Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of a home in the southern Oregon coastal village of Port Orford. So now you need to set up service accounts for utilities and other residential services. Here is a list of numbers that you will need: Coos Curry Electric Co-Op ............... 541-332-3931 City Hall -Water & Sewer ................. 541-332-4251 Verizon Telephone & DSL ............... 800-483-4000 Curry Transfer - Trash & Recycling ... 800-826-9801 Port Orford Post Office ................... 541-332-4251 Port Orford Schools ........................ 541-348-2291 Port Orford Planning ...................... 541-332-4251 Curry County Planning ................... 541-247-3304 Sterling Bank ................................ 541-332-0187 Chetco Federal Credit Union ............ 541-332-... 02/04/2009

The county with the lowest average tax rate in the state of Oregon continues to be Curry County. Jim Kolen, County Assessor, reports that in the tax year 2006/2207 the county's average tax rate was $8.90 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The statewide average was $15.20 per thousand. The county with the next lowest average tax rate was Josephine where the average tax rate was $9.50 per thousand. According to our Assessor, statewide the cost of county government averages approximately 17% of the property tax bill. In Curry County the cost averages 6.58% of our property tax bills. Jim Kolen explained that in most of the counties in Oregon we do not pay taxes of the Real Market Value (RMV) of our properties. In 1996, when voters passed Measure 50 to place a limitation of property... 02/04/2009

Like many who visit our beaches I enjoy clam bakes and cook outs with my beverage of choice on the beach with music and conversations by a bon fire that burns into the early hours of the morning. I don't scuba dive but the divers I've met here in Port Orford tell me it is one of their favorite places. Many have made it a yearly tradition and for those who are here on the 4th of July we have a spectacular display of fireworks at the Battle Rock Park beach. One of the best trip reports I've seen was written after a 4th of July trip by Tony Mangefeste and posted to OregonScuba@egroups.com. Tony signed up with Seasports boat charters from Springfield, OR. The Captain for this particular outing was John Cheeseman. Their destination was Port Orford, OR for dives at Redfish Rocks which are abo... 02/03/2009

In 2005 there were 27 Real Estate Agents working for 7 Real Estate Brokerages in our local market. Today there are 6 active agents working in the one and only remaining brokerage. The sales volume is down to 16 sales in the last 12 months. The sales agreements are fewer in number, more difficult to negotiate, and much more brittle than they were in the recent past. We have gone from Boom to Bust in 4 years and lost more than 75% of our R.E agents. Some the older agents have decided that it was time to retire. Some have left the state in search of opportunities in the few areas of our country that are growing inspite of our nation's problems. Others have found work locally in other industries.  While a few have decided to go inactive until the market comes back. With the current forecast... 02/02/2009

Proper drainage of storm water and ground water is necessary to protect the integrity of your buildings and your cut slopes. To appreciate the value of proper drainage it helps to understand the quantity of water draining from an average domestic home in the area of Port Orford. For perspective it also helps to compare that quantity of water to the average daily usage per household. The average yearly rainfall for Port Orford is 79 inches. So to determine the quantity of water draining from an average home calculates the following: Average annual rainfall is 79 inches                    =          6.6 ft Average area in square feet                               =          1700 sf. Cubic ft of water to drains 6.6*1700                    =          11,220 cu. Ft. The number of gallons of ... 01/30/2009

For most people buying land for a home is a major investment both financially and emotionally.  Buyers, developers, and communities can avoid grading, building and maintenance problems by having a geotechnical survey performed to determine soil conditions before construction begins. A geotechnical survey can be used to calculate the potential and probability of stability, safety, and security issues associated with planned or existing homesites.  Before building or buying a home, you should know about anything that could present a risk to your home or homesite such as:  Ocean-front home Tsunami zone and risks of high velocity storm surges Beach and/or bluff erosion from storm surfs, wind, and rain  Flood hazards Avoid homes in a flood plain Avoid river-front homesites near areas where t... 01/29/2009

The Port Orford cedar plays a significant role in the cultural, medicinal, and religious life of the indigenous peoples living along the coast between Coos Bay, OR and the Klamath River in CA It played a significant role in the ceremonial life of coastal natives and it was often used in spiritual purification rites. They also believe that the tree possessed healing powers and every part of the tree was utilized. Strangely enough, the Japanese also revere the wood from the Port Orford cedar and prefer to use it in the construction of their temples, shrines, and home altars. The milled wood of the Port Orford cedar has a straight tight grain that takes on a fine finish that is smooth to the touch. It has a creamy white hue that is peaceful and calming in its appearance. But it is the rose... 01/25/2009

FYI We have never had a better inventory of homes. There are 62 Active Residential Listing on the Market in Port Orford, OR after several listing clients decided to take their home off the market. The Sales Rate is 13 per year. Consequently, at the present rate of sales it will take more than 4.77 years to sell off the current inventory. I am saying more than 4.77 years because there are more homes listed in the last 12 months than there were homes sold which means our inventory is growing even though several homes were taken off the market. The average time on the market exceeds 9 months 01/24/2009

Home buyers and developers with knowledge and experience in local development issues and geologic hazards probably don't need a local real estate agent who has acquired this knowledge. However, if you are searching for a property on the southcoast of Oregon and you haven't acquired this knowledge and experience then it would be to your benefit to work with a real estate agent who understands how to evaluate property for geologic issues and hazards. An agent with local area expertise and the ability to recognize geologic conditions effecting property would provide you with greater insight, access to better information on specific properties and/or developments and help you recognize when professional assessment is needed. An agent with local area expertise can introduce you to geologists... 01/22/2009

Port Orford is located at the north end of the Southern Oregon Coast ‘Banana Belt.’ Our winter storms come in on the 'Pineapple Express' from Hawaii. Locals in Port Orford take pride in our weather and frequently joke about our 'Wind and Rain Festival; which they will say with a smile starts on 1 January and ends on 31 December each year. Personally, I love the wind, rain, and moderate 'Banana Belt' temperatures in Port Orford. However, I think anyone considering a move to this area or a vacation during the fall or winter should understand the minimum, maximum, and average rainfalls per year and per the wet-weather-season which lasts from October through March, and for the 3 months months with the heaviest rainfall which are November, December, and January. I’ve pulled this information ... 01/22/2009

This is my list of the top 10 things I enjoy about a Blog 1.  Educate me about new technologies. 2.  Provide tips, tricks, and techniques that will help me work smarter. 3.  Re-enforce my awareness of an issue and its impact. 4.  Analyze trends and share insights from their analysis 5.  Address controversial issues. 6.  Stimulate a dialog between the original poster and the readers who leave comments; and I like it even      more when the readers who comment start to dialog with each other. 7.  Share a personal experience. 8.  Share endearing photos and stories about their communities – natural beauty, interesting sites to see,      interesting people, and interesting historical details about their area. 9. Talk about community events that bring locals together and events that bring in ... 01/11/2009

Here are a few things to consider when completing and/or reviewing your 2009 Business Plan? Where do your clients come from in 2008? Where will they come from in 2009? 1  Internet Advertising on:      a. Brokerage website,      b. Personal website, or      c.  Syndicated web sites. 2. Your Blog(s) 3.  Repeat Clients      a.  Brokerage clients      b.  Personal clients 4.  Referrals from former clients 5.  Referrals from friends and family 6.  Referrals from other agents 7.  Referrals from other professionals:      a.  Contractors,      b.  Inspectors,      c.  Lenders,      d.  Appraisers,      e.  Insurance agents, etc.   8.  Direct Marketing      a.  Clients      b.  Former Clients      c.  Referring Agents      d.  Referring Professionals 9.  Print Advertising 10. Walk-ins. 11. Print... 01/10/2009

Winter storms blow in from Hawaii on the “pineapple express” to the coast of Port Orford where they let loose their powerful winds, storm surfs, and rain to lash the beaches and forests of one of the most westerly cities of contiguous United States. The ocean swells - waves rise rapidly to towering heights then roar towards the shore where the wind blows their white-water crests into an ocean spray before they crash around the sea stacks or over the jetty and wash onto the shore.   Hurricane strength winds whip the limbs of trees back and forth, up and down, and round & round. The more flexible trees bend and yield to the relentless winds and powerful gusts while the more rigid trees lose limbs, or their tops break off, or they are uprooted. Heavy rains and torrential down pours drive t... 01/08/2009

The Elk River is one of three world-class salmon, cutthroat and steelhead trout fishing rivers in the Port Orford area. It rises approximately 25 miles into the Coastal Range of mountains of northern Curry County in the Siskiyou National Forest. Generally speaking it flows in a westerly direction through Grassy Knob Wilderness, when it reaches Port Orford it generally flows northwest, and drains into the Pacific just south of Cape Blanco. The Elk River watershed is representative of the old-growth ecosystems along the southern Oregon coast. The scenic quality in the river corridor is a result of a combination of the geology, land forms, water and vegetation features. The lower section of the river flows through a steep canyon with exposed rock surfaces, forming an inner-gorge environmen... 01/08/2009

The Sixes River is one of three world-class salmon, cutthroat and steelhead trout fishing rivers in the forests around Port Orford. It rises approximately 30 miles into pristine areas of the Coastal Range of mountains of northern Curry County just south of Sugarloaf Mountain in the Siskiyou National Forest. Generally speaking it flows in a westerly direction through the Grassy Knob Wilderness, by the unincorporated town of Sixes, and drains into the Pacific just north of Cape Blanco. The upper Middle Fork of the Sixes River and the North Fork of the Elk River are under consideration for wilderness designation as part of the 13,700 acre Copper Salmon Wilderness area to protect one of the nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest and one of the healthiest salmon... 01/07/2009

We have experience in solving the foreclosure problems. In 1933 FDR's people redefined the role of the Federal Home Loan Banking Board through the Home Owner's Loan Act and created the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC). The HOLC was granted $200 million in start up funds and the authority to market more than $2 billion in govt. backed tax-exempt bonds to purchase delinquent mortgages before they went into default. But that is not all the HOLC did. The new agency also offered direct aid to the besieged homeowners who were cut off from credit. The HOLC operated under six guiding principals which defined the program as well as FDR's understanding of the relationship between housing and the economy: 1. The physical home and the families who owned and occupied it were of paramount importan... 01/07/2009

The risk is manageable and they once again can make money on: Residential mortgages Commercial mortgages Business loans Auto loans Credit Cards, The govt. is taking action to stabilize the economy and create a market environment in which the risks can be managed and banks will make loans. In addition to taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and reducing the Federal Reserve Rate to between 0 and 0.25% the govt. has invested more than: 256 billion to address insolvency in the financial markets by stabilizing banks that were deemed to big to fail,credit worthy banks, and AIG. 500 billion for the Federal Reserve to buy mortgage backed securities to further stabilize the financial markets, and 19 billion in the auto industry & GMAC to preserve more than 250,000 jobs. The Secretary of the Tr... 01/06/2009

I just finished a webinar at John Burns Real Estate Consulting that provided some insight and clarification about the reasons home buyers are not buying. Some of this is common knowledge but I like to have good reference data available in any discussion with listing clients. The source of this info is the John Burns Real Estate Consulting Survey of 240 Home Building Executives, December 2008. The reasons are ranked by the percentage of buyers impacted Concerns about economy and jobs........... = 36% Cannot sell existing home.....................  = 29% Worried about further home price declines = 20% Credit/Qualification issues...................... = 10% Lack of down payment........................... =   5% The good news is the current actions by the govt. and plans for future actions,... 01/05/2009

Facts Historically, our bankruptcy laws have permitted court approved adaptation of every type of debt obligation except for mortgages secured by single-family principal residences. Mortgages and mortgage terms are not modified by bankruptcy judges. Debtors propose the modifications, if the modifications are acceptable lenders agree, and then the bankruptcy judge approves the modification if it meets the requirements set forth in the Bankruptcy Code. Mortgage servicers generate revenue on defaulted mortgages for single-family principal residences by assessing fees and penalties. Old Assumptions Mortgage lenders claimed that if their losses on principal residences were limited, then they would pass on the savings to home buyers in the form of lower interest rates. Their rational was that... 01/05/2009

Although the process is very opaque, the Treasury Dept. is assessing the condition of the nation's 8.500 banks and assigning them a rating of one to five where 1 means the Treasury Dept. will most likely make an equity investment in your bank and 5 means that it most likely wont. I explained this in my previous blog. Upon further reflection it occurred to me ask: How can the public at large manage the risk to personal and/or business assets deposited in their bank if the Treasury Dept. doesn't make this information available for public consumption. The position the Treasury Dept at present is that if they release this information then it may cause a run on these banks which would make their failure a certainty. Well thanks to ProPublica, an independent non-profit newsroom that works in ... 01/04/2009