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| Colorado Springs Community Information |
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Builder's Model Home Available immediately! 5 bed, 4 baths, 4 car garage + 5002 sq. ft., expansive windows $999,800 http://www.circlepix.com/home/APYN4R |
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Unsurpassed Mountain Views! No-maintenance end-unit with 3 beds, 3 baths and 1592 square feet ~ $164,900 http://www.circlepix.com/home/APMSBU |
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Paradise in Cathedral Pines Just add your dream home to this magnificent lot just minutes from Colorado Springs! |
Articles and Advice |
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| Got workbench? By Paul Bianchina Workbenches are one of those staples of the home workshop. They can take any number of forms, from the very basic to the very ornate, and there is no right or wrong way to set one up. The main thing is that the workbench be sturdy and solid, and that it achieves what you need it to achieve. BUILT-IN WORKBENCHES A built-in workbench is a simple thing to construct. First, you want to give some thought to where it will go, what purpose it will serve, and how large it needs to be. For most people, the home workbench takes the form of a basic platform that is attached to the wall in the garage or basement, or sometimes in an interior room such as a hobby room, bonus room, or even a larger utility room. Consider what you'll be doing on the workbench. Is it just a flat spot for the occasional repair project, or will it serve a specific purpose such as woodworking or auto repair? Will a small area in a corner work, or do you need a long or wide spot with lots of access for working on larger projects? Will the bench accommodate a couple of basic tools, or do you need lots of tool and supply storage? Working as much of this out early on will help you plan for a workbench that really suits your needs. The easiest bench to build is one that attaches to the wall on one, two or even three sides, depending on where it will be located. Construct a sturdy frame of dry, straight 2x4 or 2x6 lumber attached directly to the wall studs with screws or lag bolts, add one or more 4x4 legs between the bench and the floor in front, and then add a 3/4-inch plywood top. Place the bench anywhere from 30 inches (normal table height) to 36 inches (normal kitchen counter height) or more off the floor, depending on your height and the types of projects you'll be working on. Length and depth can be any dimension you want, but if you limit the length to 8 feet and the depth to 2 feet, you can cut the top from a half sheet of plywood. For extra stability and storage space, add a second 2x4 frame and a plywood shelf about 6 to 12 inches off the floor, utilizing the other half sheet of plywood. Some home centers and woodworking catalogs also offer steel leg sets and metal brackets that make bench construction even easier. The entire project takes only a couple of hours, and the result will be a sturdy bench that will last for years. To increase the workbench's lifespan and usefulness, add a second top over the first one. If you do a lot of woodworking, painting, and other projects that scar or splatter the top, use a piece of 1/4-inch tempered hardboard that is screwed in place over the plywood top. Tempered hardboard is smooth, easy to clean, and inexpensive, and when it gets beat up you can simply unscrew it and replace it with a fresh sheet. If you do a lot of auto repair, consider having a local sheet metal shop make you up a secondary top out of galvanized sheet metal or stainless steel with rolled or bent edges that covers both the top and the exposed edges of the plywood. This creates a tough, wipe-clean surface that's impervious to the oil, grease, solvent and other materials commonly used with auto repair. To complete the installation, check out the selection at your local home center or hardware store. A sheet of pegboard and some hooks, one or two add-on drawers or bin units, and maybe a simple upper cabinet or two and you've got a clean, organized, and highly useful work center for just about any project you're likely to encounter. FREESTANDING WORKBENCHES If you do a lot of woodworking, hobbies or smaller home repair projects, you might also consider a freestanding workbench. Freestanding workbenches, which typically range in size from about 18 inches by 60 inches to 24 inches by 96 inches and can weigh in at a hefty 300 pounds or more, are designed to be set up in a shop or garage in an area where there is access to the bench on all four sides. Most freestanding workbenches are made of wood, utilizing hardwoods such as beech and maple, and some are absolute works of art costing thousands of dollars. The typical freestanding workbench has a thick, laminated wood top that is smooth and rock solid, and includes one or two woodworking vises mounted on the side and end. Some have built-in tool trays, drawers and shelves, and there are often other accessories that further increase the bench's usefulness. If a dedicated woodworking-style workbench appeals to you but the price doesn't, there are several books and plan sets on the market that show how to build one of your own. You can also purchase just the laminated maple top, make your own legs, then add on the necessary bench vises and other accessories as need and budget permits. Three good sources of workbenches and workbench parts are Lee Valley, (800) 871-8158, www.leevalley.com; Rockler, (800) 279-4441, www.rockler.com; and Woodcraft, (800) 225-1153, www.woodcraft.com. |
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| Inherit home, refi immediately? By Benny Kass DEAR BENNY: My husband and I inherited a home from my husband's uncle who passed away a few weeks ago. Will the lender expect us to refinance the home or can we just assume it even if it is a conventional loan? –Karen DEAR KAREN: Unless the existing loan was from a private person, it is most likely covered under the Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982. This federal law puts restrictions on the ability of a lender to exercise the "due on sale" clause that exists in most mortgages (also called deeds of trust). One of these restrictions reads as follows: "With respect to a real property loan secured by a lien on residential real property containing less than five dwelling units, including a lien on the stock allocated to a dwelling unit in a cooperative housing corporation, or on a residential manufactured home, a lender may not exercise its option pursuant to a due-on-sale clause upon ... (5) a transfer to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower. ..." Accordingly, you should advise the lender of the death, and just continue paying under the terms and conditions of the old mortgage. However, do you know what the interest rate is on that property? Rates are currently very low, and if you can get a better rate -- and assuming that you and your husband can qualify for a new loan -- you should consider refinancing. DEAR BENNY: My father co-signed on my mortgage approximately 12 years ago. We are both listed on the title/loan papers, although I have been the only one actually paying the mortgage all this time. If one of us died would the property automatically go to the other party or do we need to make further arrangements for that to happen and stay out of the probate process? Any help that you could give me would be greatly appreciated. –Kimberly DEAR KIMBERLY: The answer depends on how title is held. This answer must be general in nature, because different states have different procedures. If you were married, you and your spouse would generally hold title as tenants by the entireties; on the death of one, the survivor would own the entire house. But clearly you are not married to your father. Thus, you can hold title as joint tenants with rights of survivorship -- which means that on the death of one joint owner, the survivor owns the entire property, and probate regarding the house is not necessary. However, if you and your dad hold title as tenants in common, on the death of one owner, his/her share of the property will have to go through probate. On the death of one tenant in common, his/her share is distributed according to the last will and testament, or if there is no such will, then according to the laws of intestacy in your state. But probate is required for this type of title. Benny L. Kass is a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. No legal relationship is created by this column. |
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| Dos and don'ts of home selling By Dian Hymer An energetic real estate agent can have your home on the market in a day. However, to provide the kind of marketing exposure you need to sell in today's market takes a little longer, unless your home is photo-ready when you list. Ideally, you should start planning for your home sale months before you want your home to be on the market. First, find an agent to represent you. Then, create a game plan together for the premarketing phase of the process. Use your agent as a resource. Walk through your home with your agent to get feedback on work, decluttering, and rearranging that needs to be done before the house is photographed for advertising and shown to prospective buyers. If your agent doesn't have a good eye for design, ask for a recommendation of a staging decorator. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Preferably, your home should not be submitted to the multiple listing service (MLS) or home-sale Internet sites without photos. Studies have shown that many buyers don't consider a listing that doesn't have photos. Some sellers have presale inspections done to find out if repairs should be made before the property goes on the market. This wasn't as important several years ago when buyers were enthusiastic about the prospect of making money in the residential real estate market. Now buyers are much more cautious, and property condition is a critical variable. One seller did a beautiful job fixing up her house for sale. She ordered a termite report and had some of the work done. But she didn't hire a home inspector to inspect the house. The interior was top-notch. In fact, more money was spent on this than was necessary. The listing agent was hired after the work had been done so the seller didn't benefit from the agent's advice about how much to spend and on what. The house sold with multiple offers. However, the buyer's home inspection report revealed that the house needed a new foundation. Fortunately, there was a backup buyer. But, the price was negotiated down significantly. In hindsight, it would have been better to have fixed the foundation and done a less expensive redo of the interior. A couple sold a similar home. They worked with their agent for months before the house was marketed. They did presale inspections and got estimates for painting, staging, furnace replacement, making necessary structural modifications and fixing miscellaneous defects referenced in the termite report. Then, they prioritized, with input from their agent, and had the most critical repairs and enhancements done before the listing hit the MLS. There was no renegotiation necessary with the buyers after they completed their inspections. Make sure buyers receive copies of proposals and paid invoices for work you did to your home so they know which items in your presale inspection reports have been repaired. Another couple, who plan to move in a few years, decided to get their home ready to sell now. They put in a new master bathroom, refinished floors and plan to replace a dry-rotted deck. They will enjoy the improvements for the remaining years they stay in the house. Most sellers wait until the last minute to get their house ready for sale. It can be very stressful trying to get all the work done in a short time frame. Doing work gradually over time is a saner approach. Sadly, most homes never look as good as they do when they're sold. THE CLOSING: Now is a good time to have work done. A lot of contractors are looking for work. You might receive more competitive bids and be able to have the work done when you want. Dian Hymer is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist |
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| Organization tips for kitchen pantry By Paul Bianchina Designers and homeowners agree that ample, easily accessible storage is one of the most important aspects of a great kitchen, and one of the best ways to achieve that is through the use a pantry. Pantries take two basic forms -- the pantry cabinet, which is essentially a tall, wide cabinet that is part of the overall kitchen, and the walk-in or semi walk-in pantry, which is a separate space similar to a small closet. Because the pantry is intended to store larger quantities of food in all shapes and sizes, the key to its functionality is organization. Many pantries end up as a somewhat scattered mess, with the groceries from the latest shopping trip being tossed onto whatever shelf happens to have some open space. But a few accessories and a few organizational tricks can turn chaos into order in just a few hours. Before you begin, take a little time to think about what you want to store in the pantry, as well as how often different items will be accessed. Group frequently accessed items near the center of pantry, and those that you need less often above and below center. Also, grouping the foods either by similar types -- for example, keeping all the different canned vegetables together -- or by common recipe or meal requirements will really simplify your search. WALK-IN PANTRIES Walk-in pantries come in many different shapes and sizes, from rooms that are large enough to walk completely in to and having shelves on two or more walls, to smaller areas with shelves on one wall only. Either way, on the plus side walk-in pantries offer a tremendous amount of storage possibilities. But on the negative side, the larger the space the more disorganized it tends to get, and the harder it is to find things. First of all, your pantry needs to have good lighting. Depending on the size, layout and applicable electrical codes for light placement, consider can lighting, tracking lighting or fluorescent fixtures with adequate wattage to illuminate the entire space. Next, don't think that deep shelves are always the answer. Deeper shelves definitely hold more stuff, but because many of the food items you store are relatively small, they tend to get lost at the back of the shelf. Instead, consider one or two 18- to 24-inch shelves lower down on the wall to hold large, heavy items such as cases of drinks, with shallower 12-inch shelves at about eye level, as well as just below eye level. These shelves should hold most of your commonly used items such as canned goods and boxed dinners. You might consider a "medium"-depth shelf, perhaps 16 inches deep, above these shallower shelves to hold larger but less often accessed items, such a bag of sugar. If you have the room, another alternative is to group deep shelves on one wall and shallow shelves on another wall. For spice bottles, Jell-O boxes, envelope packets and other very small items, use shallow wooden or wire storage bins. These small bins can be hung on the wall or on the back of the door, and there are even some styles that screw or clip to the underside of larger shelves. For bulky items such as bags of chips, consider placing some simple baskets on the shelves, which are both decorative and very functional. Keep a shopping list on the door. That way whenever you take the last one of a particular item out of the pantry, you can immediately make note of it for the next shopping trip. PANTRY CABINETS With a pantry cabinet you don't have the same number of options you have with a walk-in pantry, simply because you don't have as much space. However, a well-organized pantry cabinet can still offer you tremendous storage opportunities. Many of the organizational strategies you apply to a walk-in pantry will apply to a pantry cabinet as well. For example, you definitely want to stay with a mixture of deep and shallow shelves. Depending on the size and style of the cabinet, you may be able to meet your needs with "split shelves," which are essentially deep shelves cut in half -- half the shelf remains in the cabinet, and the other half is attached to the cabinet door. Another trick is the U-shaped shelf, which is basically a deep shelf with the center cut out, forming three shallow shelves in the shape of a U. A wooden or wire bin can then be hung on the inside of the door, and when the door is closed the bin will fit neatly into the cutout part of the shelves. Another excellent way to maximize storage space in a pantry cabinet is through the use of roll-out or slide-out shelves and bins. These are available in several different sizes and configurations, offering you loads of storage possibilities. As part of your initial planning process, visit your local home center or hardware store, or do an Internet search for pantry organizers. You will find an incredible array of organizers what will definitely transform your pantry in no time at all! |
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| Hot Links |
| Cherise Selley's Blog -Colorado Springs Real Estate http://activerain.com/blogs/cheriseselley Colorado Springs - Forbes #3 Pick for Recovery http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/13/recovery-cities-homes-lifestyle-real-estate-housing-recovery-cities.html Climate Link http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/x3.html Colorado Springs - Voted America's Most Pet Friendly City http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/10/pets-colorado-economics-biz-cx_tvr_1010pets.html Gordon's Ministry Website http://www.gordonselley.com |
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