Florence, OR

Over the last couple of weeks over 50 Humboldt squid have washed up on the local beaches. This is quite rare as these are usually found in California. This kind of squid is also called Red Devils or Jumbo Squid and can grow up to 7 feet long. (Taken from Siuslaw News newspaper, September 23rd issue). So my husband went to the Heceta Beach, near Driftwood Shores and took this picture of one of these giant, dead creatures. He said the ones he saw were an average of about 4 foot long and they smelled really bad.

The other really cool part of the story (taken from Siuslaw News, September 30th issue) is that one of the squids was wrapped up in a partial US Marines jacket and the high school students used it to carry a well preserved specimen back to the school so they could study it. It turns out that the jacket belonged to a local ex-Marine who hadn't seen it for 6 years. Wow! That is a real strange coincindence.

Hi everybody, This market is so crazy. It was so slow that nothing was happening except the cheapest of bank owned (or close to it) homes have been selling. We have even been seeing some land sales. The bare land in the new subdivision, The Heceta Reserve, has been selling for as low as $35,000. OMG!! Is right. The homes in there have to be custom built with colored rocks, bricks, and special materials to make the homes more upscale. These homes have been listed for $400,000 and up. It is kind of strange because this subdivision doesn't have a view of the ocean, or water frontage except for the seasonal lake which most of the time doesn't amount to much more than wet lands. Yeah, they have a nice little playground, underground utilities are in but the city services have not reached that point yet so a buyer would have to put in a septic. Thanks to Heceta Water District a buyer can get a water meter for approx. $3,070.00. It may sound like a lot of money for a meter but it is much cheaper, easier and better water than a well.
So, we have an up and down market here in Florence. About a month ago I had so many inquiries that I couldn't keep up with them. Now I am fighting to keep my remaining two deals in escrow. One already died. These are cash deals. What's up with that? If a buyer comes along with cash, well, all I can say is be thankful. Take it and run. Of course the banks don't look at it that way. They are so close to doing real estate transactions themselves that it isn't even funny.
I have been working on a short sale for about 6 weeks or so and today the rep. at the bank tells me that it usually takes about 2 months for a short sale to go through, if it does go through. There are so many steps and most of the different people who handle each department don't even know what the other department is doing. Typical I guess. Most large corporations just don't have very good communication within the company. Anyway, I am still working on that and trying like crazy to hold it together.
I have great hopes for the future. I am really convinced that it is going to become overwhelming when the banks start giving loans again. However, I did read the other day that they are going to get stricter on the FHA loans. Well! I didn't know that was possible. How can FHA get stricter? It is so hard to sell an existing home with FHA, VA, Reverse Mortgage, and many other types that require the same appraisals and tests. If there is anything at all wrong with the home it has to be fixed before a loan can be funded. Generally this is referring to every home that is not brand new. Even some of them have issues.
I know that all of this is beyond my control and so I give it up to Jesus. May God guide us all in the ways of his will and help us to survive these real estate conditions. May your buyers and sellers all be sensible and understanding of this market and be reasonable in their deals. In Jesus name, Amen.

Hi everybody, here is the new update for Florence, Oregon. This information is taken directly from the RMLS program. If you have any comments please send them to rose@wcoastrealty.com.

http://www.oregoncoastrose.com/MyBlog

OK, I normally write about local restaurants in my neck of the woods but I am on vacation in Oregon and stumbled upon a great place to dine.

It was like hitting the lotto, my wife two kids and I were totally surprised by the great food, locations, décor and service we received. We were aw struck, we did not expect to find this in a little town off the 101 freeway in Florence Oregon.

The Bay Street Grille is a pub and restaurant that needs this honorable mention. it is located at 1341 Bay Street in Florence Oregon.

If you live within 50 miles of this place you need to head there and give it a spin, if you are ever on the 101 freeway near Florence you need to stop by.

Back to my vacation, next stop San Francisco.

The resturant is located in the Three Rivers Casino in Florence, OR. Just head west from Eugene and you can't miss it.
http://www.threeriverscasino.com/a/pages/hotel.htm...
We had dinner at the Prime Resturant and I enjoyed the meal very much. Overall, I would give them about 4 stars out of 5. My lobster was outstanding, the prime with it was very good, however, my lady's filet was not cooked enough for her. The salad course takes special note. Our server recommended the lettuce wedge with a special blue cheese dressing and it was mouth watering. It so good we got a doggie bag for the left over salad. I have never done that in the past.

The waitstaff was well trained and attentive. They took care of our needs without a lot of asking. The food was served hot (or cold if it was supposed to be.) The drawn butter was on a warmer that greatly increased the enjoyment.

The prices were as one would expect from a very nice resturant. For two top of the line entree's, two glasses of wine and two appetizers, the bill came to $90.

We enjoyed our time together. The dinner was unrushed but still left us plenty of time before the show. We went over to see the Coasters concert and it was a blast. The interesting thing about the concert, I am 60 and was one of the youngest in the place. LOL