About Clatsop County, OR

According to The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing formulas, the following trends have emerged:

Clatsop, OR. MLS: The average price for a residential luxury home in Clatsop County was: $ 490,000 for the time frame of: 9/25/08 through 9/25/09. This figure is calculated by review of all closed sale for that time frame & represents the top 10% of sale for the market. Anything sold at: $ 500,000 and above would be considered an "upper tier" listing. This number has adjusted significantly from the previous sales cycle of: 9/25/07 through 9/25/08 that reflected a average luxury home sales price of: $ 659,950.

Evidence shows that the economy has had a huge impact on upper tier sales in this resort destination community where purchase of secondary homes drives the marketplace conditions.

I was raised to be a nice girl. You know the one that respected her elders, didn't talk back & all of that. Imagine the epiphany that I had at the young age of 23. I was diligently working two jobs for a year & a half to make ends meet when a business man actually lied to avoid paying my commission. It was beyond my comprehension that a man in the business community would actually lie to avoid paying my commission. As a distraught young professional, I called my father to ask why he hadn't prepared me for this life lesson. Life Lesson # 1. People, even professionals, have the capacity to lie, steal & cheat!

As I'm sure that most real estate agents will attest, the Obama First Time Home Buyer Tax Incentive has stimulated the real estate market, ggiving a much needed boost to the sluggish real estate marketplace. Inventory levels are dropping as a result of this and several other factors. Wouldn't you know that it's now coming to light that there's been an excess amount of fraud. Luke Mullins of U. S. News & World Report (10/22/09) reported the following, " Using computer programs & other means, a Treasury Department inspector general has identified more than 90,000 cases totaling more than $ 600 million in questionable first-time home buyer claims, while flagging shortcomings in the Internal Revenue Service controls." It appears that one of the more flagrant claims was made on behalf of a 4 year old. The article goes on to report that the inspector general has found at least 580 taxpayers under the age of 18 filing for the tax credit. One would have to then surmise that secondary home buyers are filing, along with others who have the capacity to dummy up documents or even be brazen enough to claim the credit without any documentation at all. Net/net, this once again catches me off guard. Who woulda thunk? Certainly, not the criminally naive!!!

As with all programs, there needs to be refinement, revision & reassessment. Does the IRS have enough manpower to monitor & review these claims? If not, why not? Let us all hope & pray that the political forces against the program will stop long enough to realize that this program has been effective, revisions are warranted & that more support is needed to monitor the claims. Let us all pray that those who practice fraud will get their just desserts, sooner vs. later. Let us stand strong as a real estate community and fight for the tools that we need to survive!

LOCAL RE/MAX BROKERS, MARIANNE PITTARD & BREE PHILLIPS, WIN PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR HIGH SALES VOLUME

10/12/09-(Astoria, OR) Kevin Northrup, regional vice president of RE/MAX Pacific Northwest region, recently recognized two Clatsop County brokers with the "Dare To Soar!" award for placing in the top ten for sales rankings Oregon-wide. Marianne Pittard placed in the fifth spot, while colleague Bree Phillips placed ninth out of 1,300 Oregon RE/MAX sales associates.

These rankings were based on sales volume for the month of June. According to Northrup, "there are certainly many ways to measure success in our profession, but it all comes down to how many sales you close and families that you help."

Marianne Pittard has over 30 years of sales and marketing experience and has achieved numerous accolades during her career, including a Broker of the Year award and membership in such elite clubs as the RE/MAX 100% Club and the RE/MAX Platinum Club. According to Pittard, "my most important goal is to provide clients with the service they deserve and the results they expect."

Bree Phillips is a dedicated real estate professional with a tremendous background in marketing and event planning who prides herself on delivering outstanding service with a positive attitude and the utmost integrity. She was formerly the director of the Seaside Downtown Development Association and is also a proud graduate of Oregon State University.

"Although the current economy has greatly impacted the real estate industry, both Marianne and Bree are finding ways to be successful in any market," says Northrup. "They continue to demonstrate standards of professional excellence and integrity while building the RE/MAX brand."

Based in Denver, CO, RE/MAX International is a global real estate system of franchisee owned and operated offices and their network of nearly 96,000 independent sales professionals. T he RE/MAX network is made up of more than 70 regions, varying in size from a metropolitan area to an entire country. RE/MAX offices in Clatsop County are located in Astoria and Seaside.

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Marianne Pittard at (503) 440-0577 or Bree Phillips at (503) 440-7679.