Veterans now have access to a new VA renovation loan to refurbish or remodel their homes.  This loan program is available for new home purchases as well as for remodeling homes currently owned by the veteran.  It is estimated that over 50% of homes nationally are 40 years or older, and in the current housing market many homes are in need of updating, addressing deferred maintenance, or improving the energy efficiency of homes to lower utility costs. VA loan benefits include the following unique advantages:  a.  up to 100% financing, b.  no mortgage insurance, c.  up to $ 35,000 in renovation funds escrowed, d.  all renovations must be completed within 60 days of closing, e.  you can close on a purchase or refinance in the “as is” condition, f. you can borrow against the future value of... 09/20/2019

Located in the northern section of the Black Forest  tucked off-the beaten-path, you will find the small town of Franktown, which is becoming a very popular place to set up roots and call home. Residents of Franktown are surrounded by the beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains. Students in the community attend Douglas County School District. The district is the third largest in the state and serves over 50,000 students.  It is also known for being the highest performing school system in Colorado. Castlewood Canyon State Park that has several hiking trails from mild to moderate is nearby. With over 100 miles in the park you are encouraged to run, hike or cross country ski them all. Complete all 100 miles and be sure to bring your log to the Visitor Center to receive your Castlewood Cany... 02/06/2014

Franktown Homes For Sale - Click Here!   Helpful Links for Franktown Colorado: Town of Franktown Colorado Douglas County Government Douglas County School District   The Richards Group is committed to the highest level of customer service, and we won't be satisfied until you have closed on the home or property of your dreams. With a myriad of remarkable options, you will want to be informed. We are very familiar with the Denver Metro area, and specifically Franktown Colorado, which gives us a distinct advantage over less experienced agents. We have established many useful relationships with the residents of the area, and we have honed our skills in ways that no other real estate agent can match. To schedule an appointment or for more information, Contact us - The Richards Group - at 702-... 11/27/2013

Hire a veteran! I did and it was one of the best moves I have made! There has been a lot of advertising lately promoting the hiring of veterans. I am very proud to say, we recently hired a veteran. Joe Schriner. Our business model does not take on too many new agents. It is not that we are opposed to them, we just understand the on-boarding and training involved is more conducive to a real estate company that has mentors available to take the time that is necessary to bring these new agents along. I have got to say I will take on new agents all day long like Joe. We explained to him when he came on board that our time will be limited with him as we get started. We are however able to work with an agent that has a business mindset, that can follow complex ideas and strategies, that has t... 08/21/2013

What is a Snow Fence?  I am from College Station, Texas.  It rarely snows in College Station so  snow fences were not part of my vocabulary. I’ve discovered there are a lot people from Texas that are moving to Colorado.   I've also discovered that there are a lot of snow fences in Colorado.         Snow fences are used to control blowing snow and to prevent snow drifts from forming on roads or in parking lots.  Research has shown that the snow fences reduce the number of automobile accidents and that it costs less to install and maintain snow fences than it costs to remove the snow from the roads.     This picture shows how the snow accumulated along the snow fences.It was taken in Douglas County on Highway 83 between Colorado Springs and Parker.      Most of the snow fences that I ... 03/17/2013

Franktown CO real estate is located in Douglas County, Colorado, about 33 miles south southeast of downtown Denver CO homes. Pictures will be added so check back soon! Franktown CO homes is a great place to call home. More information below... Denver CO Home Search Franktown CO Home Search Nearby cities and towns: Kiowa CO Homes 16 miles Elizabeth CO Homes 9 miles Castle Rock CO Homes 7 miles Parker CO Homes 9 miles Looking to buy or sell a home in Franktown CO? Let me know how I can help! 12/19/2010

Great Mix of Rural Atmosphere with Convenience of Location Situated on the Denver-area prairies, Franktown real estate is some of the most sought-after property in the entire metro Denver region. Not only does Franktown have a rich and interesting history, there is plenty to do and see in this little town. It’s also not so little as to be bereft of amenities, and anything that you can’t find in Franktown you’re sure to find in the nearby Denver area. Franktown homes are semi-rural homes. The lots in this area are larger than in many other neighboring areas, and the homes tend to have interesting history and character. There are many home styles to choose from, and just about everyone can find a Franktown property that suits their style and budget. While Franktown real estate is near eno... 09/13/2010

Investing in Real Estate 4 – Small (2-4 units) Apartment BuildingThis blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, small apartment buildings, in Franktown.What this investment is:  Purchase of duplex, triplex or quadplex to be rented to tenants, usually for 6-12 month terms.  Usually what the rental home / condo landlords graduate to.  In most markets they cost a little more than a rental home, but are much more likely to cash flow on the average month.  Less cash flow risk; if one unit is empty you have other tenants that still help you with the mortgage payment so it doesn't all come out of your pocket.  Many owners will start to delegate some of the property management tasks to an on-site assistant (typically the most responsible tenant), such as yard maintenance and showing e... 12/17/2008

Investing in Real Estate 3 – Rental Condo or Rental HomeThis blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, rental condos or rental homes, in Franktown.What this investment is:  Purchase of a residential property to be rented out to tenants, usually on a 6-12 month lease term.  This is how most new landlords get started.  You can hire out all of the property management functions, but in many cases you will do many of them on your own.  There are smaller down payment requirements than for larger rental buildings.  The purchase process and financing process is very similar to what you experienced buying the home you live in now.  It's a great way for beginners to get started.Equity needed:  Currently 20% - 25% Downpayment.  In some cases you might be able to do it with 10% down, but ... 12/17/2008

Investing in Real Estate 2 – AssignmentsThis blog will discuss a type of real estate investment, assignments, in Franktown.What this investment is:  An investor who is interested in Assignments gets a property under contract for an attractive price then assigns the contract to another buyer, usually another investor.  The first investor will be paid a fee for the work.  If you don't have much equity to work with, and/or if your credit power is limited, assignments can be a way to get started in real estate investing.  You will need to have a strong "sales" personality to succeed at it, though. Equity needed:  None, just earnest money.Importance of credit:  Not important, since you are not purchasing the property yourself.Importance of experience with contractors:  Not important.  The pe... 12/17/2008

Topic:  Special considerations for Investor loans The talk around the water cooler these days is all about LOANS. Who can get them? At what price? What if I already have a few loans, do I still qualify?  A year or two ago the question was at what price do I get a loan (those were the days!).  Today it is "am I still in the game?"     Here's the deal:  if you have an owner occupied loan and 3 investor loans you cannot buy any more properties and get Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac financing, meaning you can't get a conventional 30-year fixed loan. Now, my hope is that someone reads this and tells me I'm wrong. That would be great!  But as far as I know that is the case.    Where does this leave you?  You can pursue loans that are warehoused by lenders, meaning they are not sold on the backend t... 12/17/2008

Topic:  Investor Series:  Why sewer scopes are important  A LOT of agents don't advise their clients to get sewer scopes when they purchase a property. This is a major mistake.  A broken sewer can cost between $3,000 - $10,000 dollars to repair and it only costs $99 ($99Rooter - others are more expensive) to have a tech put a camera down the sewer pipe and videotape the sewer all the way to the mainline. This will tell you  and the-buyer what the condition of the sewer is.    So let's see, we pay to have the furnace inspected but a new furnace will only be about $2,000. We pay to have the roof inspected but that's probably a $4,000 job. So why don't we always inspect the sewer?  One reason is because, let's face it,  Realtors want closings. Many figure if they keep their mouth shut and ... 12/17/2008

Topic:  Investor Series:  Estimating Rents A lot of clients ask me how to figure out what market rents are in a neighborhood. This is a critical input into the calculations an investor needs to make in order to determine what their return on investment will be on a rental property. So you don't want to screw this up!  Unfortunately, this is one of the many figures new investors get wrong.   One place people go to get rents is Rent-o-Meter. Rent-o-Meter is billed as an online resource to get accurate market rents. In my experience it is anything but!  However, I have a fairly simple solution. Multiply what you see on Rent-o-Meter by  80%  and you'll probably be close. I can't explain why but I find rents on Rent-o-Meter to be about 25% high, so multiplying their rents by 80% will get you... 12/17/2008

Topic:  Investor Series:  Things to look for when you look at roofs Have you ever driven through Aurora North looking for a rental property and taken a close look at the roofs?   Here's what you'll see: a bunch of 1950's ranches in varying states of repair or disrepair, lawns that are often grassless, old handcrank windows and roofs in almost perfect condition!  This surprised me at first and perplexed me for a long time.  Why, in a neighborhood devastated by foreclosures with properties with massive deferred maintenance are the roofs in such condition?  Really!  Stand in the middle of a typical street and looking at 10 roofs simultaneously, you'll be amazed. Well, it turns out the answer is pretty simple. There was a huge hailstorm in the mid-90's and most of the roofs were replaced by... 12/17/2008

Topic:  Investor Series:  Things to keep in mind when seeing a foreclosed home As investors we face a number of very real and very scary challenges. Making sense of this market is no mean feat and one has to be very careful with his or her investment. However, we usually think about danger as financial. Unfortunately, on rare occasion it can be even worse than that. The majority of the homes investors are buying these days are vacant and once in a while people break in and live in these properties illegally.  The last thing you want to do is walk in on someone camped out in a house, perhaps conducting illegal an activity.    This is no joke, you want to be HEARD when you walk into a property that is supposed to vacant. So make a lot of noise when you're at the front door. I always knock... 12/17/2008

Topic name:  Investor Series:  Understanding Egress Windows  A lot of investors ask what an egress window is and when one is needed. Technically, it's a window for a room below grade that a municipality has deemed large enough to be safe for exit in case of emergency.   While there are some variations, the window needs to be large enough that a firefighter with an oxygen bottle on their back could get in, then carry out an injured person in a fire.  Most often, it's associated with a basement bedroom window, making it a legal bedroom. Basement bedrooms without egress windows are illegal.  Installing an egress window makes them legal.    The confusion is that different cities, counties and agencies have different size requirements and height-above-floor requirements for these windows. Th... 12/17/2008

Topics for Investors:  Basement Kitchens You walk into a property you're looking to buy and rent and you walk down into the basement and voila! you find a full second kitchen.   Great!  You start calculating how much rent you could get if you could rent the downstairs separate from the upstairs and the cashflow is out of this world!  But wait, there are a number of very real problems with this scenario.   First of all, it's illegal unless the property is zoned for more than one tenant and the property has been converted to non-residential use. But there are even more practical reasons why having two separate tenants is often not a great idea. The first is the utilities. Since it's a house there will only be one bill for Excel and water. Who's going to pay it?  Can you really get the ten... 12/17/2008

Franktown Colorado is a land of views and prime horse land. This area boasts some of the nicest horse facilities around. If you are considering buying Franktown Colorado real estate blow is a little of what you can expect. Long range views and beautiful Colorado countryside. View every property listed for sale in Fantown Colorado. Land and homes for sale. Real estate in Franktown is located on the high prairie 27 miles southeast of Denver real estate and only 9 miles south of Parker Colorado Real Estate and Homes for Sale on the crossroads of State Highways 83 and 86. The Franktown, Colorado population of about 5,000 is all about maintaining a small-town atmosphere and low-density zoning, even with the extraordinary growth all around on Douglas County real estate. Being neighborly and d... 07/30/2008

3120 Flintwood RoadFranktown, CO 80116Neighborhood: Kellogg - FranktownType: Vacant LandLot Size: 9.36 AcresGreat Opportunity to Purchase 9.36 Acre Horse Property in Franktown! West Facing - BIG Views! Surrounded by Fabulous Homes and Land! All Fenced! LRR Zoning - No Limit on Number of Animals Kept on the Property! No Covenants! Access Onto Paved Flintwood Road! Best Value Available! 07/19/2007

9948 Pine Valley DriveFranktown, CO 80116Type: Single Family HomeFloors: Single Story Parking/Garage: 6+Bedrooms: 4Baths: 8Square Feet: 5,579 FinishedLot Size: 5.09 AcresYear Built: 1994School District: DouglasLovely Main Floor Study with Hardwood Floors and Built-In Cabinets and Bookshelves! Elegant Archway Leads to a Generously-Sized Formal Dining Room with Coffered Ceiling and Chair Rail! Cool Colorado Evenings Will Seem Warmer as You Snuggle in Front of the Brick-Wrapped Gas Fireplace in this Vaulted Family Room. The Built-In Entertainment Center is Ideal for Your Media Components, and the Fireplace Mantle and Plant Loft are Perfect for Displaying Your Treasures. Large Windows Afford Stunning Views of Pike's Peak! A Wet Bar, Complete with Sink and Corian Countertops, is Situated at ... 07/19/2007