This is a series of blog posts about real estate in Salem Oregon written by Melina Tomson of Tomson Burnham, a small boutique real estate brokerage in Salem Oregon. The blog has articles about local real estate market conditions from Salem, Keizer, Independence, Monmouth, Dallas, Stayton, Aumsville and Silverton.
The blog covers topics from market conditions to happenings inside the real estate industry that might impact consumers to new technologies that are housing-related. Community information for home buyers looking to relocate to Salem is also housed in our blog as we discuss our local favorites.
These are uncertain times for many people. Projections are that many areas are going to continue to decline with regard to the real estate market. Gas prices are soaring, food prices are going up, home equity lines are being slashed, foreclosures are continuing…need I go on? Buyers are worried about buying a home and having…
As usual, I was reading my blog feeds to get a feel for what’s new in real estate. I have been very busy lately, so my opportunities to blog have been limited. I’ve been catching up. Jeff Brown, a real estate agent in CA, proposed A different model for other agents to consider. I am…
I was reading the Inman News today and was struck by an article. The article talked about a survey that was completed by VHT Inc., which provides marketing services to real estate professionals. I was interested in the results not because of the obvious correlation they found but because of one of the outcomes of…
First of all you need to know that I really dislike puffing. Agents know the term puffing: it’s what some agents do when describing a property. Stunning views! (yes the mountains are great, but what about 50 junky cars that my neighbor has on their property right below that view) or handyman’s dream (ie please…
Real estate is easy…just work 20 hours a week and you’ll make millions! Seriously. Just make sure to hit up your mother’s sister’s cousin’s best friends and you have it made. You see those houses on the lake? You can HAVE one of those, just sell real estate. The road to real estate is easy…
I am a voracious reader and many of my favorite bookstores, offer specials such as buy two, get one free, etc. I’m always there stocking up on books. When I read Ines’ blog about CB’s 10% for 10 days promotion I was surprised and not surprised. We are in a difficult market, especially in Florida.…
As many of you may be aware, the DOJ and NAR announced a settlement regarding the NAR’s VOW (Virtual Office Website) rules. As news of this moved throughout the internet, people took sides. A poster in a forum had written with the settlement that online house shopping would become easier. I replied that house shopping…
I’m hearing this on a lot of forums lately by consumers. “How do I fire my agent?” “Can I change Realtors?” “Agents suck.” (okay no one really said this one, but that is what the poster really meant) The fact is that you are paying someone a lot of money to provide you a service.…
Yesterday my son was tripped up when running with our dog. Like superman, he flew forward and ended up with a nice “road rash” along his leg, elbow, and hands. With some TLC, neosporin, and lots of bandaids, he was ready to rock. Later in the evening, I wanted to pull off the bandaids too…
Karen Webster recently wrote about the agent responsibility act that is going to be effective in Michigan starting July 1, 2008. What this law does is require people to check a box indicating they understand what services they are not receiving. This law came about due to the concerns that consumers really did not understand…