Original photograph taken by Lisa Broadwater, Broker, GRI; RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, 178 S. Elm, Sisters, OR, 97759. 541-549-3333. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission For more images, visit http://www.centraloregonhome4you.com/.
Many people familiar with NeighborImpact know only about the housing-related programs it sponsors (see my previous blog about its workshops for homeowners facing foreclosure). But NeighborImpact also provides food to 35 local food pantries throughout Central Oregon.
Three years ago, Laura George launched a small food drive in Central Oregon designed to help stock the shelves of the NeighborImpact pantries at a time -- in early summer -- when donations are slim. Back then, her goal was to gather 7,000 pounds of food (more than double what NeighborImpact typically received in the summer months, compared to 40,000 pounds during the Christmas holidays).
She called the program "Hungry All Year Long," and convinced 50 countywide businesses to participate by hosting collection bins for canned-good and non-perishable food donations throughout the month of June. It was an overwhelming success.
This year, the goal for "Hungry All Year Long" is 20,000 pounds, and the list of participants has grown to include several hundred businesses in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville, La Pine, Madras, Sunriver and Gilchrist.
One of the great things about the "Hungry All Year Long" program is that all the food items collected in each community will remain in that community. If you'd like to contribute, the following foods are especially needed: canned meats (i.e., tuna, chicken, salmon); canned and boxed meals (i.e., soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese); peanut butter; canned or dried beans and peas (i.e., black, pinto, lentils); pasta, rice, cereal; canned fruits; and 100 percent fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed).
Realtor Day
On Saturday, June 20, the local real estate community is hosting Realtor Day at a number of area grocery stores. So if you happen to be visiting one of the following food outposts that day between 10 a.m., and 4 p.m., I hope you'll consider donating a little something to the cause.
In Bend, we'll be at Erickson's Thriftway, Newport Market and Ray's Food Place
In Redmond: Albertson's
In Terrebone: Erickson's Thriftway
In Madras: Erickson's Thriftway
By the way, monetary donations are also welcome.
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.
Earlier this week -- just in time for the hallowed Sisters Rodeo weekend -- a towering new symbol for our fair city rode into town.
He's known as "The Wild Stallion," and he's the creation of renowned local artist Lorenzo Ghiglieri. Located in the center of town across the street from Lorenzo Fine Art, Ghiglieri's gallery on Highway 20 (aka Cascade Avenue), the Stallion is one of the first images that visitors encounter now as they travel through Sisters from the south.
Talk About Memorable First Impressions...
A spectacular 13-foot-plus bronze specimen of equine wonder, the Stallion has literally been stopping traffic for the past few days -- and traffic is sizable this weekend, what with both the rodeo and the Sisters Art in the Park event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
One reason the new sculpture has been attracting so much attention is his fierce presence. Rearing high with his neck tucked, his muscles taut, his front legs in mid-strike and his impressive mane and tail flowing, he's impossible to miss. His powerhouse stance commands respect. In short, he does the town proud.
Ghiglieri donated the masterpiece to the city of Sisters, and has been recognized by the State as part of our Sesquicentennial celebration. And that's definitely worth a little celebrating. Indeed, the town owes Ghiglieri a big debt of gratitude; the Stallion is an exceptional symbol that even one-time visitors will remember long after they've left Central Oregon.
Adding to the drama this week has been the presence of another Ghiglieri creation, which is parked on a flatbed in front of the gallery just a stone's throw from the Stallion: a larger-than-life-size bronze sculpture of two bull elk clashing.
This is the closest that most folks will ever get to a pair of warring elk, and what an image it is! (See photo, right.) That dramatic frozen moment when the duo is caught in mid-dance is breathtaking, the sort that garners instinctive double-takes from virtually every passer-by.
All in all, a great addition to Sisters!
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.
Like last month, the number of Active Residential with Acreage listings in Tumalo
was down slightly and sales activity was up a bit -- both positive indicators for an improving market. However, the inventory, currently at a 33-month supply, still has a long way to go before the market achieves any kind of balance.
Meanwhile, 33 of the 88 Active listings are still at or above $1 million, and the average days on market in that price bracket is a daunting 286. On a more positive note, there was increase in the number of sales (contingent, pending and closed) above $500,000, which have been scarce so far this year.
As a horse-property specialist, Tumalo has always been of particular interest to me because that's where you'll find many of the most desirable horse properties in Central Oregon. Because its boundaries are up to interpretation, please consider the following statistics a general barometer of the area's real estate activity that includes most, but not necessarily all, of the listings in Tumalo.
LISTING ACTIVITY
Active Residential With Acreage Listings in Tumalo: 88
Contingent Residential With Acreage Sales in Tumalo: 2
Pending Residential With Acreage Sales in Tumalo: 6
Residential With Acreage Closed Sales in Tumalo: 3
Average Days on Market: 255 days for Active RW listings
218 days for RW listings sold in May
Median Sales Price: $898,500 for Active RW listings
$275,000 for RW listings sold in May
INVENTORY:
Residential with Acreage: 33-month supply (32 sales in the previous 12 months)
SALES PRICE:
Least-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $249,900
Most-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $3,900,000
Price Points with the Most Active Listings: $550,000-$599,999 (8 listings)
$1,250,000-$1,499,000 (8 listings)
Listings at $1,000,000 or more: 33
If you're interested in studying the market in more depth, here are a number of charts that capture various aspects of the May 2009 Tumalo real estate market in detail.
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.
In May, the Sisters real estate market began to pick up a little steam, with the number of sales (contingent, pending and closed) up in both the Single Family Residence and Homes on Acreage markets. Pending sales saw the biggest increase, from three SFR pending sales in April to six in May and from two pending Homes on Acreage sales in April to four in May. Another encouraging sign: For the first time this year, there has been an increase in the number of sales above $300,000. Previously, both SFR listings and Homes on Acreage had only one or two sales above $300,000 per month.
Now, the not-so-good news for sellers: There is still way too much inventory. In fact, there was a sizable increase in inventory in SFR listings, from 180 in April to 198 in May. Homes on Acreage held steady at 80 listings.
Here are a few May highlights of the Sisters market:
LISTING ACTIVITY
Active Residential Listings in Sisters: 198 (118 Single Family Residences; 80 Residential with Acreage)
Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters: 5 (3 SFR, 2 RW)
Pending Residential Sales in Sisters: 10 (6 SFR; 4 RW)
Residential Sales in Sisters: 3 (2 SFR; 1 RW)
Average Days on Market: 181 days for Active SFR listings
237 days for Active RW listings
321 days for the SFR listings sold in May
122 days for the RW listing sold in May
Median Sales Price: $454,500 for Active SFR listings
$724,450 for Active RW listings
$295,000 for the SFR listings sold in May
$345,000 for the RW listing sold in May
INVENTORY
Single Family Residence: 24-month supply (58 sales in the previous 12 months)
Residential with Acreage: 42-month supply (23 sales in the previous 12 months)
SALES PRICE:
Least-Expensive Single Family Residence Active Listing: $169,990
Least-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $199,900
Most-Expensive Single Family Residence Active Listing: $1,950,000
Most-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $4,900,000
Price Point with the Most Active Listings: $550,000-$599,999 in SFR (14 listings)
$1,000,000-$1,249,999 in RW (9 listings)
If you're interested in studying the market in more depth, here are a number of charts that capture various aspects of the March 2009 Sisters real estate market in detail.
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.
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Your Resource for Central Oregon Real Estate sales & information, especially Rural, Resort & Horse Properties in Sisters, Tumalo, Bend & Redmond. Learn more at www.CentralOregonHome4You.com
If you've 
ever visited Central Oregon, that's an easy question to answer: because it's one of the most gorgeous settings in the country, with an unparalleled quality of life (can you tell I love it here?).
Comprising three counties-Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson -- and three main cities -- Bend, Redmond and Sisters, plus a handful of smaller communities (Prineville, Powell Butte, Tumalo, Sunriver, La Pine and Caldera Springs) -- Central Oregon is one of the fastest growing regions in the Pacific Northwest. With its combination of ideal climate (300 days of sunshine), extensive recreational opportunities, its entrepreneur-friendly environment and broad slate of cultural outlets, Central Oregon has proven a popular destination among young and old alike.
To find out more about Central Oregon or to search for properties in the area, please visit my website, http://www.centraloregonhome4you.com/.
Good question. And, in truth, there are a number of things that should factor into your decision about whom you select to represent you in your next real estate transaction.
But what expectations do you have for the real estate professional you choose to work with? And remember, you do have a choice -- actually, in Central Oregon you have a lot of choice -- so don't settle for just any real estate broker; we really aren't all the same.
What qualities do you value in the people you do business with? Obviously, you want someone who's experienced, competent, trustworthy and knowledgeable, so consider more than just their skill sets. Think about the type of person you're most comfortable working with. Because the business of real estate is really a business built on relationships. As Realtors®, we live or die based on the success with which we satisfy our clients' expectations. And remember: The decision you make about the real estate professional you choose can affect not just the type of experience you have (i.e., an enjoyable one or a nightmare) but the quality of the process itself.
Those of us who take our job seriously spend our time focused on our clients, ensuring that they are well-informed, well-educated and well-prepared for every aspect of their transaction. Yet we aren't focused solely on the transaction itself, because we know our job doesn't end with that transaction. Our goal is to establish clients for life, so we follow up and nurture the relationships we have so they'll endure over the long haul.
Here's what you can expect from me:
I'm not a native Central Oregonian, but I love this place. Even before I became a Realtor®, I explored the area every chance I could get. And I love the business of real estate. I love making what can be a very stressful, intimidating process for my clients a positive experience for everyone I work with (that means clients, other agents, lenders, title officers, home inspectors -- everyone).
I'm passionate about what I do and give 100 percent of my focus to every task I undertake. I don't do things halfway. I was a journalist for 20-plus years, so I actually enjoy asking questions, solving problems and investigating issues. Research is my middle name.
But if you're looking for a fast-talking, Palm-toting, appointment-driven, call-me-at-midnight-on-a-Sunday-if-it-means-a-sales-tonight style agent, I'm not your gal. I spent 25 years living life on the edge, and too much of the really important stuff (my family, friends, personal life, etc.) passed me by while I was out working myself sick. My approach these days is much more relaxed, and my business is, by design, primarily referral-based. I don't ever want to be too busy juggling transactions to devote the time to my clients that they deserve.
But if you're looking for someone who will work diligently to make your real estate experience a positive one, who will work closely with you to address each issue that comes along in an effort to find the ideal outcome, look no further.
Not surprisingly, the Central Oregon real estate market has shown the effects of its rapid growth. From 1988 (when the city ended its last major real estate slump) until 2007, the average price of a Bend home rose an average of 11.3 percent per year, In 2006, home prices here appreciated faster than any other city in the country, according to the National House Price Index. (To put that in perspective, nationwide, the price index rose 5.9 percent.) From the beginning of 2002 to the end of 2006, home prices in Bend appreciated 104.5 percent.
Actually, for a while there, the real estate speculating and building-for-the sake-of-buildling mentality had gotten out of control. City and county planners could no longer keep up with the workload, appraisers could no longer keep up with the price increases, and buyers and sellers could no longer agree to much of anything.
Meanwhile, too many builders built too many spec homes and too many investors hung their fortunes on the quick flip. So after what seemed like an unstoppable boom, things came to a grinding halt. Inventory began to pile up. The national mortgage industry's free-wheeling lending policies began to catch up with them. Homeowners who thought they were on firm financial ground found out otherwise. More and more people began to learn the meaning of "short sale" and "bank-owned."
And home prices began to decrease. (By the end of 2008, the median price for a home in Bend was $289.450, compared to $351,978 at the end of 2006.) Because the high inventory meant that homes that once would have been on the market for four days were know sitting dormant for up to 14 months (or longer), sellers began to slash their prices accordingly. Even so, buyers, by and large, sat on the sidelines, waiting for the dust to settle. And the frenzy that had been Central Oregon real estate sales was no more. We had rejoined the real world.
But the long-term real estate picture in Central Oregon is enviable. This is an incredible place to live!
"People are going to continue to come here," Roger Lee of Economic Development for Central Oregon predicts. "It's a very attractive Western U.S. community. It's hard to find other places that are comparable. They're out there, but many of them are larger or are smaller and don't have the amenities that the tri-county area offers.
"Plus, if you look at the job creation here over the past seven years, I think there were 16,600 jobs created," he adds. "There's not a metro area in Oregon outside Portland that can match that -- even though there are much larger populations. So our population growth here in the past 15 years has been dramatically larger than the rest of the state -- and the nation. And the forecasts are, in the next 10 to 12 years, that we're supposed to actually pick up that pace. So if the forecasts are correct, we'll see more jobs created in the years going forward than we have in past years. And that's obviously really important to sustaining our economy long-term."
So How Can I Help You?
My areas of expertise include resort, rural and horse properties, investor opportunities and first-time home buyers. I've earned the Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI) designation, and as such have completed a course (including 90 hours of specialized education) that most real estate professionals never even pursue and have gained skills many agents will never have.
This spring, I received my Certified Distressed Property Expert designation, which provided me extensive education in dealing with sellers facing foreclosure and buyers interested in purchasing short sales. Like most communities, Central Oregon is seeing a significant increase in the number of short sale and foreclosure properties on the market.
I'm committed to the business of real estate, but I'm also committed to my community. I'm a member of the Communications Committee for the Central Oregon Association of Realtors® and participate in fellowship whenever possible at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch.
If you'd like to know more about me, please visit my website, www.centraloregonhome4you.com, email me at lisabroadwater@remax.net or give me a call at toll-free (866) 963-2760.
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