Colorado Springs Does It Again - Another Number 1 Place to Live!

Colorado Springs gets lots of the awards for being one of the best places to live. The latest is from Outside Magazine, the Facebook share link is: Outside Magazine Best Places to Live Article
I love it when we win one of these, not because we don't already know about such things, but because it gets the word out, and when you make a living selling real estate like I do, every little bit helps!
Today is one of those great cool summer days, with lots of rain the forecast, but a very sunny, breezy beautiful morning for walking, or about anything else you could ever want to do outside!

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!

Summertime: Lots to Do In Colorado Springs!

My wife is accusing me of becoming a Facebook junky, and she's probably right. One of the things I noticed however, since signing up, is how many different things there are to do around Colorado Springs that people find. Here are some examples that I've seen or heard about people doing in the past week or so (many on Facebook!):
Attend a Rockies baseball game in Denver (they are in 2nd place in the NL West at the moment)
See the AAA SkySox locally instead
Water World waterslides in Denver
Elitches Theme and Water Park in Denver
Hiking in these gorgeous mountains
Fishing in our beautiful clear mountain streams or lakes
Boating and water skiing down in Pueblo at Pueblo Reservoir
Attend a music or food festival in one of the mountain towns
Attend a music or food festival here in the Springs
White water rafting on Arkansas River
Go to Cripple Creek to sightsee or gamble
Camping
Mountain Biking
Go the movies
Swimming at a community pool
Visit Rocky Mountain National Park

Ok, I know you can do some of these anywhere. The point is, there are lots of things to do here in the summer! There are of course plenty of other things to do, our tourist attractions include things like Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Royal Gorge, 7 Falls, Cave of the Winds, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Garden of the Gods, the Air Force Academy, Focus on the Family, and on it goes.
Missing from the list? Surfing.

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!

Colorado Springs Weather is Hard on Roofs

We are in the rainy season here, but rain season is also hail season, and hail is the main reason roofs get replaced in Colorado Springs. It has always been somewhat rare to see a 20 year roof here, because somewhere along the way, they get replaced due to hail damage. More roofs are being replaced lately because of a change in roofing technology. 'T Lock' composition roofs were the norm for many years. However, the shingles are no longer available, so we are starting to see even minor wind damage result in full roof replacement. This can be an expensive surprise in the middle of the sale process, as most insurance companies don't want to simply 'give' you a new roof. They are doing 'prorations' for age to reduce their payouts, resulting in the seller being responsible for their regular deductible, as well the 'depreciation' of the roof due to age. Part of the normal home inspection process is to have the roof checked, and we are regularly asking sellers to have the roof certified to ensure the buyer is not going to get stuck with an expensive problem.
The new roofs are typically the 30 or 40 year 'architectural grade' composition shingles. They are generally more hail and wind resistant and look a bit nicer. As a result, we hope to see more 20 year old roofs in the future, barring some major hail storms!
This week we have very typical Colorado Springs summer weather in store, with highs in the 80s', lows in the 50's, and a chance of thunderstorms almost every day.
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!

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Questions Still Coming Up

I've gotten a few questions just in the last week again about the 1st Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, and thought I'd address them here. Note: This post is corrected as of 8-26-09.
This program was put in place to stimulate the housing market by giving qualified 1st time home buyers a financial incentive to buy something now (as if incredible interest rates and low prices weren't already reason enough!). The IRS has a pretty good web site information center on this at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=205416,00.html, but let me give you the 'Readers Digest' version.
1. The credit is 10% of the purchase, up to $8,000 ($4,000 for married filing separately). It is a credit, not a deduction, and it is refunded to you even if you did not owe any taxes.
2. It can be taken against your 2008 OR 2009 taxes, so if you already filed 2008, you can file an amended return to get it back.
3. To qualify, you can't have owned a home in the prior 3 years, and it is phased out in the higher income brackets.
4. It is a GREAT deal. Since FHA financing only requires 3.5% down, it effectively means the IRS is making your down payment on an FHA deal all the way to a $228,000 purchase, which is right at the average sale price in Colorado Springs.
5. It only applies to purchases between April 8, 2008 and December 1 2009. This means that even if you bought your house last year, before the economy really tanked, you are still eligible, and if you have not bought yet, you have until 12/1 to close.
6. You have to file a tax return and complete a required tax form in order to get this, it is NOT an automatic. If you've previously filed your 2008 return, you can amend the return to receive this as refund.
Hope this helps! Not a first time home buyer? Not a problem, pass this information along to someone who might be! Questions? Call Rick Van Wieren at 888-568-6784 or 719-590-4768 or email rick@ricksellscolorado.com.
This blog posting is being made at http://livingincoloradosprings.blogspot.com/, and is also being seen on a test basis at http://www.facebook.com/rick.vanwieren

Colorado In the Summer - My Kind of Place

This weekend my wife Holly and I took a little time off on Sunday (sorry pastor!) and went up to the mountains to get a 'mountain fix'. We look up at the mountains all the time, but it really takes some effort sometimes to just drop everything for a day and enjoy them! We went to 11 Mile Canyon, a National Forest area just about an hour from our house, and sat next to the roaring river (South Platte) for a while soaking in the sun, the cool breeze, and powerful sounds of rushing water. It was great! We took the scenic loop back around through Cripple Creek and made a small donation to the gaming industry (Cripple Creek is a gambling town), and then headed back to the Springs in time for dinner. We just missed a big thunderstorm I guess, and I don't think we ever even saw 80 degrees the whole time we were out, though it was scheduled to be a hot day in town. One of the great things about living in Colorado Springs that I love, is that we can drive to snow in the winter, but not have to live in it too much, and in the summer, that we can drive quickly to the cool breezes of the mountains and be away from it all, but still have all the conveniences of city living.

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!

Wild Weather is Part of the Fun in Colorado Springs

Yesterday I was showing property in Black Forest when we came across a stretch of road that was all white from a hail storm that had just passed through. When we got to the house, we just had to get a couple of shots for posterity. Yesterday was a gorgeous day, got up to maybe 83 degrees, but afternoon thunderstorms are always capable of changing things up for a while, and it was 59 degrees on my car thermometer right after the hail fell!

To be prepared for our variable weather, it is usually good to have jacket of some sort along, no matter how warm the day, as a 'just in case'. When I show property, we usually kick our shoes off if it has rained or if the house has very clean floors, so bringing shoes that are easy to put on and off is a good idea when you come out for a house hunting trip. Staying hydrated, even on days with above average humidity is also a good idea, we try to remember to grab a bottle of water for everyone before we head out as well!

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!

June '09 Colorado Springs Home Sales Looking Better

While the data is still preliminary, it looks like in June of 2009 we actually posted a year to year gain in home sales since last June of '08! Sales were up .7%, and while prices are still soft (down 12.2% for the average), the ratio of selling price to the list price has firmed up to 97.52%, indicating sellers are being pretty realistic in their pricing and not coming down as much in the negotiation. This may also be partially attributed to a smaller percentage of 'distressed' properties, these made up only 21.2% of June sales after peaking at 36.8% of January '09 sales.
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!

Colorado Springs Gets Some Good Employment News

It has been a while since we had any sizable civilian job announcements in the Springs. While growth at Ft Carson is very welcome and needed, it is the civilian sector that generally provides the best stability and long term growth prospects. Yesterday it was announced that Affiliated Computer Services is opening an operation here with 600 new employees, the largest single new civilian job announcement in ages. The Gazette is reporting that they will move into the Verizon campus at the end of Garden of the Gods road, on the west side, and hiring immediately. They will be ramping up to full staffing by the end of August. While these will not be the highest paying positions in town, jobs have been a little scarce lately, and this will be a nice little 'picker upper' on the economic front.

We are having a wonderful summer here in Colorado, with our traditional cool nights, sunny mornings, and late afternoon /evening thunderstorms. Today will another beautiful day for a morning walk. The wildflowers are blooming and it is really beautiful.

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!

Monument / Tri Lakes Area Offers Lifestyle and Convenience

Just 10 miles north of Colorado Springs (as measured from Chapel Hills), lies a small community called Monument. Many also also refer to the general area as Tri Lakes, named for the 3 lakes of Palmer Lake, Monument Lake, and Lake Woodmoor. None of these are large bodies of water, but it sounds good! This area is at a little higher elevation than the Springs (Monument Hill is around 7400 ft), and also tends to have a little cooler, wetter weather, but offers a lot of lifestyle amenities. Prices for town homes start under $200,000, but there are homes for well over $1,000,000 as well. The average list price of single family homes for sale in the Tri Lakes area as of 6-29-09 is $559,563, although there are 154 homes below $400,000.

To start with, being smaller (15,000 residents for the general area?), it tends to have a lot more laid back feel. It is a popular area for families whose jobs are split between Denver and Colorado Springs, being only 40 minutes from Denver, and 20 minutes to downtown Colorado Springs. Airline pilots and frequent travellers find it convenient for Denver International Airport.

The lots tend to be larger and more treed, with neighborhoods like Woodmoor, Kings Deer, and Bent Tree. The Forest View and other neighborhoods west of I25 tend to have lots of wildlife, including bears, deer, mountain lions, among others. Foxes and deer are very common east of I25. More affordable neighborhoods such as Jackson Creek and Santa Fe Trails make this area accessible to more than just the wealthy.

There has been a lot of commercial development in the last several years, bringing a Super Walmart, Home Depot, Staples, and lots of restaurants, including a Chili's and a Texas Road House, among some other smaller fast food places.

The school district for the Tri Lakes area is Lewis Palmer, District 38. They have a brand new high school, and the test scores are for D38 schools are always near the top of the range for the Colorado Springs area.

Recreationally, access to the Pike National Forest via Mt Herman Rd and Rampart Range Road opens up a universe of hiking trails and other outdoor possibilities. Fox Run Regional Park marks the south end of the area, with some of the nicest views in the region. The New Santa Fe Trail is a north - south trail that is part of a huge network of hiking and biking trails, and runs through the center of Monument up to Palmer Lake in the north, and the Pikes Peak Greenway and the Air Force Academy in the south. The new Monument YMCA and the Colorado Sports Center ice rink offer another genre of recreational possibilities.

Today's photo is of a new listing I have in the Santa Fe Trails / Peak View Ridge area for only $249,500. Click the following link to see more details on this great 4 bed 3 bath home! 17205 Snowwood

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!

Living Well In Woodmen Hills

I sold another house in the Woodmen Hills area this week. This is becoming a new favorite for some of my Colorado Springs home buyers for a number of reasons.

1. The cost of the homes is very reasonable. We still see some pretty nice homes, and some even new homes, for under $250,000. Spend more, get even nicer!

2. The lots sizes are big (most are 1/2 acre, some are 1 acre, some sections are smaller, but generally not less than 7500 sf)

3. The area amenities have expanded (the Super Walmart helps!), and access to the Powers shopping corridor is really good

4. It is pretty convenient to some of our larger employers, particularly Shriever AFB, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs Airport area businesses, Penrose Hospital, and even Briargate and Northgate

5. The lifestyle issues are a big plus, with 2 recreation centers (including one with an outdoor pool) and a really nice golf course in the area (Antler Creek). There are also great walking paths.

6. Woodmen Road, the main artery back to the Springs, has finally been widened, and it is a breeze to get to town, not to mention the ongoing entertainment of the antelope herds make the drive pleasant.

7. It is 'friendlier' for parking things like trailers and RV's

8. There are more ranch style (single level) homes out here than in many other areas of town.

One of the biggest arguments I get against Woodmen Hills is the HOA dues of $148 per month. What is often overlooked however is that this includes $87 of water and sewer charges, which would normally be separate utilities billing in most areas, and also includes access to the recreation centers. Considering a family YMCA membership is $80/month, the dues start looking more like a bargain! The other complaint before people see it, is that they think it is too far out. It is actually only a 15 -20 drive from the Chapel Hills Mall, and only 10 minutes from Woodmen and Powers, not too bad!

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!

Air Conditioning Not Prevalent in Colorado Springs Homes

I've written about this one before, but in honor of the hottest day of the year so (yesterday) and the warm forecast this week (high 80's), I thought I'd talk about it again.

Many of our residents come from other places. In particular, those coming from Texas, Arizona, Florida, Virginia and California (to name a few) tend to ask that air conditioning be a 'must have' on their lists of homes for sale that they look at. The problem is, in Colorado Springs, it doesn't get used that often, and so many people who have homes built don't tend to have it installed. To double check on the current percentage with central, I ran a quick search, and as of today, only 30.5% of the single family homes for sale in Colorado Springs have central air conditioning.

Why doesn't central air get used that often? To start with, the warm weather season is a little short. As of today (June 23), we have not had a single day above 90, only 1 above 85. Secondly, our nights are very cool. Even this morning it was 58 degrees at 6:30, and the projected high is 88. Thirdly, our afternoon thunderstorms tend to cool things off in the afternoon and evening, and while they don't always do the job, more often than not, they take the temperature down 20 degrees as they roll through. Lastly, our humidity is low, so even a pretty warm day is a lot more bearable. After visiting Michigan last week when it was very humid, even though it wasn't hot by Michigan summer standards, it had me sweating pretty good!

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!

Summer Begins in the Springs

Fathers Day happened to also mark the beginning of summer, and not just on the calendar. Yesterday was also the warmest day I can remember so far, with temps in the low 80's. It was a fine day for showing property! After spending most of last week in Michigan visiting family, it was really nice to be home and see the clear blue sky and the mountains, and feel the cooler, crisper morning air.

I had 2 sets of clients to work with before our Fathers Day celebration. With lots of homes for sale in Colorado Springs, normally it is easy to find lots of homes to show, but in some categories that is less true than others. The narrower the criteria, the fewer the homes as well, so adding things like larger lot sizes, higher bedroom count etc usually makes the list pretty manageable. Taking out short sales (they are taking so long to get answers on) can make the list very short!

The snow is starting to melt pretty good on Pike's Peak, I'm guessing it will disappear with the forecast every day this week close to 90!

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!

Pikes Peak View Isn't the Only One in Colorado Springs

Many of our newcomers ask for their house to back to the mountains, and you have probably noticed from prior photos that I've posted, that there is a lot to see when you do. Today however I thought I'd talk about facing the mountains instead of backing to them. There are always advantages and disadvantages, but this afternoon's sky reminded me of a big advantage to back to the east, not the west. It's the Colorado sky. Don't get me wrong, I love the mountain view, but in the summer, when the thunderstorms are starting to kick a little, watching them drift off to the east, and put up a fireworks show you can see 100 miles away, is just spellbinding. This shot I just took, around 4:30 or so, and shows off just a little of the view of the sun on clouds on the back side of a thunderstorm.
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!

Unique Areas Make Colorado Springs Real Estate Fun

Today I showed some patio homes in the Pine Cliff area, which is on the southern edge of the Northwest MLS area, near the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. This was a very unique little neighborhood, about 5 years old so, with some of the nicest views and private settings you could ask for, and under $400k. I've always enjoyed this area because I usually see deer when I show up there, although that was not the case today. While my clients elected this was not for them, I thought I would mention the area in case anyone else was interested. The homes we viewed are at this link: Pine Cliff Patio Homes , see what you think!
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 in the Springs

Sundays are a bit different for Realtors than they are for some people, but I thought I'd share a bit about my Sunday, just for grins.

It started out sunny, crystal clear, cool, and a little breezy. I set some showings before church, and then attended the early service at New Life, where I got to see my daughter-in-law and granddaughter, in addition to the service. My first showing was in the Monument area, where I was to meet the client, but I discovered due to re-paving, I25 was a mess, so I took the back way, Highway 83. There was a herd of antelope grazing near the road along one stretch, and then I ran into (not literally) a bicycle tour of hundred of bikes (a new twist on the Sunday driver thing!). Anyway, I eventually got there, where I took this photo of Lake Woodmoor at the complex where we were looking, while I was waiting for the clients. It was a very nice town home with good square footage for under $300k, though not quite for them. This is about as close to being waterfront as we have in Springs!

We then drove to the west side to see some more property, near Garden of the Gods, but nothing really worked for them, so we scheduled another round for tomorrow morning. I dashed home and had a quick bite of lunch, and then we were off to a going away party for a friend of ours (and client) who was leaving Holly's school (The Classical Academy), and then to graduation party for one of her first crop of kindergartners from the school. It was kind of ironic that we had gotten to know both families virtually on the same day, the year the school opened 12 years ago. By the time we left the first party it was starting to rain (yes, that is typical, sunshine early, followed by afternoon thunderstorms), and was a lot cooler, so we were glad the 2nd event was an indoor affair.

While it wasn't earthshaking, it was a pretty busy day, and we got to renew some old friendships. Can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday?

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!

Colorado Springs Parks Are Pretty Special

I had breakfast with a client and old friend this morning, and when we were done, I thought I'd stop by one of the many city parks we have to take some wildflower photos. I am around the High Chaparral Open Space a lot (I do a fair amount of work in the Old Farm and Northeast areas of town), but I very seldom have a chance to just get out and enjoy it, so today it happened.
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.

The cool wet weather of the last few days has been replaced with the normal summer pattern of sunny cool mornings, and afternoon thunderstorms. Perfect for keeping things green and still enjoying the outdoors!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Low Cost of Living Puts Colorado Springs in a Good Place

The news this morning in Colorado Springs (The Gazette reported it) says the latest cost of living survey put us 8.1% below the national average, not a bad place to be. It's a pretty great place without being low cost, don't get me wrong, but a low cost of living coupled with a good quality of life makes a GREAT combination!
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!

Cold Gray Day In Colorado Springs

I could not believe my eyes when I checked my car thermometer on the way back from a listing appointment in Monument this afternoon. 41 degrees! Fahrenheit! While it has undoubtedly been colder than that before in June, I sure don't remember it.

I finally bit the bullet, and signed up for Facebook yesterday. I have a ways to go to finish getting things set up appropriately. I'm sure many of you who are reading this are old pros with Facebook, so feel free to send me your pointers. It seems like a good place to put things that are more personal and not related to Colorado Springs living or real estate than this blog, but still very sharable. Click here to access it, and sign up to be one of my first friends on this social networking site. While you are at it, check out some of my photo albums I've started building. Today's photo is from our South Africa trip last month, there is a pretty good batch now online at the Facebook site, both from South Africa and from around the Springs.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Colorado Springs Real Estate Market Improved in May

Preliminary sales figures for the month of May show that Colorado Springs home sales improved, almost matching last years sales, down less than 1%. Prices firmed up as well, with the average (mean) jumping over 5% since April, and down only 12.2% from last May. The 'sale price to list price ratio' also jumped to 97.4%, closer to it's long term average. These are welcome statistics to those of us in the business, it has been a long time coming. We've still got a long way to go, but this is a real step in the right direction.

Today's photo of wildflowers was taken Saturday morning, a block from our house in Briargate. Perhaps not the best example, it still gives you a little idea of what I mean when I talk about the wildflowers blooming.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Colorado Springs Wildlife Doing Well

It isn't every day that I see wildlife when I am out showing Colorado Springs homes to prospective buyers, although it is reasonably often. It is more seldom when we see deer on the east side of town (they are more prevalent on the west side). But these photos from yesterday (May 30 2009) were once in a lifetime for me. The house we were looking at was in a very established east side neighborhood, near Barnes and Powers. Apparently this mama deer decided because the lot was large and the house was vacant, it was a good safe place to deliver her twins. I think they were less than an hour old when we came across them in the first picture, still wet and unable to stand for more than a few seconds. Normally I am pretty good at spotting wildlife, but in this case it was the buyer who saw them first. Thankfully I had the camera along! We came back later for a 2nd look at the house, and you can see how much progress they had already made. This sort of thing is just one of the intangibles that come with Colorado Springs real estate, and makes my job fun!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Days Like These are What Makes Colorado Springs So Popular

Since our wet Memorial Day weekend, we have had close to perfect weather here in the Springs. Glorious sunny warm days (around 80 again today), cool nights, a thunderstorm here and there in the afternoon, wildflowers blooming, even the snow is still on Pikes Peak!
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!

Wet Weekend Marked Memorial Day 2009 in Colorado Springs

I'd say we are finally drying out from all the rain this weekend, but it just wouldn't be true. May has been a funny month this year, with wet cool weather on the weekends, and drier, sunnier weather during the week. It rained a lot yesterday, but they say today will be wetter still. Fortunately, drier weather is forecast for graduation day on Wednesday at the Academy, so all is not lost.

The wet has everything very green, and wildflowers are starting to bloom as well. I'll get some fresh photos when the sun comes back out and time allows. Summer is such a great time of year in Colorado, and a little rain notwithstanding, it is such a great time to be out of doors taking in the fresh air, enjoying the majestic mountains and the natural beauty around us.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off the Summer in the Springs

Like the rest of the country, Memorial Day weekend tends to signal the beginning of summer in Colorado Springs. The grass is now green, the leaves are on the trees, time to get together with friends and family and celebrate! That will hopefully be easier on Monday than today, as a cold front came through and dropped the temperature into 50's and 60's from the 80's yesterday! It was cool and rainy today, good for the grass and flowers to be sure.

Next week is Air Force Academy graduation, and VP Joe Biden will be speaking. The Thunderbirds always put on a good show for this, and we get a preview of the show as they practice in the days leading up to the graduation, especially in the Briargate and Northgate areas that sit immediately across I25 from Falcon Stadium, where the flyover and graduation occur. Today's picture was taken last spring of the Chapel and surrounding areas as seen from Briargate.

May is also the kickoff of allergy season, at least for me. My allergies are usually a lot better here than they were in prior places I have lived (Michigan and California), but in May I can get it pretty good sometimes, and this year has been extra bad for a couple of weeks. It usually passes fairly quickly, but the doctor thinks I picked up some kind of bronchitis along with them this year, so I have been sick for a few days this week (I hate it when that happens!). Hopefully I'll be good as new shortly.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Wildlife Still Thrives in Colorado Springs City Limits

This past week I had a couple of vivid reminders that wildlife is very abundant inside the city limits of Colorado Springs. Friday I took this picture while I was waiting for some clients, to show them a house. It was on the west side, but probably less than a mile from the heart of downtown. I spooked her buddies while trying to get this photo, there were a half dozen or so grazing together. Yesterday it was really foggy, and I was heading out to Falcon to pick up a client, when a couple of pronghorn came up to fence along Woodmen road in such a way I was afraid they were going to jump right in front of my car!

Wildlife tends to do well here for several reasons. To the west of the city, we back up to the Pike National Forest and the Air Force Academy, so there is an incredible amount of unspoiled land very near. Within the city, we have a lot of open space and parkland, so there is plenty of area for wildlife to live, even if the National Forest or Air Force Academy (which is like a big national park in it's own right) are not a factor. Also, we have a fair number of creek beds that traverse the area, making it easy for wildlife to move around, in many cases without ever hardly crossing a road.

When we decided to come to live in Colorado Springs, one factor was that we wanted to be "where the wild things still grow', and it is nice almost 20 years later to see that they still do!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Another Blue Sky Day in Colorado Springs

It got warm here yesterday, in the low 80's, but today will be a little more normal, around 70, and not a cloud in the sky at the moment. I like the spring. The flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is turning green, the birds are singing, it's like nature is 'all happy' out there. We even had a fox in our back yard this weekend. Given that we have 6 foot privacy fencing, it was a little surprising when he jumped over it (or maybe crawled is a better word, he did not clear it in a single bound!). Our lawn even got it's first mowing of the season. Today's photo was actually taken last May in our back yard, but you get the idea.

Spring is also when a lot of out of town visitors begin to show up. Air Force Academy graduation is just around the corner, and then there is a rush of weddings before the new graduates get shipped out to their assignments. But many people like to come because Colorado Springs is a great place for a summer vacation. There are lots of things to see and do, the weather (especially in the mornings) is very pleasant, it's affordable, and there aren't a lot of places quite like it. And it is exceptionally pretty, with our mountain views that dominate the horizon from almost every angle.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Access to the Eastern Plains Gets Much Better

Yesterday I drove out to Woodmen Hills in Falcon for an inspection on a new home, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the new widened portion of Woodmen Road was finally open. The drive out was quick, smooth, and pleasant. The pronghorns were out in force, and while this photo is not from yesterday, it gives an idea of what you see almost every day when you drive from the northeastern section of Colorado Springs to Falcon and Peyton, or visa versa. This new section of 4 lane road will significantly improve access for residents of Falcon, Banning Lewis Ranch, Forest Meadows, Black Forest and other eastern communities here.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

April 2009 Housing Numbers Improve For Colorado Springs

As of today, May 6 2009, the Colorado Springs home sales statistics are not yet final for April, but preliminary results show sales only 8.3% behind last April, the smallest year to year decline we seen in some time. Prices were still soft at a mean of $210,141, down 12.3% on average, driven by a stubborn presence of foreclosure and short sale properties. These 'distressed' properties still comprised at least 26.3% of sales for April, and while that is the lowest percentage since last September, the average price for these transactions is very low. There is a permanent link on this blog on right side called Colorado Springs Home Sales Data Trends that you can click on for more details.

This is article #301 on this blog. When I started writing it, I wasn't sure how often I could write. Given that there is always SOMETHING going on in Colorado Springs, I guess I should not have been worried! Today we will see temperatures approaching 80 degrees, and the leaves are out on almost every tree, so Spring has finally sprung. Today's photo was actually taken last May in Monument Valley Park.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Back Home In The Springs

We just returned from a most amazing trip to the Western Cape region of South Africa. Since this blog is really about living in Colorado Springs, I won't post a bunch of travel stuff here. However, I thought there were a few things I should share.

1. Travel to anywhere in the world really connects well with Colorado Springs. It is amazing to me still that jet airliners can take you anywhere, with a plane change here and there.

2. Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the whole Western Cape region of South Africa is a fantastic trip. If you want more information about our own trip, I may post to a different blog at some point on it, or can email me and I will share some things. The rand exchange rate is very favorable still, and I enthusiastically recommend a visit to this truly fantastic place.

3. As fun as any trip can be, and as beautiful as South Africa is, it is so good to be home and see the grass turning green here, the days getting longer and more spring like, and see our own mountain, still covered in snow, majestically overlooking the city.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Forest Gump Would Like the Black Forest

Actually, a lot of us like the Black Forest, but it is like the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. As one of the best areas of Colorado Springs to find acreage and trees, it also has lots of sub areas that vary widely in terms of covenants, style and age of home, and condition. Not to mention road access. Generally prices start in the upper 300's, even for fixer uppers. The house that I took these photos at showed pretty rough, had a bad driveway, and bad road in, and was still priced around $425,000.

I took these photos Monday (4-20-09) while previewing homes for some clients. The house was really 2 houses (it had a guest house), and when I was leaving, the goats and llamas starting bleating at me. After I snapped their picture, I turned to leave and saw some more animals out of the corner of my, which turned out to be deer. You can see all the snow still left over from the Friday / Saturday storm, but it has been 60's and 70's since, and the trees and bushes are just ready pop with new leaves and flowers.

We will be on vacation until 5-4-09, so if you have real estate needs that need to be addressed between now and then, please my associate Bill Van Tol at 719-229-9100 and mention you saw it in my blog!

Colorado Ski Resorts Close With Lots of Snow

I used up my last ski day from my pass yesterday at Copper Mountain, where the last day of the season had the best snow I saw all season. I think they had 18 inches or so within 48 hours, it was great, and especially for end of season conditions. The weather was perfect too, not a cloud in the sky. At home in the Springs is was close to 60, and almost no evidence of our storm remained when I got home. Technically, there are still a couple of ski areas that remain open. Arapahoe Basin is famous for staying open as long as possible, and Loveland also stays open a little longer. These are small ski areas, the main areas are all closed now.
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!

Colorado Springs Sees 2nd Major Snowstorm in 1 Week

After the Easter Sunday snowstorm this week, it kind of had me thinking Colorado Springs was done with snow for the season (at least with major storms), but this one was even bigger. Schools were closed yesterday, and for good reason, as the snow just kept coming back after it would quit for while. There were even some periods of thunder and lightening in the middle, kind of a rare occurrence. This was a classic 'Albuquerque low', with low pressure moving slowly through New Mexico, sucking moist air from the Gulf of Mexico up to mix with cold air over the Rockies, and just keep snowing. It was still snowing this morning, but is starting to let up, and I won't be surprised if the sun is out by noon, and at least the streets melted off by dinner. I think we had 8 - 10 inches maybe at our house? The temperature is already close to 40, so the worst is over. March and April are traditionally our snowiest months, and this year was certainly no exception to that pattern. The good news is that this should pretty much get us back up to snuff with the water supply. Lots of wet snow should result in the mountain reservoirs filling up pretty nicely.

The ski resorts are pretty much all scheduled to close this weekend, with well over a foot of fresh on top of a 6 foot base! I had really hoped to get one more day in yet this year, maybe tomorrow? I 70 was closed for a chunk of the day yesterday, so even with good snow, you couldn't get there!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Tax Day and Shopping in Colorado Springs

Many cities in the country had Tax Day tea parties yesterday, and Colorado Springs was no exception. Friends who attended the festivities in Acacia Park were impressed with how smooth it all went. Conservatives protesting in the public square isn't something you see every day, if they had been rowdy about it I guess it would really have been news! I was surprised the Gazette reported only 1500 people were there, friends had guessed double that. For as fiscally conservative as Colorado Springs tends to be, I would have thought more would attend, but then again, some of us were working!
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!

Living Like a Tourist in Colorado Springs

I don't know where the expression 'live like a tourist' really comes from, but I like it. It has the connotation to me that every day we should take a little vacation, experience some of the joys that we all tend to get a lot more of while we are not at work, and that are unique to our locale. Yesterday morning I had a couple of extra minutes while I was out running some errands, and stopped by the Garden of the Gods and took a couple of pictures. Our summer visitors don't tend to get to see Pikes Peak with a fresh mantle of white, and in a month or 2 neither will we until next fall, so I thought I'd try to catch it after our slushy snow on Easter Sunday. This shot was taken at the Garden of the Gods Visitors Center, and is probably one of the most commonly taken photos of Pikes Peak. This free city park is a great place to come for a short (or long) walk, bring a sandwich for lunch (or coffee for breakfast, you name it). In short, it' really a great place to live like a tourist!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Iraq Casualties Hit Home in the Springs

This morning we learned that the 5 troops killed in Mosul, Iraq last week were based right here at Fort Carson. As the whole conflict winds down, these kinds of things are very sobering, and our hearts are saddened for the families affected. Our own family is particularly sensitive to developments in Iraq this week, as our oldest son is leaving in the next day or so for Iraq as a civilian contractor. He spent 5 years on the Army previously, and has been doing some work with a company stateside doing logistics support. With the economy the way it is, this looked like a good opportunity, although I have to say I did not expect he'd be heading over to Iraq as a part of the job. We are proud of his willingness to 'do what it takes', and like the families of all of our armed forces, are going to be praying for his safe return.
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!

Snowy Happy Easter in Colorado Springs

Not a great day for an outdoor Easter Egg hunt in Colorado Springs today. I don't know the exact statistic on this one, but the odds of snow on Easter in Colorado Springs are much better than Christmas (March and April are our snowiest months), and the weather certainly lived up to it's reputation today! We went to the 8am service at New Life, and it was well attended, though not packed (the later services are more crowded historically, sometimes standing room only). I took today's photo after we got back though, as it had snowed the whole time we were in service. The streets were pretty good overall, one thing about spring snow storms is that the snow tends to be pretty wet and slushy on the roads as opposed to any kind of icy mess. It usually isn't cold enough to become a bigger problem, though sometimes a lot of wet heavy snow can break tree branches.

This year all of our kids seemed tied up with things so we are not hosting an annual Easter feast at our house. In 27 years of marriage I don't think we've ever gone out for an Easter meal, so I think we'll try it this year and see how it goes!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Easter In Colorado Springs Is A Big Deal

Today is Good Friday, the day that Christians all over the world remember the crucifixion of Christ, followed of course by Easter, the day that celebrates the Resurrection. In Colorado Springs, there have always been plenty of Easter traditions. One of the more 'famous' was the annual Easter Sunrise service at Garden of the Gods (this sunrise shot was taken last summer). It was thought to the longest running Easter sunrise service, but became somewhat a victim of it's own success when thousands would overrun the park on Easter morning. At one point they had shuttle buses taking people from satellite parking areas and everything. Our unpredictable spring weather was often not even a deterrent, people would still come out, even if it snowed. There are a few that still gather informally at the park, but nowadays the churches all pretty much do their own things. With as many 'mega churches' as we have, there is no location in the city (other than perhaps Memorial Park) that could come close to holding everyone at once.
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!

Colorado Springs / El Paso County Health Department is GREAT!

We are going on a relatively short overseas trip before long to South Africa. It is a special family event for my daughter-in-law, who is from there, and in doing our research, discovered there may be some immunizations needed. Further research indicated that some of these may not be readily available at your doctors office, so this morning I went to the El Paso County Health Department for a briefing and immunizations. Their facility is antiquated, but directly across from Memorial Park, and the staff was so helpful and courteous, it made me forget I had gone to get a shot! They were also quick, almost to the minute of when they said they would see me, and for how long it would take. This is a public service that really works!

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!

Colorado Springs City Election No Surprise

In 'off years', Colorado Springs has gone to mail in elections. It saves a bunch of money and time, but also drops the participation rate. Yesterday was the ballot deadline, and the results were not really very surprising. Only 1/3 or so voted. The biggest controversy was the proposition called 1a, which was to allow the city to use an expiring mill levy to recruit and retain employers to the city. For $10 / year or so, it sounded good to me, but this is a pretty tax resistant bunch here, and so even this went down to defeat. We need more jobs here, the local unemployment rate is over 8% at this point, but they won't be coming from this measure.
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!

Google's Street View of Colorado Springs Is Pretty Good

There was an Internet article floating around this week about a town in the UK that objected to Google using their Street View camera to record the town. What a shame! It is very handy to see the street view of what an area of town looks like. Take for example the link below. It starts you out looking at a traditional map view of downtown. The Antlers Hotel is right at the center of downtown, the corner of Cascade and Pikes Peak. If you drag the icon of the little man onto the street, you can see an amazing amount of detail, and it allows you to essentially travel up and down the downtown streets. While it isn't exactly post card quality photos in many instances, it is very clear imagery as such things go. You can jump to almost any address or section of town and get a street view, call or email if you need help using this!
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!

Colorado Springs March Real Estate Sales Better, But Still Weak

It will be interesting to see which spin The Gazette will pick when they report March of 2009 Colorado Springs real estate statistics. Will it be 'Real Estate Sales Up 12.3%', or will be it 'Local Home Sales Plummet 21.6%'? We won't know for another week or so, but either one could be right, because sales are up 12.3% over last month, but down significantly from last March. The link below gives some detailed analysis of the situation, but the positive trends are that inventory seems to be under control, down 13.2% from last year, the median price has begun to rise again, up 4.3% from last month at $185,000, and the average price has begun to rise, up 2.9% from last month at $212,549. As with any set of numbers, you can see things as either 1/2 full or 1/2 empty. I'll take the 1/2 full version on this one! Colorado Springs Real Estate Sales Trends
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!

Blizzard's Effects Melt Off Fast

We went up to Fort Collins to see our daughter up at Colorado State University on Saturday, and I took the this photo from in front of the Starbucks at Union and Briargate (my favorite). You can see that although the Peak is nice and white, the storm we had Thursday was already melting off pretty good. We saw lots of cars still in the ditches along I25, so we know the roads got pretty bad, but they were clear and dry for us. Ft Collins seemed to have a little less snow than we did, and it was also melting fast. It was almost 60 on Sunday, but it started snowing again this morning around breakfast. Springtime in the Rockies!
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!

Spring Blizzard Is Over

After a dry spring, winter came back with a vengeance yesterday. It isn't really that deep out there (6-8 inches?), but the temperature dropped so fast and snow came on so heavy initially, it has left the streets an icy mess, and there are a lot of drifts.
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!

Certified Distressed Property Expert Course Was Well Worth It!

We always have opportunities to get smarter in our business, and sometimes I am so busy working IN my business, I don't have enough time to work ON it. This week however, I finished the the CDPE Course (Certified Distressed Propery Expert), and I have to say it was one of the best classes I have taken in a while. Alex Charfen is an excellent instructor, and his knowledgeable presentation on the ins and outs of short sales and foreclosures will be very useful in helping my clients and their friends and families.
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 a very dry early spring, the central mountains are getting a good dose of winter again, with 1 1/2 feet already, and more coming. We skied last week (and weekend) up at Copper Mountain, and although the weather was fantastic, the snow could really use some freshening up, so this is a good thing both for the resorts and the water supply. Here in the Springs we woke up to just a dusting this morning, but the temps are definitely cooler than the weekend was, and we also have more on the way. Thankfully I turned the sprinklers off again before this latest cold snap!
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!

Ski Season Isn't Over Quite Yet

I just got back from Copper Mountain from a couple of days of skiing, and am excited to go back again tomorrow. While the extremely warm early spring is good golf weather down here in the Springs, we still had a blast skiing, and the scenery was amazing as always. It is starting to melt, but the slopes are still well covered, and sometimes some spring slush can be just the ticket to soften up some of the moguls for those of us who aren't pro bump skiers.

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!

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!

Sun and Fun

One of my brothers is here from Michigan on a visit (the other ones already live here:-), and while I was working yesterday (another closing, yeah!), they all went out golfing for the day at Fort Carson. The course at Fort Carson is open to the public, and the only one to my knowledge that has a GPS system in the golf carts to help you plan a perfect approach shot with the right club. Golf in March is not the same as golf in June. The ball rolls further, and grass is brown. But it was in the mid 60's (not any one's score from what I heard), bright sunshine (they got burnt a little), and all in all, a great way to spend an unseasonably warm spring day. It was so warm I decided to turn the sprinkler system on, there is no rain in sight, overnight lows are above freezing, and the little bit of snow that fell on Friday did not do much.
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!

Colorado Ranked 4th For Well Being

I love all these surveys and studies that rank places to live. Trying to quantify such subjective stuff is really hard. But I thought this one (http://www.ahiphiwire.org/WellBeing/) by Gallup, Healthways and America's Health Insurance Plans was an interesting one, not only because it makes Colorado look good, but it also shows our neighboring states of Utah and Wyoming as pretty good as well (Utah was actually ranked 1st, though in my visits there I can't really see why!). The mountain west has really always had a great reputation as a place to live, especially if you are lucky enough to be able to make a living and live here at the same time, not always as easy as it sounds, especially in the current economy. The sunny skies, majestic scenery, and lack of real congestion has a kind of universal appeal. Anyway, this was just another example of the fact that sometimes, there is even data to back up the reputation!
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!

Time Change Not All Bad

I am a creature of habit, and the daylight savings shuffle can be a little annoying sometimes. The flip side of it for me, is that I've got a little more daylight for showing property to people when they get out of work in the afternoon. With so many of the homes for sale also being vacant, and in some cases without utilities on, it has been kind of tough to see much past 5, so this will be a nice improvement, at least for some of my local clients who can't look at property until then.
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!

Colorado Springs Mild Winter Continues

They say that you talk about the weather when there is nothing else to talk about, but the fact is, we are having an incredibly mild winter here. There is virtually no snow in the 10 day forecast, and we are in our normally snowiest months in March and April. That is good news for golfers, but not so much for skiers.
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!

February Home Sales A Little Better

The board (Pikes Peak Association of Realtors) doesn't release the final numbers for another week yet, but preliminary data for February Colorado Springs home sales show sales up from January, at 504 units, but still down 9.4% from last February. Prices also firmed up from January, with the average at $206,608, and the median at $177,500, down 8.9% and 10.1% respectively from February of 08, but both up from January. You can see more details by clicking this link: Colorado Springs Home Sales Trends
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!

FHA Loan Limits Finally Back To Reality

Colorado Springs has never been a town whose real estate prices were blown way up with speculation. Many of the sales here tend to be owner occupied, and either FHA or VA, which is the last real "low down" financing options out there. The trouble has been that FHA loan limits were reduced to only $271,000 late last year, really putting a damper on the low down (3.5%) financing option. The limits are now back up to $325,000 in El Paso County effective late this week, enabling thousands of buyers to look at homes that their down payments otherwise would not have provided for. Many areas of town don't really have too many homes under $271,000, so this should be a big help for areas such as Briargate, where the average inventory is at $354,000.

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!

Water Supply Key to Growth

One of the ongoing local political struggles is something called the Southern Delivery System, an ambitious project to pipe water from the Arkansas River up to Colorado Springs. The city has the water rights, but the not the means to deliver it - yet. A backup route was approved yesterday by Fremont County that makes it more likely than ever that it will happen, effectively keeping the city of Pueblo from having a veto over the project.
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!