The Red Rocks Open Space is part of the very popular Garden of the Gods park. It was purchased by the City of Colorado Springs in 2003. With almost 800 acres of open space and parks, Red Rocks offers hiking, climbing, cycling, wildlife viewing, and horseback riding. Geology:Red Rocks area is an old alluvial deposit that was formed 300 million years ago from sand and gravel that washed down from the Rockies. These sediments were later pushed up to form now what we see in Red Rocks open space. A more comprehensive geology of the area can be accessed here.                                                                                               Biology:Red Rocks Canyon vegetation consists mostly of gamble oak, mountain mahogany, yucca, cactus, and a variety of grasses. There are pines ... 04/19/2007

Do you live in the Colorado Springs area and have a lot of clutter that you don't need?  Are you getting your home ready to sell and throwing all the junk away that you have collected over the years?  Maybe, you are even bold enough to do some Spring cleaning and getting started with your closets.  Well, most people donate their items to Goodwill and there is nothing wrong with that but, they do charge people for the items you donate.  Why not donate your items to a non-profit organization that gives them away for free?  There are so many places in Colorado Springs that desperately need donations from people in the community in order to give to poor and needy families.  In fact, I have been to many of these places and have much respect for the organizations and their staff.  I have list... 04/17/2007

Many sellers are asking:  Will I be able to sell my home if I put it on the market right now, should I wait?  Although there is currently a large inventory of homes for sale that does not mean you cannot sell your home.  People are always going to need to buy and sell homes.  Listed below, are some of the factors that impact how long it will take for your home to sell or if it will even sell at all.1.  Pricing it correctly- If the home is overpriced, it often will not sell or not appraise for the loan amount.   If you were a buyer and found two homes that were similar in the same area and the price of one of them was considerably lower, which home would you put an offer on?   When deciding how much to list your home for, have your Realtor complete a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of ... 04/16/2007

I had an interesting conversation over the weekend with a gentleman about real estate.  I was introduced to this man at a barbeque and, as always seems to be the case the topic of conversation turned to real estate.  This gentleman is part of an investment group that get together to discuss partnership investing in real property assets.  He asked me a questions that I have thought about on several occasions and presented me with what he was taught as the "right answer".  He asked me, "What is the formula for the establishment of market value?"My initial reply was, "Did you ask what the formula is?"  Sure enough he did.  He then went on to tell me that a real estate professional told him that the "formula" included comps and an appraisal.  He further told me that he didn't like paying th... 04/16/2007

What would you do if one of your valuable documents were lost, or destroyed?I did a closing for a woman whose husband is in a nursing home. He granted her Power of Attorney.  There was just one problem. The title company wanted the power of attorney document so that it could be recorded.  The borrower was very upset about this, because it was the only document she had showing that she has power of attorney. And she uses it often.Colorado notaries are permitted to certify copies of documents.  So, with her permission, I made a copy of the power of attorney document and certified it, at no charge.  It put her mind at ease knowing that she had a certified copy that she could use while the title company had the original.I got a call last week from a German woman to certify copies of some of... 04/16/2007

What can we expect for the rest of second quarter and third quarter?  I believe that the market will strengthen during the next four to six months.  I don't think that we are in for a full rebound, but we will see buyers entering into the market within by late April to early May.  Sellers will also be entering during this selling season adding to the surplus inventory we already have.  This will strengthen the perception of the "buyer's market" along with the continued rise of foreclosed homes.The outlook is not a somber as that may read.  Yes there is a period of correction looming.  The bright side is that periods of correction tend to be fast and furious.  If you were to research the Colorado Springs area, it is not an over-inflated marketplace.  Areas that will experience some diffi... 04/13/2007

Colorado Springs' South West Area roughly covers the area from Cheyenne Mountain to I-25,  Colorado Avenue to just south of Academy Blvd.  It is probably the most diverse area of town, when it comes to properties - homes anywhere from brand-new to 40, 50+ years old, ranging in prices from $100,000 to several Millions throughout several neighborhoods.The South West Area also offers some beautiful views, either of the city or the Mountains. It also is home to a variety of "tourist spots" that are fun, even for the "Locals" -  including Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Seven Falls, the Broadmoor, Helen Hunt Falls and Old Gold Camp Road.  Almost any section of this area has easy access to shopping (groceries, furniture, antiques, miscellaneous and cars - at Motorcity), I-25, Ft. Carson and Downtown C... 04/10/2007

Cordera is located off Powers Blvd. and Briargate Parkway. It is a brand new Community in District 20, near Parks and shopping, with diverse architecture from premier builders, Community Center and Pools.Available Builders are Vantage Homes, Saddletree Homes, Keller Homes, Campbell Homes and Symphony Homes, with recent sold prices ranging from $329,000 to $430,000. (Sold since January 1st of 2007.) Cordera offers a variety of architectural styles, including American Heritage, European Cottage, Italian Eclectic, Prairie and more, as well as different landscaping options, like High Plains, Artistic Revival,  High Desert, Traditional Revival and Foothills. Each is a unique blend of plant materials and design, to complement the architecture.School Information:District 20 HomepageBoundary Ma... 04/09/2007

 Fairfax Neighborhood   ~  Northeast Colorado Springs  ~Fairfax is a wonderful, mature neighborhood, located in the Northeast part of Colorado Springs. Northern Boundary:   Research ParkwayEastern Boundary:   Powers BoulevardSouthern Boundary:   WoodmenWestern Boundary:   Austin BluffsAverage Active List Price (April 2007): $258,681Average Pending Price: $245,224Average Sold Price (since Jan.2007): $229,54598% List Price to Sell Price RatioHomes in this neighborhood were built anywhere from the mid 1980's to the late 1990's. One newer adjacent part has homes that were just completed last year (2006).These newer homes are not included in this housing data.Home styles include Ranchers with basements, Tri-Levels with basements and 2- story homes with basements.Home sizes are in the 1,800 ... 04/08/2007

You are considering selling - but in the back of your mind, you're wondering....what should you do, to make sure that you're home is "up to par"....?You've seen "those" shows - they are everywhere, any station at any time - or so it seems. All of them promote remodeling, staging and fixing up your home prior to selling it. If you watch enough of them, you can't help but wonder: Should I renovate? Remodel? Paint? Stage? Heck, obviously, something needs to be done prior to selling...but what? If you're thinking along those lines - stop. Take a good, hard look at your home first. Pretend you're a buyer, looking at your home for the first time. If you can't - have a friend do this for you. Walk through the house, and take it room by room. That's how the "little things" we tend to overlook a... 04/04/2007

                                Do you own a digital Camera? Do you ever use it? If you do - you know how quickly you can shoot 20, 30, or more pictures. After all - it's just on the card. But then what? Are you going to save it on your computer forever? Or are you actually going to print some of those pictures?  If that's your plan - forget printing them at home - there's a place for you to go, have some fun and save on that ink and paper while you're at it.  It's called "Pixel Place" and it's located on North Academy - 6406 N. Academy to be exact. You can print pictures from your digital media - any way you'd like them. From Wallet Size to Wall paper size, color, black and white, sepia, cards and invitations etc. You can even have them (the pictures) look like paintings or something b... 04/03/2007

If you're like us - Spring Fever is about to set in and we're ready to go - outside that is - now that the Weather is cooperating! The following is the list of things to do during  April - just in case the weather changes again. (Being that it's only March in the Foothills - it's likely...)April 1st - Garden of the Gods Outdoor Education Program (719-219-0108)April 5th - Harlem Globetrotters (http://www.worldarena.com/)April 10th- Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration Presents Berenstein Bears on Stage (http://www.pikespeakcenter.com/)April 13th - AIDA Elton John & Tim Rice's musical love story (http://www.pikespeakcenter.com/)April 14th - The Cotillion Colorado Springs original formal dinner dance @ Antlers Hilton Hotel (719-963-0205)April 14th - The Miss Patriotic Colorado Pageant Pi... 03/30/2007

Wagon Trails, Colorado Springs - the new Freedom Elementary School is moving right along. Construction is continuing and you can see progress almost daily. The new school is located on Colorado Springs' North/East Side, in Wagon Trails (Bordered by Austin Bluffs, Dublin and Bridle Pass). The address is 5280 Butterfield Drive and it backs up to McCleary Park (The Wagon Trails Neighborhood Park). It is scheduled to open this fall, for the 2007/2008 school year! The school's website is up, and the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and BAAC (Building Accountability Advisory Committee) have been elected. The school is expected to have a capacity of approx. 600 students.Kindergarten Registration will be held at Scott Elementary, for children that are five years old on or before October 1st of ... 03/30/2007

As a Realtor in the Colorado Springs area, I have watched many areas of the city develop.  I can appreciate when a premier community of luxury homes stands out among the different areas of Colorado Springs.  Stone Crossing is one of these communities.  Beginning in 2003, Acuff Homes and Vantage Homes along with The Woodmont Development Company, began building luxury homes in the master community of Stone Crossing.Stone Crossing was designed to be a celebration of nature.  Honoring the high plateau terrain of rising slopes, gentle valleys, ponds, native gambel oak and ponderosa pine the Master Plan preserves the land's inherent character to create a singular community for living.  Elevated panoramic views of the Rampart Range and Pikes Peak abound within the 114 acres of Stone Crossing. ... 03/29/2007

Sand Creek is a newer neighborhood in the Southeast part of town - just Southwest of Airport Rd. and Powers Blvd.. (Check out the MAP.) Sand Creek Elementary School is located in the NW corner of the neighborhood, and Sand Creek (the actual creek...) runs along the south and west borders of this neighborhood.You will only find single family homes in Sand Creek. Theses homes were built from 1997-2000 by Richmond American Homes (national builder) and Keller Homes (local builder). Most of the homes are either 2-story or ranch style (one-level). The average home has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a 2-car garage and about 2,000 sf. But some homes have as many as 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and over 2,600 sf - probably due to a finished basement. The standard construction is wood frame and compositi... 03/28/2007

Are you as much of a "Coffee Addict" as I am? (And is there really a 12 step program for that?) Anyway - if you are, you might have already been to Serrano's - on North Academy. In the semi-new shopping "strip" on the east side of Academy, just past Woodmen Road. But just in case you haven't been....it has a great variety of coffees. If you want it, they'll make it, any size or flavor.  For a quick afternoon treat, try the "Milky Way" - Dessert in a Cup! Heaven!Plus Serrano's has nice displays, stuff to buy (LOVE the variety of cups), comfy seats...AND...it has really friendly people!  And that is a real bonus in my opinion.  It's a pleasure to just "sit around" and do much of nothing....except enjoy the coffee and if applicable - the company.If North Academy isn't your "thing" - there ... 03/26/2007

If you've owned your home for any length of time, you might have started thinking about remodeling. With all the shows on TV, promoting the benefits of remodeling, it'd be no wonder if you did - think about updating/replacing/remodeling that is.But what should you do and what should you consider before tearing out that first tile, wallpaper or carpet?Before doing anything - and I mean ANYTHING - make a plan. Decide what you are trying to accomplish by remodeling. Are you trying to add more space? Update your home? Make it more energy efficient? Or are you trying to increase the possible resale value?Once you've discovered what drives you to remodel, plan out your project, or projects. How will the final product look? Will it improve the traffic flow? How will you use the remodeled area?... 03/26/2007

Article Reposted with permission from Colorado Springs Business Journal:LornaGutierrez March 16, 2007Folks who live in Colorado Springs might be getting a bit light-headed as of late - not because of the lack of oxygen at 6,000-plus feet but because of the abundance of statistical compliments that have come their way. Best place to live (Money Magazine) Third fittest city in the United States (Men's Fitness) Best place to chill (medium-size cities, Sperling's Best Places) Seventh best city to have a baby (Fit Pregnancy) Fourth smartest city (Bizjournals.com), 16th smartest city (CNNMoney.com) Ninth safest driving city (Allstate Insurance Co.) Top 20 among cities with cleanest air (American Lung Association) Third place environmental ranking, first place for mid-size cities (Earth Day Ne... 03/26/2007

There is a Manufactured Home community in our area that looks pretty attractive at first look.  However, you would only be purchasing the structure and would not own the land it sits on. The development is the only area of Colorado Springs with significant losses in value. Marketing time to resell these homes is typically 6 months to a year with one property that has been on the market for 749 days, Why buy something that is that difficult to sell later; unless you are planning to live there forever?  On top of that with Very High Monthly Dues (Nearly $400 and you don't get much for it.), the apparent bargain home is no longer what it appeared.I am here to protect your interests. Contact me for more information.  03/26/2007

How long have you lived in - or how often have you visited - Colorado Springs? How often have you driven by a small, purple castle, called "King's Chef" in downtown Colorado Springs? Have you ever stopped in? If you haven't - you're missing out on some of the best breakfast and lunch offerings around.King's Chef started out as a Valentine's Diner in 1956, then went through 3 Owners and one move (from the corner of Tejon Street and Costilla Avenue to the current location), before the current Owner, Gary Geiser took it over in 1997. If you haven't seen King's Chef, or if it's been a while, it's located on 110 E Costilla, and it's open Monday through Friday, from about 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Be prepared to get close - King's Chef can seat 13 peopl... 03/22/2007