Looking for a new home? Covenants- Pros and Cons

Are you shopping for a new home?  Many people contact asking for homes or land without covenants.  Covenants are rules that restrict your use.  Sounds bad, however without them you might be buying a home and it turns into your worst nightmare. 

When land is subdivided in Montezuma County (Mancos, Cortez and Dolores), the county requires covenants for setbacks, weed control and fire mitigation.  It's very important you understand the pros and cons of covenants.

Recently I showed a home to a potential buyer and once looking at the neighbors we soon found out that their place was in disrepair and had cars coming and going throughout the day.  If there were covenants it might have prevented this kind of activity.  I have story after story, of unhappy homeowners trying to live in an area that doesn't fit. 

Sure you want to do whatever you want on the place you own, however we all have to live together in harmony unless you are miles away from others. 

Most covenants have restrictions to building size, how many animals,  type of home you can build, and road maintenance.  If you were living in an area with covenants, you  have grounds to get the neighbors to abide by the rules.  Without covenants, you can call the sheriff however getting them the neighbors to change, might just cause more friction.

It's best to do your homework, before you buy.  Call me, Carrie Summers, I'm here to help.  970-759-2540

Priceless Memories

The 4 Corners is a great hub for day trips or weekend getaways to explore the desert of Canyonlands in Utah, get lost in the mountain peaks, and play in the many rivers and lakes, like the Dolores River and Navajo Lake.  With over 300 days of sunshine a year it's a great place to call home and make memories.

My parents gave me the love of riding horses and the mountains.  Each summer, our family would pack up and ride 20 miles into the mountains and camp for a week to 10 days.  My first pack trip was when I was two years old.  I rode my own horse.  When I got tired, my Dad would just put me in front of his saddle and I'd take a nap while we kept exploring the mountains.  Some of the best days of my life were there in the mountains.  There were 6 of us and we loved being so far up in the mountains that we would rarely see another soul.  Yes, there were times we spent the day in our tent, reading, playing cards and napping, while it poured outside. Many mornings there was frost, so hunkering around the campfire was a necessity! 

This is a picture of me when I was three on one of our pack trips.  The memories made are priceless from sitting with my Dad on the hillside watching the horses graze, sucking on lemon drops while we rode along, eating fresh trout that my brother caught, to cuddling in our sleeping bags and endless more.  My Mom journaled each of our trips, and yes I have them! 

Life is precious, so please take time to breathe in the wonderful world we live in.  MancosHomes.com

Are you looking for a new home?

Have you been looking at homes online and dreaming about a new home?  If you have started searching, you might be frustrated.  Buying a home is a very important decision and you want to make sure you are doing everything right.   Here are some tips.

1.  Get prequalified for a loan-  I recommend talking to a few lenders and see what they offer.  First time home buyer, or veteran?  There are no down payment loans out there for you!  Once you are prequalified than you are ready to start the search.
2.  Hire a Realtor who will become your trusted advisor.  They should know the area,  are easy to reach, and can work around your schedule. Get references, and google them.  Do they have a website,  and Facebook page? Get a list of their homes they have sold, and speak to their buyers.
3. Your Realtor will search all listings on the internet, for sale by owners and will be able to help you narrow down your search.  They will be able to tell you if a home is over priced, the history of the home, and do comparisons.
4.  Once you find a possible home,  drive by it and go see it at different times of the day.  Are there barking dogs,  strange neighbors or outside lighting that you don't like in the area?  This step is so important.  Many people don't want to live in a subdivision with covenants.  Well if you don't there is nothing stopping your neighbors property to become junky, loud or a pig farm.  
5.  If after searching for a home you just can't find a suitable home, you might want to consider building.  Builders in Mancos are getting $150 a square foot, and a typical 5-10 acre lot will cost you around $65-90k.

Check me out on Zillow and ask about me at the coffee shop.  I'm here to help!

Are you a good neighbor?

This week I was suppose to close on 10 acres, however all things can change.  The potential buyer was walking around the property, noticed the fence was down and horses were grazing.  Horses were put back on neighbors property and fence was fixed.  The neighbor told the potential buyer that "the grass would go bad if not eaten" and that she'd take the fence down again and cut the gate.  Well needless to say, the buyer backed out of the sale and didn't want to have a neighbor like that.  

Colorado law states that property owners have to fence animals out, however that doesn't give the right for a neighbor to cut down the fence.  So who's fence is it?  Well, whoever has maintained the fence!  The property owner had installed a 4 string, slick wire fence 5 years ago along with stays.  Pretty nice fence until it was cut down.  

Last month I also had a crazy experience while showing a home.  The neighbor was beating on the drums, yelling and when we walked over, the dog bit me. We learned from another neighbor that there has been many problems with them, in which cops have been called.  The buyers loved the home, but wouldn't buy it due to the wild card next door.  

So the question is, "Are you a good neighbor?"  Remember to treat people like you like to be treated and it's a happier world!  Tip of the week- If your are buying, be sure and meet the neighbors!

So you don't have a lot of savings, but you want to buy a house. What can you do?

Have you been renting for a long time, and want to own a home?  Don't have much savings?  No worries!  

Have you heard about CHFA loans?  It helps with down payment assistance with as low as $1000 down! You might even be able to avoid mortgage insurance! There's even help with closing costs!  It's dependent on how much you make and what county in Colorado you want to live in.  For example in Montezuma County which is Mancos, Cortez and Dolores, a family of 4 can't make more than $49,500 and the house can't cost more than $271k.   What's your credit score?

You need to decide if renting or buying is right for you.  How long will you stay in the home?  Are home prices in the area going up?  Are you restricted by the landlord rules?

There are several loans out there to help with down payment.   Just because you don't have a lot in savings, doesn't mean you can't be a homeowner.

Call me and lets discuss! 970-759-2540

Time to plan your Easter Weekend!

Easter is almost here and there are plenty of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy this weekend! Check out the events below to see what there is to do in the area!Mancos: VFW Easter Egg Hunt: Kids from toddler age to fourth-grade are invited to an Easter egg hunt and bake sale at 10 a.m. at the Mancos Community Center, 130 W. Grand Ave, Mancos, CO. The event is sponsored by the Montezuma County Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 5231. Mesa Verde Free Entry: Fees are waived this Saturday at Mesa Verde National Park! Cortez: Cortez Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt: Annual Easter egg hunt at the City Park in Cortez on Saturday at 10 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt in the Pool: Thursday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. at the Cortez Recreation Center. Ages 10 and under. Come dressed to swim. There is no charge for this event. Questions: Call Michelle 564-4084. Hop Into Spring Hunter Jumper Show: Easter themed hunter jumper show in the outdoor arena at the Cortez Fairground. Open to all ages, abilities, and breeds with classes from leadline up to 3' FOCUS ON FUN! Stalls are available through MCFG. First in a series of 6 with points toward year end awards. see www.durangohorseshows.com for prizelists and entry information.Easter Sunday ServicesCortez Church of the Nazarene: Potluck- Style Breakfast at 9 a.m. followed by a Worship Service at 10 a.m. with an Easter egg hunt for the kids following the service. 514 N Chestnut St, Cortez, CO 81321.Lighthouse Baptist Church: Sunrise service at the MCHS Practice Field at 6:30 AM. There will be two morning worship services at 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. There will be an Easter egg hunt following the 10:45 a.m. service. 11502 Highway 145, Cortez, CO 81321. Rock Springs Church: Services at 9:00 a.m  and 11:00 a.m. 32233 Highway 160, Cortez, CO 81321. Summit Lake Community Church: Breakfast at 9:15 a.m. Worship service at 10:30 a.m. 36501 Highway 184. Mancos, CO 81328. For more great ideas including biking and hiking trails, give me a call. Carrie Summers 970-759-2540. Let me help you fall in love with the area!

Are you ready to sell your home?

Should I sell my house?  If you have been asking yourself this questions, I've got great news.  It's a great market for sellers.  There are a shortage of homes on the market which drives home prices up.  

Here's some things to ask yourself.

1.  Are you emotionally ready to sell your home?  Are you ready to put in the work to get your home ready for sale?  Yes, it's a big chore and I can help you declutter and make that first impression a good one.  Are you ready the reasons potential buyers don't like your home?  Are you ready to leave those memories created in the home?  

2.  Do you have equity in your home?  You need to know what your home is worth.  Look at your mortgage statement balance and call me for a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  With these two things I can help you determine your equity.    Do you owe more on your home than it's worth?  Probably not since the last several years home values have been rising and that means you are building equity.  

3.  So how much equity do I need?  You want to have enough equity to pay off your current mortgage with enough left over to provide a 20% down payment on your next home.  Having this 20% will help you keep your next private mortgage insurance (PMI) down.  

4.  Are you out of debt and have cash in the bank?  This is super important that you have money to pay for emergencies.  So how much?  You should have at least 3 months of expenses saved up.  Need help working on a budget or figuring this out?  Call me.

5.  Does your current home fit your lifestyle?  Is it too small for your family or too far away from the school?  Do you really want to spend all your time shuffling kids around?  Maybe your home is too big, now the kids are out of the house or there are just too many stairs.  

These are really important things to consider.  I'm here to be your trusted advisor.  Call me, Carrie Summers and lets talk.  970-759-2540