Central Oregon Real Estate Info

La Pine has the privilege of being home to a lot of beautiful wildlife.  One of my favorite are elk, don't get me wrong I love to watch all critters Central Oregon offers, but elk just captivate me.  They are so big, graceful and majestic.

La Pine State Park is a likely place to find these beauties most days in the Spring, Summer and Fall.  La Pine State Park features a great camp ground, Big Tree and The Big Deschutes River.

This photo was taken on the road leading to the park.  So, locals and visitors alike be careful - Elk do travel both day and night and their eyes do not glow at night to warn you of their presence.  They can do a lot of damage to your vehicle should you happen to hit one.

Looking for a great vacation home in Sunriver Oregon?  This may very well be what you have been looking for!  Close to Ft. Rock Park, Bike Paths and backing up to huge common area giving you the privacy you would expect. 

Everything about this house is new, right down to the hot tub.  This home has never been used as a rental, but has the potential to be a good rental, fully furnished and ready for you to move in.

One of the most common request I receive from out of area buyers that is almost impossible to meet is finding lake front property.  Deschutes County and most of Central Oregon is full of beautiful lakes, streams and rivers, but our lakes generally are on public land.  There are a few exceptions but are they really exceptions?

Odell Lake and Crescent lake do have a few homes near them, most of these homes are actually built on land that is what we call Forest Service land and is owned by the good old U.S.A. there is a long term lease of the land, but finding financing for a home where you do not own the land especially right now can be a real challenge. 

There are a couple lakes that do have privately owned property in our area - the most popular would be Ochoco Reservoir & Prineville Reservoir - the area of these lakes is more open and allows for some great mountain views also, but there is a lack of trees for most of these properties.

For a full list of homes on a lake or with lake views click here.

This La Pine home is more than most would ever dream about finding in La Pine. 

3 spacious bedrooms, huge kitchen, loft family room or office, covered front porch and 2 garages are just the beginnings of this beautiful home. 

Austrilian Cyprus Hardwood floors, custom maple cabinets and great lighting make it even more attractive, but the basement houses a game room area with custom pool table, additional office space and what could be the new media room.  Watch the show, make your appointment and move right in.

3345 Square Feet Including Basement • 3 Bedroom • 2 Bath • 2 Garages • 1 Acre • Loft • Office

$399,000

Today is St. Patricks Day and it was a lucky day for me.  9 from our office including our owner Scott Pence left Sunriver at 5 a.m. and headed  to Portland for the RE/MAX Great in 08 -how great that was with only being with RE/MAX for a month this was exciting for me.

The most exciting part of the day was meeting Herb Hamilton- fellow ActiveRain member, Herb and I have a passion for older homes. Herb is my Portland connection his knowledge of flipping homes especially historic type homes is beyond anyone I know. 

I am loving RE/MAX and especially RE/MAX Sunset Realty -The 9 of us went to lunch after and talked about all the great tips we heard about - how we were going to implement some of them, how we can improve on what we are already doing.

For my buyers and sellers I can tell you this was a great investment in the service I will and do provide to all of you.  As for meeting Herb, it was the highlight of my day. 

It seems like every couple of days I get a call from a potential seller.  With the marketing trends we have seen over the last two years it is more a buyer's or investor's market than we have seen in a while.  Seller's that succeed in selling are motivated, they are willing to listen to their agent and price their home correctly, and make their home standout above the competition.

Many of the sellers calling me at this time had their home on the market with other agents last year.  They are frustrated that their home did not sell, that the listing agent never showed their home and they tend to blame the other agent. 

While researching the past history of the home, the old listings and county records the handwriting is on the wall and very easy to see why their home did not sell.  It all comes down to pricing.

Today this was really driven home when a family called me to list their home.  They had their home listed last year with a "local agent."  Even if we were in seller's market the home had been listed about $75,000 higher than it would have sold for. 

Now that another year has gone by we are looking at a price almost $100,000 lower than the price it was listed for.  These sellers felt they had lost money since "the other agent" had over priced the home the sellers felt their home was worth the higher amount.  This was never the case; the home actually has not lost any value, even with this buyer's market we are currently in.

Will they list the home for the true value of the home and what it stands a chance for selling?  I hope so, today after meeting with them I did not take the listing, I gave them the cold hard facts of what a 20 year old frame built home without a master and a small bedroom will truly sell.  I explained my marketing plan, told them what buyers are looking for and what their competition has that they do not and what they have that the competition does not.  I agreed to list the property for a price that shocked them but nothing more, asked them to take my listing presentation, marketing plan and paperwork home, to think about it and let me know tomorrow.

After I left them, I just wanted to drive to the other agent's office and tell him exactly what I thought of what he had done to these wonderful people.  The truly thought they had a chance of selling for a much higher price, they believed him, trusted him and were taken back with the truth.

If you plan to sell this year, please take a good look at your competing properties what more do you have to offer, price your home accordingly.  Many agents will price the home where you set the price, knowing full well you do not stand a chance of receiving an offer and even if you did that the home will never appraise which will kill the deal.  Competition is steep, but home are selling, allow your agent to give you the cold hard facts and price the home below your closest competitor. 

Often times we take life and the simple things in life for granted.  I am often reminded of the little things that make me smile, such as the mountains and streams of Central Oregon.  Lately I have been reminded just how lucky I am to have a husband that truly loves me and cares about me.

Mike fell off the bed of his semi on February 13th and has been in a chair ever since the 15th.  With a rod in his leg, 4 plates and 36 screws holding his leg and ankle together I am reminded of how lucky I am. 

Mike may be home for good now, this very well is an injury that could force an early retirement.  I can just see the VISA bill going up with fishing and hunting gear.  He is dreaming of new careers and spending a lot of time watching television.  I tried to teach him to blog, but he got lost at turning on the computer.

My point here is - be thankful, be gracious and love each-other.  We were lucky it is just a leg - none of us know what tomorrow will bring.  Make the most of today and plan for tomorrow.  Enjoy being able to get your own cup of coffee, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Mike and I find out if a bone graph is necessary in about 3 weeks - so keep him in your thoughts -

Ok.... now you have all seen the most current photo without glasses

February 2008 is now over and it is time to review the market movement for this past month.  We will start at the south end of the county with La Pine.  La Pine home sales are coming along we have seen homes sell and receive offers.  For February La Pine Frame Built homes saw 17 homes in pending status and 3 sold.  Manufactured homes saw 7 homes go pending and 2 close escrow.  Land now shows 7 sales, and one sold property.

Three Rivers South has seen some increases with 9 frame built homes in pending status and 3 sold properties.  Manufactured homes in Three Rivers South saw 2 go into pending status and none closed escrow.  There are now 8 land listings pending.

Caldera Springs had one lot sell and one go pending.

Sunriver saw 9 homes go into pending status 3 close escrow and 2 condos go into pending status.

With numbers like shown above now is the perfect time to buy in Central Oregon.  Sellers are more motivated than they have been in a long time.  Spring is here no matter what the groundhog said the snow is melting and the skies are blue the sun is warm.  Plan your trip to Central Oregon and make your appointment to see the properties that fit your needs.

Feel like you have never seen Central Oregon and wish you had?  You very well may have and not even realized it.  If you watch movies chances are you have seen at least part of the scenery of Central Oregon.

Central Oregon has been a hot spot for Hollywood since at least 1958.  If you are a Louis L'Amour fan you will know the book Tonka - the movie which I can not find - was filmed in 1958 in the Bend/La Pine area.  

In 1974  The Apple Dumpling Gang was filmed on the Big Deschutes in La Pine.  The scene of the wagon heading down the hill and into the river was filmed where you will now find the subdivision of Wild River.  Pringle Falls does not look much like a fall but more like rapids but underneath the rushing water is truly a water fall. 

Pringle Falls was also the back drop of a scene or two from Rooster Cogburn in 1974.  During the filming of this now classic our family had the opportunity to host dinner for John Wayne.  He along with others of the cast stayed on our property and to make extra dollars I washed and ironed their shirts.

Up the Creek was a funny movie that was filmed in La Pine and Bend, once again the back drop was Pringle Falls - and what is now Wild River Subdivision.

The list goes on.....

1975 - Search For Sasquatch, 1977 - Hot Lead & Cold Feet. 1980 - St. Helens, 1990 - Grand Tour, 1991 - Incredible Journey, 1992 - Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, White Wolves, 1994 - McKenna (The Series) 1997 - The Postman

For additional movies in Oregon

For months I have been telling people that now is the time to buy especially if you are a first time homebuyer. With FHA, Oregon Bond and other programs still available with great rates, home prices lower than they have been in a long time they need get off the fence an buy before the home or financing is not available.

One buyer understands now, they have been reading my blog for several months and finally got off the fence.  We found the perfect home, fit their budget, was clean, nice and well priced.... and you guess it... no loan available.

FHA and Oregon Bond will loan on a manufactured home, which is what this buyer had set their sights on.  But they do not lend on a manufactured home that has been "remarried."

Homes married you might ask - a manufactured home that is remarried is one that was orignally set on one lot then moved to another.  Lenders have no way to know that they move was done per manufacturer guidelines, or that nothing within the structure was damaged.  As frustrating as this is, it may very well be protecting the home buyer as well.

To read more about this see Does Your Dream Home Qualify For Financing