4770 Villa Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 - 11/28/07 02:56 PM
OK Guys! Here it is! Almost 2800 sf ranch on a lovely lot in the desireable Vista Grande, N/E Section of Colorado Springs, CO!
Among other super upgrades, you'll find TWO lovely fireplaces, a terrific finished basement, great ceramic tile throughout the kitchen and upstairs hallway, 3 updated bathrooms, new paint and tile tub surrounds, lots of cupboards and a chef's delight of a hot water tap dispenser in the kitchen! Only 224,900.00 HURRY!
4770 Villa Circle, Colorado Springs, CO. 80918
 Gorgeous Curb Appeal!
 
 
Do you like the maple cabinets better or the ceramic tile? Maybe all the counter space and the extra deep sink with the … (2 comments)

Go With Your Gut! - 11/27/07 04:27 PM
Let's face it...all listings are not good listings and all buyers are not good buyers. I think many people get side tracked into forgetting that our Listing Agreements and Buyer Agencies are two sided contracts between us and a Buyer or Seller.
 Never work with someone that makes you make this face!!!
Sometimes we feel more like people selling a service to the public. It's hard to get good listings and sales, so we are slow to turn one down...often to our own hurt. Looking back on my career, I can point to times where it was great working with someone, and even … (0 comments)

NEW NON-COMMITTAL PRE-QUAL LETTER FOR LENDERS...Funny! - 11/27/07 01:37 PM
I have been receiving some offers on my listings lately that seem to have strong pre-qual letters attached, but as we progress through the transaction, I find that many deals are falling apart due to the lender's loss of programs, stricter underwriting guidelines, and general change in program guidelines that has occured as a result of the recent "scare" we keep hearing about. So, to ease the awkwardness in our relationship with our beloved lenders, I have devised this special non-committal pre-qual letter that says everything and amounts to nothing. That way, we have something to present at offer and can't … (7 comments)

You'd THINK People Would Answer Offers Promptly In This Market!!! - 11/27/07 12:47 PM
Ok...Rant, Rant, Rant...THREE of my agents and MYSELF have offers out there. Four of us! We EACH have at least one offer out there. Dianne actually has about three. We deal with a lot of bank repos here in the Colorado Springs market, so we are having to deal with lots of Asset Managers. One of the offers is out to a straight homeowner. ANYWAY...these offers have been out there since LAST WEEK. We don't have answers on any of them, (although one of them has good response time and has been answering me every other day).
 "So, you have an … (5 comments)

Today's Proverb Has Great Real Estate Advice!!! - 11/27/07 12:15 PM
Hi There! I'm going to post this to the Christian group, but I don't know if it will post in the general section as well...anyway, like many people, I try to read the "Proverb of the day" since there are 31 of them and they are for gaining wisdom and understanding! The Bible always has truth and what better place to get business advice? I don't know anyone richer than GOD!!!
 That's me in the middle...roundin' em' up!
Proverbs 27:23 says, "Know the state of your flocks and put your heart into caring for your herd." (New Living Translation).
As a Broker/Owner, that means … (3 comments)

Make A Copy Of The MLS Part Of The Contract! - 11/26/07 03:43 PM
Recently, I had an ugly scenario happen with one of my junior agents. She was dealing with an unscrupulous Broker who decided to change compensation offered to the Selling Broker AFTER the parties had negotiated back and forth and reached a verbal agreement.
 That other agent has egg on her face, now!
My agent was held up and so I offered to write the deal for her and submit it for final approval. Something was nagging me, (intuition I suppose, since the agent had given me reason to be suspicious), so I decided to go in and print a copy of the MLS that was … (9 comments)

Don't Forget To Call On Sparky... - 11/26/07 03:36 PM
This post was inspired by another one that I just answered. I was just thinking about how funny it is when you call another office for showing instructions and they say things like. "Knock, wipe your feet, leave a card and don't forget to call on Sparky the Dog as you enter so that he won't be nervous. Sparky is a friendly beagle."
 Maybe a loose Guinea pig or two?
Don't get me wrong, I'm a pet person, too. I love animals, but sometimes it can get quirky when the pets are part of the showing process. I've had all sorts of pet … (0 comments)

Busy Is Not Necessarily Productive...But It Will Be! - 11/26/07 03:23 PM
I have been hearing quite a bit from colleagues lately that they are "really busy" and so am I. However, I'd be lying if I didn't say that the busy-ness is not necessarily my normal quota of productivity. I find that I am writing more offers and getting less contracts. That I am working more hours and closing less deals...but I know this is going on with many people in our current market, so I am not upset about it, nor do I see this extra effort as a waste of time.
It's more like a form of "delayed productivity." It's … (1 comments)

NEW REALITY T.V. SHOW..."LOW BALLER!" - 11/23/07 03:07 PM
 
 Haven't Seen This Lady At Any Open Houses Lately!!!
They call it "reality tv" when you see these big investors going around and buying property at 50% and selling it at the open house, for full price or more, just a few short weeks after purchase. That's NOT reality. But this is...
I just wrote another post about unrealistic buyer expectations this market. Not surprisingly, some of the responses I received reiterated my frustration with the media in being so instrumental in today's buyers unrealistic perspective of what kind of deal is out there for them in this market. (And, by the way, … (12 comments)

The "Back Charge" Philosophy - 11/14/07 04:22 PM
I guess this is my day to vent. Except for one, most of my posts today seem to be about annoying things, so while I'm on the subject, I figured I'd throw this one in for free!  
                                                                     Time to pay the Dr.!!!
We all know that if we miss our doctor appointment and fail to cancel on time, we will be charged for the visit. There is a big sign in the registration window that says so. We also know that if we go over on our cell phone minutes, we will pay a hefty penalty for those overages, right? How … (9 comments)

Active Rain...Like A Video Game For Grown Ups - 11/14/07 02:53 PM
 
                                               
How many of you with children or nieces and nephews or friends that have children have heard it or said it? "Enough with that video game already!" I was just reading a post by another member who was cheefully joking about her new AR addiction when I thought: Wouldn't it be WONDERFUL if someone could create such an addicting forum for children that pertained to academics?
I don't know if it would work, but I'd love to come home and find my son happily blogging about science or reading someone else's post on how they figured out an … (5 comments)

Lender Peeves...What Are YOURS? - 11/08/07 01:07 PM
Yesterday I wrote a blog post about my favorite lender. I didn't mention his name because I work with several different referral lenders who offer products and services that may suit the needs of a particular client better than another. In addition to that, let's just say it's wisdom not to keep "all of your eggs in one basket", right?
That being the case, I started thinking, (especially after this morning's phone conversation with one of the lenders that I make referrals to on occasion), What makes my LEAST favorite lender the least favorite? This is what I came up with:
 You can't … (3 comments)

What Makes YOUR Favorite Lender Your Favorite Lender? - 11/07/07 02:54 PM
After almost 13 years in the Colorado Springs real estate market, I can safely say that a lender can be the life blood of a successful real estate transaction. Good lender, good transaction. Bad lender...you know. Anyway, I've been thinking, as I urged my favorite local lender to join Active Rain...what makes a great lender, from a real estate agent's perspective. What makes MY favorite lender the one I like to work with and feel confident referring my clients to? Here's what I have come up with. Of course, there's a lot more to it, but these basics come immediately to … (3 comments)

EXPENSIVE VS. LOW COST...MORE BANG FOR YOUR AD BUCK - 11/07/07 02:28 PM
Colorado Springs is NOT one of the 10 best real estate markets right now, but I thank God for our steady and faithful client base in these lean times. However, times are tough and we have to cut the budget and tighten the belt. One of the places we have to show some wisdom is in our advertising budget.
It's my opinion that when things are slow, you have to market better and more...but be careful where you spend your dollar. For instance, in a strong market where there is plenty of steady income flowing in, I may dedicate much of my … (4 comments)

How To ACTUALLY BECOME A First Time Investor - 11/07/07 02:19 PM
I know you've all seen the late night commercials that promise millions of dollars working part time in the distressed/foreclosure market. You can get all the "insider secrets" for just a couple hundred to a couple thousand of your own hard earned money. There are even "mentors" and "partners" available to invest with you on a great project. In all actuality, these people are getting YOU to scout out the best properties for THEM when they do, (rarely), come through.
 This is about what you can get beachfront for 50k
For years I have worked with seasoned and beginner investors in the Pikes … (2 comments)

All That Is Light Is NOT Fluff! - 11/05/07 04:49 PM
I just got done reading and responding to a blog about how there is so much "useless" information here on Active Rain and coming from real estate professionals in general. The person who wrote it could not see the need for sending clients things like recipe cards. Well, I answered that person and it made me think...
Much of what we do is RELATIONAL and relationship based. If we send people stacks of charts and graphs all year, they will throw it in the trash. And we surely don't want our past clients to ONLY think of us when they have a … (8 comments)

I JUST DID MY 100th POST!!! - 11/05/07 12:20 PM
Wow...I just realized that the last post I wrote was my 100th! Now, that's reason to celebrate. What have I gained over this past year of blogging on the Active Rain network?
-Referrals! Actually closed deals with cash in pocket...going on number 4 now...what more could you ask for, but yet there IS MORE!!!
-New friends to laugh, cry, and argue with. I love a good argument...I'm Greek, after all!
-Information, Information, Information. I used to think it was all about Location, Location, Location, but now I know better!
-A relaxing hobby that helps me to see other perspectives and possibilities, and to strengthen my … (10 comments)

So What Programs ARE Availabe For Your Clients? - 11/05/07 12:10 PM
Last year it was a breeze to get financing for ALL of your qualified clients...AND it was easy to tell who was qualified with a few quick questions. This year...the line is WAY fuzzy and it seems we don't know what there is to offer our clients.
For example: Last year, if I had a client with a credit score of 750...it was a NO BRAINER...I could get that person into their investment property by referring them to a lender who could go stated with 10% down based upon nothing but good credit! If they were exemplary borrowers, they could even get … (2 comments)

Not Coming In Tomorrow! - 11/01/07 05:25 PM
I just read another member's post about taking time to do things with the family and taking advantage of the down turn in the market. Although, I have plenty of responsibilities and am still quite busy, I'm the slowest I've been all year, so why NOT take a day off to do those things around the house that I've been neglecting? I can stay in my jammies and read a book! I can cook up a storm for the weekend, so I can relax more then, I can sleep late and put my phone on vibrate! I can do lots of … (3 comments)

Blind in the Deal Because of an Unsure Lender? - 11/01/07 05:07 PM
Many of us have been discussing the recent turn in the market and what that has done to the sub-prime borrower, but mostly, we've been discussing that within the context of what happens to a person with marginal or poor credit that is trying to purchase a home with little or nothing down.
 You feel like this in your search and offer process...waiting to hear back from the lender.
One area that has been neglected in discussing the subject is the huge demographic of non owner occupied investors. Many of the people I work with are purchasing a second home, rental, or rehab … (0 comments)

 

Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co.

Colorado Springs, CO

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Rocky Mountain Realty Co.

Office Phone: (719) 638-5858

Cell Phone: (719) 232-5941

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