Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 15
Here is the latest chart from Case Shiller showing the 20 city composite comparative over time just released in March 2011. These numbers indicate we are almost on the edge of a double dip. Surprisingly, pirces are off 58% from the peak in Las Vegas and only 6.8% in Dallas. Portland is down 26.4% from the peak of pricing.
BUILD YOUR OWN!
"Follow the yellow brick road," sang Dorothy and her unusual entourage in The Wizard of Oz, as they marched toward the Emerald City. The road was clear and their direction set. What they didn't know was that the good witch and the joyful munchkins had sent them down a road leading to a wanna-be fake wizard behind a curtain.
Have you ever had friends or family direct you to take a "yellow brick road" of their imagining? If you blindly followed their advice, you may have ended up in your own Emerald City of disappointment. The truth is that you have the power to create and follow a yellow brick road of your own, one that leads to the realization of your dreams.
The hard part is that YOU must also lay the paving stones of that road. You must first decide on a destination, and then be certain that each brick faces in that direction. Along the way, you may be distracted by winged monkeys or a wicked witch of your own making. If you succumb to those distractions, you may look back to find that your paving stones are uneven and lead in the wrong direction.
Only by having your destination clearly in mind will you arrive unscathed by life's many dead-ends and hairpin twists and turns. You must also be committed to the work involved - choosing only the right bricks, having the patience and perseverance to lay them straight, and the strength to avoid life's temptations as you work.
In the words of Thoreau - "If you have built castles in the air . . . "
TAKE A SIESTA!
When setting goals and planning our future, we sometimes fail to look far enough ahead. Consider the following story:
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while." The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs." The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, then stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life."
The banker scoffed, "I'm a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. You would eventually open your own cannery and control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years." "But what then?" asked the fisherman. The banker laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions? And then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos." (!!!)
So . . . what are you working for? The IPO or the good life? Stop working toward "someday," and appreciate your success on this day. Take time to enjoy the siesta!
Last years Bite which was put on by the Mt. Hood Chamber of Commerce was a huge fund raiser and success! This year the event will be heald at the Resort at the Mountain in the Mallards. Save the date, May 14th! Here are details with more to come. BITE DETAILS HERE 5-9PM.
March fell short of the prior two months in total sales on the mountain. Five sales were closed this past month and all were distressed. Two of the sales were FHA financed, two cash and one conventional mortgage.
The RMLS has just released the "market action" for our mountain area for Government Camp, Welches, Brightwood and Rhododendron listings and sales. This chart compares sales, listings and compares last year from this year at the same benchmark time.
Two numbers jump out at me in the stats. One is the increased marketing time for a sale and secondly the pending sale numbers down nearly 50%. We have historically low interest rates, excellent affordability levels yet buyers are not coming in to swoop up the deals. Some of the biggest names in real estate are saying this is the best time to buy property that we will see in our lifetimes. I'm speaking of Donald Trump, Barbara Corcoran, and John Paulson (who predicted the housing bubble).
Buyers should be jumping in and taking advantage of this time before interest rates creap up. Predictions are that they will hit 5.4-5.7% by the fourth quarter!
If you've ever experienced the beauty of the Resort at the Mountain in Welches you'll know why so many people move to the area and want to live in this community. The original golf course opened in the 1920's and now boasts 27 holes of fun.
The Resort has surrounding homes that occationally hit the market and right now the area boasts four currently for sale. Amenities include tennis courts, swimming pool, and nature trails. Check out these resort homes for sale
Weekend shoppers will love today's foreclosures in the Mt. Hood area located in Government Camp, Welches, Brightwood, Rhododendron!
Take advantage of 25 to 40% discounts by purchasing a foreclosure!
New cabin on the market! Here is a fantastic spacious cabin right on the Zig Zag River. And skiers will love that it's only about five minutes to the slopes. It's all been remodeled and updated and has one and a half baths. Vaulted ceilings in the living room and granite counter tops in the kitchen are just some of the bonus items in the cabin. Kids will love the bunkroom and spacious loft for movies, games and cards! Located in the Mt. Hood National Forest on leased land. Road 35 Lot 137
Asking $220,000
TAKE A TOUR HERE
 |
 |
Do you want to pay more taxes? The mortgage interest deduction is under attack in a big way. The NAR, National Association of Realtors, is asking for you to help send a message to your congressmen that you don't want this mortgage deduction to go away.
Here is a link to a quick message expaining what you can do just by sending an email.
Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 15
