Oregon and Beyond Real Estate Group Blog

Spring has arrived here in Central Oregon and with our mild temperatures, this IS the time to get out there and start enjoying our wonderful water resources. 

But before you go, remember it’s that time of year to purchase your new fishing license, and be sure your boat is lake ready.  Learn how to make simple day-to-day changes in how you operate and maintain your vessel to help protect our valuable water resources.  Learn more ways to be a “Clean Boater.”  Visit the link below on how to educate yourself and others about clean fueling.

HelpStopTheDrops.com is a new online resource dedicated to educating boaters and marinas about clean fueling. Visit the site to find practical tips and information on how to prevent the drips and drops that can accidentally escape during refueling and routine boat maintenance.

For more information on the Oregon Department of Fishing & Wildlife Resources – Licenses & Regulations, please see the link below:

 http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/licenses_regs/sport_fishing.asp

For more information on “Take me Fishing”, this link will give you a few options to choose from when planning your next fishing trip:  Places to fish, Fishopedia, Freshwater, Fly fishing & Saltwater, and more.

 http://www.takemefishing.org/fishing/license/location/state/OR?gclid=CKOOneycra8CFQ1vhwodfUxfpw

Now, have fun and go catch some fish!!!  Your friend in Bend.

Amanda, Office Manager
Central Oregon Outdoors Enthusiast
Bend and Beyond Real Estate

Recently Bend & Beyond Real Estate’s Team Member, Ed Green completed the requirements for the Seniors Real Estate Specialist^® (SRES^®) Designation. While the designation might, at first glance seem to be only valuable for the older generation, it is truly targeted to address the needs of all generations. Why?  For several reasons:

• Many younger folks are helping parents and grandparents make transitions from their current living conditions to newer ones. They may be downsizing or as the new buzzword says, “rightsizing” to a smaller home, assisted living or other appropriate circumstance.

• Leaving the family home filled with memories is stressful. A sensitive SRES®  Realtor®  knows how to help.
• Aging in Place is an option that can be viable. A knowledgeable SRES®  Realtor®  knows how to discuss resources options to consider making this happen.
• Reverse Mortgages have evolved to bona fide options that can help. Regulations have removed the stigma and risk associated with today’s Reverse Mortgages.

• Navigating today’s real estate market involves technology that many have not experienced. Even the younger folks need help in navigating Real Estate oriented software and processes; even the most intuitive systems can present terminology and concepts that are not in everyone’s daily use.

• Recognizing the communication styles and needs of all generations is a key element of the training involved in earning the SRES® designation. Designees must recognize when it is appropriate to use social media, texting, email, phone, and when it is best to simply go face to face with clients of any age group. Sometimes a document must still be printed on paper and hand delivered or “snail mailed” for the individual being addressed. Simple as this sounds, many Real Estate Brokers don’t understand it. They assume everyone is like them and up to speed on all the tools used. Ed has never made these assumptions because, well, he holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and has understood communication styles for many years, long before the advent of the Mac or PC, iPhones and technology that so many of us take for granted today. Adding SRES® to Ed’s credetntials is a logical next step in helping his clients, young and young at heart!  

• SRES® is a designation awarded by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR®) and only Realtors who adhere to a strict code of ethics can qualify to earn it. To Quote the NAR®: “By earning the SRES® Designation, your REALTOR® has demonstrated the necessary knowledge and expertise to counsel clients age 50+ through major financial and lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling the family home. Your SRES® has received special training, gets regular updates, and is prepared to offer the options and information needed in making life changing decisions.”

• Click here to learn Why One Should Use an SRES®

For more information, contact Ed at 541-598-5666; email him at ed@bendandbeyond.com ; text him or write to him at:

Bend and Beyond Real Estate

20967 Yeoman Rd

Bend, OR 97701

Guess where the #1 Best Housing Market is predicted to be.

You guessed it, Bend!

A great time for investors, home prices in Bend are 45.2% off their peak in Q1 2007. Bend's median family income is close to the national average of $61,600.*

Contact us to get in on the best deals including foreclosures, short sales and more. 

*Data provided by Fiserv Case Shiller Indexes via Business Insider Magazine

Read more...

If your home has just come off the market and hasn't sold, don't be discouraged.  The reason it didn't sell may have nothing to do with your home or the market.  In reality, your home may have been one of the more desirable properties for sale. If your listing has expired and you still want results, before you put your home back on the market, take a step back and review your situation.

Q. Where should I begin?

A. Start by making a commitment to do what it takes to market your house to get it sold. With the right system, the home sale you want is still well within reach.

Q. Why didn't my home sell?

A. Review your previous selling plan and you'll discover that an expired listing usually reflects a problem in one or more of these four major areas:

1. Teamwork,

2. Pricing,

3. Condition of Your Home, and

4. Marketing.

4 IMPORTANT POINTS THAT WILL GET YOUR HOUSE SOLD

 1. Teamwork

Your home is a major financial investment, and your relationship with your Realtor® should be a full partnership where your needs and wishes are heard, and you receive detailed and dependable feedback on the progress of your sale.  Your agent has a responsibility to source this feedback from the agents who have shown your home, and to communicate this to you so together you can make the right decisions about what to do next.  How well did this occur the last time you had your home up for sale?

2. Pricing - Did price work for or against you?

The "right" price depends on market conditions, competition and the condition of your home. Pricing it too high is as dangerous as pricing it too low. If your home doesn't compare favorably with others in the price range you've set, you won't be taken seriously by prospects or agents.

You'll get the facts when you see the statistics!  To help you to establish a realistic selling price for your home, ask your agent to provide you with an up-to-date competitive market analysis to give you:

* a review of comparable homes recently sold or currently for

  sale,

* an idea of how long other homes have been listed, in order to

  calculate an average time in which a home can sell in today's

  market,

* a review of homes whose listings have expired, to understand

  what issues were at play.

Note:  There is no mention of how much you paid for your home or its improvements.  Like any other investment, the market value is determined by what a willing buyer will pay and a willing seller will accept.

3. Condition of Your Home - Show Case Quality!

Is your house someone else's idea of a dream home?  When buyers enter are they inspired?  Do they think, "I love this house!"

Remember, the decision to buy a home is based on emotion, not logic.

A house in move-in condition invites a sale.  You need to

consider:

*  fixing all the little squeaks and cracks

*  keeping it clean for all showings

*  making it uncluttered

*  brightening it up

*  what your home shows like from the street (concentrating on outside curb appeal)

Plus - Consider taking care of major items, such having your home painted. Offering an allowance to your prospective buyers, so they can have painting completed is not the same as having done it for them. Now, as they're trying to imagine what that new paint job will look like, they may also be discounting the price even further because of the less-than-perfect look of those walls.

Remember... A house that presents well, sells for the best price because it outshines the competition.  Ask your agent if they can arrange a no-obligation inspection of your home to help you assess the above.

4. Marketing Your Home To Sell!

One of the first steps in your marketing plan involves finding an agent who will best represent you.  When interviewing agents, test and compare their knowledge and ask each to demonstrate how they will market your home to buyers. Compare, too, how much money each spends on advertising the homes s/he lists, in what media (newspaper, magazine, etc.) and the effectiveness of one medium over the other.  Remember, it's not just how much they spend, but how they spend it.

Say goodbye to any real estate agents using old, traditional methods to sell your home because they don't work in today's market!  To be competitive in today's marketplace, agents who use new and innovative, non-traditional marketing approaches are the ones who are getting more homes sold fast and for top dollar.

EVERY SELLER CAN BOOST A PROPERTY'S EXPOSURE!

1. Make your house easy to show.

* Consider installing a lock box.

* Allow showing times that are convenient to buyers.

2. Use a "For Sale" sign, where permitted.

3. Create a Good First Impression by:

* depersonalizing furnishings and decor so prospects can

  visualize themselves in your home;

* emphasizing curb appeal;

* keeping large pets at a distance.

REMEMBER -  The next prospects who visit your home may be your buyers - be ready for them!

GET THE BEST RESULTS

To get the best results when selling your home, you need to team up with your agent to develop a powerful marketing plan that exposes your property to the widest possible pool of prospective buyers.

 Not all agents are the same. The relationship between you and your agent can make the difference between selling your home fast, or not selling it all.

BUYERS ARE OUT THERE - AND THEY WILL COME!

Before you put your home back on the market, remember:

1. Effective communication is vital between you and your agent.

2. Price your home according to market conditions, competition

   and the condition of your house.

3. Be sure your house is in showcase, buyer ready-condition.

4. Have an innovative marketing plan firmly set in place.

This has been a question in our family since I can remember.  Will we be pulling out our old rock ski’s and hit Mt. Bachelor on Thanksgiving?  Our family was so crazy back in the day that if in fact the mountain was open on Thanksgiving, we would get up, go ski and have a precooked ham when we returned.  Forget the Thanksgiving turkey, the skiing was way more important.

There is a lot to be thankful for during the holiday season, and our family is especially thankful that we live in an area like Central Oregon and that we can live so close to the mountain. 

It is looking fairly promising this year with the return of La Nina.  So be prepared and buy your passes ahead of time.  Apparently Mt Bachelor has even opened up a Season Pass office in Bends Old Mill District until November 16^th.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and clients, we will see you on Mt. Bachelor.

For your Mt Bachelor Mountain up date and considering skiing getaway properties, contract Terese.  As her older daughter Brooke has qualified for a Junior Olympic race she has a first hand pulse on this sport in Bend, Oregon.

I’m hooked on two handed fishing!  My husband and I just took a three day guided fly fishing trip down the Deschutes River in Central Oregon in hopes of landing some great big steelhead.  I have tested my skills with fly fishing before but often caught more bushes and trees than fish.

When we got to the boat early Wednesday morning I noticed that some of the fly rods in the boat were a lot larger than others.  They appeared to look more like something you might see on a deep sea fishing boat.

I quickly learned as my 12’ pole was handed to me that it was in fact a Spey rod. 

After some instruction on how to cast, I was hooked!  The two handed casting takes place in front of the angler, not behind.  Much better in my opinion.  I really prefer catching fish instead of trees and bushes.

As for the rest of the trip I actually ended up catching more trout than steelhead, but at least I caught something.  Catching is much more fun than fishing.  I am already looking forward to our next Spey rod fishing experience.

Terese Kelley, Broker, Outdoor Enthusiast

Something worth seeing in Bend!

If you enjoy walking, running or biking, Farewell Bend Park is the place to be, especially in the early morning or at dusk. My husband and I try to walk the park with our little dog at least a few times a week and EVERYTIME we go, we always say “that was such an enjoyable, relaxing walk” and our little one agrees.

The last time we were there we came across the new artwork piece they’ve put in at the far West end, right at the bridge.  Wow!  It’s something special that everyone at any age would enjoy seeing.  It’s called “TWO BITS” and the sculptor’s name is Greg Congleton, and it was donated to Bend’s Park & Recreation by: Penny & Phil Knight.  We highly recommend you take a walk, enjoy the park and take a moment to “really” see inside and out what makes this “steel sculpture” a one of a kind piece. Please enjoy some of pictures, but I believe you need to see this treasure for yourself.

Your friend in Bend.

Amanda Carter, Office Manager
Central Oregon Outdoors Enthusiast
Bend and Beyond Real Estate

This is part of a report interpreted from data in the MLS of Central Oregon. It addresses homes that were for sale compared to homes sold over the period from June 2010 through August 2011 in Deschutes County. 

Home Sales between June 2010 through August 2011 ("The Period"):

• Home sales in the period ranged from a high of 389 last September to a low of of 250 in February 2011.
• Homes placed on the market for sale for the period ranged from a high of 3116 in July 2010 to a low of 1847 in February 2011. 

More recently:

• June 2011:  330 homes sold of the 2180 that were for sale. 
• July  2011:     292 homes sold of the 2426 that were for sale.
• August 2011: 332 homes sold of the 2396 that were for sale.

Average Prices of Homes Sold:

• Over the 15 month period, the average sale stayed generally in the low $200,000s
• High month average was $238,000 in August, 2010
• Low month average was $188,000 in February 2011
• August 2011 Average was $223,000

*These reports were published Sep. 2011, based on data available at the end of Aug. 2011. 
All reports presented are based on data supplied by the MLS of Central Oregon or MLSCO. Neither the Association nor its MLS, nor Bend and Beyond Real Estate, nor Ed Green, Broker guarantees or is in anyway responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 

According to Housing Wire who quotes the Amherst Securities Group, about 10.4 million mortgages, or one out of five outstanding home loans in the U.S., will likely default if Congress doesn't implement new policy changes to prevent and sell more foreclosed homes. 

Read the full article: Click here.

Unlike the news media of today, we believe sellers, buyers and investors need real data and market trend overviews to see the opportunities available in the Bend, OR Real Estate markets when considering forecloures.  Foreclosure filings in August fell 5% from a year ago, the third straight month of declines, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure marketplace.

Even with the drop, the number for Deschutes County new foreclosures are still significant with 304 new foreclosures. ( RealtyTrac defines this as the number of properties that recieved a foreclosure filing -a default notice, auction notice or bank respossession. There were 190 in Bend, 79 in Redmond, 32 in Lapine and 3 in Sisters.

August 2011 Foreclosure Rate Heat Map  Deschutes Co. August 2011

The foreclosure status distribution for Deschutes County was:

In Deschutes County on an average 1 in every 258 housing units recieved a foreclosure filing in August 2011.

The foreclosure rate on the above map is calculated by dividing the total housing units in the city ( bases on the most recent estimate from the US Census bureau) by the total number of properties that received foreclosure filings during the month. (using most recent monthly data available), and that number is expressed as a ratio (i.e. 1 to 100 housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month).  The lower the second number in the ratio, the higher the foreclosure rate. So 1 in 100 is higher than 1 in 1000.     Continue