Shawn

PCS to Colorado Springs?

Homebuying FAQ's 1. Isn't it just easier to rent than to buy? I get this question a lot. Colorado Springs is very different from other duty stations you may have lived at. The area is large but really still small. That won't make sense to you now but when you arrive you'll get what I mean. We have really one county in our area (excluding the mountain communities). Finding a home takes (with a good Realtor of course) no more than a...Continue Reading!

How Long Do You Have to Wait to Buy a Home Again After a Short Sale?

Answer: It Depends Read below for a list of loan scenarios. It is definitely better to do a short sale than to just let your home go into foreclosure. Even if you have already been notified that the bank is going to foreclose there still may be time to sell your home and avoid the ramifications of a foreclosure on your credit report. Conventional Fannie Mae: After only 2 years with an 80% LTV ratio (Loan to Home Value), 4 years with...Continue Reading!

Do I Need Snow Tires in Colorado Springs?

Well, yes and no. The answer will depend on where you live and how you live. For people who have a job that does not allow you to come in a bit later in the morning after a big snow then you will want to invest in a good set of snow tires.  Snow tires are actually made of a different rubber mixture than regular all-season tires so they work differently when gripping the road and snow. The treads are bigger...Continue Reading!

Walkout Basements and Radon

I just closed on a sale for one of my military buyers. It was a wonderful home in Broadmoor Glen at the base of Cheyenne Mountain. Typically, this area will have high radon readings when testing is done. When it came time to do the home inspection, the buyer was deciding whether or not to do the radon testing.  Radon testing costs around $110 extra on top of the regular home inspection fees according to Scott Whitbeck of HomeTeam inspections. ...Continue Reading!

Can You Rent Out A Home With A VA Loan?

Common Question Can you rent out a home that has a VA mortgage on it? Yes, with certain conditions. VA loans are given only to Veterans who plan to occupy the home as their principle residence. This means that you cannot use your VA loan benefit to buy a home to fix and flip or to rent out as an investment property in the first place.  As a side note, I have never known how VA will monitor this but you...Continue Reading!

Can you Freeze Your Credit?

The answer is yes. One of my lender partners, Jeff Chapdelaine of Cherry Creek Mortage, just told me about this service.  Those who are quite sure they will not be needing to open any new credit might want to consider it. The first type of person that comes to my mind is a single person in the military getting ready to deploy for a year long tour in the desert. Who needs credit in Afghanistan anyway? Freezing credit will stop...Continue Reading!

Are You Ready To Buy Now?

Is It Time to Buy a House? By Guest Blogger Rose Kelly  If you are in a place where you want to buy a home, now may be the right time to start thinking about it. The banks and government are simply overwhelmed with homes that have been repossessed, and it looks like there might be as many as 2 million more homes to come onto the market. Prices in many areas are going to continue to fall, and if you can...Continue Reading!

2311 Diamond Creek Colorado Springs CO 80921 $545664

Former model home! [idx-listing mlsnumber="545664" showall="true"]Continue Reading!

Flying Horse Rancher 2326 Ledgewood 80921 $329000

[idx-listing mlsnumber="533249" showall="true"]Continue Reading!

Flying Horse Rancher 2613 Cinnabar Rd. 80921 $319900

[idx-listing mlsnumber="652914" showall="true"]Continue Reading!