Jason Roshek

Use Good Fence Manners on Your Colorado Home | Colorado Relocation Group

Whether it’s for privacy, more curb appeal, or to keep the kids safe, you’ve decided to fence in your Colorado home. Before you begin, here are some tips to make sure that your neighbors will appreciate the new addition as much as you do.

One absolute must is to know and stay within your property line. Study the plot plan of your Pikes Peak property or have a new survey done, because going even one inch onto your neighbor’s land will mean tearing the fence down and starting over.

Make sure you (or your fencing company) have obtained a permit and know the local zoning laws for height, placement, or other restrictions. Typical height limits are six feet for back and side yards, and four feet for front yards. Corner lots may have different rules if the fence will inhibit the visibility of drivers. To build over the limits, you’ll have to apply to your zoning board for a variance. This generally means a hearing where neighbors can voice any concerns.

If you’re part of a homeowners association, their rules actually come before the local laws and can include specific style, height, and maintenance regulations. Remember that a fencing company may not know these requirements, so it’s your job to tell them.

If a neighbor damages your fence, document with pictures and try to work it out. If not, small claims court is your next likely stop.

There are also some non-required but nice things to do to keep your neighbors on your side.

• Tell them about the fence before installing it, and make sure everyone agrees on property lines.
• While not a must, it’s common practice to put the nicer, finished side of the fence facing your neighbors.
• Do maintenance on both sides of the fence whenever needed.

A fence is defined as anything that creates a barrier, including trees or hedges, and the same rules of zoning and neighbor etiquette apply to a “living” fence.

With a little knowledge and consideration, you can stay on the good side of your Colorado Springs neighbors—even after the fence goes up.

Whether you’re buying or selling, a qualified real estate agent will help you make the best deal. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Contingency Clauses: A Must for Colorado Home Buyers | Colorado Relocation Group

Contingencies are the conditions that a seller must meet before a buyer will honor an offer to purchase the home. For a seller, these clauses are sometimes obstacles; for a buyer, they’re protection. If you’re buying a home in Pikes Peak, Woodland Park or any other area in Colorado, the following three contingency clauses should always be a part of your contract.

Contingency 1: You Must Sell Your Home Before Buying Another – This is especially true if you need money from your existing home to purchase your next one. If your home doesn’t sell, you can’t buy. The seller might not like this contingency, but it’s a better alternative than your taking on loans for both the old house and the new one as there’s no telling how long your old home will take to sell, or how much the final selling price will be.

Another approach is to set up a 21-day contingency for selling your current Colorado Springs home. In this scenario, the seller of the home you want can still keep the property on the market while you hopefully get some buy offers on your home. After 21 days you can either buy the new house or let the offer run out.

In this market, buyers are still somewhat in control. If the seller walks away because of your contingency, move on, or come back to the seller in a few months. Most likely the house will still be for sale.

Contingency 2: You Must Qualify for an Affordable Loan Rate – Even though interest rates are low, lenders don’t always qualify buyers for the lowest available rate. Figure out the highest rate and least-attractive loan terms that you can afford, and write those into your contingency clause. If the purchase price jumps too high, you’ll know you need to back out based on your stated cap.

Contingency 3: No Home Inspection Means No Deal – Your offer should absolutely stipulate that the house be inspected for all possible issues, including termites. If the inspector finds big issues, you can renegotiate the sale price or ask the seller to make the necessary repairs before you buy. Sellers will usually put a ceiling on how much they’ll pay for repairs, but you must then state your own cap as well. If a very expensive problem is uncovered, you’ll have a way out of the offer.

Some real estate agents privately refer to buyer contingency clauses as “weasel clauses,” insinuating that it allows buyers to “weasel out” of an offer penalty-free and with a refund of their earnest money deposit. In reality, contingency clauses are just common sense precautions for Colorado buyers as well as sellers. Planning ahead for contingencies helps everyone to know where they stand, and can often help a deal close with little or no angst.

Whether you’re buying or selling, a qualified real estate agent will help you make the best deal. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Get the Right Energy Audit for your Colorado Home | Colorado Relocation Group

We all assume that our Colorado homes are energy efficient—but are they?  An energy audit is an easy way to find out. It can diagnose your energy issues, particularly air leaks, and then help you prioritize what needs fixing.

The big decision is whether to do the audit yourself using online information or to hire a professional energy auditor. Whether you’re in Pike’s Peak or other regions of the country, the following information from Houselogic.com provides the pros and cons of each kind of audit.

The do-it-yourself audit generally costs less, but it may only give educated guesses about the airtightness of your home and may have you paying for fixes you don’t really need, i.e. installing new windows when just insulating the window frames would do.  Or you might end up over-sealing your home, creating indoor air quality issues that could affect your health.

Professional energy audits offer two choices:  visual and a more thorough diagnostic option.  The diagnostic audit includes visual work as well as the use of high-tech tools that determine just how airtight your Colorado Springs home is (or isn’t). This method pinpoints the exact location of air leaks, detects gas leaks, and shows which way drafts are blowing.

A professional audit can be expensive, running from $150 for a visual check to $400 or more for a diagnostic check, but it will reveal things that, when fixed, could save you 5 to 30 percent on your annual energy bills. With an average bill at $2,200 per year, that’s a savings of about $660.

When hiring a professional auditor, be sure to ask questions and make sure the auditor does not work for a window company.  A certified auditor will have a professional affiliation with or training from organizations like RESNET  or the Building Performance Institute.  Professionals also provide a written report of their findings. Often your local utility company will offer audits or can recommend a qualified auditor.

If you have a newly constructed home, paying for an audit is unnecessary as your house will have the most up-to-date building codes and modern energy efficiencies. For an older home or fixer-upper, postpone the audit if you have more serious issues to fix such as structural problems or bad electrical systems.

Though an audit might only find minor issues, remember that fixing small things can often keep you from shelling out for major repairs later. Knowing what’s involved in an energy audit and working with a qualified auditor will help you make the best decisions for your Colorado home and your wallet.

Energy efficient homes are good for us and for the planet. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Pull Out that Smartphone to Buy or Sell in Colorado | Colorado Relocation Group

Real estate is making a huge jump into the technical world. According to the MSN Real Estate site, the technology explosion of the past three years has totally changed how people buy and sell their Colorado homes.

Many real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com now offer applications for smartphones and tablets to make a buyer’s life almost care-free. Drive to a neighborhood you might like, run a search on your phone to get a map with homes for sale in that area, and then use your GPS function to start checking them out.

If you spot a house you like in Pike’s Peak, the Zillow app tells how long that house has been on the market and how often the price has been reduced. You might also learn that another house nearby recently sold for $50,000 less, so your house of interest might be overpriced. This instant, accurate data means you can then walk away and check out the next property on your list with no time wasted.

On the Realtor.com app, you can draw a line with your finger around a particular section of a map and see any homes that are for sale in that area. You’ll “search” only the Colorado Springs neighborhoods that fit your criteria and skip places with, say, more retirees than young families.

Sellers can benefit from these new electronic tools by ditching newspaper ads in favor of the newer web-based or mobile-based technologies. Tech-savvy sellers know that the Gen X and Y buyers will use their phone or iPad when house hunting, not the classifieds.

Realtors® are also catching onto this trend and are letting technology help their bottom line. Because many buyers search by school district, one agency now uses a Twitter feed to alert buyers of home listings in each school district. There are also apps to let homebuyers rate and review their Realtor®.

The arrival of mobile apps, social media, and GPS are having a large but very positive impact on real estate, and the change is sure to continue with the development of new technologies.

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed geek or technologically challenged, I will walk with you through every step of the buying or selling process. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

The “Ins and Outs” of Colorado Home Inspections | Colorado Relocation Group

Whether you’re buying a lovely old “fixer-upper” in Colorado Springs or brand-new construction in Pike’s Peak, you’ll want to have the property inspected inside and out before you sign a contract.

Once you know what repairs the home requires, you may be able to work them into your offer or negotiate with the sellers to have them pay for some of the fixes. Or you can decide there’s too much repair work and just keep house hunting. But it’s the home inspection that helps you make these important decisions.

A home inspection will vary with the kind of Colorado property you are buying. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), a standard inspection will cover the following areas:

• Heating and central air systems
• Interior plumbing
• Electrical systems
• Roof, attic and visible insulation
• Walls, floors, ceilings
• Doors and windows
• Foundation and basement
• Structural components

However, inspectors are not required to move yard debris, plants or snow to look for hidden problems and are not liable for missing them. Nor are inspectors required to identify latent defects or check home systems not readily accessible (i.e. inside walls). It’s also worth knowing that inspectors do not have to note potentially harmful plants or animals such as termites and molds. Talk with your home inspector about these areas prior to the inspection.

Remember that you don’t have to reject your potential Colorado dream home just because it needs repairs. Every house needs something. Your job is to get the facts and then decide what you can spend and/or how much work you want to do if you buy that home.

The bottom line is to find an inspector you trust and who is ASHI licensed so that every potential issue can be identified. A good home inspection will provide some peace of mind as you make one very large investment.

A good real estate agent will help you negotiate all aspects of your home purchase, including the inspection. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Give Colorado Listing Photos Curb Appeal

There are two words that every Colorado home seller should know: curb appeal. The better this is, the higher your chance of enticing a buyer the minute they park in front of your house. But the curb appeal also needs to show up in your on-line listing photos, since most buyers will see this before they view the actual property.

To put that pizazz in your photos, try these three simple, no cost options.

• Take Down Window Screens – Most home exteriors can look pretty
  dull, and screens generally make windows look dark. You can shine up door knobs
  and lighting fixtures, but these changes won’t show up in your external photo.
  To spice up your photos and add some dimension, take down window screens on the
  front windows before shooting—but remember to keep and reinstall them after the
  home sells. Buyers likely won’t miss the screens during a showing, but they
  sure will once they’ve moved in!
• Water Your Bark Mulch – When mulch is first put down, it looks
  great and creates a nice clean look in your garden or yard. Old mulch looks
  dull and is a big turn-off. Watering the mulch makes it darker so it contrasts
  with your greenery and makes it seem more vibrant. So pull out the hose and wet
  down your mulch before taking the picture as well as before an actual showing.
• Make The Walkway Stand Out – Turn the front walkway of your Colorado dream home
  into a “runway.” Make sure it’s clean
  and clutter-free, and then dress it up with potted plants, lights or statues. Make
  sure it shows up in your photos by standing on a small ladder to take the
  picture looking down on the property. Or shoot from an angle rather than
  straight on.

The goal is to have your home call to potential buyers whether they see it on the Internet or drive by in a car. And living in a beautiful area like Pike's Peak makes the job even easier. Look around for anything you can do that will make your home stand out among the myriads of other listings so that a buyer’s very first impression will be, “Oh, how beautiful! I’d love to call that my home.”

Along with great curb appeal, you need an agent who’ll bring a steady stream of buyers to your door. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

Staging : Not just for the interior of your Colorado Home | Colorado Relocation Group

When people speak of staging their home, they are typically referring to the inside of the home – decluttering, de-personalizing and sprucing up the interior living areas to make the home more inviting to potential buyers. However, people often overlook the importance of staging the exterior of the home. While often referred to as “increasing curb appeal” this aspect of staging a home is just as important as ensuring the inside is ready. Remember, people will see your driveway and front porch of your Colorado dream home before they see what the interior has to offer.

Here are ten great tips for ensuring that the outside of your Colorado Springs home sets the stage for a quick sale:

1. Create a “to do” list: Stand at the curb in front of your house and scan your front yard. Jot down anything that catches your eye that needs attention: edging, chipped paint, dirty walkway, etc. Then, have a friend perform the same task and add their items to your list
2. Fresh paint: Exterior walls, eaves, doors, shutters, and visible wood should appear freshly painted or stained.
3. Clean entryway: Clear any clutter from the entryway to your Colorado Springs Home, store snow boots and shoes and sweep leaves and spider webs away.
4. Ensure exterior lights are working: This includes any fixtures on the home, security lights and landscape lighting. If you have a dark entry area, consider adding a new light.
5. Utilize the outdoor living space: Add an outdoor rug if space allows. If you have a large porch, add a swing or bench that faces the best view from your Colorado dream home.
6. Keep the lawn mowed and neatly edged: If the yard is in very poor shape, consider laying sod.
7. Clean the flower beds: Keep them free of fallen leaves and weeds. Consider adding a layer of mulch – it’s cheap, easy to put down and instantly makes the front yard look fresh and cared for.
8. Add colorful flowers: Weather and season permitting, plant or pot some fresh flowers outside the front door. Consider adding potted plants, especially flowers with yellow blooms as they draw the eye’s attention and makes people feel at ease.
9. Trim bushes and trees: Make sure trees and shrubs aren’t hiding windows, or infringing on walkways. Also, trimming tree canopies will help ensure this season’s snow doesn’t topple them onto your home.
10. Power wash the driveway, walkway, shutters, siding, doors, etc.

In today’s competitive market, staging your home is an important part of the selling process.  With the high number of homes on the market, your home needs to stand out to potential buyers as well kept, a good value, and ready for their family to move in. A well-staged Colorado Springs home appears inviting to potential buyers and allows them to see the home as a place their family can live and make memories.

 

When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group!  We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Mistletoe and Moving Boxes | Colorado Relocation Group

Moving is stressful.  From boxing up all of your possessions to starting service for utilities in your new Colorado home, there are tons of details to contend with.  For some, these challenges are multiplied when the move happens during the holiday season.

For many buyers, a winter move means a better deal on their new home.  Prices often drop this time of year, with many sellers eager to move on, leaving great deals for homebuyers.  However, it also means uprooting kids and adjusting to a new home and neighborhood in less than ideal conditions.  So, how can you make this move a little less stressful?  Here are some tips:

1. Set the tone:  If you have children, they will base much of their attitudes and behavior on you.  If you are upbeat about the move, they are more likely to reflect that attitude.  Make sure your comments about the new home are positive and help build excitement for your family.
2. Focus on the positives:  Does the new home have a larger yard?  A pool?  Bigger bedrooms for the kids?  A playroom?  By emphasizing the great new aspects of your Colorado Springs home, you can minimize the amount of time you and your family are focused on what you leave behind.
3. Give the kids a reason to move:  Of course, the kids don’t have a choice in moving, but moving will be less stressful if you have the support of the kids.  Remember, you are uprooting their life as well as yours.  Give them something to look forward to such as letting them pick new décor for the bedroom, plan a pizza and movie party or get them a special new toy that shows you understand their feelings.
4. Take time for yourself:  You are not immune to stress, so don’t let yourself become so overwhelmed by everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself.  Even a 30 minute walk or long shower can help you recharge your batteries.
5. Don’t forget your holiday traditions:  If getting a big Christmas tree and decorating it while sipping hot chocolate is an annual event, then do it!  Take a break, go find the biggest tree around and cover it with lights!  Let moving into your Colorado Springs home be a celebration! The rest of the boxes won’t wander off while you’re spending time with your family, I promise!

Moving is always stressful, and it can seem overwhelming if you add the stress of the holiday season to the process.  However, if you move forward with a positive outlook, a little more understanding for your family and a plan that includes your holiday traditions, you can survive both the move and the holidays.  Even if it takes a little more time to unpack those boxes, you will be relaxing in your new Colorado dream home soon enough!  When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group!  We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Wintery Colorado weather has arrived. Are you prepared? | Colorado Relocation Group

Winter is upon us, and that means snow and ice.  While it may be peaceful to look out your window and see the snowcapped Rocky Mountains and trees covered in white, it also means the need to clear roads, driveways, and walkways.  Are you prepared?  Do you know what types of options are available for ice and snow removal?  If you’re living in the Pikes Peak area, you need to be prepared:

Shovels:  This is the most basic and cheapest tool for removing snow and ice and is a necessity if you live in Colorado.  The large, flat shovels are great for entryways, steps, and even small walkways.  However, you could be spending a lot of time in the cold wind if you plan to clear your entire driveways with it –especially after a large snowfall.

Snow Blowers:  These are a mainstay in most Colorado Springs homes.  But, if you’ve been to the local store, you may have realized they come in various sizes.  While you may be tempted to think, “Bigger is Better”, don’t get tempted into buying a machine that you don’t need.

• Single-stage snow blowers are typically strong enough for suburban homeowners. Resembling a typical lawnmower, they are lightweight, maneuverable, and perfect for driveways and sidewalks.  They handle heavy wet snow well, but are not good on hardened ice.  These are the most affordable, starting at just a few hundred dollars.
• A two-stage snow blower is good for larger driveways or drifting snow.  They are often self-propelled and have larger augers that work on bigger areas and larger snow drifts.  These snow blowers are significantly more expensive, and you can expect to pay $800 or more for one.
• Snow blower attachment:  Many tractors come with an attachment for this purpose. The attachments may be as simple as a plow blade, or can be as elaborate as a single or two-stage blower.  Prices start at a few hundred dollars and go up depending on size and manufacturer.

De-Icers:  Although snow blowers may remove most of the snow and ice from your driveway and sidewalk, they often leave a thin layer of ice behind that you will still need to contend with.  De-icers are chemical agents that are spread on snow or ice.  They seep through to the surface of the pavement and melt the ice there, breaking the bond between the ice and ground and making it easier to remove the snow.  You should use de-icers with caution, however, because many of these chemicals have been found to harm Colorado’s beautiful environment.  Be sure to read the labels and only use chemicals as suggested by the manufacturers.

Emerging technologies:  The most environmentally friendly way to handle ice is to use heat.  Technological advances are making it possible to de-ice and melt snow from the walkway of your Colorado Springs home without the use of chemicals and with limited need for snow blowing or plowing:

• Electric Snow Melting Systems:  Similar to radiant heat systems used indoors, these systems use buried cables to heat surfaces such as sidewalks and driveways.  While some require being placed under a new concrete pour, there are some that only require grooves be cut into existing concrete and then filled once cables are laid.  Final costs may run into the tens of thousands of dollars and depend on manufacturer, labor, electric system upgrades needed and how the system is installed.
• Hydronic systems use flexible pipes buried under concrete to circulate heated fluid that warms the surface.  Typically, these pipes must be buried before concrete is poured.  These systems may run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
• Infrared systems use quartz lamps on poles targeted to warm up desired surfaces. These systems are great for small remote spots, such as a shielded walkways and courtyards.  Although they can be easily installed, they use more energy than the other systems, leading to higher energy costs.
• Electric Mats:  Special rubber mats are a great method for keeping stairs and small areas free of snow and ice.  There are various sizes and styles available.  Products start at just a few hundred dollars.

Snow is a way of life in Colorado Springs, and we wouldn’t want a winter without it.  From a day of skiing to enjoying an evening snowfall with friends and hot chocolate, it is one of the things that make Colorado great.  However, being prepared for the snowfall is a necessary part of the fun, regardless of which methods of snow removal you choose.  When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call The Roshek Group!  We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com

Getting Started as a First Time Homebuyer | Colorado Relocation Group

Buying your first Colorado home can be overwhelming. There are many decisions to make, including which lender to use, what type of loan to apply for, what neighborhood to buy in, and how big of a home you really need. It is easy to get confused with all of the information that is available. While a knowledgeable realtor can make the process less stressful, here are a few tips to get you started in searching for your first home:

1. Set a realistic budget and stick to it! Many homeowners get pulled into the idea that just because the bank qualifies them for a loan, they can afford it. Affording the mortgage payment is only one part of affording a house. You also need to consider paying for insurance, home maintenance and repairs, and utilities. In addition, don’t forget to include the costs for your car, entertainment, childcare, groceries, and other expenses in your budget.
2. Get pre-approved. Many agents and sellers will only work with individuals who are pre-approved for a loan. This will require you to do your research – you not only need to choose a lender, but you need to decide if you want a fixed-rate loan, VA loan, FHA loan, variable-rate, etc.   Shop around! You will probably view more than 6 – 10 Colorado homes before choosing one; take the same amount of time in choosing the loan for that home.
3. Decide what type of home you need. Consider your lifestyle, hobbies, activities, and size of your family in determining how big your home needs to be and generally where you want to live. Are you comfortable with stairs? Do you entertain often? Is the view from your bedroom important? How long is the commute to work? Is there room for your growing family? Make a prioritized list of the features and amenities that are most important to you and use this to guide your search. Homes are a long-term investment, so be sure the house you choose meets your needs.
4. Start on-line. Many real estate sites offer search engines that will allow you to see what is for sale in your area. This can give you an idea of price ranges and what types of homes are available.
5. Find a knowledgeable, licensed realtor. While there is a lot of information available on buying a home, one of the best resources is a realtor. Their knowledge of the local market, education on real estate laws, and experience in asking the right questions to help you find your home is a huge asset to any new home buyer. They can find homes that meet your needs, schedule showings, and will help you through every step of the home buying process.

Buying for first home can be stressful, but it is a dream come true for many people. Although the process of buying a home can seem overwhelming, it can be done with minimal stress if you have the right resources. When you’re ready to buy or sell a home in the Pike’s Peak Area, call the Sharon Roshek Team! We are ready to help you with all of your real estate needs.

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Colorado Living ...Where Dreams Come True

The Roshek Group

719-687-1531

PikesPeakRegion.com

via coloradorelocationgroup.com