Houses got cheaper, but how could that be? You can thank our record-low interest rates for that! As interest rates decrease, purchasing power for buyers increases, which means you may be able to afford more house now than ever before! According to John Haney, owner of Colorado Mortgage Company, “VA interest rates, for example, are approximately 0.75% lower this year than July last year (3.5% vs 2.75% or lower today)! The difference in purchase price for the same payment of $1,700 (p&i)= $378,500 in 2019 vs $416,400 in 2020 (approx)”.  This means that for the same payment, you can buy a house that costs almost $38,000Read More →

July Real Estate Stats for Forest Meadows

July Real Estate Stats for Forest Meadows in CO Springs show that prices are up! Despite all of the obstacles real estate has faced, prices have risen and homes are selling in an average of 10 days! The median price was up 13.6% at $397,500 and the average price was up 12.3% at $399,925 (year over year). There are 26 homes pending as of 8/3/2020 and 3 homes currently for sale. While sales were down slightly in July, at 3 homes versus 9 in 2019, there are quite a few pending sale! Additionally, homes sold in July ranged in price from $315,000 to $525,000. TheRead More →

New Life Church East to Resume Services

New Life Church will resume in-person services on Sunday, August 16th at their East Campus (Grand Peak Academy). There will be a 9:00am and 11:00am service. Due to COVID, the church has been live streaming services. In-person services for New Life East are held on Thursdays at the North Campus. However, services will return to Grand Peak Academy in August. In accordance with social distancing guidelines, the church: All our services will be family services; there will be no kids or student ministry, in keeping with the state guidelines. We encourage you to follow the recommendations to wear a mask when possible, though once youRead More →

Forest Meadows Real Estate Stats YTD

Forest Meadows Real Estate Stats YTD show that real estate is heating back up in our neighborhood after a slower May (due to COVID) with 21 homes pending sale as of July 1st! Looking at our neighborhood year-to-date, home prices are up quite a bit over last year (January 1st – June 30th). The average price is up nearly 10.4% at $379,722 and the median price is up 8.7% at $375,000! Not to mention the average list price to actual sale price is 100.79%, meaning, on average, sellers are getting above asking price. Despite sales being down slightly, with 68 homes sold this year vs 80Read More →

Hiking Trails Colorado Springs

As the weather is starting to warm up, what better way to enjoy Colorado (and social distance) than to go hiking?! There are so many amazing hiking trails in Colorado Springs to choose from. Here are some of the most popular hiking locations nearby: Garden of the Gods Park: By far one of the most popular places to hike! This rated #1 park in Colorado Springs by TripAdvisor, has both paved and natural trails that wind through  magnificent red rock formations and offer stunning views of Pikes Peak. The Garden of the Gods trail map offers a good overview of your options. Dog friendly. EasyRead More →

Forest Meadows May Stats

May Real Estate Stats for Forest Meadows in CO Springs show the strong demand for homes in your area! Despite all of the obstacles real estate faced in April, prices have risen and homes are selling in an average of 5 days! The median price was up 10.5% at $385,000 and the average price was up 9.4% at $382,531. Sales were down sharply last month, mostly due to showing restrictions that we had in April which are now lifted. However, things are picking right back up in Forest Meadows. There are 21 homes pending as of 6/1/2020 and 6 homes currently for sale. Additionally, homesRead More →

Real Estate and the Economy

Did you know that real estate stimulates the economy in multiple ways? According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the real estate industry accounted for $80 billion or 20.5% of the GDP in 2019. The total economic impact of 1 home sale in Colorado was approximately $122,780 in 2019 (NAR). Real estate helps people and businesses build wealth. It is still considered one of the best long-term investments. As you pay down your mortgage, this increases your equity and subsequently, your wealth. You can take out this equity for other investments or uses. Most people invest in real estate with the belief that itRead More →

Ask The Experts Session 1 Real Estate Questions

Did you know that we have been hosting “Ask The Experts” live, virtual sessions? Here you can ask industry experts their advice on mortgages and real estate. For this session, our industry experts include: Rick Van Wieren, Broker Associate at RE/MAX Properties Mary Barkley, Buyer Specialist at RE/MAX Properties John Haney, Broker/Owner at Colorado Mortgage Company You can watch a video recording of our first session to get an idea of what people are asking. We hope to have these sessions regularly to keep our clients and friends up to date on what is happening the Pikes Peak Region. Our goal is to help keepRead More →

Real Estate Showings in Colorado

Real estate showings in Colorado are allowed again. As of Monday, April 27th, the real estate showing restriction has been lifted. While this means that agents may resume showing homes, it does not mean that precautions are not being taken. During the restriction, a home had to be under contract or have an offer submitted and accepted in order to be shown. This made it extremely difficult for both buyers and sellers.  However, it is not necessarily “business as usual” for Colorado realtors. While we want to provide the best services to our buyers and sellers, we must also continue to take extra precautions toRead More →

Forest Meadows Real Estate Stats

Real estate stats for Forest Meadows in CO Springs shows that prices are still increasing! We just did our monthly and quarterly stats. The median price was up 9.7% at $368,700 and the average price was up 8.7% at $365,631 for the first quarter. Over the last 3 months, homes have been selling in average of 5 days. There are 19 homes under contract as of 4/1/2020 and 4 homes currently for sale, indicating there is still high demand for our neighborhood. Despite the uncertainty with the Coronavirus, real estate has been deemed essential. We remain busy helping our clients, while also taking added precautions.Read More →