Wednesday, July 01, 2009
June '09 Colorado Springs Home Sales Looking Better
Into the numbers? The following link provides more details and some graphs:
Colorado Springs Home Sales Data
It is another beautiful day in paradise here, with blue skies, cool morning temps (it was still in the 50's at 7), and a forecast high of 90, the hottest we've seen yet this year!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784! Visit me on Facebook to see even more photos!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Colorado Springs Gets Some Good Employment News
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monument / Tri Lakes Area Offers Lifestyle and Convenience
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784! Visit me on Facebook to see even more photos!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Living Well In Woodmen Hills
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Air Conditioning Not Prevalent in Colorado Springs Homes
Monday, June 22, 2009
Summer Begins in the Springs
Friday, June 12, 2009
Pikes Peak View Isn't the Only One in Colorado Springs
Another advantage to backing to the east is the afternoon sun. When we get into a warmer pattern (it was low 70's again today, perfect!), the late afternoon sun can really bake you on your back deck if you back to the west. Turning it around gives you a nice shady outdoor area for afternoon and evenings. Moreover, it creates some warmth in the morning, so after a night in the 50's, it can be a pleasant place to have an outdoor cup of coffee in the morning.
Obviously the direction the house faces is only one element of selecting a house. The fact is, that only about 25% of our homes will back to the west, no matter how much we'd like it to be otherwise!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784! Visit me on Facebook to see even more photos!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Unique Areas Make Colorado Springs Real Estate Fun
The weather was pretty overcast and cool today. The old adage, 'we get 300 days of sun, the other 65 are when your out of town guests come' held true, my clients had company from Arizona, where they said it has been pretty unbearably hot, they were enjoying the 55 degree cloudy weather.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784! Visit me on Facebook to see even more photos!
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Sunday in the Springs
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Colorado Springs Parks Are Pretty Special
This park was funded with a special tax we have had for acquiring open space and keeping it from getting turned into subdivisions, parking lots or storage units, and I am SO glad it was! Part of General Palmer's philosophy when he founded the city of Colorado Springs was that we would have lots of park land, and it is true to this day. While a complete list and photo tour of them is not practical here, once in a while I think it is good to remember the great park heritage we have here! Click here for some more photos of the High Chaparral Open Space with it's views and wildflowers on my Facebook site.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Low Cost of Living Puts Colorado Springs in a Good Place
The caveat on the quality of life has to be the weather for the last 2 days. Fog, drizzle, cold, it reminds me of Michigan! I know, that is harsh, and like the saying goes, if you don't like the weather, wait an hour, it will change. Of course it also goes, if you do the like the weather, wait an hour, and it will change anyway :-) It is scheduled to warm up later today, and get back to the sunny 70's for the rest of the week, so I can handle a cold day or 2.
I'm still getting the hang of this Facebook thing, but I do have a bunch of photos posted now (not all tagged or anything, but a start!), so if you want to visit the Facebook site, see the link on the bottom right of this page, or click here!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Cold Gray Day In Colorado Springs
Monday, June 01, 2009
Colorado Springs Real Estate Market Improved in May
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Colorado Springs Wildlife Doing Well
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Days Like These are What Makes Colorado Springs So Popular
I've been a little busy to write this week, as we've been getting my wife packed out of her classroom, showing properties, inspections, what have you. Not to mention I'm still moving kind of slow after being sick. While it is still not as busy as in some past years, the pace has quickened a little, especially in light of interest rates starting to go back up. In addition, short sales are making a lot of unproductive work out of this business. I previously wrote about one that finally gave up after 3 months and found another house. Many short sale buyers just give up after the lenders (who we taxpayers just gave hundreds of billions of dollars to) sit on their offers for months. For anyone who wants a house in the normal 30-60 day time frame, short sales are just not an option, and a big waste of time. Foreclosures will continue to be a problem until the banks get their acts together on this issue. In the mean time, it severely constrains the homes you can show for some buyers, and makes them feel cheated when a house comes up that looks great, only to find out they are a short sale. While only 9% of the 5079 homes in our MLS are indicated to be in any kind of distress, the actual percentage in many segments is significantly higher, and overall these are under reported, largely due to agents not wanting to restrict showings on their listings.
Interest rates jumped late this week, all the way to 5.25% That doesn't sound like much, but when you consider it was 4.75%, that is a big jump. While we all hope it will go back down, all this government borrowing isn't helping mortgage rates, and oil prices jumping again isn't going to help consumer confidence much either.
I'm off to show some more homes today. Being such a nice day, I'd guess we might even sell one!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wet Weekend Marked Memorial Day 2009 in Colorado Springs

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off the Summer in the Springs
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wildlife Still Thrives in Colorado Springs City Limits
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Another Blue Sky Day in Colorado Springs
Friday, May 08, 2009
Access to the Eastern Plains Gets Much Better

Wednesday, May 06, 2009
April 2009 Housing Numbers Improve For Colorado Springs
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Back Home In The Springs
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Forest Gump Would Like the Black Forest
Monday, April 20, 2009
Colorado Ski Resorts Close With Lots of Snow
The moisture of the last week has got some green starting to peak through on the lawns. It won't be long and the trees and bushes will start leafing out, and it will start looking like spring for real. Golf season got it's start interrupted by the weather this week, but the area courses should be filling up again shortly. Hiking, biking, tennis, catching a baseball game, a whole new season awaits! With temps in the upper 60's and mid 70's, should be a perfect outdoor week.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Colorado Springs Sees 2nd Major Snowstorm in 1 Week
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tax Day and Shopping in Colorado Springs
The news of the General Growth Corporation Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing is pretty sad here in Colorado Springs. The Chapel Hills Mall, across the street from my office in Briargate, is a General Growth Property, and while this is anticipated to go rather smoothly and not force any major closings, it still reflects on how difficult the business climate has become nationally. The mall is where my youngest son works, and while we are not big shoppers as a family, it is where we go when mall shopping is required, not to mention the food court is a pretty convenient quick bite for lunch, and the theaters are also very close and convenient. The other major mall in the city is The Citadel, which is quite a bit further south. The Promenade Shops at Briargate is a newer outdoor shopping and dining center that has competed somewhat with Chapel Hills in recent years, though it is really a different experience altogether.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Living Like a Tourist in Colorado Springs
Monday, April 13, 2009
Iraq Casualties Hit Home in the Springs
The Easter snow quit in the later part of the afternoon, and this morning bright sunshine looks like it will be melting off kind of fast. My wife the school teacher was a little disappointed they didn't at least get a late start out of it, but this time of year, it is a little unusual to cancel school for snow, as it melts pretty quick.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Snowy Happy Easter in Colorado Springs
Friday, April 10, 2009
Easter In Colorado Springs Is A Big Deal
New Life Church, where we attend, has had an Easter production call The Thorn that they've done for years. It is somewhat of an 'R' rated passion play (they have a children's production that is a lot less graphic), and quite an experience. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 50,000 people attend this (spread over many performances), we are going to this year's production tomorrow. Satellite Map View of New Life
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Colorado Springs / El Paso County Health Department is GREAT!
It turned cool, cloudy and windy today after a couple of really nice days, but so far no rain or snow.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Colorado Springs City Election No Surprise
We got a touch of summer yesterday, with the temps around 70, and more of that today before another cold front hits. I need to get one more ski day in before they close the resorts for the season! I did manage to get my hot tub refilled and cleaned.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Google's Street View of Colorado Springs Is Pretty Good
Google Maps View of Downtown Colorado Springs
Today's 'blizzard' turned out to be a lot of very windy cold air, but almost no snow. Apparently other areas nearby got hammered, and we just had all of our lawn furniture blow off our deck, but only some flurries.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Colorado Springs March Real Estate Sales Better, But Still Weak
I took another ski yesterday (I need to use up my 4 pack, and had out of town buyers scheduled for the weekend) and was very happy with the snow conditions, although the weather was pretty wintery. While it was sunny and in the 50's here in the Springs, it was about 15 degrees and blowing hard up in the high country, in advance of another winter storm scheduled to arrive here today. Such a huge disparity in weather conditions is pretty normal between the plains and the mountains (especially in the spring), it is part of the package that makes living here so great!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Blizzard's Effects Melt Off Fast
When we filled up before our little trip (it is only 2 hours each way), I was somewhat shocked by how fast gas has risen in the last week or so. My last fillup at this particular station was a full $.20 / gallon cheaper. Some of the issue here in the Springs is that every Spring and Fall, they switch the formulations around, and the winter blend gas is different (more ethanol I think?). While I don't know if that was the problem, it was annoying to be paying close to $2.00 a gallon again :-( I know, it isn't $4.00, but considering that the $4.00 gasoline was probably caused by our now government owned banks speculating on oil futures, I'm not sure that is a good comparison either.
I showed one of my listings yesterday to a couple who has moved here from San Diego, and it reminded me of how many of our residents come from elsewhere, and how happy they are to be here. Recently I got an email from one the families that has moved here from the mid west recently, and their comment was 'We've been in Colorado Springs for just over five months now and we love it even more each day. It is everything you said it would be and more.'
I have other clients from new Hampshire that when I see them, they just can't stop grinning with delight that they live here now. Whether it be from Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Missouri, North Dakota, Virginia, Nevada, Washington, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or elsewhere, people love coming here.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Spring Blizzard Is Over
The morning was very pleasant, though cool, and I went for a short walk downtown while waiting for my brother to have some minor surgery. We were out for lunch when the storm really started, and the temperature dropped 12 degrees in the 15 minutes it took to drive home! Even the mall was closed with this one. Hopefully the warming trend over the weekend will help melt most of it off pretty quick, though not today. We sure needed the moisture, this should green up some lawns too!
When it snows like this, most people just stay home. Some like to test their 4 wheel drive vehicles, and others just have to report to their jobs (police and fire for instance) and they can't stay home, but many books get read, many movies watched, and a lot of work that can be handled on the Internet happens. This was one of those storms that will not have as many people out sightseeing, as it wasn't as dramatic when it was done as bigger storms that drop several feet of snow. We are still a good month away from the last threat of serious snow, and it was good to finally get some.
The ski resorts got pounded again with the storm, most have increased their base levels by more than 2 feet since Sunday! Copper Mountain lists 32 inches of fresh in the last 7 days.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Certified Distressed Property Expert Course Was Well Worth It!
One of the many important points that was brought out, was how important it is to NOT let your house go into foreclosure if at all possible. Realistically, for this to be an issue, homeowners are often behind on their payments to begin with. But there really can be time to come up with a better solution, and while it doesn't necessarily mean they can keep their current house, it does mean that they may be able to replace it again at some point, not always an option when foreclosure happens. Also, sometimes the homeowner can see hardships coming, and the consequences of foreclosure are far more devastating than people think. Doing something about it before it is too late can make a huge difference in how the future will look. Sometimes there really are MUCH better options, and it was good to hear more details about how it can work.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Winter Is Back!
After all the hooplah about the Federal government 'saving the housing industry' by printing more money and buying up bad investments from the banks, mortgage rates are right where they started, around 5%. So much for using tax money to help. Sales are picking up, nationally as well as locally. Progress on the national front helps us locally, in that relocating buyers who have houses to sell can buy more easily if their existing home is sold.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Ski Season Isn't Over Quite Yet
The new programs coming out of Washington for the housing industry sound positive, but I am skeptical they will have the affect that the press has been touting. While some are gleefully assuring us that rates will hit 4%, we should be happy if they just hang around 5%. Not that I wouldn't like to see 4% interest, but there are too many factors pushing against that happening, not the least of which is the multi -trillion dollar borrowing the government itself is doing!
It was a gorgeous sunny day today, with a little summery looking clouds once in a while. I spent most of it working, but it was still great!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sun and Fun
St Patrick's Day today is going to be another beauty, over 70, and then tomorrow we go up and do some spring skiing. Time for serious sun screen and lighter jackets for sure!
The market seems to be picking up, my closing yesterday was on a townhome in Monument that only lasted a week on the market, and I had another listing go under contract last week that was less than 2 weeks on market. property that is in good shape and priced well is definitely selling!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Colorado Ranked 4th For Well Being
What an interesting cold snap hit the night before last. With virtually no warning, we woke up to some very slippery roads. Thankfully the sun came out (as usual) and completely melted (and dried) the little bit of snow and ice on the roads, but it was a brisk 14 degrees this morning!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Monday, March 09, 2009
Time Change Not All Bad
The little dusting of snow we had on Saturday was nice, and while it doesn't exactly offset the dryness we've experienced, it does add a little moisture. We could use some more! The ski areas are getting some fresh this week, that will be good for our plans next week to get some skiing in.
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Colorado Springs Mild Winter Continues
It also isn't great for firefighters, as the warm (60's and even low 70's) temps usually come with wind this time of year, making for some interesting fire danger conditions. Fort Carson had a big grass fire break out early in the week, although they seem to have it under control now. These are fairly common when they are doing live fire exercises, all those explosions mixing with dry brush tends to be a bad combination, and dry windy weather doesn't help.
I've seen many people running their sprinklers already to take some of the "crunch" out of the grass. The city is planning on watering a lot less this year for budget reasons, so I'm hoping the more normal pattern of rain in the afternoon in the summer kicks in to keep the parks from getting too dry.
I'm looking forward to things greening up with the spring. It sure is nice not having to wear a coat when out showing property so early in the season!
Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
February Home Sales A Little Better
It was a beautiful day today, almost 60 degrees, and it is hard to remember that spring is a way off still, even though the time change is happening next Sunday already! March and April tend to be our snowiest months, and March is one of my favorite ski months. My brother is coming out for a ski vacation in a couple of weeks, I feel like I haven't skied hardly at all this winter, so this will be a great excuse! Tomorrow they say almost 70, what kind of winter is this? Even Pikes Peak is looking a little bare!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
FHA Loan Limits Finally Back To Reality
Speaking of Briargate, I listed a nice home this week in the Wedgewood area of Briargate. Priced at $309,900, it has excellent views nicely updated, good sized at 4 bed 4 bath 3100+ sf finished, and very close the mall, Rampart HS, Parliament Park, Focus on the Family, etc. It has brand new Corian counter tops with molded sink, many new Pella windows, nice hardwood floors throughout the main level, and a huge master with a 5 piece bath. Here is a link to more information: 8330 Sutterfield Dr Please call me at 719-331-7675 if you'd like to see it!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Water Supply Key to Growth
In a climate that yields less than 16 inches a year of precipitation, water is important. Our water supply is primarily melting snow from the mountains west of here, and the Arkansas River happens to drain some very high snow producing terrain. Battles over water rights have waged for decades all over the west, and the competing interests of growing population centers, recreational users and agriculture all have merit. My hope is that this settles out with a good balance that preserves something for everyone, and does not end up as a big "win - lose".
The dry warm weather we are having this winter here in the Springs (it was 65 yesterday, and will be over 60 again today) is not helping the water supply. People are going to be watering their lawns if we don't get some snow!
Monday, February 23, 2009
It's Good to Be Home
In getting home last night, I really appreciated how good the airline connection was (less than 2 hours in the air from Reno to Denver, nonstop on United), and how well traffic flowed.
We have had a REALLY dry and mild winter here so far, and it continues with a 60 degree day again today.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
First Time Homebuyers Can Use the Help
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Qualifiying For A Loan Is Not Always Easy
It is commonly known that self employed borrowers have the toughest time getting a loan, because after all, small businesses are sometimes risky, and subject to lots of ups and downs. But some employees are being treated as if they were self employed these days, and that is where the 'sucker punch' comes from.
The test that the lenders use is simple. Is your income reported on a 1099, or is it on a W-2? If you get a W-2 that documents your income, congratulations, you win major bonus points for the It's Easy To Get a Loan game. Assuming your credit scores are good, you don't have a lot of debt, and the income that is documented is sufficient, you are a likely winner. But no matter how good your credit score, how high your income, how low your debt, if you are a 1099 person, you need 2 years of tax returns from the 'business' you are deriving your livelihood from before they will consider it real. Even if it is guaranteed by contract. Even if it is in a field of expertise you've been in for a long time. No exceptions. This can really hurt someone who is in any number of fields where in fact the employer simply does it that way to avoid some payroll taxes and insurance, like some truckers, some construction workers, some technology workers, etc.
What is the answer? In general, it is best to qualify and purchase before setting out in a new direction, even if it means taking a little less pay for a while in exchange for the security of the W-2. Once you have the house, it is far easier to make major changes in your compensation structure or even line of work. Otherwise, a co-signer is likely your only fall back. If you are considering going to work in a 1099 environment that should really be a W-2 (there are surprisingly many of these), consider negotiating a slightly altered deal, where the employer can recover some of the payroll processing costs in exchange for you getting paid with a "real" paycheck. It might make the difference between owning a home or not.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fun Isn't Always Expensive
The other thing we discovered this weekend was Borriello Brothers Pizza, a New York style local operation that has been expanding. Their new store at Research and Powers makes a good replacement for Rotelli's (who used to occupy their space), a nice little Italian place still functioning at some other locations, but no longer so close. I really enjoyed the 5 Boroughs combination, the thin crust and unique cut to the fresh Italian sausage was really good. We are normally Papa Murphy's fans (the take and bake thing works for us), but this was a nice alternative, I'll do it again.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Colorado Springs Real Estate Market Is Heating Up
While the real estate market is improving, there are still clouds on the local economic horizon. Our favorite Chilis at Powers and Union has announced they are closing on February 18. This is such a bummer for us, as it was one of the first restaurants to open in the northern section of Powers, and was a super convenient place to stop for lunch after church, a quick and easy meal on a week night, and with clients, especially when working in the Cordera area. My personal opinion is that is is a mistake, as there is a new very large apartment complex opening soon within walking distance, and if they only had given it more time, they would be doing fine. There is no shortage of restaurants in town, or even Chilis, but it is disappointing to have such a convenient family favorite close.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Ground Hog's Day
While it feels very busy, and the model home sites seem to be seeing an uptick in traffic, January statistics are likely going to show home sales down another 20+% from last January, and prices will take another hit, down 12-15%. Part of the problem seems to be the nature of the closing cycle, some of our higher end sales are under contract but not yet closed, and many January closings were written in December. February should be much better. We've had some very low interest rates for the last few weeks (although heading up a little), and the lending system has had a bit of rush to keep up.
That was quite a Super Bowl yesterday. I managed to see most of it after showing property all day and writing a contract, and unlike some years, this one was a great game no matter who you were rooting for.
Friday, January 30, 2009
The troops are coming home! Another group of a couple hundred arrived again this week. Fort Carson is scheduled to grow over the next few years, but even more importantly, many of the troops who have been deployed over the last 6 years will get a chance to be home again. Colorado Springs has a huge military presence, but of our 5 bases (Fort Carson, Cheyenne Mountain, Shriever Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base and the US Air Force Academy), the largest by far is Ft Carson, with over 30,000 troops scheduled to be based there by 2011.
We've got a couple of nice days again (50's) before it gets cold for Super Bowl Sunday. I thought I'd get a shot with a dusting of fresh snow on the Peak before it warms up too much and melts whatever we have. This shot was from a couple of days ago, from the front porch of a new listing of mine in Cordera. At $393,000, it is a very nice rancher that is only a few months old, over 3,000 sf finished, with a nice view from the front porch.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Short Sales - Not All They're Cracked Up to Be
1. You don't know if you get the house for quite a while, even if the seller likes your offer. You can wait for weeks to find out that even though the seller likes it, their bank doesn't, and you are back to square 1
2. Many sellers in short sale situations have no real intention of trying to make things work, and so they make it intentionally difficult to show their homes (must be present, short showing window, 24 hour notice, no showings during the week, etc)
3. Some of the agents listing short sale properties are playing games with pricing, using listing prices that they know will not work in hopes of generating calls and showings and multiple offers, with no expectation that the house will sell at the price in the listing. This is pretty hard on first time home buyers or someone who is buying the house to live in, because it really means the house is not in their price range. This happened to my own buyers twice this weekend (separate buyers), where a house was such a good deal they wanted to write, only to find out the property had been bid up 10-20% higher than the list price anyway. The irony is that the sellers lender may still not approve the transaction at the higher amount. In both cases the properties were listed at less than 2/3 what the seller owed to the bank.
4. The house is almost always "as is". For VA and FHA financing, even something as small as peeling paint can blow up a deal, and with short sales, the deferred maintenance can go WAY beyond peeling paint
If you are buying for investment only, have some cash on the side to do repairs, have patience and time to deal with the vagaries of short sales, they can be a great opportunity. If not, they can be the source of a lot of headaches.
The sun is out again today, and the temps should be back into the 40's, about average for this time of year.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
New Life Church - When Can We NOT Be In The News?
The weather took a nasty turn to cold this weekend. It was in the teens all day yesterday, and last night's snow was not in the forecast at all. It is a sunny, sparkly day today, and maybe I'll get some photos to share of how pretty Pikes Peak is with a new mantle of white!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A New Record for Colorado Springs?
The warm temperatures have made it very pleasant for showing property as well, which I have been doing quite a bit of. There are some great "spec" homes available at the moment in Cordera, as well as Indigo Ranch / Ridgeview at Stetson Hills. In uncertain times, builders that have some completed inventory take all the risk out of the new construction process, because the house is done, you don't have possible delays, and (heaven forbid) if the builder fails or pulls out of town, the house is already done so you aren't left hanging. Builders also make their best deals on completed homes, since they now have a sizable investment already made in them, and they tie up lines of credit.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Another One Bites the Dust
Monday, January 19, 2009
Colorado Skiing Can Still Be Affordable
We chose this smaller resort of mostly green and blue runs mainly because my wife had just decided she wanted to try skiing again after taking almost 15 years away from it. With equipment advances, she had been hearing how much easier it is now, and she was not disappointed. She was "cruisin the blues" with confidence by the days end, and we can now enjoy MY favorite sport together again! I'm sure we'll visit this little gem of a resort again, especially if we've got any newbies with us, or if it is another holiday weekend.
We came back to some really warm weather, and it looks like we are in for a few days in the 60's this week. January is not normally a big golf month here (it can be hard to spot your ball in the snow... :-), but I'm guessing the courses will be busy, especially today, the official MLK holiday.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Back To "Normal"
The NFL playoffs were kind of weird, only 1 in 4 home teams won despite generally being heavily favored. It shows once again that on any given Sunday... Our big news of course is that the Broncos signed Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. I am still not 100% convinced that firing Mike Shanahan was the answer to their problems to begin with (they never asked me:-), so we'll see. Any one of either a decent kicker, some healthy running backs, or some healthy and fired up players on defense would probably have gotten the job done this year (to at least have made the playoffs), but I guess you could fairly lay all of that on the coach.
The Golden Globes were kind of lame last night, and I have decided that I just won't watch such things again. They add an hour of commercials into what is really 30 minutes of content plus another 30 minutes of bad humor and other filler, I would have enjoyed playing with our new Wii a lot more.
We woke up to 2 or 3 inches of fresh snow this morning. It was sunny and cold yesterday, and we had not really expected either the snow, or the fact that they did not delay school for it. They (correctly) assumed it would clear out quickly and quit snowing, and it did, although I suspect my wife will be going nuts with her classroom full of kindergartners all stuck inside for recess.
Friday, January 09, 2009
A Better Year in Colorado Springs
I usually have a camera in the car, and yesterday on the way back to my office, I saw a fox run across the road in front of me into a vacant field next to the Focus on the Family campus in Briargate. He (or she?) was going too fast to get anything very close up, but I kind of liked this shot with the Garden of the Gods in the very distant background. It was such a beautiful warm day (sunny and 60), I'm sure he was out jogging with everyone else in town!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
December Colorado Springs Real Estate Sales Statistics
Unit Sales - down 23.1% from last December
Average Price - down 10.5% from last December
Median Price - down 16.2% from last December
The inventory of unsold units has dropped to its lowest level in 2 years, giving some hope that once we sell through the backlog of foreclosure properties, things should bounce back fairly well. Interest rates are great, prices are great, selection is great, so this is a great time to buy a house in Colorado Springs! Even the weather is great, it was almost 60 again yesterday!
For more complete statistics, click here.
Monday, December 29, 2008
End of the Year 2008
This was not a great year by some measures. Colorado Springs real estate sales, which is how I make my living, were down significantly. The line between making a living and not making a living can get a little blurry in these times! My mother in law's health problems have been an interesting new season for us. And I lost my own dad at New Years last year, so the year started with a pretty major funeral in our family history. And the Broncos and the Rockies both missed the playoffs (ok, not that big a deal).
But even a tough year had some nice silver linings. My 2 oldest sons completed some important educational milestones this year. Our newest granddaughter, Ashley was born. We have all been pretty healthy. We have survived the toughest year economically that I can remember. Heck, I even got a Wii for Christmas! Life is good in Colorado Springs :-)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmastime in Colorado Springs
Thursday, December 18, 2008
WOW!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Free Money?
The ski season technically started over a month ago, but the mountains are finally getting a good series of storms, just in time for the holidays. The weather in the mountains is very different than it is here on the plains, despite the fact that Pikes Peak (at 14,110 ft) is so close. We often have sunny, breezy weather here when it it is dumping at the resorts 2 hours drive away (they expect 1-2 feet in the next 48 hours). It makes for a nice thing, in that we don't drive around in a lot of snow, but we can get to it fairly quickly when the mood strikes. Christmas Day looks like it will not be white, currently forecast for a high of 48 degrees and partly sunny. These things change quite a bit, so I'm not banking on THAT one yet, but since we hardly EVER have snow on Christmas, it isn't too far fetched.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Big Chill
The Denver Broncos playoff prospects took a little hit on Sunday, with their loss to Carolina and San Diego's amazing comeback against Kansas City. If the Broncos don't win the division, it will be the most spectacular late season swoon in my memory anyway. They went into the game on Sunday with a 3 game lead with 3 games left, we'll see how it plays out.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Colorado School Report Cards Are Out
1. On scale from Low to Excellent, some school districts came in with every school either High or Excellent, while others did not have a single school at that level. Academy D20 had all High and Excellent except for their alternative high school, Aspen Valley. Cheyenne Mountain D12 had all Excellent, except for Pinon Valley and Skyway were "only" rated High. The same for Lewis Palmer D38, only Grace Best and Palmer Lake Elementary were rated High, all their other schools were rated Excellent. Falcon district 49 had quite a few schools rate High, but no schools achieved Excellent. Harrison D2 had only one school that even rated High (James Irwin Charter School), and no schools that were rated Excellent. D11 has a huge number of schools, and only 6 were rated excellent. Of their 5 high schools, 3 were rated High (Palmer, Coronado and Doherty), and 2 were rated Average (Mitchel and Wasson)
2. Charter Schools (which we have been involved with for 13 years, my wife teaches at the Classical Academy) continued overall to do quite well, but it depended on the theme. The "academically rigorous" schools that include (for example) Cheyenne Mountain Charter, The Classical Academy, Monument Academy, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy, Colorado Springs Academy, Colorado Springs Early Colleges, etc all were rated High or Excellent. The more experimental and / or alternative schools did not do quite as well.
3. While there is not a really great set of statistics to back this up, the average home prices in these areas correlates pretty well with the school achievement levels. Cheyenne Mountain Schools District D12 has the highest home prices (avg $518k this year), Lewis Palmer D38 the 2nd highest ($411k), and Academy School District 20 the 3rd highest ($339). D49 was $233k, while D11 was only $203k. Which came first, home prices or school performance? Conventional wisdom and some national statistical analysis shows socioeconomic levels play a huge part in educational achievement. Where the parents are wealthier and better educated, the kids usually follow suit with better test scores.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Snow Day
We have all wheel drive on both of our cars. For years I drove only front wheel drive, and occasionally got studded tires, but often a dry winter would just wear out the studs, and the extra traction was seldom an issue. The bigger problem with cars and winter driving in Colorado Springs is more stopping than going, and while the AWD tends to make the car handle better on snow and ice, my son managed to hit a curb last week with my wife's because he had not slowed enough for turn. Realignment is often required with these sort of mishaps, and in this case a new wheel as well, because the old one was bent. Yet another good reason to stay home until the roads melt a bit, often just an hour or 2 is all it takes!
Interest rates are holding in the mid 5's at the moment, exciting since usually these kinds of dips only last a day or 2 in this volatile market.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Yesterday's service at New Life Church in Colorado Springs was pretty somber, and yet hopeful and healing, as we commemorated the anniversary of the shooting death of 2 of our young members 1 year ago. It was an amazing service really, and Pastor Brady Boyd did a great job covering the subject of Good Grief (available for online listening at the New Life link above). David Works, who lost 2 of his daughters and was himself wounded, spoke for a few minutes, and then Pastor Brady delivered his sermon. The church is dedicating a memorial to Rachael and Stephanie Works tomorrow afternoon. Because the church is so large, this tragedy affected many people, and listening to a father share about the loss of his daughters a year ago, just before Christmas, drew tears from many of us, myself included.
You can see from today's photo (taken yesterday) that the meltoff from our last storm is pretty complete in all but the north facing yards. It is pretty common for the sunny areas to get melted and dried up fast, one of the better arguments for a south facing driveway. Today we are under a winter storm watch, we'll see what this one does.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
The weather has turned cold and gray, with snow in the forecast. Quite a bit melted off yesterday in the 60 degree sunny breezy weather, but not all of it. Once again, they are not predicting a lot of snow, but we'll see....
Yesterday we did the inspection on a bank owned property that is only 2 years old, scheduled to close this month. With the house being so new, we were kind of surprised to find a problem with a tankless water heater the prior homeowner had installed. In El Paso County, you are supposed to get a building permit and inspections for this sort of thing, and they did not do either. The new buyer is extra handy and knowledgeable of such things, so it was not a show stopper, but it goes to show how even newer construction can have quirks. This could have been a major safety issue for a buyer, as the venting for both water heaters was partially disconnected, allowing exhaust gases into the living areas.
I could not decide on a photo for today, so I left it off. I'd love to hear suggestions of things you may want to see photos of!
Monday, December 01, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours! We had our usual family group, less a couple of families (between work, hospital stays and in laws, it gets harder as time goes on to have everyone at once), and had some guests who were new to the Springs, so it was very nice. I ate too much - as usual, before and after "the feast". I guess it will be a busy month on the tread mill for me!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
We have LOTS of luxury homes for sale right now in Colorado Springs. Yesterday was our tour of luxury homes for the south end of town. Our office's Luxury Home Professional designation requires us to attend a monthly tour, and there were some beauties this time!Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
The gorgeous mild sunny weather we've been having reminded me of earlier in the fall when I caught this elk napping under a tree up in Estes Park. I think if he had had an IPOD, he would have been listening to John Denver's Sunshine On My Shoulders :-)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
She started out at the Emergency Room at Memorial North (at Union and Briargate Parkway), which was so close to our house in Briargate that I actually walked home while my wife stayed with her longer. Unfortunately, due to her need for kidney dialysis, they have had to move her to Central (there is no renal unit at North), so we are back to the extra 20+ minutes of driving each way to visit her. This commute is about to improve, as the overpass of Austin Bluffs over Union is done, and the "cone zone" almost ready to completely disappear. That has been a long time coming, but should really speed up both the north-south and east-west flow of traffic. Memorial Central is right next to the Olympic Training Center (at Boulder and Union), and is a landmark building here.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
1. Gas - yesterday gas was $2.36 / gal at the King Soopers (Kroger) around the corner from our house
2. Milk - this has been running about the same as gas, around $2.49 / gallon
3. Rent - If you decide to rent (not recommended by this Realtor!), single family homes in reasonable areas start at around $1100, but plan to pay more like $1800 if you want the best school districts or a larger, nicer, newer home.
4. Property taxes - This varies by school district, but in general we figure on 3/4% of the market value as a planning figure. It is often less, for example I have a listing at $295,000 where the taxes are only $1600.
5. Sales Tax - 7.2% in the city of Colorado Springs, but it excludes groceries, labor etc.
6. Utilities - This depends on a lot of factors. Our own tend to average $300 / month for everything except trash service, but that is for a 4200 sf house with a hot tub. Obviously smaller, newer and no hot tub make them lower, but if you keep your house at 75 all winter or water your grass 3 times a day in the summer, it will be higher.
I voted on Thursday! It took an hour and a half to get through the line at the Chapel Hills Mall, but at least it is done now. I am so sick of political ads, pollsters, etc it will be great to have this election thing over with.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Today's paper had an interesting article about graduation rates of Colorado Springs area high schools. It was interesting to me that the districts with the top test scores (12, 38 and 20) also had the highest graduation rates (typically mid 90's). Also, a couple of districts that have typically suffered in the area of test scores also had lower graduation rates (2 and 11). The good news was that almost every district in the city had graduation rates above the national average (except 2 and 11) See complete details at The Gazette. Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The local employment news was not very good in the Gazette this morning. a gain of only .1%. It is understandable in some ways, given the loss of some good high tech jobs at HP and Intel, as well as the massive contraction of the local residential construction industry, and the continued deployment of many of our troops from Fort Carson. Still, it would be a lot better if we could get back on a bit more of a growth track soon.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Fall is an important home maintenance season. Draining and shutting down the sprinklers is really important here, along with disconnecting any hoses that might be out. Cleaning the gutters while it is still safe and possible is always smart, and of course changing furnace filters and smoke detector batteries are good to take care of as well. The leaf raking and bulb planting are good too, although I think the bulbs do better if planted a little later yet.
Today's photos were taken Sunday at Parliament Park, very near my office and Chapel Hills Mall. It is an extremely popular "senior picture" spot in town, and I could not resist capturing how much the fall color season has now reached us here in the Springs. I am embarrassed to say that while I have driven past this park literally thousands of times, I never stopped for a few photos of my own until yesterday.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
After this week's wild ride in the stock market, interest rates settled back down to 6.5%, and gas prices dropped to $2.85. While that is small consolation to anyone selling stock at the bottom, it is a pleasant side effect for everyone else, even "Joe the Plumber" :-)
Today's photo is of Pikes Peak last Sunday morning, taken from the Shops at Briargate. I love the 1st snows on the Peak.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Yesterday was also our office's Luxury Home Tour (this link will show you what we saw), and we saw some really beautiful homes, all in the $600's. They ranged from mountain lodge style homes, to country style rural playgrounds, and it was really fun. Yet another reason I enjoy being a part of RE/MAX Properties.
Maybe the most important thing that happened yesterday was the opening of Arapahoe Basin and Loveland ski areas. Ok, maybe not that important, but still great? Opening day of ski season for me is a while down the road still, but it is always fun to see the first ones open. Generally the conditions are terrible for these openings, and you don't want to scratch your equipment up on the exposed rocks.
I will be glad when the election is over, however it turns out. Last night's presidential debate was much better than the last one, it seemed like the questions were much more interesting, and there was less repetition of the stump speaches, but I'm pretty convinced that whoever wins, very little will really change.
Today's photo is from a couple of weeks ago at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
I am getting a chuckle (between bouts of nausea) out of the new court fight between CitiGroup and Wells Fargo over Wachovia Bank. Citi made a sweetheart deal with the backing of the FDIC, and Wells figured out it was worth a lot more than that, and moreover did not need federal funds to do it. Now CitiGroup wants a court to award them $60 billion to cover their "lost opportunity" to steal the bank. Is there no shame? As things like this develop after the passing of the "bailout bill", on top of the millions in last minute bonuses at Lehman Brothers before it went under, is it any wonder that people are disgusted with the banking industry in this country?
Monday, October 06, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
It was a very summery weekend here in the Springs, a great time to enjoy the outdoors. We attended an outdoor wedding up in Parker on Saturday night, which was a gutsy move, but it came off without a hitch. Evenings start to get cooler, along with arriving earlier this time of year, so evening outdoor events start getting a little less common.
I have another closing tomorrow, and need to do a walk though for the client. Standard practice here (and a stipulation in the standard real estate contract) allows the buyer to do a last minute walk through inspection of the property to make sure that inspection issues are complete, the house is appropriately clean and empty, no damage has been done to the property, and utilities are still on. Neither the buyer or the seller will be at closing, the seller moved out several months ago, and the buyer arrives at the end of the week. "Mail Out" closings are pretty common these days, and usually go quite smoothly.
The above video clip is a bit shaky, but it was taken Friday up in Rocky Mountain National Park, where the elk rut is in full swing. The eerie high pitched squeal of elk bugling is repeated often in the fall, and adds to the fun of seeing these magnificent animals "up close and personal".
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I have to say it was nice to get some time away with my cell phone off. With all the wrangling going on in Washington over the "bailout package", it was probably going to be a quiet day anyway!

