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Home inventory decreased by 23% for the month of November when compared to six months ago (June). Compared to the previous month of October, there was also a decrease in single family homes for sale.
In November 2010, single family Inventory in the Pikes Peak MLS was not only higher but there were 542 single family home sales compared to 645 sales in November 2011. Compared to this time last year, months of inventory for Colorado Springs is lower.
For November, Single Family Home Inventory in the Pikes Peak MLS is sitting at 5.7 months (compared to 5.2 months in October). Looking at statistics over the past six months, we are at 5.6 months inventory.
The months of inventory has improved considerably in Colorado Springs. As long as the inventory levels remain at these levels and sales increase, the market will continue to improve. There is a balanced market in Colorado Springs when inventory sits at 6 months.
**Information gathered from the Pikes Peak MLS is deemed reliable but not guaranteed
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For more information on Colorado Springs Real Estate or the Colorado Springs Area contact me or visit my website.
Home sales decreased by 14.9% in El Paso County for the month of November when compared to October and sales were 19% higher when compared to November 2010.
There were 103 additional single family home sales in November 2011 when compared to November 2010. There were also an additional 1,079 single family homes for sale in November 2010. Inventory levels continue to remain much lower than they were around this time last year in Colorado Springs.
Compared to the previous month of October, the average sales price ($218,230) decreased and the median sales price ($185,000) remained the same.
Last November, the average sales price was $233,286 and the median sales price was $198,000.
**Information gathered from the Pikes Peak MLS is deemed reliable but not guaranteed
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For further information on available Homes in Colorado Springs contact your Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent, Patricia Beck.
I made a few calls to obtain estimates for a seller’s property that required work on a portion of the exterior siding. Fortunately, most of the folks I called were very responsive and were able to go out to the property to assess what work was required except for one handyman. This handyman called me and said he needed additional info about the siding. I didn’t have a problem with it until he said that I would need to call him back with the following info:
- What type of wood siding was on the home
- Size of the siding and other specifications
- How many linear feet needed to be replaced (I wasn't even sure if it required replacement)
The primary reason for calling him was to find out if he could go look at the siding and give me an estimate since I am not an expert in that area. Even if I did phone him back with the information he asked for, how could he really know what needs to be done without seeing it first? He said something along the lines of “If we went out to look at every job first, we wouldn’t have time to get any work done.”
Sure, I could have grabbed a tall ladder and gone out there to measure and survey the siding myself but I was in need of a professional’s opinion of what needed to be done to address the issue. After hanging up with the handyman, it got me thinking…
When it comes to my business as a real estate agent in Colorado Springs, I am not 100% sure sellers will choose to work with me when I go meet them for a listing appointment but if I don’t show up at all, well, now my chances of listing their home are pretty close to zero. If I’m not going to take time to look at their home and meet with them in person, I can’t blame them for not wanting to hire me.
So that being said, that handyman will not receive any future business from me, and I’m glad I found another professional to assist my sellers.
Patricia Beck – Selling Colorado Springs Homes
Although banks are approving short sales more now than in previous years, dealing with bank negotiators can still be frustrating for many of us. Some agents have stated they contact the negotiator once every couple of weeks for their short sale listings. In my experience, I have had to contact the negotiator more frequently than once every two weeks for most of the short sale transactions I have closed successfully particularly, when I’m dealing with the Jekyll/Hyde negotiator.
The Jekyll and Hyde negotiator will tell me one thing during a phone conversation and something completely different over email. This becomes problematic when it comes to how much the investor is willing to take. The negotiator often gives me a lower amount over the phone and when we have a buyer willing to pay that amount, the negotiator then states via email that the file will be denied and closed due to the contract purchase price not being high enough. I often wonder if I am working with two different people!
Over email, this type of negotiator’s communication is abrupt and at every possible opportunity, states the file will be closed and denied. They are completely unreasonable and it often appears the bank doesn’t want to approve the short sale when the negotiator plays games throughout the short sale process.
So how do you handle this type of negotiator?
I get a lot further talking with the Jekyll and Hyde negotiator directly over the phone. It seems as though they don’t want to tell me anything over email but when I pick up the phone, it’s a completely different story. Document phone conversations. When the negotiator comes back to you with something that was not previously agreed upon, you will need to reference your documentation when speaking to him/her over the phone.
I know email is a great way to track all discussion between the negotiator and real estate agent but it is not always the best way to get a short sale approved. Many of my short sale transactions in Colorado Springs would have gone to foreclosure if I kept the majority of communication strictly to email. If you are not making progress, getting the file re-assigned to another negotiator may be an option.
How do you treat a short sale transaction when working with a negotiator that says one thing but does another?
If you are facing foreclosure, Contact Patricia Beck, Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent. 
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Colorado Springs Real Estate, assisting home buyers and sellers in the Colorado Springs area, El Paso County, and Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs is just south of Denver and many people from the Colorado Springs Area commute to Denver for work (approximately 1 hour). Colorado Springs is located close to the mountains and many homes in the area offer breathtaking views of Pikes Peak, one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners. Many religious organizations and churches make their headquarters here as well as a large number of military installations: Fort Carson, Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, US Air Force Academy, and NORAD. The city is currently home to the United States Olympic Training Center and the headquarters of the United States Olympic Committee. With a variety of nearby outdoor activities including: hiking, biking, skiing, fishing, and camping there is always something new to discover in Colorado. Colorado Springs averages 250 days of sunshine per year and the winter season is usually pretty mild, although, we have received quite a bit of snow over the past few years! If you like skiing or snowboarding, various ski resorts can be accessed within a couple hours of driving and Hwy 24 is a great shortcut to utilize in order to avoid the ski traffic on I-70. Colorado Springs is growing quickly and many new homes are being built on the east side of town along the Powers corridor including Corderra and Wolf Ranch in addition to areas in Black Forest, Falcon, and Peyton (Woodmen Hills and Meridian Ranch). If you enjoy more privacy and like the mountain feel, Woodland Park is a beautiful place that is only 30 minutes out of town and has many conveniences in town such as a new Wal-Mart, grocery stores, restaurants, and a new hospital. You can learn more about the Colorado Springs areas and School Districts on my website.
There are so many activities in the Colorado Springs and Surrounding areas that you do not have to drive very far!
Garden of the Gods- This national park has walking and biking trails throughout and if you are a rock climber, you will definitely want to make a visit! It can get crowded by tourists since it is one of Colorado Spring's greatest attractions. The rock formations are truly amazing and if you look closely, you will spot one rock feature, Kissing Camels that looks like two camels facing each other with their lips touching. There is a visitor's center right outside of the park that offers information about how the rocks were formed over time, very interesting!
Cave of the Winds- Off of Hwy 24, this attraction can be a great family outing. Cave tours vary from walking through with a guide (approx. 45 minutes) to view the beautiful crystallized icicle shaped stalactites and stalagmite columns and formations coming up from the cave floor to extended spelunking or caving tours.
Hiking/Biking- A 30-45 minute drive can lead you to some beautiful hiking areas around Colorado Springs. Please take a look at the list below for various hiking/biking trails in the area....
For more information about local hiking or biking trails you may contact Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation at (719) 385-5940.
Pikes Peak- Colorado Springs is situated at the base of Pikes Peak which stands at 14,115 feet. Depending on your health and athletic skill level, there are a variety of ways to enjoy Pikes Peak. If you are not a hiker, you may access the top of Pikes Peak by the Cog Railway, driving, or hiking to the very top of the fourteener (make sure you start early), or by hiking half-way to base camp. If you would like a good workout, try hiking the incline (stairs alongside the cog railway) some people can do it in 20 minutes! The weather can change quickly on Pikes Peak so make sure you are prepared and if you have problems with altitude sickness, going to the top of Pikes Peak is probably not a good idea.
Manitou Springs- Manitou Springs is off of Hwy 24 and at the base of Pikes Peak. You can spend a whole day here walking through the town and looking inside all of the unique shops and learning about the history of Manitou Springs. If you decided to stay the night, there are many unique places to stay including bed & breakfasts, motels, and campgrounds. There are some great restaurants to try out; the Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant being my favorite. Don't forget to stop by the Penny Arcade; it is great fun for adults and children alike! Multiple buildings make up the Penny Arcade and there are hundreds of games to choose from as well.
Seven Falls- Minutes from downtown Colorado Springs and located at 2850 S. Cheyenne Canyon Road, you will find the cascading Seven Falls. Climb the long stairway alongside the falls and take in the views of Colorado Springs from above. If you do not want to climb the 224-step stairway, there is also a mountain elevator that can offer awesome views of the falls.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo- Did you know that this is the only mountain zoo in the United States? Many of the walkways are sloped and hilly so you will get a workout too! Unlike the Denver zoo, you can get very close to the giraffes and feed them (kids love feeding the giraffes). Admission to the zoo is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, and $6 for kids. There are often new exhibits to explore at the zoo so if you haven't been there in a while you may want to take another look!
May Natural History Museum- This is such a neat place to visit! It is located off 710 Rock Creek Canyon Rd. near Hwy 115. The John May Museum Center is comprised of the May Natural History Museum and the Space Museum. I didn't care much for the Space Museum but the May Natural History Museum was well worth the visit. The exhibits are just amazing; from enormous tropical insects, spiders, and beetles to beautiful butterflies. The museum is open from May 1st through October 1st and I will definitely have to write a post about it when I go this spring so you can get a better idea about what this museum is all about. It is not very large but you can spend hours there! Oh, and one important detail: the invertebrates on display are not alive!
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center (RMDRC) - RMDRC is only a few years old and located off of Hwy 24 in Woodland Park. There are many exhibits of dinosaurs and prehistoric reptiles to view at RMDRC including more than 30 life size specimens. Exhibits do change periodically and there is a working fossil laboratory in-house to view as well.
"Patricia is an outstanding realtor! She went above and beyond to help us find a home that was perfect for us. Not only was she available to us, but whenever we had questions, she went out of her way to find the answers we needed. We always felt like a priority during our time working with her. When we needed advice or recommendations, she had solid answers and information. She served us 100% every step of the way! My husband and I are so thankful we had such an honest, hard working, and reliable realtor guiding us through the home-buying process! We love our new home, and we are quick to refer Patricia Beck to anyone who is looking to buy or sell. We recently referred Patricia to some friends, and they will soon be moving into their new home. They agree that she is exceptional!"
Rodney and Jenny Keaney
"Patricia Beck is professional, thorough, and responsive. She effectively marketed our listing, worked collaboratively with the seller, and made the sale of our house a smooth process for all concerned. I would recommend her to all of my friends."
Stephanie Bell
"We can't say enough about Patricia Beck. She is the most knowledgeable, efficient, prepared, resourceful, and personable real estate agent we could have hoped to work with in the Colorado Springs area. Patricia helped us find our new home quickly, handled our purchase with expert care, and saw to it that our every need was met and every question answered. We are now happily settled in our beautiful new home! Thank you again, Patricia!"
Linda Ashe
"Today we can declare that choosing Patricia Beck as our realtor was the best decision we could have made for our family. Remarkably she sold our home in less than 20 days by taking the initiative, working harder than the average realtor, and advising us to competitively price and reasonably upgrade our home for the best marketability. Patricia was professional and above board in every situation and skillfully negotiated the sale of our home with the highest level of ethical integrity. She even advocated for us and defended us against a cantankerous and demanding buyer's agent who tried to get more out of the deal then what was fair. Nevertheless, we received the full selling price of our home and Patricia's service exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds. Her personal character, incomparable diligence, professional ethics, and business savvy is so exemplary that we now pattern our own approach to professionalism after hers and we esteem her as an excellent example for our children to emulate.
As a result, when we returned to Colorado to purchase a new home, Patricia was the first and the only realtor we called. She was an even better buying agent and persevered through a 60 home search for our dream home. Her make it happen attitude and her desire to get us only the home that was best for us makes her the icon of the best customer service a client could receive. As a former officer in the U.S. Air Force and Leadership consultant, I can unequivocally affirm that Patricia Beck is one of the best examples of professional leadership, personal integrity, and business preeminence I have seen in my professional career. If you chose her to represent you, you will definitely learn and be enriched by her example while at the same time seeing your realty needs met beyond your expectations. Patricia Beck is simply the only choice if you want the highest level of performance and the best chance for realty success."
Bobby and Jalivia Northern
"After working with several agents we finally found Patricia Beck, the most caring, professional, prompt, organized and knowledgeable agent we could have hoped for. As first-time home buyers she educated us each step of the way. We have and will continue to recommend her."
The Youngs
"As we prepared to start the process of buying our first home, we were inundated with people who said that their realtor was great and that we should call them. We gave all of this information to one of our friends back home - who happened to be a realtor - and he ended up selecting Patricia as the one who would best suit our needs.
A couple of months later, we could not be happier with Patricia and the job she has done for us. We always felt like we were in the loop with everything, she broke down the process in terms that were easily understandable, and she was straightforward about her opinion on the properties we viewed.
We could not offer a higher recommendation for anyone who may need a realtor. We have already recommended her services to a friend, and will continue to do so in the future."
Ken and Jennifer Cupples
Colorado Springs Real Estate Search
If you are thinking about moving to Colorado Springs, feel free to go to my website to find homes for sale in various areas of Colorado Springs. For more information on Rent vs. Buy, How much House you can afford, or the buying process please visit my website at http://www.patricia-beck.com.
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