While not a hot real estate topic, I'd like to comment on the storm.

If you see or know someone who is a utility worker or city/county public works employee, please thank them. I had to go check on my grandparents during the peak of the storm on Monday, and there weren't many people on the roads but the crews were already out there clearing roads the best they could. Also, the effort that Pacific Power put into getting our lights back on was incredible. I realize there are people out there that thought the power was out to long, and when when PP&L said 8 hours and the power still wasn't on they were more frustrated. A very good friend of mine is a PP&L employee in Bend, Oregon. He called Sunday night, before the storm had hit full force to tell me his crew was on their way to the coast. After Sunday night, I couldn't reach him for 2 days because the phones were out. I finally reached him Wednesday afternoon, still here working to get our power back on. These guys were working 24 hour days and in very hazardous conditions to get wire back in the air. I heard on the radio that Pacific Power had more than 300 personnel in Clatsop County, and I personally saw crews from all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. The effort these workers put into restoring our power, and the speed that they had repaired the huge amount of storm damage is amazing. Please thank these workers if you know one or see them out working.

We all know the story... A Seller has their house on the market, receives a reasonable offer, and starts planning their own move when their Real Estate Agent calls to inform them their Buyers are terminating the agreement due to the home inspection. This scenario doesn't occur often, but it does occur. Sometimes it's due to buyers remorse, deferred maintenance or hidden defects, or a combination of both.

I have seen happen for a variety of reasons, all of them valid. Home Sellers in today's market can use this to their advantage however, by having either a whole home or pest and dry-rot inspection prior to marketing the property. Why? You'll know if there's any issues with your home upfront, reducing the chance of a sale falling apart or negotiating repair credits . You could have minor issues repaired by a contractor, advertise a credit to the Buyer for repairs, or price your house accordingly in "as-is" condition. The older your home is, the more I would recommend having a pre-sale inspection done. Astoria and the North Oregon Coast is a damp climate, and many home Buyers have concerns of dry-rot in the back of their mind when considering an older home. The majority of home buyers tend to over estimate the cost of repairs, which could effect their decision to ask for a larger concession from the Seller or cancel the agreement altogether. If we put ourselves in the shoes of a Buyer, which home would be more appealing.... A home that has already been inspected and has a clean report, right?

Think of the peace of mind you'd have when the prospective Buyers of your home have their own inspection done! No more worries or surprises, or dreading the list of repairs the Buyers might come up with. You keep control of the sale of your home, reducing the chance of having your home off the market with buyers who don't like the inspection, and reducing marketing time.

One thing I'd like to note here: Any Buyer's agent worth their weight would never advise their client to accept a home inspection done by a Seller without having their own. I always advise my clients to have an inspection done by an inspector of their choice, as things can be missed or over-looked the first time.

Truly a great deal, this Warrenton home has just been reduced to $215,900. It's nearly 1200 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 bath, landscaped & fenced yard and very well maintained. If you've been searching for a home under $220,000 this is a great deal. You can see all the pictures and full details on my website.

I thought I'd post some market stats for Astoria, courtesy of the Clatsop MLS. For residential real estate in the Astoria area, here's some numbers for the 3rd quarter ending September 2007.

Sold: 32 (avg. market time 116 days)

New Listings: 68

Sale Pending: 40

Active During 3rd Q: 105

For comparison, I pulled the same numbers for the 3rd Q in 2006.

Sold: 35 (avg. market time 90 days)

New Listings: 66

Sale Pending: 34

Active During 3rd Q: 52

Another interesting figure is the number of homes sold YTD ending October 31, 2007: 110

Same period one year ago: 97

Pretty interesting stats I think. It certainly portrays a much brighter picture than the media would have you believe. Most of us are aware that the real estate market on the Oregon Coast is insulated from the severe ups and downs in volatile markets such as So. California, and the numbers back it up. Although inventory is near an all time high, the number of homes closing each month is remaining steady over the last year. So what does that mean to you? If your home is for sale, it means making your home stand out is essential. For buyers the inventory level is a good thing- more choices for a given price range or location, less chance of competing with another buyer on the same property, more bargaining power with sellers.

The housing market here in Astoria has been steady for the last several months, although nothing like the hot market of years past. While definitely a "buyers market", properties that are priced correctly from the start are getting action. However, the old theory of starting a little high and testing the market for 30 days or so is dangerous. At least from my perspective, buyers initially view a property but if they determine it is over-priced it takes substantial price adjustments to get them back. Inventory is still high, so if your selling you'd better price accordingly.

On a side note, Bree Phillips and I have started a blog for those interested in market conditions in Surf Pines. Check it out here.

Got a question? Email me! info at jeremylinder.com

I've moved!

RE/MAX River & Sea has a new location- A state of the art office on Youngs Bay in Astoria. Stop by and take a look.

Been wanting to build your dream home in the Lewis & Clark/Youngs River area but couldn't find property that has a water right? Well, the wait is over folks... This great property has amazing views and lots of wildlife, but that's the half of it: It's also been excavated, DEQ septic approved for a standard system and the county even approved the site design. The hard work has been done, just bring your builder and get started.

You can get all the details on my website.