Earlier in 2010, local builder Today’s Homes announced a mini revolution, an attempt to re-brand and re-invigorate the company by streamlining their building process, creating new floor plans with quality standard features, and committing to a higher level of customer service. After a few months working under the new mission statement, sales manager Scott Vaughan says surprised and satisfied customers are really noticing the changes.

“We’ve seen stronger sales out there since the unveiling of the new models. The traffic numbers have increased at least 50 percent at all of our locations with the overall excitement of the new floor plans we’ve unveiled,” says Vaughan, who wants “to create the best possible new home buying experience out there. I feel confident that we’re doing that, and we’re making some great improvements in our customer satisfaction rating, as well.”

Today’s Homes builds in several communities throughout the Pikes Peak region, including The Residence at Stratmoor near Interstate 25 and Academy Boulevard, in Banning Lewis Ranch near Woodmen and Marksheffel roads, and in Forest Meadows near Woodmen and Black Forest roads.

But Vaughan believes the luxury town home community of Dublin Terrace, located at Powers and Dublin boulevards.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 20, 2010 Home & Style.

Having starred in many Parade of Homes, earned many prestigious awards and passed from person to person through satisfied customers, the name Claude Comito carries weight in the Colorado Springs real estate community. Along with partner Larry Nichols, their company Nichols & Comito Custom Homes stands for quality in the high-end market.

But through a separate venture, Comito Building and Design, founded in September 2009 Comito wants to share the top-notch quality, impeccable taste and thoughtful design he’s know for with a wider audience.

“A lot of people like what we have done and what we have to offer, but what we hear a lot is, ‘We would love to use you guys and have you build our home, but we don’t know if we can afford you,’” says builder Claude Comito. With this new company, “We want to bring out that we’re as competitive as anyone. We’re offering great value — and have been along — but now we are smaller, leaner and meaner. We’re able to offer some great products at a lower cost.”

Comito Building and Design is a fully custom builder who can create any client’s dream home starting in the $600,000s, hopes to build 10 to 12 homes a year, and offers some remodeling and renovation work, as well.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 13, 2010 Home & Style.

The commitment to a job done right doesn’t change with market conditions, but that strong commitment does demand that successful business professionals change their strategy, update their skills and roll with the punches. Such is the evolution of The Becky Gloriod Team, where they’re using their expertise to continue to sell high-end homes as well as expanding their skills to aid the growing number of distressed homeowners.

“We have always specialized in the high-end. In fact, we have sold the highest sales price, the most expensive home, in Colorado Springs this year,” says broker owner Becky Gloriod, referring to an Old North End home that recently sold for $1.594 million. “In 2009, we sold 14 percent of all the homes sold for more than $1 million in El Paso county.”

Such a portion out of thousands of local agents certainly distinguishes The Becky Gloriod Team at seven figures and above, but co-broker owner Jack Gloriod explains their skills aren’t that narrow.

“In the last decade, we’ve sold more houses than anyone else in town … We’ve had the total highest volume throughout El Paso county in the last 10 years cumulatively,” he says.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 6, 2010 Home & Style.

If necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, savvy and dedicated professionals often rise to the occasion in tough times, revolutionizing the way an industry does business. Such was the motivation of passionate agents at five RE/MAX offices all over the state, who banded together to introduce Colorado to way of connecting buyers and sellers, via auction.

“It’s been working across the country and the numbers are staggering, how many homes in 2009 sold through auction, but it hasn’t yet been in this area,” says Joe Clement, broker/owner of RE/MAX Properties, Inc., the auction’s Pikes Peak area participating office. “You see foreclosure auctions every now and then, but nothing like this, with a large variety of quality properties. Other RE/MAX offices around the country have had success with it, so we thought it was a great time to introduce the idea here, too.”

Clement stresses that, certainly, auctions for distressed properties have become more common, but this event is a completely different affair. It’s a reserve auction – meaning that properties have a minimum price – of highly motivated buyers who simply want to sell, quick and simply.

“We had a nominating committee that each property had to go through at each office before they were accepted into the auction, and we had certain criteria of quality,” he explains. “We wanted good properties and we wanted properties where the reserve price was attractive, better than what you might get on the house in a regular transaction scenario.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the April 4, 2010 Springs Home & Style.

Phenomenal down-market success paints even brighter future
By Kate Jonuska

The real estate market has struggled under a cloud the last few years, and yet with the right combination of quality product, ideal price and customer service, Aspen View Homes has proven that a bad economy can’t keep a good builder down – or from continuing upwards with incredible success, for that matter.

“From 2008 to 2009, we grew 35 percent, and then we’re projecting to grow between 80 and 100 percent from 2009 to 2010,” says Aspen View’s division manager Bruce Martin. “The first six months of 2010, we’re probably going to triple our closings from last year to this year.”

Currently active in three communities, Aspen View is more than 90 percent sold in Country Side North and 60 percent sold in Freedom Heights, both near Fort Carson. Near the Black Forest in their Forest Meadows neighborhood, building is entering its third phase of development, offering 60-foot spacious frontages, mountain views, park-adjacent lots and walking trails.

“Our success has really improved our ability to offer great customer service. We’ve been able to hire more people to stay on top of the building process and follow our customers through the process of signing the contract all the way to handing them their keys,” says Martin. With more resources to devote to buyers, he knows their impressive customer satisfaction figures in the 90th percentile and the 30 percent of customers who are personal referrals will only increase.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 7, 2010 Springs Home & Style.

When it becomes clear that you want to build your next home, the first choice you’re forced to make is between national and custom builders, as if they’re two diametrically opposed sides of a scale. On one side lies choice and personalization, while cost and convenience weigh heavily on the opposite. But with a unique method of operation, honed over decades of building experience,

G.J. Gardner Homes had found a way to bridge the gap, offering completely customizable homes in an efficient and cost-effective manner – astonishingly cost effective, starting in the high $100,000s.

“We bring all the good things about an international builder to the table, things like proven systems, scheduling, buying power,” says Brook Swientisky, who directs G.J. Gardner’s Colorado operations, explaining that each office of the international company is a local franchise. “There are a lot of efficiencies builders like us have, but then we partner up with local builders, growing locally owned and operated businesses, too.”

When the Colorado Springs G.J. Gardner opened almost two years ago, it was 25-year veteran of custom building in El Paso County Dennis Wheets who took the helm, along with his wife and family.

“In the last two years, I still haven’t built the same house twice, not even close,” says Wheets, who teamed up with the company because “they built their reputation on custom building, and that is what I was doing in my work, so it’s a really good partnership. The G.J. Gardner systems that they have in place have helped me tremendously with things like scheduling, supervising, advertising, but I don’t have to change anything about the quality of service I offer.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the the Feb. 7, 2010 Home & Style.

Many of the properties that grace the cover of Springs Houses are lavish, upscale homes because, honestly, they’re pretty fun to read and dream about, but in addition to luxurious amenities, such homes come attached to high-end price tags. Therefore, this week’s featured property is a breath of fresh air, an adorable and attainable 1950s rancher in Skyway that’s sure to awaken the real estate dreams of families with limited resources but big plans.

“Skyway is one of my favorite neighborhoods. Many young families are discovering the area, moving into the classic ranchers and revamping them,” says Eric Scott of the Stuart Scott Limited Group at ERA Shields, who lists the three-bedroom, three-bath rancher for $273,500. “To get into (School) District 12 and the Skyway neighborhood at this price point – especially in a single-family home in a mature neighborhood – is a great opportunity. District 12 has won numerous awards and it’s had the highest CSAP scores in the state since 2006.”

With its brick exterior and bright white shutters, the home charms from the outset. Surprisingly open plan for a home built in 1956, the original hardwood floors lead through a living room with a bay window and a refinished natural stone fireplace into the dining area. Completing the circle is the kitchen, which offers black and stainless steel appliances, including a flat-top range.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 6, 2010 Springs Houses.

In real estate, you usually begin describing a home at the front, because obviously that’s where you begin to experience it. This week’s featured property, however, is best done in reverse, starting just past the backyard fence with the lovely mountain view.

“The best feature, of course, is the the view. Pikes Peak, Mount Herman, the Air Force Academy, it’s all there, and the air shows looks fabulous from here,” says Kathryn Newman of The Platinum Group Realtors, who lists the six-bedroom, four-bath home for $454,670. “The home was really built around the views,” she continues. “I often tell clients to come here in the evening to watch the sunset from here. It’s pretty stunning.”

Such thoughtful planning is certainly why the view is best enjoyed from the heart of the home, a great room with a combined bayed informal eating area, the kitchen and a soaring two-story living room. The latter includes a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows, a gas fireplace, built-ins, and several art niches and shelves. The kitchen appliances have been recently upgraded to stainless steel, adding to features such as a five-burner flat-top range, cherry cabinets and custom tile counter tops with a leather-like finish.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 30, 2010 Springs Houses.

They chose the neighborhood. They chose the site on the Kings Deer Golf Course. Along with their builder, they made careful choices about every detail, from the counter tops and baseboard to the flow of the floor plan and the landscaping materials. In other words, the sellers of this week’s featured property spent time and resources to create the perfect permanent home after a lifetime of travel, and now that they’ve found they cannot stay, another family is sure to find their own dream home there, turn-key ready and beautiful.

“Of homes at a comparable price point, this home has hands-down the best floor-to-ceiling quality because everything was upgraded,” says Dean Weissman of The Platinum Group, Realtors, who lists the four-bedroom, four-bath home for $849,000. “It’s a house that is very well designed to be functional and stylish, elegant and comfortable. You don’t have to dress up in order to come home.”

Located off Roller Coaster Road near Monument, homes in this area of Kings Deer perch atop rolling hills, each with their several-acre estates, this one surrounded by lovely yet low-maintenance rock beds, pines and grass. The stucco-and-stone exterior offers an oversized front door with stone columns, which opens to a massive great room that makes up most of the main level.

“Because we are elevated, we have a commanding view. That’s one of the reasons we selected this lot,” says the seller, walking the wide-plank hardwood floors up to the wall of windows. Sure enough, the mountains and golf course sit front and center. Not a small segment of the golf course either, but a swath that at this time of year resembles part of a ski slope meandering past. “We have privacy without the feeling of isolation,” he adds.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 23, 2010 Springs Houses.

In any circumstances, this week’s featured home would be a crowd pleaser: a remodeled four-bedroom, four-bath rancher located on the 16th hole of the Country Club of Colorado’s scenic golf course. But when economic forces align just right and the deal is sweetened with membership to the country club with purchase, homeowners are sure to be awed by the level of luxury that lies within their reach.

“It’s fabulous in that it includes many of the features that we usually see in multi million dollar houses,” says Stuart Scott of Stuart Scott Limited and ERA Shields, who lists the home for $680,000. He cites the throughly modern and stylish gourmet kitchen, three wet bars, a theater room with equipment included and, he says, “added to the purchase is the inclusion of a membership to the Country Club of Colorado. It’s a really astounding facility, the best in Colorado Springs, I think, because of its beautiful lake.”

It’s difficult not to notice the lush greens and lake from the first step into the 4,810-square-foot home, which opens into an expansive great room with a peaked ceiling, ending in a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows. An elegant chandelier, the first wet bar and a toasty fireplace invite you in, and the hardwood continues into the open kitchen and dining room.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a view, you should try to walk right into it from the beginning. So few achieve that goal, but this one just strikes you with it,” says Scott. Stepping onto the partially covered deck, which stretches the length of the home, he observes that golfers are teeing away from the home, allowing all of the beauty of golf course living with none of the danger or damage.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 16, 2010 Springs Houses.

There are homeowners who are content to leave all the decisions in someone else’s hands, choosing a prebuilt product off the rack then molding their lives to fit into that box. But then there are UBuildIt clients, owners who settle for nothing, actively grabbing the wheel of choice to drive themselves toward the home of their dreams – and keep their wallets fatter in the process.

“In my years of building custom homes, I’ve come across a lot of people that I felt could have built their own home, people who take an intense and direct interest in what we were doing as builders and contractors,” says Claude Comito, who owns UBuildIt Colorado Springs along with daughter Lauren  Perrault. For 27 years, he’s been a part of Nichols and Comito Custom Homes, and he also heads Comito Building and Design and dabbles in land development. While he’s giving up none of those passions, Comito feels this unique build-it-yourself enterprise fills a necessary real estate niche.

“There was a need where people could with support and guidance get the same results a high quality custom builder could, and yet have total control over the process and save quite a bit of money,” he explains. “UBuildIt is not for everybody, but on the other hand, we’ve found that anybody who expresses an interest in and desire to build their own home, and there are a lot of them, find this very appealing.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 10, 2010 Springs Home & Style.

Visiting the Broadmoor area feels like entering a slice of the Old World, with its roundabouts, manicured grounds and striking architecture, including the signature silhouette of the hotel itself. While the Broadmoor and its environs often seem to be reserved for the resort’s guests, the ambiance and amenities of the area are available right from the doorstep of this week’s featured property, a charming yet chic townhome built in the East Coast brownstone style.

“It has the Old World charm of the classic Northeast brownstone combined with the finest of modern day amenities,” says Keith Hayes of the Becky Gloriod Team at Prudential Realtors, who lists the two-bedroom, four-bath home for $1.65 million. “The most unique thing is the location. To have new construction in flatlands Old Broadmoor is a good find and then there’s the proximity to the hotel itself,” which is only a block away.

The melding of the classic and contemporary is visible as you cross the threshold, moving from the imposing concrete steps and tall, narrow stucco-and-stone exterior into a sweeping great room with 12-foot ceilings. Wide plank Hickory floors spill into the elegant space, which offers a bay window balcony, a stone fireplace and elegant architectural columns, part of the high-end woodwork and molding throughout the 4.455-square-foot floor plan.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 9, 2010 Springs Houses.

The 2.18-acre lot once boasted a tennis court and a swimming pool. The dining room has played host to generations of notables who built this city. And yet today, it’s walls could be the perfect cozy nest for a family used to every luxury. This week’s featured Broadmoor area gem, listed at $2 million by Stuart Scott of Stuart Scott Limited and ERA Shields, strikes an ideal balance between esteemed history and modern amenities to create a home that both fascinates and functions.

Scott has become an expert in the history of the home, built in 1949 by Phillip G. Cole. “ I’ve never seen architecture quite like this before,” he says, noting that it was designed with the the owner’s art collection in mind with ample light and display walls. “It’s rather gallery-like, with very high ceilings for the time.”

The home later hosted the commanding generals of NORAD who, as members of the elite social milieu of the day, entertained regularly. Subsequent owners – including at least one artist – left creative marks and improved.

Many original touches shine in the formal living room, a vaulted space with a massive wood-beamed ceiling, wide-panel wood floors and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace of natural stone. A wall of doors peek out at the sweeping yard, while another wall of windows stream with sunshine. An adorable and functional butler’s pantry/miniature kitchen is accessed by an almost hidden panel door.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 2, 2010 Springs Houses.

With bell ringers outside every market and charity drives in full swing, this holiday season turns the mind toward giving and helping the less fortunate. However, broker associate Courtney Gilmore of Avalar Real Estate Solutions, having dedicated herself to giving back to the community that supports her success, has devised a unique way to contribute to charitable causes year round, by making giving a part of any real estate transaction.

“As long as I’ve done this, the real estate community is close knit and so many people that I know are paying it forward in their own ways. They’re a pretty giving community,” says Gilmore, who has worked in real estate for more than 12 years. “(But) I don’t know any real estate broker that is giving back to the community straight from their commission, a concerted effort like that.”

Gilmore’s giving campaign, which began rolling this year and she hopes will only grow in 2010, comes to fruition at the closing table, where a check gets cut from her commission to one of three organizations about which she feels passionately. A client, whether buyer or seller, simply needs to state that they, too, are associated with or were referred by one of the organizations she supports.

The groups are what Gilmore calls a “tripod of causes: my college, UCCS, which was a huge part of my life; my son’s school, and contributing toward the people who provide his education; and the third one was my always my passion, sports and volleyball, which I played my whole life,” she says. In other words, she’s giving back to the three things she sees as improving her life: education, parenthood and sport. “Usually when you contribute, you contribute to what you’re passion about, and those three things really define me.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Dec. 27, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

Anyone who loved ListenUp in downtown Colorado Springs for its quality, value and excellent customer service will rejoice at the news that as of this weekend, there’s even more to love: The shop known for providing the best sight and sound technology in the area has doubled in size by moving into it’s new location on Woodmen Road, one block east of Interstate 25.

“It is our largest store now,” says branch manager David Huddleston, who explains that ListenUp has been in business in Colorado for 38 years and in the Springs for more than 20. “It’s very exciting. Being able to expose everybody in Colorado Springs to the best in technology, now with even more services to offer, we feel privileged to be able to do that.”

Instead of buying electronics from a cold showroom floor, where they’re hard sold by an inexperienced salesperson, ListenUp is committed to offering selection, value, expertise and incredible hands-on experiences, allowing people to see, hear and compare almost any product in the store. Customers can test run more than 20 sets of headphones, gawk at walls of dozens of flat-screen televisions or visit the store’s six demonstration rooms.

“You can look at technology in a real world, home-like environment,” says Huddleston of the demo rooms, which include fully furnished rooms focused on hi-fi audio experiences, high definition video comparisons and even video game play.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published Nov. 22, 2009 in Springs Home & Style.

After owning and operating as a Metro Brokers office for almost 30 years, Marlenna Davidson and her partners didn’t disappear into the sunset when they parted ways with the franchise two years ago. Instead, they’re proud to stand behind independent, family-owned and -operated Davidson Properties.

“After being in the business for 28 years at that point, a lot of people thought I retired, but we’re still here,” says Marlenna Davidson, who operates the company along with husband Ivan Davidson and vice president Mary Biga.  “And we’ve really expanded to become a one-stop shop.”

“We have three distinctive operations now,” Ivan adds. “Buying and selling of homes, then we have the property management company, then we have the mortgage business. They all just mesh so well together.”

That three-pronged approach means Davidson Properties can find your first rental, help you buy your first home, sell that home to buy a second, and then even take care of renting your first home as an investment property to another family just beginning the cycle ― not to mention connecting you with the right financing and mortgages along the way.

“We can go where anybody need us to right now. We’re a team that can handle any real estate need,” says Marlenna, explaining that these complementary skill sets allow the company to be flexible and  thrive ― and help their homeowners thrive ― in any market.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Nov. 15, 2009 Home & Style.

Buy low, sell high. Builder Pulte Homes agrees with this wise old adage about investments, particularly in today’s rebounding real estate market.

“The combination of low property prices and low interest rates mean that you can get into real estate for a much smaller investment than you could a few years ago,” says Randy Carpenter, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte in Colorado.

“And if the economy is returning as a lot of the prognosticators say it is, those prices are heading right back up, meaning your investment is certain to pay off in the long run.”

401k funds, stocks and bonds: Such financial tools may be what the average person thinks of as an “investment,” but real estate is what often makes up the majority of a person’s wealth, even at retirement.

“You can’t live in your 401k, but you can live in your house,” says Carpenter, pointing out that low prices aren’t the only reason to make a real estate investment right now. “With interest rates being low, you really can buy for the same you’re paying in rent, but also realize tax advantages with the mortgage interest tax deduction and the first-time buyer tax credit,” the latter which runs through the end of November, though there’s talk of an extension.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Nov. 8, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

After selling thousands of homes in the Pikes Peak region through his independent office of Stuart Scott Limited, often finding dream homes for several generations of families, broker Stuart Scott is ready to move into a new home himself: by merging his office with ERA Shields Real Estate.

“There is no retirement in me. I work every day,” assures Scott, who enjoyed picking out his new office and looks forward to his new role. Because ERA Shields and its team of professionals can take care of the back-end business of real estate, Stuart can “reduce the amount of management we have to do so we can focus on our own customer service … I’ve had my name on the door for so many years, and now I get to do the fun part of the job.”

“When Stuart made the decision that he really wanted to focus his energies on selling and listing and wanted to merge his company, that he called me I took as a huge compliment,” says ERA Shields broker/owner Bill Hurt. “It was gratifying to be that highly respected by him, especially because I hold him in such high esteem, as well. It’s certainly an advantage for ERA Shields to gain that additional stature of bringing a company and an individual with such a strong reputation in.”

“I can’t wait to get unpacked,” says Marla Twardowski, chief operating officer of Stuart Scott Limited. “Stuart and I have been doing this together for 33 years, and we absolutely love what we do. We were really looking for a company with the same culture and the same feeling of family,” she explains. “We looked at Bill Hurt’s corporate culture, and it’s very similar to ours, but he has the tools of a franchise that really help in a challenging market and particularly in our high-end properties. It’s just a great fit.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this story, which published in the Nov. 1, 2009 Home & Style section.

Perched atop a hill of scrub oak, pine and prairie grasses ― a roost a peregrine falcon might choose ― sits a custom home overlooking the city, the foothills rolling away at its feet into the plains and on to the horizon. And it’s worth the short jaunt into Peregrine in Northwest Colorado Springs just to take in that view, whether from the wrap-around covered porch or framed in the main level’s oversized windows.

“That’s certainly one of the strengths of this house. The house itself is gorgeous, but the location can’t be rivaled,” says Frank Fanelli of The Platinum Group Realtors, who along with partner Melissa Fanelli lists the four-bedroom, five-bath home for $850,000. “You don’t see a hilltop property like this that often, and you can tell every room is designed to take advantage of the views with the placement of walls and windows.”

Built in 2003, the home’s stucco exterior is punctuated with pillars and a dramatic turret, and the entrance great room is just as striking. A tile entryway leads into a large living room with peaked ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling, stacked-stone fireplace. Wide-open arches supported by pillars reveal, straight ahead, a dining room with coffered ceilings and hardwood floors and, to the right, a wet bar with glass cabinetry.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Oct. 31, 2009 Springs Houses.

Once you have the keys to your new home and the front door is firmly shut behind you, like many homeowners, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your home builder. But Jim Stiltner, co-owner of MasterBilt Homes, wants his homeowners to know that their builder is still deeply committed to every single one of their customers.

“Seventy five percent of our sales are referrals. It’s absolutely incredible for a builder to be able to say that,” says Stiltner. “I just want to say thank you for your continued support and your referrals and we really look forward to doing business with you again in the future.”

Perhaps sooner in the future than you think.

Take an interest in interest rates

Declining home prices and plummeting interest rates certainly make for an interesting time in real estate. “There is just so much buying power right now. We have homes that are available now, and interest rates are very low so you get more for your money. I can get the interest rate to 4.25 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage,” says Stiltner, remembering the time not too long ago with a rate in the 7 percent range was pretty standard. “This is huge difference, three percentage points difference.”

How huge? Using an example from his own inventory ― a home in Monument’s Greenland Preserve neighborhood that would have sold for $690,000, now reduced to $580,000 ― a homeowner could land a monthly payment of about $2,500 at 4.25 percent. At 7 percent, that would have been $3,600 per month.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published on Oct. 25, 2009 in Home & Style.

Customers know not to trust every word pitched to them by a company representative about how great a product is. But when passionate statements pour in from other consumers, interest is peaked and ears will perk up, because positive word-of-mouth advertising speaks louder than any marketing material.

“I really believe our testimonials speak for themselves. When someone tells a story about how much they love their Campbell home, that says a whole lot,” says Randy Deming, CEO of Campbell Homes, who shared a stack of recent testimonials from Campbell Homes customers in all parts of the city. “We’ve been saying for years to not let us tell you how good Campbell Homes are. Knock on the door of any of our homeowners. We’re that confident in the product we put out and the level of service we provide.”

Word for word, Deming shares what some Campbell Homes’ clients are saying.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in Springs Home & Style on Oct. 18, 2009

After outfitting three Parade of Homes entries this year, including Kenton Pass’ The Rowan, which won four awards in its price range, La Z Boy Furniture Galleries is excited the public has seen the full scope of the La Z Boy brand. They do make quality recliners ― the best in the business, in fact ― but La Z Boy Galleries can also outfit every room in your home and provide in-house interior design experts to make your house look like a Parade entry.

“We had a lot of people come from the Parade to our store specifically because they saw our work in those homes,” says Jim Hendron, who has owned the store with wife Chris Hendron since 2005. “We’re not just recliners. We can provide furnishings for every room in the house and have a tremendous selection of accessories.”

“My favorite terminology is that we’re not just overstuffed and ugly anymore,” says sales consultant and licensed interior designer Kathy Bauer. “People still associate us with the Archie Bunker chair that holds up forever, and that’s great because they know the quality we represent, but many people don’t know how upscale we’ve gotten. Customers are really amazed.”

After all, La-Z-Boy companies include Kincaid, American Drew, Hammary and Lea, and all of their pieces are fully customizable in terms of upholstery, which allows for boundless creativity. Bauer is proud of the quality, range and versatility of the furniture she has to work with, especially their unexpected variety of wood furniture, which she calls “heirloom pieces, certainly.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published on Oct. 11, 2009 in Home & Style.

Perhaps it happens when you’re trapped in your car during rush hour traffic. Maybe the urge arrives when you can hear your neighbors through the walls or when you see stars murky with city light pollution and smog. But for people who crave a slice of land with trees, views and the symphony of crickets, the urge to escape city life can often be overwhelming.

“You have the people on the Front Range who want a nice little place to go to that’s out of town, not too far, but far enough so you have a big area of open space around you, the type of person who needs a larger piece of land than normal with a beautiful view and sunsets and quiet,” says Joe O’Brien, managing partner of Red Creek Land Company. Red Creek owns a slice of paradise called Twin Butte Estates about 15 minutes west of Pueblo, near the small hamlet of Beulah, a wooded expanse of land ideal for retreating from urban sprawl.

“It’s just a beautiful area that’s kind of a hidden jewel of Southern Colorado,” O’Brien continues. “It’s drop dead staring at the Greenhorn Mountains and the rest of the Wet Mountains and obviously Pikes Peak to the north. The property also has a beautiful canyon running through parts of the property, what we call the St. Charles River Canyon.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Oct. 4, 2009 Home & Style section.

It’s no secret that real estate has been rocky, but it may be surprising that one local builder ― Aspen View Homes ― grew 100 percent in 2008 and is projected to grow an additional 40-50 percent in 2009. An affiliate of Desert View Homes based in Texas, the small, flexible company built 13 homes in 2006, 27 in 2007 and 42 in 2008, but division manager Bruce Martin says that their phenomenal success isn’t a secret either.

“We all hear it’s doom and gloom, but we’re prospering in this market,” says Martin, who lays out the formula for prosperity: “Aspen View Home’s market niche is geared toward the first-time homebuyers, the first-time move up buyers and maybe an older couple looking to downsize from a bigger home. We’re a very flexible production builder, meaning we can make some design changes as needed, and we’re very geared toward customer satisfaction and quality.”

It sounds simple, certainly, but Aspen View has nailed down exactly what their target customers crave: quality construction and customer service at a price that allows them to fulfill the dream of homeownership.

Currently offered in three neighborhoods in Colorado Springs ― the Black Forest’s Forest Meadows, and Freedom Heights and Country Side North near Fort Carson ― Aspen View’s homes have a minimum of three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage, and range from 1,200-2,000 square feet. A finished basement, a popular option for many buyers, increases the floor plan by another 600-1,500 square feet.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Sept. 27, 2009 Home & Style section.

Here is this gift — wrapped and tied with ribbon — for the American taxpayer, an $8,000 check to make their homeownership dreams come true as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. For every new homeowner, that’s $8,000 they’ll pump back into the local economy. Adding up the figures and hearing the clock tick down toward the program’s end on Nov. 30, Kevin Sullivan and Debbie Reardon decided that it could be done: They could fulfill 125 dreams and distribute $1 million into the city’s economy in less than 90 days.

“If we have 125 buyers with each getting an $8,000 credit, that equals $1 million, so our goal is to close 125 buyers before the Nov. 30 deadline,” says Reardon, broker at Reardon Partners at the Platinum Group Realtors. “The real estate industry leads the economy in and out of recessions. We’ve all seen what’s happened when the real estate market is down. So if we can stimulate the economy by selling houses, we can help all the other businesses in town.”

“To try to do what we’re trying to do in 90 days is pretty huge,” says Sullivan, branch manager of Cherry Creek Mortgage, but he also believes that this $1 million challenge will help get the word out about the program, which he’s found many potential buyers don’t fully understand. “We started finding out that a lot of people thought this $8,000 was a tax deduction instead of a true tax credit, where they could do an amended tax return and get a check back immediately.”

That’s right: Amend your 2008 taxes, and receive a check for $8,000 within 30 days.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Sept. 5, 2009 Home & Style section.

At the end of July, Gloriod & Associates Real Estate celebrated its 10th anniversary, a decade in which they racked up $1.6 billion in sales in the Pikes Peak region and earned a reputation for high-quality agents and high-end sales. But Gloriod is stepping into their 11th year with a surprising announcement: That they will be Gloriod no longer.

“As of this week, we’re officially Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors,” says broker owner Jack Gloriod, noting that Prudential Rocky Mountain covers the entire Front Range with offices in Ft. Collins, Loveland, Boulder, Littleton, Denver and now Colorado Springs. “This is not selling. This is a merger. It’s buying into another opportunity and moving forward,” he explains. “We’re excited about joining this amazing team.”

Their 40-agent office has instantly become a linked group of 190 real estate professionals under the Prudential Rocky Mountain umbrella, and 68,000 agents in Prudential nationwide. Their reach has grown exponentially geographically, and the marketing, training, networking and technological tools at their disposal will allow the agency formerly known as Gloriod to increase their level of customer service, as well.

CLICK HERE to view the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 16, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

By Kate Jonuska

The sun is shining, the grass is green, the sweet smell of fresh-cut lumber fills the air. That’s right: It’s summer, time for the annual Parade of Homes, and title sponsor ERA Shields Real Estate is excited to show off all the Colorado Springs real estate community — and their full-service company — have to offer.

“Particularly now when there’s no shortage of troubling news, we like to be involved with the positive aspects of the real estate community,” says broker/owner Bill Hurt, who notes that this is their fourth year supporting the Parade, the Colorado Springs Housing and Building Association’s largest yearly event. “It provides a real positive impact in the community. It’s always focused on new ideas and new technology, new products and services utilized in new homes. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

Hurt estimates that 25 percent of their business is in new homes and takes pride in the close relationships they’ve formed with builders large, small and custom.

“Because of our large presence in the community, we know that side of the business really well,” says Hurt. “We have such a broad coverage with people in the real estate market, though, so I think we know every side of the business well.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 9, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

At a time when many real estate companies are pulling in, scaling back and making cuts, The Platinum Group Realtors is proud to announce their most recent expansion: the creation of a formal Business Development and Relocation Division headed by Chris Fullen, a nationally award-winning certified relocation professional formerly aligned with Prudential. By consolidating relocation services under a talented CRP, The Platinum Group hopes to become the best local resource for corporations wooing talent to the Pikes Peak area.

“Because The Platinum Group has decided to bring on this Business Development and Relocation division, we are honestly the No. 1 company with relocation in Colorado Springs,” says Fullen. “A company like The Platinum Group has all the tools that I could possibly hope for when offering services to local corporations and national relocation entities.”

Relocation specialists like Fullen and her team are non-selling real estate professionals and offer companies a liaison for their potential hires, someone to introduce and cheerlead the community rather than focus on making a home sale. As a part of their service, consumers are offered tours of the city geared toward their particular needs and interests, educated about local resources and specific neighborhoods, and aided in their decision as to whether a career in Colorado Springs is in their future.

“A service like ours helps those folks make an educated decision. The HR department can focus on selling the job, and we can focus on selling the community,” Fullen explains. “Relocation service is a lot of extra work but the residual business and potential is phenomenal, and that’s the vision The Platinum Group sees.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 1, 2009 Springs Houses section.

Those who have heard and believe the news that the new housing market is suffering in the current economic climate may be surprised if they take a stroll in Banning Lewis Ranch over a weekend. The fledgling master-planned community in Northeast Colorado Springs, which opened in 2007, bustles with people — walking dogs on trails, hanging out at the park or clustered around the Olympic-sized pool, which overflows with the happy screams of splashing children. The grass is green, the trees are well-established, and odds are you’ll see a moving van or two unloading boxes into a family’s new home.

“We had our 100th family move in in May, and we’re averaging six to eight families per month moving in,” says Banning Lewis Ranch spokesperson Kim Mutchler. “We now have 650 kids enrolled in (Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, a public charter school that recently completed its third school year), the test scores are improving leaps and bounds every year, and there’s even a waiting list for kids to join.”

The bottom line, she adds, is that “while it would be typical for many communities to slow down or even go away, Banning Lewis Ranch is still thriving, and in a market and economy like this, that’s important.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July 12, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

Best kitchen, best master suite, best interior design, best floor plan, best architectural exterior, most innovative, best overall, the coveted People’s Choice award — this custom Tuscan-themed rancher, called the Positano, swept the 2007 Parade of Homes awards, taking all but one trophy in its category. Opening a wrought-iron gate to a courtyard with a gurgling water feature and an impressive stone turret front porch, it’s obvious that the enchantment Parade goers sensed remains, charming visitors through the home’s solid alder front door.

“This was definitely the belle of the ball,” says Patti Farley-Barker of Rusinak Real Estate, who lists the six-bedroom, six-bath home in University Heights for $1.4 million. “It’s definitely a Tuscan feel, an Italian flavor, but with part of Colorado, too, which is very warm and welcoming.”

According to Farley-Barker, the beauty is all thanks to builder Randal Homes attention to detail, both in the use of quality materials and the thoughtful, artistic or useful touches sprinkled throughout the 5,738-square-foot showpiece.

From the entryway, shining 6-inch hickory floors flow through curving, almost organic hallways with earthy hand-troweled walls. Archways — sheathed in either custom, solid wood or travertine tile — lead between living spaces, creating an open and free-flowing floor plan. Custom crown molding highlights the high ceilings, and hidden lighting behind the woodwork casts a warming glow upwards, just one of many minor details that make the home extraordinary.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July 11, 2009 SpringsHouses.

By Kate Jonuska

Ah, summer. The time of barbecues, swimming pools, freshly mowed lawns and, no less important to the celebration of the season, the annual Parade of Homes, organized by the Colorado Springs Housing and Building Association. As fresh and vital as the summer sunshine, the event offers builders a chance to dazzle the eye and inspire the imagination with a showcase of the latest and greatest trends in real estate.

“We are excited to be celebrating the 55th year, and the public just loves it,” says Trish Sorvald, director of development for the CSHBA. “They enjoy seeing all the new trends in design, decorating, landscaping, new developments and the lifestyles they offer.”
Made up of more than 700 member companies consisting of builders, developers, contractors, suppliers, designers, Realtors and more, the CSHBA presents the Parade of Homes as their annual chance to wow the public, to display the talent and quality of local members.

“These homes are a labor of love for the builders who spend many sleepless nights just making sure that everything is ‘just right’ and could net them the coveted People’s Choice Award,” Sorvald explains. “Where else can they have their designs and those of their suppliers and subcontractors viewed by over 20,000 people?”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July/August 2009 edition of Colorado Springs Style magazine.

They met in working in a furniture store in Denver while they were both in college, and through the course of a 35-year career in interior design and furnishings, Ann and Eric Fetsch managed to run a series of successful businesses, engage and improve the Colorado Springs community, and remain happily married. But there comes a time in any life to turn a corner, to move into a new chapter, and for the Fetschs — who own Drexel Heritage Furniture on Woodmen Road — the time to segue into their next great adventure is now.

“It’s certainly bittersweet in some ways. We’ve had a lot of wonderful relationships built over time,” says Ann Fetsch of their impending retirement from their furniture and design careers, which included owning Country Classics, which then became Colorado Classics, on Garden of the Gods Road and their five-year spell as Drexel Heritage retailers. “It’s scary to think what change can bring, but after 35 years, it’s definitely time for us to make that change.”

“We have family and places to be that we haven’t been and we need to get to,” explains Eric Fetch, who wants to free up more time for travel, the couple’s biking hobby and their non-profit involvement. After some spell of rest, the always active Fetschs may explore other exciting opportunities. “We’ll be finding our encore career,” jokes Eric. “We’ve only had the one so far.”

Not that either of these two community entrepreneurs regret a single moment of the career they’re leaving behind. Both have thrived on the creativity of interior design and love working with people, helping families create warm, happy and comfortable homes. In the past few years, they’ve seen the children of previous customers come to outfit their own homes and enjoy watching the generations unfold.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 14, 2009 Springs Jobs.

Passing the calm and elegant campus of the Broadmoor resort and climbing up Old Stage Road to this week’s featured home, a private wrought-iron gate opens to a circular drive and presents an estate straight out of the golden age of Hollywood.

This courtyard is where Sabrina might have attended her first garden party with the Larrabees. This sweeping marble stair could have been where Norma Desmond asked Mr. DeMille for her close up. This home is where even a 21st Century family could feel the luxury and glamour of living like movie stars, down to learning the pleasure of taking a dip in the indoor pool every morning after breakfast.

“It has tons of character,” says Terrie Elwood of The Clement Team and RE/MAX Properties, who list the four-bedroom, seven-bath, 11,509-square-foot home for $1.895 million. “You’re not going to find a house like this anywhere else. It’s one of a kind.”

The lower level of stacked stone, the upper tier of stucco and the roof tiled, exquisite garden beds and retaining walls lead to the double front door. Inside, custom tile spills down the aforementioned stairway into a truly grand great room with a peaked ceiling and a wall of windows. Yards and yards of windows, looking out at a postcard perfect view of the Broadmoor nestled below and the entire city.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 13, 2009 Springs Houses.

By Kate Jonuska

Talk to any Realtor who loves their job and they’ll tell you that real estate doesn’t consist only of locations, asking prices, negotiations and profits. Instead, the business of real estate is about people: taking care of families, fulfilling dreams, securing futures and creating communities. Considering the latter no less important to their mission than buying and selling properties, ERA Shields Real Estate knows that reaching out to the community with time, energy and resources will only improve the city that we all share.

“The efforts that we make in helping people less fortunate — whether based upon physical impairments or whether its financial difficulties — it all points back to helping people live a better life,” says Bill Hurt, broker/owner of ERA Shields, which offers two location in Colorado Springs. “We recognize that most of us live in Colorado Springs by choice. Part of the choice of people living here has to do with quality of life, and collectively, we have a very significant impact on what happens in this community.”

“Everyone here loves Colorado Springs. It’s their home,” says Stephanie Kasanicky, ERA Shields relocation director. Like many staff members, Kasanicky takes pride in her community involvement, which includes volunteering with CASA and organizing the company’s annual fundraising art show to benefit muscular dystrophy.

“Obviously, you have to stay in business, but working for Bill and Carol (Hurt) is great because they are so family oriented,” she continues. “I couldn’t work for someone where it was all about the bottom line. It wouldn’t make me feel comfortable to go to work every day if that was the motivation.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 7, 2009 Home & Style section.

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs perches majestically atop Austin Bluffs, overlooking both the mountains and the city stretched out below. But tucked on the north side of UCCS’s hill, an idyllic setting springs out of the city: custom homes on large — minimum of 1-acre — lots with those same fantastic views, plus privacy, birdsong and deer paths.

“You’d have to travel way out to the east or up to the Black Forest to get this sort of setting,” says Dianne Meyer of FSBO Find, USA real estate, who lists this week’s featured property — a five-bedroom, four-bath rancher in Eagle Vista Estates — for $529,000.  “With this house, you have mountains on one side and the whole Front Range on the other,” she continues. “It’s just a great little place. It doesn’t get any better.”

Located on the top of a rolling hill, the terra cotta-colored stucco home sits upon 1.2 acres of natural, low-maintenance landscaping and begins with a large, covered front porch shaded by lattice and mature aspen trees, enhancing the rural feeling of the neighborhood. The main living areas open up sunny and bright, with most of the far wall covered in windows and French doors leading to the back deck. The deck’s retractable awning allows you to enjoy the view of the Front Range and the west side of the city in any weather.

“We have three decks — all covered — so that gives you lots of exterior living space,” says the seller. “We’re out there in the summer all the time.” He designed the home himself and, never wanting to be hemmed in, kept the floor plan open, bright and welcoming.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 6, 2009 Springs Houses.

There are several common adjectives paired with the description contemporary in real estate, most of them also beginning with the letter C, including clean, crisp and, often, cold. But when speaking about this week’s featured property in the Broadmoor area, real estate agent Ed Veranth casts off those standard descriptions of contemporary in favor of words like charming and cozy.

“It’s very contemporary, yet not screamingly so,” says Veranth of The Real Estate Network, who lists the three-bedroom, two-bath home for $595,000. He credits the seller, who is also an artist, for balancing contemporary style and utility with the charm and timeless class original to the 1954-built home.

Set into a lush grove of mature trees, the rancher peeks out from its careful landscaping, guarding its restful privacy. An S-shaped drive leads towards a side courtyard with a trickling fountain, and natural stone walls dot the home’s exterior.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 30, 2009 Springs Houses.

Custom-built Fox Pines home offers ‘Beaver Creek style’ and amazing outdoor living space
By Kate Jonuska

If you wind west on Baptist Road until it’s surrounded by trees, sweep up a steep drive to a stucco home with forest green accents and a front porch supported by wood beams, and you feel like you’ve arrived at your vacation cabin in the woods, that’s exactly what the sellers of this custom five-bedroom, four-bath home in Fox Pines were aiming for.

“It’s a mountain retreat with a slight Tuscan feel,” says Tiffany Lachnidt of The Distinctive Group and RE/MAX Properties, who lists this week’s featured home for $575,000. She describes the flair of the home at Beaver Creek style, which means, “lots of wood beams, lots of stone work.”

Both elements become instantly evident upon entering into the great room, where a slate entry abuts hardwood floors. Most of the main level spreads out before you, covered with a peaked ceiling of tongue-and-groove wood paneling and punctuated by the home’s most dramatic feature: a four-sided floor-to-ceiling fireplace of tile and stucco, visible from the dining room, living room and kitchen.

“The fireplace in the great room affects the whole floor. It’s so dramatic,” says Lachnidt, who sweeps past a formal dining room with built-in arches and pillars into the living area. “And since it’s in the middle of the room, you still have wall space for all these windows.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 23, 2009 Springs Houses.

Age-targeted Encore series from Classic Homes offers hands-off country club lifestyle
By Kate Jonuska

Forget about the days when it was necessary to adjust your lifestyle to your home, smashing and cramming your preferences into those fixed walls like a round peg in a square hole. Today’s quality builders, such as award-winning Colorado Springs-based Classic Homes, are instead matching their homes exactly to your needs and desires.

Nowhere is this attitude of personalization more present than in Classic’s new Encore series of homes in Flying Horse, their first age-targeted semi-custom development.

“We’re very excited about this,” says Annie DeGeorge, director of marketing for Classic Companies, who notes that one of Encore’s models will be featured in this summer’s Parade of Homes. “We have a beautiful, beautiful model we designed called the Paradise. We’ve done a lot of research over the last few years for this product and integrated that into Encore.”

Geared toward buyers who crave hands-off home ownership, Classic’s research led them to develop 11 ranch-style floor plans with approximately 1,300-1,950 square feet (or about 3,000-4,000 if you choose a finished basement, many of them walk-out).

“They certainly want single-level living,” says DeGeorge, “but they don’t want to make sacrifices. They want room for kids and grandkids to come visit. They want room to entertain.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 17, 2009 Home & Style section.

Former Parade home spins antique French style into modern family enclave
By Kate Jonuska

There is a timeless appeal in our culture’s idea of the typical French chateau, a certain romance in wrought iron fixtures with a patina of age, a well-stocked wine cellar, massive fireplaces large enough to roast a boar or cavernous dining halls. Certainly, we love the romance of the image, but our modern sensibilities shudder at the realties of life in such an old building: the draftiness, the gloomy light, ancient kitchens and drastically fewer baths than we’re accustomed to.

Luckily for prospective homeowners who share that romantic bent, this week’s featured home proves that the charm and style of a French chateau can be seamlessly integrated into a home built for a modern family — built, in fact, by Nichols and Comito in 2000 as their Parade of Homes showcase.

“The pattern of this is after a French chateau,” says Tyra Sandoval with ERA Shields Real Estate, who lists the five-bedroom, nine-bath home for $2.65 million. From the exterior, she points out the sloping roof lines, the lovely red shutters, two solid masonry chimneys and an adorable turret with a peaked roof as examples of the French charm.

But as you walk through the double front doors into a light, welcoming space with vaulted ceilings and perfectly finished hardwood, it’s hard to doubt that this truly is a high-end, quality modern home.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 9, 2009 Springs Houses.

When his home The Positano swept the 2007 Parade of Homes awards — winning “best overall,” “best interior design,” “best innovative home,” the “people’s choice award” and more — the owner of Randal Homes had one little secret. In truth, that Parade of Homes success was a smaller version of his personal home in Sunset Mesa, which is still his favorite of the two.

“When I put things together, I often have an item or two that doesn’t work the way I want. But here, everything came together perfectly,” says the seller and custom builder of the five-bedroom, five-bath, 5,750-square-foot home, listed by Bill and Mary-Good Forsythe of RE/MAX Properties for $1.2 million. “It turned out great. It really did.”

The award-winning builder loves to point out certain materials — Texas limestone, solid beams from Washington, the massive stone lintel over the front door — that inspired him. He shows the perfect joining of custom wood work, the rustic feel of dry stacked stones without grout lines, and the construction details of intricate and stunning beamed ceilings.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the April 25, 2009 Springs Houses.

By Kate Jonuska

If it’s true that resistance to change is a part of human nature, no one sent the memo to Roger Herman, a man who gathered scattered offices of real estate agents over three states, molded them into a cohesive unit and thrust them onto the cutting edge of real estate philosophy and technology. That unit — made up of what was once Prudential Colorado Real Estate, Prudential Professionals, Prudential Cheyenne and others — is the exciting new Herman Group Real Estate, a company that shares its president and CEO’s dynamism and passion.

“I’m proud, I have to say, of our group of Realtors who recognized that the world is changing and changing extremely fast,” says Herman. While larger national companies struggle to evolve in the fast-paced world of 21st Century real estate, “We’ve made that change and it’s worked certainly to our advantage and our consumers’ advantage. We were up 24 percent year-over-year in volume last year.”

Every real estate agent and his brother will tell you about the growing importance of technology in real estate — including the fact that the vast majority of buyers begin their search online instead of in a brick-and-mortar office — but The Herman Group’s technologic focus isn’t just rhetoric.

“We watched the real estate market change over the last three or four years like we’ve never seen, mostly because technology has really changed the face of our industry,” Herman explains. “Today, it’s all ‘now, this moment, here’s what I need’ … That’s absolutely the future of the industry.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the April 5, 2009 Home & Style.

Old North End home retains the style and memories of a turn-of-the-century mansion
By Kate Jonuska

The most important item to bring if you decide to move into this house in the Old North End isn’t your knick knack collection, your artwork or even your furniture — though 8,134 square feet are certainly a daunting space to fill.

Instead, the most important item potential homeowners can bring to this week’s featured property is a firm grasp on the modern world, because once you step into the turn-of-the-century gem, it’s easy to get lost in the vibrant historic character, to get swept away into the past.

“The house has period charm,” declares Carol Patten of ERA Shields Real Estate, who along with partner Mary Smith lists the five-bedroom, five-bath home for $975,000. “For people looking for that unique, turn-of-the-century flavor of Colorado Springs, this house represents all that. It’s been impeccably maintained.”

Just blocks from the Colorado College campus, you cross a wrought-iron gate to enter .45 acres of downtown property that more resemble an English garden, with brick and flagstone pathways, birdbaths, benches, cropped grass and manicured flower beds. Overlooking it all is the home’s shingle-and-stucco exterior, punctuated with plentiful windows. Indoors, the effect of those windows is immediately apparent.

CLICK HERE to view the full text of this article, which published in the April 4, 2008 Springs Houses.

Boulders Broadmoor home carved into the hills below Cheyenne Mountain
By Kate Jonuska

It’s not that the neighborhood isn’t great, with a quiet cul-de-sac and award-winning Cheyenne Mountain District schools. It’s not that the exterior of the home isn’t lovely — stacked stone and stucco, a covered front porch supported by stone pillars.

In fact, the only reason to breeze through everything that precedes walking through the front door of this five-bedroom, five-bath home is that once you’re inside, it’s impossible not to be bowled over, drawn like a magnet toward a massive wall of windows that reveal how the home is literally carved into the hillside.

“I respect how Sterling Homes took this steep lot and made something of it. The way they set this house in here is fantastic,” says Joe Clement of RE/MAX Properties, who lists the Boulders Broadmoor home for $795,000. He gives a tour of the windows, which boast views of mature trees, boulders, terraced rock walls, meandering flagstone paths and not a neighboring home in sight. “You’re right in the forest, in the foothills, with peeks of Cheyenne Mountain here and there.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 21, 2009 Springs Houses.

RE/MAX Properties offers clients a recipe for success in any market
By Kate Jonuska

While the real estate market has its ups and downs — or perhaps because of such fluctuations — the most important quality you can look for in a real estate agent is consistent quality over time, according to Joe Clement, broker/owner of RE/MAX Properties, Inc. And not only is Clement certain the 250 broker associates in four local offices can provide that consistent success, he has the numbers to back it up: RE/MAX Properties has ranked No. 1 among local real estate firms in number of sales for the last 20 years solid.

“Since 1989, we took over the No. 1 position and we’ve held that every quarter since,” says Clement. “Add that up and we helped 2,600 families either sell or buy in 2008.” With those 2,600 families, the company racked up $630 million in transactions and earned a 14.3 percent market share last year alone.

He insists that the secret to real estate success isn’t magically or lucky, but instead a simple combination of quality employees and a company that embraces innovation, both in continued training for its broker associates and cutting-edge programs to aid clients.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 15, 2009 Home & Style.

Broadmoor Ridge home offers room for a large family and impressive attention to detail
By Kate Jonuska

Winding up towards the Broadmoor Ridge neighborhood in Southwest Colorado Springs, scenic Cheyenne Mountain growing closer by the block, I was prepared to be impressed by the sheer size of this week’s featured property. After all, it contains five bedrooms and four baths in a remarkable 5,736 feet of breathing room.

Walking into the soaring atrium of the 2007-built home, however, what struck me instead was the incredible quality and attention to detail visible wherever the eye lands — from graceful archways and art niches to the wide-beam hardwood floors and cushy carpet. It may be a large house, but this home’s builder was obviously all about the details.

“It adds that different and high-end touch in my opinion,” says Ann Heiring with RE/MAX Advantage Real Estate, who lists the home for $799,900. We step through an archway to the formal dining room, which boasts a coffered ceiling with crown molding, plantation shutters, and a butler’s pantry with slab granite counter tops.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 16, 2009 Springs Houses.

Pulte Homes offers amazing finance packages on new quality town homes
By Kate Jonuska

Opportunity knocks…
Hindsight is 20/20…
I just kicked myself…

The English language sure does have a lot of useful phrases for people who missed their chance at that one perfect thing, that one unbelievable value. But in the real estate market of 2009, there’s also an opposite phrase for the lucky souls who answer opportunity’s knock: new Pulte Home owners.

In business since 1950, Pulte long ago mastered the art of building quality homes at affordable prices, and currently offers new town homes in five communities around Colorado Springs. But they’ve also adjusted quickly to the current economic climate with an exceptional financing option: a 30-year fixed-rate financing program for FHA and VA loans set at only 4.875 percent interest, which is almost a full point below current market rates.

“That difference would translate to, depending on the price of the home, significant savings in your monthly payment each month and a lot less interest paid over the life of the loan,” says Randy Carpenter, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte in Colorado. “There’s no spin on that. It’s math, and it’s a great deal.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 8, 2009 Springs Home & Style.

The stylish stucco and stack-stone exterior of the clubhouse was built to last centuries, and the private 18-hole Tom Weiskopf signature golf course is sure to challenge and impress golfers for generations. But one thing that won’t last around The Club at Flying Horse, a private country club in the master-planned Flying Horse neighborhood in Northern Colorado Springs, is the unprecedented membership opportunities available this spring.

“Understanding the times are difficult, people need some good recreation and fun in their lives,” says Wendy McHenry, the Club’s membership director. “As people evaluate their own personal finances right now — and everybody’s looking at that —  they’re making sure what they’re spending money on has value.”

And McHenry knows that value can be found at The Club at Flying Horse, which in addition to that signature golf course offers an indoor golf learning center, four indoor red-clay and four outdoor hard-surface tennis courts, a 25-yard lap pool and additional activity pools, a state-of-the-art 50,000-square-foot athletic club, fitness classes, sports leagues, seasonal celebrations and more.

“Even in this economic downturn, what we see with our members is that they use the club more,” says McHenry. “It’s a nice escape in a time when people are cutting things out. It’s a place of peace and relaxation.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the March 1, 2009 Home & Style.

Meridian Ranch’s focus on lifestyle improves residents health and happiness
By Kate Jonuska

Beginning on Monday, most people are working toward the weekend, those few days of freedom where we’re able to spend time with loved ones, dabble in our hobbies and enjoy the fruits of our 9-to-5 labors. Luckily for us weekenders, it turns out that some neighborhoods are more attuned to the idea of valuing lifestyle — that portion of time we spend doing what we enjoy.

“Basically one-third of our community is dedicated to lifestyle and amenities,” says Shelley La Judice, marketing representative for Meridian Ranch. That one-third consists of miles of trails, parks, a recreation center, community events, a golf course — so many various ways to spend that precious weekend capital.

So what could homeowners in Meridian Ranch be up to this fine Sunday? They could be…

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 22, 2009 Home & Style.

Couple finds high-end home in Sunset Mesa built for two to be a perfect fit
By Kate Jonuska

Most people follow a certain real-estate pattern in life.

You start in your parents’ house, sharing a bedroom with your siblings, and then have a place of your own, which you don’t really like but can afford. Then you spend years in a house with your own children, where you pick up their messes and referee battles over morning bathroom time.

Though these various homes provide warm and happy memories, there’s nothing in the real-estate world to compare to your next decadent and deserved move into a home built just for you. No compromises, no settling and no excess.

“We used to drive by and dream about having a lot up here,” says the seller of this week’s featured property in Sunset Mesa, which is listed by Bobbi Price of Prudential Professional Realtors for $425,000. The sellers custom built the two-bedroom, three-bath home in 1997 and have continued updating it ever since. “We’d rather have more quality and less house.”

“It’s hard to find a high-quality smaller house in an upper-end area. People are so square-foot conscious, yet others don’t want bigger and bigger and bigger,” explains Price, touring around the 2,959-square-foot floor plan. “It’s a great option for a retirement home that’s not a patio home.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 21, 2009 Springs Houses.

With the encroachment of builders further and further north of Colorado Springs, the character of portions of the Black Forest has dramatically changed, introducing bright, shiny new edifices of “Old World,” “Tuscan” or “contemporary Southwestern” style into the midst of the quiet, rustic trees.

But for those who still crave the archetypal country cottage in the Black Forest, a family-friendly and comfortable getaway in the woods, this week’s featured property is a breath of fresh air rustling through the pines.

Listed for $420,000 by Tiffany Lachnidt of The Distinctive Group — a value price among the new “Old World” villas — this six-bedroom, four-bath home offers traditional Colorado country with updated amenities.

“Finding a home in this price range in the Black Forest area that’s in the quality and condition of this home is hard to beat. Everything in the house has been updated,” says Lachnidt, who elaborates on the updates: new carpet, new paint, new fixtures, refinished floors, two furnaces and new appliances.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 7 Springs Houses.