John & Susan's McKenzie Valley Blog

McKenzie Valley Covered Bridges Christmas Lighting & Events

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:49:21 -0800

Saturday December 5th 2009 will be the annual Belknap covered bridge Christmas lighting ceremony and Christmas Party at the Upper McKenzie Community Center in McKenzie Bridge/Rainbow (yes, we in this community believe in Christmas). 3:30 kickoff to make ornaments and decorate the community center tree, 5pm bridge lighting ceremony, and 5:30 potluck dinner with music from the McKenzie High School Choir.

Goodpasture covered bridge will be decorated and lit by the community on Wednesday November 25th from 9-11am.

Other Christmas events in the valley: Holiday Bazaar at Millican Hall/Walterville Grange in Walterville on Saturday December 5th; upper valley Christmas dinner delivery on Christmas Day to those who are housebound, sponsored by the local churches; Live Nativity at the Living Water Family Fellowship church in Blue River on Friday and Sunday nights, December 18th and 20th, sponsored by local churches.

We're a close-knit community with pretty traditional values who care about each other and our community, and we show it!

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]

McKenzie Valley Oregon Real Estate Update 11-13-2009

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:51:20 -0800

McKenzie Valley Oregon Real Estate Update 11-13-2009

We saw a substantial increase in buyer activity in September and October. Average prices have dropped more in the McKenzie Valley this year (22.7%) than the Lane County average (9.3%). Have we hit the bottom? We don’t know, but buyers must think we are getting close or they wouldn’t be buying. It is not just foreclosures that are selling, but recent sales are almost exclusively under $250K, against an average list price for the valley of $433K+. The higher end of the market hasn’t yet returned.

Active Listings Current

Active residential listings = 94

Average days on market = 163

Median days on market = 139

Average list price = $433,651

Median list price = $362,450

Pending Sales Current

Pending residential sales = 6

Average days on market = 130

Median days on market = 125

Average list price = $273,883

Median list price = $284,950

Average $/sqft = $148

Sold Listings 3 months

Sold residential listings = 11

Average days on market = 137

Median days on market = 123

Average list price = $264,487

Median list price = $249,900

Average sold price = $245,527

Median sold price = $226,000

Average $/sqft = $169

32 closed sales year-to-date

Average sales price down 22.7% versus 2008

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]

Pricing for a Buyer's Market - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:21:37 -0700

I’ve been reading lots of pricing discussions on AR lately, commenting on a few. So I decided it was time to lay our pricing strategy out there for everyone to read, and see if we can get some good feedback and ideas for AR agents to use in their business. (If you’re an experienced agent, you’re probably already doing this…)

It is a buyer’s market – haven’t read anything lately to contradict that! What is it? The law of supply and demand at work. Excess inventory puts downward pressure on prices. Buyers are looking for exceptional values in the current market.

So how do we convince sellers that we are pricing their property at the optimum price to sell today? Sellers want the highest price; we want a price that we can sell. The right price is the perfect balance of those two perspectives.

Principle #1. Know the property. The good, the bad and the ugly. We and the seller are going to have to accentuate the good, and the seller is going to have to fix the bad and the ugly. Anything less won’t stand out in the market.

Principle #2. Know the market. What comps have sold and not sold? Why? At what price? How long were the solds on the market and at what price? What are actives doing? How long on the market and why, at what price?

Principle #3. Establish a price range for the seller, with a specific price point recommendation in the range, backed up by the real market data that you now know.

Principle #4. Price to attract buyers. Properties need to stand out to sell. That includes price, appearance, terms – whatever you and the seller can agree on to make the property stand out in the market – price being #1 in today’s market.

Principle #5. Describe to attract buyers. Generic descriptions aren’t good enough to differentiate today. Get really good at writing property headlines and descriptions that stand out, or get some help doing it.

Principle #6. Establish reduction discussions. Have the discussion at the listing appointment. If the property isn’t getting a lot of attention in the first few weeks, have the follow-up discussion on reducing the price. Even better, have a schedule laid out and agreed upon in writing ahead of time based on market response.

Principle #7. Market everywhere! Anyone not marketing extensively on the web is missing the majority of the market. It’s not expensive, and lots of it is absolutely free! Read AR to find out how!

Principle #8. Follow up with your sellers! Have a weekly conversation with your sellers on what’s happened in the last week: phone calls, viewing stats on your web listings, emails. End the conversation with a recommendation on how to respond: if market response is good, let’s leave the price where it is. Not enough happening, let’s drop the price or do something else to energize the market response.

That’s the short version. It seems to be working for us. What can we do better? We would love to hear what works for you – twists, new ideas! What not to do in pricing might be a good discussion for another blog.

Thank you AR! We’ve learned a lot in a couple of months on AR, and have been gratified to be able to share some of our hard-learned lessons to help others, as well! Blessings!

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]

What's So Great (and Not So Great) About Lane County

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:41:53 -0700

Demographics & Geography

Lane County is the second largest county in western Oregon by area, stretching from the Oregon Coast to the Cascade Mountains. The Eugene/Springfield metro area is the second largest metropolitan area in the state (after the Portland metro area). State population is near 3.7 million, with just under 10% of that population in Lane County, concentrated in the Eugene/Springfield area. Eugene, the county seat and largest city, is centrally located, roughly an hour from the Pacific Coast or the Cascade Mountains.

Green on Green

The overwhelming impression one first gets of Lane County is that it is very, very green. More than 75% of county land is forested. About 50% of the forestland is under USFS management. The rest is metropolitan or, within the Willamette Valley, farmland. It is also one of the most green-conscious (translate eco-conscious) areas in the US.

The Coast

The Oregon coast is nothing short of spectacular. Massive sand dunes, miles of pristine beaches, the majestic Pacific Ocean, numerous lakes, picturesque towns, commercial and sport-fishing fleets, and unforgettable coastal vistas - an hour from Eugene. Whales migrate annually up and down the Oregon coast, and are easily spotted during peak migrations.

The Mountains

The white-capped Cascade Mountains lie just over an hour to the east of Eugene, with downhill and cross-country skiing, hundreds of miles of wilderness trails, many lakes, two major rivers, and miles upon miles of wilderness. Recreation and scenery reign in east Lane County: hiking, backcountry camping, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, and fishing. Incomparable views of mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and lava fields abound. Wildlife also abounds, with deer, elk, coyote, bear and cougar populations (bears and cougars rarely seen).

The Rivers

The Willamette river is the centerpiece of the Willamette Valley, flowing through the city of Eugene. Several large waterfront parks adorn the city. The McKenzie River flows from Clear Lake in the Cascade Mountain into the Willamette river at Eugene. The McKenzie is a world-famous fly-fishing destination, home of the now world-famous McKenzie Drift Boat. The McKenzie's water is as pure as can be found anywhere on the planet. Native redside trout also abound, for catch-and-release fishing only.

The Weather

Now we come to some of the "not so great" about Lane County. Winters are wet and dreary - not suited for veteran desert-dwellers. Rain and snow in the mountains, rain in the valley, and rain and wind on the coast give meaning to the University of Oregon moniker "ducks". The rain extends from November into May or June, literally half of the year. It's not raining every day, of course, but there is a LOT of rain in winter and spring. On the other hand, that's what keeps the place verdant green all year. Mid-summer through fall are paradise in Lane County (July through October). Warm, sunny days from the mountains to the coast are a welcome relief from the wet winter and spring.

Visitor Info

For a more complete pictorial and informational view of Lane, please visit the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County website.

For Real Estate and McKenzie Valley information, please visit us online!

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]

Rethinking Your CMA's?

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:10:36 -0700

We realtors all do CMA's for our buyers and sellers (I hope all agents are doing due diligence CMA's!). The typical market analysis focused exclusively on recently sold properties to establish comparative market value. It that's still your perspective, it may be time to rethink your CMA's.

Fewer properties are selling - almost everywhere. Buyers are wary and picky - and should be! Focusing on sold properties alone gives you and your clients a limited, and potentially inaccurate, view of the current market. It is just as important for your clients to see what has NOT sold as it is to see what HAS sold. We now analyze and present, not just recently sold listings, but also expired and cancelled listings. It paints a much clearer picture of the market.

Establishing a realistic market price for your sellers is critical to your success, and theirs, in selling. Sellers, especially, need to understand what has not sold, and the probable reasons why. In recommending an offer price to buyers, they too will appreciate knowing what has not sold, not just what has sold, in a given price range.

Maybe you are way ahead of us and are already doing this - I hope so! If not, consider expanding your CMA thinking!

Blessings to all!

John & Susan Gray, McKenzie River Valley Realtors

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]

It's Time for the March Browns!

John & Susan Gray (Windermere Real Estate) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:37:33 -0800

By the end of February or first of March on the McKenzie, the March Brown mayfly makes its first appearance on the river. This is the first major dry fly hatch on the river, and wakes up all of those beautiful native rainbow and cutthroat trout from their winter lethargy, not to mention the died-in-the-wool fly fishermen. Sunnier, warmer days, drier highways, and the promise of some action on the river brings welcome relief from the winter doldrums.

The first buds on the shrubs and trees, and early bulbs start to emerge. Post-winter yard cleanup begins. The spring greening of the valley has begun.

This is when the real estate market in the upper valley wakes up, too. Despite the rumored and feared appearance of a coming recession on the heels of last year's real estate downturn, there are many positive signs. Whatever happens in November, positive economic change is a pretty sure bet, and just about everyone we talk to believes it is coming. Mortgage rates are down, and at least some help is on the way for the mortgage industry. The market adjustments of the last year have made some good buys available for astute buyers, and the expectations of sellers have adjusted, too, based on the realities of the market. It tells us that a good year is ahead for realtors who know their markets and really pay attention to their clients' needs and dreams.

Blessings to all this new year - we welcome the March Browns!

John & Susan Gray
McKenzie Valley Realtors

John & Susan Gray - McKenzie Valley Realtors [Email] [Website]