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On the Market: Christine Hands joins Coldwell Banker group

Tom Ross

— Christine Hands has joined Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties as a full-time sales associate working out of the Steamboat office.

Prior to joining Coldwell Banker Distinctive Proper­ties, Hands owned and managed Alpenglow Properties. Currently, she is enrolled in the comprehensive Coldwell Banker training program, including the Second Home and Previews Property Specialist certification.

Both programs provide associates with the tools and marketing to specialize in resort markets and luxury real estate sales worldwide. Hands has more than 15 years of residential real estate experience, and served as the president of the Board of Realtors’ Community Fund. She has been recognized for her professional excellence, receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 2002, Realtor of the Year in 2006, and Exceptional Service Award in 2005.



Jill Limberg is honored with Purple Cow award

The Colorado Association of Realtors has awarded Steam­boat Realtor Jill Lim­berg, of Prudential Steamboat Realty, this year’s prestigious Purple Cow award, based on the underlying premise that she differentiated herself from the competition by doing something remarkable.

The award was named for the similar concept, of differentiation oneself through remarkable acts, created by Seth Godin in his bestselling book, “The Purple Cow.”



Limberg was awarded the Master of Real Estate designation in 2005. She has pursued her professional education by attaining several professional designations and certifications. She has served the local Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors since 1995, and as Board president in 1999 and 2000. She served at the state level as the Education Board of Trustees co-vice chairwoman in 2003-04, vice-chair in 2005-06 and most recently, education vice president in 2008-09.

Foreclosure mess is a housing market threat

According to The Associ­ated Press, disarray stemming from flawed foreclosure documents could threaten major banks with billions of dollars in losses, deepen the disruption in the housing market and hurt the government’s effort to keep people in their homes, according to a new report from a congressional watchdog.

Revelations that several big mortgage issuers sped through thousands of home foreclosures without properly checking paperwork already has raised alarm in Washington, D.C. If the irregularities are widespread, the consequences could be severe, the Congressional Oversight Panel said in a report issued Tuesday. The full impact still is unclear, the report cautions.

Employees or contractors of several major banks have testified in court cases that they signed, and in some cases backdated, thousands of certifying documents for home seizures. Financial firms that service a total $6.4 trillion in mortgages are involved, according to the new report. Big banks including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Ally Financial’s GMAC Mortgage have suspended foreclosures at some point because of flawed documents.

Federal and state regulators, including the Federal Reserve and attorneys general in all 50 states, are investigating whether mortgage companies cut corners on their own procedures when they moved to foreclose on people’s homes.

“Clear and uncontested property rights are the foundation of the housing market,” according to the report. “If these rights fall into question, that foundation could collapse.”

It lays out the possible scenarios: Borrowers may not be able to ascertain if they’re sending their mortgage payments to the right party. Judges may block all foreclosures. Prospective buyers and sellers could be in left in limbo.

For major banks, if they discovered that they still owned millions of bad mortgage loans they assumed had been sold, the losses could reach billions.


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