Golden Realty Blog

Yippee…the Snow is coming!

For us living in the Pacific Northwest, snow days are far and few between. But when the weather reports call for snowy weather, we all seem to get a bit excited at the thought of having a “free day” off from school or work. However, being trapped in the house for longer than a day is not all it seems, especially when boredom starts to set in. To help pass the time and to keep the peace in your household, here are a few suggestions for snow day activities.

Winter Cleaning Up and Clean Out

Cleaning out closets, drawers and cupboards is never a fun activity, but it must be tackled. Take advantage of the time you are cooped up, to sort through out dated clothes, clothes that don’t fit anymore or items that you no longer use. Bag it all up and when the weather improves donate it to a local charity.

When the closets and drawers are clean and organized, head down to the basement or out to the garage, and tackle the piles that have accumulated over time. You will be happy in the Spring and the sun is shining that the task is complete.

TV or Movie Marathon

How full is your TiVo or DVR? Use this time to catch up on all of your favorite shows. Or if you have a pile of Netflix movies it’s time to watch. Enjoy a bowl of popcorn and kick up your feet.

Read a Good Book

Snow days are the perfect time to curl up in your favorite chair, couch or even your bed and read. The book you started months ago or the magazines that have piled up on the coffee table are waiting for your attention.

Cook or Bake Something New

Cookies are always a good choice when the weather turns bitter and cold. If you are tired of making chocolate chip cookies or comfort food such as chili…look up new recipes and try something new. You have nothing but time to experiment so take advantage of it.

Play Board Games

Remember Board games? You actually can sit down with your family and friends and interact with humans rather than a computer. Enjoy old favorites like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble.

Do Your Taxes

We all have to get ‘er done before April 15^th. Why wait until the sun comes out to sit inside and do the duty. Get it done now, and enjoy an early tax refund and when everyone else is frantic about the deadline, you will be able to relax and enjoy the good weather.

Whatever you choose to do when the snow comes to town, make the most of the down time and if you are at all feeling stressed…just turn it into something productive and positive.

We all knew it couldn’t and wouldn’t last forever. Record low interest rates that we have been experiencing for the past several months are now on the rise. Just in time for the Spring selling season. Buyer’s who have been waiting for prices to drop and the market to “bottom out”, should be more motivated than ever to find a home and buy now before they lose their current buying power.

The good news is that rates at 5.05% are still great when compared to historic benchmarks. In fact in approximately forty years of mortgage history, 30-year mortgage rates never got as low as the current 5.05% until 2009, and have climbed as high at 18.45%.

Although current mortgage rates have risen, in comparison it is still a bargain and a great reminder to all those fence sitters, that rates will not remain this low for long.

RIP Crawford ~ 2/8/1997 - 2/1/2011

2/8/2011

Dear Crawford:

We picked you up in Estacada Oregon 14 years ago today. You actually were the one that picked us out for the record.

When we got into the truck that day I told your Momma Nell how much love and joy you would bring to her life. Well you have brought more love and joy to both of our lives than we ever could have imagined. For this I say thank you.

Until you, I didn’t know a dog could be an inspiration to a person. Well I was wrong as you have been such a huge inspiration to me. You fought Salmon Poisoning, cancer, 21 treatments of radiation,5 treatments of chemo and last but not least you lived through pneumonia! You never complained not once during any of this and we know it was a battle for you. I suspect you didn’t want to worry your Mom’s any more than they already were.

Thank you for all the love, joy, laughter, quite times, kisses, hugs, walks, runs, hikes, road trips, naps, and for being my daughter.

Happy Birthday my Labby!

We Love you and Miss You.

Momma Kim

Why is it so important for a REALTOR® to have all those letters behind a signature? Why does anyone care? And do people really know what they all mean? In today’s real estate climate it is important for REALTORS® to stand out and show that they have the knowledge and experience to provide quality customer service to their clients. Acquiring advanced education and real estate designations is one way REALTORS® can showcase their knowledge. But, it doesn’t really matter if nobody knows what it stands for and what it all means.

For example, if you Google NAR – the acronym for the National Association of REALTORS® (the Nations largest trade organization) – you will find that NAR also represents National Association of Rocketry, National Association of Racing, Northern Alberta Railways….and it goes on and on. The point is that Acronyms are meaningless, unless the consumer knows what the letters represent.

Here is a list of the top 10 Real Estate Designations, Acronyms and explanations:

ABR® - Accredited Buyer’s Representative

ABR® education focuses on BUYER representation. By providing specialized training and ongoing skill development, ABR® helps its members—and the homebuyers who work with them—experience more successful real estate transactions.

CCIM - Certified Commercial Investment Member

CCIMs are recognized experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, valuation and investment analysis. CCIMs are backed by a respected education program, as well as superior technology products and business resources.

CRBsm - Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager

The Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRBsm) is one of the most respected and relevant designations offered in real estate business management. The CRBsm designation is awarded to REALTORS® who have completed advanced educational and professional requirements. CRBsm Designees are better positioned to streamline operations, integrate new technology and apply new trends and business strategies.

CRE® - Counselor of Real Estate

The Counselor of Real Estate – or CRE – is a member of The Counselors of Real Estate, an international group of recognized professionals who provide seasoned, objective advice on real property and land-related matters. Membership is by invitation only.

CRS® - Certified Residential Specialist®

The Council of Residential Specialists has over a thirty-year legacy of giving residential real estate professionals the tools they need to be successful in any market. CRS delivers high-caliber education, resources and connections for agents to provide their clients with superior service.

e-PRO®

The e-PRO certification provides a roadmap to help REALTORS® serve hyper-connected consumers of today and tomorrow.

GRI - Graduate, REALTOR® Institute

Members involved in residential real estate who want a solid base of information for their practice will want to participate in the REALTOR® Institute program and earn the GRIsm designation.

GREEN - NAR’s Green Designation

NAR’s Green Designation provides ongoing education, resources and tools so that real estate practitioners can successfully seek out, understand, and market properties with green features. This designation gives designees the tools to become a community leader and resource in sustainable issues.

SRES® - Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

The SRES® Designation program educates REALTORS® on how to profitably and ethically serve the real estate needs of the fastest growing market in real estate, clients age 50+.

SFR - Short Sales & Foreclosures Resource

This designation trains REALTORS® how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities. REALTORS® with the SFR certification can be a trusted resource for short sales and foreclosures.

If I remodel my kitchen will it increase the value of my home? What if I add a bathroom, or a deck? The following report will help you as a homeowner determine the value of a remodeling project.

Buying right is the first step to profit and success but after the bubble crisis, some potential buyers have been afraid to act. If you have been sitting on the side-line waiting for the next buying opportunity, now might be the time to buy.

Interest rates remain low. Don’t just think about the price of the house alone. If you purchase a median-priced home, every ½ point increase in interest results in an extra $1,000 annually for as long as you hold the loan.

Inflation adjusted prices are lower than ever. Nominal home prices have dropped 5, 10 or even as much as 25% from previous highs in most areas. When adjusted for inflation the savings are even greater.

Banking regulations are tightening. Recent economic indicators lead many to believe banks will tighten lending requirements by requiring larger down payments, stricter qualification guidelines and other restrictions. Even if interest rates remain low, it could become much more difficult to qualify for a mortgage in the future.

Rising rents. Rental rates have been increasing with rate hikes expected for the next several years. During tough economic times, the ability to lock in a price and control costs is important to maintaining a working budget.

Fabulous foreclosures and incentives. Special programs at the state, local and federal level are able to assist investors and homeowners in purchasing foreclosures, short sales, REOs, and other property through special programs and incentive packages.

Trends in home design are increasingly moving beyond occasional nods toward pet-friendly to substantial installations that are truly pet fabulous.

While it might seem strange to some, the idea of customizing a house for life with pets is a given for pet parents, and the possibilities abound. “I think it adds a lot of value to the livability of the house if you take into consideration the family pet,” says Kathleen Donohue, a senior designer at Neil Kelly, a Portland-based design firm. “The more you can conveniently accommodate pets, the better it is for everyone.”

A certified master kitchen and bath designer, Donohue’s 25-year tenure with Neil Kelly has taken her to Bend, Eugene and Portland. With her cat named Hoodie and rescue Scottie named Major, Donohue has the perfect pet design testing team at home.

Popular contemporary designs often combine the dining, living and kitchen areas of the house into one big room. This open room is where people can comfortably be “together while apart” and comfortably talk, snack, watch TV or surf the Internet as a family. Still, until recently, designers hadn’t considered four-legged members of the family in their plans.

Pets are family members too, and one of the easiest customizations Donohue recommends is adding pet-friendliness to the great room.

Click to read entire article…

Kim Taking in Oath of Office

Golden Realty’s own Kim Heddinger was installed last Friday in her new (volunteer) position as the 2011 President of the Eugene Association of Realtors. Kim is smart, tenacious, balanced, fair and strong and is well prepared to serve on the board and to help navigate the Association through the challenging real estate market we are facing.

Congratulations Kim!

Past President Colin Call and President Kim Heddinger

Ending the mortgage interest deduction is just one of many ideas proposed by President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission today. Below is an article from the National Association of REALTORS, regarding how vital the MID is to home ownership and the economy.

REALTORS® Say Mortgage Interest Deduction Vital to Home Ownership, Economy
- WASHINGTON (December 1, 2010)

The following is a statement by National Association of REALTORS® President Ron Phipps.“As the leading advocate for housing and home ownership issues, NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction (MID) is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy.

“The MID must not be targeted for change. NAR is actively engaged on behalf of the nation’s 75 million home owners and 1.1 million REALTORS® to ensure that the current deduction is not modified as was recommended in the Deficit Reduction Commission report released today.

“The tax deductibility of interest paid on mortgages is a powerful incentive for home ownership and has been one of the simplest provisions in the federal tax code for more than 80 years. In a new survey commissioned by NAR and conducted online in October 2010 by Harris Interactive of nearly 3,000 home owners and renters, nearly three-fourths of home owners and two-thirds of renters said the mortgage interest deduction was extremely or very important to them.

“Recent progress has been made in bringing stability to the housing market and any changes to the MID now or in the future could critically erode home prices and the value of homes by as much as 15 percent, according to our research. This would negatively impact home ownership for millions of Americans, including those who own their homes outright and have no mortgage.

“Any further downward pressure on home prices will hamper the economic recovery, raise foreclosures, and hurt banks’ abilities to lend and likely tip the economy into another recession, resulting in further job losses for the country. It will effectively close the door on the American dream.

“NAR will remain vigilant in opposing any plan that modifies or excludes the deductibility of mortgage interest.”