The analytics firm Capital Economics has predicted that the housing crisis will end this year. This expectation is based heavily on loosening credit requirements. Credit score requirements have remained consistent since this time last year, banks are lending more money based on borrower income and banks are loosening loan-to-value ratios, which could be the biggest indicator that the situation is improving. Even with all of these changes there are still potential homebuyers struggling to get a home loan.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=5567733516482908167&ids=cP8SdjsUdjcTdjsUcjwUd3sRdiMVcP0McPgTejoQczwQcP4RdPkRb34Tc3wMd3kOe3AVcjwMdP8TdjkIdP8RczkRejcOc3wPcPATejoRdiMTdz4Uc3AOe3gScjkPcPsTdzkR&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod2-b-ttl-0&ut=0YAW9BJgYTdl81
National Geographic recognizes Bend as one of the 25 best!
Thanks to attributes like its proximity to Mt. Bachelor, excellent restaurants, multiple micro breweries and quaint ski town culture, Bend has caught the attention of National Geographic, who listed it as one of the “25 Best Ski Towns in the World”. What a compliment to be listed among these other incredible places. Those of us who live here already know what an amazing place Bend is and we’re proud to call it home.
Bend has even more to offer than the article mentions, why do you think Bend is the Best?
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/best-ski-towns-photos/#/bend-oregon-ski_47300_600x450.jpg
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1785312249?bclid=1740033302&bctid=1395384286001
Two NAR legislators talk about upcoming bills that will affect Fannie and Freddie, the secondary mortgage markets. This is an interesting video to see how current legislation will affect the housing market.
The stats for the year (Dec 2010 to Dec 2011) are in! Home sales are down by 2.5%. Average sales price is up by 19.4% Number of sales are up by .5% and average square foot is up by 6.4%. Why is this great information? It helps you become a better informed consumer! With a Coldwell Banker agent you can be assured you are receiving the most up-to-date and current statistics.
The lakes, rivers, trails and mountains of Bend shine brighter thanks to the usually clear, dry skies. — (c) Chase Jarvis
AARP mentioned Bend, Oregon as one of the top ten sunny cities in which to retire. While this doesn’t surprise many who live here, this might be surprising to many who think of Oregon as being a state filled mostly with rain.
Again, Bend, Oregon is noted for its unusual number of days of sunshine and the numerous outdoor activities that are available for all skill levels and age ranges.
There are two new possible footbridges proposed for spanning the Deschutes River in Bend. The two proposed bridges are located close to each other but differ in about $20,000 in price. Both are located near First STreet Rapids, which is a popular destination among kayakers.
The Bend Parks and Recreation Board will be making a decision tonight on where the bridge will be located. If the less expensive bridge is voted on to be built, construction could begin as early as this summer.
This means that the Bend River Trail will be complete, once this bridge is completed.
https://circulation.bendbulletin.com/publicus2/html/login?CSProduct=BUONLINE&CSAuthReq=1324424256:473449156149105:557187C34B869B111F1C7ACC6E62A06F&CSTargetURL=http://bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/login&AID=20111220/NEWS01/112200387
If a Facebook data center wasn’t enough, Prineville now is in the running to possibly land an Apple data facility. This would probably mean that home prices in Prineville might increase as employees move to the area to fill up and coming employment positions.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111205/NEWS01/112050340
The Bratton Appraisal Group published the latest numbers for Bend’s housing market. The most notable of those data is that the median price for November was $166,000, the lowest median price in more than six years. The peak for median home prices in Bend was in May 2007, at $396,000.
For the complete story, please visit, http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111216/NEWS01/112160355
photo by Kirk Devoll
Bend and Central Oregon continues to receive more press. The latest publications include Ski Magazine, Ski Presse and Quarter Horse Journal. Ski Magazine tested their newest ski boots at Mt. Bachelor. SkiPresse, a leading German Ski Magazine, focuses an issue on ski resorts located in volcanic regions. They note Mt. Bachelor as a great ski area. The Quarter Horse Journal, German edition, spotlights Long Hollow Ranch, McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School, Deschutes Brewery and Wanderlust Tours. Click on the links below to read the full articles.
http://www.skinet.com/ski/article/boots-how-we-test
http://www.visitcentraloregon.com/images/enews/ski-presse-oregon-2011.pdf
http://www.visitcentraloregon.com/images/enews/qtr-horse-journal-german-nov2011.pdf
Home prices see a decline in major U.S. cities
“The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday showed prices dropped in September from August in 17 of the 20 cities tracked. That was the first decline after five straight months in which at least half the cities in the survey showed monthly gains,” according to AP Real Estate Writer, Derek Kravitz.
It is projected that while this decline isn’t as severe as what we have seen in the past, it is a decrease from the first and second quarters of this year.
Bend, Oregon is seeing a slight boost in the price per square foot of homes, which has increased over the past year by $10/sf.
In order to see a real increase in housing prices, it is projected that the economy must rebound to a healthy pace.
