D'arcy Usher's Blog

Interest rates went UP?!?

D'arcy Usher Martin (Cypress Marketing Group, Inc.) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:29:07 -0500

This daily fluxuation is killing me! I never paid so much attention to the mortgage interest rates until the last 6 months. I watched 700 Club Monday when I was on the treadmill and couldn't believe they were saying the words "depression" and "recession". UGH. Nothing like scaring everyone into their cave so they won't buy a home AT ALL this year!

Why don't they talk about how low the interest rates are comparatively? To get a mortgage interest rate in the 5's has been a rare thing the last 15 years that I have been in real estate. It is a GOOD THING! Every buyer should be jumping on board! (Unless they have lost their job, of course.) *sigh*

On a good note, we had 22 groups through the model home office this last week at Greenbrier Meadows out here in beautiful, quiet West Eugene, OR. So they are looking... but will they buy? Seems like all the home buyers are relocation people.

Hope everyone else has smooth sailing. These rough waters are making me sea sick! =)~

D'arcy Usher Martin, Eugene, Oregon

New to Active Rain BRO member in Eugene, Oregon

D'arcy Usher Martin (Cypress Marketing Group, Inc.) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:57:38 -0600

Hi Everyone! I am glad to see a BRO group here at Active Rain. I am new to this blogging stuff. I joined BRO in 1998, took some time off to have my son and just rejoined in Dec. I am SO impressed with the BRO website and tools now!

My biggest challenge right now is sellers that don't listen. Our market values have really changed since 2006 and for some reason the sellers haven't gotten the memo. They don't seem to get that it isn't our problem that they sucked every last cent of equity out of their home when the housing values were at their peak. So now I am getting sucked of every last cent of marketing & advertising money trying to get these homes sold! *sigh* It is hard not to get frustrated. I am thinking of firing a few of them.

The best thing about joining BRO again is that I am back to the basics of touching base with my past clients. The people I like to talk to and enjoy working with. I made the mistake a few years ago of becoming the "Repo Expert" Buyer's agent and getting used and abused by Flippers. They didn't value me.

Now I represent one of Oregon's top builders, JLS Custom Homes at their first Eugene community (they are based in Portland) of 92 homes, prices ranging from $240k-$320k. It's a good gig. And I still have my resale business.

I look forward to becoming active in Active Rain!

D'arcy

We know RAIN in Oregon

D'arcy Usher Martin (Cypress Marketing Group, Inc.) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:36:50 -0600

I definitely identify with "Active Rain" since Eugene, Oregon is known for it's rain. The Oregon Ducks have webfeet! The best weather here is between May and October. If I could just go to Arizona from Nov-April, that would be great!

Born and raised here in Lane County, I have seen Eugene grow from a quiet, mellow town to a bustling little city. We are second only to Metro Portland. I believe our population is over 160,000 now. The best thing about Eugene is it only takes 15-20 mins. to get anywhere around here. Our sister city, Springfield, is also growing with a new HUGE hospital and great companies like Symantec Software. This area has a lot of computer industry. Hynix computer chip manufacturer, dozens of software companies and PSC Scanners.

I lived in Alameda, Calif. for a few years in the 90's. I liked Alameda, Berkley and San Francisco. Eugene feels a lot like Berkley. A university town full of old hippies wearing tie-dye and Birkenstock sandals. The smell of patchouli oil and incense.

University of Oregon is the center of our city. This summer the Olympic trials will be held at Hayward Field. Steve Prefontaine and Nike are a few of the names attached to Hayward Field.

As far as weather, we usually get a few days of snow each year. Just enough for the kids to get out of school and build a snowman. "Snow days" are great family bonding times.

The new subdivision that I work at, Greenbrier Meadows, is really filling out. Our streets are often seen with kids and people walking their dogs. There is a bike path on the South edge that connects to the Eugene bike path that works it's way through the city, along the Willamette river and by Autzen Stadium.

Here is what our neighborhood looks like:

New Construction in West Eugene by one of Oregon's top builders, JLS Custom Homes

D'arcy Usher Martin (Cypress Marketing Group, Inc.) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:55:46 -0600

I am the on-site sales agent for JLS Custom Homes at Greenbrier Meadows in West Eugene, OR. We have 92 home sites that we started building on in June 2006. We are more than half way sold out but still have 41 homes priced from $239,950 - $320,950.