Do the Right Thing.

What do you get for your money in Pueblo?

In the last 6 months the average price for a house sold is $122,000 and sold for 97.76% of list in 161 days.

• There are currently 22 houses (site built) on the market under $30,000
• There are currently 87 houses (site built) on the market between $30,000 - $50,000
• There are currently 733 houses (site built) on the market under $122,000

If you are thinking of buying a home of your own, doing a fix and flip or purchasing a rental the time is now.

Please welcome Tom Culbreth Super Hero to Active Rain! Tom is an Associate at Colorado Western Real Estate - Yep! this Florida guy sells real estate in Colorado. 

I've only spent a short time with Tom but he's a great guy, the BIG brother I never had. He's got tons and tons of great stories from his alter ego. Trust me, we have lots to learn from Tom about real estate and lots of other life lessons!  

Ask him about his last fishing trip here in Colorado............  :)

Stop Mr. Postman!

(Stop) Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman (Wait) Wait Mister Postman Please Mister Postman, look and see (Oh yeah) If there's a letter in your bag for me (Please, Please Mister Postman) Why's it takin' such a long time(Oh yeah) For me to hear from that REALTOR of mine

>With apologies to the Beetles and the Cowsills and the Carpenter I've changed one word of the lyrics.<

Did you know the U.S. Post office will personalize stamps? It might be an attention getter and a way to brand yourself with those you still send (um, er, ah snail) mail to. I've seen people put their grandchildren and pets on the stamps but what about the company logo? A way to brand yourself? Thoughts? Ideas?

For more information : http://www.yourstamps.com/?cm_la=YourStampsHome

In Case of Emergency

The recent California fires have reminded all of us of how precious life is and how easily our possessions can disappear. I'm an ex-Californian from Canoga Park. I remember the Santa Ana winds of destruction. The eerie sound the wind made, the thermometer going up at night and the smoke burned trees. Even though I was very small I also remember the Sylmar earthquake. Cracks in the sidewalks, walls and swimming pools left evidence of the earth shaking.

A few years ago Southern Colorado experienced two devastating fires in one summer : Iron Mountain and Haymen. A close friend of mine lost his recently purchased house. While charity helped with temporary things and FEMA said they would help the only actual tangible help came from the insurance company. Because my friend was trying to get his life back on track and get threw his daily routine I dealt with the insurance company for him.

• 1) Know your insurance companies name, agent and policy numbers.
• 2) Have important documents put away someplace safe.
• 3) Pictures got my friend thousands of dollars more for his possessions than he would have gotten with out them.
• 4) Have a plan of where you are going to go if you have to leave your house.
• 5) Don't forget your pets records, food and containers.
• 6) Know your neighbors phone numbers go you can check in with them.
• 7) Have extra clothes, food and water in the car
• 8) Remember Y2K? How did you prepare for that?
• 9) Know important numbers: VIN numbers for vehicles, $ spent for storage units, payment amounts to dependent children, Drivers license numbers, employers phone numbers. FEMA asked me a series of questions that lasted over an hour.
• 10) Be prepared with your medications.
• 11) Watch the road for animals running out of the area
• 12) Secure the house before you leave and leave a note in an obvious place telling rescue people where you are going and your phone number.
• 13) Program your cell phone with ICE (in case of Emergency) so rescue workers have permission to contact your family or friends.

I sincerely hope you never have to live thru a disaster. But by being prepared ahead of time you may save yourself time, money and stress later.

For more information on how to prepare for an emergency

Call Colleen Peterson @ Farmers Insurance 719 583-8146

Back when Active Rain was just getting going janeAnne Narrin and I were about the only two blogging posts green. In fact a few members criticized us for our individual points of view and reflections on the environment and how it may or may not impact the real estate industry. Today as I read the various post in the ECO All Stars group I see people joining in and really providing education and service to their clients, themselves and to other readers. The trend in not only real estate but just about everything that touches our lives is going Eco friendly.

So I'd like to thank those of you who are pushing yourself to learn more and do more for the environment. You are educating not only yourself but so many others as well. And I'd like to challenge you to practice what you teach. Contact crafts people, trades people and others in your community who are following the green trail. Make these people part of your S.O.I. (Sphere of influence) By putting these people in your S.O.I. in a thoughtful manner you are helping them, yourself, your clients and the community in which you live.

Lets not loose sight of what we are doing when we go about our daily lives. If you see "green" as the newest trend and tomorrow it will be something else then I'd suggest you jump on the next band wagon. But if you really believe that what you are doing and the service you are providing is something you really want to be apart of - challenge yourself and get the job done.

This editorial is coming to an end. So thank you janeAnne for being such a powerful influence on so many people both on the internet and in the real world. And to your followers, keep up the good work. I'm learning from you too.

Do the Right Thing: 

One size does not fit all

The Green Movement from a different view

Sustainability the other Green Movement

For about a month I've been working with a buyer who has been in no rush. He just moved to the area from out of state. His new job requires him to be in the car all day long. What a great potential buyer! I give him a list of houses available that may fit his criteria and he swings by and looks at them before calling me to see the insides. The area he has been looking at has had a number of houses come up for sale. They all have one unique feature - cisterns.

Because water is such a huge issue in Colorado not all houses have water taps available and wells are expensive if you can get a permit. But my buyer may have finally realized that no matter where you get your water you have to pay for it.

So this afternoon we drove out to the edge of the county to look at what maybe a heck of a deal. A four bedroom two bath on 40 acres. Bank owned and will carry. But when I opened up the lock box and inserted the key into the lock - nada, nope, didn't happen. The keys don't work. As a matter of fact cell phones don't work well out there. But I did get a hold of the listing agent who apologized. The property manager is changing out the locks and left the old keys - WHAT?

A property that is challenged already by location and water and now doesn't have keys. Give me a break!

Got Water?

Resource : http://www.westernwaterlaw.com/Colorado.htm

http://www.waterinfo.org/rights.htm

Do the Right Thing..................

Things I learned at the CAR convention

1. Oliver Frascona is still the best real estate speaker around, his stories are memorable.
2. Colorado has the second best convention in the country (New Jersey is first) but that's a subjective matter.
3. "The Bar" at the Broadmoor has the friendliest wait staff and an amazing view of the lake and surrounding mountains.
4. Chrissy Harrison is prettier in person than she is in her pictures and a great person to visit the convention with.
5. Rolando the Realtor has lead a very interesting life and can pick me out in a crowd.
6. Kristal Kraft can pick me out of a crowd
7. Brokers in Pueblo will cross the county line (trust me on this one)
8. Colorado has the most extensive contracts in the country - buying, listing and property disclosures.
9. Don't write on the MLS that a house maybe subject to a short sale - write based "Lender approval required"
10. You can disclose by allowing the potential buyer the experience of the barking dog next door, the strong order coming from the basement, the power lines interfering with mobile service.
11. If you can smell it, see it, hear it from here or the agent is thinking about it you should disclose it.
12. Get to the convention early if you want one of those blinking ice cube thingies
13. The CRS program was started in Colorado.
14. Vali Wimberly has fabulous taste in boots.
15. Agents have no duty to discover - Be a dummy and rely on the inspector
16. Specializing in Exotic real estate might be interesting.
17. Someone is Colorado IS specializing in Meth houses - go figure.
18. Kim from Ecobrokers can pick me out of a crowd.
19. Don't use window coverings, landscaping, decks, water heaters, "New" heater or air units, roofs or wallpaper in your comparable.
20. Sellers should be motivated, in a good location, balance with supply and demand and in top notch condition before taking a listing.
21. "Based on what other buyers and sellers have recently agreed upon worth for properties like yours, what do you think you should ask for house?"
22. Many, many, many Realtors in Colorado DON'T look like their pictures..........

More pictures from CAR   Pictures provided to drive non-Coloradians nuts! Come on over and visit!

The Colorado Association of Realtors is holding it's annual convention Oct 21,22 &23 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. This spectacular venue has been a wonderful place to celebrate the real estate profession. The exhibition hall has been full, people are meeting and passing out business cards. And "fun night" was rocking...

Active Rain is getting around the convention. Roland the Realtor, Chrissy Harrison, Dena Stevens, Donna Phillips and Wally Ross all met up at the convention for a great time.

Ecobrokers in the house! Kim, Dr Stoval, Linda and Dena

Funny stuff @ myspaceclipart.com 

Ever since I started blogging here (way back when) on Active Rain I’ve learned some very important things. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that if Chris Elizabeth Griffith, Ines H.Garcia , Kristal Kraft, Joanne Hanson, Laura Monroe or a few others here tell you to do something, it is in your best interest to do it!

So here is my six pack as suggested by the smart people in the rain.

One size does not fit all -

http://activerain.com/blogsview/153633/One-size-does-not

The law of averages, what's your blogs ROI?

http://activerain.com/blogsview/165491/The-law-of-Averages

Four Realtors walk into a restaurant

http://activerain.com/blogsview/123921/Four-Realtors-walk-into

Turning 100K with Gratitude

http://activerain.com/blogsview/115762/Turning-1-K-with

And Editorial Comment, How do you balance a challenge?

http://activerain.com/blogsview/92382/An-Editorial-Comment-How

My Ecobroker Certification part 2

http://activerain.com/blogsview/86194/My-Ecobroker-Certification-part

It's raining, it's blowing and yes it's snowing

And to tell the truth I'm not much into sewing

So something has to give and get flowing

All of this because it's just  snowing!

Some of you hate my rhymes

From you I expect to hear chimes

The mortgage folks worry about primes                                                              Denas front yard Oct 21,2007

I'm still working for them dimes

Folks are visiting us as guests

So for them we bring out our best

They want to play, d-stress and rest

But they could do without this Arctic express!

Floridians Dave, Barbara and Tom 

Left the Sunny Florida Palms

Came for the Colorado Calms

Welcome to the Rocky Mountain Balm!

So what is a blog? Web log?

I'm hooked, given up my jog                                                                 Dave, Barbara & Tom at 11 Mile Lake

This typing pays for my job

Going to help me sell them knobs?

I can type with my tea and robe

Writing seen around the world globe

Thoughts, questions and probe

Yes, exercise my frontal lobe!

There is no home show           

Our business is a bit slow            

No more woe about the dough

Let's hang out and watch the snow!