Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog

Colorado Springs Colorado new-home sales were up almost 20% in 2011 compared with 2010.  By October 2011, sales of new Colorado Springs homes comprised 11.4% of the total number of Colorado Springs home sales, year over year.  While more single-family homes sold than in the previous year, the number of sold multi-family homes decreased.

In addition, the Denver Post Newspaper reported a 10% increase in the number of permits pulled by homebuilders across the State of Colorado in 2011.  Sales of new homes in the State of Colorado are also up slightly.  Colorado recorded 12,758 single-family and multifamily building permits as of the end of December 2011, according to the article by Aldo Svaldi.

Prices of new Colorado Springs homes for sale averaged $276,142 per unit in October 2011.  Promisingly, that price tag amounts to more than 5% greater value than prices in 2010.

Characteristics of sold new homes in Colorado Springs may foretell some trends.  One finding is that the average sizes of new homes increased about 8% to square footage of 2367.  For more details, visit builderonline.com.

Against the 2001 record number of permits, however, the building industry still has quite a ways to go.  Longtime builders yearn for the good-old days when more permits were pulled than in the past four years combined.  While the increases in building permits are minimal in that sense, the numbers beat the national trend by quite a bit.  Nationally,building permits declined, reaching the lowest level in the last half century.

Several factors affect new-home sales:  #1) Inventory and selection of best existing homes for sale has dropped, #2) Rental ratesare increasing, #3) Fewer choices of apartments, #4) Interest rates keep falling, #5) Builders are passing along bargain land values to buyers, #6) New homes can be built in shorter times, #7) Buyers are looking for energy efficient and high-tech homes, and the list goes on.

As Svaldi points out, “Homebuilders still face several headwinds, chief among them a surplus of housing units left over from the last decade.”  Colorado’s housing surplus includes 130,000 units.  Nonetheless, the number of building permits issued traditionally indicates economic strength and the numbers are up.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

Select New Homes (built in 2011 & 12) available in Colorado Springs

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Established in 1965, the local University of Colorado campus nestles in the heart of Colorado Springs real estate, convenient to a variety of neighborhoods.  The scenic campus encompasses 520 acres near several beautiful parks between Interstate 25 and N. Academy Boulevard on Austin Bluffs Parkway.

A variety of favorable Colorado Springs subdivisions are easily accessible to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS).  For those who wish to search for luxury Colorado Springs CO real estate near the UCCS campus, a Sunday afternoon drive through the unrivaled beauty of the surrounding rolling hills in adjacent neighborhoods will show off many breathtaking Colorado Springs homes and landscapes.

University Park, The Valley at Erindale, and Erindale neighborhoods all offer scenic views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains as they capture the imagination at first sight.  Nonetheless, as the campus is close to several main thoroughfares, faculty and staff may also consider Briargate real estate, Flying Horse homes for sale, Kissing Camel real estate and other beautiful subdivisions easily accessible to Interstate 25.

Smaller, historic Colorado Springs Colorado homes are located north of the downtown area; grand old mansions and contemporary alternatives are located in the Broadmoor District of Southeast Colorado Springs.  Contact award-winning REMAX Colorado Springs agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 for assistance.

At the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, notable colleges and academic programs include the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences; Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences; College of Education; School of Public Affairs; and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.  In addition, the National Institute for Science, Space and Security Centers, which includes the Center for Homeland Security; the Center for Space Studies; Center for STEM Education; and the Trauma, Health and Hazards Center, are located at UCCS.

“Let Your Light Shine” is the school motto.  For school of under 10,000 students, participants in these programs have received many awards and accomplishments.  The lists are long.  For example, in 2011, U.S. News & World Report Magazine ranked the school #6 in the Masters Universities-West category.  In 2006, college and university rankings by the magazine placed the College of Engineering and Applied Science #4 among all public universities in the nation and #16 among all engineering schools.

The Colorado University Board of Regions designated UCCS as the Colorado University growth campus.  Accordingly, in recent years they have increasedthe faculty, staff, programs, and campus infrastructure.  A new recreation center and indoor athletics complex, several renovations, and two new buildings are now in the works along with a new interchange and frontage road to accommodate projected growth.

Neighborhoods near the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs are close to the popular North Academy business and shopping district.

To find out how our acclaimed city can work hand in glove to help you achieve your lifetime goals, contact Ann Heiring of RE/MAX Advantage, Inc. at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military in appreciation for those who serve our nation.

University of Colorado area properties for sale

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Popular Colorado Springs Colorado real estate in Flying Horse keeps expanding.It may be time for buyers to “Discover the incomparable beauty of Flying Course Colorado’s premier lifestyle community,” as developers take reservations for reasonably priced single-family homes in The Village of Turin.  (For homebuyer assistance, call RE/MAX Colorado Springs realtor Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010.)

Flying Horse Golf Club is located in the northern part of Colorado Springs CO real estate adjacent to Black Forest.  The master-planned community includes Colorado Springs homes for sale in Verona, Toscano, Sonoma, Siena, Saratoga, Messina, Encore, and Calistoga.

In The Village of Turin subdivision, Flying Horse single-family homes are available by reservation only right now.  However, developers have requested the go ahead from the Colorado Springs Planning Commission to break ground on 122 new home sites in Turin, according to a mid-December 2011 article by Amanda Miller in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

Miller quoted Doug Stimple, owner of Flying Horse Development and Classic Homes.  “Those are going to be some of the more afford lots we have ever put in Flying Horse.”  Priced at approximately $75,000, the lots in the Turin neighborhood range from 60,000 to 70,000 square feet.  Many feature walkout basements.  Also available in the lower price ranges, Flying Horse real estate features several new townhomes adjacent to the Sonoma subdivision.

In addition, the developer is prepping to build in the Messina subdivision, which boasts larger golf-course lots with prices beginning at $180,000.  In 2012, Flying Horse plans to open up another phase in the Verona subdivision. All Flying Horse properties are sold with the $7000 upgradable, country club membership.

Flying Horse community amenities include extensive trails, neighborhood shops and offices, and the Discovery Canyon K-12 Academic Campus.  Club Memberships include lap and splash pools, tennis courts, and spa and fitness services, and the Flying Horse Golf Course.

The private, 18-hole Tom Weiskopf Signature Golf Course features a European resort-style clubhouse and a world-class athletic club and spa.  The facilities include meeting rooms, wine tower, swimming programs, and much more.

Students are served by the acclaimed Colorado Springs Academy District 20 schools.  Within the Flying Horse community, the District operates a state-of-the-art Pre K-12 campus focusing on sciences and mathematics.Flying Horse is also poised to add convenient commercial real estate as an integral part of the master plan.

Directions to Flying Course: From Interstate 25 Exit #153, proceed East at Interquest Parkway as it turns into Highway 83.  Continue North past the light at Shoup Road.  Turn left on Flying Course Club Drive.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX Colorado Springs real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

Single Family Residential Properties in Flying Horse

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Today we pass along insights from professional organizers to help residents of Colorado Springs homes to refresh their environments and their lives.  January is “National Get Organized Month.”  In addition to promoting good looks, de-cluttering your Colorado Springs Colorado home may also refresh your personal life.

There are psychological side effects to allowing clutter to block the flow of energy, especially when homebuyers work so hard to purchase beautiful Colorado Springs CO home in favorite neighborhoods.  Addressing the problem, Feng Shui writer Stephanie Roberts published “Clutter-Free Forever!” and the convenient eBook, “Clutter Clearing from the Inside Out.”

Whether clutter lies in the kitchen, the living and dining room, the hallway, bathroom, and bathroom, or possibly closets, basements, attics, or garages – clutter is an obstacle to be reckoned with.  Roberts says that cleaning up the kitchen “opens up space for you to receive the support and comfort that you need in life.”

Clutter in the living areas blocks social activities; in the hallways, it signifies the blocking of important connections in life.  Cleaning up and organizing the bathroom areas indicates self-worth, not just for the physical body.  Chaos in the bedroom is stressful in a space that ideally is set aside for the “renewal of self and relationships.”Cluttered storage areas likewise indicate blockages, although this time it indicates hidden subconscious momentums.  And the all-too-common cluttered garages block mobility and independence.

Let us tackle the clutter and get organized.  The first step to getting organized is to set aside short periods of time throughout the week to tackle each problem area.  This might be 30 min. every other day.  Brette Sember’s book, “The Organized Kitchen,” suggests starting by giving each room a purpose.  If the purpose of the kitchen is nourishment, only the items useful for nourishing the family remain in the kitchen.

One of the directors at the National Association of Professional Organizers recommends that we make quick decisions as to what to keep, what to throw away, and what to donate.  All of the junk goes.  Everything not used in the last 12 months is on the Get Rid Of list.  “If you have to agonize over whether to keep or get rid of something, get rid of it,” says Allison Flinn.  On an ongoing basis, label a box or bin “Donate” and keep it handy.

Some people take dynamic action.  They actually remove everything from the purposed area, emptying drawers and cupboards, too.  Then, they create organizational bins or boxes, jars or holders inside of the catch-all areas.  They may organize in an old Taboret or art cabinet or other useful piece of storage furniture to fix up.  Then,very intentionally, they bring back into the area only the necessary items.

The effect is indeed dramatic – and, oh, so refreshing.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX Colorado Springs real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

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The Preserve at Walden is “An Exclusive Colorado Custom Home Community” located in the rolling meadows of northern Colorado Springs.  The Preserve at Walden features new Colorado Springs CO homes in a rural environment with captivating mountain vistas of the Front Range and Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Gorgeous Colorado Springs real estate in the Preserve at Walden affords residents a mile and a half of open space with private hiking trails and fishing ponds and all of the natural beauty of Black Forest real estate.  The community features only 82 home sites.

The upscale Colorado Springs homes for sale in the Preserve at Walden range from $500,000-$2 million.  The north Colorado Springs land lots ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 acres of mostly Meadow land Ponderosa pine are priced in the $100,000-$300,000 range.

Walden Preserve is approximately 7 miles southeast of Interstate 25 and Monument.  Monument is a historic town in the Tri-Lakes area.  Palmer Lake is further west and the United States Air Force Academy to the south.  The area offers excellent recreational opportunities.

Additionally, Monument features unique shops and restaurants and a small town culture with many community events.  Residents of the Preserve at Walden gets into the community spirit by sponsoring the Colorado Pumpkin Patch with live outdoor music during the pumpkin harvest.

Reputable custom builders and architects in Walden Preserve assist buyers to select authentic Colorado designs that blend into the terrain.  Home placement and landscaping exalts the serenity of the pristine environment.  Builders include Copperleaf Homes, Genesis Custom Homes, Tara Custom Homes, Tuscany Homes of Colorado, Hacienda Construction, Morgan Brothers, and Rampart Construction.

Residents are able to join the private golf-course community at The Club at Flying Horse.  Club privileges include golf, aquatics, spa, casual and formal dining, fitness, tennis, gymnasium, wine tower, and meeting facilities.

The community is served by the Lewis-Palmer School District 38, which operates an elementary school on the edge of the subdivision.  Easily accessible to both Colorado Springs and Denver, the community is located up Highway 83 N, east on Hodgen Road, north on Timber Meadow, and east on Pond View Place.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

Available Properties at The Preserve at Walden

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The Colorado Springs Business Journal recently addressed the development of Colorado Springs Colorado real estate at its urban core.  Writer Amanda Miller shared research about urban projects, interviewed developers with downtown plans, and talked to city commissioners about the challenges and solutions to developing thriving live/work/play real estate in downtown Colorado Springs.

The question:  Is the desire strong enough to overcome the challenges to a vibrant, artsy urban core?  In essence, the downtown area today lacks Colorado Springs homes.  Without nearby places to live, how does the urban chemistry support the revitalization of downtown Colorado Springs Colorado real estate – including business, retail, and entertainment sectors?

A downtown solutions team has juices flowing with ideas that encompass retail, office, residential, arts and culture, and hotel development.  Over the past decade, several groups have discussed the rejuvenation of downtown.  Most of those big ideas shrank into the background as the economy slowed.  But some are alive and well.

Obstacles to downtown development

As with many downtown areas, suburban growth has moved away from downtown.  The Journal articles elucidate several problems in recapturing the city core in the current downtown.  For example, parking is a problem today as is the use of Acacia Park as a backyard for the homeless.Colorado Springs needs pedestrian connectors and/or transportation between the arts sectors, universities, the parks, and main attractions.

Along more structural lines, historical downtown Colorado Springs excluded industrial buildings and warehouses.  In contrast, other cities with contemporary urban cores such as Denver and Chattanooga began the urban trend by rebuilding existing warehouses.  However, Colorado Springs lacks those old buildings.  Our founder marketed the city as a healing resort and the Broadmoor Hotel & Resort is ensconced near downtown.  Industrial areas are further away.

Presently, a number of existing buildings that could be redeveloped are only one or two stories tall — versus the 4-10 stories prominent in other cities.  In urban core development, those upper stories serve as homes.

Many projects are on hold.Miller spoke of a project by Steve Engel who has drawings for 12 acres of live/work/play real estate in the area known as City Gates near Cimarron and Sierra Madre streets.  An architectural rendition of the Bijou Lofts across the street from Acacia Park will remain in the drawing stage until the economy improves, according to its developer Daniel Robertson.  Pike Peaks Place is a high-rise idea for the quarter of Nevada and Pikes Peak avenues.More hover around the corner.

Essentially, developing a vibrant urban core in Colorado Springs will take a lot of hard work and money – and a desire greater than the challenges.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

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The proposed 60-acre mixed-use Colorado Springs CO real estate development planned for the west gate of Peterson Air Force Base will offer state-of-the-art amenities.  According to the Peterson Air Force Base Facilities Excellence Plan, the Colorado Springs real estate integrates sustainable features in a vibrant, pedestrian friendly “downtown” area of Peterson Air Force Base. It will simply be called the Westgate District or Westgate.

The new Colorado Springs property is ideally located in the Peterson Triangle District at the intersection of Powers Boulevard and Airport Road.  The development includes 450 handsomely designed apartment units, office space for military, retail, and restaurants – with a central pedestrian area as the focal point.

Model apartments and furnished short-term executive rentals will be adjacent to the Colorado Springs rental properties.  Visitor Quarters will be located on upper floors and, generally, non-housing uses will be on lower floors.  Moreover, careful design for the first and second stories encourages pedestrian active duty.

Two secure military office buildings will also allow some civilian access.  Peterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Base Command, and the Department of the Air Force will be able to take advantage of the “pace-setting, self-reliant, and self-sustaining district” in unique ways.  It includes design for highly integrated force protection and anti-terrorism measures.  The sizes of the military buildings are 57,000 square feet and 44,000 square feet.

Westgate’s facilities will be connected through a renewable-energy infrastructure.  For example, greywater byproducts will be reclaimed, recovered, and redistributed.  Domestic heating systems will be supplemented with energy captured from recovery systems.

According to the plan, design encourages “Air Force policy to conserve energy and water and to promote renewable energy use.”  In addition, the plan optimizes functionality and strives to achieve LEED® standards.

In addition, the land use and development in the Triangle District will utilize plant materials from the high plains such as open space with native grasses.  Landscape plans will respect water conservation principles.  Underground parking allows for more natural surface area.  Building design incorporates shade for the plants as well as people.

Colorado Springs Business Journal on October 19, 2011 reported that the Colorado Springs Land Use Review division is working with the developer.  The intersection, especially Fountain Creek which runs through the property, will need re-engineering to accommodate the Westgate development.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

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For decades, residents of Colorado Springs homes enjoyed nearby ski areas at the Broadmoor Resort, Glen Clove and Pikes Peak ski jumps.  After realizing that Colorado Springs area real estate receives significantly less snow overall than does the Rocky Mountain high country, alpine skiers willingly drive a while for more powder.  Colorado Springs neighborhoods are still close to cross-country ski areas and, of course, snowshoeing trails.

West of Colorado Springs CO real estate is Monarch Mountain.  Southwest is the Wolf Creek Ski Area.  North are Winter Park and Echo Mountain.  Into the Rocky Mountains along Interstate 70 are the Summit County resorts:  Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Loveland.

Monarch Mountain is located approximately 2 hours West of Colorado Springs in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Monarch features 800 acres of ski terrain reaching 12,000-foot elevations in addition to 1,000 acres of back bowls and steep chutes.

Boasting the deepest snow in Colorado (465 inches per year), Wolf Creek is four hours from downtown Colorado Springs.  Most skiers opt to spend more than one day away when they drive to Wolf Creek.

Echo Mountain is a small, less-expensive ski area 35 miles west of Denver.  It may be an option for those who have business in Denver.  Winter Park, owned by the City of Denver, is an affordable family destination and resort town about 50 minutes northwest of Denver.  Winter Park features 3,000 skiable acres and 25 chairlifts to accommodate skiers and riders of every level.

The no-frills Loveland ski area is on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains about 90 miles from Colorado Springs.  It reaches the peak of over 13,000 feet with a vertical drop of 2,410 feet.  Because it receives lots of snow, Loveland is usually still open in May.

Arapahoe Basin is a short 87 miles from The Springs.  A-Basin a basin is not a resort rather it is frequented by the locals.  The mountain is over 13,000 feet tall and features over 100 trails and seven chairlifts.

The largest mountain in Summit County Colorado is at Keystone Resort.  Keystone features 3,148 acres of terrain accessible via two dozen lifts from the River Run and Lakeside villages.  Known for its excellent restaurants, night skiing, terrain parks, and outdoor ice-skating, Keystone is just 92 miles from Colorado Springs.

Breckenridge the resort is a world-class ski and snowboard experienced.  The resort is cherished for its authentic village atmosphere and excellent amenities.  Past Breckenridge is Copper Mountain Ski Area, the Vail Resort, Beaver Creek Resort and Bachelor Gulch, with Aspen Ski Resort further south.

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

Select Pikes Peak Area Real Estate

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As El Paso County Colorado’s population grew during the past decade—especially movement of Colorado Springs real estate sales from the central part of the city to the northeastern communities—it surpassed the population of Denver County.  The population of El Paso County Colorado homes increased 20.38% between the 2000 census and the 2010 census.

The number of residents in the City of Colorado Springs homes from the year 2000 to 2010 increased 15.39%.  Maria St. Louis-Sanchez Gazette.com 02/23/11 explained that Colorado Springs population patterns in the Pikes Peak region continue pushing into the northeast Colorado Springs real estate area and past the City Limits into El Paso County.

The article speaks of tremendous growth northeast of Powers and Stetson Hills boulevards where the population has increased 2,400% between the two census counts.Other parts of the El Paso County have also experienced rapid growth.  Population in the City of Fountain Colorado homes increased 70.07% and the population In Monument Colorado real estate increased 180.57%.

In Colorado Springs itself, the population has shifted somewhat from homes in south Colorado Springs and the South Academy Boulevard and Stratton Meadows areas.  Other shrinking neighborhoods are located west of Memorial Park and east of Downtown Colorado Springs.The older neighborhoods are comprised of historic homes, some that have been restored and others that are not properly maintained.  Although buyers are charmed by the unique real estate in the older areas, the homes and lots are smaller than those offered in newer country subdivisions.

Nonetheless, homebuyers who choose the outlying areas contend with longer commute times.  In addition,they live farther from downtown conveniences and amenities – a tradeoff readily accepted by a growing number of people.

The 2010 census spoke to the changes happening around the State of Colorado.  Reports tell the story of an older and more diverse population.  Much of the growth in Colorado occurred along the Front Range and the Interstate 70 corridor.

In El Paso County, the 2000 Census counted 516,929 residents and 2010 Census figures reaches 622,263.  Denver County was home to 554,636 in 2000 and 600,158 in 2010.  Douglas County in the Denver metropolitan area was the fastest-growing county in the state with population growth at 62.4% (175,766 to 285,465).

For information about buying a home in Colorado Springs, contact award-winning REMAX real estate agent Ann Heiring at (719) 440-1010 or Toll Free at (800) 246-8978.  In appreciation for those who serve our nation, Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military.

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