Do the Right Thing.

Today my broker Donna Phillips and I showed Colorado Western Real Estates newest associate broker Wally Ross to Colorado City, Hatchet Ranch and Sikes Ranch. And like any good Realtor and blogger I kept my camera near by.

Our first stop was Marthas Knob on Hatchet ranch. Divided into two parcels and currently for sale. Marthas Knob is the highest point on the ranch.

MLS # H100739  / 80 acres  / listed $168,99  MLS #89960 / 80.4 acres / listed $158,400

                   We stopped at listing MLS # 106563 / 95 acres / $120,000

Wallys dog Casey jumped into the Greenhorn Creek that divides parcels 24 & 37

The views of the Greenhorn mountains and creek are spectacular from Pine Bluff Drive MLS # 106566 / 40 acres / $95,000

I gave the owner Vera a pumpkin I grew and put our business cards around the stem with ribbons.

Colorado Western Real Estate has three listings within walking distance of Lake Beckwith.

1. MLS # 88240 $15,500 White Anatelop
2. MLS # 106564 $7,500 Vigil Dr - great walk out possiblity
3. MLS # 109538 $8,000 Spruce Dr

 MLS # 109662 / 9 0.87 Acres / $127,000 Cedarwood Rd

MLS # 109666 / 1134 acres/ $1.100,600 is subdividable, heards of Elk, Deer and Antelope and has live water. How about putting in your own golf course? Stand alone ranch between Hatchet Ranch and Sikes Ranch.

MLS # 110338 / 76.9 acres / $115,000 has fabulous views, power at the road and lots of potiential on Amanda Rd.

This post is Casey approved....Ok, all Casey every approves of is somebody throwing a stick for him.

Realtor.com in Colorado Springs

This is the event my broker and I were invited to go to today. From what I could tell most everybody with in the sound of my voice was invited and showed up for this event. The speaker and Realtor.com were no doubt happy with the turn out. But to tell the truth the event was over booked, hot, crowded, poorly organized and poorly staffed. It's too bad, Realtor.com couldn't get it put together a bit better. This event probably chased away more people than got their attention. My broker and I each drove, Donna from Pueblo and me from the Canon City area just for this event - I hate to say I wasted the gas but there was little or no upside to this morning. I was looking for a little inspiration or a kick in the behind.

The speaker did a nice job, but what's the point if you can't get your questions answered? Are given poor or misleading information? And all you want to do is escape the chaos that is? At the break that is what my broker and I did - escape.

It's your attitude!

Last night a handful of people got together at the local tavern to celebrate two birthdays. In attendance were a mini-mansion builder, a very visible lender, two roofers, a spec home builder, 2 building supply people and a couple of Realtors. The waitress came to take our order. She commented to the lender how much her kids got a kick out of seeing the lenders very unusual car all over town. As the evening progressed the conversation turned to the obvious.

Since I've know the mini mansion builder he has been the voice of doom and gloom, but is otherwise a nice guy with a great sense of humor. He want's to sell more houses just like the rest of us. But in Pueblo county where the average house sold is under $140,000 or $100-$125 sq.ft. his houses at $500,000-$700,000 don't fly off the street. And to top it off he hates Realtors, calls them pimps with a smile on his face!

The very visible lender always has a smile on her face because she's good at her job. I've don't know anybody else in this industry that is always so upbeat and finds a way to get it done, despite what the rest of the world is doing. Whether it's a good day or a bad day you wouldn't see it on her face.

Roofers are all grinning like children right now. Pueblo got hit with a hail storm not long ago and they are busy repairing and replacing roofs. And the building supply people are smiling just as wide for the same reasons. They aren't selling a lot of drywall, windows and doors - but roofs are king right now.

The other Realtor just can't put her heart into it lately for personal and professional reasons. She has a full time job with a 2 hour commute each day. If she sells a couple of properties a year she's happy.

This is a rant and a stern talk to myself. I'm not known in real life for being a very upbeat, an over aged cheerleader. It's just not my speed to go around telling people to cheer up and slapping them on the back. It's work for me to focus on the positive, sometimes to get out of bed, put a smile on my face. No I don't go around with a cloud over my head either. But just like the rest of the inhabitants of the planet life isn't always easy. Put your nose to the grind stone and get the job done - that's me.

I'm a big believer in:

• what goes around comes around
• junk in - junk out
• what you put out there comes back to you
• Another favorite of mine I really do believe in is: what I don't like in others is really a reflection on myself.

A concern of mine is what we were not only putting out to the universe but to the other customers of the tavern. Were they over hearing what we were saying? Picking up on our vibes?

And the waitress - think she wants to buy a house?

Colorado Association of Realtors Convention - Registered and Ready

October 21-23 is the Colorado Association of Realtors Convention at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. I'm registered and ready for my first CAR convention, I've never taken the opportunity to go before. I'm looking forward to meeting, mixing and mingling with other Realtors.

If you haven't read Chris Liveretts post on this please jump over and do so. This would be a great opportunity for Active Rain members to get together and meet in person. Please leave ideas for a get together either here or on Chris' post.

Getting to meet other A.R. members in person is one of my top reasons for going. OK, I'll try to pick up some education as well.

Today my broker took out a couple who only wanted to work with the employing broker. The couple is being transferred for work and they are moving to the area, guaranteed buyers. They know what they want, where they need to be and the job starts very soon. They had contacted an agent with a prominent agency and was told that the market was "bleak' and they shouldn't bother to move. Ah, what?

In the last couple of weeks I've sold homes to clients who told me no other Realtor would work with them. One client was told by a VERY PROMINENT REALTOR the property they were looking at was to far out of town - approx 10 miles.

Another client told me that an agent she contact acted as if the she was being bothered and the client wasn't spending enough. That client perpetually apologized to me for only buying a house for $$$, well above the county average. Bottom line is that I sold both of these buyers houses.

So if you are a Realtor in the Pueblo area and you are sending potential clients away I'd like to thank you! This year is shaping up to be a good one for me and for Colorado Western Real Estate.

Dear Pueblo Buyer

Fremont county Colorado is well known for it's prisons but it offers so much in entertainment.

The Royal Gorge bridge takes an entire day to explore

Skyline Drive is a wild way to see Canon City

                                     Numererous Gift shops and Rock shops line highway #50

White water rafting brings people in from all over the country

Dinosaur hunters can explore Garden Park as well as Skyline Dr. And Dinosaur Depot

                                                  Watch the wildlife

More about Fremont County Colorado :

http://activerain.com/blogsview/209452/Red-Canyon-Park-Canon

http://activerain.com/blogsview/209422/Garden-Park-Colorado-attacked  

http://activerain.com/blogs/dena/tags/skyline%20drive  

A stitch in time saves nine.

The saying goes "a stitch in time saves nine" which means by preparing today you may save some time and effort later. So as I sit here with my incubating clients, a term picked up by Stephanie Edwards - Musa. I should be updating my SOI, mailing letters out to possible sellers, networking and calling past clients. But I think I'll write a post instead.

About 15 years ago a friend of mine purchased a house and found a treasure of old aprons as old as the 1920's. Most were gently used and had some hand embroidery on them. My friend gave them to me and told me to do something cleaver with them. And not knowing exactly what to do with them I sent them to my sister and asked her to make a quilt out of them for my friend.

Well, about that time my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor was under her right ear and had fingers that went to her brain, down one arm, around vocal chords and down to her legs. As my sister waited for test results, doctor calls, more tests she worked on this quilt. It gave her something to do besides worry.

The doctors prepared my sister and her family for the worse case. Any number of awful things could happen. Ultimately, she ended up with no voice and a great difficulty in swallowing. For years the doctors attempted to fix her throat, all for not. But after several attempts she can speak today as clearly as she ever did, but with great effort.

I presented my friend with the quilt after it was done and my sister was recovering. She cried, I cried, the entire room full of people cried. My friend couldn't accept the quilt, she felt it meant more to me and my sister and after all the aprons were a gift. So the quilt now lives at my house and I love to tell the story.

Conclusion; A stitch in time sometimes save more than nine.

Tucked away on the north side of Fremont County is Red Canyon Park, part of the Canon City park system. Red Canyon Park resembles Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, but on a smaller scale.

 Visitors to the park can day hike, picnic, ATV, watch wildlife and enjoy the views of Canon City. From Canon City follow the Scenic Byway Signs and follow the Gold Belt tour.

Garden Park Colorado is on the Scenic Byway and the Gold Belt Tour just north of Canon City. Several complete skeletons of dinosaurs were found in this area now marked with signs from the state. Four Mile Creek crawls along the side of the road next to picnic tables. While in Canon City visit the Dinosaur Depot for more history on the area.

Contact Colorado Western Real Estate for ranches for sale in the Garden Park Area.

The area is well marked and signed. A wonderful place to sit and enjoy the day next to the creek.