Classic Homes Online Journal

Classic Homes Wins GOLD

(Kim Sandoval) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:18:15 -0700

The Results of the Gazette's Best Of 2013 are in!

Every year readers and staff of The Gazette in Colorado Springs get the chance to vote for and recognize the BEST in the city. This year was no exception. More than 15,000 readers/voters and eight Gazette staff members weighed in, revealing what they love best about Colorado Springs. From dining and entertainment to neighborhoods and homebuilders, the votes were tallied and the 2013 winners will hold this coveted distinction for a full year. It all came together on Thursday, April 26, 2013 when the Gazette and many of the companies recognized int he Best Of issue gathered at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center to celebrate the 2013 Winners. Then on Friday, April 27, 2013 the Best Of The Springs was published and distributed as a special section of the Gazette. Classic Homes is proud to be among the best of the best in Colorado Springs. This year, Classic earned the reader's vote for GOLD in the categories of BEST BUILDER and BEST HOMEBUILDER. Additionally, the community of Wolf Ranch earned BEST NEIGHBORHOOD. Classic Homes has built more than 10,000 homes in the Colorado Springs region and we're so honored to have achieved BEST OF status again this year. Congratulations to the entire team at Classic Homes for a job well done. To see a list of winners in all categories, click the link below to browse the results.

Gazette's Best Of The Springs 2013

Nationwide Open House Weekend 2013

(Kim Sandoval) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:52:12 -0700

April 20-21, 2013 - Join Classic Homes, REALTORS® and associations throughout Colorado Springs this weekend for the Nationwide Open House Weekend Tour! At Classic, we understand that potential homebuyers rely on open houses to help them find the home of their dreams. During National Open House weekend, buyers have a greater chance of doing just that. The weekend is organized by state and local Realtor® associations across the country and around the world, uniting Realtors® as they host thousands of open houses while engaging consumers on the benefits of homeownership and bringing buyers and sellers together. Below is a list of homes we are proudly featuring in the 2013 Nationwide Open House Weekend!

Flying Horse (80921): 2445 Veneto Way, 13242 Penfold Dr, 12737 Mission Meadows Dr, 2098 Bent Creek
Lorson Ranch (80925): 6869 Alliance Lp, 6854 Alliance Lp, 6885 Alliance Lp
Meridian Ranch (80831) : 12579 Handles Peak Way, 10460 Mt. Columbia Dr
Banning Lewis Ranch (80927): 7169 Spring Linden
Indigo Ranch (80923): 6574 Diamond Hitch Dr, 7771 Renegade Hill Dr
Promontory Pointe (80132): 15787 Old Post Dr
Wolf Ranch (80924): 6046 Harney Dr

Speed Up the Sale of Your Home - Advice from NAHB

(Kim Sandoval) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:29:15 -0700

Putting your home up for sale can be an exhausting, stressful experience. But there are several things you can do to improve your home's marketability. By expending a bit of effort before it goes on the market, you can ensure that your home presents well, stands out from the crowd and doesn’t turn off potential buyers so that you can sell quickly…and at the best price.

Tone Down Personality
Your bookshelves may be filled with Pulitzer-Prize winners and your collection of Americana figurines may reflect your personal interests, but to home buyers, it looks busy and cluttered, and may distract them from truly seeing your home’s unique architectural features and spacious rooms. Also consider whether family pictures help or hinder a sale; future home owners may not be able to look past your kids’ smiling faces plastered all over the walls and see themselves building their own future in your home.

Since you hope to move soon anyway, go ahead and box them up and put them in storage in advance of the open house or showing.

While that red accent wall opposite the lime green fireplace perfectly ties in with your ultra modern furniture, a potential buyer at your open house may be turned off immediately and decide that the entire house doesn’t reflect their style. Consider painting walls a neutral color such as beige or taupe. The interior paint job should be fresh and clean and in a single, neutral color throughout.

The same goes for the exterior. Don't forget shutters and windows. If your home has vinyl or aluminum siding, be sure it's clean. Moldy, dirty siding will tell a buyer that your home has not been taken care of properly.

Old, matted carpeting will be a detriment to your home selling. Real estate agents all have a dozen stories of a home that sat and sat on the market until the old carpeting was replaced. Then, it sold immediately. If you have hardwood floors under old carpet, tear up the carpet to expose them; today's buyers love hardwood floors.

First Impressions Count
Clean your house top to bottom including walls, floors, furniture and tabletops. Everything should be sparkling clean when a buyer makes that all-important first visit. Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink, crumbs on the counter or laundry stacked in the bedroom.

Take a long, hard look at your home from the street. Does it have curb appeal? Is it warm, inviting and well-kept? Make sure by mowing the lawn, weeding garden areas, trimming unruly bushes, resealing the driveway and sweeping the porch.

Pay particular attention to your front door. Repaint it if necessary. Polish the doorknob and knocker and clean the glass and screen door. When a buyer waits at the front door to enter, make sure he or she sees that your home was cared for lovingly.

Don’t Burden the Buyer with Repairs
If there are problem areas in your home, get them fixed before the showing. When prospective buyers tour the house and see leak stains on the ceiling or peeling paint, they will also see future work and assume that bigger maintenance and repair issues are lurking behind those small problems.

This is particularly true in kitchens and bathrooms, which are often the two rooms that make or break a sale. The expenses you incur on the front end sprucing up your home will be cheaper than the profits you could lose by having to lower the price to meet buyer demand.

If your home's appliances, like the dishwasher, oven, refrigerator and washer and dryer, are old and outdated, it could pay to replace them. Buyers do not want to be faced with the possibility of having to replace appliances upon moving in to a new house. Shiny, new appliances already in place will be a big selling point.

Maximize Exposure
Lastly, take advantage of new technology to find unique ways to market your house. Use YouTube, a video sharing website, to introduce yourself and your house for free. Take home shoppers on a virtual tour and tell them about its uniqueness and strengths from a first-person point of view.

Use Internet social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to create a Web link with a profile of your home. Include pictures and a description of your home’s features. Email the link to your friends and ask them to forward it on to their network of contacts.

Get your home listed on real estate websites. There are some that are national in scope and others focus on your specific markets. Examples include Redfin and Zillow.

Be sure that you are using traditional marketing techniques to your best advantage. When photographing your home for promotional purposes, invest in a wide-angle lens for your camera so that rooms appear bigger and in proportion when they are displayed on Internet home listing sites or in marketing flyers. If you decide to create a virtual tour, look for professionals who will be able to film and upload your video using the best techniques and technology.

New Model Now Open in Mountain Shadows!

(Kim Sandoval) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:09:48 -0700

Open House Weekend January 25 – 27, 2013

Ready for the time of your life? Then you’re ready for a Classic. Join us for a grand opening celebration weekend as we open the doors to our newest model home – The Rushmore in Mountain Shadows!

The Rushmore Model – 2523 Hot Springs Ct (80919)
Model Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am to 4pm and by appointment - 719-492-2823

As part of Classic Homes “Rebuild Help” program, Classic is helping families to rebuild their homes, and we have also designed a lot purchase program available to homeowners who lost their home to the fire and do not wish to rebuild. Classic’s “Rebuild Help” program in Mountain Shadows makes it possible for people who have always wanted to build a new home, but desire to live in an established neighborhood on the west side of town. Unlike a typical “new build” area, home sites are situated throughout the community meaning that there are a variety of options available. Mountain Shadows offers a wide range of architectural styles throughout its many winding roads and tucked away cul-de-sacs. This lovely neighborhood with its pine-covered hills and scrub oak mesas with ridges of scenic rock outcroppings features home sites with views ranging from the Black Forest on the eastern plains, twinkling city lights of Colorado Springs below as well as the towering backdrop of Pike National Forest.

When you make the decision to live in Mountain Shadows, you become part of an amazing community that brings out the best in its residents.