Colorado Springs, CO - Colorado Springs REALTOR® Nicole Lee with the influential Ashford Realty Group in Colorado Springs says that would-be home buyers are getting a gift of historically low interest rates this Christmas season.

Lee says that although the Treasury Department attempts to keep the economy moving with easy lending, it has created an historic opportunity for home buyers to get low payments on already low-priced Colorado Springs real estate. However, time appears to be running out as the 30 year treasury bond yield, which largely determines prevailing mortgage rates, has been rising aggressively in recent weeks.

"Despite efforts at Quantitative Easing by the Federal Reserve, we are definitely seeing the beginning of a weakening bond market, which translates to increased home loan interest rates for home buyers. That means buyers who have been on the fence should act quickly to lock in today's rates and close escrow on the home of their choice."

She says that Colorado Springs mortgage rates play a large role in determining how much home a buyer can qualify for.

"The rule of thumb is that for every percent in interest rate, you can qualify for 10% less house. Anyone who has been watching inventory of Colorado Springs homes for sale can tell you that a 10% price difference gets a significantly different house."

In addition to buying power, Lee says that mortgage rates can dramatically affect supply and demand of homes on the market. She says that when when rates go down, buyers spring into action in order to take advantage of the low rates.

"When rates go up, buyers tend to act quickly to purchase the home they've been wanting before they get priced out of the market by interest rates."

With the historically low real estate prices due to the number of bank owned homes and Colorado Springs foreclosures on the market, along with very low interest rates, Lee is encouraging buyers who are considering buying a home to do so immediately.

"We just don't know how long this combination of low prices and interest rates will last, but Colorado Springs homes are an exception value because of it, in our opinion."

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Lee
Ashford Realty Group
4760 Flintridge Dr, Ste 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: (719) 314-6057
Fax: (888) 631-0062
http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/
http://www.coloradospringsrentals.org/

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Nicole Lee of Ashford Realty Group, part of the Masters Real Estate Group and top performing Colorado Springs real estate agent, says that in the age of online real estate search, e-mail property alerts have become instrumental in helping buyers keep track of changing market conditions.

With markets in a constant state of change, email alerts work by enabling buyers to receive emails alerting them to new properties on the market in a particular neighborhood or price range. The technology allows real estate investors and other potential buyers to keep tabs on price changes and watch trends in the local real estate market.

Lee says that the information era, with its proliferation of real estate data on every imaginable website, has caused many buyers to look for ways to cut through the noise and look for simple ways to save money and time.

"A couple can spend hours searching real estate websites browsing MLS listings and Colorado Springs foreclosures, but sometimes the perfect match for their family won't be listed until next week. Our email property alert solves that problem."

She says that automatic email home price alerts essentially leverage a buyer's time spent searching for real estate deals online so their small amount of time spent searching can continue to pay off for days, weeks, and months to come. Buyers on her site can refine their search criteria as their interests change, keeping the email alerts relevant.

"Our typical website visitor is very serious about getting a good deal and closing a transaction, whether it's for a home for his family, or an investment property to rent out."

Lee has noticed that her most serious buyers get the best Colorado Springs real estate bargains because they've been watching the market and know a good bargain when they see it. The deals simply show up in her clients' email inboxes.

She also says that her site, www.ColoradoSpringsHomeSource.com, helps buyers avoid the common problem of getting stale data. Since her site pulls real estate listings directly from the MLS's IDX database, buyers don’t have to worry about wasting valuable time chasing down information on listings that are no longer on the market.

"Our website's advanced email property alert system saves a lot of time for anyone serious about investing in Colorado Springs homes."

About Ashford Real Estate Group

Nicole Lee of Ashford Real Estate Group is a part of the Masters Group and provides a variety of real estate services to Colorado Springs and surrounding military installations such as the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Shriever Air Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station.

Nicole Lee's passion is finding the right home for military personnel, investors, and other residents looking for Colorado Springs properties for sale or rent, and managing investment properties efficiently for local and out of town investors. She also specializes in helping renters learn how to become first time homebuyers and enjoy the benefits of home ownership.

Nicole Lee can be contacted at:

Ashford Realty Group
4760 Flintridge Dr, Ste 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: (719) 314-6057
Fax: (888) 631-0062

http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/
http://www.coloradospringsrentals.org/

Colorado Springs, CO. - Nicole Lee with the Ashford Real Estate Group, a leading Colorado Springs property management company, says the recession has significantly lessened the margin of error for real estate investors who are feeling squeezed by the economy and can no longer afford inefficient cost controls and inexperienced management of tenants and vacancies.

She says that property managers who don't sufficiently screen tenants for ability to pay the rent and likelihood of paying it on time, and who don't take proactive steps to reduce or eliminate vacancies, can end up permanently destroying their clients' real estate assets. In some cases, they may risk putting their clients' properties into foreclosure.

In one recent case, Lee says that a builder with nine income properties faced catastrophic loss of all assets in foreclosure proceedings because six of the nine tenants stopped paying the rent. According to Lee, this is happening more frequently to inexperienced property managers as the job market continues to underperform, and more renters start getting behind on their rent. She says that her clients haven't suffered that fate because of her quick-response strategy for late payments.

"We protect our clients going into the lease agreement, first of all, by being extremely picky about the tenants we allow into the property. There are plenty of good tenants out there if you know where to look, and we definitely know where to look."

She says that once the lease is signed with a reliable tenant, it's still more important than ever to be diligent in managing every aspect of a property's investment potential. If and when a late payment occurs, her property management company has quick reflex policies to deal with it and keep a small problem from becoming a large one.

"Many Colorado Springs real estate managers don't realize the dramatic impact they have on the bottom lines of their clients' balance sheets each year. We take our clients' assets very seriously, because we want our property owners to stay with us for decades."

Lee says that too many homes are going back to the bank these days, but that foreclosures should present opportunities for investors, not problems.

"By being proactive in our real estate management services, we're generally able to keep our Colorado Springs rentals consistently in a state of positive cash flow. That's why our clients stick with us through all types of markets - they know we're out to fiercely protect their investment."

About Ashford Real Estate Group

Nicole Lee of Ashford Real Estate Group is a part of the Masters Group and provides a variety of real estate services to Colorado Springs and surrounding military installations such as the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Shriever Air Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station.

Nicole Lee's passion is finding the right place to live for military personnel and other residents looking for Colorado Springs homes for sale or rent, and managing investment properties efficiently for local and out of town investors. She also specializes in helping renters learn how to become first time homebuyers and enjoy the benefits of home ownership.

Nicole Lee can be contacted at:

Ashford Real Estate Group
4760 Flintridge Dr, Ste 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: (719) 314-6057
Fax: (888) 631-0062

http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/
http://www.coloradospringsrentals.org/

Hear Nicole Lee discuss real estate management:
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/files/nicole-lee-property-management.mp3

Colorado Springs, CO - Colorado Springs real estate agent Nicole Lee of the Ashford Real Estate Group, a part of the Masters Group, offers her congratulations to Air Force Academy graduates in advance of commencement ceremonies on May 26, 2010.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be speaking at the commencement, which will take place in Falcon Stadium on the Air Force Academy campus at 10:00 am.

Lee, whose company provides real estate services to military personnel such as home purchases, property management, and help finding suitable Colorado Springs rentals, says that the Ashford Group is immensely proud of the graduates who have worked so hard to earn such a prestigious honor.

"Living in Colorado Springs gives me a big appreciation for the character of the military men and women who serve our country. We're very proud of the graduates from the Air Force Academy, because we know how difficult it is to get into the program, much less complete it."

Lee says that she's helped many graduates in past years to find homes for their families in the community and celebrate a new phase of their lives.

"Having spent many hours with military families showing homes in all sorts of Colorado Springs neighborhoods, I get excited about helping them fulfill another big part of their dream."

She says that graduation is the end of an era, but getting settled into a home, whether it's a Fountain home for sale or a Colorado Springs rental, is another big accomplishment to be proud of.

"We can't help them graduate, but we certainly can help them establish a household after graduation. We consider that to be our small contribution to their life and our way of thanking them for their service."

Lee says that for graduates who already own a home and will be transferred out of town after graduation, herColorado Springs property management services can help them turn their current home into a long term investment in their future.

"We are pretty creative about finding ways for owners to keep properties and turn them into a source of income. We work hard to keep maintenance costs low and screen prospective renters well to make sure their homes are well taken care of."

Directions to Falcon Stadium from the Airport

The directions from the Colorado Springs airport to Falcon Stadium, where the 2010 Air Force Academy commencement ceremony will be held, have been posted to the Ashford Real Estate Group's blog:

http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/blog/

About Ashford Real Estate Group

Nicole Lee of Ashford Real Estate Group is a part of the Masters Group and provides a variety of real estate services to Colorado Springs and surrounding military installations such as the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Shriever Air Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station.

Nicole Lee's passion is finding the right place to live for military personnel and other residents looking for Colorado Springs homes for sale or rent, and managing investment properties efficiently for local and out of town investors. She also specializes in helping renters learn how to become first time homebuyers and enjoy the benefits of home ownership.

Nicole Lee can be contacted at:

Ashford Realty Group
4760 Flintridge Dr, Ste 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: (719) 314-6057
Fax: (888) 631-0062

http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/
http://www.coloradospringsrentals.org/

Colorado Springs, CO - Professional real estate property manager Nicole Lee of the Ashford Realty Group, a company specializing in Colorado Springs property management, says that finding quality tenants is one of the keys to keeping low vacancy rates for her real estate investor clients. She says that while many property managers shortcut the tenant screening process to save time, it invariably ends up costing both the manager and the owner more time and money down the road.

"We would much rather put the hard work into finding good tenants who are interested in taking good care of our properties up front than have to do two or three times the work in the long run by having to fill more vacancies."

Lee says that there is a culture of cost-cutting among many management firms because most are only interested in the sales side of their business. That leaves the necessary task of screening tenants and keeping a property occupied underprioritized and understaffed.

"We take the long view with our business. We know that investors who place their properties with us do so to keep their investment property producing positive cash flow. That is impossible to do when you have a high vacancy rate due to insufficient tenant screening."

She says her tenants have been known to go above and beyond the call of duty to leave a property in better condition than they found it.

David Tanaka, President of Rocksolidpower Solutions, says that the Ashford Group has saved him thousands of dollars on his four Colorado Springs investment properties, in part through excellent tenant screening.

"Ashford Realty Group is not only an expert in their field but they have an expert staff and vendors who can service our Colorado Springs rentals at the most efficient cost. I have been a property owner for over 20 years and I know how hard it is to find a fantastic property manager."

While other Colorado Springs property management firms focus on simply adding more properties under management to their rolls, Lee says she works hard to cultivate good relationships with experienced investors who will become lifelong real estate clients.

"Building a relationship based on trust with our investors and renters alike is an essential part of our job description. We've found that produces rewarding business relationships in the long term."

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Lee
Ashford Realty Group
4760 Flintridge Dr, Ste 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Phone: (719) 314-6057
Fax: (888) 631-0062

http://www.coloradospringshomesource.com/
http://www.coloradospringspropertymanagement.net/
http://www.coloradospringsrentals.org/

Colorado Springs, Col. - Nicole Lee of the Ashford Group, a real estate team with the Masters Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, has launched a new website with powerful search features for Colorado Springs homebuyers and renters.

She says the Ashford Group, which handles both real estate sales and rentals as part of its Colorado Springs property management business, wanted to greatly simplify the home search process.

"We've tried to drastically reduce the number of clicks for users to search for Colorado Springs homes for sale. With our front page quick search box, it's possible to search by city and price range in one click."

Another advanced feature of the site is that it focuses on each of the major cities in the Colorado Springs area right on the front page, providing one-click access to real estate searches for specific types of listings. She says buyers love the short cuts to find the exact type of Colorado Springs homes they are looking for.

"Our clients tell us that they love being able to quickly browse property listings right from the front page of our site in various categories. They can find real estate searches for homes by city, luxury homes, foreclosure and distressed properties, and even Colorado Springs homes for rent."

Lee says that the easy home search tools are particularly useful for military families who are moving to the Colorado Springs area and who may not be familiar yet with all of the neighborhoods.

The map search is just one example of that, according to Lee. She says that military families from out of the area can find where their base is and search for homes in their price range - whether they are buying or renting - right on a Google map in real time.

"A big part of our business is from the many military personnel stationed here because we understand their unique needs and provide real estate tools and expertise to make their lives easier."