Want to go hiking?

Colorado Springs offers lots of hiking spots right in town! I love this about our city. You can take a quick hike and then grab a nice lunch or even a late breakfast. Of course there are lots of other spots for hiking outside of town but this post is just about the hyper-local trails.

One of my favorite areas is Cheyenne Canon. There are several trails that offer a challenge and usually a spectacular view of the city or the mountains. The City of Colorado Springs has a great page on their web site with a full list of all of the local trails as well as maps of each trail. This will give you an idea of how long the trail is and the level of difficulty. Perfect for beginners or those hiking with kids. Other traills are good for just walking or biking. The site details those locations as well.

If you are planning a move to the Colorado Springs area, contact me for information on homes near hiking and biking trails. We have a few neighborhoods that are perfect for people who want to be able to come home and take a quick hike before dinner! Where else in the world could life be this good? Only in Colorado Springs!

Super nice Villa Loma 4 level home. Lots of updates: newer roof, water heater, fireplace insert, vinyl windows, vinyl siding, carpet and paint. Eat-in kitchen features granite counters. You’ll appreciate the large master bedroom with attached bathroom. Two other bedrooms fill out the upper level. Formal living and dining rooms are perfect for entertaining with style! Casual family room can be very cozy with it’s fireplace. 

Fourth level offers one huge bedroom perfect for teens or guests plus a lage office or bonus room.  The landscaping of this home is very well maintained and lush. Backyard is almost like a park with large trees, lots of grass and a wonderful patio area.

This home is located in the popular area, Villa Loma. It’s close to Peterson AFB, lots of shopping and dining. Schools are highly respected and nearby. You just can’t go wrong with this ready to move into home! Contact me today for your private showing.

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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!

Fort Carson has a wide variety of on post options for housing. The problem is the waiting list can be very long. There are 15 different housing communites on the Mountain Post. Some of  the homes are older but several communities have been built in the past few years. They look just like homes available for sale in Colorado Springs. The newer homes were all ready at the same time so if you think about it they would have had all new occupants at the same time. This means that there won’t be any availability for a while.

All of the housing at Fort Carson is managed by a private company, Balfour Beatty Communities. The curious thing is that this is not an American company. They are headquatered in the UK. I have to wonder why we could not find an American housing management company for our American troops! Typical for big government I guess.

All of the typical amenities are available for Fort Carson housing. They provide trash pick-up, recycling and utilities. The rent amount is equal to the service member’s monthly BAH. Really, now that housing is privatized you are just renting a home on post. For some, this represents a great convenience. For others, it means living under the watchful eye of the Army at all times. It just depends on what you like.

Currently, this is a great time to buy a home in Colorado Springs! Think about it–the home buyer credit has just been extended until Spring. Prices are low right now as are interest rates. A VA mortgage is fast and easy to obtain. Why not investigate buying a home? Colorado Springs is a wonderful place for military members to buy a home even if you plan to be here only 2 or 3 years. Many people choose to rent their homes when they PCS on to the next destination. This means your investment can continue to grow while you move on to a new post.

Cash Back for Military Members

We offer a great incentive for military home buyers. When you choose to work with eSaleHomes Realty to buy a home, we give you a cash incentive after closing. This can range from $500 to $3000 depending on the sales price of the home. Sure, other companies offer incentives as well. When you work with me, you get top-knotch service and the benefit of 20 years of local full time real estate experience. Other companies will just “assign” you to an agent. Don’t you want someone that you choose?

For information on how you can buy a home near Fort Carson, feel free to contact me. I am very familiar with the stresses of a PCS move. There are so many ways that I can assist you with the transition from your current destination to your new one at Fort Carson.

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!

I asked the buyer if they were working with a Realtor. She said “no, we always call the listing agents. That’s what my family does.” What? Why? How?

This buyer is missing out on critical information that a good buyer’s agent would provide. When time is short and the market is moving fast, a buyer does not have time to waste calling listing agents.

It has long been a myth that calling the listing agent direct will net a buyer a discount on the commission. I am here to dispel that myth right here and now! The seller of the home has already agreed to pay a total commission of X%. The listing agent is nt going to give you, the buyer part of his paycheck just because.

The listing agent is also working for, you guessed it, the seller! They will not represent you in the transaction. Think about it–this is maybe the biggest investment that a buyer will make in their life. Wouldn’t it be a good thing to have some help and representation in the transaction? The seller’s agent is to get the best terms, price and conditions for THEIR client–the seller, not you as the buyer.

The buyer that called me today is wasting their time! Savvy buyers know to interview a good professional realtor in Colorado Springs. Don’t waste valuable time. Call or contact me now for information on how you can buy a home in today’s market without wasting time and money calling on homes that have already sold!