My fun yet ridiculous blog posts to pass the time
In today's world where it's common to text, chat, email and use the various electronic devices without ever getting to know someone and meeting them face to face, I wanted to create a blog with a bit of a personal touch on the World wide web. On this page I'm not interested in selling your house or convincing you I'm the best Estes Park real estate agent for you... this is the FUN section...
I want to use this space to share my uncommon ideas and experiences, the stuff that not everyone is aware of. We all have knowledge to share, even if it's sharing how we learned from a mistake we made. It could be a kernel of gold about your professional career and how people can save some money, or to help people save time so they can see family and friends more often. Anything, Anything helpful.
If this is your first time on my blog, you should know a bit about me. I really like helping people.. and I'm not just saying that. There is actually some logic to it also. When you give a present to someone, the giver gets a sense of satisfaction and a rush of endorphins in their brain! (at least this is what the internet tells me, so I choose to believe it, this time). The person receiving the gift also tends to appreciate your thoughtfulness. This then makes me want to do more nice things... and so on.
The point of me rambling on here is that I like to share fun ideas (as this page indicates above), but I have put some thoughts on different pages since I considered them to be a bit more more real estate related and I didn't think they belong here on my less-than real estate selling blog. There's a page about passive solar homes that I find very interesting and hopefully you enjoy as well. It has to do with saving money on heating costs in your home by utilizing the heat from the sun, but there is also a section that goes over air sealing your home to also save money on heating and cooling costs. I think they are both very interesting, but also a bit too real estate oriented to belong here on the blog.
Anyway, I just thought I'd mention them here in case you were interested, but I didn't want to put the articles here.
So if you aren't interested in those topics, read on. If you want to know more, click the blue link above. Happy trails.
I visit this spot regularly and I hope you find it helpful and entertaining, in fact I hope many people find something helpful on here...after all, these are a few of my kernels of gold.
Thanks,
Jim Idler - Estes Park - Front Range Jim
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Say hello to my BIG friend..in a neighbors yard.
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Today I wanted to share a tip on how to save money while shopping online at Amazon.com.
I tend to do a bit of online shopping, especially to find random items that at not as easy to grab at the local store without hunting and trying to find which store even carries it. Enter Amazon.
But sometimes I feel like amazon prices fluctuate a bit and what I found for a reasonable price last year, is now a bit overpriced.
There is a website to fix that! https://camelcamelcamel.com. It allows you to copy and paste the amazon URL of the item you are interested in buying, and then you will see a chart of that items pricing history! If it is overpriced, you can just wait a week or 2 and check again to see if it has come down. They offer price alerts, but I tend to just revisit now that I know what a decent deal is for the item. It has definitely saved me a few bucks here and there and in a world where money matters, maybe this can help you save a few dollars too!
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Some people have a gift for gift-giving, but for me coming up with ideas of what to get someone for a Birthday or Christmas can be tough. It is even harder when they already have the ability to purchase just about anything they want, when they want it.
Well, I can say with confidence that this was a hit. I'd like to introduce to you, Jack London, "The Mayor"
If you'd like to have one made for yourself or a loved one, just message me and I'll be happy to connect you with the maker.
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Being away from the ocean can make it harder to get fresh seafood. Luckily, oysters are hardy and relatively easy to find at local supermarkets. Shucking them is another part of it, but if you do not own a shucking knife, this can be a bit tricky. Did you know a typical screwdriver can get the job done?
Start by placing it on a counter round side down, where you will find the hinge.
This is where you use the screwdriver to your advantage. Press in the hinge, then twist and pry. It will pop open with relative ease once you've gotten the hang of it.
Then scrape the oyster muscle itself from the top shell, discard, and then scrape the inside of the bottom shell to free the meat. Remember to wipe any shell bits away and keep the screwdriver clean, nobody likes an oyster with little shell pieces!
Add some lemon and cocktail sauce and remember to save the juice in the oyster, it adds flavor. Bon appetit!
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I have always loved camping since I was a kid. The trees, the BBQ, being immersed in nature.... . One of my favorite parts was sitting around the campfire and just getting lost in the orange flames. Recently, I visited a friend for some socially distant socializing around a fire pit and it reignited my inner child. I started looking up fire pits and stumbled across a fun way to "make" a fire pit in just a few hours. It took a bit of looking into regulations and such for my area but once I knew the details, I started picking the area and leveling the ground. A few hours after picking up supplies I had it all set up and ready to go.
This design involves easy to acquire items just about anyone can get. It starts with a bag of sand which gets applied under the first level of stones, which helps to get them even and level since any uneven areas will be amplified as you go higher. After that, it was time for the retaining wall blocks. Shaped like a trapezoid, they go together nicely to form a circle. I bought blocks that do not have a lip for stacking since I would have had to break off the lip. After that, it is a simple process of stacking the next level so it covers the seam of the first level. I did 3 levels, but if I choose to go higher, I can simply get more blocks. What do you think?
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I want to share something I learned that saved me about $2,400. I think it's something every homeowner should know, but with the help of the internet it's something that most people can do themselves.
A few years ago I bought a house and with it came a 13 year old hot water heater. Well fast forward to a week ago, I noticed the water wasn't as hot for anywhere near as long as usual. My first thought was it's age and that it was time to get it replaced. After discussing it with a few plumber professionals and two different quotes of $2500 I decided to do a bit of digging. I found out I probably had one heating element that went bad, and the other one was probably fine. I then discovered that you can buy heating elements for about $30 for a pair!
I hopped on youtube to assess the difficulty level, and to my surprise it looked like a relatively easy fix. I got a multimeter to diagnose that the element was indeed the culprit and voila, the youtuber's were right. It took me a few hours with buckets, a hose and towels, but the results speak for themselves.
I'm sure many folks are thinking " fixing a 16 year old water heater, what for?" But I can tell you as a real estate agent, I've seen hot water heaters in Estes Park that last for 25+ years if they are a good brand. I have also heard the old addage "they don't make them like they used to" from the same plumbers that gave me estimates to replace the unit. I was hearing a new one might last 6-8 years. My tank is a better brand, has no leaks, and now has brand new elements inside to give me hot showers after a cold day of skiing. Only time will tell how long the tank lasts, but what if I get another 16 years? Either way, I learned a bunch and have piping hot water. I would say this may not be the right decision for you, and it may be better to replace yours depending on the problem or your ability/interest in taking on a project, but it worked for me...and so I pass it on to you.
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They say the early bird gets the worm and I agree! This RMNP picture from about 5:45am makes getting up early worth it, wow! Living in Estes Park just makes it easier to get in the park more often.
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Lately, I've been having fun trying my hand at fly fishing for trout in and around Estes Park. I am definitely not that good but I've done okay so far both in and out of Rocky Mountain National Park - practice makes perfect! These were caught in Lake Estes, about 7 minutes from home, convenient, tasty and fun. Estes Park living has it's perks yet again! I catch and release often and it's important to know the specific regulations for each area, but spending time in the great outdoors in this area makes it easy. Fish on! - Jim
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I have to share something that I did with my yard. You see, for a few years now I've been trying to improve the landscaping, but in the mountains that can be a challenge. We have voles, deer, elk, dry climate and hard as a rock soil. I would run around with a hose for a few hours every week, trying to keep things watered and happy. After a while, I was wishing for a sprinkler system, but I also knew it would be pricey - enter drip irrigation.
I stumbled across it online, started watching some videos on how to set it up, and it was easy as can be.
Here is the setup at the hose bib, a timer is optional, but its nice to program and have it fully automated. That is followed by a filter and pressure regulator.
The brown tube under the tree is 1/2" distribution tubing, and the little blue things attached are drip emitters. These drip 1/2 gallon per hour, but the also sell larger sizes for watering larger plants and trees.
I must have 200' of tubing in my yard, watering over 15 plants, and it is making my life so much easier now. I don't even have to turn the water on or off.
In a word, AMAZING, yet I believe I spent less than $300, to me that is money very well spent. - Jim
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Every so often, I end up with a few visitors. Sometimes though, I get one that is sooo considerate that they stand out of the pack. Like this guy, mowing the lawn and keeping me company over my afternoon cup of coffee. What a nice guy!
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I have to say, I really enjoy sitting in a coffee shop, having breakfast and getting work done (real estate waits for no one). There is something about the buzz of folks doing their thing as well, starting the day and getting their morning caffeine before hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park to see the Moose, elk, deer ( and one of my favorites, the Marmots!).
If you happen to see me at Kind coffee or Egg & I you should definitely say hi, I promise to be friendly as long as I've had the first few sips of coffee!
Cheers!
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It is snowing today in Estes Park, which reminds me that the shovel/snowblower will make an appearance in my day. Which means a hot cup of coffee to get the job done, liquid motivation to the rescue.
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We ALL know the feeling, and when it happens... I think we all get this wave of frustration that washes over us that goes something like this.
Open the door, sit inside and close the door, put the key in the ignition and start. The dash comes to life and one of the damn indicator lights stays on, ugh. Now what?!? Now I got to take it to the mechanic and see what the problem is and what it's going to cost! LOL. It interrupts our life, and not in a good way that we would all prefer.
Well as you can imagine, this happened to me, right as I was about to meet some real estate clients, it was the airbag indicator light.
I start thinking about the dealership, the process, making an appointment, again? ugh. I regrouped and thought to myself, check online. Check youtube.
And so I did, it was wonderful that folks had posted videos on exactly this, multiple videos actually. After watching a few of them, I decided to go downstairs and give their fixes a try. The only thing I did was look under the seat and wiggled two wiring harnesses under the passenger chair. Then I started the car. Did I expect it to be fixed? NO. But did it work, YES! This is now twice that I have fixed my vehicle solo. In addition to selling real estate in Estes Park and beyond, I now consider myself a childishly novice mechanic to fix the frustratingly silly and minor things on my vehicle thanks to the internet and folks nice enough to share their experiences.
The lesson of the day, if you think others have run into the same or a similar issue, search the web. You may just save yourself a few bucks and a bunch of time!
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I love Do-It-Yourself projects - the money saved, the satisfaction of doing it myself, often getting a more precise result rather than buying whatever happens to be available. Now that being said, I'm not exactly Bob Vila - I'm not even slightly that talented. When a new desk space was in order, a spin on antique to match the room was just what the doctor ordered and chalk paint was the way to do it.
I wish I had the before picture, but imagine this desk as a white washed wood, very pale.
To make it fit even better in the room, this filing cabinet was painted the same to give it the look of a matching set.
Was this super simple, fast and easy? Not quite. But thanks to online tutorials it wasn't impossible and now I get a sense satisfaction/job well done every time I walk in the room, tada!
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You, may have plenty of kitchen storage space in your home, and for those that do, I'm definitely jealous. I don't know that many people that say they have plenty, we always want more... it's the human condition. I did, however, find a great trick that I decided to employ on my pantry door. It definitely took some experimenting, time and effort to get it looking half way decent.. but it was completely worth it in the end. I introduce to you, my new pantry closet door shelf system.
This first one is the example I found, I like that there is room for all of the spices, foil, and ...two bottom bins for potatoes and onions!
Well, I think this one above is better than mine, but I decided to utilize the entire lower space more for similar sized items and the design made the build a bit easier on me to make it. What do you think? What would you have done differently?
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I would love to say I have a green thumb..
However, that is pretty far from the truth. I definitely struggle with over watering, plant food and such.
I do however, sometimes come up with a good idea (even a broken clock is right twice a day!). I recently decided to take on a gardening mission in my yard, but I wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. It ended up being a great gardening tip I wanted to share.
In our side yard, there is a door off the garage that we use often for walking the pooch and every time I go out there I am at risk of tripping on the remains of a few small to medium sized bush roots that were planted in the wrong place at some point in the past. I have tripped on the two of them more times than I care to admit.
Here comes my brilliant epiphany..... drum roll... enter the sledgehammer.
There was enough stump above the dirt to whack for maybe 30 seconds... and amazing! It came out completely! I tried the same thing on the other stump and it went even faster! What I thought was going to be a long ordeal of sawing and trying to sever old roots with a shovel was done in less than 2 minutes for both!
I do think this trick won't work on a tree that is more than a few inches thick, but bushes have more branch like limbs coming out of the soil, so I think that even a medium bush will probably come out with a bit more time.
Needless to say I was feeling pretty good about myself. Hopefully this little trick helps you out one day!
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I have been thinking about soffit vents on and off for the last year - what they do, how they help and how all of it differs in different climates throughout the country. Now I am generally focused on the mountain climate being that I live in Estes Park Colorado, so that has been the region I think of when I came to these conclusions.
I have a somewhat typical roof ventilation system on my home from the 1970's. It has 1 gable vent, and 4 can-like roof vents. Now that isn't bad, except for 1 huge problem, no soffit vents at all. Let me explain why this is a problem.
Even during winter, the sunshine state of colorado has the suns rays hitting my roof all day, which in turn heats up the air in my attic. Now that the air is warmer, it REALLY wants to rise, and the vents indeed allow for exactly that which is good. But where does the replacement air come from?? See what I mean? It comes from inside my home, which is often heated air that I pay to make a comfortable temperature! In Estes Park, the heating season is longer than most places in the U.S.A, so letting the warm inside air creep up through my ceiling and into the attic is a huge waste of money.
Enter soffit vents. These vents go on the eaves of your home, AKA the underside edge of your roof system. Now with them in place, the warmer attic air that is escaping through the roof vents can be replaced with outside air, which then helps me to keep my warm air inside the living space!
Interesting, yet completely logical.
Jim
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Every so often, I like to give everyone a bit of a taste of what it is like in Estes Park.
Well, one of the best ways to do that is with pictures - they speak a thousand words after all. Something like that!
Here are a few recent favorites I thought I should share...
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The First picture is of Breeze, our fancy horse. She is in front of an old barn, probably over 100 years old from the looks of it.
Second, is a male Elk showing off in front of an aspen tree grove in the snow.
Third, is a Moose, relaxing after a hard day of eating willow. Thankfully, zoom cameras make this last one possible without risking life and limb!
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Today is a fun day!
We have a good friend that wants to come visit us from far away for a spontaneous getaway, which I always take as a compliment, yay!
I'm sure it doesn't hurt that we live in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains with wildlife all around, but I choose to focus on the part that emphasizes how much she misses us...lol. I'm sure great conversation and fun times will be had, hopefully along with some BBQ, eating out and whatever other trouble we can find. FUN!
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We all enjoy a fun day trip. I imagine just about everyone agrees with that statement, and yes, they should. A break from the everyday routine to escape the usual faces and places can be a terrific approach to recharging the batteries, all while checking out a new fun spot. New surroundings, new food, new everything can be a fun day or even weekend.
I'm writing today about a recent trip I took to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park to a town called Grand Lake. For me, that involved driving up and over Trail Ridge Road and enjoying the spectacular views that come along the highest elevation road in the Continental US as well as amazing wildlife viewing. Moose, elk, Marmots and more were seen along the way.
Once in Grand Lake, it was time for a quick stopover to meet a friend and say hello, followed by a late lunch.
Where did we go to eat? I'm glad you asked. It happened accidentally, but we ended up at a place called Stillwater Grill, about 5 minutes away from the downtown area. We happened to be there at happy hour, where a few appetizers were discounted so an order of Onion soup and mussels in an herb white wine sauce was necessary. Ambiance was wonderful at the bar and even included a very pleasant bit of live piano at just the right volume. As we were waiting for the appetizers, the chef came out and said hello in a very french accent and I knew we were in the right place. The mussels and soup were absolutely fantastic, as was the burger and pizza, but had I known we were getting genuine french cuisine, I would have ordered different main dishes. Don't get me wrong, it was all fantastic, but I like to get the food that they specialize in - french food was it!
Are you looking for a fun day trip while visiting Estes Park? Take a drive and enjoy the food fit for a king and visit Stillwater Grill, you will not be disappointed. 970-627-4929 www.StillwaterGrill.net
Cheers!
Jim
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Recently, I had an experience with.. my beloved Toyota 4Runner SUV that traumatized me and made me proud at the same time. It proved to me that the power of the internet along with a dash of stubborn determination can go a long way.
To give you some background story, this truck has taken me to Alaska and back, towed a horse cross-country THREE times, and is basically a part of the family. (I hope its obvious to you that I'm quite attached to her). Now I can readily admit that I am no mechanic... I'd say I'm barely average handy with cars. I can change oil, wipers, a battery and a flat. After that, I'm calling folks to take a look.
About 4 months ago, the dreaded "check engine" light came on. As you can imagine, the first thought in my head was, "great, this will probably cost me at least $400 ...." or who knows how much. I was fumbling around on my laptop later that day and decided to do a bit of online detective work. One thing I read a few times was.. "check your gas cap, if it doesn't seem to have a good seal, that might be your culprit." REALLY?!? That seems to good to be true... yet I must have ran into that one maybe 15 times, so I thought, why not take a risk in life? You know, Check it out (I enjoy puns more than I'd like to admit). Sure enough, it seemed excessively loose..almost like the rubber gasket was not getting a tight seal. I ran to the store (well okay, I drove), bought a new cap for about $12 and popped it on. I read it was wise to reset the Toyota computer by unhooking the battery for 30 minutes, and reconnecting, so I did just that.
Now I know I expected this to be a complete waste of time, but I am telling you, the light went off and stayed that way! Score one for me!
And now, I'd like to pass it on to you...
Happy driving, and stay safe!
Jim - Resident Realty Estes Park Real Estate
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I have to admit that I never have really thought of myself as a someone that can say I could qualify to be a handyman, but that does often change when you buy your own home. In today's world, you either learn how to do some of the smaller things yourself, or you pay a professional to do it for you. The internet has made that much easier with videos on Youtube, which then makes improvements easier on the wallet. I wanted to take a minute to touch on a few improvements I've taken on recently and how satisfied I was with the final product.
One of my first endeavors was to add insulation to the attic of my home. Before I could really do that, I had to air seal the attic floor to prevent wasted heated air here in Estes Park! It was annoying , itchy, and cramped, but I survived and probably removed about 65% of the air leakage. Next up, was to decide on what to use for adding insulation. I had blown in insulation already up there, but it was only to about the R30 level. That is pretty decent for the average temperature in the good old USA, but up here in the mountains, it is on the lower end of what I'd consider effective. I wanted the insulation to be at least R50, so I needed to add more insulation. I chose to go with more loose fill insulation, a product called green fiber. Its extremely flame resistant, and installing is an easy do-it-yourself overall.
I ordered the 35 bags of green fiber, rented a blowing machine, and started preparing. It was tedious, but my best discovery was to tape a stick to the end of the flexible hose that comes with the insulation blower machine. This was amazingly helpful because I could move around less while pointing the hose wherever I thought I needed more 
insulation! My favorite part was using it to get into tight spots without crawling around in every nook and cranny.
The bottom line with this project was, it took a while to prepare, but the project wasn't anywhere near as bad as I was fearing, the final stage went fast, and now I can feel the difference in the warmth and quiet in the house, victory!
My next project was more involved and definitely had me wondering if I would mess things up, putting in vinyl click-lock flooring. This was definitely above the typical DIY level of difficulty. That being said, it did end up well and I was very satisfied, but I also want to say that most folks will usually hire a professional. If you are feeling brave and have time, energy and a few important tools, I say go for it!
If I had to pick one thing that would be crucial to have IF you are doing more than 200 square feet of floor, I'd say you want a power tool of some sort to cut the vinyl. The thicker the vinyl, the harder it is to use a box cutter to score a few times before the vinyl snaps. I had a table saw that made intricate cutting incredibly easier, because you can always take more off, but once you go too far, the piece may end up in the trash, and they are a bit pricey. It was time consuming, and knee pads of some sort are also essential (since I didn't have any and forgot to order some, I ended up using a fleece that I just moved around as I needed), but the feeling of accomplishment was also very rewarding. 
I suggest you watch many videos on the subject before doing any purchasing, decide for yourself if it is something you feel like tackling on a do-it-yourself basis, or if a professional is better for your situation.
Best of luck!!
Jim
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Nature's Amazing experience, SCUBA DIVING! 
I've always enjoyed the underwater world. Fish were interesting to me from early on as with most kids, and I imagine that is not exactly new information. We people love to swim in pools, at the beach and lakes, not exactly an earth shattering statement either, I agree. I know many people that also snorkel when they get the chance and it is a really fun time. However, as a person that has done all of these, I can say that none of it compares to actually being underwater and face to face with the ocean world. Some find it scary to trust the equipment for breathing, but we also trust cars to keep us safe going 75MPH to work every day (when the traffic allows, HA!)
To me, being underwater when I'm diving is very cathartic, or therapeutic. There is very little sound aside from hearing yourself breathe the oxygen in the tank strapped to your back. Inhale......exhale........inhale .....exhale - which is actually quite calming.
The other part of diving that many might not be aware of, is that it is actually not difficult or exerting at all. Once you are in the water, you basically float along down there. Its almost completely effortless - even with all of that gear you have on, you just kick a little bit and you're on the move. I'd say its no more strenuous than walking on a sidewalk. Surprised? 
Now here is another cool piece to the equation. When you are down there in the ocean, you are in a different world. These are critters that can live in water, breathing down there without the oxygen tank. So in a way, its almost like you are in space (cheesy, I know, but just consider what I'm saying here ...lol)... watching these interesting species around you in a three dimensional world. below you, above and next to you. When you dive, you are more mobile too! I can swim up and down...gravity is not a limiting factor here, because you adjust your buoyancy using little weights and an inflated vest. Its a small window into floating in the world around you, and I think it's the coolest thing ever. I've been diving in different locations over the last 15 years, and while some of it is similar, each place has its own interesting parts! Cozumel is drift diving, so the current carries you along to a degree, and the boat just floats along up top at a similar pace! Some dives are very shallow, so the reefs are teeming with smaller marine life, crabs, lobsters, young fish using the coral as a kindergarten of sorts. There's night diving where you use flashlights and see the different critters come out that hide during the day. It is a fascinating world.
I guess I like to share fun experiences with folks, after all ... maybe they will love it like I do. Maybe you have been diving and really enjoyed a spot, well tell me! I'd love to hear any and all adventures, after all, life is too short to put off fun.
Happy diving!!
Jim REALTOR Estes Park Real Estate
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We all love a feel good nature story and in my humble opinion, this one delivers. Last night my friend and I were walking around lake Estes enjoying a summer evening stroll. As we are starting to head back to the beloved 4runner, we spot what almost looks like a large bug on the ground.
We took a closer look and realized it was a baby hummingbird, struggling and not able to fly just yet. We think he left the nest and couldn't quite get airborne. After consulting a friend who has a friend with hummingbird rescue experience, we took him in for the night in hopes he'd recover.
Hummingbirds have an interesting thing they do when they sleep called Torpor, where they go into a mini-hibernation that dramatically lowers their caloric needs. Very quickly, he went into torpor and we set him up for a quiet night. To make a long story short, we kept him warm overnight to wake up to hear him chirping for an hour, fed him sugar water twice, and re-released him the next morning where we found him, looking much better and hopefully ready to flap his tiny wings back to health. It was quite a rewarding experience, and we even have a few fun photos to share from it.
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Guess who is bought a home in Carriage Hills, Estes Park...
In what has been a whirlwind adventure, we have bought a home, moved in, relocated a family member while flying, driving, packing and dog walking an inherited pet. It was not for the faint of heart and I'm sure I added a grey hair or 2, but we actually got it all done with minimal damage to our sanity. We knew we liked different sections of Carriage Hills, so we started looking at the homes for sale and picked out the layout that met our real estate needs. I have an article on here that gives you some information about our new neighborhood. To read more, just click here.
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The Most Important Meal Of The Day....
I have a confession, I love breakfast. I. Love. Breakfast.
There, now you know.... the most important thing there is to know about Jim Idler, REALTOR extraordinaire. You can ask my friends, family, and they will all roll their eyes and tell you how it's a weird obsession I have. I'm not really sure how it started, but it's taken on a life of it's own. Could it be the whole morning caffeine thing, that first delicious sip to jolt me awake? It could be associated with the people watching that I always find interesting. The boost of energy the first meal provides to give me energy for the real estate tasks that lie ahead in the day? These are the types of questions I enjoy pondering over the first cup of whichever caffeinated beverage I chose for any specific day.
Well, I've been on a roll lately. I keep rolling out of bed and popping in to a local spot here called "Claire's on the Park", and when I find a good place, I like to tell people. It's a great place with mountain views, really fantastic coffee (which I think makes or breaks a good breakfast restaurant), and a bunch of creative dishes that you won't get at every upscale breakfast joint. My favorite dish so far has to be the Estes Park Benedict. Its an eggs benedict with artichoke, asparagus, tomato, and avocado. Sounds healthy, right?!?! Well, that may be true, but I don't care. Its absolutely delicious! That along with great coffee should be enough for you to get over to Claire's and enjoy a great meal while basking in the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park. You're welcome. If you want to thank me, invite me.
Jim Idler - Resident Realty - Estes Park Real Estate
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JUST LISTED!! (now under contract ) $394,900.00
1600 Wapiti Circle #24 Estes Park, Colorado. 
Beautiful turnkey home here in Estes Park, Colorado.
1600 sq ft. 3bed, 2 bath 2 car attached garage.
Bright and cheerful with skylights and
gorgeous decorative tiling throughout. For more information and pictures of my listing and others in Estes Park, just click here to go to www.HousesForSale.com
Call Jim Idler REALTOR (970) 480-1121
Resident Realty, Estes Park, COLORADO.
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I have to say, I have No green thumb whatsoever when it comes to indoor plants. At one point I had a corn plant that just did really well and I happened to get lucky with it. I've also since tried replacing that one 4 times after having to give him away, but I've had with no success, so hopefully that gets my point across. I'm terrible with plants.
After I recently bought a home in Carriage Hills in Estes Park, it was obvious that the yard needed trees in a big way. It looked like a wild grass field with almost no trees right where the view was the best! I knew it was going to take time to bring it up to speed, but I had to start somewhere!
The first step was 5 quaking aspen trees that got planted in a drainage alongside the house and property line with a neighbor. They love water and grow fast, so hopefully they do well. The issue I had was that up here, Elk love eating young aspen. This meant fencing in the aspen, that I now refer to as "The Witnesses". I know, you're thinking ....so what no biggie. Ahhhh but it was a bigger project because there was so much rock right where I wanted them! Every time I tried putting in a post I would get about a foot down and then ....ding, ding...it would hit rock and go no deeper....grrrrr.
Eventually, I got the darn posts in but one aspen has been a victim to the elk since I couldn't get the fence in at the right places. I've now redone the fencing and posts, got a bit of sunburn and I'm now hoping for the best. Either way, it was tedious and more labor intensive than I expected, but if the witnesses grow as I am hoping, I'll get quite a bit of privacy on that side of the house while adding some fun trees to the property.
I know what you're thinking now too, why didn't you just plant some evergreens that the Elk won't eat?? I did actually plant 1 blue spruce, 1 white pine and 1 limber pine.
Grow, my green children.... and enjoy the views!
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Exercise keeps you HEALTHY..
I wanted to tell you about the last 10 days of my life. No, not ALL of it, but one aspect in particular that can sometimes be laborious, repetitive and just downright unpleasant. Of course my topic title tips you off, but I have to say it... exercise!
We all often get wrapped up in the day-to-day stuff in life, which sometimes takes up more of the day than we care to admit. What is the first item or two that gets missed when the day gets busy? sleep and exercise. Well, sleep is on you, but exercise I might be able to help with...
Click photograph to see more images...
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In the last 10 days, I've hiked over 20 miles. not bad, right?! With all of the Rocky Mountains beauty surrounding me, going for a quick hike after real estate stuff is painless and gorgeous. I drive 5 minutes to a quick 2 mile loop, or a stroll around the lake or a 15 minute drive into RMNP and off for a early evening hike with sunset views, exercise is easy. Yesterday I went with friends and hiked around for 5 miles, and the sounds and smells distracted me from realizing that I was exercising. So, how does this help you? I'd say the one thing I noticed was how convenient hiking can be if it is nearby, and how nature makes it feel like a joy rather than a chore. And that is my 2 pennies of knowledge...
Jim Idler - serving the Estes Valley including Drake, Glen Haven, Allenspark and Lyons
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Are you curious what your home is worth today?? Homes in the Estes Park 
area are not staying on the market long, they are getting sold quickly because inventory is low. If you are interested in a Free Market Analysis, just call Jim Idler (970) 480-1121 - No obligation whatsoever.
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I wanted to write a mini-article about the difficulties regarding Estes Park Rentals. I must get 10 to 20 inquiries a week from visitors asking if we have any homes for rent here in Estes Park, but unfortunately finding a rental is few and far between. 
Allow me to explain this a bit more. Part of the problem is the popularity of Estes Park, with Rocky Mountain National Park at its doorstep, that drums up quite a bit of interest for living in Estes Park. Now, add to it the employee housing issue and the short term vacation rental demand for visitors, and the prospect of finding a long term rental in town is next to impossible.
Do folks ever find a place to rent in Estes Park, yes they do. Is it usually what you are hoping for, or near the area you wanted to live? - not likely. It is often less than ideal to say the least and as unexpected as it sounds, many people are buying property instead. Buying has become the best alternative for some folks that want to live in Estes Park, along with a great investment in the long run.
- Jim Idler -Resident Realty - Estes Park Real Estate
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While this may be a brief post, I'm okay with that. I thought I would pop on for a minute and introduce you to Red. He was caught red handed, looking completely guilty even though we are not sure what he was doing back there. I'm not sure what you think, but this one made me happy... and glad to have met this Marmot, he is priceless.
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OPEN HOUSE! March 12th $765,000
Address: 2341 Hondius Way, Estes Park, CO
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Snowshoeing, and other outdoor winter activities where you might be cold and not having as much fun because of it..
(Yes, the title is a bit rambling, but I'm kind of enjoying it.)
I may be a bit out of touch, but that only means that if I'm out of touch, then there are others just as out of touch as me! Well, here are my 2 cents on snowshoeing after doing some experimenting here in the Rockies.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE COLD.. I repeat... you can snowshoe for hours and not be cold at all. How is this possible, you may be asking?? Layers. Layers and layers...but maybe not the way you are thinking. I'm not asking you to dress like the michelin man, that's just unappealing for everyone! I'm talking about clothes that aren't constricting. Activity layers that are thin and meant for hiking, like Synthetic base layers. Another obvious one is a nice warm hat - or maybe even a hood that will keep your head, ears AND neck warm. I also really like shirts with 1/4 zippers, and jackets with "pit zips" ( google it, they are fantastic) because they let me unzip without removing layers- which helps me cool off if I get too hot. I also like thin under layer gloves in case my big gloves are just too warm and I want to let some heat out. Imagine that, being too warm.. it's a terrific problem to have when it's 20 degrees and you've been hiking for 3 hours through the beautiful snow covered trees.
I also have an amazing tip for folks that get cold feet. Two words - ready? NEOPRENE SOCKS. No, I'm not kidding at all, I'm being completely serious. Your feet will probably be sweaty when you get home and take the socks off, but while you're out and about, they will remain toasty, snug as a bug in a rug. I don't know about you, but that is a fantastic trade off in my book. Then once you're home just jump in for a quick shower and voila! - you're ready to relax and watch the game or sip some wine by the fire. No more sweaty feet! I mean, you were probably going to shower anyway - I hope. You throw the neoprene socks in the wash, (I suggest not drying them, just in case) ..and the next day they are ready for more!! You can buy neoprene socks online or at a scuba diving store - and they come in a variety of thicknesses depending on how warm you want those toes to get.
Was this news to you? Were you sitting there reading this and thinking, "dude, I've been doing all of this for YEARS...." If so, feel free to write me and tell me my first blog was boring and uninformative - I can take it. Was it an interesting tip you never knew? Well let me know too!! It makes me feel like I'm helping when I share small tips in life to get more people outdoors, especially around Estes Park!
And with that, I wish you happy snowshoeing.. and warm feet.
P.S. I found myself wondering about uncommon helpful things that you fine folks might know ... well, feel free to send me those too, and maybe I'll write about it here..
- Jim Idler Resident Realty - Estes Park, Colorado
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In an attempt to be more social, I've made a page on Google+ ... and its actually been kind of fun and easy. They have done a good job of making it seamless to post photos to different websites and the layout is visually pleasing and intuitive. Check out my page, click here and let me know what you think...
End of announcement.
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Okay, if you've made it this far, you deserve to know something I don't tell everyone, so consider this a bonus for the people that actually enjoy my blog, pictures and odd sense of humor. 
This picture is of Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Now Of course I know I'm not the first, second or last to take one. However, I took this at about 8pm on a
Friday night, and it is not an overly difficult trek to get there, maybe 1 1/2 miles. We started around 7pm...and we ran into about 8 people the entire time. That is a record for RMNP, especially at this trail. What I'm saying is that hiking at odd times ( with a flashlight of some sort) can be VERY peaceful AND beautiful - even on the busy trails. You are welcome, no need to thank me...
Cheers!
Jim Idler - serving the Estes Valley including Drake, Glen Haven, Allenspark and Lyons.
Call: (970) 480-1121
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