Are you “New” to Colorado Springs?

If you’ve just moved here - Welcome to Colorado Springs! I hope you’ll love it here! And to make things a little easier for you….to get “moved in and aquainted” - check out the following links:

Colorado Springs City Map

City of Colorado Springs Website

El Paso County Government

Chamber of Commerce

Convention and Visitors Bureau

Colorado Springs Schools

Hope you were able to find what you were looking for! 

Colorado Springs - Colorado

Whether you live in Colorado Springs or are here on vacation - there is always something to do. If you’re anything like me, you wont’ see many of the attractions until you have visitors. It’s a sad but true fact, mostly we are too busy to take it all in. We have our favorites, which we actually go see without having visitors here - but overall - we’re doing the “touristy thing” right alongside with our guests.

Regardless on how, why or when you see the local attractions, I was just wondering - which one of the following attractions is YOUR favorite and why? Is it:

• taking a tour of the Air Force Academy (www.usafa.af.mil)
• staying at the Broadmoor (www.broadmoor.com)
• being entertained at Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway 
• seeing the Royal Gorge Scenic Railway (www.buckskinjoes.com)
• take a ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad Dinner Train (www.royalgorgeroute.com)
• tour through the Cave of the Winds (www.caveofthewinds.com)
• visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (www.cmzoo.org)
• discover the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
• stroll through the Garden of the Gods Park (www.gardenofthegods.com)
• discover Gold in the Molly Kathleen Gold Mine (www.goldminetours.com)
• play at Santa’s North Pole (www.santas-colo.com)
• ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway (www.cograilway.com)
• marvel at Seven Falls (www.sevenfalls.com)
• see the US Olympic Complex (www.usoc.org)

We’ve seen many of them, yet each time - it’s amazing and fascinating all over again. Our guests love it and every time we take anyone to see one of the places, we feel grateful for living here - all over again.

Will I get my Money back?

TV lineups seem to be fairly bursting with Real Estate Shows, from flipping to restoring, renovating to landscaping, curb appeal to interior design - there is something to be found for anyone. Yet, the same questions still come up - will I see a return on my investment? For many markets, you’ll be best served by using a Realtor - but to just give you some ideas, as to where your Dollar would be most likely to return to you in case of a sale, check out the following link: A big payoff from the tiniest room

Full of ….. Hot Air?

It’s that time of the year again! From September 1st to the 3rd,  Balloons of all colors and shapes will dot the sky above Colorado Springs! It’s a free event, with Music, Food and of course, Balloons! If you’re there early morning - you can watch them set up and go up. If late afternoon, early evening is more your style, weather permitting, you can watch the Balloon Glow! Either is great!

My personal preference - early morning. Not because I’m a “Morning Person” - but it is an amazing sight to see all the balloons go up! It’s a colorful way to officially end summer!

But never fear, that’s not the end of fun and games,  there’s “Bunches more” to do in Colorado. Check out the website of the Colorado Welcome Center, where you can search Events by time, location and type, request a free Welcome Guide, browse photo galleries, find info on lodging, etc., etc., ………. Have fun!

Colorado - and it’s “secret” History

If you’ve recently moved to Colorado, or simply would like to know a little bit more about the local “quirks and oddities” throughout it’s History – check out “Strange but true, Colorado – Weird Tales of the Wild West” by John Hafnor and Dale Crawford. It’ll give you the “real” background of this State’s history – the one most Locals are not even aware off.   

One short story, from the 1890s, for example, gives insight in the naming of Phantom Canyon. “The crew of a night train bound for Cripple Creek reported that the locomotive’s lights briefly illuminated a man walking beside the tracks in prison garb. His prison number was clearly visible. Upon reaching the next station, the engineer reported the sighting to nearby Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City, only to be informed that the number in question belonged to a prisoner who had been executed some days before. Then as now, the site of the incident is known as Phantom Canyon. The narrow gauge railroad is long gone, but you may still drive Phantom Canyon Road in your car.” (Quoted from “Strange but True, Colorado-Weird Tales of the Wild West)

For additional, unpublished tales (according to the Author) – go to www.strangecolorado.com !

Have fun, discovering the REAL Colorado!

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

Money Magazine has spoken!

According to Money Magazine, Colorado Springs has lost its spot in the Limelight – we’re no longer THE number one place to live. They (Money Magazine) have changed the rating criteria and it kicked us right out of that 1.Place position. Now, the question is – do we care?

According to the Gazette, our Mayor and the Tourism Bureau really want to hold on to that “title”. From a marketing stand point, I understand. The best advertising and endorsement always come from a third party. But does this ranking matter to residents? I’d really like to know. (So feel free to comment.)

What brought this up? Well, we went on vacation to Wisconsin, Noah’s Ark in Wisconsin Dells to be exact. One of the biggest water parks around! We had a blast in the park; exploring the town and doing all the “touristy things” that were offered. (And we’d do it again in a heart beat, ‘cause they offered “a lot”.)

 But let me tell you, regardless of how much we enjoyed ourselves – coming home was great! No humidity, no bugs, mosquitoes or other strange flying or creeping things preventing  us from enjoying an evening on the deck, Mountains, Views, cheaper gas and food prices, wireless internet access, bookstores, Starbucks, shorter commutes and our own place. All the “trappings” we love and usually take for granted.

Guess nothing makes you appreciate home more, than a trip elsewhere. For my part, I don’t need any ratings to appreciate living in Colorado Springs.

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!)

Real Estate Insider on Pricing

You’ve decided to sell with the help of a real estate agent and are ready to “put your home on the market”.  You’ve reviewed the agent’s market analysis and decided on a list price. List Price? Wait a minute - not list price, what you had in mind was the sales price! Well, truth is - list and sales price CAN be the same, but they don’t have to be. The list price is the price, determined by your agent and yourself, at which the property will be offered to the market.

The sales price is the price the market is willing to pay for your property. That can be higher, if it is a very active market, or lower, if it is not.  It is not determined by any other factor - only by the market. It doesn’t matter what your neighbor’s house sold for, what you would like to receive or even what your agent told you - the market (all the potential Buyer’s) will determine the sales price.

It is then up to you to decide if that is a price you can and will sell at, or if it is unacceptable. There might be some negotiating room - however, usually buyers will not pay more for a property than market value. (Keep in mind - it’s not only the Buyer’s who have to “buy” your sales price - it’s also the appraiser who will have to agree on that sales price, in order for the Buyer’s to get the mortgage to purchase the home.)

Does that mean you should offer your home at a higher price and wait for an offer? No! You have to be compatible with similar properties in the area, to have a chance of receiving an offer. If your property is priced too high, you will price yourself right out of the market. For example: If 10 homes are available in your area, and they are all priced around $250,000, with similar square footage and features, yet your home is priced at $280,000, why would a buyer want to pay more? Put yourself into the Buyer’s “shoes”.

The best way of determining pricing is by talking to a professional and maybe touring some of the available homes in your area for comparisons. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thanks.