There are a lot of dog owners in Salem Oregon, myself being one of them.  I decided to write a brief blog for those other dog lovers out there, who might be relocating to Salem or are new and maybe not sure of what is out there. Dogs are allowed in all Salem city parks as long as they are on a leash.  Mutt Mutt dispensers are available in most parks for scooping poop in case you forget your own bag.  Currently there are two off leash dog areas here in Salem proper Minto Brown Island park and Orchard Heights Park.  There is some talk about having an area at Cascades Gateway Park, but not enough funds at this time. While not located in Salem, Silverfalls State Park has an excellent off leash area for dogs as well. Be warned that dogs are not allowed on some of the trails, so if you plan t... 01/13/2008

I recently had a gentleman call me about two lots I have listed for sale for a client. There are some restrictions on the type of home that can be built.  As the man was talking about what he wanted to build, I stated "that sounds like a Cape Cod style home."  Unfortunately, he did not know what that was and so I started to try and describe the features to him. Cape Cod styles homes were built by English Colonists who arrived in America in the late 1600's.  They were modeled after homes in England, but had to be modified for the storms of New England.  What emerged is what we refer to as Cape Cod.    Cape Cod Homes have the following features: A steep pitch roof (8-12) that has side gables. When you look at this roof, you think "I need to hire someone to blow my leaves off. I'm NOT gett... 01/12/2008

I am very new to blogging so it may take a while to get the kinks worked out.I am the only home inspector in Salem Oregon who is currently using a high quality state of the art thermal imaging camera.  Almost daily my nifty little camera reveals things that I would not be able to see.Even if the home I am looking at is very nice, the camera can tell weather the walls are insulated or not, where potential energy loss points may be in the home.  What the insulation looks like in the attic in areas you can't see from the scuttle hole.On one of my inspections recently I notices a very interesting heat trail on a stairway wall.  The hot spot turned out to be where the drywall hangers hit an electrical wire with a screw!!Last year I was even hired by a roofing company to find a leak that they... 01/08/2008

It's the start of a new year, which means that I get to spend part of January looking at statistics from the previous year.  Ahh...statistics...I think I'm going to need a Starbucks run.Knowing real estate trends is hopefully, one of the many things real estate agents bring to the profession.  I was often surprised by the many lists that Salem made, touting our strong real estate market.  Don't get me wrong, our market is doing fine, but if we are one of the strongest, then...well...it puts the rest of the country into prospective for me.You can make statistics do pretty much anything you want depending on whether or not you use averages, or medians, and what data you choose to analyze.  This week, I decided to look at the number of listed homes vs. the number of homes sold during a giv... 01/04/2008

This post is dedicated to Colonial style architecture here in Salem Oregon.  Technically the homes in Salem are Colonial Revival homes since they weren't built during the 17th-19th centuries.   I always have images of carriages dropping off couples for a state dinner when I think of Colonial architecture.   A brief history...  Colonial Homes draw their inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome.  These homes were popular during the reign of King George the I in the early 1700's.  The Colonial architecture was a symbol of a wealthier class, and was readily adopted in commercial and residential real estate.  The America's adopted the popular British colonial style, but those found here tend to be less ornate than those found in Britain.  Since America was so new, there was not significant w... 12/28/2007

I have many pet peeves, but one of them reared it's ugly head the other day. I was looking through some listings for a client that wants an older "character home."  I was reading some remarks by an agent who referred to the house as a craftsman.  It was a cabin style home, call it a cottage if you were feeling generous.  While I am not an expert in architecture, I do think an agent should know the basics of home architecture.  Feeling inspired, I headed out to take some pictures of our local Historic homes.  The rain stopped just long enough for me to get a couple of shots off.  The Dutch Colonial home is an American style that came from "Deutsch" settlers in Pennsylvania. Barn.  If you feel like you are looking at a barn, then you are most likely looking at a Dutch colonial.  The barn ... 12/24/2007

Okay okay my feathers are a little ruffled... I am a huge proponent of the free market, and as such don't have an issue with the Redfin business plan.  What I do dislike however is generalizations.  On the Today Show the other day, Kelman implied that real estate agents weren't truthful with their clients and somehow his agents were all knowing.  He offered "tips" on selling your home in the current market.  None of which were new or innovative. So, I have a master's degree, which required me to do stats, and so I decided that I would dust off my statistics hat, and look at the innovative tips offered up on the Today Show.  This is Part I of a 7 part series looking at these issues. Tip #1 was Don't Overprice Your Home. I know, I know, many of you are dropping your jaws, saying, "Why did... 12/15/2007

 The State of Oregon recently decided that a new state mental health hospital would be located in Salem.  The old hospital located on center street will be phased out. The state hospital is well know for being the location where they filmed "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with Jack Nicholson.  The hospital was originally built in 1883.  Every time I drive down center, I look at the marvelous architecture of the hospital building. We just don't make buildings like that any more. It has incredible character despite the obvious need to restoration. Preserve Historic Salem is taking comments on what people think should be done with the building.  I for one, hope we preserve the beauty of the building. 12/11/2007

I was on another online group reading some comments. An agent from the Arizona area stated that in her area, only 6% of homes that were listed were heading to a close this year.  So that means that real estate agents are paying out of pocket to advertise 94% of the homes in Arizona without getting paid.  That seemed like a stellar deal for the seller.I was intrigued by this statistic so I looked it up for Salem Oregon where I run my business.  Our local MLS has recorded 4457 residential listings in Salem this year, and so far 1524 have sold.  34% of our listings actually head to close.  Now this statistic tells me nothing about the local market without looking at some previous history, so I ran some numbers...in 2006 4498 listings, 2420 closed, 54% success rateIn 2005 3931 listings, 260... 11/24/2007

SALEM, Oregon isn't the hippest town around but medium sized cities like Wenatchee, Washington and Provo-Orem, Utah still have quite active real estate markets.  There are plenty of homes on the market and the prices haven't nose-dived like in much of the country.  In fact housing prices are growing at double-digit rates according to a recent federal study. Many of these towns are still showing population growth due to things like proximity to nature, main freeways and more major cities.  Most of them were not even a part of the original housing boom so they didn't have any where to go but up.  The Pacific Northwest in particular was slow to catch on to the extreme home appreciation which might be why it's not being hit as hard now.  "Fifteen out of 20 metropolitan areas with the highe... 11/16/2007

Well October has started and with it, one of my favorite times of year.  Fall brings beautiful colors here in Salem Oregon and along with it my favorite pumpkin patch has it's annual harvest festival. Bauman Farms has an amazing place that is wonderful for families with children of any age as well as those that just love fun. The irrigation tube slides are a blast, and yes I go on them with my kids.  My husband's favorite is the apple slingshot and obstacle course.  Who would think an obstacle course made out of hay could be a workout, but it is. Marion county has many wonderful events to offer, and this is just one not to be missed. Whether you want to go and play, or get some delicious caramel apples, apple cider, or cinnamon donuts, this is one place to put on your calendar for October. 10/04/2007

In these times of Real Estate turmoil, an appraisal is your assurance in the value of property.  Whether you are buying, selling, or refinancing, the more knowledge you have the more power you have.  As appraisers, we have the knowledge of your market and can help you make sure that the biggest investment most people make is going to be the right one.If you are buying a house or property, you want to make sure you are going to pay what its worth.  If you are selling you need to know that the price you set is the right one.Our appraisal staff can answer any questions you may have.  Please feel free to call us at any time. 09/17/2007

 "Mortgage turbulence on its way" screams the front page of our local Statesman Journal newspaper. Subprime loans while common in other parts of the country, were much less common here in Oregon.  After the first quarter of 2007, Salem had the lowest level of foreclosed properties according to the article.  Sounds good... until you read the rest of the article... As predicted by some other articles, 2008 is going to be the worst year for those ARMs and Salem is no exception.  The article referred to the coming "tsunami" that will occur here in Oregon.  They expect that 1/5 of the subprime loans taken out here in Salem, OR will end up in foreclosure. As an agent, I have seen an increase in the NOD's that get sent to me every week, and this includes a multitude of higher ends homes, not t... 09/03/2007

I was out today with some buyers who are relocating to Salem Oregon. They want a new (2006) or newer built home.  After narrowing down their choices to 13, we forged ahead with our day.  After walking through several nice homes, we came to a home that we had seen before and to our amazement the builder had raised the price $10,000.  What??What you need to know is that in Salem builders are motivated to sell their homes.  EVERY OTHER builder is dropping their price by $30,000, and this one raises his price.  Now granted he added backyard landscaping since the last time we were there, but what is he thinking?  New constuction (overall) has an 8 month inventory here in Salem.  I ran the absorption rates for my clients for "comparable" homes and the inventory was actually 17 months.  (the s... 09/01/2007

Oregon State FairIf you haven't had a chance and you are visiting Salem, head over to the fair.  Catch a few rides, or listen to Daughtry sing.  There is something for everyone.One of the great things about Salem is that it is the capitol of the state.  Having the fair locally means free shuttle buses, and easy drives.  It is an excellent (although expensive) choice for families offering a multitude of fun activities for all ages.This is the last weekend, so if you don't have Labor Day Weekend plans head on over and have some fun! 08/31/2007

  Salem is one of Oregon's oldest towns. Native Americans that inhabited the valley were known as "Kalapuya" and their name for the region was Chemeketa. Trappers arrived in the early 1800's and started to farm the valley's furtile soil. In 1834 Jason Lee established a mission. They founded the Oregon Institute, which is now Willamette University. The mission dissolved in 1844 and the missionaries named the new town "Salem" which is an anglicized word for "shalom" meaning peace. Salem is the capital city of Oregon and its second largest city. Salem is 47 miles south of Portland in the center of the Willamette River valley. Salem is located between the Cascade mountain range to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. As of July 2005, Salem had a population of 147,215. Salem has five ... 08/30/2007

Salem Oregon has many acitivites for families wanting to get out of the house.   For Younger ChildrenThe most well known is probably the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Willage.  Located downtown on the riverfront, the Gilbert House, has many fun activities for children including the Bubble Room, LaBALLatory, and the outside play structure.  Pack a picnic lunch and plan to spend a few hours exploring this place.  Next to the Gilbert House in the Riverfront Park is the Carousel.  Each horse was handmade and painted and is truly stunning.  Kids and parents love this beautiful addition to the park.  In the park itself is an excellent play structure for kids.  There is a smaller area for younger kids, and a larger structure for bigger kids.  A path encircles the park for bike riding, or a leasurely ... 08/29/2007

Most people don't think of wine when they think of Oregon.  Our climate is great for growing that finicky pinot noir grape though.  If you are thinking about moving to the Mid-Willamette Valley, you are going to have to spend some time getting to know some of the wonderful vineyards in the area.  We have everything from small producers to large producers (who sell stock on the stock market).   http://www.tomsonburnham.com/communities_resources.phpIt is worth your time checking some out. There is an annual bicycle vineyard tour as well, which stops at many of the smaller ones.  Just remember that you have to get back on your bike to get home.  I encourage you to sit back and enjoy the view while enjoying a glass of pinor noir. 08/27/2007

Salem seems to be having a recent rash of people wanting to retire here.  I have several clients that are looking for that retirement property right now.  After the hustle and bustle of living in a city, the number one request is to get away from it all.  Well...this is easier said than done in the Willamette Valley.  For a miriad of reasons, affordable land is hard to come by here.  How do you really want to live?I encourage you all that are thinking about this option to consider how you really plan to live your retirement.  Trees are stunning and provide shade, but they also shed leaves from October-December.  Fir trees are numerous here, and they drop needles and fir cones year round.   If you don't want to spend your retirement time taking care of tree droppings, look for land with ... 08/26/2007

August 7th this year was National Night Out.  I was talking with some clients that are moving to Salem from California and explaining the concept that it was like a national block party.  The police offer barriers to local residents to block off one of their neighborhood streets to set up tables and play games as a neighborhood.  Apparantly, they don't have anything like that where they live. One of my neighbors down the street, organizes this event for our block every year.  In talking with my clients, I realized how fortunate I was to live in a "Beaver Cleaver" type of neighborhood. Turnout was great, and most people came to the event.  It was a great time to meet some of the new families that had moved onto the street, and just have fun. This neighborhood is filled with walkers, jogg... 08/25/2007