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Pros and Cons of Buying With High Rates

1/14/2025

“Marry the house, date the rate” is a common phrase in the housing industry, especially since mortgage rates have risen throughout 2023. But it’s not just a phrase; it’s a strategy too.

It’s simple: Focus on finding your dream home — the one you want to live in for the long haul — and treat today’s higher rates as a temporary path to get there. Then, you can commit to refinancing once interest rates drop.

While this is a logical approach for some homebuyers, it’s not the right move for everyone. Consider these pros and cons before using the strategy.

Pros
Typically, the biggest advantage of the “marry the house, date the rate” approach is that you get to buy the home you want now instead of waiting months or even years for rates to drop. If you’re ready to settle down, this might be the only goal that matters.

You may also see less competition from other buyers (due to higher interest rates), and becoming a homeowner sooner will help you start building equity in the home.

Cons
One of the main downsides is that you don’t know when rates will drop, so you could be stuck with your higher rate (and payment) for a while.

And refinancing isn’t free. The average cost to refinance is about $2,375 plus taxes — usually 2% to 5% of the loan principal, like closing costs. If there’s any chance you may not stay in the home long term, it might not feel worth it.

Home Wellness Tips to Consider

1/14/2025

Your home isn’t just where you eat your meals or lay your head down at night. It should be a place that enriches your life, making you happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

Does your home do those things? If not, you can make some careful additions to change that.

That’s right: Your home could improve your overall health and well-being with these five popular home wellness features.

Air Purifiers: Having a couple of air purifiers in your home can help reduce allergens, promote better sleep and stave off bacteria and viruses. How many you need and where they’re placed will depend on your house’s layout and square footage.
Indoor Gardens: Plants can bring a sense of calm to a space, and some can improve air quality as well. Having a countertop herb or vegetable garden can also make cooking delicious (and nutritious) meals a little easier.
Antibacterial and Touchless Surfaces: You probably want to avoid picking up and spreading germs around the house. Good news: Many materials come in antibacterial, antimicrobial and touchless versions these days, including countertops, doorknobs and faucets.
Calm Zones: Life can get hectic at times. Adding a calm zone — a peaceful retreat with room for reading, meditating or listening to music — could help your household deal with stress in a healthy manner. You could include a cozy chair or beanbag chair, blankets, a bookshelf and headphones in the space.
Organization Systems: Too much clutter can make it harder to find things and add stress to your life. Try installing smart organization systems throughout your home in cabinets, closets or anywhere else you might need them.

My exterior lamp / yard light fixture broke. Where can I get a replacement?

6/10/2024

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining yard lights on their lot in like-new condition. Damaged fixtures must be replaced with the identical type and color fixture (bronze/dark). Refer to Section 4.16.1 of the Community Guidelines.

You can get the HOA approved yard light fixture (https://shop.peak-lighting.com/424069) at Peak Lighting, 4315 Sinton Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. The SKU number for this fixture is SKU 424069. Contact Peak Lighting if you need a replacement light at 719-531-5200

Street Light Maintenance Request

5/26/2024

Pine Creek Residents - is your street light improperly working or not working at all? Did you know that CSU Utilities will fix broken street lights for FREE when notified? Springs Utilities typically services around 4500 streetlights per year from customer requests.

CSU Utilities has an easy online form to submit a street light maintenance request. The completed online request will be forwarded to the Street Maintenance Department for action. To help CSU Utilities address your request, please provide as much information as possible when completing the online form. For example, each street light has it's own unique identifying number on the pole. In addition, giving a cross street address also speeds up the location and work. Lastly, you can also make a report by calling 385-ROAD.

Visit Colorado Springs Utilities Street Maintenance Web Site
https://coloradosprings.gov/public-works-operations-maintenance-division/webform/street-maintenance

Let's keep our neighborhoods safe and properly lit.

Peak Alerts for El Paso and Teller Counties

4/24/2024

Peak Alerts are notifications sent through a software called Everbridge by public safety agencies in El Paso and Teller Counties. Peak Alerts notify you of emergency situations that are a threat to life or property and are deemed dangerous by public safety officials. Examples of emergency situations may include but is not limited to, natural or man-made disasters, hazardous materials incidents, missing persons, law enforcement activity impacting the public, evacuation notices, and more.

Peak Alerts notify you of emergencies that happen near your registered address(es) or current location (if you are using the Everbridge app). To sign-up for these alerts, you must create an account with your contact information to include your address and at least one contact method. The information you provide is protected and will not be used for any other purpose. You choose how you want to receive these messages. Messages can be sent via text, phone call, email, mobile app, fax, and more. When you confirm receipt of a message, the system will stop attempting to contact you. If you do not confirm the message, the system will continue to attempt to reach your other registered contact methods.

It is important to note that during an emergency, you should use as many forms of communication as possible to stay informed. Stay tuned to news broadcasts, radio stations, social media, websites, weather radios, etc. It is recommended that you signup as an individual rather than a household as notifications will stop once a user confirms receipt of the message. If at any time you feel you are in danger, you should take whatever action you feel is necessary to get yourself to safety.

Sign up online at https://member.everbridge.net/index/1772417038942752?fbclid=IwAR3dnF2z9_qpMLsbTneHxDW-7DM2jlySQNXR2UOvw4O-13JLlvOJzOus5fo#/signup

Receive push-alerts to your mobile device anytime you travel into an area of an active incident. You can download the Everbridge app here: https://www.everbridge.com/app/

Paint Repaired Fences Correctly

4/24/2024

Please do not forget to paint fence repairs to keep the neighborhood looking good.
There are two types of fencing in Pine Creek - the dark green metal "view" fence, and the brown wood plank fence. To paint your own fence - the correct paint / stain colors are:
Green View Fence: To purchase the correct green paint (Olympic Pine; Pine Creek Green) homeowners must go to the Sherwin Williams store near Powers and Dublin (6345 Source Center Point, Colorado Springs, CO 80923, (719) 260-1767). The paint is an oil based Alkyd Enamel, #N8-809. Use the number, and if they cannot find the formula, tell them it is under the Rainbow Paint company mixtures. (Updated December 12, 2019)
Brown Wood Plank Fence: Homeowners now can purchase the PCVA approved wood fence color at either Lowe's or Home Depot. Ask for Lowe's "Pine Creek Picket" Valspar exterior solid stain OR Home Depot's "Pine Creek Brown Fence" Behr solid wood stain.

Prevent Dogs From Threatening Sidewalk Users

12/31/2023

Dog owners, please ensure your pets are not able to threaten people using the sidewalks along your property. City Code states owners must prevent a dog from becoming a danger to persons and that No person who owns, keeps or exercises control over any animal shall allow the animal to do the following:
1.To attack or threaten to attack or bite any person or domestic animal not on the premises of the owner or keeper.
2.To attack or threaten to attack or bite any person or domestic animal upon the premises of the residence of the owner or keeper.

Dogs that charge the property line or attempt to jump over fences may appear to be threatening to attack or bite a person. This can be very disconcerting and disturbing to a person out for a walk. Please consider your dog's actions and how it may be perceived by someone passing by.

Read more details at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/coloradospringsco/latest/coloradosprings_co/0-0-0-7038#JD_6.7.107

Noisy Animals or Pets Prohibited

12/31/2023

Please be sure your pet is not disturbing the peace and quiet of the neighborhood - even when you are not at home.

PCVA Community Guidelines
2.2.5 PET NUISANCE  City law dictates that it is unlawful for any person to own or keep any pet, which by barking, howling, yelping, crying or other utterance, disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. Complaints should be directed to the appropriate Animal Control entity.

City Code
6.7.115: NOISY PETS OR ANIMALS PROHIBITED:
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to own or keep any pet or hoofed animal which by any unreasonably loud and persistent barking, howling, baying, yelping, crowing, crying or other utterance disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.
B. It shall be a defense to the violation of this section that the complainant provoked the pet or hoofed animal whose noise is complained of by the complainant.
C. In the event an animal control officer determines that a violation of this section has occurred, the animal control officer shall give the owner or keeper of the animal a written warning of the violation pursuant to this chapter. The owner or keeper shall be entitled to a period of three (3) days after the date on which the written warning is given to correct the violation. If the violation persists or recurs for any pet or hoofed animal at the same residence cited in the warning after the three (3) day period, the owner or keeper shall be subject to enforcement action under this chapter. No enforcement action for a violation of this section shall be taken more than six (6) calendar months after the date on which a written warning for that violation is given. If enforcement action is taken within six (6) months of the date on which a written warning was given, the issuance of a summons and complaint shall constitute written warning for the purposes of calculating a new six (6) month enforcement period. Only one warning per residence, per enforcement period, regardless if served on the owner or keeper, will be given.
D. The warning process to be employed by the animal control officer shall be as follows:
1. A written warning pursuant to subsection C of this section will be issued by the animal control officer if, upon investigation, the officer establishes that there is one witness to the unreasonably loud and persistent nature of the noise. The officer or the complaining witness may be relied upon as a witness in meeting this requirement.
2. The warning shall be sufficient if it cites this section, states that a complaint has been received, that the person's pet or hoofed animal is disturbing the peace of another in the neighborhood, identifies the date and time of the disturbance, identifies the animal disturbing the peace, identifies the witness to the disturbance and is identified as coming from within the City limits.
3. A warning is given under this section if it is posted on the owner's or keeper's premises.
4. The City shall keep records of all warnings given and the records shall be prima facie evidence that the warnings were given.
E. No person shall be convicted at trial of violating this section unless some testimonial or demonstrative evidence is presented corroborating the complaining witness's allegation of the unreasonably loud and persistent nature of the noise and a warning was issued pursuant to subsection D of this section. A corroborating witness shall not include the complainant nor a member of the complainant's household.
F. Upon a second conviction entered and in addition to any other penalties that may be imposed, the court may order the owner or keeper of the pet to abate the nuisance within five (5) days. Failure to abate the nuisance within five (5) days shall constitute a "contempt of court" as defined in chapter 11 of this Code.
G. For the purpose of this section, "neighborhood" means the area within five hundred feet (500') of the exterior boundaries of the premises where the pet resides; "disturb" means to unreasonably annoy, perturb or interfere with the quiet enjoyment of another's premises.
H. Among the circumstances which may be considered in determining whether reasonable grounds for belief have arisen that an owner's or keeper's pet or hoofed animal is in violation of this section are:
1. The time of day.
2. The location of the noise.
3. The frequency of the noise.
4. The length of time for which the noise persists. (Ord. 96-131; Ord. 01-42; Ord. 03-31; Ord. 04-178)
Learn more at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/coloradospringsco/latest/coloradosprings_co/0-0-0-7108

Animal Law Enforcement (ALE)  https://www.hsppr.org/law/
Animal Law Enforcement (ALE), a division of Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, is contracted to serve El Paso County, Pueblo County, Douglas County, and the City of Centennial, an area encompassing approximately 5,400 square miles and serving over one million citizens. These jurisdictions have contracted us to carry out animal services on their behalf because of our experience and expertise.

ALE is committed to promoting and protecting the safety, health, and quality of life of pets and people through the enforcement of laws and positive responsible pet ownership education. Officers are empowered with authority by the cities and counties served, and many are also agents of the Bureau of Animal Protection. All ALE officers are recognized as Peace Officers by 30-15-105 and 30-42-107 C.R.S.

Animal Law Enforcement, 630 Abbot Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Colorado Springs Phone: 719.302.8798

Colorado Revised Statutes address domestic animals and laws primarily pertaining to:

cruelty to animals
dangerous animals
bites (domestic animals only)
animals running at large
number of animals/sanitary requirements
licensing and vaccination requirements
noisy pets

Home paint, window, roofing colors

9/27/2023

Does the Home Owners' Association or Management Company Keep Track of My House Finishes?
Looking for information on the existing or original paint colors, windows, roofing, etc for your particular property in Pine Creek ? The HOA does not have or retain this information. It is recommended that you seek the service of a professional painter or tradesman to professionally match your paint or other home finish.

SpringsView Shares Property Photos

11/26/2022

The City has an aerial map program called SpringsView. This program provides an aerial photo of properties within the City of Colorado Springs. There is a variety of information available within the program including base zoning and overlays, parks, schools, topography, development plans, etc. Each layer may be turned on or off depending on which type of information is needed. You may zoom in and out to a particular area with the cursor or identify a specific property by typing in the tax schedule number or address.

Visit https://gis.coloradosprings.gov/Html5Viewer/?viewer=springsview and check it out.

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