Pagosa Springs Real Estate Consultants:
A Comprehensive Approach to Viewing Real Estate as a Long Term Investment

My start as a real estate consultant came in the mid-'80s, obtaining my CCIM designation.  I began working with attorneys, developers and income property syndicators during that period of economic trouble, helping them determine which of their properties were viable and helped individuals avoid foreclosure.

My passion became “thinking outside of the box” — developing innovative ways to protect property rights for both the sellers — and then, when I got on the other side — accommodating the buyers' goals.

A lot of the attorneys with whom I was working at that time had the phrase “At Law” in their company names, and I felt that a similar phrase was appropriate for the type of consulting I was doing during that recession; and it is even more appropriate in these troubled times; thus the name, Consultants At Real Estate.  

“CARE” for short.

I feel that my job, when I work with people who wish to be involved in real estate, is to help them understand all the things that affect their decisions and goals, to the best of my ability, and to provide them with a roadmap — and some guidelines, to make the best decisions to meet those goals.

Real estate is really a “people type” of business — it's not just selling houses and land. Anybody can help someone buy real estate. But understanding WHAT to buy and WHY to buy, to fit in with your long term goals — that's something very few people spend enough time considering.

That's the “niche” in the real estate market I find the most rewarding.

Take for example, a person coming to a resort area like Pagosa Springs, and thinking they might like to purchase a second home here, or a retirement home. “I'd like a beautiful home, with a lovely view,” they might say to themselves.” And they will likely make their decision in pretty much the same way they did when they bought their very first house.

But what they are not looking at is, first of all, what's going on in the overall marketplace, here in Pagosa Springs — that would be compatible with that long-term goal? And are they considering the potential return on their investment?  Does this acquisition fit into their economic plans as well as satisfy their emotional needs?    

How will they come out, compared with simply putting their money into a bank CD or another form of investment — and then pay a few thousand dollars to come a visit Pagosa a few times a year?  Is this acquisition for  retirement?

How about buying investment properties? After all, right now, there are opportunities that have not been present for decades.

Before you buy, it's really very important to consider the investment potential — and the return on your money — not just what color the carpet is.

Most of the country appears to be leveling off from a very bad recession(depression?). Any time there is turmoil in the market, after a major downturn, opportunity just abounds in the real estate market.

If looking to buy or build a home, the questions I ask is: When do you think you'd like to be living here?  full time? What else could you do with the money we are going to take and tie up in a new house, now in 2010, if you didn't buy this house?  How long do you plan to own this property?   Where will you come out ahead in your total goals — including a place to come when you retire, in a beautiful location, at a price that makes sense, if you compare what your money could have done had you invested it elsewhere, with purchasing a home here right now?

If your motivation is long term when you make an offer on that property, rather than the short term enjoyment of how that property looks today — if that neighborhood  is changing, is it in a manner that you might still want to be there in 10 years? — all of those secondary considerations that we often disregard when we jump into a car and go out to look at properties, get lost.

And then a few years down the road, you hear the story about why the person wishes they hadn't bought that property. We do not want that to be YOUR STORY!

If you are looking for a good investment property, the questions are different: what return are you expecting and in what time frame? What level of risk are you willing to take?  How important is location versus  the potential return you anticipate.  Our practice is not limited to Pagosa Springs, we have a national network to meet your goals.

Do you own property you wish to sell?  Perhaps a trade for other property would get you closer to your goals.

By sitting down and carefully looking at all of your requirements, first — instead of last — we will be better prepared to pinpoint which properties it really makes sense to make offers on.  If we represent you as a buyer, we have the ability to make multiple offers at the same time.   Don’t get involved with one particular property, because you fall in love with it; after the honeymoon is over, that property may not have the same attraction.

We like to help a buyer to stop and think about all their considerations,  Then, print you a list of every single property you want to drive by and see.  When we've got it narrowed down, we'll look at them through different eyes.

We'll look at them after we've done some homework — so you are not as invested in the emotion, and you can look at a property and consider all the factors that should affect your decision.

— Radine Coopersmith, CARE Real Estate