Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog
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Don’t make these 3 Mistakes when selling your home
Avoid these 3 mistakes when selling your Colorado Springs Home
If you would like some other helpful advise on selling your home, please feel free to call Kathy at 719-287-1049, KTorline@msn.com
1. Do your homework before setting a price.
With 6,403 homes currently for sale in the Colorado Springs area, it’s all about the price.
Find out what homes in your neighborhood have sold for in the past 6-12 months, and research what current homes are listed for sale and for much. Your Colorado Springs Realtor should be able to find and compile this information for you.
Also, research which homes have not sold and which homes got withdrawn from the market. These are often the homes that were priced incorrectly and/or marketed correctly and did not sell. Essentially the market rejected these homes.
It’s important to take time to analyze all of the information you can about the market.
2. Maximize your home’s potential to get top dollar.
Each year, the big corporations in America spends billions on product and packaging design. Appearance is critical when selling your home. (The pictures tell the story)
Your home is a product that you are selling to home buyers; and they 6,403 other houses to choose from.
3. If possible, don’t move out before you sell.
Studies have shown that it is more difficult to sell a home that is vacant because it looks abandoned, forgotten, and simply not appealing. Buyers may assume that the seller has already purhcased a new home home and may be highly motivated to sell fast. This will give the buyer the advantage at the negotiating table.
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
New help for Colorado homeowners facing foreclosure
f you are interested in a short sale, It’s important to utilize a Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent that specializes in Pre-foreclosures, Foreclosures, and Short Sales; and has a successful and ethical track record. Call Kathy Torline – Nordstrom, 719-287-1049.
Governor Ritter is expected to sign a new bill approved by the state Senate that will give 
homeowners facing foreclosure an 90 day window to try and work out a way to keep their homes. The bill would require the state to post a notice on the doors of foreclosed homes no later than 15 days after the foreclosure notice is delivered. The homeowner would then have five days to contact the state’s foreclosure hot line (1-877-601-hope) and set up an appointment with a foreclosure counselor. If the homeowners can prove they have income then the lender will be required to meet with them to try and work out a payment plan.
During the next 90 days, foreclosure proceedings would be suspended, although the homeowner would have to keep paying 2/3 of the mortgage payment. Mortgage brokers support the plan as they’re more interested in saving the investment than taking possession of the homes where it would show up as bad debt and that doesn’t help the lenders.
This new bill would certainly help many Colorado homeowners though not everyone would benefit. If the homeowner has no income due to a loss of a job, and they have no ability to repay the mortgage, there’s no help for them in this bill . The lenders are only required to meet with these homeowners, not come to an agreement with the owners, but many are willing to try, given all the foreclosed homes they’re carrying on their books.
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If you enjoyed reading this article, why not Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
The pictures tell the story
It’s still a Buyer’s market in Colorado Springs, and it’s really important not to lose sight of the little things that make your listings stand out from the crowd.
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Photos can make all the difference
(1) Lighting: When taking photographs, make sure and check the lighting. Sometimes you want all of the window coverings closed; and sometimes you want them all open. Also, check out the light when you are taking the outside shots. Don’t take the pictures facing the camera i
nto the sun; they’ll all looked washed out.
(2) More is better: Be sure to take some extra time to shoot a lot of different angles; and both horizontal and landscape. It’s hard to tell how well a picture will look on the small LCD of your digital camera. On average, I take 8 – 10 shots of each room. I pick the best ones to
showcase in the MLS, and use the others on website as well as for the fl yer.
(3) Try something different: Don’t hesitate the try different shots with different angles and unique views. The beauty of digital cameras Read the rest of this entry »
Foreclosure Assistance, help is available
I have published this article before, but I came across MANY new resources that I wanted to add
f you are interested in a short sale, It’s important to utilize a Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent that specializes in Pre-foreclosures, Foreclosures, and Short Sales; and has a successful and ethical track record. Call Kathy Torline – Nordstrom, 719-287-1049.
When many Colorado Springs home owners are in financial trouble and not making their house payments, they go into denial. They are embarrassed, and they hope that the situation will go away. The problems usually won’t solve themselves. The fact is that the sooner a home owner faces up to the situation the better. There are options out there!
One of the first steps I do is to refer Colorado Springs home owners to some of the local and national hot-lines that are now available to help home owners. I want to make sure they are as educated as possible about their options before they decide to list their home as a short-sale. I also encourage them to talk to a lawyer and/or a tax accountant. A short sale may not be the right step for them; I want them to understand all of their options and pick the one that’s best for their situation.
Colorado Foreclosure Resources
One of the best resources around is the Foreclosure Hot-Line at 877-601-HOPE. There is also a local organization called The Pikes Peak Foreclosure Partnership at 719-444-8833.
National Foreclosure Resources
There is another national organization called Hope Now at 888-995-HOPE; and one of the great feature of this web site is links to many mortgage companies web sites. If you have a VA loan, the phone # is (719) or (303) 914-5650. If you have a HUD/FHA loan, the phone # is (303) 672-5216
The goal of Read the rest of this entry »
Real Estate Dictionary — “J” is for Jumbo Loan
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Knowledge is Power — Real Estate Dictionary
My sister and I are buying a home in Colorado Springs, and my mother said we should own it in Joint 
Tenancy. What does this mean? Joint Tenancy means that both your sister and you would own the property in equal shares with right of survivor ship; your share would automatically pass to your sister upon your death. If you have questions, ask your Colorado Springs Realtor or contact a lawyer.
Is a second mortgage the same as a junior loan? Yes, sometimes people will use the two terms to mean the exact same thing. This type of loan has a lower priority than a first mortgage.
What is a jumbo loan? This is a loan that Read the rest of this entry »
Real Estate Dictionary, “I” is for Inactive
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Knowledge is Power — Real Estate Dictionary
My mother told me that houses are not considered liquid investments, they are illiquid. This means that real 
estate cannot be quickly converted to cash.
My Colorado Springs Real Estate agent put her license on inactive. What does this mean? Colorado does allow Realtors put their license on inactive, which means that your Realtor cannot conduct business because her license is not active. You’ll hear people also refer to this as putting their license in “Ice”
I’m helping my grandmother sell her house in the Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs, and my brother said she is incompetent to make this decision, not sure what he means. Incompetence refers to a person who is not Read the rest of this entry »
Real Estate Dictionary — “E” is for Earnest Money
Knowledge is Power
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Why do I need to put down Earnest Money when I’m making an offer on a house? In Colorado, Earnest Money is partially 
used to show your intention to purchase the property; it is consideration for the contract. You don’t have to put down Earnest Money, as you can also sign some type of promissory note, or you can use an Alternative Earnest Money Deadline.
The house that I want to buy in Old Colorado City has a utility easement on the Read the rest of this entry »
15 steps to get your home ready to show and sell in Colorado Springs
Inside your Colorado Springs Home
work towards it being clean, comfortable and neutral
Get a Free Market Analysis on your Home, Email KTorline@msn.com or call 719-287-1049
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- A tech savvy realtor can help sell your home
Here’s some tips to make the inside so inviting that buyers can’t resist the urge of imagining themselves of living there.
- Are all walls clean and in good repair.
- If you paint, make sure its a neutral color.
- Carpets should be steam-cleaned.
- All floors should be clean and waxed if necessary.
- All window treatments should be clean and in good repair.
- Clean and straighten out Read the rest of this entry »
