Ruthie's Corner

Christmas Cheer What’s more Christmasy than songs. If you’re like me, an old Christmas song brings back sooo many memories…. some make me cry, others get me totally in the holiday spirit and others I just can’t help but sing along to. So here are the top 10 all-time favorite Christmas songs according to a recent poll done by Ranker Community. Which is YOUR fav? 1) White Christmas 2) Silent Night 3) Santa Claus is Coming to Town 4) Winter Wonderland 5) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 6) O Holy Night 7) Joy to the World 8) Little Drummer Boy 9) Jingle Bell Rock  10) Frosty the Snowman May you be filled with Christmas cheer all season-long!

Snow Day Fun With winter upon us, thinking about snow day fun seems a natural thought. Here are a few ideas for you & your kids to do on your next ‘snow day’! Boy/Girl Magic! Have boys? Set up a WII competition Girls? Why not bake up something yummy & eat picnic style in the family room! Fort anyone?   Get everyone involved and make furniture cushion forts like you did when you were little. Grab blankets, throws and pillows too… & watch the fun happen Game it! Stuff socks into balls and set up baskets or paper bags on your living room floor. Whoever gets the most socks in wins. Treasure Hunt Time. Hide things throughout your home, then post clues for your kids to find them. These are just few ideas you can try on your next ‘snow day’. Tell us what you like to do on a snow day. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Winter Dates Winter Dates (for you ….. & the kids too, if you’d like) It’s easy to come up with things to do during the warmer months, isn’t it? Or is it just me? I feel like the colder months make things harder… lol. Anyway, I wanted to take a moment to offer up some suggestions of fun things you can do with your partner, friend or even as a family! Check them out below: Ice skating Victor has an amazing Ice Rink at Bryan's Park!  Fire up a bonfire & toast marshmallows  Go sledding Build a snowman Go for a drive looking at Christmas lights  Check out the local events & go do something you haven’t yet done before See! Coming up with fun winter dates isn’t so bad. Just use some imagination and don’t overthink it. Many of the above ideas can easily be adapted to family activities as well. During this busy season, we need to remember to stop and enjoy… so I hope these winter date ideas inspires you to set some time aside and do something t...

 Old-Fashioned Potato Soup I don’t know about you, but I look forward to enjoying delicious homemade soup every fall! And when I think of one of my all-time favorite soups from my childhood, it’s definitely my Mom’s old fashioned potato soup! So I thought I’d share the goodness with you. And if you’re like many these days that try to stay away from carbs/potatoes, you can replace the potatoes with cauliflower… mmmmm, it’s absolutely delicious!! Happy Souping  Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 1 large chopped onion 8 diced & peeled potatoes 4 carrots, chopped 4 cups of water 2T chicken bouillon powder 3T flour 4 cups milk  Parsley & pepper to taste Preparation: 20 minutes Directions: Place potatoes, carrots, water & chicken bouillon powder in pot and bring to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7-9 minutes. Season to taste with pepper & parsley. Melt butter in saucepan in separate pot and stir in the onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes...

FUN Fall Family Ideas After a busy, enjoyable summer, isn’t it nice to be back in routine with kids back to school, the sun setting earlier (making kids bedtime easier), etc? It sure is. And that doesn’t mean the fun times have to end– no way! Here’s a list of family fun things you can plan this month. 1) Decorate. – Wreath for the front door – Inside for fall – The porch with pumpkins and other fall decor 2) Bake. – Pumpkin pie – Pumpkin bread – Homemade apple cider 3) Enjoy the Outdoors. -Make raking the leaves a family event. -Go to the local pumpkin patch & hop on a hayride. -Grab the ingredients for s'mores. Prepare indoors, then go outside after dinner to roast & enjoy.  -Plan a walk in the woods to see what you can see & end this special time with hot chocolate when you get back home. What fun Fall family things does YOUR family do? Do tell, I can’t wait to hear your ideas! Ruth Grainger-Starr Realtor® Grainger Realty LLC  Office:7...

Home Prices in Cripple Creek & Victor CO for September 2018 Real estate market data for Cripple Creek Victor CO provided by Ruth Grainger-Starr  of   Grainger Realy LLC, CC-V Home Prices We have seen months of listing price staying pretty level on home prices in Cripple Creek & Victor . However, with the start of the fall season the market slowed down a hair in September. If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Cripple Creek or Victor area but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. If you are interested in how much current inventory is on the market in the CC-V area you can find that information by clicking on the link. High inventory will suggest that homes are sitting on the market for longer. Currently in this area, homes have a median time of 22 days on the market before they sell. This would suggest that Sellers are in a great position to receive a close to list price off...

Fall Family FUN! With fall upon us, I wanted to share some fun family ideas you can start planning now. I’d love to hear what you’re going to be doing!  Here are 4 quick ideas to help you plan your fall family FUN! Decorate inside & out. When I was a kid, I always looked forward to helping Mom decorate for holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas… it was always fun pulling out the treasures and helping Mom put them out. Start a tradition in your home. Family FUN day. Choose a day each month that is designated Family FUN day and plan several hours out of the home bonding together. It could be going to the local pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins, taste apple cider, and a hayride or visiting an outdoor park and having a picnic or going to an amusement park before it gets too cold. Or why not have a fun family game of touch football? Think about what your family enjoys, plan it & do it! Toast marshmallows. Who doesn’t like a toasted marshmallow? Head out back on...

September Homeowner Checklist: 5 To Dos It’s that time again… time to prep your home for the cooler weather that’s on its way.  Get these completed so that you can take a much- needed break by taking a nap on the couch or curling up with a good book.  Change décor & bedding.   It will soon be chilly and that means the lighter sheets currently on your bed, need to be changed out with layers of warm comfort like maybe wool or fake fur.  Also, with the change in season, comes Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas so now is the time to swap out summer pillows and décor for the cozy cooler weather décor and accessories, such as a cozy throw and thicker window curtain panels, etc. Check smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors.   & replace batteries.  Also, now is the best time to check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher too.  Lastly, did you know that if your smoke detectors are yellow, it means they need t...

3 Sure Fire Ways to Lose When Buying Your Next Home! Thinking about making a move?  GREAT! What an exciting time for you. Before you begin your homebuying journey, be sure to avoid these 3 sure fire ways homebuyers lose – big time – when buying a new home. You may ask:  “lose”? How can I lose? Great question. Too many buyers rush into the homebuying process before they’re ready.  And doing so not only wastes their time but, in some instances, it costs them thousands of dollars. Keep reading to learn what these top 3 mistakes are . . . so you make sure to avoid them!   Not getting prequalified BEFORE beginning your search Many buyers make this mistake, thinking they know what they can afford. What you may not consider, however, are other costs associated with home ownership – or a host of other issues that bear on the issue of your credit. I’ve worked with some buyers who were pleasantly surprised that they could actually qualify for MORE than...

Why an Experienced Real Estate Agent is Worth Her Weight in Gold! If you’ve never purchased a home yourself (or it’s been a number of year since you have), it may seem tempting to “go it alone” – choosing to not hiring a real estate agent guide you through the path to homeownership. That would be a B I G mistake! Because an experienced real estate agent makes her job look so easy, many people underestimate all that she does to best serve her clients. Here are 3 reasons why hiring a savvy, passionate & experienced real estate professional will save you money, time (and a whole lot of stress): 1. Access to Listings Before They Hit the Market.  Think Zillow is the be-all-end all? Absolutely NOT true! A connected & savvy agent knows her market AND is a trusted colleague of agents in the region and, as a result, she becomes aware of hot properties even BEFORE they hit the market. (That’s particularly important in today’s “seller’s market.”) Don’t trust to a comput...

Don’t List Your House Until You Do These 3 Things As an agent, people always ask me for the “truth” with respect to what is most important when selling your home. I guess as opposed to what is a myth…? Anyway, I thought I would share within this blog the 3 most important thing that can’t be overlooked when wanting to sell your home for the most money! 1) Clean & Organize – Did you ever wonder why Nordstrom’s has such a HUGE following? Well b/c it’s clean and organized is in the top 5 reasons in a recent survey. We all have busy and hectic lives, so when we think about an exceptional shopping experience or a place we’d like to call home, we need it to be a respite, a haven for order which will allow relaxation, thus clean and organized. I suggest getting your home deep cleaned by a local cleaner just before listing your home. It allows you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re putting your home’s best foot forward. As for organization, keep in mind, prospective buy...

Search current inventory of  Homes in Cripple Creek and Victor Colorado ! Listing Details Great home in Cripple Creek CO 415 Main Street, Cripple Creek CO, 80813 Price: $399,900 MLS number: 3879608 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Square Footage: 2,209 Call Ruth Grainger-Starr at 719-648-2288 to see if this property is still available and arrange a showing. You Will Love this amazing home in quite Cripple Creek Wonderful opportunity to own a old bed and breakfast in Cripple Creek. This home was once a thriving bed and breakfast! Set up for entertaining with a large kitchen ready to prepare those big meals for the Holidays. Inside the warm and cozy feeling of home is all around. With a large family/ dining room you have plenty of room for entertaining. A fenced yard, hot tub area, each bed room has its own bath, A shed to be used as a workshop this house has it all! Looks like a small charming home this house is amazing! Click here to see  additional im...