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Colorado Springs, CO Real Estate News

By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
Most people, when they think of the Black Forest, think of the Schwarzwald region in southern Germany. They envision dense forests, cuckoo clocks, colorful traditional costumes, and of course mountain scenery.We actually have a Black Forest, right here in Colorado, at the northern part of Colorado Springs. Although you won't find the same things that you would find in Germany, there are still some similarities.  We're heading east on Shoup Road, and we're almost there. Where is the forest, and the rolling hills? This doesn't look like the Schwarzwald?     Welcome To Black Forest. This is more like it. It's starting to look like the Black Forest that we imagined, as we enter into that part that is heavily wooded.          Just as in Germany, the Black Forest here in Colorado is character...
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By Eddie Hurt
(ERA Shields Real Estate)
May has closed and with it the summer buying season has begun. For some buyers, this could be a very profitable summer.For some sellers, this could be a very frustrating summer... and fall... and possibly winter. The time to weigh odds, observe probability, and respect the rules of the market (made almost entirely by the buyers), IS NOW: A Good News/Bad News break down of the market as June begins:GOOD: The market finally cracked 1000 units sold in a month at 1032.BAD: 22% fewer units closed in May 2007 than in May 2006GOOD: Average price is up $15,000 from last month and $7000 over May 2006 (2.2%) to $267,000. Median is up as well to $220,000, but that number is exactly where it was last MayBAD: 6567 single family homes are for sale, a 515 unit increase over last month, and 24% higher ...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
Being near so many military bases, and with so many of our troops being deployed abroad, I am getting more and more closings in which someone is signing as Power of Attorney.  The person who has been given the authorization to sign for someone else is the  'attorney in fact'. The person on whose behalf they are signing the documents is the 'principal'.Normally these pose no special problems. They just take a bit longer because of the manner in which the person has to sign the documents. Not only are they signing the person's name, there is specific wording that has to follow the signature.  There are various ways in which the attorney in fact may sign.Normally it is not up to the notary signing agent to decide how the attorney in fact is to sign. In most cases the lender will give spec...
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By Joyce Heffner-Williams, Owner/Broker/EcoBroker - Monument Real Estate
(Keller Williams Clients' Choice Realty)
Well I read an article in the Los Angeles Times and came across a small article on energy efficient refrigerators. They spoke of a site www.energystar.gov that is part of the federal Energy Star program. Specifically the article spoke about what is called the "Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy.  This calculator can be found at www.energystar.gov/refrigerators . Simply input your kilowatt-hour rate and model number of your refrigerator for the most accurate energy savings computation. I enjoy sharing ways to save energy in the home.  Sometime soon I hope to put together something that addresses other simple/creative ways to save energy.  The new compact flourescent lightbulb to be one of them... Please feel free to share any links to s...
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By Patricia Beck, Colorado Springs Realty
(RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES)
With so many homes available to buyers it can be difficult to make a decision as to what type of home to purchase.  Not only are there many different types of existing homes for sale, but there are many different builders and models in the Colorado Springs area.  Many of the newer homes in Colorado Springs are being built on the east and south side of the city where there is room for growth.  There are many advantages and disadvantages with both types of homes, so it is a personal decision for you to make when it comes to buying your home.  Making a decision may be easier once you highlight some of the differences between a new build and an existing home.  For example, in an older neighborhood, you are going to have more mature trees and landscaping than homes built in newer subdivision...
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By Patricia Beck, Colorado Springs Realty
(RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES)
There are many steps in the buying process and the inspection is a very important one.  If you are not sure inspections are necessary when buying a home hopefully, you will change your mind after reading this.  It is the buyer's decision whether or not to choose to have an inspection completed.  Although you may save a couple hundred dollars by bypassing the inspection, you may be in over your head if there are repairs that need to be taken care of that you did not find after you purchase the home.  Unless you have knowledge in the area of inspecting homes, I strongly suggest you hire a certified inspector to inspect the home you are going to by.  The inspection takes approximately one hour and the inspector looks at various areas of the home which includes operation major appliances a...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
The mission statement of Habitat for Humanity is simple: " ... provide simple, decent places to live for families who cannot afford a home by conventional means, through building and rehabilitating houses in partnership with the community and prospective homeowners."Accomplishing that mission is difficult. Habitat for Humanity needs help. It depends on volunteers and contributions.  And there will never be a point at which it has more than what it needs to accomplish the mission. There is always work to be done.  And not all of the work involves constructing homes. There are many areas in which people can volunteer their time and services. And financial support is always needed and appreciated. The volunteers for Habitat for Humanity come from all walks of life. Former president Jimmy C...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
The opening day for the Farmers' Market at America the Beautiful Park was last Wednesday, June 6th. It will continue until October 3rd. The times are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.   The park is located on Cimino Drive, just south of Colorado Avenue. If you're heading west on Colorado Avenue, you will see this billboard for the Farmers' Market and the park at the intersection. Turn left and it's just a short distance away.      What makes this market so special is the surroundings: America the Beautiful Park. It was formerly known as Confluence Park, but the name was changed a couple of years ago.  Here is one of the many vendors who have come to the market to sell their produce. There is ample parking just across the street.     Another one of the vendors you will find here is Old Town Creperie...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
I get many calls from people needing their signature on a document notarized, but assume that it will cost just a few dollars. $5.00 is all it costs to have a signature notarized, right?  Yes, that is all that a Colorado notary public can charge for notarizing a signature.   But when you call a mobile notary to notarize that signature, the notary is taking time out of their day to travel to you. In addition to paying for their time, there is the cost of gas and vehicle maintenance.  The customer has the option of leaving their home, place of work, or wherever they might be, and going to a place where there is a notary public on staff.  Then it becomes their time that is taken up, and their travel expenses.  Many of us who provide mobile notary service are involved in real estate transa...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
Many borrowers still can't believe that someone can actually come to them to conduct their closing -- whenever and wherever it's most convenient for them. It sounds too good to be true. Sometimes they feel as if they are imposing on us. It's not an imposition.  It's why we are notary signing agents. To make the closing convenient for you.I got a call to do a closing in Fountain, CO.  One of the first things I do is call the borrower to confirm the time and location.  Something else I do is ask if that is the most convenient time and place for them.  It was scheduled to be at her home. But I've learned that the home of the borrower is not always the most convenient place for them to do their closing.It turned out that she works during that time at the local college. In order to make it t...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
The title is a bit misleading. A notary cannot "notarize" a will. A notary can only notarize a signature.  Getting a notary to sign a will and add their seal to it does not make it "legal".I was contacted by someone who wanted me to notarize a will that they had prepared using one of the popular software programs.  They located me through ActiveRain. Although a Colorado notary can do it, I responded and suggested to the person that they see an attorney.  There are a couple of reasons why:  A will is a very sensitive legal document.  The laws regarding wills vary from state to state. It is best to entrust the preparation of it to an attorney.Also, a notary risks being prosecuted for unauthorized practice of law if they give any kind of advice, or assist the person in any way. If the per...
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By Leon Austin, Colorado Springs Mobile Notary
(Mobile Notary Services)
No, my car didn't break down. And I didn't run out of gas.  How else do you get to a loan closing, when the distance is only a little more than a half a mile from where you live?  It didn't make sense to get in my car and drive for such a short distance.  And it was such a beautiful day.  So I walked.   This is my neighborhood, Verde Drive. 'Verde' means 'green' in Spanish. And that is the word that best describes the scenery. There are a lot of trees in this area. This is the view heading east on Verde Drive. When I go for a run I like to head this way because there isn't much traffic.  And the few cars that you occasionally see travel slowly. It's a nice neighborhood for raising kids.   This is the street on which I did the closing: Rushmore. The residents take very good care of their...
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By Brian L. A. Wess, Voted "Best Realtor" 2006, 2008 & 2013
(Infinite Horizons Realty)
According to recent statistics, the buyer's market in Colorado Springs continued through the end of April. The total number of listings on the market was up to over 8000 single-family homes, condos and town homes available on the market. There was an increase of over 26% more homes listed for sale in April over April 2006. At the same time sales of single-family homes have dropped over 15% in April and sales of condos and town homes dropped over 21% to about 900 and 126 in April respectively. For April, the average sales price for single-family home in the Pikes Peak region was around $252,000, up from $244,000 in April 2006. That represents a 3.6% increase over the same month last year. The median sales price, which is the point at which 50% of the sales are above than 50% of the sales...
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By Derek and Mariana Wagner, The Artisan Group - Colorado Springs REALTORS®
(The Artisan Group- Keller Williams Premier Realty )
Colorado Springs offers many places for dog owners to hike, play, run and have all kinds of fun with their dogs. Dogs are welcome in any city park or on any city trail as long as they are leashed and under control. However, there are also some "off-leash" areas where well-behaved dogs and their well-behaved owners can play. These include Dog Runs and Dog Parks.Dog Runs are "hiking areas where dogs are allowed off-leash if kept under control." There are 3 Dog Runs in Colorado Springs:1. Garden of the Gods Park (Westside/Manitou Springs)- This is in the area east of Rock Ledge Ranch & south of Gateway Road. 2. Red Rock Canyon Open Space (West)- You will fing the doffie-area in the part southeast and up the hill from the parking lot. 3. Palmer Park (Northeast)- Right in Yucca Flats.Dog Par...
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By Derek and Mariana Wagner, The Artisan Group - Colorado Springs REALTORS®
(The Artisan Group- Keller Williams Premier Realty )
Memorial Park is located at 1605 E. Pikes Peak Avenue - Just East of Downtown Colorado Springs. Memorial Park is a 196-acre park, and is home to Prospect Lake - one of the largest bodies of water in Colorado Springs. Some of the features of Memorial Park include:Prospect Lake - Prospect Lake offers a fitness trail around the 1.25 mile perimeter for hiking, biking, roller-blading, walking and offers multiple fitness stops as well. There is also a swimming beach, motorized and non-motorized boating opportunities - including paddle, row, sail and canoe rentals, water -skiing and 2 fishing areas with one wheelchair accessible fishing dock. Stunning Views of the Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain. Aquatics and Fitness Center - Large indoor pool and water-play areas (swim lesso...
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I've written about the things I love about Colorado, and specifically about Colorado Springs. But maybe, I'm biased.  After all, I live here. And I really love it. So I thought it'd be interesting to get an "Outsiders" point of view. Well - not really Outsider - but a Visitor's point of view. Visitor's from Germany to be exact. My parents and my sister came for a two week visit. (My Mom had been here before, but it was the first time for my Dad and my Sister.) We took them around Colorado Springs, North to South, and East to West, including Territory Days, several Parks, Downtown and Old Colorado City. Manitou, up to Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Eleven Mile Reservoir, Mueller State Park, Wilkinson Pass and more.  When it was almost time for them to return back to Germany - I asked the ...
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By Derek and Mariana Wagner, The Artisan Group - Colorado Springs REALTORS®
(The Artisan Group- Keller Williams Premier Realty )
Here is a snapshot of the Colorado Springs Real Estate Market for May, 2007. Average Days on Market (DOM): 86This is DOWN 2 days from April. High DOM: MAN at 142 Days.Low DOM: PWR at 60 Days. Comment: Interesting that PWR (Powers area) has jumped down over 20 DOM over the past few months. Average Sale Price (SP): $282,801This is down from $269,499 in April.High Sales Price: BLA at $447,834Low Sales Price: S/E at $137,588 Comment: S/E remains the low sales price leader in the ‘Springs area.List Price to Sale Price Ratio (LP/SP): 97.26%High LP/SP: PWR at 99.37% Low LP/SP: MAN at 90.71% Comment: This ratio is down from 97.85% in April 2007.In May 2007:2,234 homes went on the market864 homes went under contract804 homes sold[KEY: BLA = Black Forest (Very Northeast of Colorado Springs), BRI ...
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By Derek and Mariana Wagner, The Artisan Group - Colorado Springs REALTORS®
(The Artisan Group- Keller Williams Premier Realty )
An acre of land is 43,560 square feet, or 4,840 square yards. This is the size of a football field, minus the 2 end zones. According to Wikipedia, the history of the term dates back to an Old English term for "open field" and was measured by "the amount of land tillable by one man behind an ox in one day." If you are looking to buy a home on an acre (or any size lot for that matter) it is good to remember that the yard will not be an acre, as the footprint of the house and any other buildings on the property will take up some of that acre. So, you do not need to worry about mowing an acre's worth of lawn! For most real estate in Colorado Springs, residential lot sizes are about 5,000 s.f. to 8,000 s.f.. Larger residential lots (1/4 to 1 acre lots) can be found further east - in Falcon a...
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By Colorado Springs Real Estate
Stetson Hills, Colorado Springs Market ReportStetson Hills is in Northeast Colorado Springs off of Powers Blvd. Stetson Hills is near newer modern conveniences such as the Springs Ranch Golf Course, Sky Sox Stadium, and Peterson Air Force Base. Stetson Hills falls into Falcon School District 49. High School is Sand Creek. Middle Schools are Horizon, Falcon and Skyview. Grade Schools are Evans, Springs Ranch, and Remington. Homes Range from 843 square feet condos to 4815 square feet houses. Prices range from $129,275-$632,019.  Active homes in the area are currently at 138 as of 05/25/07. Average List Price is $225,284 (2300sqft). The average days on market is 108.Sold Homes (Jan. 1st- May 15, 2007): 86 which is a down from a year ago. In 2006 there was 112 properties sold during this ti...
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By Joe Boylan
(SpringsHomes)
Cathedral Pines is a beautiful new subdivision conveniently located in the southwestern corner of Colorado Springs' historic Black Forest.  Cathedral Pines is located just 2 miles east of Highway 83 and Shoup Road minutes from I-25 and Interquest Parkway.This area consists of 810 acres, 158 lots featuring towering Ponderosa Pines and remarkable views all in a park like setting. With more than 450 acres of parks and open space, eight miles of trails, multiple ponds, water features and picnic areas, Cathedral Pines offers the opportunity for a truly remarkable quality of life.This subdivision consists of mostly custom builders with a few higher end semi-custom builders. The lots are generally 2.5 to 5.0 acres and for the most part feature towering Ponderosa Pines. Filing 2 does have some ...
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