FHA Loans, VA Loans, USDA Loans, Conventional Loans, Eugene, Springfield, Oregon, Lane County, $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and mortgages. All of these are search terms used to find what you are looking for on the internet. They will give you a list of websites set up to answer questions and direct you to a place to start your loan application process. However, the thing that upsets me is that many of those websites are only mining customers to be sold in lists to people like me….like me, not me. One of the things about my website that is different than a lot of the ones found in a search is that it gives you information about me. My name is on my website. My phone number is on my website. My e-mail address is on my website. My website is used to give my readers information an... 05/05/2009

RE/MAX Realtor Karen Church, www.eugenehomesgal.com , reports that the number of buyers looking for new homes has picked up in Eugene, Oregon and around Lane County.  Her observations come from the traffic she observes coming though her recent  open houses in Danebo, East Eugene, Ferry Street Bridge, and South Eugene. "I have held four open house's in the last two weeks with home prices varying from $250,000 to $825, 0000.  The traffic coming through has been spectacular!  Each home has had an average of a dozen or so people come through.  This is up from the winter months when there were only three or four buyers in a three hour period.  I am happy to see that people are again out looking for homes.   Buyers are in various stages of the home buying process.  Many are "just looking" and... 05/03/2009

PRICE REDUCED! GREAT BUY! Exceptionally well priced & lovely home! Don't miss out! Clean lines, modern cabinetry, flooring & tile, low cost heating/cooling, vinyl windows, skylights, westerly balcony views, big versatile bonus room, lots of living & storage space, a private covered deck, fenced yard, lovely gardens, separate work area in the garage, high speed internet, nearby schools for all ages, in a convenient, quiet neighborhood. Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 2 SF: 2004 Area: SW Eugene Taxes: 2839 Garage: attached Heat: Wood, other For more information, go to Jodie Smith's listing. Need some ideas for preparing your Eugene Oregon home for sale in this tough market? The Notably Well-Dressed Home can harmonize the appearance of your home to appeal to your target market and sell more quickly. Ca... 05/02/2009

I recently worked on a project with a client who, like so many of home sellers these days, is struggling with finances and could afford very little in the way of Staging fees and supplimental decor. The realtor, realtor's son and I spent about 6 hours with this makeover, using primarily the owner's things. I brought in some silk plants and trees, an aerobed, bedding and a few other small accessories to fill in the gaps. The owner did pay a Staging makeover fee. However, I have provided her with the Staging props at no charge for the first month and she is hoping the home sells quickly. The realtor and her son were volunteers, so we didn't incur the additional expense for paid helpers. It was a modest makeover, but the hope is that it will make the difference in helping the home to sell ... 05/02/2009

Spring has sprung here in Eugene, Oregon, and there are many fun activities around Lane County for all age groups and interests.  As your "Go To Gal," Karen Church of RE/MAX Integrity www.eugenehomesgal.com, I'd like to bring your attention to the many different opportunities for recreation in Western Oregon. There is a lot to see and do for Mom and you as Mother's Day weekend approaches.  Remember, Sunday, May 10 is Mother's Day!  Here are a few activities Mom and the whole family might enjoy.  The Oregon Horse Center, 90751 Prairie Road, is hosting the Mother's Day Spring Classic, May 6-10, beginning at 8:00 am.  This is a USEF "A" rated show with a wide range of classes and divisions.  For old movie buffs, the Jaqua Concert Hall at The Shedd, Broadway and High Street, is hosting "Hol... 05/02/2009

    Superior craftsmanship by Rexius Construction. Incredible waterfalls and trail systems with sitting areas throughout grounds. Trey ceilings, wonderful entry, superior sound system in most areas. Spacious kitchen will satisfy the gourmet. Deck and terrace off the master. Truly a must see!! Outstanding Spencer Butte views. This property was staged by The Notably Well-Dressed Home and presented by Colin Call, Remax Integrity. Listing Information: Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2.1 Square Feet: 3491 Type: Contemporary Area: Southwest Eugene MLS ID: 8104478 Images of the grounds:       Images of the interior:           Need some ideas for preparing your Eugene Oregon home for sale in this tough market? The Notably Well-Dressed Home can harmonize the appearance of your home to appeal to your targ... 05/01/2009

Welcome to Eugene, Oregon, home of the Eugene Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K!  It's Eugene Homes Gal Karen Church, http://www.eugenehomesgal.com/ , former middle distance runner, avid amateur runner, and your "Go To Gal" for Real Estate and all things Eugene and Lane County, with well wishes for the 7,000 participants in this year's big event!  This is the third year of the Eugene Marathon and promises to be the best yet.  If you are here in town as a runner or fan, be there for all of the excitement beginning with Eugene Health and Fitness Expo at the Hilton Eugene and Conference Center, downtown across from the Hult Center, Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2.  The Expo includes packet pickup, many outstanding exhibitors, special guest speakers, a pasta dinner, and a massage booth.  Th... 04/30/2009

Eugene/Springfield is a wonderful place to live, and Karen Church, the Eugene Homes Gal at http://www.eugenehomesgal.com - your"Go To Gal" for all of your real estate needs!  Are you relocating, buying, or selling a home in the Eugene, Oregon area? Welcome to my blog, a place I hope you return to again and again for updates on everything from community events to information on our exciting housing market.  If you are looking for fun, action, arts, or recreation, the Emerald City has it all!   I moved to Eugene 24 years ago as a freshman at the University of Oregon.  I was recruited to Oregon Ducks Women's Track and Field Team and spent four wonderful years competing in middle distance in meets all over the country.  When I graduated with my elementary teaching degree, I knew I had found... 04/25/2009

I love my business. I also love hearing a realtor say, "time to de-stage" followed by "it closes next week". However, I occasionally get calls from realtors these days, saying, "time to de-stage" followed by "the client has decided to wait until next year" or "they're going to rent the property" or my most recent "they have decided to lease the condo to their granddaughter". It's sad that some properties haven't been selling. Staged homes sales STATS have now become skewed by a variety of reasons that were never calculated in previous years. Realistically, if homeowners are going to stage in our current economic climate, they need to commit to leaving furnishings in a property for several months IF NECESSARY, to get a sale. In previous years, I'd maybe have 1-2 out of 25 homes that didn... 04/12/2009

UPDATE! THIS HOME JUST WENT PENDING - LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AFTER BEING RE-LISTED and RE-STAGED!  ;=) I just completed staging a two story home (also see "How to Transform Two Bedrooms Into Four) with a little bit of "mine, hers and theirs" mixed together to make it work. The owners had the home listed and staged previously with no offers and were very reluctant to spend more money. We agreed that we would use the formal dining room set from their new home, a spare bedroom set owned by the realtor, and I would fill in the remainder of the rooms with furnishings and decor as necessary. The result was a fully staged home at a very reasonable price. In a "HOT" seller's market, I would have probably never considered being  this creative about Staging. However, these days, we do what we can to g... 04/09/2009

UPDATE! THIS HOME JUST WENT PENDING - LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AFTER BEING RE-LISTED and RE-STAGED!  ;=)   This home presented a unique challenge. The owners (who have no children), converted two upstairs bedrooms into a bonus room, turning their upscale, newer construction 4-bedroom home into a 2-bedroom property. The previous realtor and staging company left this upstairs bonus room empty, only staging the first floor. The home did not sell for several months, the listing expired and a new realtor took over She called me in to present the owners with a new Staging proposal. During this process, everyone agreed that the biggest challenge in the home was the bonus room and that by turning it into a 2-person dorm, we would demonstrate visually that this space could easily be  converted back int... 04/09/2009

I am not an attorney and I don't even play one on TV, however, I have concerns that there are people doing things that can get them in trouble. Not only will it get them in trouble, but it could have detrimental effects on other people too. This is the sale of a home on an owner carried contract when there is a mortgage on the property. My concern is twofold, first has to do with the legality of doing it in the first place. My second has to do with protection for both the buyer and the seller. I am hearing of this happening with people that owe more than they can sell their house for currently on the seller side, and buyer's that can't qualify (for whatever reason) or think they can't qualify for a loan on the buyer side. First, the legality: Standard Trust Deeds in Oregon have the foll... 04/05/2009

  Unbelievable rates & incredible values on homesites & construction costs. The recent housing economy has allowed for an amazing opportunity for people to have their dream home built on a premier homesite for a great value. In and around Lane County nearly all subdivision homesites and beautiful view sites with acreage are not only available, but in some cases priced at nearly 20-40% less than what they were a year or two ago. What does this mean to you? An amazing opportunity to invest in your custom designed dream home and for an obtainable price! So, even if your personal home value may have dropped 10, 20 even 30%, you are going to make this up with the savings of all time low rates, and much lower costs of construction and land costs. It's time to take advantage of this! If I can ... 03/27/2009

Since most First Time Home Buyers are FHA borrowers I posted the answer to what the reasons are in my blog http://FHALoansORegon.com. This information can also be very valuable to anyone considering a VA loan that is a First Time Home Buyer and especially for someone looking to buy using the USDA Rural Guarantee since they have to be a First Time Home Buyer. I have been asked, why should I become a home owner? I have been renting for 5 years and am perfectly happy with my situation. The short answer to that is, “maybe you shouldn’t.” Not everyone should buy a home and a lot of First Time Home Buyers were sold homes that they shouldn’t have bought because the financing was too easy. That had an effect on where we are today. However, that being said, there are a lot of great reasons to be... 03/24/2009

FHA is changing the rules on “cash out” refinances on April 1, and no, it isn’t an April Fools Joke!. Up until then, we have been able to make loans to borrowers that qualified for FHA loans up to 95% loan to value for a cash out. A cash out refinance is when you get more money than is owed on your first mortgage and the closing costs to take the loan. Anything over that amount is considered “cash out” and will be limited to 85% loan to value on any loans registered with FHA after March 31.   If you would like the whole story, please follow this link to my blog and read all about it. There are other changes that are taking place at the same time. To be honest, these changes make sense in a falling value environment.   03/16/2009

As anticipated, sales activity in the Greater Lane County area showed gains compared to January 2009, but continued to slide when compared to February 2008. Comparing February 2009 with February 2008, closed sales dropped 31.8% and pending sales fell 16.4%. Perhaps the best news is that our average local sale price is only down 3.2% since this time last year. This is remarkable considering the massive devaluation that has occured in other parts of the country. Click to view the full report and accompanying charts. What does all this mean if you need to buy or sell in our current market? Sellers must ensure that the condition of their property is superior, that their price is competitive, and that their Realtor is a master at marketing and negotiation if they wish to sell in a reasonabl... 03/13/2009

There is a huge amount of talk about foreclosure right now, not just with the media but with almost any conversation that is about Real Estate. The issue of what foreclosures are doing to the market place as far as bringing values down, the problem that this company is having and laying off employees and what will happen to their housing budget, the cousin, uncle or sister that is about to lose their home, all of these are current topics of conversation. One of the nastiest parts of this process it the increase in the number of scammers that come out of the woodwork in times like this. There are good and valuable services being provided by "for profit" companies, but there are also scammers out there. Please review this, my latest post on EugeneLoanGuy, with information from the Federal... 03/08/2009

03/03/2009

Hud has raised the FHA loan limit for Lane County. There was no announcement or release that I am aware of. The new loan limit is the same as the temporary loan limit in place prior to Jan. 1 or $343,750. This is an increase of $72,700 over the minimum FHA loan limit that was in place for Lane County. This is a tremendous change in limit at a time that should be beneficial for moving some of the higher priced foreclosures off of the listing rolls. Combine the higher loan limit with an FHA 203k Streamline and the Energy Efficient Mortgage and you have an excellent vehicle for purchasing a foreclosure. Check out the entire post here. 02/25/2009

Breaking news! "JPMorgan halts new mortgage foreclosures. Will not put new mortgages into foreclosure for 3 weeks. Believes 3 weeks adequate for Treasury to announce a new mortgage modification plan." Mortgage Market Guide. It looks to me like JPMorgage-Chase figures that there will be changes coming shortly in relation to working out mortgage modification problems. It has been a hit or miss situation on modifications in the past. There have been some companies that would would with the borrower if they needed a modification and others that preferred to let the foreclosure happen. Changes and guidelines from the government could help this situation. President Obama has announced they are working on something to help the homeowners that are current on their mortgage also. 02/13/2009