Salem Oregon Real Estate

Horse drawn carriages clip-clopped, streetcars clanged, long skirts rustled. Like many people, I find the history of people and places interesting. As much as humanity grows and changes, we also stay the same. While we have gone from horse drawn carts to rockets, humanity still experiences joy and sorrow that defines us as human. As you walk through downtown Salem and see the heavy oak doors, decorative mouldings, and arched windows, you get a small glimpse of the life of Salemites during a time gone by. You can't help but wonder about the lives of the people who visited these buildings during their lifetimes: ... Read Full Story

My husband is directionally challenged. In fact he is so bad that whatever his instincts tell him to do, he does the opposite. He says he has a 95% hit rate of heading the right direction that way. Me...I have pretty good directional instincts. He tells me which way to go and I ignore him. We have a much better chance of getting to our destination that way. Not too long ago I sat down with some new clients who wanted to buy a house here in Salem Oregon. As we went over their needs, they nervously fidgeted about their last need for a ... Read Full Story

If you are one of the 15% of homeowners that want to sell their home themselves, then you have your work cut out for you. Here is what you need to know... According to the 2007 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 84% of buyers use a real estate agent, so you need to decide if you want to be "agent friendly" or not. Often times you will see "courtesy to broker" in the ad for the home. If you are willing to pay it, put it in your ad. 50% of buyers don't use the newspaper at all to look for homes; 52% ... Read Full Story

A little bit ago I wrote about all of the new construction subdivisions that were occurring here in Salem Oregon. I was recently asked by a reader about one of the subdivisions so I thought it would make a good blog topic. Walnut Creek Estates is located on the corner of Holder and Liberty Rd down South. Walnut Creek Estates is located in a middle-upper middle class area. The biggest issue I see with the location of these properties is that they fall into Liberty school district. Liberty gets the worst ratings from the state for all of the South Salem schools. Other than ... Read Full Story

As I drive down the street these days, I can't help but notice the increase in "RENT TO OWN" signs screaming at me from their neon pink and fluorescent yellow platforms. With credit getting more difficult to get come by for many borrowers, many sellers are electing to go this route in order to entice buyers into purchasing their homes. Typically a lease option is just that...a rental lease on a property such as a home or a condo with the option to purchase the home at an agreed upon price by a certain date. The buyer and seller are agreeing to have them ... Read Full Story