About Deschutes County, OR

If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, you’ll want to visit the blog of Kit Tosello, kitchen designer, and read her most recent post about kitchen trends for 2010. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reported the styles for 2010 and here’s a summary of what they expect we’ll see:

1. Traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind.

2. Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple, while alder increases in use. Medium natural, dark natural, glazed, and white painted cabinets will all be common while distressed and other colors are on the decline.

3. Ceramic and porcelain tile, as well as natural stone tile, remain popular kitchen flooring options, but hardwood will dominate the kitchen landscape more than ever in 2010.

4. For countertops, granite continues to be the most popular option, but quartz will nearly catch up in popularity. For backsplashes, ceramic or porcelain tile and glass will serve as the primary materials.

5. Standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010 in favor of more convenient models like pull-out faucets and pot filler faucets. Kitchen faucets will most often be finished in brushed nickel, followed by stainless steel, satin nickel, and—surprisingly—polished chrome.

6. French door and freezer-bottom are the two most popular styles of refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators remain a popular option. Undercounter wine refrigerators have been recently specified by half of kitchen designers.

7. The tried-and-true range continues to serve as the workhorse for cooking, although the combination of a cooktop and wall oven is beginning to overtake it. Gas will maintain its position as the most popular type of cooktop over electric.

8. Standard dishwashers, with the traditional door that pulls from the top down, will once again be easily the most common type in 2010. However, an increasing number of dishwasher drawers will be installed in kitchens this year for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, thereby saving water and electricity.

Visit Kit’s blog for more information: http://highdeserthomecompanion.blogspot.com/

Great News On February 1, 2010 Federal Housing Administration ( FHA ) has suspended their 90 day rule for one year unless otherwise extended or withdrawn. Now you investors will be able to renovate all those homes that do not qualify for financing or unlivable and immediately turn and sell them to willing buyers.

Also, now FHA approved buyers will not lose out on those newly renovated homes.

There are some qualification for the 90 day Rule HUD has put in place;

All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or other parties participating in the sales transaction. Some ways that the lender can ensure that there is no inappropriate collusion or agreements between parties is to assess and determine the following:

a. The seller holds title to the property;

b. LLCs, corporations, or trusts that are serving as sellers were established and are operated in accordance with applicable state and Federal law:

c. No pattern of previous flipping activity exists for the subject property, as evidenced by multiple title transfers within a 12-month time frame (chain of title information for the subject property can be found in the appraisal report);

d. The property was marketed openly and fairly, via MLS, auction, For Sale by Owner offering, or developer marketing (any sales contracts that refer to an "assignment of contract of sale," which represents a special arrangement between seller and buyer may be a red flag).

This is a great change for all involved parities.

Call today for more information or a personal list of homes.

I couldn't believe it: submitted short sale package to Wachovia last week for one of my listings and already got an answer and it is affirmative. Just thought I'd pass along the information. They are even giving the seller a $5000 incentive - wow. This is great work. Has anyone else had such results with this lender? I am truly impressed. There is some hope. The office I dealt with had a 210 area code which caller ID shows as Texas.

Central Oregon Home Sellers - Avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes Most Home Sellers Make. With the majority of the sold homes in Central Oregon being short sales and foreclosures, there is tough competition for selling your home. View this short video for 10 easy steps to avoid making the same mistakes much of your competition is making.

While some of these tips are more costly than others, any extra steps you can take to make your home more appealing to potential buyers can help.

Happy Selling! Contact us if you could use help selling your Central Oregon home fast.

The national economic crisis combined with the dramatic downturn in our local real estate market has proven to be an extremely challenging combination for a lot of us. Property values are down, the lending industry is in upheaval and the continued economic slowdown has wreaked havoc with our savings accounts.

And because the current economic climate is so unprecedented, few people have experience in dealing with the many daunting mortgage challenges that are becoming more and more commonplace. If you're having financial difficulties that may make it difficult or impossible for you to maintain your mortgage payments (or just want to become more educated about the distressed-property market), consider attending the upcoming seminar that our office, RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, is hosting on Feb. 20.

The free Saturday morning seminar, held at the Sisters Movie House, will cover many issues common to homeowners facing foreclosure. It starts at 9:30 a.m., and is open to everyone. To reserve a seat, call 541-549-3333.

About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater, GRI, CDPE 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.