The Salem Oregon Real Estate News

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Fall Colors in Salem Oregon

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:06:26 -0500

I love fall.

I love cool weather and the change of the leaves. I personally find fall energizing. There is just this incredible beauty in fall trees. I guess I think it's natures way of giving us one last chance to admire it's beauty before heading into "hibernation" for the winter months.

Harvest festivals. Apple cider. Pear bread. Such wonderful things happen in the fall. I constantly get asked by people considering relocating to the Salem Oregon area about the weather. Now I have talked about our snow...and the city’s one snow plow, but people considering moving here from the east coast typically want to know “do you have four seasons?”

We do. Granted we get rain in the winter instead of snow, but I think the shift from fall to winter happens here. I was out walking around yesterday morning and just took a few shots of our Salem fall. Personally October in Oregon is one of my favorite times of year.

"Salem Oregon in the Fall"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

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Unique Buildings of the World

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:15:03 -0500

I was pointed to this blog the other day and as a real estate agent, I appreciate architecture. I strongly suggest when you have a few minutes you head over and look at these photos.

The title of the post... 50 Strange Buildings of the World, oh...and there is a Part II and Part III. Here is a taste of what you will see.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Moreau

Seriously, check out this post. Just plain cool.

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Welcome to Flickr!

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:56:18 -0500

I was recently plagiarized for the third time. This is a great video about intellectual property rights. Thanks Mike!

Via Mike Jaquish Cary, NC, Real Estate (KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty):

GREAT video!

Notice the parallels between the video and on line photo thieves' rationalizations.
"It was just there for the taking."
"I didn't see anyone."
"It was calling my name."

Is this the era and the generation that will destroy the value of intellectual property rights?
Until more people are more concerned about intellectual theft, it may well be.
.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Jaquish, REALTOR®

919-880-2769 www.MikeJaquish.com

My "No Hassle Home Search" lets you search Triangle Homes For Sale without ever registering.

Broker Associate, KELLER WILLIAMS® Realty, Cary, NC

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To be held accountable: New Oregon loan modification law for home owners in foreclosure

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:52:15 -0500

"I've been trying to talk to the bank about a loan modification for 8 months. I give up," said the caller on the other end of the line.

With unemployment still high many Salem Oregon area homeowners are in a dire predicament these days. The letter that comes in the mail stating their home is headed for foreclosure is not happy news. In the 2009 Oregon Legislature, a bill was passed…Senate Bill 628 for the curious. This bill requires lenders to meet with borrowers facing a foreclosure and see whether or not they qualify for a loan modification. It doesn’t guarantee a loan modification because sometimes people just can’t stay in their homes.

When the notice of default comes in the mail, along with it will be information about loan modification. As of yesterday, if the borrow requests a meeting, either in person or on the phone, the lender MUST meet with the borrower OR show that they evaluated the borrower for a loan modification and the buyer didn’t qualify. They need to do this process before foreclosing on a home.

According to the State of Oregon:

Oregonians who are seriously behind on their mortgage payments should watch their mail for the new foreclosure notice. Once they receive the notice, they should immediately take the following steps:

1. Call their lender to set up a meeting to discuss a loan modification.
2. Fill out the loan modification request form provided in the notice.
3. Call 1-800-SAFENET and ask to be referred to a nonprofit foreclosure counselor. The counselor can help homeowners request a loan modification.

Homeowners should act fast – they have 30 days from the date of the foreclosure notice to request a loan modification.

Read that part in bold. If you are a homeowner in trouble this is not a means to stall your foreclosure. You can’t request a loan modification the day before auction. This law is meant to hold lenders more accountable and be responsive to the many homeowners that have requested help with no response in sight.

So, if you are one of the many weary Salem Oregon area home owners that are facing a short sale or foreclosure… call the Department of Consumer and Business Services at 503-947-7854 or call 1-800-SAFENET to be referred to a foreclosure counselor.

This post was first published on the Salem Oregon Real Estate Jumble.

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Fall in Salem Oregon

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:15:08 -0500

I was walking home with my kids from school the other day and my daughter looked up and saw the first oak leaves turning yellow on a tree on the street. “It’s autumn,” she said.

I love fall because I think of warm potato soup with homemade french bread, apple muffins, and pear bread. Fall is that perfect time when you get some cool weather, have a steaming cup of hot cider, and feel your body warm to the touch. I have blogged about Bauman Farms which has the best family harvest festival in the area, in my opinion. But we have another local farm that has great cider and produce as well (as well as a fall festival).

EZ Orchards is located on the corner of Hazelgreen and Cordon Roads. It has great highway access (unlike Bauman Farms) and is my regular stop in the fall for my cider and produce fix. I find it really easy to get to and the cider is delicious.

They also have a shortcake stand which puts out yummy treats and of course these guys crank out the cider donuts which they sell a ton of. I know this blog is supposed to be about Salem Oregon home buying and selling real estate, but with the crisp air and first tastes of fall cider…I might have to put those posts on hold for a bit, while I enjoy our fabulous autumn.

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Salem Oregon area real estate market reports

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:19:08 -0500

As summer is coming to a close, and school back in session, the local real estate markets are headed for the "last hurrah" before the holidays hit and the markets die.

The local markets are heading in the right direction, but still have a ways to go. You can read about the

Salem Oregon real estate market

Keizer Oregon real estate market

Silverton Oregon real estate market

and then call me when you are ready to jump into the market as a buyer, or ready to sell your home.

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Salem Oregon Relocation Guide

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:59:36 -0500

Relocating to the Salem Oregon Metro Area

One of the hard things about moving to a new area is trying to decide if that area is right for you, or if you are moving for a job relocation, trying to find things out about what a city has to offer. Here is a snippet of what the Salem Oregon area has to offer residents that are thinking about moving to our area.

Dog Lovers

Salem Oregon does have leash laws. Dogs are expected to be on leashes and make sure you have your bags available to scoop the poop. That’s not to say we don’t love dogs here, I have one myself, but we do have designated off leash areas at some local parks for your dogs to run around and have a good time. Dog Parks in Salem Oregon

Downtown Salem

Salem Oregon is the capital city so you can’t help but be downtown and see the state buildings. The gold man on top of the state building is the pioneer.

Salem Oregon Historic District

Capitol Mall

Employment

With Oregon’s high unemployment right now, I’m constantly asked about the job outlook here. This is some information about the area’s largest employers.

Employment

Unemployment

Hazards

Landslides

Produce

Organic CSA’s

Saturday Market (Salem Oregon)

Strawberry Picking

Salem Metro Area Parks

Read a little bit about my thoughts about some of our local parks and what our area has to offer in terms of heading outdoors!

Minto-Brown Island Park

North Fork Park

North Santiam State Park

Riverfront Park

Silver Falls State Park

Schools

Read about local schooling options for the local Salem Oregon area. This is an important criteria for many families as they try to figure out local schooling options.

How to find a good school

Salem Metro area private school choices

Things to do/Festivals

Salem Oregon is a city of about 150,000 people. If you are relocating here from a larger city you will find that with all of the small cities that surround Salem, there is a local community event occurring often. There is no lack of things to do in the Salem area if you are willing to get out and about.

Art Festival (Salem Oregon)

Bite of Salem

Iris Festival (Keizer Oregon)

Oregon Pinor Noir

Tulip Festival (Woodburn Oregon)

Western Days (Monmouth and Independence Oregon)

Things to do/kids

Family Fun

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Riverfront Splash Fountain

Weekend Getaways:

Smith Rock State Park

Weather

Sshhhh…don’t tell anyone but it rains in Oregon. There I said it! If you are wondering about our local weather and my thoughts on it. Read on.

The Rain Myth

Snow in Salem Oregon

Tornadoes

If you are wondering about the state of the real estate market here in Salem Oregon just read my most recent market reports for information. Then give me a call to talk about your relocation needs.

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Old McAgent had a listing.

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:37:27 -0500

Old McAgent had a listing

E-I-E-I-O

And on the MLS went that listing.

E-I-E-I-O

With a picture here and a description there

Here a pic there a pic everywhere a pic, pic.

Old McAgent sold a house

E-I-E-I-O

Old McAgent had a listing

E-I-E-I-O

And onto twitter went that listing.

E-I-E-I-O

With a tweet, tweet, here and a tweet, tweet, there

Here a tweet, there a tweet everywhere a tweet, tweet.

Old McAgent was unfollowed

E-I-E-I-O

Old McAgent had a listing

E-I-E-I-O

And onto facebook went that listing.

E-I-E-I-O

With a note, note here and a note, note there

Here a note there a note everywhere a note, note

Old McAgent was defriended

E-I-E-I-O

Old McAgent had a listing

E-I-E-I-O

And via email sent that listing.

E-I-E-I-O

With a "hit send" here and a "hit send" there

Here a hit there a send everywhere a "hit send"

Old McAgent was junk listed.

E-I-E-I-O

Old McAgent lost prospects.

E-I-E-I-O

They got tired of being spammed.

E-I-E-I-O

With a spam, spam here and a spam, spam there

Here a spam there a spam everywhere a spam, spam

Old McAgent lost prospects

E-I-E-I-O

May we all remember that just because we can put a listing somewhere it doesn't mean that we should.

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Salem Oregon Relocation: Our local parks

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:55:47 -0500

One of the great things about Oregon is our many parks. Typically the reason folks move to this area is to be able to be close to nature. Salem is fortunate that we have several local parks that are all within a 30 minute drive. Each has it's own unique features that make it special for a day out.

Minto-Brown Island Park

North Fork Park

North Santiam State Park

Riverfront Park

Silver Falls State Park

If you are considering relocating to the area, stop by some of these areas on your visit and see what our area has to offer.

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What's in a number.

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:02:21 -0500

Hmmm where'd they get that number?

You all know I'm a self-professed data geek, right? I recently read an article in the Portland Business Journal about the spike in foreclosures in Oregon. As I read it, I was stymied. (That's my big word for the day today, by the way. I'm a data geek remember, not a writer)...

Most of you know that I track and have written about our Salem Oregon area foreclosures on several occasions. In the article it stated:

Salem ranked No. 64 with 1,724 actions, affecting one in every 69 households.

This statistic quoted refers to foreclosure actions as stated by RealtyTrac. What left me staring at the computer screen and scratching my armpit head, you ask? Well that 1,724 number for starters. That number isn't even close to what I have in my database. As I struggled to figure out what the difference was, I got it. As I got it, I realized that while RealtyTrac has a consistent methodology which is important for analysis, I question the way in which they look at the data…and here’s why…

It’s not unique.

What am I talking about? Anyone who has an online presence tracks unique visitors. We don’t care that we had 10,000 hits if only 3 people caused them. Most of us would jump up and down and go whoo! hoo! 10,000 hits...What!!!! Only 3 people. That stinks.

What you need to know is that RealtyTrac isn’t reporting unique, at least not for my area. So if you live at 123 Main street and get served with a notice of default by lien holder #1, one by lien holder #2, AND then it becomes bank owned, RealtyTrac, in theory, counts this as 3 separate notices…for one property. So what this does it make the data seem astronomically high.

I read the fine print today for RealtyTrac

Report methodology
The RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report provides a count of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing reported during the first six months of 2009. Data is also available at the individual county level and MSA level for Midyear 2009, Q2 2009 and June 2009. Data is collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. RealtyTrac’s report incorporates documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: Default — Notice of Default (NOD) and Lis Pendens (LIS); Auction — Notice of Trustee Sale and Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NTS and NFS); and Real Estate Owned, or REO properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). If more than one foreclosure document is filed against a property during the month or quarter, only the most recent filing is counted in the report.

Now I don't know about other areas, but in Salem Oregon...I haven't seen a notice of default filed AND the house become an REO in the same month or quarter. Our law requires a minimum of 90 days between notice of default and auction so many notices fall into separate quarters. So how many unique properties were served with a foreclosure notice in Salem Oregon MSA (all of Marion and Polk counties) in the first half of 2009?

979 according to the data I get from Fidelity National Title here in Salem Oregon. That is a difference of 745. If you don’t read the fine print about how they report their data, you would think that there are 43.2% more unique distressed properties somewhere out there in the Salem Oregon MSA. They’re aren’t…at least not according to the information I get.

So if you are bargain hunting out here in the Salem Oregon metro area you can be assured that yes indeed, foreclosures on on the rise here, but if you are having trouble figuring out where all of those RealtyTrac short sales are, you just need to know that they may count the same houses twice in their data.

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Foreclosure trends in Salem Oregon

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:38:16 -0500

You don't have to be a statistics guru to see that the volume of real estate foreclosure notices has increased in Salem Oregon. Our unemployment rate started to climb in October 2008 and that is so apparent in the notices this year. With our 12+% unemployment rate not abating anytime soon, I would expect foreclosure notices to be at full force due to job losses occurring this fall. Remember, these are not subprime defaults. These are people that have lost their jobs that can't find new ones here: these are prime borrowers.

You can visit the original article at The Real Estate Jumble for more statistics on our local Salem Oregon foreclosures.

The data in this chart was compiled from information received from Fidelity National Title Company.

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Salem Oregon metro real estate market reports

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:33:22 -0500

Despite having a 12% unemployment rate, the Salem Oregon real estate markets are heading in the right direction. Inventories have decreased in all of our local cities in the second quarter.

Click on the link to read about each local market.

Salem Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

Keizer Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

Aumsville Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

Jefferson Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

Silverton Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

Stayton Oregon Quarterly Real Estate Market Report

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7 things your big time magazine reporter won't tell you...

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:26:34 -0500

SmartMoney wrote a brief article the other day called “10 things your real estate broker won’t tell you.”

I posted my thoughts about that article, but was given a great title by Larry Morris and had to run with it... so dear news reporters...this one is for you.

"I am really biased." Now, journalists will tell you they get both sides of the story and present that information objectively, but that is not true. The mere action of deciding what sound bites to use adds in a bias. Journalists just admit that you have biases and forget trying to pretend you don't. It's irritating to anyone with common sense. If you don't have any common sense, then you can go on thinking there is no bias in the news. I don't want to be the one to ruin your reality. Seriously, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal have no bias in them. La-de-da...
"I don't really have time to research this article." Now, I know that you are supposed to interview everyone under the sun in order to form your non-biased article, but the fact is that you can't. You call a couple of folks up and call it good. You have deadlines and a family life too. Let's just not pretend that your news article is thorough. I know I was not interviewed for the SmartMoney article.
"Sample size 2=everyone" There's nothing like a good generalization to make the world go round. All celebrities are mental cases, all mortgage brokers commit fraud, and of course all real estate agents are slime balls. Those two people you found clearly represent the masses. I had a bad haircut about 15 years ago. I don't know how I survived into today with my lopsided haircut and bad highlighting job. That one bad experience is clearly indicative that ALL hairdressers give bad hair cuts. If you see me walking down the street with my purple mohawk, you know what happened...no good hairdressers anywhere in the US...
"I didn't pass freshman English." Now I'm not a news reporter, so if I have a sentence ending with a preposition or a run on...and on...and on..so be it. If you are reporting the news to me, you'd better have an editor that can teach you the correct usage for the words two, too, to, and of course the ever popular 2...like in, "I was 2 smart to go to class, and went too the store with my friends to get to slurpies..."
"I plagiarize." This article written in 2005 has some similarities to the above SmartMoney article. At least they changed a few of the words around so it is technically not plagiarism...I mean they switched out the words marketing to networking...
"I can only report things that sensationalize." Who wants to hear that there are good decent people in the world? Hello people...is that boring or what? Idiots, drunks, and exhibitionists are news...who wants to hear about a good real estate agent? I negotiated a short sale for my seller who lost their job helping them get through a stressful time...Zzzzz I helped a young couple buy their first home...Zzzzz. Zzzzz....Zzzzzz...whoa, sorry about that...fell asleep while I was writing this post. Dang, we are a boring group of people.
"I found those statistics on Google and don't have a source for them." Quoting a source is a basic expectation for news reporting, but sometimes...when the reporters have a little ol' deadline to meet and they have to head over to Bob's birthday bash and barbecue, they just Google. Google is a great thing, but we all know that it has misinformation on it. I think I'm going to start making up some numbers on my posts and see if any of them get quoted as fact by a news source. Oh wait...someone already did that on Wikipedia...

Unfortunately I don't have enough education to get me all the way to 10, so I'll just stop at 7. Since I am a real estate agent, apparently I am off to have a marketing networking party at my open house, go find a home inspector to cahoot with, and go bury some unpresented offers under my son's bed along with the dust bunnies and score! an uneaten sandwich...

I was kinda hungry.

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3125 Elderberry Dr S Salem, OR 97302

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:30:06 -0500

"I love Laurel Springs," said one of my friends not too long ago.

Me too.

I recently listed a really beautiful, one level, Laurel Springs area home here in Salem Oregon. Homes don't seem to come up for sale very often in this neighborhood. With the larger sized lots, mature landscaping, and home owners that seem to rarely move, what's not too like about this area?

The house loacted at 3125 Elderberry Drive, is no exception. I've got a property website set up for the house you can get more information about it, or just give me a call and I'll be happy to talk with you about the house.

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Historic Homes in Salem Oregon

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:49:36 -0500

There are old home buyers and new home buyers. For old home buyers, the Court-Chemeketa Historic District here in Salem Oregon has some gorgeous homes. Located just off the downtown area, Court-Chemeketa is conviently located to coffee shops, grocery store, bistros, and has that "walkability factor" which many people desire.

View Court-Chemeketa Historic District in a larger map

A portion of the Historic District feeds into Bush Elementary and the other part Richmond Elementary both schools feed into Leslie Middle School and South Salem High School. Remember school boundaries can change so if this is important to you, call the school district for an up to date school boundary list.

The most important thing to remember about living in the Court-Chemeketa Historic District, is that it is a designated Historic District and as such special rules apply. Some of the historic district sits in a flood plain and so flood insurance is required for some homes in order to obtain a loan. There are old home buyers and new home buyers. For old home buyers, the Court-Chemeketa Historic District here in Salem Oregon has some gorgeous homes. Located just off the downtown area, Court-Chemeketa is conviently located to coffee shops, grocery store, bistros, and has that "walkability factor" which many people desire. View Court-Chemeketa Historic District in a larger map A portion of the Historic District feeds into Bush Elementary and the other part Richmond Elementary both schools feed into Leslie Middle School and South Salem High School. Remember school boundaries can change so if this is important to you, call the school district for an up to date school boundary list. The most important thing to remember about living in the Court-Chemeketa Historic District, is that it is a designated Historic District and as such special rules apply. Some of the historic district sits in a flood plain and so flood insurance is required for some homes in order to obtain a loan. Home prices vary greatly in this area depending on condition and size so averages are meaningless for this area. Not too mention, that there aren't too many home sales in the area each year because this is not a high turnover area. You can search for current Court-Chemeketa historic district listings, or call me for current listings. Home prices vary greatly in this area depending on condition and size so averages are meaningless for this area. Not too mention, that there aren't too many home sales in the area each year because this is not a high turnover area.

You can search for current Court-Chemeketa historic district listings, or call me for current listings. Salem is fortunate to have a couple of Salemites working hard to post online local neighborhood history on the Discover Blog. If you want to learn about the history of a home, this is the blog for you. If you are interested in old homes, they have written some very interesting posts about some of our local homes. Well worth checking out.

This post was originally posted on The Real Estate Jumble.

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Visit what our local Salemites have to say!

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:22:17 -0500

There is a new website called Salemites.com that is a local gathering place for local folks to talk about what is happening in our area. We are fortunate to have many local bloggers giving all sorts of different persepctives on our city. This can be an invaluable tool for those of you looking to relocate to our area.

So I have made a master list here for you of our local non-real estate industry blogs. Head over and check some of them out. We have some great local writers and good information about local happenings!

Salem life and events

Desperately Seeking Salem

Salem Oregon Daily Photo

Look what's happening in Salem

Salem Event Calendar

Friends of Salem Saturday Market

Kid Friendly Salem

In and around Salem Oregon

Salem Music/Art/Culture

Salem News

Salem Food and Beverage Blogs

Eat Salem

Capital Taps: Fine Beer in Salem Oregon

Salem Locavores (actually a Google group)

Environment/outdoor

Historic Salem

Business Blogs

Local conversations

The adventures of Pam and Frank

Art history for cocktail parties

Moments of lucidity

Coaching Perspectives

Faith based blogs

The Orchard

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East, West, North or South Salem Oregon Neighborhoods

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:18:40 -0500

"I need freeway access."

"I want to live down south."

"I want to be able to walk downtown."

Those are just a few of the statements that potential home buyers make when trying to decide where to look. For those of you relocating to the Salem Oregon area, sometimes trying to figure out where our neighborhoods are in relation to where you work, or want to be can be a challenge. Sometimes it is hard to visualize where things are.

I created a neighborhood map that shows some different neighboods here in Salem Oregon, and you can click on each neighborhood to connect to a post I have written about that neighborhood as well as to connect to a link that will take you to homes for sale for that neighborhood.

Hopefully this will make your Salem Oregon home search just a bit easier.

View Salem Oregon Neighborhood Map in a larger map

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Old McSalem had a farm

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:56:57 -0500

Old McSalem had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

and on that farm he had some hens

E-I-E-I-O

with a cluck, cluck here and a cluck, cluck there here a cluck, there a cluck, everywhere a cluck, cluck.

Old McSalem had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

I wrote a post not too long ago about the chicken ban that Salem Oregon has in place for homes. There has been a push to allow chickens to exist within the city limits allowing people to have fresh eggs. After much debate and banter about it, the city councilors passed a motion to start the process to change the city codes. And, yes, there are restrictions.

No roosters, so don't expect to see Foghorn Leghorn in your neighbor's backyard. He's still banned in city limits.
3 hens. No large broods of chickens in city limits. You should only hear cluck, cluck, cluck from your neighbor's yard not cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck...well you get the idea.
The hen house needs to be at least 20 feet from the property line.
Home owners need to have at least 10,000 sq feet to their lot. That's .23 acres. Not a lot of lots here in city limits that are that large.

Honestly, there will be so few folks that have the lot requirement that I just don't see that many hens being inside our city limits. If you are looking to purchase real estate in the city limits of Salem Oregon, don't get freaked out by this news. If you really hate hens, there are many subdivisions to choose from where poultry is not allowed regardless. BUT what I really want to know is who is going to be the first person to end up in small claims court. See in my neighborhood there are a few lots that would meet that criteria AND there are many "outdoor" cats that roam my area. I can just see the song now...

Old McSalem had a city

E-I-E-I-O

and in that city they allowed some hens

E-I-E-I-O

with a cluck, cluck here and a meow, meow there here a cluck, there a meow, everywhere a cluck, meow.

Old McKitty ate a hen

E-I-E-I-O

This post was originally published on The Salem Oregon Real Estate Jumble Blog

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Salem Oregon septic system basics

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:01 -0500

Anyone that wants to look at living outside city limits or on acreage property in the Salem Oregon area is going to be looking at having a septic system of one kind or another.

If you are wanting to purchase a home and have never had a septic system before there are some basics that you should know during a real estate transaction.

Get the tank pumped and inspected. You should never purchase a home without having the tank and the drainfield inspected. It costs a lot of money to have a new drain field put in so know what you are getting into. You don't want to buy a house, wonder why your toilet backs up and your ground is squishy, only to find that you have a failed septic system.
Go down to the county and pull the septic records. If you are in Marion county, outside city limits, there is just a simple form to fill out and you may have to pay a few dollars. Sometimes you find out interesting things that make you go hmmm... you don't want to go hmmm when you are looking to buy a house. Permits are required for a reason.
If you are looking to build a house on your dream lot, and it requires septic get a site evaluation aka "perc test" done to make sure the land can support a septic. There are different types of septic systems depending on the soil. If you can't get a standard septic system installed you need to know that upfront.
Just because you want to build a 5 bedroom home doesn't mean that the land can support a 5 bedroom home. Make sure the septic system can support the size house you want to build.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) gets to oversee all septic systems. They have a nice little blub about signs of a failed septic system as well as some do's and don'ts on their site.

Signs of septic system failure

Pools of water or soggy spots, foul odors, and/or dark gray or black soils in the area of your drainfield.

Water that surfaces over the drainfield during heavy rain or when doing laundry.

Sewage backs up into the lowest drains in the house.

Gurgling of drains, slow drainage (check for clogs first).

Soggy soil overlying the drain field.

So remember that during a Salem Oregon real estate sale, it is the buyers job to do their own due diligence...you know, to get the scoop on the poop, for the piece of property they want to buy.

This article was first published on The Real Estate Jumble.

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Have You Encountered Financial Difficulties and You Have An Oregon Bond Loan?

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:27:13 -0500

This is some great information for our local folks that did an Oregon Bond Loan. With Oregon at 12.4% unemployment, many of our residents are struggling.

Via American Pacific Mortgage- Karen Cooper, Oregon & California:

I have heard from several Oregon Bond borrowers now who are struggling due to financial hardships, and running in to difficulties due to the owner occupancy requirement and the potential recapture tax provision a homeowner may face on an Oregon Bond loan when they sell their home and their income has increased enough to trigger this provision. Some of these homeowners were trying to get the Home Affordable Refinance or Home Affordable Modification programs to help reduce their monthly payments, but the Oregon Bond Loans are not eligible for these programs that were approved through the federal stimulus packages.

I asked the State of Oregon if they have any suggestions for folks who are experiencing financial hardship and have Oregon Bond loans. Here is the response:

"Karen,

Due to the economic downturn, it is possible for a Oregon Bond borrower to rent out their home for a short period of time, if they have continuously occupied the home for at least the first year of ownership. In recent months we have instructed our loan servicers not to monitor the properties for owner occupancy after the first year. Many of our borrowers are in the same situation of having to relocate to obtain employment. If this is going to be a permanent relocation, then they should refinance or sell the home financed by the Bond program. The Recapture Provision is only triggered upon sale of the home, and sale within the first 9 years of ownership. In most cases the borrowers will not owe a tax because their income has not increased significantly from the time of purchase.

For borrowers that are remaining in the home and struggling, we do not have any program to defer or reduce payments. We have had some borrowers with an improving employment outlook, but who have fallen one or more months behind on their payments, and the servicer has been able to modify the loan by capitalizing delinquent interest and bringing the loan current. This may be an option on a case by case basis for delinquent borrowers, but the borrower still has to be able to handle a full monthly payment going forward."

If you have been told by your existing lender/servicer something other than the information above, relay this info to them and ask your lender to verify it is okay for you to temporarily rent your home out as you find it necessary to temporarily relocate for your job.

Should your home sell AND your income exceeds those maximum income limits (follow this link for current income limits, but you should have received an initial disclosure that referenced limits at the time you took out your loan, plus annual increases) - that means BOTH the sale and exceeding income limits take place - you could potentially face a recapture tax. This hasn't happened to very many people.

So, it sounds to me like maybe getting a short term tenant in who gets below market rent rates because you are selling the home due to the economic downturn that necessitated a move in order to find a job might be a viable alternative for some folks who have an Oregon Bond loan get through these difficult times. Certainly a better alternative than loosing a home to foreclosure.

See you out there!

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com

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Finding yourself in a jam on what to do with the kids?

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:03:39 -0500

I always relish June 1 every year. Typically Oregon strawberries start to ripen and are just waiting to be plucked and eaten. Every year we take the kids to a local u-pick and pick strawberries. We eat a lot of them over the winter so we pick a bunch and freeze them. There is nothing like waffles with Oregon strawberries and fresh whipped cream on Christmas morning. (Seriously, waffles and hot cocoa rock!)

Finding organic strawberries is hard because slugs love them. I grow some organic strawberries in my yard here in Salem Oregon every year and it's a constant battle with the slugs...This year my beer traps prevailed! A local u-pick Fordyce Farms, is not organic but they spray minimally for the crop. If you have never been picking there, they are located off of Sunnyview Road to the east side of Salem. It's close enough in that it's easy to head to for a quick trip with the kids.

I suggest bringing some fresh water to clean off the strawberries because they will get eaten in the car on the way home. We've learned to bring some bowls and clean some for the kids who can barely wait to eat the fruits of their labor.

If you are relocating to the Salem Oregon area and want something to do with the kids, or you like to cook like me...considering heading over to Fordyce for strawberries. They also have a fruit stand there if you just want to buy them. When you get home consider making some fresh strawberry pie, or homemade jam.

Just for Maureen McCabe, a Columbus, Ohio real estate agent, here is my jam recipe.

2 pounds fresh Oregon Hood or Independence strawberries, hulled
3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a food processor pulse the strawberries until they are mashed (or you can mash them with a potato masher). In a saucepan, mix the strawberries sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then increase the heat. On high heat bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and it reaches 220 degrees. You can put it in sterile jars, or just store in the fridge to be eaten right away. If you eat it right away, it may taste too sweet but the lemon and sugar meld together nicely in 24-48 hours.

Some other local bloggers have also written about our great Oregon strawberries.

Visit Salemites.com to read more about our local strawberries.

Enjoy, what our local farms have to offer Salem Oregon area residents! This article was originally posted on The Real Estate Jumble.

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May 2009 Real Estate Market Reports: Marion and Polk Counties

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:54:16 -0500

The Salem Oregon metro area is filled with smaller towns. Small towns are a huge part of Oregon, in fact. Analysis of small towns is really difficult due to lack of sales volume, so for the smaller Marion and Polk county cities I am just giving year to date averages rather than month to month averages for real estate sales.

Here are just some quick market numbers for the current market.

Polk County Market Snippet

Marion County Market Snippet

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4580 Stinnett Lane Keizer, Oregon

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:40:41 -0500

Now normally when people say the words, manufactured home, they think of some poor dilapidated mobile home that looks like it was used for bullet practice. I just listed a gem of a property with a manufactured home on it, that will change your opinion of that.

Anyone looking for land in Oregon knows how hard it is to find these small acreage parcels. Our urban growth boundaries make these properties hard to find.If you are looking for small acreage in Keizer Oregon, then come and check this property out. With .83 acres, this home is located just a few blocks from Oregon's beloved coffee shops, a nearby park, and the local schools. With a foundation, vinyl windows, insulation to code, and a garage, this is not your parents idea of a manufactured home.

You can find out more information about this property at the 4580 Stinnett Lane website or you can call or email me for more information. When you arrive for your showing, I may just be hanging out on the front porch with a good book.