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The Benefit of Professional Home Inspectors

Monday, February 4, 2013
by Galand Haas
VideoVideo

Good Monday Morning!

One of the most important things you will want to do when purchasing a home is to have it inspected thoroughly by a professional home inspector.  Not only will your home inspector be able to find any damage such as dry rot or pest infestation but they can also find potential probelms with heating systems, roofing, plumbing electrical, appliances, etc.  Serious problems with homes do not just show up with older homes, but newer homes as well.  Don't ever feel that the home you are purchasing is in great shape without a thorough inspection. This is one thing that you never want to leave to chance.  Home inspectors can also point out areas that might need attention down the road and give you helpful information on how to maintain your home and service systems such as heating, plumbing and electrical.

When choosing a home inspection provider, it is adviseable to ask your Real Estate agent as to who they recommend.  Once you have ordered the inspection, it is also a good idea to meet with the inspector at the home and follow the inspector as they perform their inspection. This way your inspector can actaully show you problem areas and talk with you about how to do routine maintenance.  Once the home inspector has completed the inspection, they will generate a written report.  It is also adviseable to sit down with your home inspector and go over the inspection report.  Investing some time and money with a whole house inspection is one of the best investments you can make when purchasing a home. 

If you are considering selling a home, one of the best investments you can make as a seller is to have your home inspected before you place it on the market.  By having your home inspected ahead of time you can address any major repair issues prior to going on the market. This alone will save you time and greatly lessen your stress in selling.  It will take away the pain of negotiating repairs with a buyer part way through your sales transaction.  I find that pre-inspected homes sell faster and for more money than those that have not been inspected. 

If you would like to connect with a prefessional home inspector in the Eugene and Springfield market area, please contact me.  I would be happy to furnish you with a list of home inspectors that we have found to do a great job.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-US-February-2013
Image Unavailable
165 Wilkes Drive
Price: $145,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1245
Cozy Home with Privacy! Open floor plan/great room is perfect for entertaining. Kitchen with island and eating bar and dining area with slider opens to living room with large window. Master bedroom with bath. Great office with floor-to-ceiling built...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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The Housing Market in Eugene and Springfield

Monday, January 28, 2013
by Galand Haas

Good Monday Morning!

The housing market in the Eugene and Springfield area saw some bright spots for 2012, but ended the year with some slightly declining numbers.  In December of 2012 there were 243 closed home sales in Lane County.  The good news is that this was a 5.7% increase over December of 2011.  The decline came from new pending sales which were down in December of 2012 over December of 2011 by 13.6%.  New listings were also down for the two comparable months by 22.1%. There is currently only 5.2 months of housing inventory on the market, which pushes the Lane County area even further into a market favoring sellers.  The average sales price for December of 2012 was $200,700.  For the year 2012 the average sales price ws $200,900. This is just slightly down from 2011, which had an average home sales price of $202,500.

What does all of this really mean?  These numbers indicate a fairly flat Real Estate market in Lane County where prices and number of home sales are not seeing any huge changes.  Pricing is very steady and even though the overall numbers for December showed a dip, the number of closed trnsactions for 2012 were certainly improved over 2011.  The largest change is with the inventory numbers.  The overall inventory of homes for sale in the Eugene and Springfield area has continued to decline, which if this trends persists it will lead to home price increases. With mortgage interest rates holding at historic low levels, don't look for any trend changes in the immediate future. If mortgage interest rates were to begin climbing look for the local housing market to trend downwards again.  2012 will be an interesting year and the strength of the local housing market will certainly depend on two major factors, the strength of the local/national economy and mortgage interest rates.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT INVESTMENT PROPERTY!

Image Unavailable
1685 High St
Price: $395,000 Beds: 7 Baths: 4 Sq Ft: 2638
Multifamily property in great location! 1685 is detached unit with 1 bed, 1 bath. 1695 is 2 bed, 1 bath basement unit with fireplace. 309 is a 4 bed, 2 bath, 2-level unit with fireplace, front porch and deck. All 3 units have had some updating. Loca...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Oregon Football 2012 Wrap-up

Friday, January 25, 2013
by Galand Haas

It was a terrific, unprecedented 2012 football season for the Oregon Ducks – and it even impacts North Gilham real estate in Eugene, believe it or not. That’s because Coach Chip Kelly, a resident of the North Gilham neighborhood, is moving to Philadelphia to become the head coach of the NFL’s Eagles so his home will soon be on the market.

But enough real estate talk for the moment – let’s recap the season and take a look at some of the real estate covered by the Ducks in 2012, this time measured in yards and touchdowns instead of square feet. The Ducks played in their fourth straight BCS bowl game and conquered every opponent on the schedule, except pesky Stanford. Oregon ended the season by handily defeating #5 Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl, showing the Wildcats the unstoppable speed that toppled so many opponents. Overall, the Ducks posted 12 wins and racked up incredible offensive numbers.

The explosive Ducks offense, led by redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota (who would go on to be named 1st team All Pac-12 quarterback), scored fast and put a strain on scoreboard operators all season. Here are some of the Ducks national stats for 2012:

  • Scoring Offense: #2 (644 points, 49.54 points per game, 84 touchdowns)
  • Rushing offense; 3rd (4098 yards and 48 touchdowns)
  • Total Offense: 5th (537 yards per game)
  • Passing efficiency: 7th
  • Red zone offense: 12th

When redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota was named starting quarterback, who could have foreseen that Mariota would be the Pac-12’s best signal caller and 7th in passing efficiency nationally? Evidently, departing coach Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich – now Head Coach Helfrich, by the way – knew what they had. Still, Mariota’s incredible composure all year was impressive.

Let’s look back at some of the 2012 season’s great memories:

  • In the opening game, against Arkansas State, Marcus Mariota leads the Duck offense to 7 consecutive touchdowns.
  • In the Pac-12 opener against Arizona – historically a close matchup – the Ducks destroy the Wildcats, 49-0.
  • Against Washington State the Ducks again win big (51-26) behind Kenjon Barner’s 195-yard, 3-touchdown performance. This was heartening for Barner, who was knocked out cold in Pullman two years ago, sustaining a bad concussion and missing a chunk of the season.
  • The next week against Washington, the Ducks won 52-21, once again completely dismantling a Husky team that thought it could hang with the Ducks. Bad dogs.
  • The Ducks won an amazing score-fest in Los Angeles against USC, defeating the Trojans 62-51. Senior Kenjon Barner had a career game, running for 321 yards and three TD’s.
  • Behind Mariota’s mind boggling 6 touchdown passes, Oregon cleaned Cal’s clock in Berkeley, 59-17.
  • Against Oregon State, the Ducks again cruised, this time beating their arch rival 48-24 in Corvallis.
  • In the Fiesta Bowl vs. Kansas State – a team that Oregon had figured to play for the national championship until both teams lost on the same weekend – human highlight DeAnthony Thomas ran back the opening kickoff 94 yards and the Ducks never looked back, winning 35-17.

Oregon finished the season ranked #2 for only the second time in school history, matching the accomplishment of the Joey Harrington-led 2001 squad.

Looking Ahead

In 2013, the Ducks look loaded on offense, with 17 of the top 22 players returning. On defense, the Ducks have to replace outstanding linebackers Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso, but have a strong cast of returning players. New coach Helfrich is innovative and well liked by the players, and Oregon will likely be ranked in the top 5 to start the year. Go Ducks!

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What you should do if you are thinking about selling your home.

Monday, January 21, 2013
by Galand Haas

Good Monday Morning!

If you are thinking about selling your home, now is the time to begin the process for getting your home on the market.  One common thought is that Spring is the best time to get your home on the market. The reality is that by Spring home inventories often times increase and your competition level increases.  If you can get your home ready for market by February or March you may beat the rush and have a better climate for a sale.  Here are just a few things that you might want to pay attention to prior to placing your home on the market.

1. Go through your home and do what I call de-clutter.  This means take out over sized furniture items, nick nacks, anything that is not needed for every day living.  The idea is to make rooms looks larger and give prospective buyers the ability to see the space.

2. Touch up interior paint or even re-paint if needed  This would mean making walls, trim ceilings looking as new as possible.

3. Clean carpets and hard wood flooring.

4. Clean your home thoroughly and don't forget to clean windows inside and out.

5. Be sensitive to odors from cooking, pets, etc.  Scented candles are a great way to keep your home smelling great.  Prospective buyers are very odor sensitive.

6. Maintain an even temperature in your home.  Homes that are too hot or too cold will detract from showings.

7. Always have your home neat, clean, drapery or blinds open and lights on for showings.

8. Winter time is tough for exterior, but having your landscaping and home exterior looking great is important.  Have flower beds with fresh bark dust, walks swept. leaves raked and washing down siding will greatly increase the way your home looks for drive bys.

One of the key functions that I complete when I visit a home for someone thinking of selling their home is going through a check list of items that the homeowner can do to enhance the appearance of their property. My objective is to list items that will increase the value, lessen the number of days on the market and helping the homeowner not perform tasks that are not dollar productive. If you are considering placing your Eugene/Springfield area home on the market, please contact me for a no obligation visit that we can identify items for you to focus on and also get a good idea of your homes currrent market value.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

Image Unavailable
2810 W 18th Ave
Price: $189,900 Beds: 4 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1456
Great Investment Property! Located on bus line & close to shopping. Home offers living room with large window, nook, and opens to dining area. Kitchen with access to deep garage with washer & dryer. Upstairs find 4 beds, 2 baths, and landing with sl...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Why did my home not sell?

Monday, January 14, 2013
by Galand Haas

Good Monday Morning!

Why did my home fail to sell?  This is a call that I get frequently from homeowners who have had a home on the market and it did not sell. The answer to this question is often not simple, but typically a little bit of investigation will reveal the most likely cause.  Nine times out of ten the problem is that the price was too high.  In this market, if you miss the market with pricing your home is going to just sit and not get offers.  Many times the home owners will see many showings and just no serious interest.  This simply means that would be homebuyers are finding other homes equal to or better than this home at a more attractive price. It can be hard to hit pricing perfectly, but once a home is on the market, if we look at what takes place with showings and interest it will soon tell us the story as to whether we have hit pricing right or not.

The largest mistake home sellers make is to not watch the market and to not drop the price quickly enough needed.  Failure to do this may cost homesellers large amounts of money and the opportuity to sell.

Also, if you are considering putting your home on the market and don't want to join the ranks of the unsold homes be cautious when you interview Real Estate agents.  Be cautious as to not pick your agent based solely on the price they give you for your home.  Many agents will inflate this price to get your business.  Good agents will price your home correclty to start with and then watch the market for any changes and advise you quickly if an adjustment is needed.

The keys to selling a home for top dollar value in any market are to:
  1. Price correctly with the market and adjust quickly if offers don't materialize.
  2. Stage your home.  Get rid of clutter, paint, do yard work, needed repairs and make your home as appealing as possible
  3. Make your home accessible.  If your home is easy to show you will get maximum exposure
  4. Make sure that your agent is getting feedback from showings and sharing this feedback with you.  Listen to the market and adjust accordingly.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

Image Unavailable
87904 Oak Hill Dr
Price: $385,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1573
Seclusion and tranquility! Features large windows and skylights throughout. Sunken living room with fireplace opens to kitchen with eating bar, double oven, pantry and wet bar. Dining room with fireplace and storage. Master bedroom has slider with d...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Monday Morning Coffee

Monday, January 7, 2013
by Galand Haas

VideoVideo

Good Monday Morning!

It is a fact!  90% of all home searches conducted nationally begin online.  Searching for homes online is by far the easiest and most efficient way to look for homes.  Long gone are the days where interested home buyers ride around town with their Realtor viewing home after home while thumbing through the pages of an MLS book.  Online home shopping is convenient and it allows the prospective home buyer the ability to keep up with current listings and prices.

There are may resources that will alow you to search for homes online and some are much easier to navigate and have more options than others.  We have found that here in the Eugene and Springfield market area the best home search site is www.forhomeinfo.com.  This state of the art site will allow you to search properties on line based on your search citeria and then save your search so that you are not re-entering it every time you conduct a search.  This site also offers you the ability to set up a property alert, which will automatically e-mail you inofrmation on new properties meeting your search criteria as they hit the market.  

Now is an excellent time to be shopping for a home.  With home price remaining low and mortgage interest rates at historic low levels, there is great oppourtunity and www.forhomeinfo.com is a great tool to use during your home search.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-US-January-2013
Image Unavailable
165 Wilkes Drive
Price: $165,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1245
Cozy Home with Privacy! Open floor plan/great room is perfect for entertaining. Kitchen with island and eating bar and dining area with slider opens to living room with large window. Master bedroom with bath. Great office with floor-to-ceiling built...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Merry Christmas!!! Happy Holidays!!!

Monday, December 24, 2012
by Galand Haas
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Home Foreclosures dropped to their lowest level since November 2006

Monday, December 17, 2012
by Galand Haas

Good Monday Morning!

Nationally, home foreclosures have dropped to their lowest level since November of 2006.  Here in the Eugene and Springfield area the number of new foreclosures is down significantly as well.  I receive a weekly list of the local mortgage default notices and last week for the first time since I can remember, there were no new notices in the Eugene and Springfield area. 

This is great news both nationally and locally and most likely indicates that the economy is on the upswing and that we have weathered the worst part of the foreclosure storm.  This trend could indicate the beginning of a return to a more normal housing market.

Mortgage interest rates continue to hold at historic low levels and this has created an extremely hot Real Estate market in many parts of the country.  In fact in areas that were very depressed just months ago, such as the Phoenix area of Arizona and Orange County in Southern California, multiple offers are now frequent on many homes for sale. Nationally and locally there is a shortage of home inventory in many price ranges and neighborhoods.  If this trend should continue we may see home prices on the rise again.  This would be good news for many home owners.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

Image Unavailable
3845 Harlow Rd
Price: $188,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1314
Adorable Home with Attention to Detail! High ceilings, bay window, architectural arches, granite counters, lifetime vinyl siding, double-pane vinyl windows, recessed lighting. Entry with tray ceiling & large closet. Kitchen opens to dining area with...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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There may never be a better time to upgrade to a larger home than now

Monday, December 10, 2012
by Galand Haas
VideoVideo

Good Monday Morning!

For many reasons there may never be a better time to be a move up buyer than right now.  To start with if you are considering moving up to a larger and more expensive home, that larger home most likely has taken a larger price hit during the down turn than your existing home.  This means that you may be making money immediately upon the purchase.  Also, most of the time the larger, newer or more expensive homes will typically be in a neighborhood of homes that might appreciate better than your existing home. Your existing home may be in demand in this market.  If your existing home fits into the criteria for first time buyers or FHA financing then there is a good chance that demand might be high for your home right now.  This means the value of your existing home may be elevated from even just a few months ago.  

With all of this working for you and the continuing historic low mortgage interest rates, it may be the perfect time for you to consider an upgrade.  You might be very happy in the years ahead as you see how well your new home purchase appreciates.

Have An Awesome Week!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-US-December-2012
Image Unavailable
1685 High St
Price: $405,000 Beds: 7 Baths: 4 Sq Ft: 2638
Multifamily property in great location! 1685 is detached unit with 1 bed, 1 bath. 1695 is 2 bed, 1 bath basement unit with fireplace. 309 is a 4 bed, 2 bath, 2-level unit with fireplace, front porch and deck. All 3 units have had some updating. Loca...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Real Estate as an Investment

Monday, December 3, 2012
by Galand Haas
VideoVideo

Good Monday Morning!

If you are considering Real Estate as an investment, there has been no better time than right now to get into Real Estate investment.  With the current low home prices, the historic low mortgage interest rates and high rents in many areas, Real Estate investment right now makes great sense.  The other attractive part about investing now is that you are purchasing at the bottom of the market.  As Real Estate values increase in years to come, an investment made today will really pay off.  Many fortunes will be made by those investing at the bottom of the market.

Real Estate investment is easy. What is important is that you connect with someone who knows the market and can guide with investments that will create revenue now and also appreciate well over time.  I have been working with Real Estate investment for well over 20 years.  If you are curious about how Real Estate investment might work for you, please contact me and we can look at the many options available.

Have An Awesome Week!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/Gutter-Maintenance-2
Image Unavailable
56411 McKenzie Hwy, Unit 1
Price: $237,500 Beds: 2 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 891
Wonderful condo on the river! Enjoy the great view of the mountains and trees as you relax in this cozy townhouse-style condo! Cedar cabin with fireplace, loft and large screened-in porch. All furnishings included! Make this yours today!!!...



AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Sincerely,
Galand

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Haas Real Estate Team
Keller Williams Realty Eugene and Springfield
2645 Suzanne Way Suite 2A
Eugene OR 97408
Direct: (541) 349-2620
Fax: 541-687-6411
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