Innovative Dining & Living Converge at Victory Ridge in Colorado Springs on AMERICAN DREAM TV
Colorado Springs is consistently ranked one of the best places to live and visit. Today, I am highlighting a dynamic area where innovative restaurants, entertainment, and living options are reshaping the landscape of the community. This area is very unique because it offers a turnkey lifestyle where you can leave your door and easily walk over to boutique, shopping, dining, and so much more. My name is Marquesa Hobbs, and I'm your host of American Dream TV, Colorado Springs. Today, I'm going to share some of my favorite restaurants in Victory Ridge, and then we’ll visit a home builder who has some fantastic offerings. So today I am honored to be with Chuck Schaefer, who is the owner and inspiration behind Four North. Chuck, first tell us a little bit about your name Four North. How did you come up with that? It's on the north end of town. There's four different restaurants, so it's fitting to just say Four North. I have had the privilege of visiting all of your restaurants here, and I can't wait to have people come visit the different destinations. Manhattan Room Tapas Kitchen Tell us about our first stop. This is the Manhattan Room Tapas Kitchen. It serves small plates, shareable plates, classic cocktails, and has more of a loungy feel, a lounge vibe. I call it a date night out kind of place. A perfect place to start your evening before you move on to one of the next restaurants. Canzano's Italian Steakhouse One of the things you'll notice most when you walk in is this beautiful open kitchen. When I designed all the places, I wanted to have an open kitchen in every restaurant. That way people see that the food is completely different, the kitchens are completely different, and that they're all fresh and clean, and everybody's dressed properly and working hard together. And having a good time back there. Longboard Taco Coastal Cuisine Now we're at Longboard Taco Coastal Cuisine. Tell us about the inspiration behind this place. I was born in Colorado, but my father was in the Navy, so we were always by the beach. I grew up on the beach and went to high school in Hawaii. I love the beach and I've always wanted to be back on the beach like that as well. There are amazing views, and of course the margaritas here are fabulous. Pause Ultra Lounge and Sushi This is the Paz Ultra Lounge and Sushi. The views are fabulous and there is a great outdoor living space. There are three fire pits, along with couches and a DJ. We also have creative cocktails. Its just a fun night out. I just love how each restaurant definitely has its own theme, its own personality, its own food. You've done such a wonderful job marrying all these ideas together. So whether you live in the Springs, you're visiting the Springs, or not. It's just not only fabulous food, but you really feel like you're visiting different destinations. I look close by and my family gets down to these restaurants frequently, and I encourage So now we're talking with James, who is the Community Sales Manager at the Commons at Victory Ridge. James, this is such a unique community. Tell us some of the things that make it so special. I'd say the number one is the walkability to everything that's convenient for you to live here and not have to get into a car. We have a beautiful eight-acre park. We've got walkability to movie theater, to entertainment, and restaurants and bars and shopping, all within less than a 10-minute walk. James, you've got several different types of homes here. Tell us a little bit about that. These are called our Roadtown Farms. I think you'll really be impressed with how that feels when you walk in. Over across the street, you've got two models that we'll have opened up at the 1st of April, and that's where our single-family homes are located. We'll also have condominiums available soon for pre-sale. This is such a fantastic lock-and-go community. I appreciate you sharing the offerings and all the exciting things going on over here at Victory Bridge. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Victory Bridge, where the convergence of culinary excellence and modern convenience provide an unparalleled experience for both residents and visitors alike. Thank you for joining me. I'll look forward to seeing you next time. Top Realtor, Marquesa Hobbs, is ready to help you whether you are buying or selling Real Estate! cell 719.238.0330 office 719.536.4444 Marquesa@ColoradoHearthstone.com 6760 Corporate Drive, Ste. 300 | Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Leading With Her Heart
BY PAM BALES, Senior Writer Marquesa Hobbs has called Colorado Springs home for the past 25 years. Currently with Colorado Hearthstone Properties at The Platinum Group, she is coming up on a decade of serving her community as a Realtor®. She is an entrepreneur, a supporter of other business owners, a mom, a wife, a new grandma and a friend to many. When you meet this petite lady, you’ll encounter a warm and genuine smile, kind energy and focused interest in you. She’s one of those people who truly listens, which is extremely important in her profession. Recognized in the top 1.5% of Realtors in the Pikes Peak region, Hobbs has garnered the respect of her clients and colleagues alike. “I had a bad experience with a Realtor® when I bought a home in my twenties,” explains Hobbs. “I promised myself that I would educate clients in a kind way and add value to whatever point they were in their lives.” Hobbs volunteers with many organizations across the Pikes Peak region including Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber and Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Care & Share Women at the Well, BBB Board Member, Downtown Partnership and more. One of her biggest commitments is as a CASA Business Partner and Circle of Impact Member. “I was adopted and served as a foster parent for many years before adopting my daughter at eight years old,” explains Hobbs. “She graduates this year from high school!” She acted in the business development and marketing realms with several businesses of her own before she stepped into the real estate arena. “People are always surprised to learn that I was recruited by the IRS in Washington D.C. to develop the marketing department for Alternative Ways of Filing,” she laughs. “It was a great experience-builder, but once I had my own company — creating a natural skin care line before it was popular — I knew I was an entrepreneur at heart” “I promised myself that I would educate clients in a kind way and add value to whatever point they were in their lives.” “I love what I do, and that’s not just selling a house,” emphasizes Hobbs. “I listen to where my clients are in their lives — often a lifestyle change like divorce or marriage or downsizing.” Her business major and communications minor come in handy as she taps into the human side of buying or selling a home. That’s only one side of the real estate business, according to Hobbs. She is always looking for innovative ways to differentiate her client’s homes when she is listing them. She owns a Staging Company which helps to prepare for listing photos and videos. Hobbs has stationed a coffee cart and food truck at an open house, and she even incorporates the ancient art of Feng Shui with her friend Jen Weis. “We met at Flying Horse in the 2010s when I was in the membership department,” explains Jen Weis, owner of Leading with Shui. Their friendship deepened as they worked together on the financial side of Hobbs’ real estate deals and Weis was working in the mortgage industry. Marquesa Hobbs, Realtor, CNE & MRP - Colorado Hearthstone Realty at The Platinum Group Realtors “We met at Flying Horse in the 2010s when I was in the membership department,” explains Jen Weis, owner of Leading with Shui. Their friendship deepened as they worked together on the financial side of Hobbs’ real estate deals and Weis was working in the mortgage industry. One of those rare Colorado Springs natives, Weis researched Feng Shui online and found it fascinating. She registered for a one-year certification, graduated and launched her business a year ago. “It’s intuitive and logical at the same time,” says Weis. “You learn to read floor plans and people’s energy. I did it for my own home and office, and certain things started moving in a positive direction.” Her consultations start at $650 for businesses and residential clients. Hobbs is offering an education workshop on Fung Shui to her clients and associates in the first quarter with Jen and Leading with Shui. This type of workshop is just one of the many events Hobbs does throughout the year. During the holidays, she promoted a “12 days of Christmas Giftaway” with videos featuring local businesses. “I love highlighting other small businesses and elevating my community while I’m doing these events — it’s always a two-prong effort for me,” says Hobbs. She also hosts monthly events and larger quarterly events including Lunch-and-Learns with CASA, a women’s self-defense class; USAFA graduation flyover and taco bar; Annual Concert with a band and food trucks; Vibes Baseball game; a pumpkin patch and an annual cookie decorating bash, where even Santa shows up! Click here to read the full article. NORTH By Colorado Media Group || FEB/MAR 2024 || Lonnie Cramer by Colorado Media Group :: NORTH & The Digest Top Realtor, Marquesa Hobbs, is ready to help you plan for 2024! cell 719.238.0330 office 719.536.4444 Marquesa@ColoradoHearthstone.com 6760 Corporate Drive, Ste. 300 | Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Don’t Let the Latest Home Price Headlines Confuse You
Based on what you’re hearing in the news about home prices, you may be worried they’re falling. But here’s the thing. The headlines aren’t giving you the full picture. If you look at the national data for 2023, home prices actually showed positive growth for the year. While this varies by market, and while there were some months with slight declines nationally, those were the exception, not the rule. The overarching story is that prices went up last year, not down. Let’s dive into the data to set the record straight. 2023 Was the Return to More Normal Home Price Growth If anything, last year marked a return to more normal home price appreciation. To prove it, here’s what usually happens in residential real estate. In the housing market, there are predictable ebbs and flows that take place each year. It’s called seasonality. It goes like this. Spring is the peak homebuying season when the market is most active. That activity is usually still strong in the summer, but begins to wane toward the end of the year. Home prices follow along with this seasonality because prices grow the most when there’s high demand. The graph below uses data from Case-Shiller to show how this pattern played out in home prices from 1973 through 2022 (not adjusted, so you can see the seasonality): As the data shows, for nearly 50 years, home prices match typical market seasonality. At the beginning of the year, home prices grow more moderately. That’s because the market is less active as fewer people move in January and February. Then, as the market transitions into the peak homebuying season in the spring, activity ramps up. That means home prices do too. Then, as fall and winter approach, activity eases again and prices grow, just at a slower rate. Now, let’s layer the data that’s come out for 2023 so far (shown in green) on top of that long-term trend (still shown in blue). That way, it’s easy to see how 2023 compares. As the graph shows, moving through the year in 2023, the level of appreciation fell more in line with the long-term trend for what usually happens in the housing market. You can see that in how close the green bars come to matching the blue bars in the later part of the year. But the headlines only really focused on the two bars outlined in red. Here’s the context you may not have gotten that can really put those two bars into perspective. The long-term trend shows it’s normal for home prices to moderate in the fall and winter. That’s typical seasonality. And since the 49-year average is so close to zero during those months (0.10%), that also means it’s not unusual for home prices to drop ever so slightly during those times. But those are just blips on the radar. If you look at the year as a whole, home prices still rose overall. What You Really Need To Know Headlines are going to call attention to the small month-to-month dips instead of the bigger year-long picture. And that can be a bit misleading because it’s only focused on one part of the whole story. Instead, remember last year we saw the return of seasonality in the housing market – and that’s a good thing after home prices skyrocketed unsustainably during the ‘unicorn’ years of the pandemic. And just in case you’re still worried home prices will fall, don’t be. The expectation for this year is that prices will continue to appreciate as buyers re-enter the market due to mortgage rates trending down compared to last year. As buyer demand goes up and more people move at the same time the supply of homes for sale is still low, the upward pressure on prices will continue. Bottom Line Don’t let home price headlines confuse you. The data shows that, as a whole, home prices rose in 2023. If you have questions about what you’re hearing in the news or about what’s happening with home prices in our local area, let’s connect. Top Realtor, Marquesa Hobbs, is ready to help you plan for 2024! cell 719.238.0330 office 719.536.4444 Marquesa@ColoradoHearthstone.com 6760 Corporate Drive, Ste. 300 | Colorado Springs, CO 80919
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