Nationally, first time homebuyers increased to 34 percent of the market share in September. A lot of this is attributed to the fact that most families with children—as well as move-up buyers—tend to make their moves during the summer months, thus easing inventory a bit for the first time homebuyers. The increase in September was […]
Bend Housing
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Presidential Candidates Need to Address Housing Policy
It is disappointing to see that housing has not received greater attention during our current presidential race. Housing is such an important part of the economy, yet it rarely comes up as a point of discussion. Our declining homeownership rates have hit a 50-year low. Escalating rents and short supplies of affordable housing, many years […]
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Do Presidential Elections Affect Housing Prices?
When it comes to presidential elections, the prevailing wisdom seems to be that you should wait until after the election to purchase a home. As a realtor, I have heard this a few times. Each time I questioned the person to explain the basis of their opinion, they were only able to say that they […]
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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
The end of September marked the beginning of fall and reminds us to get ready for cooler weather. If you are currently selling your home, the following tips are great to remember as they are also items that a home inspector will check once you have a buyer. That is because they are important items […]
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Bend Energy Challenge
Green Home Tour shows how small things can make a big difference
The Bend Energy Challenge Week, a program offered by the Environmental Center, was filled with many events to educate the public in energy efficiency and renewable energy. I was particularly interested in the two homes on the Green Home Tour that were retrofits, and I learned a lot about how small things can add up […]
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Bend City Council Gives Final Approval to Urban Growth Boundary
Bend approves its Urban Growth Boundary plan.
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Housing Woes Hit Prineville
Rental vacancy rate goes to less than 1 percent
A recent article in the Central Oregon Association of Realtors real estate news referenced an article in the Central Oregonian, which reported some surprising information on the Prineville housing market. The article mentioned that the rental vacancy rate in Prineville is less than one percent, and that like Bend, the Prineville City Council was dealing […]
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August Real Estate Stats: Redmond is Hot
Central Oregon may be a hopping real estate market overall—but it’s Redmond that’s seeing the biggest changes. According to the Beacon Report, based on MLS statistics, the markets for Bend and Redmond can be summarized as follows for Aug. 2016. I have also added Aug. 2015 figures to provide a comparison and calculated the percentage […]
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Multi-generational Housing Trends
According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center that analyzed census data, in 2014, 60.6 million people, or 19 percent of the U.S. population, lived in multi-generational households. Recent statistics are showing that multi-generational households have been steadily increasing. Multi-generational households are defined as having two or more adult generations or one that […]
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Hope for Credit-Challenged Buyers: FHA Loans
Many people who are renting today are paying more than they would with a mortgage. At the same time, those renters may think they can’t qualify for a loan because of damaged credit and more stringent loan requirements. Conventional loan criteria require higher credit scores than in the past, but the good news is that […]