"Get $8,000 tax credit" scream the real estate sign riders...just in case you weren't aware that it was out there.   The count down has been so apparent this past month as the Salem Oregon real estate market started early. Typically I tell clients that the market starts to heat up in April, but agents were running amok this month as things got busy much earlier than usual. Sellers are out trying to get their home sold for the tax credit and buyers are out trying to get the tax credits. So...where does all this frantic activity leave the Salem real estate market for February?   The average home price dropped 6.9% and the median 2.9% from February 2009. Honestly, I think that is pretty good. If the Salem market could stay around 5-6% drop this year, I think that would be a solid sign for ... 03/12/2010

It has been in the news recently that trace amounts of prescription drugs are turning up in our water supply. Some of the sources of this contamination comes from following the old advice to flush prescription medications down the drain. While some drugs are in the water because they are excreted by humans into the sewer system, many are there because people are disposing them directly down the toilet. This is a national concern. No one knows what trace amounts of these drugs ingested over the years can do. While we have fairly good water quality in Salem, we need to all make an effort to keep it that way. I was really happy to see that there will be a Prescription Drug Turn in Event at the Salem Public Libray this Saturday, March 13, 2010 between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. It will be... 03/11/2010

I awoke to grey sky, wind blowing, rain sheeting down, and today, I'm showing houses. You might say, "Oh no! Schedule for another time..." But this is Oregon, and if I did that...well, you can only imagine I'd have to find a new career. Mailmen have nothing on me! The fact is, I actually LOVE showing homes under these conditions. Sure, I get a little damp. I even might begin to resemble a racoon when my mascara runs, or Sasquatch when my hair explodes into a frazzled mess, but remember this isn't about me. It's never about me. I have found the best way to discover how a house functions in heavy rain is to go visit it in heavy rain. You can learn a lot about a house when you see how it "handles its drink," so to speak. Drainage, gutters, roofs, all get to show their stuff, for good or f... 03/11/2010

WOW! What a night! We made it to watch the Cherry City Derby Girls of Salem in their bout against Sick Town Derby Dames of Corvallis. After finding out our family friends twin daughters had just had their 15th birthday, I decided that taking my daughters and the the twins to the Roller Derby here in Salem, just might be the way to celebrate. But actually, this event, presented by The Culture Shock Community Project, actually did become a cultural event. The twins had two visiting French Exchange Students who went along with us. So it was me and six girls ages 13 to 16 who braved this new experience. We had no idea what to expect and that was half the fun. We arrived an hour before the bout began and found the parking lot nearly full, the line to get in BLOCKS long, and a very eclectic g... 03/07/2010

YOUR SALEM OREGON REAL ESTATE AGENT TOOK A BREAK TODAY FROM THE SALEM OREGON REAL ESTATE MARKET! It was a lovely day today in Salem, Oregon.  The sun was shining and it was just a beautiful day.  I had scheduled today off to enjoy the Wine, Cheese and Pear Jubilee at Willamette Valley Vineyards, and let me just say, we were not disappointed.  The wines were great, as were the pears and cheese.  The view was awesome from the deck at Willamette Valley Vineyards.  The Jubilee is still going on tomorrow from 11 am to 6 pm.  We highly recommend buying the cheese box and a glass of wine once you are done tasting, and enjoying the lovely view.           Tags: salem oregon community event, salem oregon real estate, salem oregon real estate agent   03/06/2010

One of Oregon's premier events is happening next weekend for wine lovers and yes, your Salem Oregon Real Estate Agent plans to join in the fun!  Willamette Valley Vineyards is hosting the 7th Annual Wine, Cheese and Pear Jubilee. The jubilee will feature award-winning wines paired with local artisan cheeses and Oregon pears.  Admission is $5 and includes wine and food tasting, along with a complimentary Reidel wine glass.  Dates and hours are March 6th and 7th from 11 am to 6 pm. Hope to see you there for some of the Willamette Valley's best local wine, cheeses and pears, and of course, one of the most beautiful views in the Willamette Valley!   02/28/2010

I learned early in life the power of words and how the ability to put myself into someone elses shoes could pay off... It was second grade, and there was an essay contest and the title was assigned: "If I Were a Pair of Purple Tennis Shoes." So the theme wasn't just to walk in someone elses shoes, it was to put myself in shoe's shoes! It was an interesting concept, and as a born and budding writer, I was up to the challenge. I remember clearly my process in writing that essay, even though it's been over 40 years. I remember that process, because as an intuitive person, I've always been able to see things from other's perspectives and really understand how another feels. And then with that understanding, I can offer empathy and support. I'm not writing about the joys and pitfalls of bein... 02/27/2010

Take a typical 3 bedroom 1 bath Salem Oregon home in a NE neighborhood (NE is not considered the hot real estate hub of Salem for those not living in Salem). Add one savy owner who updated the paint and carpet with some good choices . . . and here’s the results: The curb appeal was challenging – especially the path to the doorway. And while this home does look nice — as you can see it is just . . . . . another beige vacant box. What size are the rooms? Over 90% of buyers shop first on the internet. Currently there are at least 40 comparable listings on the multiple listing service . This home and these photos won’t stand out!  Instead of making an appointment to view the home, the potential buyer continues looking online until something more interesting catches their attention. This hou... 02/21/2010

I'm a bit behind on my real estate market reports.   It happens... So what's the news this month?  Did we start of the year with a bang or bust? The good news...median home price was down (Yep...that's good news in these parts as home prices need to be more in line with incomes)   The good news…Salem Oregon homes sales were up 6.25% over January 2009.   The bad news…the current home inventory as I write is 15.9 months for Salem Oregon which is a huge surge upward from December's 7 month inventory.  Now this really isn't a huge surprise. With the tax credit ending April 30 (to be under contract), home buyers are out in force early and sellers responded by getting their homes on the "winter market" instead of the spring market.   What do these numbers mean?   The median home price drop do... 02/20/2010

Have you seen Padmapper.com. No, it is not a way to locate the only Ipad tablet available in the US. It is for finding rentals. It has a similar feel to Craig's List and a search feature as well as interactive mapping. Forget about jumping onto rentals.com and apartments.com. This brings it all to you. This is a great resource for advertising your rentals and finding tenants. Check it out! 02/19/2010

The sound of birds chirping...a large canopy overhead...nestled in the woods, you feel like you should grab some bread crumbs just in case you need to leave a trail.  Then you start looking at the price of wooded land in the Salem Oregon area and realize that you can't afford that.  Urban growth boundaries have their price. So you move on to the next best thing...neighborhoods in the city that will give you that nestled in the woods feeling. View My VideosCollege homesPioneerAlderbrook NeighborhoodSunnyridgeTerrace Green Homes You can read more about the College Neighborhood Homes Pioneer Neighborhood Homes Alderbrook Real Estate Sunnyridge Real Estate Terrace Green If you want the feel of being nestled in a forest, but can't afford the cost of land in order to get that feeling, these a... 02/18/2010

I have some friends that want to buy in Tualitin, Tigard, Sherwood areas. I jumped into RMLS and to my dismass I found SHORT SALES. I searched 230k and under, 3 bedroom 2 bath. Guess how many home I found that were not short sales. If I told you 26 listings came up how many are not short sales? ... If you guessed 4 you are right. These numbers are staggering. The Portland Market and Portland agents are facing a tough reality. The Salem Market has not experienced the same level of short sales. We see them but it is terrible in Portland especially for buyer's who do not want the hassel of Short Sales. 02/18/2010

Wordless Wednesday feels a little like cheating but can we have Foto Friday? I have no problem with it if you don't. I am thinking Foto Friday is better because we can have captions unlike Wordless Wednesday. This is me and a couple of buddies hiking to the top of Three Finger Jack. This is a good climb and you can summit with little or no ropes.   02/12/2010

Finally I am getting around to posting part 4 of 4 of my fascinating series on water heaters.  Although not the sexiest component in our homes, hot water is a very important part of modern life. Water heaters in general are reliable for around 10 years.  They can last much longer or they can start to fail after 5 or 6. (the oldest I have seen was a 68 year old electric water heater that was still cranking away!)  Among other issues with water heaters, the age is a good indicator of when the unit may start to fail or when you may need to replace the unit.   The thing I look at, when I am inspecting homes in Salem, Oregon and the water heater is the name plate:The name plate will give most all of the information we need to determine the size and age of the unit.  Some times the age is ver... 02/11/2010

02/10/2010

I saw this on REALTOR.com and thought it was worth passing on. I have added my two cents. If there is something I am forgetting comment accordingly.   4 Reasons to Sell Now Selling a property in this tough market can seem like a challenge. Here are four factors that actually make this a good time to post a For-Sale sign. Sell low and buy low. Because all property values are down, the loss on the property a home owner sells is really only a paper loss because the next property he buys also will be a bargain. If he buys smartly, when prices come back up in a few years, he’ll be in better shape. A home that is higher in value has a higher percentage of apprication than a lower one. Down-payment help is widely available. While nothing-down loans have disappeared, it is easy to find down-pay... 02/08/2010

SELLERS, SELLERS, SELLERS-WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?  THIS TITLE MAY BE A DEAD GIVEAWAY THAT I HAVE NOT HAD A GOOD SHOWING, AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT!! So, I may have already "showed my hand" on this blog by my title, but really-this needs to be addressed! For the sake of Real Estate Agents and Buyers everywhere. I have this wonderful family that has been searching for "the home" for a few months now.  We are limited to a small town in the Salem Oregon area/Polk County.  The amount of listings that come on the market each month is limited because it is a smaller town. We had a good one, or so it sounded, come on the market.  So, we immediately set up a time the following evening to view this wonderful home.   I arrived before the buyers and obtained the key from the... 02/06/2010

SALEM OREGON HOME SELLERS, JUST WHAT IS IT THAT BUYERS WANT THESE DAYS? As your Salem Oregon Real Estate Agent, I've been doing a series of articles for preparing your home to sell for top dollar the last few weeks, and I thought the latest report from the National Association of Realtors would be an interesting addition.   Today in Realtor Mag they reported on the top 10 things that buyers want according to Paul Cartus of Avid Ratings who conducts an annual survey of what buyer preferences for must-haves in new homes.  Here are the first three "wants".  You can read all 10 of the buyer's "wants" at Salem Oregon Real Estate and Homes for Sale.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these top 10 buyer want's.  Large kitchens with islands Energy efficiency including appliances, insulation... 02/06/2010

SALEM OREGON REAL ESTATE-SELLERS-LET'S TALK ABOUT CURB APPEAL PART 2. HELPFUL TIPS ON GETTING YOUR HOME SOLD FROM YOUR SALEM OREGON REAL ESTATE AGENT.   In Part 1 of " Sellers, Let's Talk About Curb Appeal" we set the groundwork for the basics, in Part 2 we will go more in depth on the subject of curb appeal.  Curb appeal cannot be stressed enough.  Landscaping and lawn maintenance create the backdrop for the house. Like the scenery in a play, it showcases the main attraction. In his book, Sell It Yourself, Ralph Roberts vividly describes the ideal lawn. "You want your yard to look like a golf course fairway - lush, green and meticulously maintained." This requires filling bare spots with grass plugs or sod, applying fertilizer and bug killer, and regularly watering the lawn. For those ... 02/06/2010

  Trevor Elliott CSP, GRI | RE/MAX Equity Group, Inc. | 503 602-1039 1830 Juneau ST S, Salem, OR Pleasantly Delightful Home is South Salem. 2 blocks to SchirlieElementary A+ Rating 4BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $250,000 Year Built 1977 Sq Footage 1,855 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 8,712 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Delightfully Pleasant home light & bright emmaculately maintained. FR has fireplace with gas insert, kit. has tile counters, newer range, over range microwave, cheerful nook & pantry cupboards, & 4 bedrooms. Recently updated with several vinly windows, bay window in LR highly efficient furnace, roof, & garage door. Insulated 12x14 shop & small tool shed & addtl. work area in garage. Lovely fenced ... 02/03/2010