No, not closing yet, something came up - LET THE NIGHTMARE BEGIN - 04/30/11 01:14 PM
All seemed to be fine. Inspection was ok, nothing serious and the little stuff was fixed by the seller without hesitation. Appraisal came in at price. All contingencies but the financing have been removed, all rainbows and unicorns, we are simply waiting for the closing, no red flags.
And then the call comes: the lender has an issue. That can be any number of things and they have one thing in common: THEY COME UP LAST MINUTE!
Over the years I have encountered numerous of these:
the buyer had declared taxes on time but the lender needs to wait for the original … (5 comments)

My broker asks me not to be at the showings/inspection/appraisal WHY??? - 04/26/11 03:43 PM
When you sell your home most brokers will categorically tell you NOT to be home for any appointments concerning the home, be it a showing, an inspection, an appraisal or anything related.Sellers often do not understand this measure. After all it is them who really know the house inside out, so why not giving the buyer, broker, appraiser, inspector the benefits of this knowledge?Here are the reasons:Buyers will inevitably struck a conversation with a present seller. It might start harmlessly but there is always the point when things get a bit too cozy and in no time the seller has revealed … (0 comments)

Inspections BEFORE a sale and/or BEFORE an offer- why they make sense - 04/20/11 05:12 PM
The scenario is always the same and usually filled with anxiety, often from both sides. The deal is struck, agreements are reached about price and contingencies, and now it comes - the inspection. Everybody hopes it turns out nothing serious. The seller thinks his home is perfect, they put great pride in good maintenance. The buyers have found their dream home and really do not want to deal with leaky faucets.
The report comes back and now the back and forth starts. For the buyers it was all rainbows and unicorns - dry rot under the deck puts sort of a … (2 comments)

Foreclosure rates for Benton and Linn Counties, Oregon - 04/19/11 04:35 PM

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Why I HATE alarm systems... - 04/19/11 04:28 PM
We all have come across homes with alarm systems, in some areas more often than in others, but there are some everywhere.
More than once I have set them off. At one home showing instructions did not mention an alarm system at all, I noticed that there was one after opening the door and hearing that sound, scrambling to find the number (was stuck in the lock box, key pad to disarm was three rooms away in a closet with the door stuck.....) At another one the number was wrong. At yet another one the key pad numbers stuck.
Setting off an … (37 comments)

And there it starts - US credit ranking outlook now "Negative" - 04/18/11 12:11 PM
I wrote about this a while ago, the budget cuts being a total joke, taking us all for a ride.
Today S&P lowered the credit rating outlook of the United States to "negative". Combined with the unwillingness in Washington to face the music and pay the piper and the long in the world talks about a boundle of currencies taking over as lead currencies, effectively stopping the printing press in the US and with that the ability tp pay up with ever fresh money,  and with that the long term ability to ever pay off those debts. Cuts of 4 trillion … (0 comments)

Does your house have a "stable smell"? - 04/13/11 07:13 PM
Absolutely not, you will say. But actually, every house has that. We all have our unique chemistry at home. Most of us do not notice it anymore (if we ever have) so we live comfortably with our scents, odors, smells, whatever you want to call it. And as long as nobody we invite flees the scene with sudden suspicious hectic, it's all right.
But if you want to sell your home, you should very critically take a step back aka a walk in the woods, clean your nasal passages, fill them with fresh, unbiased air and return home, only to make the … (5 comments)

BUYERS: Budgeting for Maintenance in the Years To Come and/or think about a Home Warranty - 04/13/11 06:38 PM
So you bought a home. Totally happy - with most things. Unless there are some serious repairs the average new home owner spends about 3% of the purchase price in the first year on changes, adaptations, updates etc.
Budgeting for maintenance is another issue all together. There will always be something, that is one of the beauties of home ownership. The hot water heater goes busters, you decide on drip irrigation for the yard, your 3 year old tries out how many dinosaurs he can stuff down the toilet or whether the garbage disposal can crush coins. (it can't, mine tried … (0 comments)

Spring has sprung in Corvallis! - 04/13/11 01:44 PM
Spring is beautiful nearly everywhere and all of us are happy to see those Easter colors in nature after a long winter.
The Northwest has a few unique features that we really love in the winter, especially having lived in Upstate NY before. The Oaks are living in a symbiotic relationship with Lichen and Moss. When all the leaves are down and it is getting wet, the Lichen and Moss thrive, giving a lot of old Oak trees the look of a true Rainforest.
When the tree is really old, often ferns are growing on the moss. When you are hiking … (0 comments)

Coldwell Banker Valley Brokers advertises with QR codes - What is that??? - 04/13/11 01:09 PM
Always moving ahead of the crowd we offer QR codes for our listing publications. QR codes are black ad white square code fields that can be scanned and read by smart phones to obtain information about whatever they contain.
 Buyers driving by our listings can take a flyer, scan the code and will have the complete information right on their screen.
  
At my last Open House I had business card size cards that showed the house picture and the code. A lot of people took them and do not need a long flyer anymore.
Being up to date with technology and … (0 comments)

To Do or Not To Do - should you sell "as is" or give the house the do over first? - 04/11/11 05:21 PM
As usual, it depends. If you have true repairs to do that will lead any buyer either to run before they even enter or latest after the inspection - fix it, or you will need to overadjust the price, in other words not just for the value of the repair but for the hassle to get it fixed. If you have mold, a leaky roof, corroded plumbing, non performing HVAC, blind windows, big cracks - fix them. The reduction in price will not be anywhere close to what you will pay to get things in order.
If you have not changed the … (4 comments)

Now this is so typical: State of OR pays property taxes for the elderly... - 04/09/11 02:26 PM
Typical for good intentions gone so wrong. In this market and with property values developing downwards, I really hope they have a lien on the property that is first in line when the home sells!!
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/04/oregon_state_program_pays_prop.html
 
 
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Spending Cut "Deal" TAKING US ALL FOR A RIDE!! - 04/09/11 02:06 PM
They take us for a ride, once more.
The Deal is reached, this morning, with big fanfare, perpetual shoulder clapping and chest pounding, they have really made it, cutting 38 Billion from the budget. Wonderful.
Only, that the deficit on 1 years budget currently is over 1.6 TRILLION, 1600 Billion. That is only the deficit. Nowhere in sight paying down the debt, currently 11.4 TRILLION, in other words 11400 Billion.
And we are celebrating 38 Billion in lesser spending???
Think about this: You earn $100000 a year and spend $130000 a year. You are doing this for years and years and … (0 comments)

Adjusting your price after listing - 04/08/11 12:56 PM
Sellers list at a price they hope to achieve and perception is reality. Lowering this price is often perceived as a loss, since most sellers have already calculated what they will net at this price or what they expect will be an offer. But if the home does not sell, when do you adjust and how much? Is 5K too timid, will it even be noticed by buyers? Is 20k too much, "giving it away"?
Here is a video about the current trends:
 http://realestateinsidernews.com/breaking-real-estate-news/home-pricing-crucial-in-this-market-video-must-sell-now-price-your-home-to-sell/
If the average time to lower a price is two months in my opinion that is too long … (0 comments)

Amazing VIDEO: the roller coaster of the RE market - 04/06/11 04:46 PM
Watch this, and if you feel squeezy, you are right!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUldGc06S3U
 
… (2 comments)

 
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Annette Sievert - Corvallis, Oregon

Corvallis, OR

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CB Valley Broker

Address: 1109 NW 9th st, Corvallis, OR , 97330

Office Phone: (541) 207-5551

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