Fort Carson Housing Poop . . .

This section is devoted to several topics that will interest military families buying Fort Carson housing. I’ll use this page to share my miscellaneous thoughts about Colorado Springs real estate in general, and Fort Carson housing specifically.

Online Photographs of Fort Carson Housing

There’re never enough online images of the homes near Fort Carson! I’m frequently asked to provide "more pics" of Fort Carson housing. Because I work as a real estate agent for military families from all over the world, the requests for additional photographs usually come to me over the internet or a phone call.

Here are a few things to know about photographs of Fort Carson housing and real estate brokers . . .

First, I’m not a professional photographer. However, I've won a few awards and know good photographs go a long way to answer several questions about the house you may be interested in. The old adage about "a picture is worth a thousand words" is very true in the process of selling or buying a home. If you’re asking to see additional photographs of a home, I know you’re asking an important question. With this in mind, we’re both frustrated when you don’t see sufficient photographs. This is especially true if you’re overseas, ready to PCS, and looking for Fort Carson housing.

Second, most real estate brokers are not skilled in how to make architectural images that properly illustrate a home’s features and benefits. Fort Carson home buyers and sellers should not assume a license to sell real estate qualifies a Realtor^® to make good photographs. This is particularly bad because of the general importance good images have in the process of selling a home. In short, Realtors^® simply do a poor job with their cameras because they have selected the wrong equipment, they don’t know how to use the equipment they have, or both. This is the reason some Realtors^® hire a skilled photographer and then pass on the expense to home sellers.

Third, some Realtors^® trying to sell homes near Fort Carson or in Colorado Springs intentionally put one or very few images online. Why? The answer is simple: Some Realtors^® just don’t want you to see the truth about the house. That is, the inside of the house is trashed, ugly, filthy, destroyed, or simply unsafe for you to enter. The idea here maybe is that you’ll take (sometimes waste) your time to visit the house in the sellers’ dire hope you’ll make an offer to purchase it. This is also why, for example, you’ll sometimes not see images of the backyard; the weeds are so tall you really can’t see the yard or the back of the house anyway. Also, photographs may be missing of the garage because of all the junk that’s accumulated in it.

Fourth, the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors^® (the source of many images you see on this website) limits the number of online images of a single house. There are legitimate ways around this limitation. But again, the skilled photographer/agent who represents the seller will know how to properly bypass this limitation.

So, be wary. When you see very few images online it may be because the agent trying to represent the seller is simply doing a poor job or they’re unskilled. Or, the house has some unusual "features."

In any case, if you’d like additional images of homes near Fort Carson, or anywhere in Colorado Springs, I’ll try to get them for you. However, the images you see online are usually all there is. When I work as an agent for you the buyer, I’m able to get more images for you from the seller most of the time. In unusual situations, I’ll just go and make some snapshots for you!

Selecting a Fort Carson Realtor^®

Selecting the right Fort Carson Realtor^® is important. After all, there are very few of us around. I’ll be giving you a few questions to consider, but first you should know some differences . . .

Not all real estate brokers are Realtors^®. However, most all Realtors^® are active real estate brokers (to some degree). So, what’s the difference between a broker and a Realtor^® ? A broker is simply a third person who facilitates a deal. In other words, a broker is an intermediary who acts to bring a buyer and seller together. This is a very important function because each party (buyer or seller) may not have the skills, experience, time, or know-how to find the other party (seller or buyer).

On the other hand, while a Realtor^® is a real estate broker with all of a broker’s regular duties, a Realtor^® also has an additional duty to uphold a code of ethics. This code of ethics strives to impose obligations on Realtors^® that go beyond those obligations expected in ordinary business transactions. Those obligations are also directly aimed at protecting and promoting the interests of the Realtor’s^® client. A Realtor’s^® obligation to the client is primary, but it does not relieve Realtors^® of their obligation to treat all parties honestly. Furthermore, the term "Realtor^®" has come to connote competency, fairness, and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct.

In short, a Realtor^® is a real estate broker, but a real estate broker is not necessarily a Realtor^®. Furthermore, Realtors^® are obligated to conduct themselves according to a code of ethics. In contrast, a real estate broker is not obliged to interact with you with the Realtor’s^® code of ethics in mind.

So, who generally is better to help you find Fort Carson housing? Should you select a common real estate broker, or a Realtor^®? I hope you see that a Realtor^® is your best choice to help you with Fort Carson housing . . .

Although most are well skilled, not all Realtors^® are created equal. If you’d like to buy or sell Fort Carson housing, here are a few questions for thought. These questions will help you select the right Realtor^®:

1. How much experience does the Realtor^® have with your type of transaction? This is not the same question as "How long has the Realtor^® been in real estate?" If you’re trying to buy Fort Carson housing for example, you’ll want someone who’s helped 40-50 active duty military families buy Fort Carson Housing. (I meet this requirement.)
2. How much military experience does the Realtor^® have? You want to work with someone who knows the difference between a TDY and a PCS because they’ve done both, not because they learned the difference by looking up the definitions on Google. If the Realtor^® can throw in a few personal deployments here and there, that makes it even better for you. Why? Because the Realtor^® will think the way you do and from experience will understand your situation. (I have 23 years of military experience and am now retired. Yeah, I think the way you do . . .)
3. How well does the Realtor^® communicate with you? The answers that are important to you stem from six other questions:
   
   

   First, does the Realtor^® listen to you? In other words, do you feel like you’re being heard?

   Second, can you understand the Realtor^®? Simply put, does the Realtor^® make sense when talking with you about Fort Carson housing?

   Third, does the Realtor^® return emails and phone calls from you?

   Fourth, is the Realtor^® available on YOUR schedule, or do they post "office hours" and confine you to a schedule convenient for the Realtor^®?

   Fifth, what does the Realtor’s^® website design and layout tell you about the Realtor^® and Fort Carson housing? Is the website really about the Realtor^®, or is it intended to inform you about Fort Carson housing?

   Sixth, is the Realtor^® part of a "Team" or a "Group?" In practice, if the answer is "Yes," then you may not be truly working much with a Realtor^® afterall. Instead, you’ll probably be working with an assistant. That is, you’ll be working with another layer of communication who may or may not have the right answer for you. Even if the assistant has the right answer, laws prevent assistants from giving you some answers even when they know the answer. (Realtors^® aren’t always limited like this.) This situation with "Teams" and "Groups" prevents good communication. It’s a bit like calling to speak with the doctor and not getting past the receptionist. (To communicate about Fort Carson housing with you, I will: a.) give you my personal cell phone – you won’t likely ever talk with my assistants about real estate; b.) give you my team leader’s cell phone number as an alternative, c.) answer your emails, usually within 2 hours, but always within 16 hours, d.) make it easy for you to send a TXT message to my cell phone, e.) create an online chat option so if you have an urge to talk and don’t want the hassles of a long distance phone call from Korea, you can chat online in real time with me, f.) provide a toll free 1-800 number, g.) usually work on your schedule and not limiting "office hours," g.) create content on this website that’s focused on you and your needs, not my pretty face :) )

   In the process of buying Fort Carson housing, it’s very common for military families to feel the pressure of time just before a PCS. The last thing you need is poor communications. Many times, the best way to evaluate a Realtor’s^® communications is to make contact, and then simply listen to your instincts.

4. What type of formal education does the Realtor^® have? Realtors^® get a lot of classroom education to ensure they’re able to maintain their license to sell real estate. Additional education is good to enhance a Realtor’s^® skills. However, while a degree in astronomy is well respected, it may not enhance a Realtor’s^® skills to negotiate about Fort Carson housing the way a business education will. (I have a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in management.)
5. Is the Realtor^® in the profession of selling Fort Carson housing full time, or is the Realtor^® distracted by other priorities? You’d be surprised how many Realtors^® are unable to dedicate themselves to their work because of their other priorities. We all have priorities! For example, many Realtors^® sell real estate only part-time because they have another job. Consequently, they are a "generalist" and not a "specialist." Also, some Realtors^® are simply unable to work with you late into the evening because they have important obligations to their children. Tending to those other priorities is indeed important and very understandable. However, you should ask how the Realtor’s^® other priorities distract them from helping you buy or sell Fort Carson housing. (I’m a full time Realtor^® – helping you buy or sell Fort Carson housing is my full time job. Children at home are a family’s #1 priority. However, my daughter is in college attending an early commissioning program and looking to be a 2LT soon. I’m available to work with you full time!)

There are a lot of good Realtors^®. However, very few have the experience I have. . .