Real estate market expected to stabilize in 2012

Phil Castle, The Business Times Based on the statistics and trends she observed in 2011, Annette Miller expects the Mesa County real estate market to stabilize in 2012. As the number of foreclosed properties shrinks and accounts for a smaller proportion of overall sales, what’s been a decline in prices should stop. Historically low interest […]

Fruita restaurateur learns lessons from makeover show

Phil Castle, The Business Times Ginny Sullivan learned some lessons about the restaurant business during her appearance on a television makeover show. For one thing, Sullivan now realizes she doesn’t have to keep her Fruita restaurant open for such long hours to bring in customers. Good food and service will take care of that. “They […]

With new feature, brand inspectors just a click away

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has introduced a Web site feature designed to help livestock owners buying, selling or moving their animals. Livestock owners can find their brand inspectors by visiting the Web site at www.colorado.gov/ag/brands and clicking on “brand inspectors.” By simply clicking on their specific areas, owners retrieve the name and contact information […]

Mesa County real estate market expected to stabilize in 2012

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  Based on the statistics and trends she observed in 2011, Annette Miller expects the Mesa County real estate market to stabilize in 2012. As the inventory of foreclosed properties shrinks and accounts for a smaller proportion of overall sales, what’s been a decline in prices should stop. Historically low interest […]

Group formed to focus on real estate investing

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  Doug Van Etten believes low prices and even lower interest rates offer an attractive real estate market in the Grand Valley not only for buyers, but also investors. Investors need help, though, in tracking trends, identifying potential properties to purchase and dealing with legal and tax issues. That’s why Van […]

U.S. job growth accelerates with December gain

U.S. job growth continues to accelerate, pushing down unemployment rates. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls grew 200,000 in December as the jobless rate retreated to 8.5 percent. Based on the results of monthly employer surveys, the private sector added 212,000 jobs. But government employment continued to trend downward with a net […]

Colorado confidence index reflects “enthusiasm”

A quarterly index tracking confidence among Colorado business leaders has advanced for the first quarter of the new year, offering a promising start to what’s expected to be a year with increased sales, capital expenditures and hiring. “There’s quite a bit of enthusiasm exhibited in this survey,” said Richard Wobbekind, executive director of the University […]

Colorado business index forecasts growth in 2012

A monthly index tracking business conditions in Colorado ended 2011 ahead of where it started, a gain that bodes well for economic and job growth in 2012. Gross domestic product for the state is expected to grow an inflation-adjusted 3.3 percent in the coming year, while payrolls should grow 1.5 percent, said Ernie Goss, director […]

Members of small business group stake out positions on issues

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  Colorado members of a small business advocacy group oppose efforts to impose taxes on services or privatize roads and bridges. Members of the National Federation of Independent Business in the state also oppose any efforts to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants who’re unemployed. At the […]