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Time to Buy On Mt. Hood-Great Interest Rates

Thursday, November 4, 2010
by Liz Warren

Is this the perfect buying opportunitiy? Motivated sellers left and right and some of the best interest rates in 50 years? Sellers with their properties on the market right now going into winter are the most serious sellers of all!

Rates can't be beat! Here are the predictions from the National Association of Realtors and the Mortgage Broker's Assocation for the next year plus:

Interest Rates

So, to keep your monthly payment low and manageable, now is the time to make that purchase because even if prices go down, your monthly payment will be fixed at a lower unbelievable rate.

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Collins Lake-Government Camp Sales

Thursday, November 4, 2010
by Liz Warren

It's been a dry spell for Collins Lake sales in Government Camp since January. Although the market is quite saturated with inventory, finally two units have closed in November. Both were cash sales but the prices a bit surprising.

Collins Lake Condo Sales

Both of these units were foreclosures. The one selling for $234,000 was originally sold in November of 2005 for $439,000.

Financing is difficult for units, that is, if you can find it these days. Conventional lenders are placing these units under the "condotel" umbrella.

From Wikipedia: A Condo hotel, also known as a hotel-condo or a Condotel, is a building used as both a condominium and a hotel.

Condo hotels are typically high-rise buildings developed and operated as luxury hotels, usually in major cities and resorts.[1] These hotels have condominium units which allow someone to own a full-service vacation home. When they aren’t using this home, they can leverage the marketing and management done by the hotel chain to rent and manage the condo unit as it would any other hotel room.

So it goes with Collins Lake. This might be a hard pill to swallow for unit owners but until financing loosens up, this will be the hand dealt.

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Morning Coffee

Monday, November 1, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."
- Francis Bacon


SOW GOOD SEEDS!

James Bender, in his book "How to Talk Well," tells of a farmer who grew prize-winning corn. Each year he won the blue ribbon at the state fair. When asked how he did it, the farmer explained that he shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

Pollen from ripening corn is carried by the wind from field to field. If the farmer's neighbors grew inferior corn, he felt that cross-pollination would steadily degrade his own prize-winning variety. If he was to grow good corn, the farmer felt he first had to help his neighbors grow good corn.

Having a good attitude and achieving your goals works the same way. How you view the world is affected by the attitudes of others, and vice-versa. Surely you can think of a time that someone else's dark outlook on life caused you to have a bad day. Your positive, can-do attitude can be easily cross-pollinated by the negative thoughts of others.

So . . . why not share your award-winning, success-oriented approach to life with your neighbors? By simply sharing a smile and a kind word with those around you, you can improve everyone's outlook. That thought can be carried a step further, too.

Can you imagine a farmer purposely planting corn in a field adjoined by a field full of briars, thorns and thistles, owned by a farmer with no intention of improving it? While it's a noble cause to improve the lives of others by sowing good seeds all around, it is sometimes necessary to do your farming elsewhere. By spending your time with others who share your aptitude for excellence, your own personal value will increase.

When picking a field in which to grow your dreams, choose your neighbors wisely - then sow only seeds that improve everyone involved. It's your choice.

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Fall Maintenance Checklist

Monday, November 1, 2010
by Liz Warren

Get ready for winter by following this hand maintenance checklist for fall!

 

GROUNDS

  • Check window wells, dry wells and storm drains for debris or blockage.
  • Repair any driveway cracks and/or heaved or settled walkways.
  • Trim all trees and shrubs that are too close to the house.
  • Check (ideally during a rainstorm) for rainwater drainage away from thefoundation.
  • Clean and put summer furnishings away.
  • Drain and store garden hoses.

EXTERIOR SURFACES

  • Check weathertightness of all exterior surfaces and components.
  • Check for deterioration of painted or finished areas. If too late for a full paint job, prime and touch-up bare wood surfaces.
  • Caulk and seal all joints in siding, around windows and doors.
  • Check and seal any foundation cracks.
  • Improve weatherstripping at exterior doors and windows as needed.
  • Reset storms and screens where required.
  • Look for any signs of insect or pest activity around the foundation and at wood components close to the ground.

ROOF (Use binoculars or hire a professional.)

  • Check for loose, damaged or missing roofing.
  • Check eave areas for signs of moisture build-up or damage.
  • Check the condition of chimneys.
  • Check flashings for signs of lifting or damage and repair as needed.
  • Check and clean all gutters (eavestroughs) and downspouts.

ATTIC

  • Check ventilation openings for nests or other blockage.
  • Check the position and condition of insulation for uniform coverage.
  • Look for any signs of excessive moisture or heat buildup.

INTERIOR ROOMS

  • Check all areas for signs of roof or plumbing leakage.
  • Have any fireplaces or wood stoves and flues checked and professionally cleaned.
  • Reset automatic timers for the change in daylight hours.
  • Check all smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries if over a year old.
  • Test Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters (GFCI’s) using built-in test buttons.

HEATING/COOLING SYSTEMS

  • Clean all elements of the cooling system.
  • Remove (or winterize) room air conditioners.
  • Follow manufacturer instructions for the maintenance of your heating system.
  • Change or clean heating system filters on warm air systems (now and regularly).
  • Check heating and cooling systems for any evidence of water leaks.
  • If present, clean and test the humidifier.
  • Have your heating system serviced annually by a qualified heating serviceperson before the heating season to keep it functioning efficiently and properly.

PLUMBING

  • Drain exterior water lines and open taps (in cold areas).
  • Insulate water lines that are subject to freezing.
  • Check the condition and temperature setting of the water heater. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the temperature setting.
  • Check the plumbing system and fixtures for any evidence of water leaks or blocked drains.
  • Confirm proper operation of any sump pumps and free flow of the drain line.

 

 

courtesy of Housemasters

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Mt. Hood Land Swap

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
by Liz Warren

U.S. Forest Service planners of the Mt. Hood/Government Camp land swap  have just held a public meeting in Portland on Tuesday to present the exchange plan and to take comments by the public. This swap of 769 acres of land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows Oregon LLC and  includes the Cooper Spur Ski area and lodge would be traded for around 120 acres of National Forest land on the South side of Mt. Hood.

Proponents of the swap include the  Hood River Valley Residents Committee who want to protect the Crystal Springs watershed that services around 25% of the Hood River Valley drinking water. Details of the discussion can be found here

Mt. Hood Land Swap

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The Cost of Foreclosures

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
by Liz Warren

What is the real cost of foreclosures in a neighborhood? There are a few of them in the Mt. Hood area. Most are in Brightwood and Rhododendron but more are heading our way. This chart is taken from the web site Center for Responsible Lending and shows how much each Oregonian has lost due to foreclosures impacting the value of their homes. The average loss of value from homes that are near foreclosures is $8,442!

Mt. Hood Foreclosures Loss in Value

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Morning Coffee

Monday, October 25, 2010
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
- Goethe


BE ALL THAT THEY CAN BE?

On an A&E Biography segment, Oprah Winfrey was being interviewed. She was asked whether she considered all the competing talk shows to be a threat to her own daytime show. She answered with a personal story about running in a marathon.

It seems Oprah had always had a dream of running in a marathon. She trained for two years to get ready, and she ran her marathon. Oprah explained that, to her, competition was like that marathon. As long as she was hitting her stride with her goal of winning in clear focus, there was no time to consider the competition. She added that just turning her head backward to see how close competing runners were to her position was enough to rob her of energy needed to win the race.

Oprah's view of the competition brought to mind the U.S. Army recruiting slogan: "Be all that you can be!" Note that it doesn't say, "Be all that THEY can be!" Even when your competition has a recognizable face, why would you want to be them? If you want to improve yourself, speed up your achievements, or earn more money, why not just better your own time? Comparing yourself to others is a waste of precious time and energy.

Realizing your dreams requires a roadmap. First, you decide on a destination - your dream. Next, you choose a route. For Oprah, that involved hiring a personal trainer, improving her aerobic capacity, and adding strength training to her daily regimen. It also helps to identify some stops or landmarks along the way to help you measure your progress. Finally, you apply all your energy to running the race - and achieving your dream.

Oprah's dream was to run a marathon. What's yours?

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Mt. Hood Land and Lot Sales 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010
by Liz Warren

Many buyers and sellers are asking how are bare land sales on the mountain. Well if you take a look at Brightwood, Welches, Rhododendron and Government Camp you'll find sales are averaging about one a month this year. Not bad considering new home construction loans are difficult to find these days. Here are the ten sales since the beginning of the year.

Mt. Hood Land sales for 2010

Three sales were in subdivisions of Timberline Rim and Zig Zag Village. One Government Camp sale in Alpenglade, a couple of waterfront lots and a couple of acreage parcels. This has been a surprisingly good report for this year!

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September Mt. Hood Real Estate Sales 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010
by Liz Warren

September saw an increase in the number of sales with nine closings for the month. A variety of properties sold including two foreclosures, one forest service cabin and one Government Camp single family residence. Interestingly, five of the nine sales were cash sales. Fortunately, for many sellers, the banks have been taken out of the equation since their standards are so restrictive. This could also be a move by investors to make their move into the market.

Here are the nine sales:

September 2010 sales on Mt. Hood

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Mt. Hood Real Estate Sales for September 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010
by Liz Warren

Recent sales for September 2010 in the Mt. Hood area from Welches, Rhododendron, Brightwood and Government Camp are in. Here's the info direct from multiple listing services:

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Displaying blog entries 1331-1340 of 1876

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