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Local Weather Impacts Mt. Hood Sales

Saturday, March 29, 2008
by Liz Warren

It's snowing again in Welches and for a late March date, this is a bit unusual. The weather has had a rather substantial impact on real estate this year. Access into the forest service cabins in the Mt. Hood National Forest, mainly from Government Camp to Rhododendron, has been limited since the end of December when the snow has been falling at record levels.

These National Forest roads are not plowed, except for Road 10.   Many cabin owners have not been able to use their cabin this winter unless they have a good  four wheel drive with high wheel based capabilities. Of course some owners have skied or snowshoed in. At last count a local towing company said at least 200 vehicles had been pulled off of forest service roads. The snow has reduced listing activity and sales activity for these cabins over the past three months. This has also delayed many owners completing their compliance requirements for the new permit set to start January 1, 2009!

Government Camp has been buried most of the winter. Snow plows have not been able to keep up with the load.. When trekking up for a showing this winter, not only could we hardly identify the cabin from the road, snow up to it's roof nearly, but there was no way we could scale the 20 foot bank that had been snowplowed toward the front of the chalet. I can only imagine some of the damage many of these properties have suffered this year from collapsing chimneys to crushed decks and other snow related issues. Bottom line, if you don't like to shovel snow, don't even think about purchasing in Government Camp.

The lack of accessibility has also hampered the Government Camp sales except for condos.. Under the strict appraisal requirements coming from lenders these days, I doubt a lender would even consider an appraisal until the snow melts further and they can eyeball the property.

Sales statistics will tell the story soon. Stay tuned for additional updates.

 

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Government Camp: Golden Poles Condo Roof Is Giving Way

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
by Liz Warren

Huge amounts of snow has fallen locally and particularly in Government Camp. They received six and a half feet in six days!  The amount of structural damage is just now showing up as the snow melts. Today the roof started to collapse in the Golden Poles Units near Multorpor Meadows. Beams are cracking and chimney damage is occurring.  Once all the snow is gone there will probably be an even greater amount of damage uncovered. Here is the news story and video:

see story and video here

 

 

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Oregon Trail School District Needs A New High School Desperately!

Thursday, February 14, 2008
by Liz Warren

The Oregon Trail School District has formed a Task Force who has been working very hard on the high school issues at hand. They are recommending a November 2008 bond election to build a new 1,600 student high school and improve safety, security, and deterioration issues at other district facilities.

To read about the bottom line and outline of what is needed you can download this pdf file of information.    

click here

If you have ever visited Sandy High School, you will understand why this is an urgent need not only for area children but this will help maintain a more stable and desirable community for the entire area from Sandy and Boring to Welches and Government Camp.

 

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Cumulative Days On Market

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
by Liz Warren

Gone are the days when agents would reenter a listing as new to draw attention to a property or to market it as "new" in the eyes of the public. The latest statistic for real estate agents straight from multiple listing is the "cumulative days on market" field.

Cumulative Days on Market  really tells the true story vs "days on market" since the property didn't sell the first time, this is the true marketing time. The true time from start to finish with a sale, with price adjustments, new agents or companies entering the picture: it's the whole enchilada.

Today's statistics show the inventory for Government Camp, Welches, Rhododendron, and Brightwood at around 87 properties for sale. We have a current 17 month supply of homes! Average days on market: 78 but cumulative days on market: 101. That's a 22% difference in perception.

Rather than going through the math at a painful pace through the history section, this simplifies the process.

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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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Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 18

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