Not bad really!

The traffic issues in Colorado Springs are minute as compared to other metro areas across the country! I drive several thousand miles per month in town and in Denver. Believe me, we do not have a traffic problem!

Every morning and afternoon the flow of cars is obviously heavier on I-25 than it is during the rest of the day. Heading south into town from the USAFA area around 630 am takes me about 30 minutes to get to downtown. Sometimes when the roads are a bit snowy or icy it will take a little longer. Typically the traffic seems to be what we in Colorado Springs call “bad” on a Friday afternoon. The slowdowns occur at their worst from the Woodman Road exit on I-25 to the Baptist Road exit heading north. Beyond that, its just not a big problem. Those that have moved here from other parts of the county laugh at the idea of what we call traffic!

Why should we care? We’ll most people don’t give this much thought. It will be very important when you are selecting your home in Colorado Springs. If you work at Fort Carson but want to live in the Powers area (zips 80922, 80923, 80917) you need to know how long it will take to get to work. Lots of people want to live in a certain school district. Again, working at Fort Carson and educating your kids in School District 20 will cost you 40 minutes each way in commuting time.

The biggest traffic issues seem to arise with east-west driving in Colorado Springs. We don’t have a highway going that direction. We do not have a loop off of the highway like many cities have. This means lots of un-timed stop lights and extra driving time. This might come into play if you want to live on the west side of town near hiking and biking trails but work at Peterson AFB or Schriever AFB. Plan on a 30-40 minute drive from the West and Northwest areas (80904,80919) to Peterson AFB.

Lots of people live in Colorado Springs and work to Denver. The drive is not bad at all if you live in the northern part of the city or in Monument (80921,80920,80132). I take classes at University of Denver and commute from 80921 area.  My drive is a total of 50 minutes one way from my house to the college which is located mid-way into the city. Housing can be less expensive and quality of life might be better in Colorado Springs so many people choose to make the drive each day.

If you want to take a look at the local traffic cams, click here. This will give you an idea of what to expect at major routes through the city. If you have questions about where to live, feel free to contact me. I can point you in the right direction when it comes to living and driving in Colorado Springs!

What does this mean? Can I now unlock my doors at night? Probably not but it does confirm what I have always believed about our city. This is a great place to live all around! I feel safe going downtown to a restaurant with friends. Of course I don’t stay out that late and don’t frequent the downtown nightclubs that seem to have weekly incidents involving police. The places that I go, day or night seem to be safe and well lit.

The key here is to look at all of the factors that made up this safety study. Our air quality is excellent. We get the best water in the whole world cold and tasty right out of the tap. As for life expectancy, my grandfather was a Colorado Springs native (b.1900) and he lived to be nearly 99! Our clean living and penchant for fitness makes it easy to live a long time here.

The large military presence in this city gives financial stability to the region. Job losses are less than other cities due to our guaranteed military payroll every two weeks. We never boomed as much as other cities during the past ten years so our job losses have been much less than other areas similar to Colorado Springs.

Housing areas can be safe in most area of the city. Even in lower price ranges, a good safe home can be found. It all depends on who is assisting you in your search. I am a lifetime native of Colorado Springs. I know the areas that are most popular with buyers based on typical needs such as safety, convenience, schools etc. If you are considering a move to the area, feel free to contact me. I would love to assist you!

Really, a large number of people who move here every year didn’t necessarily “choose” to come here. These people are our military troops who get PCS orders for Ft. Carson, Peterson AFB, NORAD, Schriever AFB and the United States Air Force Academy. These five installations bring many new people to Colorado Springs each month. Lots of them want to come here and for good reason. Other people begin their search for a new city in order to escape their old one. It’s no secret that fed-up Californians are still relocating here in large numbers.

Colorado Springs offers an excellent quality of life! Look outside the window of where you are currently living. What do you see? I look out my window and see Pikes Peak and the beautiful mountains of Colorado. The sky is usually a bright shade of blue and the air is clean. Our water is crystal clear and tastes great right ut of the tap. Not every city can say that.

Colorado Springs has many employment opportunities.  Aside from the military presense, we have lots of major employers here. USAA, HP, Penrose St. Francis Hospital, Booz Allen-Hamilton, FedEx and many more.

The Pikes Peak region has more outdoor activities than most people have time to even think about doing! If you are a hiker, we have many trails in the city or within a 20 minute drive. Biking is popular as well. We see road bikers commuting to work and riding for pleasure. Mountain biking trails are easily accessible. Local parks have something for everyone as well. You can take a picnic to a neighborhood city park or spend all day in the Garden of the Gods.

Traffic is rarely an issue for Colorado Springs residents. The daily commute for most people is a short one with very few delays. This is a large city but drive times are short. Many people choose to live in Colorado Springs but work in Denver, only an hour away.

Here we go again!

Day 2 of the big 09 Halloween Storm. This is a normal thing for Colorado Springs so if you are thinking of moving here–don’t panic! The storm has closed most of the area down for the past two days but by the weekend we’ll have blue skies again. I’ll do a before and after video just to prove it (hopefully).

I work from a home office so the only issue for me is that I have no view from my upstairs office. I usually can see Pikes Peak from my desk but not today! Earlier this morning, my son and I went out to clear the driveway for the furniture delivery guys. It was fun to get outside but better to come back in and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa! The bad news is that the driveway was almost instantly covered in snow again and now the delivery truck can’t make it until Saturday. Oh well.

If you really don’t like snow, it is better to live further south in Colorado Springs. Many times the weather is not bad at all in Fountain. Temps can be 10 degrees higher than they are here in Flying Horse (near Monument). I’m a Colorado Springs native so the snow doesn’t bother me. I remember many times as a kid having mega Halloween storms. The good news was that my brother and I got more candy since not as many kids would go out in the snow. Good times!

Colorado Springs is a great place to live in any season. For real advice on where to live, contact me. I can give you info on any area in the Pikes Peak region and tell you what the weather is like in all of them!

This was the view of Pikes Peak yesterday as I dropped my son off at CSCS for his delayed start. This was the first day this year that we have have the delayed start. As I was on my way home, I was reminded of the exact reason that we have this program in our area. Two cars had been going too fast on the ice near Discovery Canyon School and collided, serving as a reminder to       other drivers to just take it slow.

What about closures?

In Colorado Springs, winter snows are just a fact of life. Schools do not want to close unless they really have to. They do build a few snow days into the yearly calendar but if those get used early in the season, kids may have to extend their school year to make up the lost days. My son’s school has an online program to keep kids current with their work in case of a snow day. He hates this idea since it keeps him from having what he calls a “real” snow day but I think it is a great idea.  The kids have to log onto the system and then do their work for the day and turn it in when they return to school.

How do you know when there is a delay or closure?

We usually know the night before a storm comes in if it is going to have an impact on school times. I try to set my alarm for 6 am or just a bit earlier so I can find out the latest school news. Every TV station will have the school and employer updates on the crawler on the screen. If there is a 2 hour delayed start, I can roll back over and sleep for another hour. If there is a total cancellation, I usually hear the grateful yell of my son who has just heard the news himself followed by a few more hours of quiet. Many school websites also have delay and closing info but the TV news system is the simplest for me.

What about winter driving?

You have to remember, I am a native of Colorado Springs so winter driving is not an issue for me. If you are planning an upcoming move to Colorado Springs, you will want to think ahead. Owning a four wheel drive vehicle is a big help in our area. We have up to ten inches of snow coming in the next few days to the northern part of the city. If I did not have my four wheel drive, it could be difficult to get out of my neighborhood. Once I am on the main streets and the highway, I have no problems. The major roads are plowed right away and also treated with a de-icing chemical. If you are in the market for a new car in your current city, do not buy a two wheel drive SUV! It will be useless here in Colorado Springs! The resale value will be so low since nobody wants that kind of vehicle here. I suggest trading your two wheel drive truck or SUV before you get here–you will thank me for this later!

How long will it last?

Our snow season will run from mid-October through the end of April. Remember, we live here at 7000 feet above sea level and Pikes Peak is right out our front door! The benefit to all of this snow is that we usually have plenty of water. Our water tastes great right out of the tap. Very few people buy water in this area. That would seem crazy! Our water comes right off Pikes Peak and is cold and clear. You will love it!

If you are thinking of a move to Colorado Springs in the future, contact me or leave a comment below. I am a native of the area and can tell you which areas get more snow than others! My area, Flying Horse Ranch, gets plenty but I love it! Hopefully you will adapt to the snow and love it too!

If you are moving to Colorado Springs it can be a daunting task to determine exactly where you want to live. Some people rely on the “feel” or look of an area when moving to a new city. Many relocating buyers are data junkies that want to know all   about the different areas that they have to choose from. I personally like to use a bit of both.

These days, many MLS search sites use zip codes as a data field to search for homes. If you have never been to an area, that is just not very helpful. I spend time searching for homes in cities other than Colorado Springs so I know firsthand the frustration of navigating the zip code maze!

There is a cool web site that I found recently. It is called ZipSkinny. The site uses recent Census Bureau data to educate its users about individual zip codes. I love this site! Having all the data that you need is a good thing when searching for a home!

The site will pull all of the data available for a certain zip code. If you want to know the incomes, education levels or ages of the residents, its all there! School info is also avalable.  Colorado Springs real estate values can vary from area to area so this is all good info to arm yourself with before searching for a home.

My favorite feature is the zip code comparison search. You can input your current zip code and then compare it to others in Colorado Springs. This way, if you like where you live now, it is easy to find a similar area where you might feel comfortable.

Zip code analysis is just one way to narrow down your search for a home. Again, many people will just go by price range and feel of an area. I prefer to use both when learning about Colorado Springs homes for sale. In my opinion you need to use every tool available to you!

To learn more about specific areas in Colorado Springs, comment below or contact me. I would love to assist you!

If you are expecting a move to Colorado Springs in the coming months, I     recommend an advance house hunting trip. Taking a few days to scope out the Colorado Springs metro area will remove a huge amount of stress when it comes time to pack up and move.

Colorado Springs is not a huge city but it covers a very large area. Sure, you can view homes featured in the MLS and make a list of your favorites but how can you really tell about the area around the homes? I recently had a buyer who was totally sure that they wanted to live on 40 acres out in the country. They had to waste an entire day of their time looking to realize that they did not want to live out on the prairie in a modular home. Their Internet search showed what they thought to be great properties. The search failed to tell them that the nearest grocery store or gas station was half an hour away. The search also could not convey to them that the wind was going to blow in that area all day and all night. The house hunting trip gave them the information that the Internet search could not. They bought a very nice home in town by the way.

Before buying your airline tickets, contact me so I can block out time to work with you. I like to devote all of my time to you while you are here if at all possible. This will help you maximize your time to view homes and areas. I like to have everything set up prior to your arrival. This ensures that we can have appointments to view all of the homes in your price range in the areas that might interest you.

If you intend to fly into the area, check flight prices into Colorado Springs and Denver. Either airport is convenient. Then make rental car reservations. Car rental inventory is tight right now so book as early as possible for the best rates. Contact me for hotel recommendations or if you are coming here on military PCS orders, check into billeting for reservations.

I recommend a stay of three days in order to view all of the Colorado Springs homes for sale and areas that interest you.  Then once you select an area, you can spend additional time visiting schools or checking out potential employment options. If you do find a home that you like, we can write a purchase offer while you are still here or when you return home if you like.

By making an advance trip, you can hopefully do a door-to-door move. This will elimniate the possibility that your household goods might go into storage or that you might have to live in temporary quaters when you arrive. The four walls of the TLF rooms will begin closing in on you and your family after about 4 days! Many buyers choose to do a closing by mail so that they can already have the keys to their new home in hand when they arrive. This is the ideal situation!

An advance trip to Colorado Springs prior to your official move will save many headaches and stress! I recommend that every home buyer moving to the area take advantage of this option. For more info, leave a comment or contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

It’s a Tricky Business

Why get pre-approved? Many reasons actually but these 5 reasons below will convince you!

1.  You need ample time to get to know your lender

As soon as you find out you are moving to Colorado Springs, you will want to work on interviewing your future Real Estate Agent as well as your Mortgage Lender. The process can be a stressful one! Ask lots of questions, get referrals from friends do your research! We can give you information on several local mortgage lenders. Each has a different style and personality that will suit the needs of various home buyers.  You will be linked to the lender through the process. Make sure your relationship is local–I recommend against choosing an out of state lender that you find over the Internet or phone. It is easiest for everyone to work with an experienced local lender.

2. No digging in the trunk of your car for financial information

Obtaining a mortgage will require lots of documentation. Submitting all of this paperwork prior to your movers packing you will eliminate the stress of searching for past tax returns, W-2 statements, LES’s etc.

3. Find out in advance if you have credit issues

Credit scoring is everything! The lender that you select will run a credit report early in the process. This will alert you to any issues that may need to be resolved prior to your house hunting trip. Having a good credit score will give you the best interest rates and access to loan programs. An extra few months may buy a bit of time to improve the score just enough to make a big difference.

4. Know in advance how much you can spend on a home

Many people think they know how much they want to spend on a home. Many times that amount and the amount the lender will loan you are two different things. Knowing your approved listing price gives you the freedom to really search for a home either in person or online. We hate to see hearts broken upon arrival in Colorado Springs when a buyer did not get pre-approved and finds out that the dream home they found online is way out of their price range.

5.  Strengthen your purchase offer

When we write your offer to purchase a home, we must send a pre-qualification letter to the listing agent. This tells the agent that you have started your loan process. If you have already been actually approved for the loan, you will have an edge over a buyer who has not finished the loan process. Our local housing market in Colorado Springs. In spite of what is happening nationally, the local market is pretty strong in many popular price ranges. In a multiple offer situation, the buyer who has already been mortgage approved has much more strength!

These are just a few simple tips to help you understand why you should get pre-approved for you mortgage. We have several different lenders who specialize in VA, FHA and Conventional mortgage products. Email or leave a comment below if you would like to speak with one of them. We definitely recommend it!

FHA 30 year  5.0%

5/1 ARM 4.25%

VA 30 Year 5.0%

Conventional 30 year fixed 5.125%

CV 5/1 Arm 4.0%

Rose is a top knotch local lender that I have worked with for years. She is your best source for mortgage information and service!  Contact me or leave a comment below to receive more detailed loan information.

Last night I went downtown to eat dinner with a friend. We chose El Tesoro, a quaint little Southwestern restaurant in Downtown Colorado Springs.

I love this little place!

For years, I would drive right on by as I headed to another Colorado Springs favorite, Guiseppe’s Depot. I now count this as one of my favorites after eating there three or four times in the past two years. If you are looking for a quiet place to have good food and conversation that you can acutally hear, this is a perfect venue!

The Meal!  It Was Fabulous!

Dinner for two plus margaritas was $44.00. I had the Sante Fe Shrimp enchiladas. The entree included a side of black beans and another side of some type of hominy in a sauce. Loved it! The service was outstanding. We were there for a few hours and never felt rushed.

If you are prone to eating at the big chain Mexican places, this place will be a new treat.  It was peaceful and not a child in site. Don’t get me wrong–I love kids but there are times when I want to eat in a place that does not offer me a set of crayons and a word search to look for words like taco and burrito. Been there, done that!

The decor of El Tesoro is enhanced by the gallery of Southwestern art on the walls. It feels just like being in Sante Fe.

Give this place a try. If you already live here in the Springs, go soon. If you are relocating to the area in the future,bookmark their website for your future reference. Just remember that you have me to thank!

El Tesoro , 10 N Sierra Madre St.

Reservations: 719-471-0106