Monument, CO - Ten Great Things to do in and Around Monument, Part 8 Castlewood Canyon One of Colorado's State Parks is Castlewood Canyon. It's located just south of Franktown on Highway 83. And approximately 30 miles north of Monument, CO. Highway 83 out of Monument is a pleasant trip thru high plains pastures and rock formations with great Colorado scenery all the way. The park has some many walking trails. It also offers, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and tons of places to take that perfect photograph. The park is open everyday of the week, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Daily park pass is $6.00. Oh, and don't forget the picnic basket!     09/21/2009

Monument, CO - 10 Great Things to Do, Part 7 of 10 The Florissant Fossil Beds 15807 County Road 1Florissant, CO 80816(719) 748-3253 Florissant is a little community up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, just due west of Colorado Springs and Monument, CO. The ride up there, on Colorado Highway 24, goes thru beautiful Ute pass, from Manitou Springs to Woodland Park. (Woodland Park is a post all on it's own!) It will probably take you about an hour to get there from Monument. But, Florissant is a little bit farther on Highway 24. The town is very small and has no signal and no stop signs on the highway. To get to the fossil beds, you'll need to turn off the highway onto Teller County Route 1. It's paved nicely, not a typical county road. It's about 2 miles after that. Florissant Fossil Beds ... 09/21/2009

Monument Real Estate  Includes Monument and Palmer Lake The Monument Real Estate market continues to be a Buyer's Market, as there is currently a 14.5 month of supply of homes on the market.   A 6 month supply of houses on the market is considered a "NEUTRAL MARKET".   Sales were down 17% from 2008 to 2007, but pricing was only down 10% from 2008 to 2007.  Sales continue to be soft in 2009 and down 28% from the same period last year. Recap of 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004    1-1-09 to 8-31-09 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Number of Homes Sold 264  383  469  630  675  673 Average Sale Price TBD $407,407 $450,756 $434,392 $418,258 $373,323 Average Days on Market TBD  109  107 94  71  67 Average # of house sold per month 33 31.9 39.1   52.5 56.3   56.1 Current Report as of 9-13-09 in T... 09/13/2009

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 ... 08/24/2009

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 ... 08/01/2009

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 th... 07/31/2009

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 WebsiteThe 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 min... 07/30/2009

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 WebsiteThe 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 re... 07/29/2009

 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 Woodm... 07/28/2009

Colorado Spring Real Estate  - Market Report for Monument and Palmer Lake Homes Single Family Homes The Tri-Lakes housing market continues to be a Buyer's Market, as there is currently a 13.5 month of supply of homes on the market.   A 6 month supply of houses on the market is considered a "NEUTRAL MARKET".   Sales were down 17% from 2008 to 2007, but pricing was only down 10%  from 2008 to 2007.  Sales continue to be soft in 2009.  Recap of 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004                              1-1-09 to 6-30-09 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Number of Homes Sold 170  383  469  630  675  673 Average Sale Price $421,700 $407,407 $450,756 $434,392 $418,258 $373,323 Average Days on Market 180  109  107 94  71  67 Average # of house sold per month 28.3 31.9 39.1   52.5 56.3   56.1 C... 07/28/2009

 Homes For Sale in Monument, CO 80132 Monument, CO 80132, is a sleepy little town 10 minle north of Colorado Springs, and 50 miles south of Denver. It has a vibrant downtown area, a supermarket, Starbuck's and an assortment of fast food restaurants. Monument's biggest claim to fame is it's 4th of July celebration, parade and festival. Everyone turns out to be in this very small-town-America parade. After the parade there are vendors selling all types of wares and food. Then around 9:00 pm, the fireworks demonstration begins over Palmer Lake. Come early and save your seat, as it fills up quickly!  Here's a short list of homes for sale in Monument. Homes start around $125,000 for condo's and townhomes, and go up to over $1M for the large mansions out east. Thumbnail Location   Price Beds ... 07/26/2009

 Speechless Sunday - Flag Day 06/14/2009

My Mom 05/10/2009

Monument, CO is one of the great little secrets of the Colorado Springs area. It's only 10 miles north of Colorado Springs, and 50 miles south of Denver. Monument sits on the Palmer Divide and the snow accumulation is always greater than Denver or Colorado Springs. Woodmoor is one of the biggest and oldest neighborhoods in Monument. Most of the homes were originally built as summer homes to escape the heat of other areas. There's been quite a bit of development lately, which has covered some of the old horse paths that used to run all through the area. You can still see fox, coyote, deer, and even an occasional bear in your back yard. Most homes in this neighborhood sit on property greater than 1/2 acre. And those east of Fairplay sit in the trees. while the ones on the west of Fairplay... 05/02/2009

Homes in Colorado Springs Market information for Active and Foreclosure Homes in Tri-Lakes As of 4-8-09 For a FREE list of Foreclosure Homes, Email KTorline@msn.com Neighborhoods:  Woodmoor, Kings Deer, Palmer Lake, Walden Reserve, Jackson Creek Breakdown of homes for sale, INCLUDING FORECLOSURES Short sales:   27 (5.9%) Bank-owned:    12 (2.6%) Regular:  441 (96.3%) Active Homes for Sale: 458 Single Family Homes:   435 (95%) Condos/Townhomes/Patio Homes:  23 (5) Partial list of Foreclosed homes currently on the market MLS# Address PT Br/Ba/G FLR YB Fin SQ Tot SQ LP CDOM 477017  17144 Blue Mist GR   TOW  2,3,2  2  2006  1,256  1,256  $131,900  100  551424  2280 Blizzard Valley TR   SIF  5,3,2  2  2004  2,085  3,097  $227,000  49  587479  15225 Marblehead CT   SIF  5,4,2  2  1989  2,355 ... 04/08/2009

Homes in Colorado Springs Market information for Active and Foreclosure Homes in Tri-Lakes As of 3-14-09 For a FREE list of Foreclosure Homes in Colorado Springs, Email KTorline@msn.com Neighborhoods:  Woodmoor, Kings Deer, Palmer Lake, Walden Reserve, Jackson Creek, Palmer Lake Breakdown of homes for sale, INCLUDING FORECLOSURES, as of 3-14-09 Short sales:   32 (6.8%) Bank-owned:    16 (3.4%) Regular:  425 (89.9%) Active Homes for Sale as of   3-14-09:   473  Single Family Homes:  445 (94%) Condos/Townhomes/Patio Homes:   28 (6%)  Partial list of Foreclosed homes currently on the market Address PT Flr Br/Ba/Gar SqFt Area BSA Price 5771 Windridge PT   SIF  RAN  5,5,3  5,669  BLA  TRI  $699,000  15225 Marblehead CT   SIF  2  5,4,2  2,384  NGT  TRI  $234,900  445 Rangely DR   SIF  2  4,4,... 03/14/2009

The Monument and Palmer Lake real estate market had a healthy selection of homes for sale in 2008 with an annual average of 432 homes available each month. However, we also see that an average of 10% of the available homes SOLD each month, as well. The most sales were in July - at 55 sales (10.74% of the inventory). The slowest months in 2008 for sales were January (11 sales, 3% of the inventory) and December (12 sales, 3.5% of the inventory). Buyer Tip: The best time to buy is when there is MORE inventory than sales because you have less competition with other buyers AND more homes to choose from. Per this graph, the best times to buy would be RIGHT aroubd the holiday season - November thru January. Seller Tip: If you NEED to sell in the slower months of November - January, make your h... 02/14/2009

The Monument real estate market saw a 2008 annual average sales price of $404,053 and an average median sales price of $375,891. Here we see how this was broken down by month: Monument homes were getting the highest prices in March, September and December and the lowest prices in January and February of 2008. Buyer Tip: Buying a Monument home before the Spring rush could get you a better deal. Seller Tip: Based on this graph, the time to get he MOST money for your Monument home is when the weather just starts to warm up, and right before it starts getting chilly again. Apparently, the weather matters? Regardless of the lower list price/sale price ratios, the Monument real estate market showed a healthy maintenance of home value in 2008... Which doesn't suprise me, seeing as Monument is ... 02/14/2009

The annual 2008 average days on market for the Monument real estate market averaged at about 110 days. This means that the average home for sale in Monument sat on the market for between 3-4 months before accepting an offer. Broken down by month, we see the following: The highest days on market were in March (142 days) and December (144 days - a gross of days) and the lowest days on market were in November (69 days) and May and October (91 days each). It is important to note that the average days on market in December were so high, partially due to the fact that only 12 homes in Monument sold that month, compared to the annual average of over 30 homes selling per month - skewing the average a bit. Buyer Tip: The higher the average days on market, the more likely you are to get an offer ... 02/14/2009

Here are the sales results for the Tri-Lakes market for the month of December 2008. Although this is a weak showing the good news is the Tri-Lakes market is leveling off. Sales in December were close to the same as the November numbers. The activity has picked up an interest rates a bound to bring some of the pent up buyer demand in off of the bench. Here is a closer look at the sold data for December: Status Mls Number Zip Code Listing Price Sold Price Acres Bedrooms Total Total Bath Garage Spaces Year Built Sold 596344 80132 $595,000 $595,000 0.5693 5 5 3 1992 Sold 517362 80132 $349,900 $339,900 0.6084 4 4 3 1987 Sold 574279 80132 $700,000 $625,000 2.52 5 5 3 2007 Sold 532974 80133 $214,700 $197,500 0.1313 4 2 2 1998 Sold 473483 80908 $549,000 $525,000 3.27 4 5 3 2000 Sold 554923 8013... 01/07/2009