Deb Jones

As I am writing this, I'm watching the wind swirl the snowflakes as a springtime blizzard makes its way through Pueblo West (so much for the 70+ degree weather). Hopefully, your pantry is stocked and you are already prepared for this storm. Please, if you do NOT need to be out on the roads, STAY HOME. I'm looking forward to catching up on my reading, knitting, and e-mail while I wait for the storm to pass. If we do get a lot of snow, meet your neighbor as we shovel out in the next few days! We really need this moisture to abate the extreme fire danger conditions we've been experiencing, however, if we do get a lot of snow, SHOVEL SAFELY! Take your time, take frequent breaks, and don't try to put too much snow on the shovel.

I frequently get calls from people who enquire about the status of the Pueblo West lot they bought back in the late 1970's. Usually the call to me is prompted by a company that has just called the lot owner offering to sell the lot at a great price for an upfront fee. I've been told that these companies are located OUTSIDE of Colorado in places like Florida or Las Vegas. Just a word of caution - people offering to sell your Pueblo West lot MUST be licensed to sell real estate in the State of Colorado. Check with a local real estate agent (like me!) and verify how much your lot is actually worth. Typically, when you list your property for sale, there is NO UPFRONT FEE. Commissions are paid at closing - when the lot actually sells. Just be advised that with so many vacant lots on the market right now, along with the building slow down due to the economy, the lot will probably be on the market for a while - a LONG while.

I have to tell you about two of the people I worked with this week up in Colorado Springs. What are the chances that I would get two different people (one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday), both from Wyoming, and both in the "death" business? One gal was moving to the Springs to sell pre-paid funeral plans and the other gal was moving to the Springs to work in the Coroners office. Both very nice gals but how weird is that?

Until next time,

Deb

I have to say, I find this whole concept of unknown people reading my blog just quite amazing!

I had gotten a call from the owner of Colorado Home Away From Home, which is a transitional housing venue right here in Pueblo West (see: http://www.coloradohomeawayfromhome.com/). Now, I've stayed in some pretty fancy digs (like that time I stayed in the Marina Del Rey Ritz-Carlton in my pre-real estate days while working as a computer security consultant or some fancy-schmancy time shares around the world). But, I have to say that NONE of those can touch the elegant comfort you can find at the Pueblo West Colorado Home Away From Home venue. I thought at first that it was a little pricey until I saw what was included. The owner has spared no expense to make sure every need and comfort is anticipated and provided for; from the leather furniture to the fully equipped kitchen, to the outdoor putting green and basketball court, to the library, to even the extra toenail clippers. This home is truly the perfect place for corporate off-site retreats, family reunions, visiting executives with families, out-of-town vacationers, etc. I have to say that their website doesn't come close to doing justice to the tasteful décor. Their tag-line says it all: "Lodging Brought Home, Off-Site Events Kept In-House".

The Catholic Church that I talked about in a previous blog article is scheduled to be complete enough to hold services by the end of this year. To answer the question from a blog reader - there will NOT be an associated K-12 school on the campus in the immediate future.

On Thursday, I went to the Pueblo West Parks & Recreation's Senior Water-Aerobics for the first time. I didn't even know we had such a nice pool in Pueblo West! The water-aerobics was a lot of fun and a great workout. I was surprised at the number of people that rise before the crack of dawn to exercise in the luxuriously WARM pool! Senior Water-Aerobics runs from 7-8 Monday thru Thursday, but doors open earlier (I got there at 6:30). The cost is $1.50 per class, plus $2.00 a month. Contact Pueblo West Parks & Rec for additional information on pool use times: 719-547-7400.

Dr. Sallette A. Thompson, Psyd, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, says that spouses of active duty, retired, or disabled combat veterans experience significant changes in the dynamics of their relationship as a result of the service member's combat experience. She invites you to come and learn how to cope effectively with these changes and get support from others who share your concerns on Monday, March 30 from 10:00-Noon at Breakthrough Counseling, 279 S. Joe Martinez Blvd., Suite A, in Pueblo West. Call Yelena at 719-647-1787 to reserve a slot.

Until next week,

Deb Jones, Realtor with Merit Company, Inc.

Obviously, I need to start attending the Pueblo West Metro District Board meetings (go to the calendar on the home page of my website: http://wwww.mypueblowest.com or http://www.pueblowestmetro.com/mtgsched09.php to find dates/times). I have to say that I am shocked that Don Saling was fired at the last board meeting. I'll keep you posted when I hear who is being considered as a replacement.

Here is some info from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on a recall of refrigerators due to fire hazard: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09145.html. Please check to see if your refrigerator is included on the list!

I went on a tour of the new Pueblo West library last Friday. Wow, what a great building! The library is now 28,000 square feet, an increase of 23,000 square feet. It has a 4,000 square foot children's area with an enclosed outdoor reading space. There are meeting rooms and conference space, 48 computer stations, individual study nooks, group study rooms, outdoor reading gardens and a café/vending area. The addition was built in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly fashion. It is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building in Pueblo County and the integrated design approach has produced a building that uses 40% LESS energy. An amazing fusion of materials made with recycled content, outside xeriscaping and a light harvesting system make the library a visual wonder. The library is scheduled to reopen on April 8. Can't wait!

Deb

Lots to talk about this week!

Getting personal - I had been having trouble with the ball of my right foot. I wasn't sure if it was a fallen arch, arthritis, something sinister, or what. After almost three months of pain, I went to see local podiatrist Gordon P. Rheaume (1513 Moore Ave., Pueblo, CO 81005; 719-564-2391, www.pafoot.com). He thought I had tendonitis, gave me a shot, peeled me off the ceiling (the shot REALLY hurt!), and sent me home. I was completely better in just days! Now, I feel pretty stupid for limping around for so long. Lesson here, if something hurts, SEE A DOCTOR! I strongly recommend the "Foot God", Gordon P. Rheaume if you have foot problems!

I caught the tail end of this on the Clark Howard radio broadcast (http://clarkhoward.com). You can get cheap glasses online at http://zennioptical.com. When I say cheap, I do mean CHEAP. I pay hundreds of dollars for glasses because of my bad eyes - and that's with so-called "cheap" frames, AAA discount, and coupons. To get the same thing for less than $100 would be absolutely incredible. I'll be ordering a pair and I'll let you know how it goes.

Did you see in Sunday's Pueblo Chieftain an article about Helios Energy Partners considering Pueblo Chemical Depot for building a 200-300 megawatt solar plant which would become the largest solar power station in the nation? http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/03/01/news/local/doc49aa29dbdc0d1171483946.txt

With Pueblo's over 300 days of sunshine, this only makes sense and would be a huge WIN-WIN solution for EVERYONE. It would put Pueblo at the forefront of the green energy movement, provide much needed jobs for Pueblo residents, make great use of the land at the Pueblo Chemical Depot, and, hopefully, give us cheaper electricity.

I'm scheduled to take a tour of the new Pueblo West Library on Friday. I can't wait to give you the scoop in next week's blog!

Deb

A tax credit of up to $8,000 is now available for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. Unlike the tax credit enacted in 2008, the new credit does not have to be repaid.

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

* The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.
* The tax credit does not have to be repaid
* The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase up to a maximum of $8,000
* The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1,2009 and before December 1, 2009
* Single taxpayers with income up to $75,000 and married couples with income up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit

What does this mean for YOU? Well, if you've been waiting to purchase your first home, NOW IS THE TIME!

The national economists and pundits are saying that we should begin pulling out of the recession and heading towards better economic times towards the latter part of this year. My personal crystal ball says that Southern Colorado will recover sooner than the rest of the country. Right now, inventory is stable but my expectation is that inventory will decrease, home prices will increase and interest rates will begin to rise as the economy improves.

Deb