One of the great things about living in Oregon is just the natural beauty that surrounds us. What makes living in the Mid-Willamette Valley so great is the ability to get to the coast and out to the mountains fairly easily.
This past Saturday it was around 105 degrees here in the valley. This is a rare event for an August in Oregon, but it's been a weird year weather wise.
We decided to head to North Santiam State Park, which has the Santiam River running through it. The Santiam River is a popular river for rafters and kayaks and it is rare when we go there to not see several people heading down river.
Also popular at the river is fishing, but I haven't seen anyone actually catch anything yet. I'm sure they do, but the water moves pretty swiftly right by the park.
A great place for kids and families, the water level is pretty low for a ways out so kids can safely play there. It does get deep and the water moves swiftly so keeping an eye on kids is essential.
The park has
The park is day use only at this time, with no camping allowed. From Salem it only takes 35 minutes or so to get out there, so it is a perfect day trek to beat the heat.
I love old homes.
I love the details and wondering what the owners were like 100 years ago. I like seeing the original water closet as it is reminiscent of our past and where we have come from. Salem has several designated historic districts, including one downtown. We have two residential historic districts Bush Park/Gaity Hill and Court-Chemeketa.
Last year I helped a local buyer purchase an old home. Completely neglected, this home was the blight of the historic district. Inside the original wood floors, window panes, and trim screamed for someone to restore the home. The claw foot tub would eagerly await a new owner.
Buying in a historic district comes with some rules. Currently Fairmount Hills has an application for the National historic Register. Even if the home is not on the national register, in can be a local landmark.
If you want to purchase an historic home you need to be aware of these rules. They do make remodeling and updating the exterior of a historic home more difficult. The goal of the historic district is to preserve a piece of our past. Maintaining the essence of these homes is part of agreeing to live there. This is also important to research if you want to purchase a home. It is possible that the previous homeowner made some changes that would make it be a non-contributing property.
While it sounds difficult, living in the Historic Districts has some benefits. The property and homeowner may be eligible for City of Salem rehabilitation funds, or low interest, and no interest loans as well. There are also some tax advantages to owning one of these homes. All I ask is that if you remodel the interior of the home, please keep it in character with the home. I've seen many remodels that were better described as remuddles.
I just wrote a post a couple of days about about "old" Englewood. Despite the fact that Englewood is one area, there really are to vey different atmosphere's to the neighborhood. East Englewood runs from 23rd to around Park and is made up of homes built in the 1950-1970 range.
Variations on a ranch could be the theme for this part of Englewood.
While the neighborhood is very stable, it doesn't have the variety of architecture of older Englewood. I wouldn't call it cookie cutter, but it does lack some architectural diversity.
East Englewood neighborhood feeds into Hoover Elementary School, Parrish Middle School, and North Salem High School. If schools are important to you, remember that boundaries are subject to change from year to year so verify schools. 
WVMLS Market Data:Approximately 7 homes sold last year (2007) in the neighborhood an average price of $196,007. Sold prices ranged from $149,900-$249,900. They averaged 53 DOM.
If you are looking for a neighborhood area close to downtown that is affordable, Englewood might be the right fit for you.
Englewood. Doesn't it seem like many towns have an Englewood neighborhood? Salem is no exception. Sandwiched between Market Street and D Street, Englewood runs from about 17th to 22nd, and East Englewood runs from 23rd to around Park.
Centrally located in Salem, Englewood is actually a patchwork of two neighborhoods that have drastically different characteristics. I like to call them Old Englewood and East Englewood. These are not official designations, just my made up musings...
The only reason, I bring up the distinction, as they are all referred to as Englewood, is that East Englewood has newer more ranch style homes, where older Englewood has older cottage style homes. They both have their own distinct architecture. This blog today is about the old Englewood part of town.
The homes in older Englewood were built in the early 1900's to about 1940 or so. As such their architecture is reflective of that time period. Smaller cottage style homes and bungalows make up most of the homes in this neighborhood. You will see the occasional four square or cape cod in the area as well.
What makes Englewood a nice place to live is it's proximity to the downtown area. For state employees and those working in downtown, Englewood is only a few blocks away for easy access.
Englewood has one major park, Englewood Park. Located between 19th and 21st streets, the park has several options for users.
Older Englewood neighborhood feeds into Englewood Elementary School, Parrish Middle School, and North Salem High School. If schools are important to you, remember that boundaries are subject to change from year to year so verify schools.
Approximately 11 homes sold last year (2007) in the neighborhood an average price of $145,390. Sold prices ranged from $104,000-$189,950. They averaged 72 DOM. There are currently 7 homes listed as active on the MLS for this area with prices ranging from $149,900-$269,900 .
For older homes, Englewood can be very affordable compared to some of the other historic areas such as Bush Park or Fairmount Hills. This aspect makes it a popular choice for people wanting the character and charm of older homes with more affordability.
Located between Lone Oak and Sunnyside, Ironwood Estates is in a prime location in South Salem. If you find yourself driving on Whipplewood, Cherrywood, Peachwood, Wormwood...well...you get the idea, right? If you find yourself in a cluster of streets that end in wood in south Salem, then you are in Ironwood Estates.
Some of the attracting features of the neighborhood are the proximity to Sumpter Elementary School, Sumpter Park, and the tree lined streets.
The tree lined streets...you need to know that the beautiful trees that line the streets in this neighborhood are cottonwood trees. Every summer, you get to experience a late "blizzard" in this neighborhood as the cottonwood trees lose their seeds.
Most of the homes in Ironwood Estates were built in the 1970's-1980's so many of them need some updating. Homes are well maintained and it is a rare sight to see a home or lawn in poor condition. If you head out in the morning you will see a lot of walkers, runners, and dog lovers out and about. This is a healthy neighborhood.
This neighborhood belongs to the South Gateway Neighborhood Association, which is a very active assocation. If you are looking to become involved with your local neighborhood, Ironwood Estates might be a good choice for you.
I get the whole web 2.0 thing, really I do. If I didn't want to be open, I wouldn't blog. I have to say that I was floored when I received a call last week asking me for a specific report that I had written in the past. I was getting ready for vacation and didn't run this report in a while. I get calls/emails all of the time about my market reports and encourage readers to just subscribe to my feed. Typically it's not a big deal that would leave me floored.
This time it was a real estate agent calling me. I called back and left them a message to my outside blog where I post current market reports. Right before I left on vacation I received an email from the same agent, again asking about that market report.
Now...Oregon has many different MLS's. So if someone from Portland or Medford, Oregon was calling me, I would get that. They don't have access to my MLS which means no access to my data. BUT this agent was in my local MLS. Huh?
He had access to the exact same data that I do. So it begs to ask, why is he contacting me to run reports for him. Is he not capable of analyzing his own data?
So for you CONSUMERS out there that don't have access to our local data, here are my July 2008 Market Reports for the Salem Metro Area.
City of Salem Regional Reports
If you are an agent within my local MLS, I expect you to run your own data otherwise if you want me to run a specific report for you, give me a call about my hourly rates. I'm happy to consult with you about your real estate needs.
National Night Out is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. My block has celebrated National Night Out for the 6 years I have lived in my current home. National Night Out was started out as a crime prevention program designed to get more people involved in their communities.
It is always the first Tuesday in August which is the 5th this year.
So if you live in Sunnyridge Heights around 18th Pl, head to 18th Pl around 5:30 with your potluck and join the neighborhood for some good food and conversation. Last year was a great turnout.
I'll see you there!
When I moved to Oregon 18 years ago, I was ready to do some serious hiking. I love forests, creeks, rivers, just being outdoors. One of the first places we visited was Silver Falls State Park.
Silver Falls is located in Silverton, Oregon. With 10 waterfalls within the boundaries of the park, this is really one of Oregon's gems. There is a small dam in place to create a nice water play area for children. Just a few feet deep this area is very popular during our summer days.
There are so many amenities within the park.
On and on...
I do have a dog who comes up to Silver Falls with us regularly. Please note that due to some of the drop offs, and narrow trails, dogs are not allowed on some trails. Make sure to check that if you plan to bring your dog with you.
I also encourage you to see the falls during the winter and spring. They are GUSHING with water. If you don't mind donning some rain gear, waterproof boots, and a good sweater, it is worth the hike to see the falls in early spring.
If you are planning a day hike into Silver Falls, remember to pack a day pack with a sweatshirt (it can get colder in the canyon), a first aid kit (lots of tree roots and rocks on the trails), and a camera (too many beautiful shots to miss). Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy.
Otherwise, I'll let the pictures say what there is to say about Silver Falls.
It was hot, really hot this weekend.
Our summers in the valley are normally quite moderate, but we seem to get one week every July that hits the 90's and 100's. This past weekend was no exception.
My kids wanted to go to the Riverfront Park here in Salem. When we first moved to Salem from Portland about 10 years ago, Riverfront Park was a fairly new park. It was 
one of many projects slated to reinvigorate the downtown area, and it really is a fantastic addition.
The park has a great play structure...well actually two. One for larger kids and one for smaller kids. They are right next to each other so parents with both sizes can easily watch their children.
A nice flat sidewalk is perfect for kids who want to learn to ride their bikes or roller blade, joggers out for some exercise, and pet lovers walking their dogs. The trees are still young so shade is somewhat lacking at the park, but give them 10 years and there will be many shady spots.
The park is also home to an outdoor amphitheater, and there is a summer concert series at the park. Riverfront park is host to many events including the upcoming Bite of Salem.
There are two main features of the park that never cease to amaze me. Right next to the park is an old dilapidated Boise Cascade paper mill. 13 acres of prime land that was recently bought by developers with fantastic plans for the area. (Thank you investors/developers!)
When we first moved to Salem there was an old "Acid Ball" in the park. The acid ball held acid for the paper mill and it was this large ugly rusty thing in the middle of the park. Thankfully there are those people in the world significantly more artistic than me, and an artist was hired. The end result is truly amazing.
The other artistic feat of the Riverfront Park is the Carousel. All of the horses in the carousel were handcrafted by volunteers. Every time my kids ride the carousel, I can't help but be in awe of the craftsman that helped with this project. The horses are truly stunning. My artistic skills top out with stick people, so I am always in awe of true artists.
Riverfront Park is one of the many parks that the City of Salem has to offer residents. If you are coming for a visit or looking to move here, come and check it out. And yes...adults can ride the carousel as well (and they do).
With the first 6 months of the year gone, I wanted to take a look at how the real estate market is looking so far this year.
For Salem Oregon Absorption Rates by Price Range
For Salem Oregon Absorption Rates by Region
For Salem Oregon Absorption Rates by Metro Area City
For residential homes sales in Salem, Oregon...
The 180 day trend:
Median sold price: $204,912
Average sold price: $223,489
Average original list price: $228,756
% of listing price to sale price: 97.7%
Average DOM: 122
Listed vs. sold: 67%
The 90 day trend:
Median sold price: $209,950
Average sold price: $230,526
Average original list price: $236,489
% of listing price to sale price: 97.5 %
Average DOM: 117
Listed vs. sold: 55%
The 30 day trend:
Median sold price: $215,800
Average sold price: $232,470
Average original list price: $238,439
% of listing price to sale price: 97.5%
Average DOM: 125
Listed vs. sold: 44%
The percentage of list to sales price has gone up which means that sellers are pricing their homes where buyers are willing to buy. This past month some a few sales in the higher end homes as sellers cut prices in order to sell the homes. This action helped to spur an increase in the averages. The % of listed vs. sold home percentage drop is concerning. Typically more homes get listed in the spring, but you would expect more homes to sell to make up for that. If this trend continues, inventories will skyrocket as we head towards fall. Sellers are continuing to list, but there are not enough buyers to absorb the excess.
A residential real estate agent in Salem Oregon, I take pride in thinking outside the box and bringing innovative ideas to my clients. Serving Salem Keizer and surrounding Marion and Polk Counties.
From cottage to estate, historic to new construction, land to acreage, I want to talk with you about your local real estate purchase. Purchasing real estate can be easy or complicated depending on your needs and what you are lookiing for. I stick with my clients though this process, and have always helped my buyers find just what they are looking for.
I have a lot of information to give you about our community that you might find helpful. For local information about the Salem neighborhoods visit my website for information.
Salem Keizer Neighborhood Information or check out my blog section titled neighborhoods in Salem Oregon.
Feel free to read my blog and look at the community information for areas you are interested in. Let me know if you need more information about our local community.
Owning an innovative brokerage has been sheer pleasure for me. I like that I can provide sellers with whatever level of service they want, depending on what they need. If you are just looking for some help filling out a real estate contract, I can provide that. If you want the full range of open houses, print ads, and internet advertising, I can do that as well.
I strongly believe that whatever I do needs to be of good quality. Feel free to check out some sample photos, I have taken of some listed properties. Sample Marketing Photos for Homes. It doesn't matter to me if your home is a $150,000 cottage or a $1,000,000 home. It needs to be good quality to attract a buyer.
Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have, or visit my website for more information.
"Moving can be very stressful ! However having Melina Tomson as our Realtor was a joy and made selling our home a stress free experience!
Plus we saved thousands of dollars by working with Melina!
Melina as our Realtor provided us the peace of mind and less moving stress because she kept us constantly informed during the entire sale process of our home.
What more could you ask for?? Thank you Melina! J&S
"We were able to buy and sell in record time with the great assistance of Melina Tomson. Her efficiency and knowledge really helped in our sale of a complicated property transaction. Melina unquestionably is a professional in this business." S&D
"Melina found us a buyer very quickly - in fact, we had multiple offers, one even over our asking price. Our buyer backed out late in the process but Melina found us another one the very same day that we lost the first one. We saved a ton of money, too, over what typical realtors charge." PC
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