Buying a Salem Oregon Home-What is the Difference Between a Foreclosure and a Short Sale? This is a common question asked by almost all first time homebuyers these days, as there are so many foreclosure and short sale homes on the market.   Short Sale A  home that is being sold as a short sale is a home that the sellers still own.  The home becomes a short sale when the sellers cannot sell the home for the amount of money that they owe on the home.    This means that the sale of the home will not pay off the mortgage or mortgages.  When that happens, it is a called a short sale because the lenders agree to take less for the home than what is owed on it.   Getting involved with buying a home that is a short sale takes a lot of patience because there is nothing short about the time it tak... 01/26/2011

Buying a Salem Oregon Home-What is the Difference Between an Inspection and an Appraisal? That is a great question!  I frequently am asked why a buyer needs to get an inspection if they are getting an appraisal.  The inspection and appraisal are two entirely different processes.     Inspection You, as the buyer, get to choose your inspector and attend the inspection.  At the inspection the inspector will compare your home to a perfect home.  His job is not to pass or fail your new home, that is your decision.  His job will be to thoroughly inspect all of the major parts of your home such as the roof, gutters, siding, furnace, electrical panel and outlets, attic and crawlspace.  He will also be looking for leaks, dry rot  and most of the time, pests (critters  you don't want living in or... 01/25/2011

Salem, Oregon-Riverfront Park-Acid Ball to Eco-Earth Globe If you haven't seen the Eco-Earth Globe since it was "re-done", it's truly a site to see.  The Eco-Earth Globe, when it was the acid ball,   originally stored the acid that Boise Cascade used to break down wood chips into pulp.  After cleaning, it took about five years to cover the globe with approximately 86,000 tiles.  Today it is a piece of art and can be viewed at Riverfront Park in Salem, Oregon. 01/24/2011

A few years ago a little company was producing a neat little electric wall heater that was easily installed, relatively inexpensive and allowed wonderful zonal heating (read-"energy efficient")! Things were wonderful for sometime but like most things there were a few issues with the first models. The little electric heaters were made by the Cadet corporation and after the release to the general public it was discovered that if housekeeping was not top notch these little heaters had the tendency to overheat (read-"catch on fire" and there could be "flames, sparks or molten particles spewing through the front grill cover of the heaters into the living areas")! The problem arose at the heat exchanging point. This is the point in every heating device where the heat that is produced in the ... 01/22/2011

Home prices in Salem Oregon In January 2009,  I posted my predictions for real estate in Salem in 2010.  My guess?  Home prices would drop 5% in 2010.  The reality?  The average home price dropped 6.6% and the median shifted downward 6.1%.   Pffft.  I'm blaming the makers of Wheaties for not serving me breakfast in bed at a Holiday Inn Express.  Had that occurred, I would have come up with that extra 1%, and I could amaze you all my great predictive powers.  Alas, I merely had some green tea in Salem Oregon and we see where that landed me. Off by 1%. I was so close. You will cut me some slack won't you? Inventory in Salem Oregon Inventory is an extremely important statistic in real estate because it is one of the closest measures we have in real estate to understanding supply and deman... 01/21/2011

Selling Your Salem Oregon Home-How Do I Remove My Woodstove or Fireplace Insert?     Dear Seller, You have a couple of different options for removing your woodstove or fireplace insert once you have determined that it is not certified through DEQ or EPA. You can remove it yourself, or contact your local woodstove retailer or chimney sweep who may be able to remove and destroy your device for you. Home Firestove is one of the local businesses that can help you out with this. If you choose to remove it yourself, you can take it to a local metal scrap recycler or landfill  to make sure it is properly disposed of.  Be sure you get a receipt from wherever you take your stove/insert.  Your receipt is proof of the stove's destruction, and part of your notification to DEQ. Prior to the close of... 01/20/2011

Selling Your Salem, Oregon Home-How Do I Know If I Need to Remove My Woodstove or Fireplace Insert?   Dear Seller,  On August, 1 2010, Oregon did enact a new law that affects sellers who have woodstoves or fireplace inserts.  This law requires you to remove the woodstove or fireplace insert if it is not certified by DEQ or EPA.  This law was put into place  for environmental protection, and for the most part includes woodstoves or inserts that are over 25 years old, or those that you have installed yourself.  How can you tell if your woodstove or fireplace insert is allowable?  You can tell if your device is certified by looking on the back for a certification sticker from Oregon DEQ or EPA.  This label will indicate that it is certified to comply with particular emission standards.  A ... 01/18/2011

Sellers of acreage in Salem and Keizer Oregon see signs of improvement! December 2010 real estate market data for acreage homes show that sellers closed on average in 209 days, which was 81 days faster than November, and 52 days faster than October.  Perhaps the better news is the fact that the average sales price was also much higher in December, at $389,000.  However, sellers only saw an average of 90% of their asking price, showing that buyers are still driving a hard bargain.   If you are looking to sell your Salem Oregon acreage home, let me help you! Tell me about your house here! 01/17/2011

Salem Oregon-Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot and Chocolate for Valentine's Weekend.   What could be better than wine and chocolate for Valentine's Day?  Spending a few hours at Willamette Valley Vineyards on the 12th and 13th of February from 11 am to 6 pm, where you can enjoy tasting many different Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noirs.  The cost is $10 and includes a Riedel wine glass for your tasting adventure.  This event is also the one time a year where we have the opportunity to taste the fabulous 2008 Pinot Noir Quinta Reserva Port Style.  This is the only event where the port is featured as a tasting choice.  We went last year and upgraded to the cellar pass for $5 so that we could enjoy barrel tasting, and it was worth every penny to taste the port and other selections in ... 01/17/2011

Salem Oregon Wine, Food and Brew Festival-January 28th and 29th 2011   It's that time of year again!  The long awaited Salem Wine, Food and Brew Festival is taking place on January 28th and 29th at the Salem Oregon Fairgrounds in the Americraft Cooking Center.   The festival runs from 2-10 on Friday the 28th, and 12-10 on Sunday the 29th.   Admission is $10 at the door.  There is an additional charge for the tastings. There are VIP packages and lodging specials available which you can find out more about on the Salem Oregon Wine, Food and Brew Festival Website. The Salem Wine, Food and Brew Festival features wineries, breweries and food vendors.  There are also craft vendors and many other vendors.  Here is a list of all of the vendors for this years event.   This a a great festival to ... 01/16/2011

Salem Oregon Community Events-Willamette Valley Vineyards-Mo's Crab and Chowder Festival January is Oregon Crab Month and in celebration Mo's will once again be at Willamette Valley Vineyards to host the Mo's Crab and Chowder Festival on January 21st-23rd.  This year they have added a Friday evening event with live music by JT and the Tourists.   Entry is $10 and includes a wine glass for tasting.  There is an additional charge by Mo's for food purchase depending on what you decide to eat.  So, remember to bring some cash with you. Event Date & Time Friday Night Kick-off Event : January 21, 20115:00 pm - 9:00 pm January 22, 201111:00 am - 6:00 pm January 23, 201111:00 am - 6:00 pm Willamette Valley Vineyards8800 Enchanted Way SETurner, OR 97392 We attended last year's event and the food... 01/14/2011

Salem Oregon-34th Annual Mid-Valley Home Show     This year's Mid-Valley Home Show will be held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in the Americraft Center and Columbia Hall on January 14th-16th.   The home show is put on by the Marion/Polk Homebuilder's Association. Show Hours & Dates:Friday, January 14th        1pm-8pmSaturday, January 15th  10am-8pmSunday, January 16th    10am-5pm   The home show is a great place to get ideas for home remodeling projects, or to get ideas about products that you would like used in your new construction home that you may be considering building.  The home show also gives you an opportunity to meet some of the local contractors that can perform the work for you, if you choose.   Be sure to enter the two drawings this year.  One is for a cash prize of $500,... 01/13/2011

Many posts have been written about how you should prepare your home for the winter months. Here in the willamette valley our winters are not all that extreme. It does stay wet, however we don't get much snow on the valley floor and our temperatures very rarely dip much below freezing.  These moderate temperatures do have their own set of maintenance issues: 1. Gutters: Gutters, gutters, gutters. Did I mention gutters? Seriously, gutters. The manner in which we receive rain requires properly functioning gutters. For around 8 months we stay wet. Not huge downpours, just steady and wet. Every drop of rain that hits your roof is supposed to be concentrated and collected into a few spots around the home. If the collection system is plugged or allowing water to splash or dump around the home... 01/12/2011

Salem Oregon Home Buying-Stop Being a Renter and Become a Homeowner Tips to Help You Get There from Your Salem Oregon Real Estate Agent How to Stop Spending Money on Rent and Own a Home Instead! If you've always rented a place to live, buying a home can seem like a monumental undertaking. These 7 steps will help to break down this process into clear steps.   Seven Steps to Transition from Renter to Homeowner Step One: Identify Your Needs and Wants Begin your search by considering the kind of home you need and want. Write down your specific requirements like number of bedrooms, size of yard, floor plan, location, schools, etc. Step Two: Determine How Much You Can Realistically Afford Consider your budget and financial obligations. Decide what monthly house payment you can really afford. ... 01/11/2011

Salem Oregon Selling Tips-Spend a Little, Get a Lot Part 5 Opt for neutral paint and carpets but add splashes of color with area rugs, napkins, flowers, pillows, curtains, drapes and towels.  Make the fireplace a focal point - polish your fireplace tools and arrange logs in the fireplace.  On cold days, light a welcoming fire.  Selling a vacant house?  Consider renting a few pieces of furniture to create a cozy atmosphere.  Better yet, consider hiring a professional stager for a staging consult.  Just before showing your house, turn on all the lights - including closet and oven lights, and those over the stove and kitchen counters.  This makes the house look bigger and brighter.  Remember to turn on the outside lights also, especially in the Winter months when it gets dark early.  The R... 01/10/2011

Color Trends - If it isn't anything you've investigated before, color forecasting is a fascinating process and has wide-spread influence. Did you think you saw a lot of turquoise last year? Turquoise was Pantone's color for 2010.  Soon we were seeing turquoise everywhere - clothing, accessories and home decor. Calming, soothing and refreshing - in a troubled economic time it became a hit color and soon crept into most of our closets! So what's the color for 2011?  Honeysuckle - imagine raspberry sherbet or a cross between coral and fuchsia and you'll have the color nailed. From the Pantone press release: "While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pi... 01/10/2011

Morning Glory-Salem Oregon Things to Do-Riverfront Park and Carousel   Meet Morning Glory.  She sits outside of the Carousel at Riverfront Park in Salem, Oregon.  She greets visitors as they make their way towards the carousel.   The carousel is a beautiful hand carved labor of love with wooden horses, but Morning Glory is an iron sculpture donated to greet visitors as they arrive at the park and head to the carousel.  You will find Morning Glory right behind the Riverfront Park sign, and out in front of the big doors that open up to the carousel. 01/05/2011

Salem Oregon Real Estate-Salem Oregon Neighborhoods-Bailey Ridge Bailey Ridge subdivision in Salem, Oregon, is an upscale neighborhood of newer construction homes located in the Illahe Hills area.  If you are looking for a country setting that is close to town, then Bailey Ridge may be the right neighborhood for you.  Bailey  Ridge is located off of River Road and next to Illahe Hills Estates. Bailey Ridge can be reached by turning off of River Road, onto Country Club Drive, Rogue or Tayside.  Although Bailey Ridge is in a country setting, town really is only minutes away.   River Road to Viewcrest will drop you in South Salem on Kuebler Blvd., and following River Road back towards town brings you to Owens St which is close to the downtown area.    Bailey Ridge is also golf cart distanc... 01/04/2011

Salem Oregon Real Estate-Things to Do in Salem Oregon-Illahe Hills Country Club and Golf Course   Do you love to golf?  Salem, Oregon has several selections for beautiful golf courses.  Illahe Hills Country Club and Golf Course is located at 3376 Country Club Drive in South Salem, Oregon.  Illahe Hills Country Club and Golf Course is located off of River Road, and is a golfing community and private country club in a country like setting.   Although the golf course is located in the country, it is just a few short minutes and miles from town. Illahe Hills Country Club and Golf Course was first established in 1960.  Prior to 1960 the only golf course in Salem was the public Salem Golf Club, which is also located off of River Rd.   For more information on the formation of Illahe Hills Coun... 01/03/2011

Salem Oregon Real Estate-Sunset Meadows-South Salem Neighborhoods Sunset Meadows is located in South Salem off of Kuebler and Battlecreek Rd.   Sunset Meadows is close to I-5 (entrance on Kuebler)  and shopping in South Salem. Homes in Sunset Meadows range in size from 1400 to 3000 sq. ft. for the majority of homes.  Current home prices range from the low $200,000 to low $300,000 depending on size.   You will find plenty of selections for single level homes and two story homes with fun street names such as Catalina, Vintage, Tahoe, Summerlake and Monterey.  The HOA fee for Sunset Meadows was just raised to $100 a year effective in 2011.  There are currently 165 homeowners in the Homeowners Association. Schools for Sunset Meadows are Lee Elementary, Judson Middle School and South Salem H... 12/31/2010