​Check out some great spring cleaning tips below!

1. Clean your Refrigerator! When was the last time you sprayed and wiped down your fridge?
2. Keep your storage spaces organized. Go through each item, and make 3 piles: Keep, Donate, and Toss!
3. Spray the windows and dust the blinds. The window cracks may have built-up mold, and your blinds are likely very dusty!
4. Steam clean the Microwave. Use one cup of water and a lemon, lime, or orange cut into thin slices, and turn on the microwave for at least a couple minutes to steam clean it!

We hope you enjoy these tips!

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Check out this great recipe from allrecipes.com for Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients:

1. 10 baby red potatoes, quartered
   
2. 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
   
3. 1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
   
4. 4 cups water
   
5. 1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
   
6. 6 ounces beer
   
7. ½ head cabbage, coarsely chopped
   

Directions

1. Step 1: Place potatoes, carrots, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker; add water and place brisket on top of vegetables. Pour beer over brisket; sprinkle over spices from the packet and cover.
   
2. Step 2: Cook on High for 7 hours; stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour.
   

Gardens of Lights at The Gardens on Spring Creek
Garden of Lights is expanded and enhanced in 2019! As one of Northern Colorado's best holiday traditions, stroll through the whimsically decorated and twinkling Gardens lit by hundreds of thousands of LED lights at the Gardens on Spring Creek. With a route that has doubled in size, you will be able to see perennial flower beds, huge sculptural flowers, grapevines, butterflies, holiday village, and other favorite garden creatures—all constructed entirely from holiday lights. New and not to miss this year is an animated Color Blossom Show will light up the Great Lawn at The Gardens. 700 lighted blossoms will dance along the lawn, adding a new spectrum of vibrant colors and movement to the show. Opportunities to visit with Santa, listen to holiday music, enjoy holiday reindeer and magical dog troupes, along with other new discoveries are sure to bring the spirit of the holidays to your family.
Dates: December 13, 2019 - December 29, 2019
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: The Gardens at Spring Creek 2145 Centre Avenue
Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Adults-$11; Seniors 65+/Military-$9; Child (2-17)-$8; Student w/ID-$8
 
Celebrations of Nativities and Light
Every other year Global Village Museum showcases narratives from around the world. This exhibit showcases different cultures interpretations and representations of Jesus Christ’s birth. Included in this exhibit is also a unique festival of lights from around the world.
 
Dates: November 19, 2019 - February 22, 2020
Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Location: Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures 200 West Mountain Ave.
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Adults $5, Seniors/Students $3, Youth $1
 
Game Changers
Come discover how innovation has shaped the video game industry in Game Changers, a special exhibition now open in the Woodward Special Exhibition Gallery at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Game Changers takes you on a fascinating journey, exploring the past and uncovering the future of gaming. In this exhibit, you’ll live the video game evolution, from memorable Pong to the photorealistic, immersive games of today. Try your hand at operating a supersized Nintendo controller, play Tetris on a giant Game Boy, test your knowledge of retro video game music, and so much more!
Dates: October 12, 2019 - January 12, 2020
Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Location: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery 408 Mason Court
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: $6 GA/$4 for members
 
Old Town Square Skate Rink
Come enjoy the winter season by skating on a synthetic skating surface. Any pair of skates is acceptable, though hockey style skates are the best. The Old Town Square Skate Rink is open regardless of the temperature, although hours of operation are subject to change depending on the weather.
 
Dates: November 27, 2019 - February 1, 2020
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Old Town Square
Price: Free
 
Paul Feris: The Art of Pinball
Faris is an illustrator with over forty years of experience working with arcade pinball and video games. A selection of his popular pinball games—including Evel Knievel, Lost World, Frankenstein, Centaur, and Phantom of the Opera—will be in the gallery along with examples of the artist’s process from sketch to finished game.
 
Dates: November 22, 2019 - January 11, 2020
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Fort Collins Lincoln Center Art Gallery 417 W. Magnolia
Time: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free
 
Santa’s Workshop
Are you looking to capture an unforgettable family moment with Santa? A professional photographer will be available to take photos and a variety of affordable picture packages will be available.
 
Dates: November 27, 2019 - December 24, 2019
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Old Town Square
Time: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free
 
Skate the Pond
Skate, gather, and celebrate at The Pond this winter! Bring your skates (or rent a pair at The Skate Shack) and hit the ice on Northern Colorado’s Largest outdoor rink.
​
Dates: November 22, 2019 - February 14, 2020
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Foothills 215 East Foothills Parkway

Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten
Witness and experience the magic of thousands of lights during Brewery Lights. Come visit the brewery and see how it has been transformed to fit a holiday theme. This family-friendly tour includes a Kid’s Zone for youngsters to stay entertained while you sample some of our newest batches.
 
Dates: November 15, 2019 - December 29, 2019
Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Friday, Saturday
Location: Anheuser-Busch Tour Center 2351 Busch Drive
Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free

If you’re looking to get a mortgage, rates right now are quite low and have been for a while. For those looking to purchase or refinance, you couldn’t be doing it in a better rate environment. The Federal Reserve has held interest rates at close to zero for a long time now. This is good for those that are looking to make big purchases because it means the cost of getting a loan is comparatively lower. In short, the policy of low short-term interest rates has helped keep mortgage rates low.
 
Although it is a perfect time to purchase or refinance a home, there’s always a flip side to the coin. If the cost of borrowing is lower, it means interest rates on investments aren’t as high. Investors don’t get as much back for what they put in. The point of this mini economics lesson is that soon, the Federal Reserve is expected to swing the pendulum back in favor of investment. When it does, interest rates (likely including those for mortgages) will go up. The Fed doesn’t tend to make very many proclamations on the future in advance of their decisions, so why do we think this is coming soon? There are a few reasons:
 
Words Have Power
The Federal Open Market Committee makes rate decisions. This committee meets eight times a year. After each meeting, they put out a press release. Investors have always parsed this release for any little clue it might bring as to what the Fed plans to do next. They’re usually stymied because the Fed doesn’t like to talk about what its members are thinking ahead of time. After all, the Fed is very dependent on economic data to determine the right time to make a move. It’s often impossible to predict what’s going to happen because economic reports can be very volatile. However, investors think they got a massive clue in the most recent press release when they said: “In determining whether it will be appropriate to raise the target range at its next meeting, the Committee will assess progress – both realized and expected – toward its objectives of maximum employment and two percent inflation.”
The words ‘at its next meeting’ are important because they tell us a January rate hike is under serious consideration. The Fed isn’t generally this explicit. When they are, economists sit up and pay attention.

Employment Report
On the first Friday of every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the employment situation report (often referred to simply as the jobs report). This is among the most heavily watched economic reports because jobs are a crucial barometer for the health of the economy. December’s jobs report came back better than expected. In short, 271,000 jobs were added to the economy in October. For context, this is 31,000 higher than Econoday’s highest estimates. The unemployment rate also fell to 5.0%. This could be the thing that finally pushes the Fed to raise interest rates soon.
 
Lock It In
So what does all this mean for those in the market to purchase or refinance? Rates aren’t going get any better than they are right now and are likely to climb soon. If I saw a price I liked, I would jump on it and lock it in now while I had the chance.

There are several reasons to consider investing in Fort Collins real estate. Fort Collins real estate has a track record of being one of the best long-term investments in the nation. Is Fort Collins going to be one of the hottest real estate markets for investors in 2020? To answer this question, let’s take a look at some of the latest Fort Collins housing market trends and find out the prospects of investing in Fort Collins real estate in 2020.

Fort Collins Real Estate Market Forecasts 2019 & 2020
The median home value in Fort Collins is $390,400 on Zillow. Fort Collins home values have gone up 3.6% over the past year, and Zillow’s Fort Collins real estate market prediction is that the prices will rise 2.0% in 2020. The median list price per square foot in Fort Collins is $250, which is higher than the Fort Collins Metro average of $246. The median price of homes currently listed in Fort Collins is $429,900 while the median price of homes that sold is $391,500. The median rent price in Fort Collins is $1,795, which is the same as the Fort Collins Metro median of $1,795.
According to LittleBigHomes.com, the Fort Collins real estate market forecast for the 12 months ending with the 3rd Quarter of 2019 is positive. Their accuracy of the Fort Collins real estate market trend prediction is 85%. Accordingly, they estimate that the probability of rising home prices in Fort Collins is 85% during this period. If this Housing Market Forecast is correct, home prices will be higher in the 3rd Quarter of 2020 than they were in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.

Fort Collins Housing Market Forecast 2019-2021
The Fort Collins housing market forecast for the three years ending with the 3rd Quarter of 2021 is also positive. The accuracy of the Fort Collins housing market trend prediction is 79%. Accordingly, we estimate that the probability of rising home prices in Fort Collins is 79% during this period. If this Housing Market Forecast is correct, home values will be higher in the 3rd Quarter of 2021 than they were in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.

Fort Collins Real Estate Market Trends
Fort Collins real estate market trends indicate an increase of $8,500 (2%) in median home sales and a -1% drop in median rent per month over the past year. The average price per square foot for this same period rose to $260, up from $247.
Data by Redfin shows that the Fort Collins housing market is very competitive. Homes in Fort Collins receive one offer on average and sell in around 35 days. The average sale price of a home in Fort Collins was $406K in November, up 4.7% since last year. The average sale price per square foot in Fort Collins is $190, down 1.0% since last year.
There are approximately 1,135 homes for sale in Fort Collins, ranging from $1 to $28.8M on Realtor.com. Additionally, there are 228 Fort Collins rental properties, with a range of $575 to $3.5K per month. In May of 2019, the housing market in Fort Collins was a seller’s market, which means there were roughly more buyers than there were active homes for sale.

Should You Invest In Fort Collins Real Estate In 2020?
Investing in Fort Collins real estate will fetch you good returns in the long run as the home prices in Fort Collins have been trending up 1.5% every year. Let’s take a look at the number of positive things going on in the Fort Collins real estate market, which can help investors who are keen to buy an investment property in this city.

1. It Has All the Advantages of Denver without the Problems
Fort Collins is a short distance north of Denver. When you’re sitting on the front range, there’s more flat land to build on; this explains why the Fort Collins real estate market doesn’t see the same insane bidding wars as Denver.
If you’re considering Fort Collins investment properties, know that it is like a small town but with all the urban amenities like nearby hospitals and excellent public schools.

2. Fort Collins Real Estate is More Affordable
The median rent in Denver is 2,200 dollars a month. The median rent in Fort Collins is around 1,900 dollars a month. This means Fort Collins real estate investment properties have a good return on the investment, and the ROI will likely increase along with demand in the Fort Collins real estate market.

3. It Is Growing at a Healthy Rate
The Fort Collins real estate market has seen steady appreciation because the population itself is growing slowly but steadily. The population has been growing at roughly two percent per year. This causes the Fort Collins real estate market to appreciate at a slightly faster rate, but the Fort Collins housing market isn’t so hot that locals are priced out.

4. The Job Market Is Strong
Fort Collins has more jobs than job-seekers. There is a modest skills gap between the high-tech jobs local employers need filled and the many lower-skilled graduates in the area. Ironically, this keeps the Fort Collins real estate market in check because salaries aren’t spiraling up like Silicon Valley or Silicon Prairie.