Real Estate - What’s happening?

With all the recent articles about the Market turning down, Sub Prime Mortgages dissapearing, Mortgage Companies closing their doors and a bevy of homes on the market, knowing the facts is more important than ever. Feel free to check out the following links to ‘catch up’ on your Real Estate Reading.

Realty Times

Inman News

CNN Money

Real Estate News

Colorado Springs - What’s there to do in the Summer?

It’s July, summer vacation is in full swing, and you’re looking for something to do? Try some of the following:

July 21^st – Springabouts, a fitness walk to each Mineral Spring in Manitou Springs. For info call 685-5089

July 21^st – Pikes Peak International Hill climb, www.ppihc.com or 685-4400

July 21^st – 22^nd – 19^th Annual Teddy Bear Days at the Zoo, www.cmzoo.org or 633-9925

July 28^th – 29^th – Sertoma Gun Show, www.phillongexpocenter.com or 867-6635

August 1^st – Kris Kristofferson, www.pikespeakcenter.com or 576-2626

August 3^rd – Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Opening Gala, www.csfineartscenter.org or 634-5583

August 4^th – Mountain Arts Festival Woodland Park, 684-2495

August 4^th – Manitou Springs Summer Concert, 685-5089

August 11^th -12^th – In Their Honor Pueblo Air Show, www.puebloairshow.com

August 12^th – Pikes Peak Classic Bike Ride, begins and ends at UCCS, www.pikespeakclassic.com or

578-9092

August 16^th – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Moonlight on the Mountain, www.cmzoo.org or 633-9925

August 18^th – 52^nd Running of the Pikes Peak Ascent & Pikes Peak Marathon, www.pikespeakmarathon.com

August 25^th – The Colorado Springs Down Syndrome Associations “Buddy Walk”, www.csdsa.org or   633-1133

August 25^th – 26^th – The Silver Jubilee 25^th Annual Mountain Music Festival at Manitou Springs, 685-5089

Have a fun and safe summer!

Denver, Colorado - The “Holy Grail of Shopping” for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Welcome Fishermen, Hunters and other Liars.  With those words you’re welcomed into the Bass Pro Shop in Denver, where everything is just a “little bit” bigger. Well, in all fairness – the place is HUGE!

If you ever have a day, where you’re not sure what to do – take a ride up to Denver and visit this place. It’s worth the drive, especially if you like the Outdoors. It has Clothes for hiking, camping, skiing, any type of equipment and accessories for fishing or hunting, to include guns, gun safes, shells, fishing rods, vests and boats; or if you like camping – you can find anything from tents, to cookware, to a lounge chair; if you have kids, who would like “Outdoor Stuff” that’s kid-appropriate, and all the way to any items you might need for decorating your home – from pictures, to lamps, to sofas and dishes.  Sounds exhausting? Have a cup of coffee or enjoy lunch in the attached restaurant!

Want to relax? Watch the variety of fish in the different aquariums or ponds. For a special “thrill” ride the elevator that offers an “inside view” of the big aquarium.  Once upstairs, you find anything for the hunter who wants to make his own sausage, all the way to smokers and grills, footwear for men and women, and the guns and accessories, as well as a couple of benches on top of a bridge, to watch what’s happening in the store.

You know the place is huge, when fully mounted Moose (up on the walls) look TINY! If you love Cabelas  - this place might be your next favorite store! (And it’s a lot closer!)

Colorado Springs Neighborhoods - Colorado Centre

If you’ve lived in Colorado Springs for any length of time, you know how much the North/East side expanded - new homes and stores galore!  - specially toward Falcon. However, if you are looking for a quieter area - you might want to try Colorado Centre. Located off Powers or Marksheffel and Bradley or Drennan, it’s separate enough from the hustle and bustle of downtown, to make you feel as if you’re out in the country.

Colorado Centre is like it’s own little village - surrounded by open fields, grazing antelope, the occasional cow or horse. FYI - once the Banning Lewis development gets under way, the views might change a bit! For now tho, Colorado Centre is ‘away’ from everything - Horizonview Drive being the “main strip” through this development, which offers a park and playground, a Basketball Court with Picnic tables and it’s own Fire-station.

A branch of the Olympic committee used to reside “out there” as well - but their building is now up for sale and the area is looking for ‘new’ neighbors to occupy the space. Home prices range from $155,000 to approx. $220,000, and square footage from approx. 1,000 to 2,700, and despite it’s feeling of being secluded, you’re only a few minutes away from parks, schools and shopping. As for schools - Colorado Centre is being served by Widefield School District 3. Something to keep in mind -  Peterson Air Force Base , Schriever Air Force Base and even Ft. Carson are easily accessible from Colorado Centre.

So if you’re ready to give the “Colorado Life Style” a try - take a look at Colorado Centre!

Colorado Springs - New On Base Shopping

Colorado Springs - Peterson Air Force Base is adding a new BX (Base Exchange) and Commissary on the East side of the Base. Active Duty Military, their Family Members and retired Military and Family Members (which make up a large portion of the on-base shoppers) have the privilege of shopping on post, through AAFES, which provides the same products and services as offered by off post stores and service providers, but often at a much lower price.

By adding the new shopping center, the commissary alone will be able to hold almost 50% more products - hopefully preventing the constant need to re-stock. The BX will also increase by almost 50%, adding the necessary space to offer things like a larger food court (including a Sushi Bar), a nail salon, a Bank and an Optometrist among others.

 The easiest access to the new complex will be through the East Gate, which will have adjusted hours of operations, to meet demand. The Grand Opening is set for June 5th through the 9th and will include Giveaways and Activities.

Moving to Peterson Air Force Base - Colorado Springs?

Peterson Air Force Base is located on what used to be Colorado Springs’ East Side - south of Platte Avenue (Hwy 24) and East of Powers Blvd.

The Base was established in 1942, at the Colorado Springs Airport as Colorado Springs Army Air Base. In August of the same year, the Base was officially renamed to Peterson Army Air Base, yet most commonly, it was called Peterson Field.  It was deactivated by the Army in 1945 and turned over to the city of Colorado Springs. It was briefly reactivated, from 1947 to 1948. In 1951, after the official “birth” of the United States Air Force - Peterson Field was once again, reactivated and in 1976 it was renamed to Peterson Air Force Base. In 1982 the Air Force Space Command was activated on Peterson Air Force Base, to be joined by the 1^st Space Wing in 1983. In 1992 the 21^st Space Wing took over responsibilities on Peterson Air Force Base.

Peterson is a “town within a town”. It offers almost anything you would expect to find in a small town - a post office - offering complete services,  on post housing, a BX (Base Exchange - Store), a Commissary (Grocery Store) - with a new Commissary to be completed in June, on the East Side of Peterson Air Base. For recreation purposed you can find a fitness and sport center with a running tracks and basketball courts, a climbing wall, tennis, handball and racquetball courts.  An aquatic center is open year round, like the bowling and auto skills center.  An on Post Library, a Clinic and a Dental Clinic are available, as well as a Childcare Center  and/or in home childcare for the youngest family members. An 18 hole golf course and outdoor recreation program take advantage of our Colorado weather. A Family, a Community and a Youth Center offer programs for everyone.

Peterson Air Force Base also  offers clubs and groups for spouses and family members, including a Spouses Club, a Lunch Bunch Meeting, a new Adventures Club, Stamping and Scrapbook, Moms & Tots, a Bunco Group, a Book club, a Mahjong Club, a Quilting Group and a Gourmet Group. A Credit Union, Bank and the American Red Cross, Thrift Store, Base Chapel and Museum are also available.

FYI: If you are moving to Peterson and are bringing a vehicle - remember - it must be registered on base within the first 72 hours after arrival. Also be conscious of the altitude you are moving up to - take it easy for the first couple of weeks and drink plenty of water, you will be residing above 6000 feet.  Aside from that - Welcome to Colorado Springs!

Support Our Troops!

Colorado Springs is truly a Military Town.

How many places have you been, where they have not one, not two, but FOUR Military Installations? Colorado Springs is one of those towns!

Between Ft. Carson, Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base and Schriever Air Force Base, we have all the bases covered - literally.

To show support for our Troops, I’d like to invite you to check out the following site. It’s called

“Let’s Say Thanks”

and is sponsored by Xerox.

Once on this site, you can choose a free card, designed by children ages 6-12 years old, personalize it, and Xerox will print it for free and forward it to deployed troops.

Please feel free to share this with as many people as you think off. And let’s show our support!

Thanks.

Colorado Springs Real Estate Information brought to you by the Colorado Highlands Group

"Freebies" for the Military

If you are in the Military and happen to have USAA as an Insurance Company (This is not meant as an advertising…I happen to have the same Insurance Company, due to my husband being on active Duty….), you can take advantage of their “Freebie” Offers….

Information Booklets, that are send out by one of their departments, free upon request. (Via phone or online) They cover almost anything and everything you ever wanted to know.

Things like: “Managing your Finances”, “Searching for a Job”, “Identity Theft”, “Preparing and Caring for a Child”, “Auto Insurance”, “Homeowners Insurance”, “Planning your PCS”, “Personal Records”. They have great information, inlcude checklists and have space keep notes.

Thought this might be helpful.

Booklets about Buying and Selling Homes are available as well. However, I do not know how often those are updated. I know - this one thanks to being a Realtor - that we have had plenty of changes just in the last couple of months here in Colorado (regarding Contracts, Rules, etc), and I’m sure other States have had updates as well. So if you order the Buying/Selling Booklets - you might still want to talk to your Realtor about them, to make sure they are as current as possible and give out correct information.

Colorado Springs Real Estate Information brought to you by the Colorado Highlands Group

Military Spouses

On the move again….

Are you a Military Spouse, who is trying to rally the necessary enthusiasm to yet again adjust to new surroundings, a new home, new Neighbors? Meet new friends, continue long distance friendship and start a career - all over?Did you just find out that yet another PCS move is coming up?

If you are moving to Colorado Springs or the surrounding areas, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. I am here to help. I’ve been in the same situation plenty of times! And I know what it feels like to hear those words: Honey…we’ve got orders!

Following are some helpful websites:

Military Spouse Career CenterYMCA - YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region offers special pricing and programs for Military Families

Military Discounts in Colorado Springs - Please verify Availability of Discounts prior to purchase!

City of Colorado Springs - City Agencies, News, Events, Visitors, City Jobs, Human Resources, Parks & Recreation, Public Safety and more.

I hope these links are helpful. If you would like more information, i.e.

• free Relocation Package (please let me know where you are moving from)
• a complimentary website to search homes that might meet your criteria
• have questions about renting a home or apartment
• about schools
• transportation etc

Please contact me at your convenience.

Colorado Springs Real Estate Information brought to you by the Colorado Highlands Group

Military Installations in Colorado Springs

Soldiers and their Families on the Move

If you are thinking about a move to Colorado Springs, or if you already have orders, following are links to the local Military Installations.

Ft. Carson - located on the South Side of Colorado Springs, between I-25 and Hwy 115, South of Academy Blvd.

Air Force Academy - located on the North West Side of Colorado Springs, off Academy Blvd and I-25.

Peterson Air Force Base - located on the East Side of Town, bordered by Platte Ave on the North and Powers Blvd on the West

Schriever Air Force Base - located approximately 10 miles east of Colorado Springs

NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) - different locations in Colorado Springs

Have questions about living Off Post? Please contact me directly. Thanks.

Colorado Springs Real Estate Information brought to you by the Colorado Highlands Group