Volunteering=Appreciation

Ever wonder why the value of some neighborhoods appreciate while others depreciate with the same metro area? One of the reasons often times is the involvement of the residents within the community. For example, I live in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs. Mountain Shadows has seen 40 homes successfully sell in 2008 compared to only 24 over the same period in 2007. At first look, the average sales price looks to have fallen close to 10%, but when you analyze the numbers more closely you see that the difference is in the high-end homes; in 2007 4 homes sold for over $700k, in 2008 no homes have sold in the neighborhood for over $700k. The reason why is most likely the change in Jumbo Loans which now requires at least 10% down. If I eliminate these high-end homes from the equation, you will see Mountain Shadows has remained level in terms of the value of our homes.

A primary reason why our home values in Mountain Shadows have held strong is the overwhelming amount of volunteer support the area receives. Chipeta and Trailblazer Elementary Schools boast 2 of the most involved PTA's in the entire state of Colorado, Mountain Shadows Community Association has an outstanding Board including the current chair who is also the chair for the Colorado Springs Community Associations. These are just two examples of volunteerism in this neighborhood and the success of both can be directly traced back to the value of our homes. The involvement of the PTA's helps to insure our schools continue to be rated at the top for both academics as well as facilities. The success of the MSCA has helped to build a greater sense of community through events and helped to keep our neighborhood attractive through covenant enforcement.

Don't allow the difficult times in real estate to negatively impact your financial security; get involved, get your neighbors involved...make a difference.