Home sales buck the National Trend in the Black Hills of South Dakota
September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Hello everyone,
Just got the statistics for our area of the Black Hills in South Dakota. It appears that home sales are continuing to rise as well as the price of homes. To the beat of about 4%. Are we in a buyers market? Yes. Lots of inventory to choose from and buyers are not as numerous as they have been.
But our area is turning into a destination for retirees, 2nd home buyers, and vacation home buyers. We don’t have much industry here in the Black Hills, so not alot of high paying jobs, though we have our share of decent paying jobs.
Baby boomers are buying 2nd homes and living in the Black Hills 5 or 6 months a year and then go back to their main home, usually in the southern states. Folks who have visited here in their youth are coming back to retire here. Ellsworth Air Force Base personnel who were stationed here and then left are coming back to live here. Many even request to be stationed here again after leaving.
Please visit my website anytime to see what we have to offer. Enjoy.
Duane Hosek in the Black Hills of South Dakota
USAFA – United States Air Force Academy
September 13, 2007 | 5 Comments
Colorado Springs is home to the USAFA: United States Air Force Academy. Located in the northern part of Colorado Springs, the USAFA can be accessed by the Northern gates just west of Gleneagle and Northgate or from the Southern gates at the end of North Academy Blvd. (It is important to note that Academy Blvd. has access to TWO military gates in Colorado Springs: South Academy Blvd offers accesst the the North gates of Fort Carson Army Base and North Academy Blvd. offers access to the South gates of the USAFA. Try not to get confused!)
The USAFA is a landmark in northern Colorado Springs with the Rocky Mountains as a stunning backdrop.
Taken from the USAFA site:
“The U.S. Air Force Academy is recognized as one of the nation’s finest four-year institutions of higher learning. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society, the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the academic curriculum provides cadets with a solid foundation appropriate to an Air Force career and the activities of a responsible American citizen.”
If you enter as a visitor, you should check out the Visitors Center and take a short hike to the Cadets Chapel. The Cadets Chapel has such a unique architectural style and is noticable from many parts of Northern Colorado Springs.
Some facts about the Cadets Chapel:
- The Cadets Chapel is an All-Faith house of worship with separate chapels for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths, and is designed where all chapels can hold services at once without disturbing each other.
- The All-Faith Rooms are designed to accommodate the needs of smaller religious groups.
- The chapel is 150 feet tall and features aluminum, glass and steel with 17 spires and cost $3.5 million to build. “Furnishings, pipe organs, liturgical fittings and adornments of the chapel were presented as gifts from individuals and various organizations.”
- The architect was Walter A. Netsch Jr. and construction was by Robert E. McKee, Inc.
(The following picture was taken from the North side of the chapel – looking straight up)
Some Facts about the school:
- There are about 75% military faculty and 25% civilian faculty and over 560 professors at the USAFA.
- There are 32 academic majors (and even more minors) offered – from aeronautical engineering to systems engineering management.
- There are more than 500 courses offered each year.
- ” Throughout the academic year, cadets may also attend presentations by distinguished political, academic, business, media, cultural, and military leaders.”
- The Cadet Summer Research Program allows about 190 cadets to spend 5 weeks “at various Air Force, Department of Defense, and other research facilities around the world.”
Some History about the USAFA:
- The USAFA was established in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- The location was chosen above 45 other sites and once chosen, Colorado contributed $1 Million Dollars toward the purchase.
- The first class to attend the USAFA at its current location was in 1958 and consisted of 1,145 cadets.
- The USAFA received accreditation in less than one year of opening.
- Women were allowed to enter the USAFA in 1976 and the first class that included women was in 1980.
Read More Facts About the USAFA
A very popular time to visit the USAFA is during the Football Season: Go Falcons!
Falcon Football Stadium is accessible from either the South Gate or the North Gate, but is closer to the South gate, off of Academy Blvd. Remember that you are on the USAFA grounds when you got to a Fighting Falcons game and drive carefully!
It is good to also note that: “Items prohibited at Falcon Stadium for the 2007 football season include: alcoholic beverages, food, umbrellas, backpacks of any sort, artificial noisemakers, banners or large signs, laser pointers, weapons, firearms, fireworks, glass containers, cans, bags larger than 8×11 inches, and any items that cannot be readily inspected.”
Visitors to the US Air Force Academy are welcome to drive down many of their many scenic roads or walk along many of the hiking trails – like the one between the Visitors Center and the Cadet’s Chapel, where you will feel engulfed in the beauty of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
For more information on the United States Air Force Academy, please visit: USAFA.AF.MIL
Surrounding Colorado Springs neighborhoods close to the USAFA include:
- Trailridge Neighborhoods
- Middle Creek Manor
- Deer Creek at Northgate
- Black Forest
- Flying Horse
- Gleneagle
- Peregrine & Rockrimmon
Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate – Monument Real Estate
Beavercreek, OH School Info
September 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Beavercreek, OH School Data
Is a PCS in line for you and/or your family to the Dayton, OH area. Wright Patterson AFB is located close to Beavercreek, OH and if you are considering real estate in the are you may want to consider Beavercreek, OH schools. Below you will find school information for Beavercreek.
Would you like some relocation assistance or information. We help you with more things than you can even think of… Click below
Maybe you already live here and just have kids starting school… No matter, we are here to help with all your real estate needs in the Beavercreek or Dayton, OH area. Feel free to contact us with any questions at 937–353–4600 or on the web at www.MarkRyanGroup.com
If you are looking for real estate in the Dayton or Beavercreek area you can search the MLS just like Realtors do… You can be in control, you set the search criteria, you save what homes look good to you…
Click the photo and start your search 
September 11 - We will never forget
September 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Image credits:
Left - National Chaplain Center
Upper right - Public domain
Lower right - Thomas E. Franklin, The Bergen Record
Colorado Springs Parks – Dog Parks!
September 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Colorado Springs offers many places for dog owners to hike, play and have fun with their dogs. Dogs are welcome in any city park or on any city trail as long as they are leashed. You can also find some “off-leash” parks around town. These include:
Dog Runs – “Hiking areas where dogs are allowed off-leash if kept under control”
- Garden of the Gods Park – in the area east of Rock Ledge Ranch & south of Gateway Rd.
- Red Rock Canyon Open Space – in the area southeast and up the hill from the parking lot.
- Palmer Park – Yucca Flats
Dog Parks – “Fenced areas where dogs are allowed off-leash if kept under control”
- Cheyenne Meadow Park - Native grass area off Charmwood Dr. and Canoe Creek Dr.
- Palmer Park - Old baseball field, .3 miles from Maizeland entrance
- Rampart Park - Just east of the baseball diamond.
Please consider these basic rules for taking your dog out and about:
- Please keep your dog on a leash unless you are in one of the “un-leashed” areas mentioned above.
- Please pick up after your dog. All neighborhood parks have “doggie-bag” dispensers and trash cans for your convenience.
- Please make sure that your dog is under control - whether on a leash or not.
For more information on Dog Parks in Colorado Springs or Monument, please visit the Parks and Rec. Homepage.
Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate and Relocation – Monument Real Estate
Colorado Springs Real Estate: Market Report – August 2007
September 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Here is a snapshot of the Colorado Springs Real Estate Market for August, 2007.
For the FULL, detailed report, please visit: Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection
- Average Days on Market (DOM): 83
- Average Sale Price (SP): $281,274
- List Price to Sale Price Ratio (LP/SP): 96.88%
In August 2007:
- 883 homes went on the market
- 301 homes went under contract
- 252 homes sold
<< Search For Homes For Sale In Colorado Springs >>
Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate and Relocation
How to Save Money and Stay Warm During a Colorado Springs Winter
September 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Colorado Springs is finally cooling down after a pretty hot summer. In fact, the higher elevations are expecting some SNOW tonight (9/9/07)! Now is the best time to get your home ready for the colder weather, and save some money while you are at it.
The Colorado Springs Utility Company offers some great tips on weatherizing your home for the winter.
Some of the tips include:
Make sure you take care of your drafty windows and doors. Weather stripping, caulking and using spray foam are excellent ways to keep drafts to a minimum. Also check on the drafts from attics, basements and crawl spaces, too.
- Invest in a programmable thermostat. “Programming your thermostat to 65 degrees for at least 8 hours a day - when away or sleeping - can lower your heating bill about 10 percent.”
- To keep your furnace running more efficiently, make sure that your replace (or clean) your furnace filter about once a month.
There was a recent study done by the U.S. Department of Energy that found that “Coloradoans can expect to save $2.10 on energy bills for every $1.00 spent on weatherizing.” And? According to the Colorado Springs Utility Company, “Insulation and weatherizing products are eligible for a rebate of up to $200.”
Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate and Relocation
