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Liz Warren

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SPECIAL MEETING! Villages at Mt. Hood

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Friends,

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 3 PM the Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors will hold a Special Meeting at the Mt. Hood Village Resort. 

 

This meeting was called to "fact find" and disclose to the community 2 issues:

 

Issue 1.  ODOT has awarded a contract to repair the highway 26 slide in downtown Sandy that will involve drilling and blasting 16,000 cubic yards of rock  AND dumping 12,000 cubic yards of road spoils in our community.  The explosive mining and dumping area is the property along the Salmon River in the vicinity of the Cedar Ridge Property next door to Mt. Hood Village Resort.  The access to this property is Miller Road at Milepost 38.06 on Highway 26,

 

Issue 2:  In June of 2006, Clackamas County came to the Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors and asked us to endorse a land sale of the Cedar Ridge Property to Western Rivers Conservancy.  This 170+/- property sale was explained to us as a way to protect the Salmon River watershed.  Recently it has come to light that Clackamas County sold an additional 245 acres of land to the same organization.  The additional sale was not disclosed to our community.  It appears the timberland was sold for about $5,800 and acre as a private sale, without public disclosure. 

 

Please consider attending this meeting.  It is very, very important that we have a stong showing of community interest at this Special Meeting.

 

How can you help?

1.  Attend!

2.  Get the word out and get as many people as you can to the meeting!

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Mortgage Interest Deduction: Seeing the EXIT DOOR?

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

One of the provisions proposed by the Obama administration for reform in the upcoming budget is a change to the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners. The current budget proposal would apply to upper income earners, anyone making over $250,000 a year, and it would cap their interest deduction at a 28% tax rate. If that earner was in the 35% tax bracket, it wouldn't matter, they would still be subject to the max 28% rate.

The scary part about this proposal is that if this gets approved I'm sure it will eventually come into play for all homeowners and not just high earners. Who knows, eventually... no mortgage deduction, which some countries already practice. I suspect the second home interest deduction will go by the wayside too. Think of all the tax revenue this will increase for the feds.

Many property owners in the Mt. Hood Corridor from Government Camp to Welches and Brightwood would see a substantial hit from the second home mortgage deduction termination because so many homes in our area are second homes. This would impact home values by sending them lower with less tax benefits for owning a second home.

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Morning Coffee

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Life is not always what the brochure promises."
~ Amb Alon Pinkas

AWAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT!

So . . . which brochure have you been reading? Maybe it's the one that promises "clear sailing" or "romantic sunsets" or "excitement guaranteed!" Maybe you're into the financial brochures that read "no money down" or "financial freedom in 30 days" or "sell a million dollars a month without leaving home."

For many years now, the brochures of our lives have promised and delivered success, satisfaction, and wealth. It's been a good run. There's another brochure many of us have signed onto - "for better or for worse." Notice that the "for better" comes first, and so it has been for a long time.

Nevertheless, our country experiences cycles, as do our lives. Few of us living today have ever experienced a serious "for worse" part of the national cycle. Yet, it has been those periods in the history of our country that have brought out the best in us. The Great Depression of the thirties was the catalyst for the strong work ethic of the baby boomers. Two world wars taught us to value our freedom.

So, maybe life isn't always "what the brochure promises." If we're entering one of those periods when we are to be tested, so be it. We are a resilient people. While we may have been dozing at the internal security wheel, lulled by the smooth purring of our national economic engine, we are also able to awaken in an instant. Our purpose and principles can quickly be brought to full throttle.

No matter the threat, we are a people united by the brochure's great promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - ready, willing, and able to serve. Be alert and be of service!

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Screamin Great Selection on Government Camp Homes for Sale

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Is this the time to invest in that great ski chalet in Government Camp? All buyers would agree that the selection is exceptional right now. Take a look at today's Mt. Hood inventory. Call or email for any additional info on these great properties.

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Oregon Association of Realtors Mortgage Deduction Position

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

My previous blog post discusses the Obama mortgage deduction proposal for high wage earners. If you read below you will find the Oregon Associations position to the budget proposal, which was posted today.

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Mt. Hood 1031 Tax Exchange-Keep Your Funds Safe!

Sunday, March 1, 2009
by Liz Warren

Mt. Hood 1031 tax exchangers take note. Be cautious who you use as your 1031 tax exchange intermediaries. There have been many recent financial failures of 1031 companies going under and declaring bankruptcy leaving your funds in jeopardy. Intermediaries are the folks who hold your money before you find your next property to exchange and close on.

One of the biggest companies, Land America 1031 Exchange Services, recently went under and around $420 million in assets were frozen. The problem is when an exchange company gets into a financial problem they may try to use funds to pay creditors and there the trouble begins. You could be out your money!

How do you protect yourself? Look for companies that have a proven track record with recommendations from investors. Be sure the company has adequate insurance and is bonded and has errors and omissions insurance. Find out where the funds are held. If in a bank is it solvent.

Hopefully these tips will help keep your exchange funds safe.

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Morning Coffee

Monday, February 23, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"All that Adam had, all that Caesar could, you have and can do . . . Build, therefore, your own world."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

IF I WERE A CARPENTER . . . !

Picture a builder hiring a new framing carpenter to help construct his new homes. The first day on the job, the new carpenter shows up without a tool belt . . . and without any tools . . . and asks, "Where do I begin?" How much progress do you think would be made by the end of the first day?

Most of us at some point in our lives are like the unprepared carpenter. We show up, but have no tools, and haven't the slightest clue what we want to build. Within us, we have the power to build any life we choose, yet at day's end, nothing has changed.

Oh sure, we actively pursue the day-to-day activities of our chosen career, yet we don't take time to visualize the finished product - our life. Thoreau said it best: "Live the life you've imagined." Steven Covey said it this way: "Begin with the end in mind."

To "build your own world," begin by deciding what that world will be like. Next, gather the tools required to begin construction. Finally, begin practicing until you are an accomplished master.

If you want to be a renowned musician, choose an instrument, take lessons, and practice eight hours each day. If you want financial independence, determine a method, learn how others have achieved wealth, and mimic their approach and techniques.

Just remember, the world you get is the world you chose. It's an awesome responsibility - knowing that what you become is the result of the choices you have made. It's also an awesome opportunity to enjoy all the peace, contentment, freedom and riches life has to offer.

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Two Living Areas In One Home!

Saturday, February 21, 2009
by Liz Warren

You will love the killer views of the Salmon Valley and golf course from this home. Walls of windows from ceiling to floor let the outside in with tall trees and incredible views. There are actually two living areas on this over sized lot (.32 arcres)! Upstairs there's a one bedroom with a toe warming fireplace with a super efficient propane insert. Enjoy the open vaulted ceiling with wood beamed ceilings. Nice sized kitchen with cooking island and breakfast bar open to the family room. A huge walk around deck with a nice slider off the kitchen to haul the ribs outside for the barbeque.

At the ground level of the home you enter separate living quarters throught the lightfilled French doors. The ground level features a bedroom, living room and its own kitchen. There's even a shop area and tons of storage attached!

This is the perfect set up for in-laws, caregiver, students, separate rental shared home or whatever you need!  Plenty of parking and the asphalt driveway is easy care. All natural landscaping makes the outside easy. There's even a ton of room to park your RV!

Walk to the golf course across the street at the Resort at the Mountain. You've got the Mt. Hood National Forest nearly in your backyard with miles of hiking trails!

$230,000 with Great Salmon Valley Views and Golf Course!

take a tour here

This home sits right across the street from the Resort at the Mountain.

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Oregon Takes a Hit

Friday, February 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

First American CoreLogic Inc, which is a company that predicts loan performance for banks, posted a recent report stating that the Oregon real estate market, although relatively stable in comparison to other areas across the nation,  saw some major declines at the end of last year.

Rhode Island, Arkansas, Maine and Pennsylvania were other states which were hit with some declining prices. First American predicts that the declines will continue into 2010.

There are some areas which saw some appreciation though. This list included eleven cities and most of these were back East in New York and Pennsylvania.

 

 

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Mt. Hood Buyers: caution on increased fees coming!

Friday, February 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

Buyers for Rhododendron, Welches, Brightwood and Government Camp homes, get ready for fee increases coming on Freddie and Fannie Mae loans as of April 1st of this year! Now it's going to cost even more to get a loan even with a great credit score and large down payment.

Shades of the 1980's lending requirements are coming! What does that mean, if you have a down payment of less than 25%, even with a good credit score, you will be charged a three quarter point loan fee.

If you have little or low equity in your home and complete a refinance, the lenders plan on charging a 3% fee. Talk about tightening up the credit! This is really a whole new ballgame. The pendulum has gone completely the other way from the free for all of the past couple of years. The message lenders are giving is SAVE SAVE SAVE. Home ownership will become a very coveted item.

Beware! In this type of lending environment an owner of a home should do everything in their power to hang on to it or it could take a VERY long time to be able to buy again.

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Displaying blog entries 1681-1690 of 1886

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