All posts by rtradmin

Family

On family…

…please pardon the seemingly non real estate related topic. I just thought I’d share a brief story with you today. Yesterday, I met with a mortgage broker who’d checked out my site before our meeting. In the conversation, he mentioned that it was nice to meet someone who obviously loved their family. That struck a chord with me on a number of levels.

First, that he’d taken the time to do a quick check on me.

Second, that his takeaway from my site and Facebook accounts was that I love my family.

Third, that he’d mention it.

Nothing is more important to me than my family. While I have a number of obligations and duties, being a very good father and husband are at the top of my list.

I want to do right by them and set an example for my daughter that will endure after I am gone (which is, admittedly, hopefully far into the future).

Have a good day all and if there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Economy, Mortgages

Ignoring the economic bogeyman…

…if you’re like me, you’re probably very worried about the state of the economy. Further (if you’re like me), you’re probably inundated with information saying the economy is on the upswing…and downswing. I get emails and see headlines every day that alternate from “FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON IS UPON US!” to “Housing surging! Economy is improving!”

Who do we believe?

I propose: neither. Follow the advice highlighted in this article and plan according to your finances and expectations. Don’t overleverage yourself; buy what you can afford.

We bought the home we live in now with my military pension in mind. Our threshold had to be $XXXX. When the numbers came in initially at $XXX7, I considered walking away from the deal. That’s how committed I was to making sure we didn’t overleverage.

Colorado Springs, Mortgages

Should a homeowner price their home high or low?

Should I list my home high or low? That’s an interesting question and one whose answer seems to center around “strategy”. This WSJ article explores both sides of the high vs. low pricing. One thing it doesn’t mention that’s relevant in some markets right now is the appraised value of the home. We must consider what the home will appraise for; if a home appraises low, a high offer won’t mean much.

Home Values

What is a “Zestimate”?

Zillow offer’s a proprietary estimate of a home’s value called a “Zestimate”. How accurate is this figure? While it is sometimes close, it can and does sometimes significantly differ.

I highly recommend you have an agent or an appraiser do a CMA or appraisal on your home to give you the most accurate fair market value available. The Zestimate is a data point; don’t rely on it alone to make decisions.

Everything you always wanted to know about the Zestimate.

Colorado Springs

Tweet from Springs Police (@CSPDPIO)

FLASH FLOOD WARNING NC EL PASO COUNTY INCLUDING #BlackForstFire burn scar
http://ow.ly/nibqp
SHARE/RETWEET http://fb.me/HcfYB9Mg

https://twitter.com/CSPDPIO/status/360149280805224450

Shared via Plume
http://bit.ly/GetPlume

Colorado Springs, Vacancy rates

Colorado Springs Commercial Real Estate scene slowly improving…

…increased business is a good thing for our city and surrounding areas!

If you’re looking to buy, sell or rent in the Colorado Springs area, please give Rob a call at 719.440.6626!

Interest rates, Mortgages

Interest rates and housing: very much correlated

How much do interest rates affect housing? Likely significantly. Courtesy of Empire Title, mortgage applications nationally have fallen for week over week for four weeks now and are the lowest since July 2011. Also, refinances are down 20% in the last month and purchases have fallen 6.9%.

What does that mean for you? This is just my opinion but I think this translates into more advantage to a buyer. If you want to sell your home, you may want to list soon to capitalize on what are still phenomenal mortgage rates. The same goes for buyers; the numbers above seem to me to indicate an increase in a buyer’s power, as well.

Interested in buying, selling or renting in Colorado Springs, please call Rob @ 719.440.6266!

Resources

Real estate resources on the Internet

There are a number of excellent resources for real estate on the Internet. I personally frequent Zillow’s forums, Reddit’s real estate subreddit and Bigger Pocket’s forums. They are great sources of information! (DISCLAIMER: ALWAYS, ALWAYS vet information you pick up through any source through a trusted professional in that field!)

Interested in buying, selling or renting in the Colorado Springs area, please call Rob @ 719.440.6626!