Colorado Springs...Base Camp for the good life? - 06/26/07 11:06 PM
We recently took a trip up to Aspen for the weekend and had a great time. This trip got me thinking about one of our areas strongest features…Our Location!The Pikes Peak region has a ton of amenities and plenty of outdoor activities, enough to keep you busy year round but our area is also a great base camp for people that enjoy the active western lifestyle but actually have to work for a living.Take a look at the short drive to some incredible stuff....continued … (0 comments)

Life gets a little better in Black Forest & no one appears to be upset! - 06/25/07 08:57 AM
Great news for residents of Northern El Paso County! It looks like the extension of Baptist Road to Highway 83 is almost finished.
El Paso County reports that "Starting June 14, 2007 and lasting until July 27, 2007, Hodgen Road will be closed for new roadway construction between West Cherry Stage Road and State Highway 83."
When this road re-opens, drivers can take a paved road directly into Black Forest from Interstate 25. Additionally, this seriously reduces the drive to amenities for residents of the eastern edge of the Tri-Lakes area and much of the Black Forest.
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Lewis Palmer Needs Our Help - 06/21/07 11:26 AM
Tri-Lakes School District #38, Lewis Palmer estimates it will need an additional $3 million annually in order to avoid having to make any kind of deep cuts to educational services and programs.
Lewis Palmer is already at the low end of our areas pay scale for its employees. Superintendent Raymond Blanch in an interview with the Colorado Springs Gazette, warned that teachers' wages would likely fall to uncompetitive levels without pay increases. Teachers, he said, enjoy working in Lewis-Palmer partly because of small class sizes, parental involvement and its reputation.
Those non-financial perks make up for slightly lower wages, he said, but warned … (0 comments)

There COULD be a scam near your vacant listings! - 06/20/07 08:06 AM
Here's a creative new scam. I was showing a vacant property yesterday. As we approached the front door there was what appeared to be an announcement from some type of neighborhood group.
The very homey (MS Comic San & Clip Art) looking announcement warned us that a Sex Offender could be in the neighborhood. If we wanted to confirm this we should go to a particular website.
I went to the website once back at the office, in order to find out if there was a sex offender in this neighborhood I had to pay $50.00. I visited the state resource … (0 comments)

Hodgen Road Improvements - 06/19/07 05:27 PM
El Paso County is planning on turning Hodgen Road into a Minor Arterial. These improvements would affect Hodgen Road over the 10 miles from Highway 83 east to Eastonville Road with possible future extension to Elbert Road.
Minor arterials are designed to serve high speed, high volume traffic over medium distances. The present right-of-way is 60 feet wide. The county wants to expand that to 100 feet.
The improvements include extensive re-grading to eliminate hills and valleys, numerous turn lanes at intersections, and limitations on non-intersection access to Hodgen Road. The design calls for two 12-foot traffic lanes, one in each direction, bordered … (0 comments)

Cooperating-Lessons Learned - 06/18/07 01:11 PM
Wikipedia defines Cooperation as "Cooperation, co-operation or coöperation[1] is the practice of individuals or larger societal entities working in common with mutually agreed-upon goals and possibly methods, instead of working separately in competition, and in which the success of one is dependent and contingent upon the success of another."
I want to preface this post by saying there was a time the roles in this story could have been reversed. My theory in Real Estate brokerage is "Experienced Realtors are just the ones that have survived their mistakes"
We are currently doing a deal with a Broker that shall remain nameless. He is … (0 comments)

Just another quick update on the Baptist Road improvements. - 06/15/07 06:31 PM
There are two components to the Baptist road improvements. The I-25 overpass project, discussed in a previous blog post and the widening of Baptist Road. This part of the Baptist road puzzle belongs to the Pikes Peak Rural Transit Authority. PPRTA is responsible for widening Baptist road from two to four lanes from Jackson Creek Parkway east to Desiree Dr. This project also connects four lane Struthers road south to Northgate Road.
This project has been plagued with winter weather delays and significant utility line relocations. Work on this project initially began in June of 2006. Officials say the project appears to … (0 comments)

Baptist Road Update - 06/14/07 03:19 PM
Anyone that lives in Monument or the North End of the Colorado Springs can attest to the fact the I-25 and Baptist Rd. Interchange is in serious need of help. Traffic backing up onto the highway, confusing, serpentine like traffic patterns combined with a pool of drivers that are for the most part new to the area...Yikes!
The BRRTA (Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority) is close to bidding a new eight lane overpass. The project is estimated to cost between $15 million to $20 million and should be completed early in 2008 to mid 2009. This project will be funded by … (2 comments)

Spotless Two Story Backs to Open Space - 06/14/07 12:14 PM
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Spotless 2-Story in Fountain Colorado - 06/13/07 04:21 PM
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Manitou Leads The Way...At least on the environment - 06/13/07 08:39 AM
Manitou Springs, an eclectic suburb located to the west of Colorado Springs is taking charge of their impact on the environment. The Metropolitan Parking District voted Thursday to offer free parking for hybrids in the two city parking lots as move made by other cities like: Aspen, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Albuquerque, New Haven, Conn., San Jose and Santa Monica, Calif.
The free-parking offer comes three months after Manitou City Council members voted to inventory the city's ecological footprint and do what it can to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Manitou also has joined a group of other cities pushing … (0 comments)

New Colorado Springs Parks! - 06/12/07 06:19 PM
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Colorado Springs Home Buying Process - 06/10/07 05:48 PM
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Great Downtown Investment - 06/10/07 12:49 PM
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Grand Colorado Mountain Lodge! - 06/10/07 11:09 AM
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Alpine By Day...Hollywood Hills By Night! - 06/10/07 11:06 AM
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Tons of upgrades! In This Springcreek Townhome! - 06/10/07 11:03 AM
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Beautiful Traditional Home, In a Park like setting (Monument, Colorado) - 06/10/07 10:58 AM
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May is in the Books...Here's the review. - 06/09/07 03:49 PM
INTRODUCTION:
The primary goal of this data is to paint the picture of reality in our local housing market, to provide a frank and honest discussion of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and real market conditions as they truly exist.
This data is the result of information pulled from the Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS’ website as well as conditions observed by sales professionals, builders, other competing real estate firms and individuals connected to the sale and exchange of real estate in the Pikes Peak Region.
 
DISCUSSION:
May has closed and with it the summer buying season has begun. For some … (2 comments)

Do You Preview? - 06/05/07 09:02 PM
I've been showing a lot lately and previewing even more. Previewing is the practice of viewing the home before you actually take a potential buyer. This is a good habit for a Realtor to adopt as it ultimately saves time for buyers and goes a long way in helping develop a feel for the market.
All of this showing and previewing have left me completely confused as to what's going on with pricing in the Colorado Springs Real Estate market. If home sellers were to see the market as buyers do, they would realize the sheer bulk of standing inventory makes … (1 comments)