Reference page? I just bookmarked it! Thanks!
You are right that almost all the technology we need for much of space exploration can be found on the shelf. However, NASA is violently allergic to solutions that do not require a million man-years of research and development. Believe me, I know this from experience.
And, although this is nitpicking, we should distinguish between "colonies" and "bases." The former imply permanent inhabitants. Who bring the kids. The latter implies temporary ones, scientists and the like, although like the ISS it could be permanently inhabited. Just by different people at different times.