Ken and Sandy Wickham

Colorado Springs Shopaholics now have one less reason to make the trek to Denver.

February 20^th (reportedly even before the official 8 am time) saw the opening of our long awaited Costco, at 5885 Barnes Road at Powers Blvd. The 158,000 square feet members-only wholesale club holds everything from seafood to jewelry (no reports yet on if our local store stocks caskets; a hot news topic from a few years back). Eager bargain shoppers, and even news crews, flocked to the opening.

One of the Costco employees said this is one of the nicest Costco stores she's ever seen, so we guess it was worth the wait. There was plenty to sample, it was well organized, and the staff was very friendly.

While the opening day saw brisk activity, it was much more sedate than Tuesday night’s non-shopping preview, when approximately 5,000 people showed up, crowding the store and snarling traffic in the area.

This is Costco’s ninth Colorado location. The company has 532 membership warehouses worldwide, including stores in Mexico, Japan, and Canada. The corporation, based in Issaquah, WA, also plans to open stores in Australia.

The only credit card Costco accepts is American Express; they also accept checks, debit cards, and wads of cash.

While good deals abound, warehouse stores can be hard on the wallet, as we’re tempted to buy so much more than we need – or didn’t know we needed until we happened upon it – like the Frasier episode when Niles discovered a similar store, and bought a gallon of capers. Perhaps a cheapskate friend or family member can accompany you on your first few trips… someone to say “you don’t need that!”

Is it ever too early to start Christmas shopping?

Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.

We apologize for the lateness of this post; somehow we missed our monthly market update at the beginning of the month. We promise we'll do better next time.

There were 5,401 active single family listings in the Pikes Peak MLS in January; that is down 12.7% from January 2007.

534 homes sold through our MLS in Janurary. While January is typically a slow month, that was 20.7% fewer sales than in January 2007. But, to put this in a little better perspective, there were only 554 single family homes sold in January 2003. Median and average prices are down, but neighborhoods vary, so call us for specifics on your neighborhood. Statistics are useful but don't tell the whole story.

It's a great time to buy a house! The selection is vast. If you know of someone considering buying his first home, we'd be glad to sit down with him to see if home ownership is right for him. Or, if you're selling and buying another home, remember your replacement home can make up for concessions you give in your sale. Call us so we can help you with specifics related to your personal situation.

*Based on information from the Pikes Peak REALTOR Services Corp. ("RSC"), through January 2008. RSC does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by RSC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.

On our last post we touched on why it's important for homeowners to be absent during showings.

Buyers are uncomfortable when the sellers are present. They feel awkward expressing their dislikes. They're being judgmental and they know it, and don't want to be judged on their judging.

"Nice" people won't want to hurt your feelings. They are likely to say complimentary things about your home to your face, even if it's not a good fit for them.

The buyers also need time to take in your house, from their perspective. You may feel bound to point out all the wonderful features of your home, but they may not even be important to the buyers. Besides, your agent mentioned all the good points in the listing - which likely resulted in the showing, - and it's the buyers' agent job to point out the merits of your home.

We recently showed a house where the seller was present. Our clients are "nice" people, so of course they made small talk with the seller, and were careful not to say anything negative in his presence. They were very complimentary about the grounds and the location, so the seller may have thought they were interested. Once we left the property, the husband said ‘there wasn't one thing I liked about the inside of that house." The seller also shared details of his relocation, so our clients got the impression he didn't need his asking price. If they had been interested they would have offered less.

Having the homeowner present makes the buyers uncomfortable. Even though it's hard to predict buyers' psychology, you can usually count on that if someone is uncomfortable, their reaction won't be favorable.

We know showings can seem inconvenient, but it's a necessary step to get your home sold. Our goal is to get you to your new home as quickly as possible!

Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.

You did your homework, you've signed the listing agreement, and the showings - hopefully - are going to start tomorrow (or as soon as you're ready).

In our local market, there are more available homes than buyers right now. It's hard to get showings on homes, so when you do, it's important to make the most of each opportunity.

• Follow through on what you and your agent decided was necessary - the fixing, the painting, the de-personalization and the de-cluttering. The competition is fierce, so you need your home's best features to shine through. Don't overlook your command center/art gallery (the refrigerator).
• Treat every day as if you're having company - and we know this takes a lot of effort! A neat home gives the right impression.
• If you or your agent hired a professional home stager, take her advice! She's not suggesting you put away your grandmother's embroidered throw pillows to be mean, and she's not saying you have to do without them forever - just until your home goes under contract.
• Be as flexible as possible with showing hours. Buyers don't always give their agents much notice - or, maybe they're out looking and see your for sale sign. If the agent can't show your home that day, it may be a missed opportunity.

• Consider the feedback you receive. If several agents give similar feedback, and it's something that's an easy fix, it may help you to do it. If there are severe criticisms that can't be fixed or are cost prohibitive, discuss them with your agent. Your agent isn't passing on feedback to upset you - he, like you, wants your home to sell quickly.
• Don't be present for showings. We know this isn't always easy, especially if you have small children or an atypical work schedule, but at least step outside. Buyers don't feel comfortable to look freely if the homeowner is present.
• The correct temperature, lighting, and pleasant aromas all contribute to a positive showing.
• Be available to your agent. If you're going out of town, please leave contact numbers. When the offers come in, there needs to be a quick response time.

Our goal is to sell your home as quickly as possible, so you don't have to be showing your home for long.

Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO. They welcome your real estate inquiries; to contact them, visit their website.

Most of us have been touched by cancer. It seems rare that a person doesn't have a family member or friend who's dealt with this terrible disease.

We are proud to take part in our local Realy For Life, which is The American Cancer Society's only fundraiser. We've been participants, team leaders, and a co-chairmmen for this wonderful celebration of life.

Teams of 10-15 people commit to walking or running laps (usually one person walks for one hour) - on a track from 7pm Friday to 7am Saturday. The events are held over night to represent that cancer never sleeps. Each team pays a $100 entry fee - usually sponsored by a local business - and each team member commits to raising pledges of at least $100.

The relays are a purposeful way to honor those who have faced cancer first hand, while raising much needed money for cancer research. These wonderful family events include entertainment, the survivors lap, a special dinner for cancer survivors, and the highlight of the evening - the lighting of the luminarias to honor survivors and lost loved ones.

The Pikes Peak Relay will be held on June 27th. Contact the Colorado Springs branch of The American Cancer Society at 719-636-5101 for more information. Or, log on to the website.

Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.