Snuggle-Up! and Blog

University Park, Actives and Solds

University Park is a beautiful neighborhood tucked away in a small community on one of the numerous hills in Colorado Springs. It sits on the north end of Colorado Springs. It has an average elevation of 6,639 feet above sea level. And there is a bustling business district less than a mile away, including a very active, full service YMCA, at the bottom of the hill. Schools servicing that area are the prestigous Colorado Springs District 11 schools.

University Park is a master planned community, started in 1998 and completed in 2009. The homes in this neighborhood start at around $400,000 and go up to over $1,000,000. The economic downturn has not caused a lot of foreclosures in this neighborhood, however there are a lot of homes on the market.

Active listings last month provided the neighborhood with over 2 years of inventory. Currently, there are 25 active single family listings at this time. Sold listings for this year totale 9 homes. At this rate there is still approximately 24 months of inventory. Sold prices are $350,000 on the low end and $675,000 at the top end.

While the market is improving, most active sales are in homes under $200,000. The $200,000 to $300,00 is seeing some improvement, but the upper end of the market is as slow as it was in 2008.

University Park is one of Colorado Springs' most fabulous neighborhoods. And in time, we'll see a recovery to a more balance market, even in this higher end area.

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do, Part 6

Part 6 of 10

One of the really nice features that local government has put in place is the Santa Fe Trail Walking and Biking Path. The path, named after the old commerce trail runs through Colorado along Interstate Highway 25. In most places, the path is west of the highway by about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile. But, can dip below the highway, as it crossed to the east side.

The original Santa Fe Trail ran from the ranches in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the meat markets in Missouri. Over 1200 miles, crossing the Mississippi river, and traveling through the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It was an important trade route for the natives, military, traders, settlers, and ranchers driving their cattle to market. It was heavily used until the railroads came in around 1881.

The walking path through Colorado, named The Santa Fe Trail runs 17 miles through El Paso County, encompassing the cities of Colorado Springs, Monument, and Palmer Lake. There are parking lots all along the trail, making it easy to enter and exit. The trail is heavily used by walkers and bikers, too. It's mostly flat, very wide, and all gravel. It runs through the United State Air Force Academy, so while on that property, you'll need to carry identification.

The Santa Fe Trail Walking and Biking Path runs through a variety of scenic topography. In Monument, it's close to the downtown area, and many street intersect it. In Palmer Lake, the trail runs past the lake in Palmer Lake. (Yes, there really is a lake in Palmer Lake!) In Colorado Springs, the trail follows Monument Creek through the middle of the downtown area.

So, whether you're a walker or a biker, check out the Santa Fe Trail. And don't forget to bring water, sunscreen, a hat, and your ID.

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do, Part 5

5. The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO

1 Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 578-4500

The Olympic Training Center was established in Colorado Springs in July of 1978. It is the headquarters of the Olympic Committee administration and training center programs. In 1997, the $23.8 million state-of-the-art training was opened. The complex can provide housing, dinning and training for up to 557 coaches and athletes.

The Olympic Training Center Visitors Center, an $8 million facility, sees approximately 140,000 visitors annually. It features exhibits, an auditorium, meeting center, an indoor/outdoor dining facility, a store, and many other interesting sites. Tours are free and available all year round. The tour will take you through many of the training facilities, where you just might get a glimpse of an athlete at practice!

 Please check the website for exact hours of operation.

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do (Part 4)

4. Farmer's Market

Monument, CO, 80132, has several Farmer's Markets. Farmer's and Distributors from both far and local parts of Colorado come to sell their produce and products at the Farmer's Market.

Offerings at the markets range from breads, veggies and fruit, to purses, jewelry, candles, soap and more! Even wrought iron yard ornaments!

I stopped in at both of them this morning, and bought some peaches, corn, beets, and bread. But also available were apricots from Pueblo, melons from Rocky Ford, local handiwork from kniters and crocheters, buffalo meat burgers, BBQ brisket and pork. Gosh, there was even strawberry crepes!

The two popular crops Colorado is know for, and that you can get at Monument Farmer's Markets are Palisade's Peaches and Olathe Corn

 Palisade Peaches are sweet and juice, and smaller than an apple. They come from Palisades, CO and they have an annual festival. This year, it will be August 13 - 16, 2009. Tons of people attend the event.

Olathe grows the sweetest corn ever! They also have an annual Sweet Corn Festival. It's this weekend, starting on July 31, 2009 and runs thru today, August 1, 2009. So, you'd best get a move on if you're going. Clint Black is the featured performer this year!

If you can't make it to the festivals, no worries, check out one of the three Farmer's Markets in Monument.  Here's where and when: 

Saturday Morning, 7:00 am to 11:00 am
On 105, behind Starbuck's
On Second Street, at the Elementary School

Wednesday afternoon, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
At the newly rennovated Sundance Lodge

Stop by, you'll have a great time, and get some really taste, good-for-you food. Oh, and bring your dog...seems like everyone does!

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do (Part 3)

Today, Part 3, in a series of 10!

3. Pikes Peak Cog Railway Official Site

If you're coming to Monument, CO, you must take the trip up to the top of Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway. A visit to the area is incomplete, without experiencing the 14,000 foot elevation, of Pikes Peak, and the ability to see America, the Beautiful. It was in 1893 that Katherine Lee Bates, stood at the top of Pikes Peak looking over the plains below when she was inspired to write the famous poem, America, the Beautiful.

The Cog Railway trip to the top of Pikes Peak takes 3 hours and 10 minutes, round trip, and the track is 8.9 miles long. It departs form the historic depot at the foot of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs.

As the railway assends the mountain, it travels thru three distinct areas. The lower elevation consists of pine trees and boulder fields. The middle section is a gentler grade where many animals can be seen. The last part of the journey provides the first glimpse of Pikes Peak. The incline increases dramatically; terrain is stark and barren; the air is extremely thin; and it's a lot colder than at the base of the mountain.

At the top, everyone disembarks and has about 20 minutes in  the gift store, while the train takes passengers from the previous load down the mountain. When the second train arrives, it's all aboard and the decent begins.

If you do plan to go, be sure to check in advance, especially in the summer, the train sells out quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do (Part 2)

Yesterday's number one place to visit, Garden of the Gods County Park, can be found here...Part 1

Today's number two place is:

2. The Western Museum of Mining Official Website
The museum is located in Colorado Springs, just across Interstate 25 from the Air Force Academy, on the Glen Eagle exit. Which puts it approx. 4 miles south of Monument, CO.

The museum offers many exhibits on mining and mining equipment. The exhibit that gets the most attention is the realistic mine. An old miner, himself, walks you thru the exhibit, where you'll see mining cars, mining tools, and mining gear. You'll even have a chance to go "down" into the mine. Where you'll see the coal on the walls of the mine.

While you might automatically think that miners were mining for gold or diamonds, the most common mineral to mine for, especially in Colorado, was coal. Many homes in America used coal for heat and some still do! In Colorado Springs, we have a coal fired steam plant in the downtown area that's providing electricity to our homes today. From most everywhere in Colorado Springs, when the weather conditions are right, you can see the steam billowing from the plant.

Coal trains up and down the front of the Rockies can be seen all through out the day! A very common site. On their way south, they are full of coal and move more slowly than when they are going back north.

The museum also has a nice collection of steam engines of all sizes. Many of them are vintage, turn of the century machines. And on the hour the staff starts up the biggest one. And it's loud. Some of the smaller ones, you can run yourself.

I highly recommend a vist to the museum if you're in the area of Monument, CO, 80132. It's guaranteed to enterain the kids.

Photo reproduced with permission courtesy of Matt Hannes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do (Part 1)

Monument, Colorado offers a variety of options for you and your family or friend to do. Some are as simple as taking a walk, some are going to require a little bit of driving to get there.

Here's my take on 10 of the top things to do while you are in Monument, CO.

1. Garden of the Gods  Official Website
The striking orangish-pinkish red sandstone formations give the park it's striking beauty.

Garden of the Gods is county park! It's one of the biggest, and arguably the most interesting county parks in the U.S. It offers hiking, biking and climbing. And if you hate to get out of the car, although, I can't imagine why you wouldn't, you can simply drive through.

And don't for get to stop by the Visitor Center to learn more about the beautiful red rocks and their formation, but also to enjoy a great lunch in an fantastic outdoor setting.

History Behind the Park

There is evidence of people in the park dating back over 3,000 years. The park acquired it's name, it is said, because the early railroaders thought it would make a great beer garden, fit for the Gods. From there, it logically mutated to Garden of the Gods.

General William Jackson Palmer founded Colorado Springs in the 1870's. He purchased 280 acres in Garden of the Gods for his summer home. He died before he could will the land to the county, but his children, knowing their father's wished, turned the property over to the county with the stipulation, "where it shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park."

Ecosystems

Garden of the Gods has two distinct ecosystems. The Plains zone, which is cool desert at an elevation of 3,500 to 6,000 feet, and the Foothills-Transition zone that extends from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. The Plains zone typically as prairie grassland and cottowood and willow trees supported by an underground water system. The Foothills-Transistion zone consists of pinyon, junipers, mountain shrubs and ponderosa pine trees. This zone is more drought tollerant, making it easier for the vegetation to survive the summer, when most of the rains come quickly and heavily and just run off.

The rock holes in the face of the sandstone formations offer shelter for a variety of animals. Common are the white-throated swifts, which are probably the most spectacular, swallows, falcons, pigeons, wood rats, and bats can also be found lodging in the rocks.

If you are in the Monument area, you just can't miss this great park!

Tomorrow: The second great thing to do while you are in Monument!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Woodmoor, Monument, CO 80132

Monument, CO, is a small town 10 miles north of Colorado Springs, and 50 miles south of Denver. Here are some interesting demographics about Monument:

• Population in Monument, CO, in 2008 was 2,918
• Projected population in 2014 is 3535
• 50/1% of the population are male, making 49.9% female
• The largest percentage of the population, at 20%, are people between the ages of 40 - 49
• A whopping 40% make over $100,000 per year
• 25% of the population has a Bachelor's Degree
• 35% of the households have only 2 residents

One of the largest neighborhoods in Monument is Woodmoor. It lies just east of downtown of Monument. And it encompasses an area in the north to County Line Road, south to Hodgen Road, west to I-25, and East to Roller Coaster Road. Most of the homes in Woodmoor are on a 1/2 acre or more. Most homes in Woodmoor sit in tall stands of Ponderosa Pines. Stunning pine trees who's branches begin at 15' off the ground.

Sales data for June 2009, and current actives stats

A - 51 Properties Found
               Beds      Bths       Gar         Tot SF        Acres         List Price          Sold Price    CDOM
Min       2             1           1            1,058         0.03         $110,000           $                 3
Avg      4             3           2            3,598         0.76         $384,311           $              119
Max      7             5           4            6,536         1.09         $684,900           $              355

S - 14 Properties Found
               Beds      Bths       Gar         Tot SF        Acres         List Price          Sold Price    CDOM
Min       3             2           2           2,878         0.58          $239,000        $195,000          3
Avg      4             3           2           3,788         1.00          $339,100        $329,135       232
Max      5             4           3           4,637         1.14          $450,000        $442,500       657

Summary - 65 Properties Found
               Beds      Bths       Gar         Tot SF        Acres         List Price        Sold Price    CDOM
Min       2             1           1           1,058         0.03          $110,000        $195,000          3
Avg      4             3           2           3,639         0.81          $374,573        $329,135       144
Max      7             5           4           6,536         1.14          $684,900        $442,500       657

We had more properties go under contract in May/June of 2009, than in any of the previous months in 2009. Active listings were down in June from May by 6%. While sales remained the same. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~