Is there a potential fire in your junk drawer? If there's a 9V battery there, watch out!

A couple of 9V batteries caused a fire in a man's new home in Denver recently. If you store your batteries, you need to know about this!

Spring yard care tips in Colorado Springs

Spring! It's time to start taking care of your yard. Clean-up and cutting back perennials is a good place to start. Here, Catherine has some tips for you.

7 things to do with your family when snowbound

Top 7 Things to Do When Snow Keeps You Home

Feb. 11, 2010 | By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

Yay! Snow day!

All right, now that everybody has that out of their systems -- what do you plan to do with your free time? This blizzard has left some people trapped in the house for days. For others, boredom may just be starting to set in. So to help pass the hours, we have come up with seven ideas to keep you and your family entertained while stuck in the snow.

These are just seven ideas. There are plenty of other good ones. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section. Maybe for the next storm we will expand the list to 10 or even 14 things to do when stuck inside. Let's all just hope we aren't snowed in forever.

Board Games

There's nothing quite like spending time with your family. Don't just plop down in front of the TV. Do something the whole family can join in on: board games.

Sure, they may be old fashioned and don't come with as many bells and whistles as that Wii or Blue Ray player. So what? These games have been around for decades. There must be something good to them.

Monopoly isn't only fun because it lets you buy real estate, collect rents, build hotels -- all while you try not to go broke -- but it also teaches some good lessons in risk, investing and managing money.

For something a bit less challenging, try Candy Land, which has been many children's first game for more than 50 years. Colorful characters and whimsical places take children through a journey of magic and fantasy. What better activity for a snowy day?

Some of our other favorites include Bobble, LIFE, Jenga, checkers, chess, Clue, and Apples to Apples.

Winter Cleaning

All right, enough fun. Now it's time to get down to some work. Have that closet that you have been meaning to clean out, but just never found the time to tackle?

This might be the perfect day to clear out those clothes from last season -- or two waist sizes ago -- that you aren't wearing anymore. But don't throw out those outfits. Make a pile and when the snow clears, donate them to a local charity. And, hey, for most people the donation is a tax deduction.

After you organize your closet, move on down to the basement or garage. Look, we know it's not going to be fun, but would you rather do it today or on a bright, sunny spring day?

Movie, TV Marathon

OK, now you deserve some vegging out on the couch.

That show or movie you've been dying to see? Well, now is the time. You know you have always wanted to watch "Lost" or "Mad Men" but have missed too many episodes to keep track of what's going on. This is your chance: Make a snack, or two, shut off the phone, pop the DVD into your player and start at the first season's first episode.

Or maybe today is the day to watch that movie you've been waiting and waiting to see. Sure, your cable company might have plenty of picks on-demand, but check out the American Film Institute, which lists the top 100 movies.

When you're done with those Netflix wrappers, make some origami. Yes, that's right, origami. There is of course a Web site that shows you how. It's aptly named Netflix Origami.

Spend Time with the One You Love

Birth rates have been rumored to go up nine months after big blizzards and power blackouts, although subsequent reports said the supposed bubbles weren't real. (The urban legend arose from the 1965 Northeast blackout. The New York Times did a series of stories in which doctors said they noticed an increased number of births nine months later. The theory was debunked in 1970 by a University of North Carolina demographer.)

Now, we're not suggesting that people go out and try to increase the size of the population. But with Valentine's Day right around the corner, it might not be a bad time to curl up with the one you love and spend some quality time together. And hey, besides shoveling, it might just be the best way to burn calories during a blizzard.

Read, Read and Read Some More

You know that stack of books on your nightstand that you say you'll get to one of these days? Well, today is that day. You don't need any great supplies or exertion of personal energy to read. You can even do it in bed.

Maybe it's finally time to tackle that self-help book, or that romance novel. Why not read more about Wall Street and the recession, or maybe some fiction about the secret meanings of all the buildings in Washington, D.C.?

It might be freezing out, but with a good book you can easily pretend to be on a warm, tropical beach.

And, of course, if you have run out of some good books to read, don't worry: There are plenty of other good stories on ABCNews.com to digest. And while you might be stranded at home, we are here furiously typing away for your pleasure.

Cook, Bake and Experiment

You might not be able to make it out to the grocery store to pick up that vanilla or chili powder. But don't let that stop you. Take out the cookbook and start experimenting. Chocolate chip cookies for the kids? A new souffle? Or how about turning that old standby meatloaf recipe into something with a kick?

Cooking can either be a great solitary escape or a fun family activity. And nothing is quite as comforting as a good home-cooked meal on a snowy day.

Just dust off one of your cookbooks and -- depending on how long you are stuck at home -- go through it page by page.

Do Your Taxes

Yeah, we don't want to do them either. But before you know it, April 15 will be here. Plus, if you are getting a refund, why not get that cash now? Maybe you can use the extra money to buy a really nice Valentine's Day gift -- or, perhaps, a new, more-powerful snowblower.

Just as with cleaning out the garage or your closet, would you rather do it now -- or in April?

CSBJ: FHA borrowers to save under Obama proposal

From The Colorado Springs Business Journal | Published January 11, 2015 | Written by Bryan Grossman

President Obama last week proposed lowering insurance premiums on FHA-insured loans by 50 basis points, claiming this would save 250,000 borrowers an average of $900 annually in house payments.

“The annual premiums on FHA loans, an especially popular source of financing for first-time home buyers, have increased five times since 2010,” according to an article in the Washington Post. “They jumped from .55 percent of a loan’s value to 1.35 percent. Those fees will drop to .85 percent toward the end of January. The White House projects the lower premiums will entice 250,000 buyers to take out FHA loans in the next three years, and that the new borrowers will save an average of $900 annually.”

According to a news release issued by RealtyTrac, a national source of comprehensive real estate data and housing information, “this reduction in insurance premiums means that instead of paying 1.35 percent for the loan amount each month in mortgage insurance, borrowers will now be paying just 0.85 percent of the loan amount each month.”

RealtyTrac analyzed the data and found this would save $917 a year on median-priced homes nationwide, according to the release, which is close to the claim Obama made.

“But we all know that no one actually pays the national median price for a home,” the release said. “People pay the price of a home in their market.”

RealtyTrac analyzed this on a county-by-county basis and created a heat map to show where homebuyers will save the most, and also what markets would be considered affordable for median income earners — where a median income earner would need to spend 28 percent or less of his or her income to purchase a median-priced home — after the reforms, and which markets would still be unaffordable after the reforms.

Approximate anticipated average annual savings by county in Southern Colorado:

El Paso: $960

Pueblo: $552

Douglas: $1,645

Teller: $886

Read on CSBJ: http://csbj.com/2015/01/19/fha-borrowers-save-obama-proposal/

Polimino: Seller's market over

On InsideRealEstateNews this week, Dan Polimino swears that the seller's market in Colorado is over.

Polimino says:

I am ready to proclaim that the seller’s market is over. Gone are the days of multiple offers, homes selling in a few hours at over the asking price. Get ready for business being back to normal.

We believe that based on two strong economic factors:

• The rate of new home builds was ramping up faster than expected and as such, home builders would soon pump more and more inventory into the marketplace, giving buyers more choices. This would level out prices and builders would begin to take a larger market share.
• It was not realistic to think that Denver could sustain a 10 percent annual growth year after year. We believe that the market would not pass a 6 percent gain in appreciation this year and it looks like that is what it’s going to shape up to be.

To read Polimiino's conclusions, and the full article, click here.

How to Rent a House in Colorado Springs

So You Want to Rent Your Home

So you have property in the Colorado Springs area, and you are thinking about renting your house. When you think about everything involved in being a landlord, you might decide to not to pursue having an investment property. You’ve probably heard horror stories from other people who have tried to rent their house and either lost money or had to spend so much time making repairs on the property that they missed work or family time.

Thankfully, we have some answers, but first, let’s look at what is involved in renting your home in Colorado Springs.

Things to Take Into Account Before Renting Your Home

• How will you market your rental so that you get it rented quickly, and attract the kind of people you want to live in your house?

• What will you charge? Do you know the rent rates our current market will allow for?

• How will you maintain your property so the yard has the best chances to survive and that beautiful painting you did in the living room isn’t destroyed? How will you even know if damage is being done inside your rental?

• How will you collect prompt payments? What if the renters get behind--what do you do then?

• How will you handle repairs? If your tenants call on Thanksgiving with a flooded basement, will you want to take time away from your festivities to go address the issue?

• Are you good with accounting? You’re going to have to keep close track of the finances so as to not lose money and to please Uncle Sam.

• Do you have a good, affordable lawyer? You might need to sue for damages, or to evict someone.

• Do you know all the laws and rules about renting, including tenant rights? How can you figure this out?

• How’s your muscle tone? Will you be able to confront a bad tenant on issues if you need to?

The Answer That Covers all Your Bases

This is a lot to think about. So what is the answer? How can you rent your house, know you're getting the best market rent rates, and be able to have all of the time you have now to enjoy your life?

It is simple. Hire a good Property Manager who will do all of this for you and transfer rent proceeds to you monthly.

Sound too good to be true?  It’s not! Hundreds of property owners with homes in the Colorado Springs area trust All Seasons, LLC, CRMC Property Management division to take the stress out of being a landlord.

You can save money by hiring them. This is how it works: they charge a percentage of your property's monthly rental rate in exchange for their services; there is no fee when your property is vacant; they charge no mark-ups when they do routine repairs on your property. Monthly proceeds are electronically deposited, and your monthly statements are available online.

Here’s what All Seasons, LLC, CRMC will do for you:

Marketing, Advertising, and Screening - They will utilize the best online advertising in an effort to locate tenants for you quickly, and avoid long vacancies. 

They are available for showings every weekend--one reason their vacancy rate is about half of what it is city-wide in Colorado Springs. Their managed properties are snapped up so quickly that if one is available, multiple people contact the office and oftentimes, there are multiple applications on the same property, giving them the opportunity to pick the cream of the crop.

Their screening process includes running credit, background, previous rental history, and employment references/verifications in an effort to ensure that the approved tenant for your property is qualified to rent. This is all done at no additional charge to you, the homeowner.

Setting the Right Price - A good property manager can set the ideal rental price for your property. This ensures that you get the max monthly income possible, given current market conditions while also obtaining a short vacancy period.

Documenting Your Rental - They use extremely thorough videos to document how the house looks when tenants move in, and identify the issues when they move out. Talk about indisputable evidence as to the condition of the property and whether damages are caused - this is it! They also do exterior assessments three times a year on the single family properties to ensure the tenant is making good efforts in regards to the yard and the general exterior state of your property.

Vendors - These are the guys who fix things on the property. All Seasons, LLC, CRMC has a winning line up of vendors, who not only make the needed repairs, but report back to All Seasons about any other problems they see in the house. Regular vendor review is conducted to ensure the rates being offered for the services by the insured and licensed (if applicable) professionals are competitive. 

Collecting Rental Payments - All Seasons, LLC, CRMC uses an efficient method to effectively collect rent and make sure the payments are on-time--crucial to maintaining your cash flow. With 24/7/365 online access to your "Owner Portal" you can monitor expenses, review bills as they're posted to your account, and even see pictures of issues that need brought to your attention, even when you're worlds away.

So how can you go wrong?

You’ve got the option of DIY, which runs the risk of losing you money and time.

Or, you can hire All Seasons, LLC, CRMC, and let them take care of the time consuming aspects involved with Property Management. 

I know what I will do!

Bloomberg: Young Renters Trading Size for Frills

Published in Bloomberg | July 10, 2104 | Written by Prashant Gobal

Young professionals are paying top-market rents to live in new upscale apartment towers sprouting in Nashville and other downtowns across the country. They’re sacrificing living space for a prime urban location and extras such as cooking classes, dog-wash stations and poolside Wi-Fi.

Developers, in the biggest U.S. apartment-construction boom in almost a decade, are shrinking the size of units so they can command luxury rates without narrowing the pool of potential tenants. The median size of apartments in new U.S. buildings fell last year to 1,043 square feet, the smallest since 2002, Census Bureau data.

At the same time, leasing is getting more expensive. The U.S. average rent per square foot was $1.25 in May, the highest in records dating to 1996, according to Axiometrics Inc.

To read the entire article: http://ow.ly/AibwP