Real Estate Information Archive

Blog

Displaying blog entries 21-27 of 27

Waterfront Homes New on Market for the Mt. Hood Area

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Mt. Hood area inventory has been increasing since January. One of the most popular requests for properties are waterfront homes. Several new homes have hit the market and they are sitting on a couple of the most popular rivers in Welches, Rhododendron and Brightwood. This would be the Salmon River, the Sandy River, and the Zig Zag River.

Check out these new homes below. Several are established vacation rental investment properties:

Add Comment

SPECIAL MEETING! Villages at Mt. Hood

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Friends,

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 3 PM the Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors will hold a Special Meeting at the Mt. Hood Village Resort. 

 

This meeting was called to "fact find" and disclose to the community 2 issues:

 

Issue 1.  ODOT has awarded a contract to repair the highway 26 slide in downtown Sandy that will involve drilling and blasting 16,000 cubic yards of rock  AND dumping 12,000 cubic yards of road spoils in our community.  The explosive mining and dumping area is the property along the Salmon River in the vicinity of the Cedar Ridge Property next door to Mt. Hood Village Resort.  The access to this property is Miller Road at Milepost 38.06 on Highway 26,

 

Issue 2:  In June of 2006, Clackamas County came to the Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors and asked us to endorse a land sale of the Cedar Ridge Property to Western Rivers Conservancy.  This 170+/- property sale was explained to us as a way to protect the Salmon River watershed.  Recently it has come to light that Clackamas County sold an additional 245 acres of land to the same organization.  The additional sale was not disclosed to our community.  It appears the timberland was sold for about $5,800 and acre as a private sale, without public disclosure. 

 

Please consider attending this meeting.  It is very, very important that we have a stong showing of community interest at this Special Meeting.

 

How can you help?

1.  Attend!

2.  Get the word out and get as many people as you can to the meeting!

Add Comment

Mortgage Interest Deduction: Seeing the EXIT DOOR?

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

One of the provisions proposed by the Obama administration for reform in the upcoming budget is a change to the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners. The current budget proposal would apply to upper income earners, anyone making over $250,000 a year, and it would cap their interest deduction at a 28% tax rate. If that earner was in the 35% tax bracket, it wouldn't matter, they would still be subject to the max 28% rate.

The scary part about this proposal is that if this gets approved I'm sure it will eventually come into play for all homeowners and not just high earners. Who knows, eventually... no mortgage deduction, which some countries already practice. I suspect the second home interest deduction will go by the wayside too. Think of all the tax revenue this will increase for the feds.

Many property owners in the Mt. Hood Corridor from Government Camp to Welches and Brightwood would see a substantial hit from the second home mortgage deduction termination because so many homes in our area are second homes. This would impact home values by sending them lower with less tax benefits for owning a second home.

Add Comment

Morning Coffee

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren
Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Life is not always what the brochure promises."
~ Amb Alon Pinkas

AWAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT!

So . . . which brochure have you been reading? Maybe it's the one that promises "clear sailing" or "romantic sunsets" or "excitement guaranteed!" Maybe you're into the financial brochures that read "no money down" or "financial freedom in 30 days" or "sell a million dollars a month without leaving home."

For many years now, the brochures of our lives have promised and delivered success, satisfaction, and wealth. It's been a good run. There's another brochure many of us have signed onto - "for better or for worse." Notice that the "for better" comes first, and so it has been for a long time.

Nevertheless, our country experiences cycles, as do our lives. Few of us living today have ever experienced a serious "for worse" part of the national cycle. Yet, it has been those periods in the history of our country that have brought out the best in us. The Great Depression of the thirties was the catalyst for the strong work ethic of the baby boomers. Two world wars taught us to value our freedom.

So, maybe life isn't always "what the brochure promises." If we're entering one of those periods when we are to be tested, so be it. We are a resilient people. While we may have been dozing at the internal security wheel, lulled by the smooth purring of our national economic engine, we are also able to awaken in an instant. Our purpose and principles can quickly be brought to full throttle.

No matter the threat, we are a people united by the brochure's great promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - ready, willing, and able to serve. Be alert and be of service!

Add Comment

Screamin Great Selection on Government Camp Homes for Sale

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Is this the time to invest in that great ski chalet in Government Camp? All buyers would agree that the selection is exceptional right now. Take a look at today's Mt. Hood inventory. Call or email for any additional info on these great properties.

Add Comment

Oregon Association of Realtors Mortgage Deduction Position

Monday, March 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

My previous blog post discusses the Obama mortgage deduction proposal for high wage earners. If you read below you will find the Oregon Associations position to the budget proposal, which was posted today.

Add Comment

Mt. Hood 1031 Tax Exchange-Keep Your Funds Safe!

Sunday, March 1, 2009
by Liz Warren

Mt. Hood 1031 tax exchangers take note. Be cautious who you use as your 1031 tax exchange intermediaries. There have been many recent financial failures of 1031 companies going under and declaring bankruptcy leaving your funds in jeopardy. Intermediaries are the folks who hold your money before you find your next property to exchange and close on.

One of the biggest companies, Land America 1031 Exchange Services, recently went under and around $420 million in assets were frozen. The problem is when an exchange company gets into a financial problem they may try to use funds to pay creditors and there the trouble begins. You could be out your money!

How do you protect yourself? Look for companies that have a proven track record with recommendations from investors. Be sure the company has adequate insurance and is bonded and has errors and omissions insurance. Find out where the funds are held. If in a bank is it solvent.

Hopefully these tips will help keep your exchange funds safe.

Add Comment

Displaying blog entries 21-27 of 27

Syndication

Categories

Archives