Real Estate Information Archive

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Good Monday Morning!

This is an exciting week as our nation goes to the polls on Tuesday to select our next President and to vote for members of Congress, the Senate, local goverment officials and many measures.  We are so fortunate to live in a country, where we get to choose and we get to vote.  Our voices are heard through and vote, which is our right.  Please remember how privileged we are and make sure that you exercise your right.

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-November-2016

Have An Awesome Week!!

THIS WEEK'S HOT HOME LISTING!

28135 Spencer Creek Rd

Price: $1,250,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 4    Partial Baths: 2    Sq Ft: 6143

Just minutes from town! This gated country estate is spectacular with an exquisite manor featuring grand staircase, 4 bedroom suites, office, theater room, gourmet kitchen and more. Great shop for RV and storage, creek, waterfall pool, ponds for fis...View Home for Sale >>

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Good Monday Morning!

It's hard to believe, but we are at the last day of October and that means it is Halloween time.  I found the following article in "Realty Times", that gives some great ideas on how to have a fun, yet safe Halloween.

It's just a few days until Halloween, and you're probably rushing to find the last Pokemon, Size Small in the state and find "the good" candy instead of the jawbreakers and Tootsie Rolls that seem to be the only thing left at Target. But while you fill your mind with costumes and sweets, don't forget to brush up on your Halloween safety. Here are 11 tips you'll want to follow.

1. Let them glow

Glow sticks, necklaces, bracelets, and the like can help make it easier to see your kids on a dark street. You can find a number of different varieties at the Dollar Store. Glow in the Dark duct tape is another cool idea that could help with visibility. For an easy solution, have a roll (or two!) of Glow-in-the-Dark Duct Tape on hand for the big night," said Red Tricycle. "You can tape up everyone's buckets, shoes and costumes for a unique look that's easy to see from afar, and it even works on those wagons you'll be using to tote the tiny trick-or-treaters from house to house."

The dark streets and sidewalks can make it hard to see your kids, let alone tell them apart from all the others. Head to the Dollar Store, where you can buy glow necklaces, bracelets, crowns, and various other varieties of light-up items that will help you keep track of them.

2. Discourage running

When kids get hurt on Halloween, it's often because they tripped or fell. No big surprise there, what with all the running in the dark. The best way we've found to curtail it: Threaten to take away their candy. Seriously, it works.

3. Make safe costume choices

Back to the running…accidents also happen because the child's costume is ill-fitting. Step on too-long pants and they could take a tumble down the porch stairs or off the curb into the street. The pants length can be adjusted without having to take them to a tailor (because who has time for that?!). Tuck them into socks or boots, use some masking or duct tape on the inside, or use Stitch Witchery, a fusable tape that allows you to create a hem by bonding it to the fabric with an iron. Make sure all costumes marked "flame retardant," which is extra important on Halloween since they may be coming into contact with open flames in pumpkins. Well-fitting arms that are not too long are important for the same reason.

When it comes to masks, use your best judgement. If your child's vision is impaired, that could contribute to an injury or other unsafe situation. Masks can also compromise breathing, and may not be suitable for children with asthma.

A new wrinkle this year is anything clown-related. If you've waited until the last minute and all that's left in the store is a red nose and a rainbow wig, trust us: Let it go.

4. Stop the props

The bonus to keeping props at home: You don't have to carry them three minutes after you leave the house.

Many of today's costumes come with accessories - a foam sword here, a princess wand there, and, this year, more Poke balls than you can imagine. Chances are, your kid will carry this prop for about three minutes—just enough for it to become a burden. Then it's yours to deal with. If you already anticipate having to help carry your children's heavy candy bags and pumpkins (and you will), encouraging them to keep the props at home is a good idea.

5. Pick a good candy-carrying bag

There's research that says ongoing use of a heavy backpack could injure a child's back. Will a few hours (or less) carrying a heavy pumpkin or bag filled with pounds of candy do the same? Probably not, but it could make for an unpleasant experience - for all of you. And, it could make the child unsteady and more prone to fall down. Look for a bag with a padded handle that won't dig into their hands or something that has a cross-body strap to better distribute the weight.

6. Don't forget about dinner

Halloween falls on a Monday this year, and that could make rushing home to get dinner together a challenge. This is the perfect time to get out that slow cooker. And make one of these Halloween slow-cooker recipes. Don't want to cook at all? Put in a pizza delivery order early in the day so you're in the system and don't get caught up in a long-wait situation with everyone who called at the last minute.

Full bellies will help your kids to keep their energy up - and their whining down.

7. Make sure you can find them

If you don't already have a locator app on your phone, now's the time to add one. If you're in a crowded area with lots of kids around, you want to make sure you can always find them.

"For a little peace of mind (and a few bucks), there are some apps you can download prior to Halloween, so you can keep tabs on everyone in your trick-or-treating crew," said Red Tricycle. "Picniic, a family management dashboard, allows you to track your kid's locations and helps the entire family stay in constant communication by checking in once arriving at a destination. With FamilySignal, this app not only tracks the location of your kids, but it also includes a panic button that will alert you as soon as your child has pushed it. If you know exactly where you're headed on Halloween, the Life360 app allows you to create favorite spots and anytime your child arrives at that location you'll get an automatic notification."

8. Watch the weather

It never fails. Your kids pick out their favorite Halloween gear and then the night before Halloween, a cold front comes through, forcing them to wear a coat over their costumes. If it's going to be frigid while they're out trick-or-treating, some long underwear underneath their costume and a hat might be enough to keep them toasty.

You'll also want to pay attention to weather conditions that could impact their footwear choices. If it's been raining, snowing, or the ground is slick, non-slip shoes will be a necessity.

9. Check their candy

Nobody wants to think about poison or other hazards in their kids Halloween candy, and documented events of poisoning or other tampering with candy are few. But, a few tips to help you know what to look for can help you feel secure. The main takeaways: if it's open, it goes in the trash. Unless you know the people giving out homemade treats and know specifically what's in them, it goes in the trash. Anything else that looks or smells suspicious goes in the trash.

10. Sort through and give away your candy

If you're anything like us, your Halloween haul is going to be impressive. And you probably won't want to keep all that candy in the house. There is a growing number of Halloween candy buyback programs that will pay you per pound of candy turned in, with some donated to families and others sent to the troops overseas.

11. Watch for allergens

While you're sorting through that candy (and, inevitably, putting aside your favorites), beware of allergens. If your child is allergic to peanuts or something else that can be dangerous, you're obviously aware of this. But do you know about teal pumpkins? Looking out for them could help your child get more enjoyment out of the holiday.

"Back in 2012, a Tennessee mom named Becky Basalone had an idea: What if Halloween could be made a little less tricky for kids with food allergies?," said the Chicago Sun-Times.

"Her idea became what is now the Teal Pumpkin Project, a nationwide effort to encourage families - whether their own kids have food restrictions or not - to offer up some non-food treats on Oct. 31. Participation is simple: You just put a teal-colored pumpkin or sign outside your door and offer trick-or-treaters glow sticks, spider rings, Halloween stickers or other non-food goodies, along with or instead of the traditional candies."

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

1471 Barrington Ave

Price: $529,900    Beds: 5    Baths: 3    Sq Ft: 3756

Luxurious and grand! Great room with surround sound speakers, Brazilian cherry hardwood floor & gas fireplace. Huge theater/bonus room prewired for surround sound. Open kitchen with cherry stained cabinets, island, LED under & above cabinets & toe k...View Home for Sale>>

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Good Morning!

The housing market in the Eugene and Springfield area remains strong.  September 2016 closed out as the strongest home sales September on record from MLS.  With only 2 months of home inventory available, the inventory of homes for sale also remains at an extremely low level.  The sellers market lives on in Lane County. Here are the complete statistics for September 2016.

September brought a little seasonal cooling to Lane County, but activity is ahead of last September. Closed sales (488) ended 10.2% ahead of September 2015, although fell 9.0% short of the 536 closings posted last month in August 2016. It was the strongest September for closings on the RMLS record for Lane County, edging past the 483 closings posted in September 2005.

Pending sales (470) ended 2.0% higher than in September 2015 (461), but were 16.4% cooler than last month’s 562 accepted offers. Similarly, new listings (488) edged 0.4% over the 486 new listings o ered in September 2015 but fell 24.9% short of matching the 650 new listings offered last month in August 2016.

Year to Date Summary

Comparing the first nine months of 2016 to the same period of 2015, closed sales (3,918) have increased 7.1% and pending sales (4,330) have increased 5.8%. New listings (5,269) have decreased 2.4%.

Average and Median Sale Prices

Comparing 2016 to 2015 through September of each year, the average sale price rose 7.4% from $243,400 to $261,300. In the same comparison, the median sale price rose 6.8% from $220,000 to $235,000.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

1615 Taney St

Price: $279,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 2    Half Baths: 1    Sq Ft: 1913

Brand new home! Great quality construction with plaster finished walls, maple hardwood & porcelain tile floor, hickory cabinets, granite counters, 9 ft ceiling, LED dimming lights, 3 skylights one of which opens. Great room layout with gas fireplace...View Home for Sale >>

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Good Monday Morning!

The Real Estate market in the Eugene and Springfield area has maintained a good balance over the past several months.  Sales have slowed slightly, but this is most likely seasonal.  Home prices are holding steady and buyer demand is good.  Mortgage interest rates are also holding steady, making the climate for home sales very favorable.  Nationaly this trend is also holding true.  Once the elections are over, we will get a better idea of what the future holds.  One thing for sure is that if we begin seeing across the board tax increases along with rising interest rates, the housing market will suffer!

Have An Awesome Week!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-October-2016

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

2087 Lemuria St

Price: $255,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 2    Partial Baths: 1    Sq Ft: 2080

Delightful and bright! Features lots of natural light, fresh interior paint throughout, new doors and frames. Living room opens to dining area with slider. Kitchen with eating bar. Plus family/bonus room. One bedroom with bath. One huge bedroom/mult...View Home for Sale >>

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Good Monday Morning!

Home sales continue to increase in numbers and value in Lane County.  This August saw a large increase from August of last year and the strong market continues to roll here in Lane County. A word of caution though as I am starting to see homes begin to sit longer and more price reductions as we move through September.  This could be the beginning of an anticipated slow down.  Only time will tell.  Here are the numbers for August home sales in Lane County.

August Residential Highlights

August brought plenty of closed and pending sales to Lane County. Closed sales (536) soared 18.8% over the 451 closings posted last year in August 2015 and 28.2% over the 418 closings posted last month in July 2016. It was the best August for closings since 2005, when 571 closings were posted for the month.

Pending sales (562) fared similarly, rising 10.0% above the 511 offers accepted in August 2015 but edging 2.4% ahead of the 549 offers accepted last month in July 2016.

New listings (650) outpaced August 2015 (615) by 5.7% but cooled 3.0% compared to last month, July 2016.

Inventory shrank slightly to 2.0 months in August, with total market time decreasing to 45 days.

Year to Date Summary

Comparing the first eight months of 2016 to the same period of 2015, closed sales (3,407) have increased 6.8% and pending sales (3,901) have increased 6.4%. New listings (4,768) have decreased 2.5%.

Average and Median Sale Prices

Comparing 2016 to 2015 through August of each year, the average sale price rose 7.2% from $244,100 to $261,700. In the same comparison, the median sale price rose 6.8% from $220,000 to $235,000.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

3169 Wolf Meadows Ln

Price: $479,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 2    Sq Ft: 2506

Great culdesac home on spacious lot! Oversized 2-car garage, plus detached shop with 2 garage doors. Home features vaulted/high ceilings, 2 sets of French doors & lots of built-in storage. Large living room with fireplace & skylight. Spacious open k...View Home for Sale >>

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Good Morning!

It is not common knowledge, but homeownership in the United States is at a 51 year low.  This is a frightening fact because the idea of homeownership is the foundation of the American Dream.  There are many factors that have contributed to this fall off on homeownership.  There is currenlty a large difference in what our two presidential candidates plan to do to stimulate the housing industry.  Do your homework and vote wisely. It is a very dangerous situation if homeownership continues to falter.  Here is a recent article from Realtor.com that talks about some of the conditions that are having an impact on homeownership.

Buying a home is hard enough these days as wannabe homeowners have to contend with a shortage of residences in some markets—along with ever-rising prices and plenty of drag-down, no-holds-barred competition. But guess what? It’s about to get even worse.

Builders and developers applied for fewer new-home construction permits in June, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s monthly new residential construction report. So get ready for a continuing decrease in the supply of new homes later this year and into the next. (It takes about six to nine months to complete a residence once a permit is secured.)

And, yes, that’s expected to drive prices up even higher.

The number of permits issued were down 15.4%, to just 114,000, in June compared with the same month a year earlier, according to the report. But before panic sets in, it’s helpful to realize that this was actually a 5.8% bump from May.

The numbers were not seasonally adjusted, meaning they weren’t smoothed out over a 12-month period to account for fluctuations.

The reason builders are holding off on putting up more homes is because they’re worried the number of buyers could drop off if the economy falters, says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of realtor.com®.

“The presidential election poses a big wild card,” Smoke says. “At the same time, the world is teetering on entering a recession due to a number of factors, including most recently Brexit.”

It’s also important to note that those newly built abodes, often with state-of-the-art appliances and electronic systems, cost more than those which have been lived in—so developers have lots to lose if those properties don’t sell.

For example, the median price of a new home was $290,400 in May, according to the most recent Commerce data available. Existing (i.e., not new) homes went for a median of $239,700 in May, according to the National Association of Realtors®.It wasn’t just permits to build single-family homes that were down. Permits to put up sorely needed condo and apartment buildings, with five units or more, also dropped year over year by about 39.2%, to just 36,600 in June. But, on the bright side, the number was up nearly 4.9% from May.

“This environment is good for the landlord and property owner, but not so much for virtually everybody else,” Smoke says. “It’s going to be even harder to find an affordable place to rent than it has been.”

In a welcome bit of good news, June saw the completion of the greatest number of new residences over the past year, according to the report.

The number of finished abodes surged 16.5%, hitting 99,500 residences, in June compared with a year earlier, according to the report. It was also up 19% from May.

In addition, the number of completed condo and apartment buildings, with five units or more, were also up 14.5% from a year ago and 46.5% from May, according to the report.

But with permits down, the number of new homes hitting the market simply can’t—and won’t—continue.

“We’re just not seeing the growth in new construction that would be necessary to improve the shortage of apartments for rent and homes for sale,” Smoke says. So “we’re likely to see continued rent and home price increases.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

425 W 28th Ave

Price: $279,000    Beds: 3    Baths: 2    Sq Ft: 1586

Serene and secluded! Various beautiful trees provide privacy and great views. Features hardwood floor, two fireplaces, vinyl windows, ductless heat pump, built-in storage/shelves in home and in garage. Upstairs main level offers seclusion and mounta...View Home for Sale >>

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Good Morning,

July numbers are in and just as I predicted last month, the figures indicate a slight slowing of the housing market in the Eugene and Springfield area.  Not only were total home sales down from June of this year, but they were also below the level of July 2015.  I would expect to see this trend continue for the remainder of the year.  As indicated by the increase in home values, there seems to be some price resistence beginning.  When home prices increase faster than the economy, there will a market slow down as homes start to become harder to afford.

Lane County had another month of mixed activity in July. Pending sales (549) ended 4.8% ahead of July 2015 (524) but fell 1.1% short of the 555 offers accepted last month in June 2016.

New listings fared similarly—the 670 offered in July topped July 2015 (647) by 3.6%, but fell one short of the 671 offered last month in June 2016 (-0.1%).

Closed sales, at 418, ended 22.9% below July 2015 (542) and 20.2% below June 2016 (524). Even so, these 418 closings were stronger than the 390 closings posted two years ago in July 2014.

Year to Date Summary

Comparing the first seven months of 2016 to the same period of 2015, closed sales (2,833) have increased 3.8% and pending sales (3,359) have increased 5.6%. New listings (4,088) have decreased 4.1%.

Average and Median Sale Prices

Comparing 2016 to 2015 through July of each year, the average sale price rose 6.7% from $243,300 to $259,700. In the same comparison, the median sale price rose 6.5% from $220,000 to $234,400.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

1615 Taney St

Price: $299,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 2    Half Baths: 1    Sq Ft: 1913

Brand new home! Great quality construction with plaster finished walls, maple hardwood & porcelain tile floor, hickory cabinets, granite counters, 9 ft ceiling, LED dimming lights, 3 skylights one of which opens. Great room layout with gas fireplace...View this property >>

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Good Monday Morning!

The 2016 election season has been one of the most divisive presidential races in this country's history and unfortunately, that unrest has been something of a wet blanket on the housing market nationally. While many areas in the nation have enjoyed a boom market, the sense of unease and nervousness has convinced many Americans to wait before buying or selling a home. This is not a new scenario for our country, even in years with less chaos and uncertainty, Realtor associations nationwide have noted that consumers tend to be more cautious during an election year. The question is:

Should prospective sellers and buyers hit the pause button during an election year?

A recent study showed that housing prices tend to drop slightly, approximately 1.5 percent, during an election year. But even if that is the case, many real estate experts agree that consumers shouldn't feel the need hunker down until after the show is over and a new president is chosen. The fact is that real estate values locally and nationally are determined by only one factor: Supply and Demand.

The great Warren Buffet said "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful". Translated for the general public, that means that we should do the opposite of what others are doing.

When the media is predicting gloom and doom, many buyers and sellers will make the decision to sit on the sidelines. What does that mean for sellers? Often it means lower housing inventory which equals less a smaller pool of buyers and possible multiple offer situations. For buyers it can add up to less competition and the opportunity to find a bargain. Added to that the fact that mortgage rates are still at historic lows, now is definitely the right time to get the most bang for your buck.

Have an awesome week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

3686 Yogi Way

Price: $250,000    Beds: 3    Baths: 2    Sq Ft: 1776

Spacious and bright! Lovely one level home on corner lot with RV parking. Stamped concrete in front walkway. Wonderful entertaining space in the huge vaulted Great Room. Living room opens to kitchen and dining area with slider. Well-sized master sui...
View Home for Sale >>

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Good Monday Morning!

It is not just the Eugene and Springfield area that is having a hot Real Estate market.  Nationally, the housing market has been robust and just as in Eugene and Springfield, home prices are on the rise as well. Here is a short and informative article about the national housing market from Realtor.com.

Frazzled home buyers may need to sit down and take a few deep breaths before reading any further. Those rapidly rising home prices have hit an all-time high—and show no signs of slowing down before Labor Day.

The median price of an existing (i.e. not newly constructed) home across the nation reached $239,700 in May, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors®. That’s up 3.8% from April and 4.7% from May of 2015.

The previous peak was last June at $236,300.

“The price increases are a natural result of the very strong demand for homes against very limited homes for sale,” says realtor.com’s chief economist, Jonathan Smoke. “It’s pent-up demand… coupled with the lowest mortgage rates we’ve had in three years.”

He predicts prices will continue to surge this summer as buyers fight over the not-nearly-enough residences on the market. But there is hope: the mad rush for available homes is expected to taper off come Labor Day, Smoke says.

“There’s a higher probability that interest rates will go up [in the fall]. School is back in session, which means fewer [parents] are looking to move,” he says, adding that the presidential election will cause some potential buyers in certain areas of the country, like Washington DC, to postpone home buying decisions.

The high prices have been a boon to sellers who are putting their properties on the market and cashing in.

“More homeowners are realizing the equity they’ve accumulated in recent years and finally deciding to trade-up or downsize,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. “Repeat buyers are using the proceeds from the sale of their previous home as their down payment.”

Residences also continued to fly off the proverbial shelves at the highest volume for the month of May since 2005—before the financial crisis walloped the world economy. This May, the number of sales hit 526,000, a 11.9% jump from April and a 6.3% rise from May of last year, according to the report. Those numbers were not seasonally adjusted, which is to say they weren’t smoothed out over a 12-month period to account for seasonal fluctuations.

The cost of becoming a homeowner is by far the highest in the West, home to astronomically expensive areas like San Francisco and nearby Silicon Valley, according to the report. The median home price in the region was $346,900 in May and the number of sales rose 0.9% year-over-year to 114,000.

The next most expensive region was the Northeast at $268,600, according to the report. The region also saw the fewest sales, at 69,000, in May. But the number of existing homes sold jumped 11.3% from the same time a year earlier.

The region was followed by the South, where the median home price hit $211,500. The warm weather region saw the most sales at 211,000, a 8.2% rise from a year earlier.

Last up was the Midwest, where prices reached $190,000. The number of sales reached 132,000 in May, a 5.6% bump from May of 2015.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

2484 Crowther Drive

Price: $299,000    Beds: 3    Baths: 2    Half Baths: 1    Sq Ft: 1911

This Heitman Custom Home has been beautifully maintained and offers wonderful amenities and details. Some of the features include crown molding, tray and vaulted ceilings, wainscoting, custom cabinets, hardwood and tile floors, granite and abundant ...View Home for Sale >>

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