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Short Sale Addendum help answer questions
Mandatory Colorado Short Sale Addendum is part of the contract
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It continues to look like short sales in Colorado Springs are going to be here for awhile longer, and they are definitely a viable option for some buyers. Even though they can take some time to get short the sale acceptance from the lien holders, for a patient buyer, they can definitely be a good deal.
Having written two short sale offers this week for buyers, I thought it would be a good topic to discuss the short sale addendum that is required in Colorado. The Colorado Real Estate Commission has came up with a couple of forms called a “Short Sale Addendum.” These forms try to cover some of major and minor complexities a short sale brings to the purchase and sale of property.
The addendum should be included with the Contract to Buy and sell Real Estate between the buyer and seller and has several key points.
** The buyer enters details on how long the seller has to submit the short sale information to the lien holders.
** The buyer can also say how long they will wait for short sale acceptance.
** The buyer can also check a box regarding Early Termination that says either the seller or the buyer can terminate at any time with written approval. This is a very helpful clause for a buyer who has waited for months for approval; and essentially just wants to give up on this property and find something else.
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To find out more information about buying a home or Short Sale Home in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Disadvantages of buying a new home
Interested in buying a new home in Colorado Springs
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- 6 things to add to your budget when buying a house
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I certainly understand the appeal of buying a new home. Nothing better than being the first owner of a house; everything new, everything in good shape. BUT, there are some
disadvantages to buying a new home. Since I spent part of this week looking at new builds and visiting model homes; it reminded me of some of these disadvantages.
Window coverings not included. Don’t underestimate the cost of what it will take to get window coverings on all your windows. If you are buying a $300,000 to a $500,000 home, I’m guessing you don’t want the cheap $20 blinds that you can buy a Home Depot. Make sure and include this in your budget
Landscaping is also important to include in your budget. Many of the communities include front landscaping, most don’t include back landscaping. But some new communities don’t include it and they required the landscaping to be completed within 6 months to a year after you move in. By the time you put in sprinkler systems, install sod, put in bushes, trees, rock, etc, it doesn’t take long to spend $5000 to $10000; and even more if you have to put in retaining walls or terraces for sloped lots.
And then there is the lot premium for the more desirable lot. The large cul-de-sac lot, or the lot with the great view can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 more. Granted the lot a house sits on is extremely important, but almost always you won’t get that money back when you go to sell it. There is some consideration in the resale market for a nice lot with a view, but it’s not even close to the amount charged when you originally buy the property.
Also, if you need to sell within a year or two, you are competing against the other homes that are still being built and can be customized. Buyers will almost always choose a brand-new home rather than a 1-year-old home.
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Less Inventory = a more stable Colorado Springs housing Market
Colorado Springs housing inventory is down
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Why should you care that there is less inventory on the market?
Real estate has always been about supply and demand. When there are more houses on the market then the demand, the market conditions start to adjust and pricing goes down. When there is less houses on the market, pricing starts to stabilize and go up. As the information listed below, housing inventory, is down. In fact, it’s way down.
I’m not sure if this means we are going to start to see a rise in pricing, but I do think the market has hit bottom. As usual, time will tell ………………
Existing Single Family Homes on the Market
April 2012 4,433 Sales 2,289
April 2011 4,866 Sales 2,252
April 2010 6,228 Sales 2,382
April 2009 5,304 Sales 2,009
April 2008 6,787 Sales 2,298
April 2007 6,372 Sales 3,007
April 2006 6,114 Sales 2,725
April 2005 6,512 Sales 2,659
April 2004 6,181 Sales 3,068
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
4 Real Estate Investor tips
Interested in buying Colorado Springs Real Estate Investment properties?
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Here’s 4 key points to remember when you starting to invest in real estate
1. What are your real estate goals?
Why do you want to purchase investment property?
Do you want to flip properties? Are you willing to take the risk? Do you understand home construction and remodeling? Do you have the skills to do it; or to manage the process?
If you aren’t flipping, how long do you plan on holding a property? 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
If you are looking into buying rental properties, what type of renters do you want to attract? Would you prefer a duplex, a single family home, a fourplex, or an apartment building? Do you want to own near a college? Near a military installation? Near a hospital? Near major industry?
Do you want to finance a property, or are you a cash buyer? Have you already talked to a lender to understand your financing options? If you are a cash buyer, do you have fairly quick access to your money?
Would you prefer to be a passive investor? If so, flipping is probably not for you.
What percentage return are you looking for on your investment?
Are you looking for a property that may benefit future appreciation in pricing?
2. Decide where to buy
This is decision that will make or break your real estate investment. Consider places of good employment, development and decent growth. Don’t buy in an area where the economy is declining, unless you really want to own for the long term. Where’s the demand for properties? Where’s the strong demand for rentals? Remember your real estate goals.
3. Who should manage the rental property?
Are you going to be the landlord? Do you want to hire a property manager? Do you want to screen the potential tenants? Can you be gentle but firm with your tenants? Do you want to take the calls from tenants when things need fixed?
4. Remember, it’s strictly business
As an investor, you need to guided by your goals; not your emotion. Your goals and guidelines should be at the forefront of all of your decisions.
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Don’t forget about the pipes
It’s important to check the sewer lines in older homes
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Related Articles
- 9 reasons to use a buyer’s agent to help you find a house
- 6 things to add to your budget when buying a house
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- Inspections involve more negotiations
If you are looking at buying an older home in the Colorado Springs area, especially a Historic Home, don’t forget about inspecting the sewer pipes.
Why should I check the sewer lines?
Sewer lines are buried underground and are susceptible to intrusions like tree roots and excess waste products and paper, not to mention the general aging of the pipes. Common sewer line
problems can include roots in the lines, holes, cracks, and pipe separation.
Once tree roots get into sewers, they are often expensive and messy to deal with. It can mean calling in a backhoe to dig up the your yard which adds additional costs to the sewer replacement. Also, it can bring up interesting questions, such as what if your neighbor’s tree rots finds its way into your pipes?
A residential sewer is critical in the proper operation of the whole home’s plumbing system.
Should I get my pipes replaced?
There are several different types of sewer lines, including clay (85+yrs old), cast iron (50+yrs old) and ABS or PVC. Clay can collapse on its own as it ages and can be expensive to replace. Some experts believe that cast Iron, is the best. A plumber can advise you whether you should get the pipes replace or not.
What is a sewer scope?
A sewer scope is a fairly inexpensive procedure performed by an experienced plumber, involves inserting a cable into the sewer line from the main in the home or in the clean out all the way to the connection with the municipal sewer or a septic tank. The clean out may be located in the basement, crawlspace or outside where the sewer line exits the home.
On the end of the cable is a tiny television camera that “scopes” through the pipes and detects blockage, breaks and potential clogs in the line. These images can be recorded on a DVD and may be reviewed by the homeowner and/or prospective buyer to verify the condition of the sewer line.
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
97% high school graduation rates are possible
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- I can’t be there to see it, now what?
- Private schools in Colorado Springs provide options
- District 11 continues to be the biggest
There are many different ways to evaluate Colorado Springs schools, but one measurement is the graduation rate. The percentages are based on a federal formula that takes the number of students receiving a regular diploma divided by the number of students who started 9th grade + students transferred in – students transferred out. Graduation rates are one indicator of whether the local Colorado Springs public school system is doing what it is intended to do: enroll, engage, and educate youth.
The complete reports are on the Colorado Department of Education web site, and you can download the data into an Excel Spreadsheet. For someone who loves statistics (which is me), it’s full of amazing information including the graduation rates by gender and by race; and you can even pull data by each High School in the districts. As an example, in District 11, Mitchell High School has a Read the rest of this entry »
Cash continues to drive the REO Market
Cash is still King
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There was an interesting article in DS News about how cash investors are pushing down prices. According to a quote in this article “In December 2011, data collected for the HousingPulse 
Survey shows that the overall proportion of cash buyers in the housing market surged to a record 33.2 percent, up from 29.6 percent a year earlier.” There is also a Press Release put out by Campbell, that essentially was repeated by DS News.
I did a quick calculation of Colorado Springs home transactions for 2011 and came up with the following information on what type of financing was used for home purchases in the area;
Cash 19%
Conventional Financing 31%
FHA Financing 19%
VA Financing 31%
One of the reasons that the numbers are different from the national average in the Colorado Springs Housing market, could be because of the strong military presence in the area which is shown by the 30% of home buyers that use VA financing.
This article has several key points on why Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t Assume anything in Real Estate Series, #1
I’ve decided to start a new Series, Don’t Assume Anything in Real Estate.
This series is really just a bunch of random articles about the many assumptions buyers and sellers make when selling, leasing, or purchasing a home.
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You aren’t under contract yet!
Some buyers are under the mistaken impressions that once they write an offer on their dream home, or their first investment property, they are under contract to purchase the home. This 
is definitely not correct.
After they put together their offer, their Buyer’s Agent submits the offer to a Listing Agent, and the offer is then presented to the seller. The seller has many options on how they respond.
- They can reject the offer and not respond.
- They can counter the offer
- Or they can accept the offer.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING Read the rest of this entry »
Build a good team
Colorado Springs Real Estate Investors need a good team
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Since I’m a real estate investor, as well as many of clients are also investors, I’ve continued to realized how important it is to have a team of people to help you when you are an investor.
Henry Ford was famous for saying he did not know all the answers, but knew where to find them. An investment team is no different. You don’t have to know all the real estate answers, just know where to find them.
Here’s a quick list of some of the professionals you may want to have on your team:
- Real Estate lawyer
- Tenant issues, leases, evictions, etc.
- Ownership of the property. LLC, Corporate, etc.
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Home Inspector
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CPA/Accountant
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Insurance Agent
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Make sure you know what your policy covers and does not cover. Also, not all insurance policies will cover a property when it is going thru substantial renovation and is vacant
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Also, it’s good to have a name you can refer renters to; as you want any renters to have renter’s insurance
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Contractors
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Overall handyman/carpenter
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Painter
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Flooring installation and purchase
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Flooring refinishing for wood floors
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Cabinetry, including countertops
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Landscaping
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House Cleaner
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Plumber
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HVAC
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Roofer Pest Control
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
BPO’s can kill a short sale
Killer for Colorado Springs Short Sales
Search for Colorado Springs Foreclosed Homes
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One of the fastest way to “kill” a short sale you are trying to purchase, is for the lender to receive an inflated BPO.
Let’s start with the basics
What is a BPO? The initials stand for Broker’s Price Opinion; and most lenders will order at least one, maybe two or three BPO’s , which is how they come up with a value on a property.
Who does the BPO?
BPO calculations are not an exact science, they are based on an opinion. M
ost lenders will hire Realtors to put together a BPO on a property, and in turn pay a Realtor a fee for the BPO. The fees can range from $25.00 to $125.00; and in my opinion the lenders get what they pay for. As an example, a typical BPO order requires the Realtor to drive by the property, take pictures, upload the pictures, find 3 active properties and 3 sold properties; and put all of the information together in some of format that the lender requires. A BPO can take from 3 hours to 7 hours to complete. If the lender is paying $25.00 that equates to $8.00 an hour; not much pay for how much work they are asking to have completed. At 7 hours it equates to less than $4.00 an hour. Most Realtors will try to complete the BPO as quick as possible.
Many lenders don’t have many requirements for a realtor to be qualified to do a BPO; hence a brand new agent who doesn’t have any experience actually selling properties can qualify.
It’s important to know that BPO’s are not an exact science. As an example, if I was hired to do a BPO for a house selling in a Stratton Meadows, a subdivision in Southwest Colorado Springs, near Fort Carson, I could choose from 40 houses that have sold in 2011. If I narrow the list down farther to houses less than 1000 square feet there are 27 houses that sold. The sold prices have ranged from $45,000 to $105,000. Hence if I pick the higher-end houses for the BPO, my final value for the BPO will come out higher. If I choose the lower end houses for the BPO, my valuation will come out lower.
The lender will typically take the BPO price and come up with a decision from this document on what to accept on a short sale offer. In this particular Stratton Meadows subdivision, my BPO can be as low as $50,000 or as high as $90,000. The high BPO valuation could definitely kill a deal, as a qualified buyer may only want to pay $60,000 to $70,000; but the bank may say that they’ll only accept a minimum of $70,000 based on the recent BPO they received.
Seems to me the process is flawed. Maybe a lender should always get 2 to 3 BPO’s and average them out? Every realtor who has ever been involved in short sales has a story about a transaction that didn’t go through because the BPO was too high, hence the transaction never went through.
Seems like there should be a better way.
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To find out more information about buying a home or Short Sale Home in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
3 reasons to get building permits
3 reasons to get a Building Permit in Colorado Springs
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- Colorado Springs Building Permits — Part V
- Why do you care about building permits?
Some people complain about getting a building permit from the local code enforcement office for changing something in their house, erecting a deck, adding a garage or making any other improvement to their property. I think it’s very important to get permits.
Before you start your next home improvement project, here’s 3 reasons to get a building permit:
- It might be a law that if you make enhancements of a certain nature to your property you must get a building permit to begin the work.
- The permit keeps everyone honest. There won’t be any shortcuts by the contractor that might affect your investment or safety. If there have been shortcuts that affect
safety, the code enforcement officer would typically find it. - You get free inspections of the work the contractor does. The code enforcement officer typically comes out to check the work and to ensure the work is up to code. Wouldn’t you prefer to know about problems on your your remodeling project? Especially before you make the final payment to your contractor.
As an example, we’re currently getting the electric panel upgraded on a Colorado Springs rental house that my husband and I own. Even though we’ve done our homework on the contractor we’ve hired, we won’t know if the work is “up to code”, as we’re not trained electricians. Pikes Peak Regional Building will come out and inspect the work to make sure it meets code requirements. It certainly gives me peace of mind.
According to information on the Pikes Peak Regional Building web site, “The main goal of the Department is to safeguard life and limb, health, property and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of all buildings and structures within all zoned areas of El Paso County through the enforcement of minimum building code standards.”
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7 tips to be a good Real Estate buyer
How To Be A Good Real Estate Buyer
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Real Estate buyers in Colorado Springs come in many varieties, each with their own special requests and their wish lists. Some want a home
for their retirement, others their first home, some are looking to relocate, some want to downsize, and yet others are looking for a second home It’s important for all buyers to understand how to be a good real estate buyer. Here’s my tips:
(1) Do your research. The more you understand the housing market, real estate terms, and the buying process; the better you can make an informed decision. Remember, not everything you read on the internet is correct and the real estate process is very different on a state by state basis. Research, research, and then research some more.
(2) Be Realistic. Yes, it is a Buyer’s market and yes prices are down, but that doesn’t mean every seller will accept an offer of 20 to 30% less than their asking price. Your Realtor can provide you comps for most any neighborhood you are interested in which will help you access the asking price and what you would like to offer. Also, it’s important to be realistic about bank-owned properties, banks will not give away their properties.
(3) Get pre-qualified by a reputable lender. If you are really serious about looking at homes; make sure and know what you are qualified for. If you are a cash buyer, be prepared to have access to your funds. If you are only qualified for a $200,000 house; don’t look at $300,000 homes.
(4) Be prepared for other costs. Once you get under contract, be prepared for inspection costs. Never ever scrimp on inspections.
(5) Be Honest. If you are not prepared to buy for 6 months or a year, tell your agent. If you don’t have the down payment yet, tell your agent. If you are going to use multiple Realtors, be honest, tell all the agents you are working with that you haven’t committed to one agent yet.
(6) Know what type of property you want. If you want a bank-owned property, ask your agent to explain the process and the good and the bad. If you want to buy a short sale, understand the process.
(7) Remember real estate is local. It doesn’t make any difference what the national news says or what the national web sites say; conditions vary locally and also vary neighborhood by neighborhood.
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
144 Potential amazing deals
You can Buy a home under $100,000 in Colorado Springs
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There are (174) active listings of single family detached homes available for sale in the Colorado Springs area that are priced under $100,000! Even though 34 of these are short sales, that still leaves 14
0 homes on the market that are less than $100,000. I don’t have exact numbers, but several years ago, there were very few livable homes on the market that were priced under $100,000.
These homes range in price from $27,000 to $100,000, and from 480 square feet to 2600 total square feet. Most have 2 to 3 bedrooms, and some also include garages.
Some of these active listings do qualify for FHA & VA financing, and some only offer Cash or Conventional financing. Here are some of the areas where there are homes under $100,000:
- 33 Homes in Central Colorado Springs
- 12 Homes in Southwest Colorado Springs
- 4 Homes in East Colorado Springs
- 22 Homes in Southeast Colorado Springs
- 19 Homes in Fountain Valley (close to Fort Carson)
- 9 Homes in Powers area (close to Peterson Air Force Base)
- 9 Homes in Old Colorado City area of Colorado Springs
- 12 Homes in Southwest Colorado Springs (close to Fort Carson)
Whether you are buying your first home, or your first investment property, some of these homes are amazing deals.
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
It’s taking longer
Why should you care about Days on Market?
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Why should you care about Days on Market? Why is this number important? Sellers know that the longer their house is up for sale, the less likely they have of being offered their asking price and are often willing to discuss a lower price. Buyer’s often look at properties and want to know the Days 0n Market; and essentially the longer the property has been on the market, the more buyers think they are in a better negotiating position.
But just as important as the current days on market, is the trend for the days on market. If the days on market continues to drop in a neighborhood, the market is starting to become more of a seller’s market in this particular area; and the more the days on market continue to increase, the more the housing market in this particular area becomes a buyer’s market.
Here’s some of the facts about days on market in Colorado Springs:
- Single Family homes in the Colorado Springs area lingered on the market this year 136 days as of June 30th versus 105 as of June 30th, 2010.
- It took an average of 31 days longer to sell single-family homes in the Colorado Springs area in June 2011 than it did in June 2010.
- The average days on the market for June was 90 days for the 2nd quarter in 2011 vs. 70 days for the same quarter in 2010.
- Denver is currently at 86 days for a house to sale. Phoenix is 106 days on market. Las Vegas is 159 days.
- Breckenridge is 90 days. Pueblo is 125 days. Fort Collins is 59. Aspen is 300 days.
I know I always write articles about real estate is local, but this chart really shows the differences in the Colorado Springs area. The shortest days on market in the area is 78 days in the Southeast, which also happens to be one of the lowest priced areas in the city. The highest days on market are in Black Forest and Manitou; which are areas where the house prices are above the average in Colorado Springs.
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
More Research required
The El Paso County Assessor’s office provides a wealth of information
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- Embracing Technology
One of the many things I do when I’m getting ready to write an offer for a buyer, is to look at the property at the Assessor’s Office. In El Paso County, the Assessor’s web site site, provides a wealth of information for perspective buyers.
In El Paso County, you can search by address, by a range or addresses, by Schedule Number, of by Last name.
Once you go to a specific Colorado Springs address, or schedule number, the web site Read the rest of this entry »
Embracing Technology
Technology is an important tool for Buyer’s Agents
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If you are looking for a Colorado Springs Buyer’s Agent; you may want to ask them how they utilize technology to help assist you in looking for a home. If you are from out-of-state or out of the county, a Buyer’s Agent who embraces technology can be a huge assistance to you. They need to be your eyes and ears on the ground.
Here’s some questions to ask a Buyer’s Agent
** Can they preview homes for you? If so, can they take additional photos of homes and get them sent to you? Do they have the ability to take videos of potential properties and neighborhoods and email them to you? Or could they post all of the photos and videos online and send you the link to look at them?
** If you want to know about crime statistics and school information, do they know where to get the data? Or can they direct you to places on the web that you can get the data?
** Are they proficient in your preferred mode of communication? Essentially if you text, you want an agent that texts. If you are out of the country and you use Skype, then you want an agent who uses Skype. Make sure you can communicate quickly and efficiently.
** How do they write their real estate contracts? Many Colorado Springs Realtors use E Contracts, which is an online software system that creates Colorado Real Estate Contracts and it makes it very easy to send the link to the legal documents. Buyers can actually just sign online with their mouse and it’s considered a legally binding contract.
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Don’t plan on closing yet
Closings don’t always happen
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Related Articles
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Just because you’ve signed the Colorado Real Estate contract and came to terms on the price, it doesn’t mean you own the house yet. I don’t 
know the exact percentage, but I’m guessing 10% to 15% of real estate contracts don’t make it to the final closing. There are many reasons for cancelled contracts, but here’s the 4 most common.
(1) Financing
Even though you got a prequal letter from your bank, things can still happen when your loan gets to underwriting. Maybe the requirements changed for the loan, your credit score may have changed, the underwriters may require additional documentation on expenses. These are just a few of the things that can cause a loan not to get approved. Loan guidelines change daily.
(2) Buyer’s Remorse
As a buyer, you may feel remorse after you submit the contract. You may start to feel you made a big mistake. You may think there are so many great homes on the market, is this one really the right one? Is there something better you haven’t seen yet? Is your dream house still around the corner? Do you think you can get a better price on a different house? Read the rest of this entry »
What’s in a name?
Colorado Street Names
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
Most Colorado Springs buyers find their homes based on the location and price. I’ve also had buyers consider the direction the front door faces and 
the house number. Some buyers are even drawn to properties because of a street name. I haven’t had a buyer not purchase a home on a street because of its name, but I think it could happen.
* Some names are totally appropriate for Colorado ……… Scotch Pine, Blue Spruce, Big Timber
* Some Colorado Springs subdivisions have a theme to them and honor our rich Native American History …….. War Eagle, Dancing Horse, Owl Ridge, Anasazi Court, Bison Ridge, all in the Northwest Side of town
* Some name make you smile ………………Whimsical, Splendid, Nevermind, Delighted Circle, Blissful, all in a subdivision on the East Side of town
* Some subdivisions honor our pioneers history from the 1800’s ………….. Summer Grace, Pony Tracks, Haystack, Long Creek, Reed Grass, all in subdivisions around the Powers Area
* Then there are the bird streets ………….. Audobon, Pheasant, Oriol, Lark, EagleView, all in the East part of town
* How about Constellation Drive? Virgo? Libra? Sagittarius? All in the Southwest part of town
Do you really want to live on Devil’s Thumb? How about a street name you can’t pronoune or can’t spell ……… Poughkeepsie? Huerfano Drive ? Do you want to live on Smoochers Circle? Would you not buy a house because of the street address?
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Resources for Colorado Springs Crime Statistics
Where is the Crime in Colorado Springs?
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
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Trulia recently purchased a mapping technology that draws statistics and inputs this information into a map. One of the many challenges of being a Realtor that specializes in Colorado
Springs relocation, is that people coming into the city want to know where it is safe to live; and where are the major areas of crime. Since I’m bound by Fair Housing Laws, I have to be extremely careful of what type of information I share, as I’m not allowed to “discriminate” against particular neighborhoods. But I can certainly direct potential buyers to different web sites that will help them gather their own information and make their own informed decisions.
Trulia new acquisition draw statistics from 3 different data sources that report to most the police agencies in the country, SpotCrime, Crime Reports, and EveryBlock. This data is then used to power the results in the maps. The Crime Map is still in currently in beta form and currently only covers 50 major metropolitan areas. It will eventually be a great resources for people moving to Colorado Springs.
Here’s a list of some of the other web sites that I share with potential buyers:
- CBI website http://cbi.state.co.us/ — Gives you everything from registered sex offenders to crime stats.
- http://www.neighborhoodscout.com — When you put in an address for a Colorado Springs neighborhood, it gives you all types of information about the area, including crime stats, a general overview of the area, as well as school information.
- http://www.NeighborhoodScan.com – This site gives you extremely detailed information about sex offenders.
- http://www.spotcrime.com – Maps out crime occurrences, and allows you to pull up details on specific crimes.
- http://www.crimereports.com — Also gives you extremely detailed information about sex offenders.
- http://www.relocationessentials.com — Compares crime in Colorado Springs vs. the national average. As an example, it shows you that Colorado Springs has less homicide and burglaries than the national average.
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
Colorado Springs on list of most affordable Homes in Colorado
Colorado Springs is affordable
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Since I’m a statistic fanatic, I read every article I can that talks about pricing and comparing home prices in Colorado Springs with other parts of the U.S. Caldwell Banker does a home
listing report that compares pricing in 2300 cities across the U.S. The report includes a list of the top 10 most expensive markets and the top 10 least expensive market. 6 of the most expensive cities were in California, and some of the least expensive homes were Georgia and Ohio
According to the report, In Colorado, the average four-bedroom, two-bathroom home is $357,556. The national average price is $293,251.
The top five most affordable Colorado markets were
- Pueblo at $141,160
- Alamosa at $186,890
- Montrose at $208,875
- Colorado Springs at $222,936
- Thornton at $234,856
The top 5 least affordable Colorado markets were:
- Evergreen at $922,183
- Boulder at $860,671
- Durango at 472,147
- Broomfield at 470,345
- Golden at 470,244
The prices come from the average home listing price between September 2010 and March 2011 in more than 2,300 North American markets.
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To find out more information about buying a home or an investment property in Colorado Springs area, call ….
Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
