mail or call them on the phone to try and get their credit card information. It also happens when a "buyer" gives a low offer to seniors for their home. Many times, a "buyer" will target seniors and offer them something that is way less than the value of their home. And the crime is that many seniors don't know the current market or the value of their home, so it is easy to get tricked. So, make sure to consult with a realtor or do some research on the current value of your home to protect yourself.
4. Location: As touched on briefly above, community is a huge attribute to the mental health of a senior. Moving to a place that is close to grocery stores, restaurants, golfing and shopping is important to help eliminate driving and increase the sense of community. A location that is close to your loved ones is also a great thing to consider. Ultimately, a senior wants to be near activities and people. So, take some time to consider what you like to do and find a community that can help provide that. 
5. Amenities: Downsizing has many benefits, but one huge benefit is to acquire amenities. If you move to a condo or apartment, seniors have people to call if they need help fixing something, they have neighbor at steps distance and their worry is minimized.

Benefits of Renting

1. Predictable Monthly Expenses
2. Amenities: Not only is a gym, pool or business center a nice attribute to your daily lifestyle, but having people help with maintain is huge as well. You don't have to remodel and you don't have to buy a new appliance when it breaks. 
3. Good Location
4. Eliminates the Long Term: Renting is not long term. It allows you to make changes to your living if something comes along that requires it. Maybe you end up wanting to move to retire somewhere warm, or maybe health concerns come up. 
5. More Money to Travel

Loans for Seniors:

1. If you are going to buy at an older age, make sure to take advantage of special loans you can apply for. 
2. Standard Mortgage: Lasts 5-30 years. Qualifying depend on income and credit rating.
3. Second Mortgage: These have higher interest rates, but are a smaller amount. 
4. Refinanced Mortgage: You can refinance your current home to change the loan type, the rate or the length of the loan.
5. Reverse Mortgage: Anyone 62 or older qualifies. The borrower gets the money, so at the end of the term, the bank owns the home. This takes away paying the lump sum and the ability to qualify without providing too much information. 
6. Home Equity Line of Credit: This allows you to pay in small sums and only requires that you pay the interest. 
7. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage: Regulated by the Federal Housing Authority, this loan has great rates.
8. VA Loan: Guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, this loan is offered to veterans and their spouses. It has great rates and many times does not require a down payment. 

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