Cherise Selley

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is strongly urging Congress to keep the $8,000 tax credit through 2010. "Since its inception earlier this year, the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit has brought 1.2 million new buyers into the market - 350,000 of whom would not have purchased a home without credit," according to the NAR.

This financial incentive has also benefited the Colorado Springs Real Estate market, especially related to the lower-end sector - $250,000 and under.

Just my opinion as a Colorado Springs Realtor, but I would like Congress to extend the homebuyer tax credit and more. While buyers have created an insurgence within the homebuyer market, sellers also require some type of assistance with the sale of their homes. Inflated home equities provided an economic surge, which was continually promoted by Wall Street, large lending institutions, foreign investors, etc.

Colorado Springs Realtors have noticed the majority of existing home sales below the $400,000 mark, largely with the help of the $8,000 tax credit. Yet within the Colorado Springs Real Estate market, as also seen throughout the country, sellers are suffering tremendous losses because they cannot effectively sell their homes without bringing substantial amounts of money to the closing table. Essentially, the amount they owe on their home is more than what they can sell it for...

And when entering the arena of short sales and foreclosures, the banks have made this process for everyone involved, including Colorado Springs Realtors and consumers, an absolute nightmare.

If the national economy truly wants to gain some momentum from teetering on disaster, I'd recommend a $15,000 tax credit for both the new homebuyer, as well as the experienced homeowner who chooses to either sell their existing home or wishes to purchase an additional property. I'd keep this incentive intact for two years minimally to help bring the national economy out of the woods.

Just an opinion expressed from a Colorado Springs Realtor who has sold about 150 million in Colorado Springs Real Estate.

Just spoke with a Colorado Springs Realtor who specializes on the commercial side of the Colorado Springs Real Estate market. He's had quite a bit of experience, enduring the "ups-and-downs" of the real estate markets since 1984. Colorado Springs Real Estate has experienced times of prosperity and at other times, there have been some market woes. This cyclical pattern is normal for all markets regardless of location. But overall, this particular region maintains consistency based upon economic stabilizers, such as the prevalence of military bases, Christian ministries, and other technological businesses.

For instance, it is estimated that approximately 6,500 troops will be stationed at Fort Carson in 2010. Another example is that Kaiser Permanente Colorado will open its first Colorado Springs medical office this October, specifically to serve as primary care for seniors. This nonprofit health insurance company and medical provider is one of the largest in Colorado, as well as the nation.

Recent economic reports reveal that the Colorado Springs area is somewhere between 6 months to 1 year ahead of the rest of the nation regarding the housing market recovery.

Yet some of the influencing factors whether the market actually gains momentum deals directly with perception. According to this Colorado Springs Realtor and what I've observed professionally is that when the perception of Colorado Springs Real Estate is positive and reinforced by the media, then buyers, sellers and investors tend jump on this bandwagon of good news and inevitably turn the downside of the market into an upside reality. Perception does turn in to reality. People are influenced by psychological factors. The converse also applies. When the media continues to opine about all of the possible obstacles facing the market, then activity almost instantly slows for no apparent reason.

Colorado Springs Realtors appreciate the depth of knowledge about the market, ranging from the fiscal side to the sales portion. But it is even more appreciated by Colorado Springs Realtors, like this gentleman I spoke with, that balanced reporting about all of the market indicators are fairly represented from the media standpoint. In essence, I bet the Colorado Springs Realtors and the consumers might actually avoid extreme highs and lows with the overall real estate business if more balanced reporting actually happened.

It seems like the top competitors among Colorado Springs Realtors are writing profusely, trying to communicate their name brand as well as their purpose through various technological mediums. And for many, the emphasis involves overplay on SEO positioning, thinking that additional "keywording" is the only viable way to gain inevitable marketing advantages. Not so true...This is simply one component of successful internet marketing. Many other forms exist and must not be overlooked by the Colorado Springs Realtor.

Regarding the Colorado Springs Real Estate market, we must not forget about the power of words and how they directly pertain to favorable advertising of listings, whether considering residential and/or commercial properties. Detailed yet accurate property descriptions properly showcase Colorado Springs Realtors listings, regarding the legal narrative and introducing perspective clients into the doorways of their listed properties.

The importance of having sufficient property descriptions should not be overlooked by the listing broker. Legal ramifications do exist when properties are insufficiently described. For instance, leniency with descriptions has been legally challenged in the State of Idaho, specifically in the case of "Callies v. O'Neal."

According to an article in the Sept/October version of Realtor magazine, an Idaho real estate broker almost had $1 million dollars withheld after a developer claimed that the listing agreements were invalid due to insufficient property descriptions. The case went to court, in which the district ruled in favor of the developer. Robert Freedman writes, "On appeal, the Idaho Supreme Court reversed the lower court after examining several state statutes - including one that requires a legal property description in real estate contracts and another that allows for a less exact description."

Even though the broker prevailed in this suit, it certainly serves as a wake-up call for Colorado Springs Realtors. We must remember to give due diligence to each real estate contract, particularly to legal property descriptions when crafting these type of documents.

Regarding our energies spent on writing, perhaps the hope for potential business through social networking should not take precedence over those real estate contracts already set before us...

Change is in the air. You can see it. You can read about it. You can even feel it. Regarding the Colorado Springs Real Estate market, changes are happening very quickly.

Colorado Springs Realtors and some local brokerage firms are making unusual decisions during these fast-changing times. Mergers between smaller, personal brand companies and larger-minded real estate firms have occurred. The price for more market exposure remains costly. Let's look at a few examples:

•· Short-term security. During the transitory phase of any business acquisition, there is the introduction of strength and security, especially with numbers regarding both the addition of people, as well as the potential influx of increased revenues. However, the concept of adaptation eventually happens, giving rise to the balance between generating increased revenues and expelling increased expenses in order to properly accommodate increased personnel and relative overhead expenditures. In other words, sought after profit margins are still measured by sound business protocols and long-term planning, which in effect, defines fiscal security.

•· Training Costs. According to the National Association of Realtors (2009), 26 percent of all Realtors today have less than five years of experience in the real estate business. That translates to one-quarter of Realtors who have not really dealt with any real challenges within a difficult Colorado Springs Real Estate market. They've never seen it or actually experienced the adverse effects professionally. To train and educate Colorado Springs Realtors requires significant costs, time and personnel resources. Typically, the inexperienced Colorado Springs Realtors lack the empirical knowledge to endure the troubleshooting aspects of the business. This is where agent turnover, lost deals and revenue losses translate to vocational frustration.

•· Fear. Just because a Colorado Springs Realtor might decide to join a larger company does not mean that he or she is now exempt from the hardships and/or heartaches of the imposing real estate market. Fear still exists for both the Colorado Springs Real Estate professional as well as the consumer, causing many people to react impulsively. The costs of being part of the larger Colorado Springs Real Estate companies are enormous, gobbling up any saved reserves of the participant and causing sole dependency upon corporate operations. Many people get lost within this type of organizational system, failing to grow personally and professionally. Not to mention, it makes it more difficult to become profitable amongst more competition within the larger organization.

Before making any unusual decisions, consider all the options available before allowing the change in the air to direct you incorrectly.

If you measure the way you do Colorado Springs Real Estate based upon a "win-lose" scenario, most likely, it will seem like you're always failing within the scheme of how you're doing your real estate business.

For example, if you find yourself grading your daily sales performance against the ideals of your best months, then you can expect many disappointments and stress interwoven within your daily practice of Colorado Springs Real Estate.

"Win-lose" competition might work for the short term, specifically on the playing fields of athletics and scholarship. But this way of living and working eventually drains optimism from your spirituality, thus disconnecting you from your body and soul, as well as from the networks of friends within your life. As Colorado Springs Realtors, when you overdo the "win-lose" mindset within your business, haven't you noticed how disconnected you feel from everything else, including yourself?

Optimism is a "win-win" mindset. It's when hope and healing and forgiveness faithfully fill in the cracks for the inevitable losses of life, as well as business. "Win-win" pursuits allow you to try to continue to pursue your passions without giving up prematurely. It allows you to find the love of God within people instead of seeing the worst things about human failure. This also applies to the real estate business, in which you will be able to glean the worthwhile from the meaningless when it comes to strategies, tasks and most importantly, serving the client.

As a Colorado Springs Realtor, why not live according to the "win-win" way of living?