Paid-off Home Loans Decline Over Last Quarter

from Colorado Springs Business Journal | by Marija B. Vader | February 20, 2014

The number of home loans paid off in Colorado was down 28.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2013, but comparing the full year of 2013 to 2012, the total was up 13 percent.

According to a report released Wednesday by the Colorado Division of Housing, public trustees in Colorado released a total of 62,312 deeds of trust during the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to 86,816 released during the fourth quarter of 2012.

To read the rest of the story click here.

Too Many MLSs?

from REALTOR Mag | by Meg White | January 2014 

Data standardization remains a challenge across various listing platforms, causing some to call for MLS consolidation.

The strain between brokers and agents was evident when the subject of the number of MLSs across the country was discussed at the MLS Forum at the 2013 REALTORS® Conference & Expo last November.

Sales associates are frustrated because they have to pay membership fees to more than one organization, and brokers often have difficulty coordinating data between disparate sources. Some brokers at the forum said they have members of two different associations in the same real estate office or listings that are directly across the street from each other appearing in two separate MLSs.

To read more find the full story here.

8 States With the Most Mortgage Fraud Cases

from REALTOR Mag | February 11, 2014 |

Overall, suspicious activity in lending is down, but mortgage fraud remains particularly problematic in cerain areas across the country, according to the LexisNexis 15th annual Mortgage Fraud Report (PDF). The report highlighted the worst states for mortgage fraud, based on the highest number of investigations in 2012. 

To see the states at the top of the list click here.

Springs May Be On Verge of Economic Rebound

from The Gazette | January 12, 2014 

All should hope for more headlines similar to those carried this week in The Gazette's business section. A sampling:

• "Colorado Springs-area jobless rate falls to five-year low"
• "Colorado Springs-area car sales hit eight-year high despite slow December"
• "Colorado Springs home sales for 2013 hit highest level in seven years"

Americans have endured a protracted and painful recession. Bad federal policies—most notably the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—have slowed recovery. Yet, a few key economic indicators look good locally and should serve as incentive to consider new investments in the community's future.


To read the rest of the article at The Gazette click here.

Year in Review: Real Estate

from The Colorado Springs Business Journal | December 27, 2013 | by Marija B. Vader

If someone put a home on the market in Colorado Springs, chances are good it sold within two months.

As of the end of June, single-family homes spent an average of 62 days on the market, the lowest number since June 2006, when the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors started keeping records.

The total number of active listings was extremely low at 3,450, said Fred Crowley, associate director of the Southern Colorado Economic Forum. He compared that number with around 6,000 active listings in June 2010.

“The available homes for sale decreased 40 percent over three years ago,” Crowley said. “These numbers are just mind-boggling.”

To read the rest of the year in review click here.

Advice for First-Time Home Buyers

Daily Real Estate News| December 2, 2013

Movoto Real Estate, an online real estate brokerage based in San Mateo, Calif., asked its agents for advice that they would give clients looking to purchase a home for the first time. These tips can help guide your clients through every step of the process.

To read the full article click here.

Prepare Your Home for Freezing Temperatures

Below-freezing temperatures are coming this week!  Prepare your water pipes to keep them from freezing. Frozen pipes can burst when the temperatures drop, causing extensive and costly water damage.




Here are some simple steps you can take to help ensure your pipes are ready for the cold temperatures.

• Check water supply lines that are located in unheated areas. Check the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. 
• Insulate hot and cold water pipes in these areas. 
• Drain automatic landscaping sprinkler systems.
• Disconnect all hoses from water supplies around the outside of your home. 
• Set water to drip from any faucet served by exposed pipes. (Running water through the pipe,  even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.)