Real Estate Information

Mt. Hood Real Estate Blog

Liz Warren

Blog

Displaying blog entries 1531-1540 of 1919

Morning Coffee

Monday, December 21, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Too many of us are hung up on what we don't have, can't have, or won't ever have. We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy - if not less of it - doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do."
- Terry McMillan (Cited in The Best of BITS & PIECES)


SPREAD THE TABLE!

Here we are in the midst of the holiday rush - buying gifts, attending parties, decorating, sending cards, and preparing for the feast of the season. We're doing all this for whom?

We tell ourselves it's for the ones we love. We want to make them happy, fill them with joy, and make their world bright. We want to make everything perfect for them at this special time of year.

In a way, that's like preparing the holiday feast for those who matter most to us, then eating it for them and commenting on how tasty it was. Truth is - we can't "make them" do anything, we can only spread the table before them.

Whether they choose to consume the feast, or be happy doing it, is their choice - not ours. We can give the presents, offer our own good holiday spirit, or bake the cookies, but we cannot "make" anything happen.

Epictetus once said, "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. If you think that you have free rein over things that are naturally beyond your control, or if you attempt to adopt the affairs of others as your own, your pursuits will be thwarted and you will become a frustrated, anxious, and fault-finding person."

Why not take a little of the pressure off yourself this holiday season? Feel free to give whatever gifts, energy, creativity, or love you have to offer, but let go of the desire to control the outcome. The gifts that will make the most difference are those that arise from the heart with no expectation of reward. My wish for you is the joy and freedom that results from giving. Happy holidays and best wishes to you and yours!

Add Comment

Government Camp Sales Fall 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

Traditionally the fall brings many buyers out who are looking for a great place to spend the winter weekends in Government Camp. Sales finally broke loose in the area with six over the past three months. There are an abundance of single family homes and Condo units still available.

Here are the sales:

 

Although two condo units sold in the last couple of months with one at Golden Poles and the other at Collins Lake, it is a buyer's paradise with twenty five full ownership condos currently for sale.

Add Comment

Mt. Hood Land Swap Update

Sunday, December 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

The time frame for the land swap in Government Camp could take at least two to five years to complete according to the USFS. This was swap was passed in the Wilderness Bill by the Obama administration this year but the 64 steps of paperwork could take a long time.

Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. Greg Walden are trying to get the head of the Forest Service to speed up the process. A "speedy" process at the Forest Service is two to three years. It will take around $2,000,000 to complete the process and the issue is money to do the work and fulfill the 64 steps the agency needs to complete.

For anyone who does not know what the land swap is, this is a trade between Mt. Hood Meadows LLC who own 770 acres near Cooper Spur, for 120 acres adjacent to the existing Government Camp boundaries to environmentally protect sensitive areas near Cooper Spur. This debate had been going on for over 20 years.

For details on the process visit this article in the Oregonian.

This link will take you to the 27 page GAO report by the Government on the land swap and their investigation of the process back in 2006.

Eventually, there will be more land for building either single family or multifamily units in the Government Camp area as Mt. Hood Meadows acquires this land for development. The question is, how long will this process take and how quickly will Mt. Hood Meadows start the process for development.

Add Comment

New Years Eve On Mt. Hood

Sunday, December 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

New Years Eve on Mt. Hood brings two great options for skiers and snowboarders.

 

 

Add Comment

Mt. Hood RMLS Summary for 11/09

Sunday, December 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

The Multiple Listing service has published their numbers for the Mt. Hood area November statistics. The good news is that compared to this time in 2008, sales are up 55%. The devastation of the stock market crash took its toll on real estate sales as shock set in and credit tightened.

Many sellers "tried" to sell this year with 312 properties for sale but only 91 have been successful so far. Marketing times are longer with an average for the November sales at 131 days.

Mt. Hood has plenty of great inventory for sale with the best interest rates for purchase. Predictions are that they will remain low through the beginning of 2010. The first time home buyer market will drive the majority of sales for the first half of 2010. If you wish to talk about the current market and where it's going, give me a call or shoot me an email.

Add Comment

Mt. Hood Market Statistics 11/09

Sunday, December 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

The good news is that the numbers are still strong for sales through Novemeber this year for Government Camp, Welches, Rhododendron and Brightwood. Since June things have picked up since a major lull starting in the fall of 2008.

Fourteen sales happened in November with a surprising large group of forest service cabins on leased land leading the pack. Five forest service cabins sold this month! One Government Camp chalet sold in November. This is a bit surprising since fall is often the most active time of the year for buyers picking up their winter landing spot for winter activities.

Add Comment

Mt. Hood Home Values

Friday, December 18, 2009
by Liz Warren

How do you decide what to do when you are underwater on your mortgage payment? Do you go for a short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure, Just walk away, what do you do? Probably the number one thing to do is talk to an attorney! Find out the implications and financial obligations any choice will give you in these turbulent times.

Here is a web site that was recently put up which may help you figure out what to do prior to visiting your attorney for advise. Visit www.payorgo.comto plug in the numbers. This is not a site with legal advise but if you want to play around with numbers and different senarios of future value, it might help.

Add Comment

Morning Coffee

Monday, December 14, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"To have a friend, you must first be a friend."
- Unknown


ARE YOU RELATED?

In the long distant past, all generations of a family lived in the same town, if not just across the road or down the lane. Each member of the family knew all the good - and the bad - about every other member (as well as all the neighbors). They worked together, played, and prayed together.

Today, families are scattered throughout the country. What we call relationships now are often only acquaintances introduced through business situations or chance meetings. They may be casual and based only on a single shared interest, i.e. golf, fitness, children's school activities, etc. These relationships may lack depth and rarely go beyond that single shared interest.

Even with family relations more scattered and unavailable to us on a day-to-day basis, our human side still has a need and desire for deeper relationships. The good news is that they are not only possible but also available to us with just a little effort.

A single common interest through school-aged children may result in having lunch together. The lunch may reveal that both individuals appreciate the arts, with one being an amateur photographer and the other a proficient watercolor artist. Further conversation may find that both are caring for aging parents, have endured similar life challenges, or witnessed brilliant successes.

In short, deep relationships, akin to those shared by families in the past, are still possible. Yes, they must be cultivated. They don't just passively occur as in the daily activities of a family. The result is the same, however, as these relationships can provide a richness to life that is missing in their absence. Try to find some missing relations today!

Add Comment

Mt. Hood FHA Loans to Tighten!

Monday, December 7, 2009
by Liz Warren

If you are contemplating using an FHA loan for your purchase in Welches, Government Camp, Rhododendron or Brightwood, take note! HUD secretary Donovan is promising in 2010 qualifying for an FHA loan will tighten up with credit qualifications and higher fees.

Changes may include the following:

1. A higher downpayment requirement from 3.5 to 5%.

2. Seller paid closing costs reduced from 6% down to 3% of the loan amount.

3. Higher mortgage insurance premiums! Currently 1.75%

4. Higher credit standards.

Bottom line, look for 2010 to cost a buyer even more to get a loan with stricter guidelines.

If considering purchasing a home now, get your application in before things tighten up even further.

 

Add Comment

Monday Morning Coffee

Monday, December 7, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame."
~ Erica Jong


BAN THE BLAME!

"The dog ate my homework." Teachers hear that one every week. "Jimmy made me do it!" Parents hear that one often, too. Fast-forward a few years to the college student with bad grades, and you hear, "The professor doesn't like me." Then, before we know it, we're all grown up. Now we hear, "My manager didn't give me enough time to complete the project," and, "She doesn't understand me," or, "The customer wasn't honest with me, so I couldn't close the sale."

Where do these fabrications of blame originate? They probably begin in our childhood imagination - and that's also where they should stop. Blaming comes easy since we tend to do it when the person blamed isn't around. Who's going to dispute our blame claim?

Take a moment to re-read the first part of today's quote: "Take your life in your own hands . . ." What a breath of fresh air emerges from that phrase. By accepting responsibility for our life and all its actions, we no longer need to alienate those around us by blaming. We can live a no-excuses life.

We either accept the low classroom grade without complaint - after all, we earned it - or we change our approach to homework the next time. We simply allot enough time to complete our manager's special project on deadline, or be willing to be employed at a lower level on the food chain. We invest ourselves more deeply in our personal relationships, or accept a less-than-fulfilling bond with those we love.

As quoted before, "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts." If you're tired of perpetually being on the defensive, ban blame from your life - forever. It's a wonderful way to live stress-free!

Add Comment

Displaying blog entries 1531-1540 of 1919

Syndication

Categories

Archives