Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog
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Why do you care about building permits?
Colorado Springs Buildings Permits
Many Colorado Springs home buyers, as well as many Colorado Springs Real Estate Investors, don’t know about the amazing resources available at the web site for Pikes Peak Regional Building.
Related articles:
- 5 reasons lack of building permits cause big problems
- Colorado Springs Building Codes and Permits – Part I
- Colorado Springs Building Permits – Part II
- Colorado Springs Building Permits – Part III
- Colorado Springs Building Permits — Part IV
- Colorado Springs Building Permits — Part V
When I’m helping a Colorado Springs homebuyer or an investor, one of the first places I go before putting together an offer is to check out the status of building permits on a potential property. When purchasing a Colorado Springs It’s important to know when the last time the roof was replaced, when the furnace was replaced, when that new addition on the back of the house was built ? You can find out all of this info and more from the Pikes Peak Regional web site.
Knowing about building permits is even more important when purchasing foreclosed homes in Colorado Springs, as the Seller (i.e. the bank) typically won’t be filling out any type of Sellers Disclosure. So if you really want to know some of the history of the house, searching building permits is crucial.
When you go to the Regional web site, you can search by street name or by El Paso County Parcel Number.
Then, when you pull up info for a specific address, the info on the web site will show you a description of projects that were permitted and when they were completed. You can then click on the permit # and it will give you even more details.
Now, it’s important to note that everyone gets permits done for the work on a house, but they should.
Remember, knowledge is power.
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
134 questions for sellers to disclose
Sellers Should Disclosure all defects
Related Articles:
When listing a home for sale in Colorado Springs, Realtor ask their sellers to complete a Sellers Disclosure sheet. Whether the Seller provides the disclosures or not, the seller is still liable for any undisclosed defects. (Some sellers mistakenly think if they don’t fill out the disclosure form, they aren’t liable for defects. Wrong!)
The Seller’s Property Disclosure is a standard Colorado Real Estate Form. There are 6 pages of questions pertaining to the environment. structure and condition of the property and the mechanicals. A total of 134 questions
Some of the questions sellers are asked to disclose include:
- Structural Condition of the property
- Environmental conditions
- Are there special assessments due by the Home Owners Association?
- Condition of appliances
- Roof problems
The Colorado Seller’s Property Disclosure is filled out by the seller (not the Colorado Springs Realtor), signed by the seller and dated. This indicates that at the time of the signing, all the information is complete and true.
When a buyer is purchasing a property, the buyer is required to sign and date the Seller’s disclosure. The buyer is notified that the disclosure is in no way intended to discourage an inspection or is it in any way a warranty for the property. The specific language on the disclosure says: “Even though the seller has answered the above questions to the best of the Seller’s actual knowledge, buyer should thoroughly inspect the property and obtain expert assistance to fully evaluate the Property ……….”
I always tell Sellers, when in doubt disclose, disclose, disclose
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Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
How long should it last?
How Long Should an Appliance Last?
Related Articles
- How do I prevent frozen pipes?Colorado Homeowners, don’t remodel until you read this!
- Do you want to do some green remodeling?
- Free local money for home improvements
Most appliances and small electrical products have expected life expectancies. Depending on the original cost, manufacturing quality, and how heavily it’s used, an appliance may last a longer or shorter period than 
shown in the latest National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components. This study was completed in 2006 and according to this article “The average life expectancy for some components has increased during the past 35 years because of new products and the introduction of new technologies“ I found many interesting facts in the article, including the average age of a house in the US is 32 years old.
As I talk to perspective Colorado Springs home sellers and show homes to buyers; I consistently find many wonderful houses that have never been updated. Their major components are on borrowed time; as the components of a house don’t last forever. Here’s just a small sampling of some of the life expectancy information included in this report:
- Life expectancy of a dishwasher …………..9 years
- Life expectancy of a furnace …………. 18 years Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t let the big ticket items surprise you
Buying a home in Colorado Springs? Don’t forget about the big ticket items
Related Articles:
- One way to find a good home inspector
- Top 5 Remodeling projects
- Free local money for home improvements
- Federal Tax credit available for remodeling
Since I work with many first time home-buyers looking at homes in the Colorado Springs area, I really like to help educate them on what components of a house they should look closely at. Of course, real estate is and probably will always be about location, location, location. But once a buyer finds the perfect location and the perfect floor plan, then they should really focus on the condition of the house.
A qualified home inspector (see Appraisals and Inspections, 2 important steps for home buyers article) will help immensely with going through the major components of a house; but I still think it’s a good idea for potential buyers to have a mental check list of things they should be looking at. If a buyer knows up front that there are problems with the house, they can then keep that in mind when submitting their offer to the seller. My mantra………. an educated buyer can make better decisions.
What are the big ticket money items?
Here’s my list of the seven big items I think buyers should focus on:
- Roof - How does it look? Are there shingles missing? What type of roof is it? Is it shake shingle? Is it Woodruff? It is concrete? Are the shingles curling on the edges? Is there one or two layers of shingles, or even 3 layers? Can you see dips in the roof? Do you see any signs of water damage in the ceilings or on the walls? Read the rest of this entry »
Colorado Springs Building Codes and Permits – Part I
Do you want to know about Building Permits and Building Codes in the Pikes Peak Region?
Part I of FAQ’s
QUESTION: Can I apply for a building permit online?
ANSWER: Yes. Go to the PPRBD web site, and it will give you information on how you can purchase a permit online.
QUESTION: I had a contractor knock on my door and said that my roof was damaged; and then he gave me an estimate of what it would cost to fix it. How do I know if this contractor is legitimate?
ANSWER: First of all, it’s always good to get a second opinion from another contractor, and you may also want to call your insurance company and have them send out an adjuster to look at your roof. Second, you can Read the rest of this entry »
