La Pine, OR

It seems that the home buyer of today in the Central Oregon Real Estate market wants to see a good value in what they buy and rightfully so.

The market of a year or two ago was driven by the emotional side of buying - everyone just had to have that house. “Money was cheap” times were good and no one thought it would change.

The buyer has more choices today then they have had in over 20 years. Finding a home is not the problem the problem is choosing the right home. That is where an agent that is active in the market can help you. Any real estate broker in Central Oregon can pull up a list of homes under $200,000 - how many of these same agents have been in any of these homes?

Very few of the agents consistently participate in the REALTORS® tour, many of them have other jobs and seldom do they do any previewing of the homes currently on the market. The buyer today is doing their homework and you buyers deserve an agent that knows the market, knows the homes in the market and can tell you about the local issues.

I love to give buyers a clear picture of what they are looking at. Many buyers do not realize that there are actually owner occupied homes that are not in short sale status for less money than Bank Owned Properties. Let me be the one to show you some of these great properties before you get ready to take on all those home repairs.

Buyers the time is great for buying, rates are low you have a ton to choose from….. but you also have a lot to be aware of. Call me for your home buying needs, especially in the Southern Deschutes County area or Northern Klamath County area.

One of the biggest things stopping people from participating in the American Dream today is the ability to come up with the down payment. While talk of a credit crunch keeps some buyers sidelined because of credit problems, many others with good credit are able to get the best deals in years including programs with no down payment!

The program leading the way in no down payment requirements (for non veterans) is the USDA Rural Development loan. This loan is available right now for La Pine and who better to show you homes in this community than Thesa Chambers with RE/MAX Sunset Realty in La Pine.

To qualify for the program (it is income limited), a family of four cannot have a total household income of more than $70,750 per year. That is a pretty liberal guideline.

If you are interested in property in this area and would like to see if the address falls within the USDA "footprint" click here.

So - THE TIME IS RIGHT! We have many properties on the market, we have MONEY TO LEND, and the Federal Government is giving First Time Homebuyers a $7500 tax credit if they purchase prior to next summer!

For more information on USDA loans, and to see if your household income qualifies for this NO PMI loan, please click here. If you want to get the mortgage qualification process started, either call me at 541-342-7576 or fill out an application on line here.

Authored by Fred Chamberlin, a mortgage loan consultant, Eugene/Springfield Oregon

I have had several people interested in obtaining a USDA home loan for property in Deschutes County. I've put together a map of part of the county that should help in identifying areas that qualify for this program.

As you might know - it's one of the last TRUE 100% home loans available - and it doesn't have PMI! The rates are comparable to FHA, so it's a very affordable payment! You do not have to have PRESTINE credit, but we generally want to see scores above 580, and 12 months of "clean credit."

USDA does require that the property be located in a less populated area. It does not need to be a farm - but it can't be located downtown either.

The "darker" area does NOT qualify. However, as you can see - that is basically the Bend urban growth boundary and anywhere else in the county is eligible for this type of financing. That includes Redmond and LaPine as part of the county that is included in this financing. Also, all of Crook and Jefferson Counties qualify for the program, including Madras and Prineville.

If you are interested in property in this area and would like to see if the address falls within the USDA "footprint" click here. I would also suggest you contact a special Realtor in the area by the name of Thesa Chambers and not just because our names are similiar. Thesa is a smart cookie and will make your search for your dream home work for you. Just click on her name to go to her website. Thesa knows Central Oregon.

So - THE TIME IS RIGHT! We have many properties on the market, we have MONEY TO LEND, and the Federal Government is giving First Time Homebuyers a $7500 tax credit if they purchase prior to next summer!

For more information on USDA loans, and to see if your household income qualifies for this NO PMI loan, please click here!

Many buyers seem to be searching the Internet for short sales and bank owned properties. The proof is in the sales and the stats of my website. This week I have seen 28 visitors land on my website from google using the search term "short sales la pine oregon".

Since this seems to be info that is difficult at best to obtain on your own I have compiled a list of properties for you. The MLS of Central Oregonis taking steps to make it easier to differentiate these listings but not all of the listings have been categorized. This list is as complete as I could make it with the info that is available to a Broker.

There are 39 homes currently on the market that are listed as short sales or bank owned properties (bank owned properties are often called REO properties). This list is broken down in price ranges.

27 La Pine Oregon homes in short sale and bank owned properties are between $100,000 and $200,000

5 Lapine Oregon homes in short sale and bank owned properties are between $200,000 and $300,000

2 La Pine OR properties are in short sale and bank owned betwen $300,000 and $400,000

If you are looking for a short sale or bank owned property please visit Central Oregon Real Estate Info for more information on La Pine and the short sale process - knowledge is key in these transactions.

It has always been said that price is everything in Real Estate. For most markets, homes and times this is an accurate statement. However, in La Pine right now that may not be your problem. Sales in La Pine since June 1, 2008 show that only 4 homes have closed escrow over $250,000.

If your home is listed above $250,000, priced well and not one of the lucky ones it may just be that the buyer for your price range has not bought yet. Many of my listings in this price range are sitting, frustrated and waiting to move on with their lives. The reality of it is, the buyers in this price range seem to be sitting on the fence a little longer than the lower priced homes.

There is a little good news if you are one of those that are waiting. Internet stats are increasing and more emails are coming from the buyer. Remember that most of the buyers in this range are relocation, second homes and vacation homes, these buyers must travel to purchase your home. With fuel prices coming down a little, and airfare becoming a little more reasonable I hope they will be here before the snow comes.

Click here to view a list of La Pine homes that have sold.