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Displaying blog entries 31-40 of 49

Snow Delays Inspections and Showings

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
by Liz Warren

Record snowfall in the area has slowed down home showings and scheduled home inspections over the past several weeks. Nearly the entire forest service cabin areas above Rhododendron are inaccessible by vehicles due to nearly three feet of snow in some areas. Local roads still have substantial snow banks at access areas making some less traveled roads difficult to access.

I recently took a client to Government Camp to see a chalet and not only was the home completely obscured by the snow plowed away from the road but the mountain of snow to climb to get to the front door was not negotiable.

Look for extended marketing times this winter due to serious snow amounts.

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1031 Tax Exchange Audits Are Coming!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
by Liz Warren

Tthe IRS is taking a serious look at what is happening with 1031 tax exchanges. If you do an exchange your chance of an audit just went up. The IRS promises a new exchange auditing program soon. Minnesota will audit all 1031 exchanges starting this year.

What is this all about? Well, the IRS took a good look at six large exchange companies and discovered a whopping 875 million dollars in lost revenue due to sloppy paperwork and a lack of enforcement for incomplete or illegal tax exchanges. That is a lot of money for tax strapped states and feds to potentially get their hands on. That is probably the tip of the ice burg if you look at all the other small exchange companies!

Be prepared for all states to change their laws on how the exchangers or intermediaries are regulated. Laws are changing in many states requiring the exchangers to be "licensed, and bonded". Eventually, this will mean fewer exchange companies and much higher fees.

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Log Home Lovers! 1928 Classic Log Cabin!

Friday, February 1, 2008
by Liz Warren

Unbelieveable 1928 cabin in great condition! Built with logs from the property by Claus Holdfelt and advised by Steiner. This cabin features a main bedroom and a small loft right over the living room. There's a rock fireplace, hardwood floors, a gourmet kitchen with tons of cabinets and an updated bathroom complete with clawfoot tub. The cabin sits are just under a half acre and has a covered porch and a woodshed. Located in Rhododendron and only one block from the Zig Zag River. Many of the furnishings were hand made by the original builder and are included in the purchase. Only 15 minutes to premium skiing! One hour from Portland! $269950!

Take a Tour Here!

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Serious Snowfall Hits Moutain

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
by Liz Warren

Folks are trying to dig out today after record snowfalls hits the Welches area. I'd say there is a good two feet in my yard right now and it's getting heavy. Residents are in their driveways with shovels in hand. Here's the golf course and the Old Welches Inn.

 

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Opportunity Knocks!

Thursday, January 24, 2008
by Liz Warren

HELLO BUYERS

In case you haven't noticed, interest rates plummeted to under 5.5% for 30 year fixed rates. The Fed meeting for "economy" control produced incredible opportunity for buyers who want to get in the market and act now for some of the best rates we've seen in FIVE years. If you've been sitting on the side lines, get off the bench.

BIGGER BONUS!

Greater inventory to choose from! Talk about the best of both worlds....low rates, a buyer's market, increased inventory: if this isn't a Buyer's Nirvana I am not sure what is.  

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Cold Weather Coming to the Mountain! Take Precautions Now!

Sunday, January 20, 2008
by Liz Warren

OK, get ready. It looks like three evenings of plummeting temperatures coming up tonight, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, dipping down to 18 degrees or so. We all remember what happened the last time temperatures plunged to the teens on the mountain.  Many homes were flooded and suffered extensive damages. So take precautions now! Here are some handy tips from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s web site:

       During a cold spell:

  • Keep heat at 55° F. or higher.
  • Turn on both hot and cold faucets near outside walls to allow a small trickle of water to run during the night and, if seldom used, during extremely cold days as well.
  • Keep sink cabinet doors open to allow more heat to circulate around pipes underneath, particularly if located near exterior walls.
  • If you need to be away from home, leave the heat on or drain your water system before you go. Ask someone to check your house daily.

If your pipes freeze:

  • Open all faucets.

 

  • Remove insulation and wrap pipes in rags. If possible, pour hot water over pipes, starting where exposure to the cold is greatest. If that doesn't thaw them, call your plumber. Don't try to thaw pipes with an open flame of any kind.



If your pipes burst:

  • Shut off the water immediately to prevent additional damage.

 

  • Take proper precautions to avoid an electrical shock from being in or near standing water.

 

  • Call your plumber.

 

  • Take an inventory of any damaged property or possessions. Do not dispose of any items without the prior approval of your insurance adjuster.

 Before the cold weather hits

  • Make sure adult family members know how to shut off water and call a plumber if needed.

 

  • Insulate pipes, especially those close to outside walls, in attics or crawl spaces where the chance of freezing is greatest. If you have an outside electrical water pump, don't forget to insulate it as well.

 

  • Wrap pipes with heat tape.

 

  • Seal leaks surrounding or near pipes.

 

  • Remember to bring garden hoses in and turn off and drain water to outdoor spigots at the cutoff valve.

 

  • If you have an outdoor pool or spa, check with the manufacturer on how to protect it from freezing.

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Recent Dumping of Snow in Welches January 2008!

Thursday, January 10, 2008
by Liz Warren

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Measure 49 Update for Buyers and Sellers!

Thursday, November 22, 2007
by Liz Warren

Read the latest on Measure 49 :

Hit this link

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The Real Mortgage Story

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
by Liz Warren

How about some real statistics about what is happening in the "mortgage crisis".

Did you know that the "mortgage problems" are mostly in seven states? Three are Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. These three states had problems three years ago and these problems were due to job losses. Real estate is "local" and jobs have a great deal to do with any local real estate market. Until jobs are increasing, these areas will continue to have problems.

The other states, California, Arizona, Florida, and Nevada were basically overbuilt. They now have excess inventory. the speculators that were purchasing mutiple homes and condos in mass- picking up 5 or 6 properties are the ones who are crashing and cannot make their mortgage payments.

The other 43 states are doing pretty well. In fact, in these states foreclosures have actually fallen from 2006 to 2007.

Did you know that 35% of homeowners in the United States have NO MORTGAGE!

The real numbers are that 94.88% of loans are doing fine. Even 75% of subprime mortgages are performing fine. In reality, only 3% of loans are "in trouble".

To read some of the articles in the news you would think the entire market was crashing when it really isn't.

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National Association of Realtors Portland Area Outlook

Sunday, November 11, 2007
by Liz Warren

To keep you updated on the latest info on the Portland Metro area real estate outlook, I have provided a link to the October 2007 National Association of Realtors info. You can read this document and find out appreciation rates, subprime lending numbers, foreclosures and other interesting projections based upon economic factors and interest rate movement. Hit this link to download.

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Displaying blog entries 31-40 of 49

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