Oh No! Not Another "Customer Service" Post ... Yep! (Thanks to Joel Spolsky) - 02/28/07 08:55 PM
Real Estate is a PEOPLE business and Customer Service is KEY to not only my success as a Realtor®, but more importantly, KEY to my buyers and sellers having an excellent experience when buying and selling a home with me. I am certain that every one of you agree, right?
I really was trying to "work" today - no blogging until I completed my To-Do's for the day. Well, so much for that... I glanced at my Google Homepage and caught a post by one of my favorite non-RE bloggers - Seth Godin. So, of course, all my morning plans go out … (75 comments)

Colorado Springs to (possibly) Get a National Cemetery - 02/26/07 11:28 PM
We are a military town. The military is a large part of the foundation of our local economy. Colorado Springs is home to the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, Fort Carson Army Base and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (home to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).).
Recently, we have seen a growth in the amount of Veterans who are choosing Colorado Springs as the place that they retire and permanently call "home."
This growth has sparked a request for … (6 comments)

Colorado Realtors® and the Code of Ethics: Article 13 (Conway-Bogue Decision) - 02/25/07 03:19 PM
In a recent post about the Understanding the Realtor® Code of Ethics: Article 13, I explained that Realtors® are not attorneys. Why? Because they aren't.
Article 13:REALTORS® shall not engage in activities that constitute the unauthorized practice of law and shall recommend that legal counsel be obtained when the interest of any party to the transaction requires it.
In my post I stated, "This Article protects the public AND the Realtor® from adverse legal repercussions. Realtors® have NO BUSINESS practicing law. None. Realtors® are all versed in contract law, but are not licensed to practice it. Realtors® are allowed to "fill in … (12 comments)

Understanding the Realtor® Code of Ethics: Article 13 - Realtors® Are NOT Attorneys - 02/25/07 12:49 PM
Welcome to the smallest post I will ever write about the Realtor® Code of Ethics. It may be small, but it also is one of the most important articles of the whole code.
Realtors® are NOT attorneys.
Article 13:REALTORS® shall not engage in activities that constitute the unauthorized practice of law and shall recommend that legal counsel be obtained when the interest of any party to the transaction requires it.
This Article protects the public AND the Realtor® from adverse legal repercussions. Realtors® have NO BUSINESS practicing law. None. Realtors® are all versed in contract law, but are not licensed to practice … (31 comments)

Colorado Springs: We've Got A 'TUDE! ...Altitude, That Is... (Dealing With Altitude Sickness) - 02/21/07 11:04 PM
Colorado Springs is one of the "highest" cities in the United States - perched at an altitude of 6,035 above sea level -755 feet above Colorado's "Mile High" city of Denver (5,280 feet). In fact, when in Denver, travel to our city is referred to as "heading UP to the ‘Springs" even though we are south of them.
"At high altitudes, less oxygen is brought into the body with each breath, reducing the flow of oxygen into the brain." - International Society for Mountain Medicine (So much for calling me an "air head"...)
Did you know .. Colorado Springs is home … (9 comments)

Colorado Springs Real Estate: 7125 Allens Park Drive, Colorado Springs CO 80922 - 02/21/07 02:29 PM
This property SOLD May 10, 2007.
   
7125 Allens Park Drive - $200,000  - MLS# 532540What can $200,000 get you in Northcrest, Colorado Springs?
Very well-cared for 3 bed 2 Bath 1,809 sf tri-level home in Northcrest. All brand-new carpet and vinyl throughout entire home. Living room boasts vaulted ceilings, plant ledges and coat closet. Sunny kitchen comes with all appliances. Dining room has a bay window with spanning Southeastern views. The lower level family room is quite large and features a gas fireplace with mantle, access to unfinished basement and garage, as well as access to rear patio and back yard! … (2 comments)

Lock Bumping - How Safe Are You In YOUR Home? - 02/20/07 07:15 PM
I recently watched a shocking video where I learned about a new (scary) technique called Lock Bumping.
Crooks (and other predatory criminals) can get a special key made (called a Bump Key) that fits into so many different types of locks, that over 90% of deadbolt door locks are vulnerable to Lock Bumping. With just a couple "Bumps" from the handle of a screwdriver to the handle of the "Bump Key" - the door unlocks and the criminal gains access to the home.
With our home being our castle, and being the one place that we can always count on as "safe" - … (42 comments)

Understanding the Realtor® Code of Ethics: Article 12 ~ Real Estate Advertising - 02/18/07 05:20 PM
This Article has gotten a lot of attention recently - especially for Realtors® who have embraced the internet as an advertising medium. Renee Burrows wrote a great post about Article 12 to check out, as well.
Here I will go into some details about Article 12 - the Article in the National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics that deals expressly with advertising. 
According to the National Association of Realtors® Preamble to the Code of Ethics, "The term REALTOR® has come to connote competency, fairness, and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct in business relations." For those of you … (12 comments)

January 2007 Market Report for Colorado Springs, CO - 02/11/07 10:55 PM
We saw quite a bit of snow in the latter part of December and into the beginning of January. It definitely took a toll on the housing market in Colorado Springs. We saw a drastic drop in showings on our listings as no one wanted to brave the snow to look at houses. Let's take a look at the "numbers" regarding sales...
This data was pulled from the Pikes Peak MLS and does not include most new construction, nor does it include FSBO sales.
Average Days on Market (DOM): 104 (up 12 days from December 2006)
High DOM: WES at 209 (up 78 … (4 comments)

Memorial Hospital North - Another New Hospital in Colorado Springs - 02/10/07 11:24 PM
Do you SEE that mountain?!? With a backdrop as majestic as Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains, a hospital visit and stay at Memorial Hospital North may just be a bit more tolerable.
Colorado Springs warmly welcomes a new Memorial Hospital, in the North End of town at the corner of Briargate Boulevard, Austin Bluffs and Union Boulevard. With all the new homes in Colorado Springs being built in the north end, and all the current hospitals located much further south (in downtown and on Academy Blvd.) this new facility is veryneeded. (Penrose St. Francis is also building a new medical … (5 comments)

Understanding the Realtor® Code of Ethics: Article 11 -Areas of Expertise - 02/09/07 09:23 PM
Welcome to Part 9 in my series where I (attempt to) break down the Realtor® Code of Ethics into digestible, understandable pieces. This post is about Article 11, and covers a Realtors® area(s) of expertise.
For those of you who have missed them, please check out my recent posts on The Code of Ethics: Articles 1-10.
According to the National Association of Realtors® Preamble to the Code of Ethics, "The term REALTOR® has come to connote competency, fairness, and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct in business relations." This is an excellent statement that should be burned … (18 comments)

New St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs - 02/09/07 03:15 PM
On the busy corner of East Woodmen and North Powers Boulevard is the beginning of a new Penrose Hospital: Saint Francis Medical Center.
I drive by it several times a day on my way to carpool or to the office. The kids are always in awe of the massive cranes swinging around huge metal beams and walls... It is an awesome experience watching the changes, day by day. We are starting to recognize it more as a hospital and less of a skeleton building.
Colorado Springs has experienced quite the jump in growth in the past few years, and we are not even … (3 comments)

Monument Real Estate: 1150 Yellow Dogwood Heights, Monument Colorado 80132 - 02/08/07 01:59 PM
Home is temporarily off market as of 6/1/07 
What does $212,000 Get You in Monument, Colorado?
1150 Yellow Dogwood Heights (Woodmoor) Monument, Colorado 80132 MLS# 4748872 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2-car Tandem garage and 1,692 sf, with 1,560 finished.  Built in 2005, this modern townhome offers 2 master suites- each with their own private full or 5pc bath, hardwood floors throughout main level and 2 car tandem garage. The main level features a great room with gas fireplace and Rocky Mountain Views, a spacious kitchen and dining room w/ access to large rear deck.  Close to schools and easy access to I-25.

 
 
What else is … (5 comments)

To Scam .... Or Not to Scam? THAT is the Question. - 02/06/07 12:00 PM
Alright. I have a bad taste in my mouth (and I am usually right about these "bad" feelings...), so I am reaching out to my fellow Rainers to let me know if what I have going on here is a scam. I have been lookinig online and can't find an example that matches this, but something is not right.
Yesterday, I get an email that reads: (X)=omitted name)
Subject: AM INTERESTED IN YOUR HOUSEI am Dr (X), from Prince Edward island in Canada. Am the Doctor in charge of the Red Cross Clinic in West Africa,i want to move from Africa to the … (32 comments)

Keller Williams Realty is #4 in North America! - 02/02/07 12:58 AM
Keller Williams Realty has successfully become the 4th largest real estate franchise company in North America, with 72,303 agents and almost 600 market centers, as of October 2006.
What makes Keller Williams so successful even amidst a shifting market?
According to CEO Mark Willis, the success is due to the agent-centric, learning based business model that "provides our associates with proven business tools, models and technology that get results in any market." Furthermore, he states that, "Simply surviving a tough market is not enough; we teach our associates how to thrive in any market." (taken from KW press release 11/28/07)
What … (32 comments)

School District 20's Answer to Too Many Snow Days - 02/01/07 07:56 PM
Academy School District 20, in northern Colorado Springs, Colorado has decided to combat all the snow days that we have been having by adding 20 minutes to the school day, starting 1/29/07, instead of adding school days to the end of the year.
It has been met with some opposition, as now some elementary schools are not being let out until almost 4:30pm - very close to sundown. However, the district is "confident that the last child on the latest bus route will still be dropped off during daylight."
Why did they not just add a few days to the end of … (4 comments)

Behaving in the Blogosphere: Review #6 of The Weblog Handbook, by Rebecca Blood - 02/01/07 10:19 AM
"Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world - even if what is published is not true." -Richard Bach
Words of wisdom - printed on the top of chapter 6, of Rebecca Blood's book The Weblog Handbook- Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog. In a world that is expanding at an astronomical rate, there needs to be some basic guidelines that help make the blogging community run more smoothly. Whether the bloggers focus on real estate, roller blades or rhododendrons, there are always little things to keep in mind...
Rebecca Blood … (35 comments)

 
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Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR®

Colorado Springs, CO

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Wagner iTeam -Keller Williams Realty

Address: Wagner iTeam ~ Keller Williams Realty, P.O. Box 62356, Colorado Springs, CO, 80962

Office Phone: (719) 434-7525

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Colorado Springs Area & Real Estate Information Our original thoughts, ideas, frustrations, compliments and ramblings about the real estate and related industries. Food for thought ... Get you thinking ... Learn something new ... That is our goal. Enjoy!Search for Homes in Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Property Values


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