Southern Oregon Living: January 2010

The Historical United States Hotel in Jacksonville Oregonmay be for sale in the near future.  One of Jacksonville's oldest historical buildings could be up for sale within 3 months.  The Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) has proposed selling the United States Hotel on California St. in Jacksonville Oregon, in hopes that Jackson County will give the Southern Oregon Historical Society a cut of the profit.  Jackson County owns the 100+ year old building, which is leased and maintained by the SOHS.
 
Earlier this month, SOHS, which is struggling financially, proposed moving out of Jacksonville and consolidating its operation in a building it owns in Medford, Oregon.  If the county agrees to sell the hotel, it could be auctioned off within three months.  The picture above features Quilts on display at The Historical United States Hotel in Jacksonville, Oregon.

The U.S. Hotel was built around 1880, and today houses office space and a bank on the ground floor.  The upstairs Ballroom is available to rent for weddings, reunions, retreats and private parties.  It features a large space for events such as weddings and class reunions, as well as a smaller room with an antique bar and large table for meetings.

Perhaps you could be the future owner of The Historical United States Hotel in Jacksonville Oregon!

Rogue Community College Offers Scholarships.  Rogue Community College is offering a new scholarship to help Southern Oregon students pay for college.
 
To apply for the Rogue Ambassadors scholarship, high school students must have at least a 3.5 GPA. Those eligible seniors who start at RCC directly following high school graduation will get half their tuition covered the first year.  If students continue to have a 3.5 GPA or better, RCC will pay for all their tuition the second year.
 
Rogue Ambassadors will also be required to complete some sort of service project within the community.
 
Applications for the Rogue Community College Scholarships will be accepted from February 1st through March 31st, 2010.  The applications can be found at RCC's website starting in February.

Jackson County Oregon Home Sales Rise.  Existing home sales rose in Jackson County Oregon for the 11th straight month in December.
 
In 2009, 1,800 homes sold in Jackson County Oregon, up from 1,300 the previous year.  The median price for a home in Jackson County fell $39,000 to $186,000, compared to 2008, according to statistics from the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors and Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service.
 
In January of 2009, distressed homes, which includes Jackson County Oregon foreclosures and short sales, made up half of the market.  Since then, the number has dropped about 10 percent.
 
The good news is, non-distressed home sales are starting to increase, and the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, which expires at the end of April, will continue to boost sales for the first quarter of 2010.

Oregon e-Waste Recycling - Grants Pass Oregon.  It was a busy day in Grants Pass Oregon on Thursday.  A recycling tent was set-up, ready to accept Oregoninan's electronic waste.  The first year of recycling electronic waste in Oregon brought in more than anyone expected, approximately five pounds per person for a total of 18.9 million pounds.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality e-Waste Recycling Program Manager Kathy Kiwala said Thursday that residents have always been good recyclers, often leading the nation, but this was way beyond their expectations.  An average of 3.3 pounds per person, or a total of about 12 million pounds of electronic waste was collected the first year.

Kiwala said more than half the waste was TVs, apparently due to the switch from analog to digital broadcasting.  And, this year should bring in 21 million pounds, since a $500 fine went into effect Jan. 1 for each component of e-waste that is tossed in the garbage rather than recycled. 

The 2007 Oregon State Legislature enacted a law allowing people to recycle seven computers, monitors and televisions at a time.  The program does not cover non-recyclable components, such as keyboards, mice, speakers, printers, scanners or other electronics.

Congratulations Grants Pass Oregon Residents for doing your part to recycle, reduce, and reuse!

Procuring Cause - Abandonment & Estrangement.  Today, I participated in a webinar regarding the topic, Procuring Cause.  It's an interesting topic and one that certainly most of us will encounter at one time or another throughout our real estate career. 

"Procuring Cause", as defined by the National Association of Realtors, is "the uninterrupted series of causal events that leads to a successful transaction."  In plain English, it's the method to determine who rightfully deserves a real estate commission for bringing about a sale. 

Two primary reasons for arguing Procuring Cause is Abandonment and Estrangement.  In real estate terms, they are defined as follows: 

Abandonment:  Characterized by some lack of contact by the agent with the buyer for some period of time.

• Estrangement:  The conduct or lack thereof of the Agent which causes a Buyer to terminate the relationship.

Here are three essential steps to avoiding a Procuring Cause dispute:

• Educate Your Buyer!  Discuss how you get paid.  Make sure you encourage them to tell other Agents that they are working with you when they decide to visit Open Houses and New Subdivisions.
• Use Written Buyer Representation Agreements.  Using a Buyer Representation Agreements will not guarantee a dispute regarding Procuring Cause, but it will certainly help to build your case.
• Provide consistent and substantive service.  Be responsive to your Buyer's calls and emails.  If you don't, someone else will. 

It's a Matter of Life and Death!  Sounds like a serious matter, but that is definitely not the case here.  Let me explain...

One of the agents in my office allowed me to listen to a voice-mail she received from one of her clients the other day.  This seller has had their home on the market for many months with few showings and no offers.  I have seen the home and it is way over-priced.  I have heard this agent advise this seller regarding this fact on many occasions, to no avail.

On this particular day, the Seller was trying to decide if he should reduce the price of the home, or take it off the market and rent it.  In his voice-mail, he asked for this agent to call him back right away to discuss the situation...  "as it was a matter of life and death."

Now, I don't know about you, but I have personally experienced matters of life and death, and this clearly does not fit my definition of such.  Perhaps, delirious and dillousional might better describe this seller's earnest, but unusual request. 

The agent and I both got a good laugh from the voice-mail.  Perhaps there is a lesson here for all of us... Don't take over-priced listings, or it may become a matter of life and death!   

Ballistic or Bi-Polar?  Agent Gone Whacko!  The other day, I received a phone call from a fellow Realtor.  The tone of the conversation was threatening and definitely not nice.  At times, I almost felt like I needed a suit of armor to ward off the attack! 

This is not the first time I have had an encounter with this Agent.  So, I suppose I halfway expected the crazy behavior.  I couldn't help but wonder, was this Agent simply going ballistic or perhaps suffering from something much more clinical, such as Bi-Polar disease.  No offense to anyone who suffers from this disease (I have a family member who does).  But, without being properly diagnosed, the dramatic mood swings and hyper-sensitivity might be construed as crazy behavior. 

As I tried to keep things calm and reasonable, this person became more outraged and angry.  It was obvious to me that this Agent lost all control of any sensibility, and was completely frustrated, resorting to yelling and making threats.  A position of weakness. 

Fortunately, my cage is never easily rattled.  I have always thought that inner strength and power comes from a quiet place deep inside.  So, whenever I encounter someone flying out of control in 4th gear, my natural inclination is to put on the brakes and down shift into 1st gear (my first car was a stick-shift).  Apparently, this object lesson has served me well.

The Agent called back an hour later to apologize.  However, there was a "but" attached to the apology (I have always heard that an apology is not an apology if there is a "but" attached to it).  In any case, I accepted the apology (with the "but") and have agreed to move on.  Although, I can't help but wonder if this agent was simply Ballistic or Bi-Polar.  Or perhaps, an Agent gone whacko!            

Sunday Morning - Rain is Falling! One of my favorite songs by Maroon 5.  There is nothing like a Sunday morning, when the rain is falling, and there is nothing else to do but cuddle up to a warm fire with a good book.  Especially after a yummy breakfast consisting of whole wheat waffles topped with almonds, powdered sugar and some Trader Joe's maple syrup.

I love Sundays.  It's a day for reflection and thankfulness.  It's a day of rest and relaxation.  It's a day where families gather together and worship their Creator.  It's a day that starts the beginning of another fabulous week!  Enjoy your Sunday everyone and have a great week! 

Chase Away the Winter Blues!  Home buyers have much to look forward to in 2010.  Low interest rates, low home prices, and more importantly, the extended and expanded home buyer tax credit.  Now, for a limited time in 2010, the $8,000 home buyer tax credit will be available to first-time home buyers and certain current homeowners will also be eligible for a $6,500 credit.

Who can claim the credit?  "First-time home buyers" who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010 are eligible for the credit.  To qualify as a "first-time home buyer" the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase.

For current homeowners purchasing a home during the same time frame, they are also eligible for a tax credit, so long as the home being sold or vacated was their principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight. To elaborate, it must be the same home; it is not enough that they have been homeowners for five consecutive years, they must have been in the same home for five consecutive years.  Another key point is that the existing home does not need to be sold.  One must, however, occupy the new home as a principal residence and do so for three years or risk recapture of the credit.  Also, the new home does not need to cost more than the old home despite the concept that it is directed at "move up" buyers.

What are you waiting for, let's Chase Away the Winter Blues!  Buy a home now and SAVE!

Sellers Should List Homes Early in 2010.  Selling a home in the dead of winter might seem ill-advised, particularly considering the state of the economy, but some experts think that making the decision to wait until spring to list a property could be a mistake.

Government incentives will likely have a big impact in 2010, with many buyers determined to sign a contract before the April 30 tax credit deadline.

"This year, we're anticipating sales will peak earlier," says Nicole Hall, editor in chief of Lendingtree.com, an online mortgage comparison service.  "The best time to get your house on the market will be February or early March, and maybe even earlier if you want to avoid competition."  Traffic on real estate Websites begin to rise right after the New Year, says Ken Shuman, spokesman for real estate Website Trulia.com.  Source: Forbes.com, Francesca Levy (12/24/2009)

So, if you are considering listing your home or property for sale in Southern Oregon in 2010, give Melinda Peterson a call.  Melinda specializes in selling residential, rural properties, land, and commercial property, as well as short sales and foreclosure properties.