Price Reduced on Beautiful Home in Black Forest, Colorado Springs

I've just reduced the price on this fantastic home for sale in Black Forest, Colorado Springs to only $675,000. Also, new carpet is being installed!

This is a 7 bedroom / 4 bath / 3 car garage listing that is located on almost 20 acres. Several barns and out buildings make this a great horse property in the Rocky Mountains. If you are interested in buying a home in Colorado Springs ~ this may be the home for you! Click here to find out more about this great listing.

GREAT site with Summer Activities for you and your kids

I know I posted yesterday about some great deals ~ and today I came across this site that I think is really good as well. It's called The Frugal Girls and this link is to some great summer activities you can do with your kids from CHEAP movies through Cinemark, to Barnes & Noble reading programs to many other helpful and frugal ideas. Check it out!

And of course, if you want to be frugal in the real estate world, then now is the time to be looking and going under contract for a home. There is only a little over a week to go under contract to take advantage of the government tax credits.

If you are considering putting your home on the market to sell it during the coming months, or you are in need of buying a home, please contact me. My expertise in relocation, market sales, Colorado Springs economy and housing markets, military relocation, first time home buyers and many other niche's are extensive and I look forward to putting my skills to work for you!

Breakfast for $3 in Colorado Springs

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Breakfast for $3!!! Well, I came across this great article with fabulous breakfast ideas - from Starbucks to Subway to some exclusive to Colorado Springs. Check it out and enjoy!

I also really love Springs Bargains because they always have great deals and coupons for things going on around town.

Colorado Springs Homes For Sale March 2010 Statistics

How is the housing market in Colorado Springs doing compared to previous months and years?

Here is some helpful information from the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors (click on any chart to enlarge it):

It's exciting to see the number of homes for sale increasing over the past few months. This is certainly the right time of year to sell your home, as we get further into spring and head into summer.

Isn't it interesting that the amount of homes under contract in the month of March are at a 5 year high?

The total home sales for Colorado Springs year to date for 2010 are higher than at the same time in 2009; and very close to the same amount as 2008.

Whether you are looking to buy a home in Colorado Springs, sell your home, or both ~ contact me today so I can put my expert real estate services to work for you!

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY

First Time Home Buyers and others who qualify for the Tax Rebate must act now. The deadline to be under-contract for a specific home is April 30, 2010.

In order to qualify for the Tax Rebate you must CLOSE on the home prior to June 30, 2010.

If you haven’t begun to look, now is the time to start. The market will be busy this month with people who have been sitting on the fence waiting for yet another extension to the tax rebate.

I currently have several GREAT listings that might be perfect for you:

5 bedroom / 4 bath / 2 car garage / 2803 square feet home in Stetson Hills, Colorado Springs for $188,000

2 bedroom / 1 bath / carport / 666 square feet great starter home in 80910 Colorado Springs for $102,500

4 bedroom / 4 bath / 3 car garage / 4087 square feet home for sale with mountain views in Monument for $479,900

You can check out more details on these homes and more on my ERA Herman Group Real Estate site. Please let me know if you are interested in any of these homes for sale. If these homes don't meet your needs and you want to take advantage of the tax credit, please contact me and I will work hard for you to find your next home!

Increase in FHA loan upfront mortgage insurance premiums

PRESS RELEASE:

Effective today, April 5, 2010, the upfront mortgage insurance premium collected on FHA purchases and refinances has increased from 1.75% to 2.25%

Visit this site to learn more about mortgage insurance premiums.

FHA loans can be a great loan for many buyers. They offer low down payments, low closing costs and easy credit qualifying for many buyers.

If you or anyone you know is looking to buy a home - or sell a home - please let me know. I'm here to help you!

The Difference Between http and https

Many people are unaware of the main difference between http:// and https://.

It's all about keeping you secure - HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol. The S (big surprise)stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://. This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never enter your credit card number in an http website! But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on. You understand why this is so important, right?

If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://. ; If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number.

Price Reduced on this great home in Black Forest, Colorado Springs

The price on this 7 bedroom/4 bath/3 car garage home in Black Forest, Colorado Springs has been reduced to $699,000. If you are looking for a home for sale and want to live among the trees and also be in school district 20 - this could be the house for you. This home is on over 19 acres of treed land and has several barns/out buildings. The house is over 5,000 square feet and it's ready for you to move in! Visit my site for more details or you can visit my Trulia Real Estate Search where I have many interior photos posted of this great home for sale.

Contact me if you have questions or if you are interested in this home or others.

New Regulations You Need to Be Aware of Regarding Lead Based Paint on Homes Built Before 1978

Facts about lead

FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.

FACT: Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.

FACT: You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips containing lead.

FACT: You have many options for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard.

FACT: Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to your family.If you think your home might have lead hazards, read on to learn about lead and some simple steps to protect your family.

Visit this link for more information on where lead is found, how to check your family and home for lead and much more helpful information.

Renovating, repairing or painting a home, child care facility or school containing lead-based paint

Beginning in April 2010, federal law will require that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

Read about EPA's requirements for renovation, repair and painting.

Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices. The contractor should follow these three simple procedures:

• Contain the work area
• Minimize dust
• Clean up throughly

Information for Property Owners of Rental Housing, Child-Occupied Facilities

Property owners who renovate, repair, or prepare surfaces for painting in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must, before beginning work, provide tenants with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet.

After April 22, 2010, property owners who perform these projects in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must be certified and follow the lead-safe work practices required by EPA's Renovation, Repair and Remodeling rule. To become certified, property owners must submit an application for firm certification and fee payment to EPA. EPA is already processing applications. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application. Read more about EPA's rules and lead-safe work practices in EPA's pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation

Information for Homeowners Doing Your Own Rennovation

If you are a homeowner performing renovation, repair, or painting work in your own home, EPA's RRP rule does not cover your project. However, you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family or children in your care. If you are living in a pre-1978 home and planning to do painting or repairs, please read a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools lead hazard information pamphlet. You may also want to call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) and ask for more information on how to work safely in a home with lead-based paint.

What Are Closing Costs? Questions about home loans

Whether you've purchased a home (or homes) in the past or you are new to the home buying process, closing costs can be confusing and even maddening! I found this article to be very helpful at explaining the ins and outs of closing costs and other questions surrounding home loans.

If you are interested in finding out more about what loan program might be the best for you or you want to apply for a home loan, please visit Suzannah Mattson's site with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She has many different loan programs for all kinds of different situations.

If you are interested in looking at homes for sale in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas or you have a home to sell, please contact me and I would be more than happy to help.