Salida Colorado Real Estate: Greater Salida Neighborhoods If you missed the first post on the Historic Downtown area, click on this link: Salida Colorado Area: Historic Downtown. Greater Salida encompasses the area outside the downtown area, including some of the neighborhoods outside the city limits but still minutes to town. We have a great number of neighborhoods outside of town on anywhere from 1/4  to 15 acre parcels. The homes are generally larger than downtown and newer. Many have 360 degree views. The home prices are generally higher since the homes are larger and have more land. The list of most of the neighborhoods are listed below with average prices (including active and closed homes). We have produced a short video giving you an idea of what some of the homes look like in ... 06/24/2012

 Historic Downtown Salida CO Downtown Salida is on the National Register of Historic Places and is Colorado's largest historic district. The homes are generally smaller, mostly Victorian in design, and brick with lovely wrought iron fences. The area is bicycle and dog friendly so you can take your pooch and bike wherever you want. The Arkansas River runs right through downtown with a large park and bandshell next to the river. Lovely. Home prices in the Historic downtown run from $165,000 to $350,000 with a few exceptions on the higher end. Many have already been renovated. Right downtown are lofts, live work space, some condos and some commercial properties. Below is some photos of some of the homes with a link to view some that are for sale below that. Below the collage is a list of a... 06/22/2012

FibArk Festival, Salida Colorado: Everything White Water! From the seriously competitive to the seriously funny, FibArk has it. Salida Colorado fills up with athletes and spectators for the annual white water festival: FibArk (First in boating on the Arkansas or, as I say, Fun in Boats on the Arkansas). It is a weekend for plenty of sunscreen, and lots of sitting along the river (unless you are one of the competitors, that is), good food and fabulous music. Today, the hill climb and raft rodeo are the highlights, with The Tenderfoot Hill Climb sounds innocent but is grueling... straight up S-Mountain (across the river from downtown). Last year, the winner did the climb in 11 minutes! The raft rodeo is later today and what people can do with a raft in whitewater is amazing, as you can se... 06/14/2012

Salida Colorado is Horse Country Victory Hills Training Center (see the article below the collage) Victory Hills Training Center, Salida CO: A place for both horses and riders. Sandy and Mel Rose own and run the Victory Hill Training Center in Salida Colorado. It is a place for horses and riders to gain skill and confidence -- from beginning to advanced.   Sandy, the head trainer offers private lessons for you, your horse or both and has specialized clinics every weekend (April to September).  They run a tight ship and are picky about who boards their horses there... generally they choose people who also train there and --most important --people who "play well with others". Consequently, the barn is a very pleasant place to be. Whether you want to trail ride while keeping you and your h... 06/02/2012

Salida Colorado Home Buyers:Tips for Buying a Short Sale First, What IS a short sale? A Short sale means the buyer is offering the seller an amount that will not pay off the loan at closing. The bank will come up "short". Some call the home upside down. For a short sale to occur, the bank has to agree on the short sale, usually before it is listed. The price that the short sale is listed in our area are generally pretty good. The banks cannot afford to have a non performing loan on their books. There are other conditions that must be met by the seller for a short sale to occur but you come into the picture once that is competed and they are on the market. The seller signs the offer but then the bank has a negotiator that counters and negotiates details. The seller's agent works with th... 06/01/2012

Salida Colorado Frequently asked Seller Questions: When is a good time to sell my home? The most common question I hear from people who are thinking about selling is this one. Before I answer it, I will provide a bit of background for our area. For the past 4+ years, we have been in a declining market with respect to price. Time on market has been longer, prices lower and there have been fewer buyers. Last year, Salida Colorado property prices (Chaffee county in general) decreased by about 35% (according to narrpr.com). In addition, the ability to borrow money has become a bit easier (ssss). Whether or not we have actually reached the bottom of the price downswing, buyers are back in full force. Since about November, 2011, homes have been selling. Many of our buyers are from out of town... 05/26/2012

Salida Colorado First time Buyers Step 8: The Closing We call the closing/funding the Celebration. All the hard work is done. All you have to do on the day is show up and be ready to sign, sign, sign. Details:In our area, your realtor will receive the HUD statement (a document with all the calculations of who paid what and who owes what) either early the day of closing or the day before. If you are doing owner finance or paying cash, you may be able to receive the document a bit earlier. Your Realtor will pass this statement on to you to review and will indicate which number is the one to order get funds for. Your two choices of funds here include a cashiers check or a wire from your bank (ask your Realtor for wiring instructions). If you are out of the area, your package will be over n... 05/24/2012

 Salida Colorado First Time Home Buyers Step 7: Contract to CloseContract to close can best se summed up by the following 4 items. Each will be dealt with below. 1. Buyer's remorse 2. Loan application and appraisal3. Inspections4. Final Walk through Buyers RemorseOr.... I can't believe I just spent that much money for wood, dirt and concrete! Buyers remorse is a common emotional experience for many buyers, whether they are first time or veterans. It is normal so don't worry when it happens. Don't be embarrassed and don't make any hasty decisions when you are in this stage. At this point, you probably have a good working relationship with your Realtor so call! Or call someone who has been through the remorse stage before who you trust and have them help you move through it. Your Loan App... 05/23/2012

Salida Colorado First Time Buyer Step 6: Time to make an offer  You have found the place your Realtor is going to write an offer for you. What does that entail? 1. Your Realtor will provide you with comps (homes that are similar to compare prices) so that your offer is not too high or too low.*  2. You will need that letter of pre-qualification your lender ran for you 3. You will decide on a. offer price b. closing date (when the loan will be done so you own the home) c. inspection dates (in this area, you will have a home inspection and maybe well and septic) d. What to include in the offer. Some folks ask for personal property that seems made for the house...like the hutch in the dining room, etc.** e. How much earnest money you will provide ($500-$2000 that will sit in the bank of th... 05/22/2012

Salida Colorado First Time Buyer Step 5: Previewing & Viewing Homes. So far, so good. Many of you have followed every post so far in this series for first time buyers. If you missed any of them, see below for a list. Previewing: Previewing a home has two parts: 1) Previewing the home online 2) Doing a Drive by.  You can do one, both or none. If you do neither, your buying process can be painfully slow and can lead to discouragement and confusion. I highly recommend both or at least the online previewing before I set up a showing for the short list that could work for you.   Showings:The average buyer actually sees 11 homes in person before they buy. Many buyers in our area are from out of town/state so need to be efficient when they come to town.  It is hard to process when you see more... 05/21/2012

Salida Colorado First Time Buyer Step 4: Tips to focus your search -- wants, needs and location Wants and needs. If you have never purchased a home before, it is a good idea to start without the computer in front of you and really look at your lifestyle, wants and needs. Make a list of everything you could hope for in your first home. Now, think about the difference between wants and needs. You may want to live on the water. You may need to be want an extra room for guests. You may need that extra bedroom for your mother-in-law. You may want lots of land with your home. Around here you don't need much land to be private. You may want new appliances in your home but they can come later. You may want an extra bathroom but find out if one can be added easily later. You will need a home tha... 05/20/2012

 Salida Colorado First Time Buyers Step 3:Shopping for a LenderYou are now ready to go lender shopping. It should not matter if your lender is local or national as long as they are licensed in Colorado but it does. Time after time, we have seen loans tank because the lender did not have a feel for our tiny local market or they were part of a large bank and did not communicate with the local Realtor who holds deals together in small towns.If you followed Step 2: How much home can you afford in Salida Colorado, then you have a general idea of what your monthly payments need to be. If you did not do those calculations, do not worry.. the lender can do it for you. Actually, they will get you closer to the exact amount than you or your Realtor because they will be pulling your credit report ... 05/19/2012

  Salida Colorado First Time Buyer Step 2: What can you afford? The good news is that you found a REALTOR. Congratulations!Now... how much house can you afford? This is a numbers and credit score dance. Much of this can be taken care of before you call your lender (remember, your REALTOR can help you find a lender that will get the job done in our area). Here is a list of what you need as a first time buyer when you approach a lender:1. An income with proof of that income.  It is much tougher to get a loan if you are self employed but it can happen. Call us for details (719.207.1334). You will need to provide W-2's for the last two years and your tax returns. If you have been recently employed, Your boss may have to write a letter to prove employment. If your job is new and the occupati... 05/18/2012

 Salida Colorado First Time Buyers Step 1: Find a GOOD RealtorLooking for real estate for sale? Never bought a home before or have not purchased in a long time? This will help. Step 1: Find a Good RealtorFrom the day you begin to search, most folks settle on a REALTOR in two weeks. Don't just settle. Find someone who has your best interests in mind and not the sellers'. There are 8 steps to guide you, from beginning to end. Each post will address one of the  the eight steps. This guide also pertains to our many surrounding communities as well. Some of the steps will be similar to other areas of the nation but some are unique. 1. Make sure s/he is a member or the National Association of Realtors. They have stringent code of ethics that REALTORS have to follow and regular real estate agen... 05/16/2012

Salida Colorado - Bluegrass on the Arkansas and Having Fun in the Summer. There is one thing our town knows how to do in the summer.... play. We play on the water, make music, bicycle and we have created festivals for just about everything. From May to October, almost every weekend has something wonderful scheduled. Be sure to check the Salida Colorado Chamber's calendar before you come to see what is happening this summer. Annual Summer Bluegrass Festival over Memorial Day weekend. Our string of summer festivals will kick off this year over the Memorial Day weekend with the free, annual bluegrass festival running 2 days over memorial day--Bluegrass on the Arkansas.  More info below the collage. With concerts in our riverfront park during the day and evening and food, local crafts and g... 05/12/2012

  Yesterday, I was out showing land (an old mining claim) to a client. Since this is an all day event and often physically ardurous, I qualify my clients thoroughly before we go. I also ask what remote means to them. I could mean anything from over 20 minutes from a mall or 3 hours in by horse, foot or atv.  We also go over safety procedures and gear. Before the showing I tell them what to bring and bring extras just in case. The showing went well, we will put an offer in on this 2- acre parcel and ... looking back, I marvelled at the difference between showing in Chicago where I started real estate and here. Early this morning, a video hatched from my reflections.... This was done for those of you who may want to sit in your armchair and enjoy this remote event or actually plan to go o... 04/15/2012

Within one year, I lost 2 amazing horses, Prophet and Magic. Magic was my first horse over a span of 35 years. I had horses when I was younger but since married to a non horse man and moved to a non horse location. 35 years later, I remarried and moved to Silver City NM. The first thing that occurred to me was to rekindle my passion for horses by looking for one. Magic, a 21 year old prison-broke mustang, came to me for free. The owner, a man's-man and rancher, was going to take him to the cannery since he was going out of business. When I hear, I lept at the chance to own him. He came home with me, 21 years old, tough, a little jaded, and willing (not eager but willing). He was a good teacher for me to get back into horses. Although he was not thrilled with the "girly" touch, he tolera... 04/12/2012

Are you looking for a pet in the area? Support our local pet adoption agencies/contacts. We have several for a small area. First, our no-kill shelter is right here in Salida. Come visit Salida Colorado Ark Valley Animal Shelter. Or, if you want a delightful place to volunteer, this is it!   Associated with the Ark Valley Shelter is the one in Buena Vista, our neighbor to the north.... another good option for adoption. Click on Buena Vista CO Animal Shelter.   We have a state/sponsored Colorado Prison trained dog program. This is a great way to support folks in prison who are finding a new vocation and adopting great dogs at the same time.     Of course, our local dog gurus, Laura and Tony Bussing have their nose to the ground in the pet needing home arena. Call or email them if you want... 04/12/2012

                 There are so many places in and around Salida Colorado that are Dog friendly. The area is surrounded by national forest with trails abounding. Some of the trails near town are leash only but further out, you and your dog can do a miriad of off leash walks. If you want help getting your dog ready for hiking in the woods, Tony Bussing at Gone to the Dogs actually takes dogs on hikes for a fee to help train them. See the video below on Tony and Laura's shop and training facility...The Arkansas River flows through town so you will often see folks down at the river on hot days, giving their dogs a chance to spash and play.You will meet lots of folks in town just walking your dog. Every restaurant in town with outdoor seating will allow your dog to come with you as you dine.O... 04/10/2012

  For those of us with dogs, cats, or birds that mean a great deal to us, we don't generally think of what happens when they are terminally ill, very old or have passed. This post is to assist you with resources in your time of need. Pet End of Life Care. We have to extend our reach a bit since our area is so small. We do have out of town access to end of life pet care. Caring Pathways out of Denver CO offers counseling,  in home euthanasia, and in home hospice home care for those of you who need help.          Pet Cemetery. Our pet cemetery is on the south side of HWY 50 between Poncha Springs and Salida. The GPS coordinates are N 38° 31.176 W 106° 02.573. It is also very easy to find a special place in nature for your pet since we are surrounded by national forest, for those who want... 04/10/2012