Jamie Mades

Welcome to another installment of the Peterson AFB Real Estate Minute!

Today I'd like to cover the topic of New Homes.

I've blogged a few times about the Banning Lewis Ranch Community. Why? It seems a lot of my Colorado Springs Military Relocation clients gravitate to that community. After looking at all the resale homes (previously owned) they start to see the same thing over and over again. And it's true. You can get some great deals and great housing in the Powers Corridor and Briargate neighborhoods.

What differentiates Banning Lewis is the Community aspect. They have a ton of trails and park space in their first small subdivision (North Tree.) They also mandate front yard landscaping and varying the models and exterior finishing of homes (stucco, stone, siding) so each street looks like a symphony of colors and textures. And of course, there's the Ranch House itself, with an great outdoor fireplace and lounge, Jr Olympic-sized swimming pool, picnic area with large gas grills and brand new tennis courts.

To top it all off, this community has a D-49 Charter School for kids K-8. That makes it pretty darn appealing for anyone with kids. If you're in the market to buy, now's a time to get some great deals out there, too. It's definitely a buyer's market when it comes to new homes.

A quick word of advice if you want to go look: take a Realtor with you (if you're seriously considering a home.) The builder reps in Banning Lewis are all wonderful people (I've become friends with quite a few from all the time I've spent out there.) Just realize that ultimately they represent the Builder's best interests. Take someone with you who represents you and your family's interest.

So that's it! The reasons why Banning Lewis Ranch has been such a popular choice for my clients that have been looking at Peterson AFB Real Estate.

If you're PCSing to the area, checkout our Colorado Springs Military Relocation FAQ!

Contact me if you'd like to know more about Banning Lewis Ranch or would like a Colorado Springs Military Specialist representing you!

Jamie Mades, REALTOR
Keller Williams Clients Choice
Office: (719) 535-0355
Direct: (719) 322-4645

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Jamie is a residential Colorado Springs real estate and Colorado Springs Military Relocation specialist, providing buyer and seller services for Peterson AFB real estate, Fort Carson real estate, Schriever AFB real estate and Air Force Academy real estate.

"Get an Expert You Know & Trust"

In the land of news and media, most stories that grab the headlines are doom and gloom. So it's nice to share a story with a happy ending.

A few months ago I was working with a young couple who were looking to buy their first home. And like a lot of buyers in the Colorado Springs Real Estate Market, they selected several Short Sale and Bank-owned properties. One of the major challenges of our current MLS search system is that it won't flag these homes. So if you're a buyer looking online, you just see a great deal...not that it's a Short Sale.

The challenge of writing a buyer contract on a Colorado Springs Short Sale is the waiting period involved. After the seller accepts your offer, the bank can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months to approve it. And there's no guarantee that they will.

However, if you can be a little patient (and don't need to move into a home right away), you can get a great price on a nice home.

Knowing the challenges and the opportunities involved, my buyers decided to make an offer. After the bank busted our initial time table of 3 weeks for an answer, the buyers decided to give them 7 more days. And at the end of that week, the bank came back and approved a sale that was about $20,000 less than the exact same model down the street was selling for. And the bank paid for their closing cost to boot!

My clients moved into their home a few weeks ago (which was very well maintained) and are absolutely thrilled with their first house.

Knowing the process allowed me to counsel these new home buyers on what to expect. And going in with reasonable expections, knowing that nothing was guaranteed, they ended up with a great home for a great price.

Learn more about Short Sales:

Short Sales in Colorado Springs and El Paso County Part 1 - What is a Short Sale?

Short Sales in Colorado Springs and El Paso County Part 2 - Do You Qualify?

Short Sales in Colorado Springs and El Paso County Part 3 - Pros and Cons

Short Sales in Colorado Springs and El Paso County Part 4 - The Short Sale Process

Contact me if you have more questions about Short Sales or want work with a Colorado Springs Short Sale Realtor to buy your next home.

Jamie Mades, REALTOR
Keller Williams Clients Choice
Office: (719) 535-0355
Direct: (719) 322-4645

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Jamie is a residential Colorado Springs real estate and Colorado Springs Military Relocation specialist, providing buyer and seller services for both traditional and short sale homes.

"Get an Expert You Know & Trust"

The next part of our series for those of you with an upcoming Colorado Springs Military Relocation and current residents in the area of Peterson AFB Real Estate highlights a little-known service the base provides.

The Peterson AFB Aero Club is one of the coolest (and expensive) services on the base. If you have a current pilot's license, you can rent an aircraft for the day or weekend. And if you don't have license, not to worry, the Aeroclub's got you covered.

You can take classes there to get your pilot's license. Rates are very reasonable (compared to their civilian counterpart.) And once you have your pass, you can get all kinds of add-on ratings like instruments and multi-engine.

Best of all, if you're Active Duty, you can get tuition assistance for part of the training (ground school.) I also have some friends that used their VA benefits to get their training and go on to fly for the airline industries (you'll have to get additional training for that!)

Peterson AFB Aero Club Rates & Information

Aircraft Wet Dry

T-41C $85/hr $50/hr

T-41B $99/hr $55/hr

Cessna 172M $84/hr $53/hr

Cessna 172SP $96/hr $50/hr

Piper Arrow $126/hr $78/hr

Piper Seneca $234/hr $146/hr

Beech Baron $235/hr $146/hr

Additional Services

Instructors $28/hr

Simulator $20/hr

Fuel $4.80/gal

*Prices effective as of 1 August 2008

If you're PCSing to the area, be sure to checkout the Colorado Springs Military Relocation FAQ!

Contact me if you have any questions about Peterson AFB Real Estate or want to work with a Military Relocation Specialist as a Buyer's Agent for your move.

Jamie Mades, REALTOR
Keller Williams Clients Choice
Office: (719) 535-0355
Direct: (719) 322-4645

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Jamie specializes in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Colorado Springs Military Relocation, providing buyer and seller services for Peterson AFB Real Estate, Fort Carson Real Estate, Schriever AFB Real Estate and Air Force Academy Real Estate.

"Get an Expert You Know & Trust"

More information about the services on Peterson AFB for those of you with an upcoming Colorado Springs Military Relocation and current residents in the area of Peterson AFB Real Estate.

Today we look at Peterson's new BX and Commissary complex. It's a brand new building that opened in June of 2007 and has to be one of the nicest (and cleanest) BX/Commissaries I've ever been to.

As you can see in the picture below, the Commissary aisles are wide open and spacious. They also have one of the largest selections of food in the city...comparable to Albertson's and King Soopers (Colorado grocery store.) This includes a sushi station (prepared fresh daily, of course), a large selection of Natural Meats (no hormones added) and all the frozen foods you could ever ask for. Best of all, it's one of the few Commissaries in the entire Air Force that's open 7 days a week.

Peterson AFB Commissary Hours

Normal Hours

Sun: 0900 - 1900

Mon: 0900 - 2000

Tue: 0900 - 2000

Wed: 0900 - 2000

Thu: 0900 - 2000

Fri: 0900 - 2000

Sat: 0800 - 2000

Early Bird Hours

Sun: N/A - N/A

Mon: 0700 - 0900

Tue: 0700 - 0900

Wed: 0700 - 0900

Thu: 0700 - 0900

Fri: 0700 - 0900

Sat: N/A - N/A

The Peterson BX is large for an Air Force Base and has lots of little restaurants and shops, including the regulars like the Barber Shop and Uniform Sales. Becoming a bit trendier than most other bases, it also sports a Starbucks. Here's a run down of the BX hours and shops.

Peterson AFB BX Shops and Hours

Main BX Store Mon-Sat 0800-2000/ Sun 0900-1900

Food Court Area

Anthony's Pizza Mon-Fri 1030-1900/ Sat 1030-1800/ Sun 1030-1700

Taco Bell Mon-Fri 1100-1900/ Sat 1100-1800/ Sun 1100-1700

Charley's Steakery Mon-Fri 0730-1900/ Sat & Sun 1000-1700

Manchu Wok Mon-Sun 1100-1600

Robin Hood Mon-Fri 1100-1400/ Sat & Sun Closed

Starbucks Coffee Mon-Fri 0700-1800/ Sat 0900-1700/ Sun 1000-1700

Clothing Sales Mon-Fri 0930-1730/ Sat & Sun 1000-1600

Alterations Mon-Fri 0930-1730/ Sat 1000-1600/ Sun 1000-1600

GNC Mon-Sat 0900-2000/ Sun 0900-1800

Concessions Area

Optical Shop Mon-Sat 0900-1800/ Sun 1000-1800

Optometry Mon-Sat 0900-1800/ Sun 1000-1700

Watch Repair Mon-Sat 0900-1800/ Sun Closed

Barber Shop Mon-Sat 0800-1800/ Sun 1000-1700

Beauty Shop Mon-Sat 0800-1800/ Sun 1000-1700

Flower Shop Mon-Sat 0900-1800/ Sun 1000-1700

UPS Store Mon-Sat 0900-1800/ Sun 1000-1400

And if you're PCSing here soon, be sure to check out our Colorado Springs Military Relocation FAQ.

Contact me if you want to work with a Military Relocation Specialist for your upcoming move.

Jamie Mades, REALTOR
Keller Williams Clients Choice
Office: (719) 535-0355
Direct: (719) 322-4645

*******************************************************************************************

Jamie is a residential Colorado Springs real estate and Colorado Springs Military Relocation specialist, providing buyer and seller services for Peterson AFB real estate, Fort Carson real estate, Schriever AFB real estate and Air Force Academy Real Estate.

"Get an Expert You Know & Trust"

Continuing our guide to military members and current residents in the area of Peterson AFB Real Estate, today we explore the Peterson AFB Outdoor Rec.

Most military members know that Outdoor Rec is the place to go for renting sports equipment. And if you're moving to Colorado, I bet you also know about all the great skiing this state has to offer. That makes the Peterson AFB Outdoor Rec a service worth looking at.

Perhaps the 2 best deals are for renting ski equipment and buying lift tickets. If you're new to skiing or snowboarding and want to get a taste for it, then renting is the way to go. And if you like it, I recommend renting for your first season to get a feel for what kind of equipment is gonna suit you the best. Then you can make the bigger investment of buying your own gear.

And you can buy Lift Tickets at a significant discount...usually anywhere from 15-40% off the window prices.

Take a look at some of the rental rates:

Peterson AFB Outdoor Rec Rental Rates

Ski & Snowboard Equipment Daily Weekend Week

Cross Country Ski Package $10.00 $18.00 $30.00

High Performance Ski Package $20.00 $38.00 $60.00

Recreational Ski Package $15.00 $28.00 $45.00

Snowboard Package $20.00 $38.00 $60.00

Snow Blades $10.00 $18.00 $30.00

Junior Package $10.00 $18.00 $30.00

Lift Ticket Prices (Adult during 2007/2008 Season)

Ski Resort ITT PRICE GATE PRICE

ARAPAHOE BASIN $49.00 $58.00

COPPER MOUNTAIN
(WEEKDAY) $43.00 $79.00
(REGULAR WEEKEND) $47.00

KEYSTONE/BRECKENRIDGE $55.00 $78.00

VAIL/ BEAVER CREEK $55.00 $85.00

WINTERPARK $43.00 $79.00

And best of all is the Liberty Pass where you can ski/snowboard all you want at Keystone and Arapahoe Basin for just $189! You simply can't beat the price there. Four days of skiing pays for itself! You can get the Liberty Pass (with military ID) anytime during the ski season at either the Keystone or A-Basin Season Pass offices.

Of course, the Peterson AFB Outdoor Rec has plenty more to offer. In the summer, they have Whitewater Rafting trips, Outdoor Rock Climbing Sessions and plenty of rental equipment for camping.

Contact me if you want to know more about your upcoming PCS to Peterson AFB and be sure to read the Colorado Springs Military Relocation FAQ!

Jamie Mades, REALTOR
Keller Williams Clients Choice
Office: (719) 535-0355
Direct: (719) 322-4645

*******************************************************************************************

Jamie is a residential Colorado Springs real estate and Colorado Springs Military Relocation specialist, providing buyer and seller services for Peterson AFB real estate, Fort Carson real estate, Schriever AFB real estate and Air Force Academy real estate.

"Get an Expert You Know & Trust"