Central Oregon Real Estate | Broker Thesa Chambers, Licensed in Oregon

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.

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

La Pine is known for a lot of great outdoor activities and a beauty that many only dream of. The town motto is "The Outdoors at Your Front Door."

Most of the homes in La Pine have a domestic well for drinking water. The water in La Pine tastes like water many people buy. But with this water source comes a few items that an out of area REALTOR® would not know were necessary for each transaction.

Every time a home sells that is supplied water by a well the water must be tested for nitrates and ecoli. The test is simple and can be done by a third party for less than $100 usually.

Many agents will suggest that the seller complete the test and take it to the lab or worse the REALTOR® will do the test themselves. I highly recommend you not do this, hiring a third party that is neutral can save you a lot of head aches.

Ecoli and nitrates are both found in soil - if your well has a small cave in after the test it can appear that you pulled the water from a different source. By having a neutral third party pull the water you have saved yourself the possibility of an issue.

Some lenders such as VA loans do require a flow test in addition to the State mandated tests. It is very easy to have the same professional pull the water for the water test and do the flow test at the same time.

Many of the locals have their water tested every year or so, just to be sure of what they are drinking.

As February comes to an end it is time to see exactly what the Real Estate market in La Pine produced in the month of January. The market is starting to move, buyers are able to travel easier than they did earlier. If you are considering listing your home now may be a good time.

La Pine has seen an improvement of offers being presented and sales closing. Frame built homes saw 11 homes close escrow with 14 in pending status. Manufactured homes had 5 sales and show 5 pending. Land is showing movement we have not seen in a while there were no sales, but there are 10 pending sales. We will be watching to see how those fair in the sale process.

Three Rivers South excluding Crosswater, Caldera Springs and Vandevert Ranch shows one manufactured home sale and none in pending status. Frame built homes did see better movement of properties with 11 homes pending and 5 sold homes. Land sales in Three Rivers South show on sold property and 7 sales in escrow.

There are great properties on the market in all of Central Oregon, for a complete list of properties please email or call we can customize a list that fits your wish list.

Fame Built Homes La Pine January 2008

Manufactured Homes La Pine January 2008

Land La Pine January 2008

Three Rivers South Fame Built Homes January 2008

Three Rivers South Manufactured Homes January 2008

Three Rivers South Land January 2008