Homes Are Lingering on the Market, But These Tricks Have Proven to Speed Things Up

 
 

Sometimes it’s as simple as a statement rug.

The sizzling real-estate market has simmered down, so much so that the median time for homes on the market is up 45 percent since last year, according to a recent report from Zillow. The data also revealed that nearly half (46 percent) of all listings are lingering for more than 60 days. As demand softens, it’ll take more than a “For Sale” sign in the yard to get the bids flowing, so the ball is back in the sellers’ court to woo prospective buyers. Fortunately, there are several ways to boost your space’s appeal and home value, starting with these three statistically supported upgrades.

Speed Things Up With Sustainability 

Thanks to more research from Zillow, we also know that listings with energy-efficient, eco-friendly details can help move a home off the market 10 days faster than expected. For West Coasters especially, features like having your property retrofitted for earthquakes may not only speed up the closing process by 19 days, it might also boost your house’s value by 2.4 percent. For the rest of the nation, having an EV charging station installed also topped the list, fast-tracking deals by a week and a half.  

Up the Timeline and Final Price With Staging 

Homes with a bit of professional sprucing sell 88 percent faster and for 20 percent more than ones that haven’t, according to a report from Realtor.com. Some of the easiest updates, according to seasoned stager and designer Kirsten Blazek, include adding a few statement rugs, unmounting TVs, and removing anything super-personal, which means you might want to stash your summer vacation photos away until you get moved into your new place.

Tempt the Senses With Aromas From the Kitchen

Turns out, sticking a batch of cookies in the oven just before an open house is no longer the key to convincing strangers your house can feel like their home.  A survey from GetAgent revealed that it might pay to skip the sweets. Out of 1,500 people polled, nearly 40 percent responded that they’d be more enticed to buy a place that’s filled with the aroma of just-out-of-the-oven bread. Fresh laundry and brewed coffee were also front-runners in the race to earn a “Sold” sign.

Get more tips like this on Domino.

Related Links

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

Search Homes in Oklahoma

Search Homes in Oregon

8 Ways to Honor Veterans This Week

 
 

November 11th is a day set aside each year to honor those who have served and continue to serve our nation.

Veterans Day offers an excellent opportunity to remember the sacrifices service members and their families make year-round.

Below, you’ll find some ways that we will be honoring veterans. If you’d like to learn more about the history of Veteran’s Day, visit this link.

Organize a care-package packing party. If you don’t know someone currently stationed overseas, contact a nearby base or an organization like Blue Star Moms to identify troops in need. What do troops really want in their care packages? Things to occupy them during downtime (video games, board games, cards, movies, music, books, model kits), personal items (body wash, lip balm, mentholated topical ointment, pain-relieving topic cream, lens-cleaning cloths, small bottles of glass cleaner, baby wipes, sunscreen), snacks (hot sauce, water flavoring packets, beef jerky, sunflower seeds, a bottle of barbecue sauce from a local restaurant – must be non-perishable), and sentimental things (such as a handwritten letter or videos of family members/events on a USB drive).

Visit a veterans’ hospital. If you don’t have a local VA office, contact an assisted living or nursing home facility nearby. Chatting with elderly or injured veterans is a great way to brighten their day, plus you’re likely to hear some highly fascinating stories about their time in the service. Take flowers or an activity they could do in bed.

Wear a red poppy to show support for veteran and active duty service members. The American Legion Auxiliary distributes red crepe-paper poppies on Memorial Day and Veterans Day nationwide. The poppies are all handmade by veterans as part of their therapeutic rehabilitation, and donations received in exchange for the flowers go directly to assist disabled and hospitalized veterans in our communities. Contact your local American Legion office to find out where you can get one in your community.

Take time out of the day to acknowledge veterans in your workplace. Consider an office-wide coffee break featuring patriotic-themed snacks. During the event, make sure to recognize each veteran employee. (Plan ahead to make sure you don’t miss anyone.)

Celebrate with service. Show service members your gratitude throughout the year with a home-cooked meal, thank you note or day of volunteering.

Support veteran-owned businesses. It’s not always easy to identify which businesses are founded or operated by veterans. Contact your local chamber of commerce to see if they have any resources.

Express thanks. Whenever you see someone in uniform, extend a simple word of gratitude or small act of kindness to show how much their service means to you.

Send a card. Start compiling a list of names and addresses of the Veterans you know and send them a thank-you card this year. Continue building out your list and make a tradition of sending these out each year. It only takes 10 minutes to send a welcome gift to a veteran or deployed service member.

Learn more.

Related Links

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

Search Homes in Oklahoma

Search Homes in Oregon

Just Listed: Business Opportunity in Fort Rock

 
 
 

Looking for a unique business opportunity? A change of scenery?

This small country general store and gas station in the heart of Fort Rock, Oregon just a mile from the Fort Rock State Natural Area in Lake County could be the ticket! Only gas station and store in the area. Conveniently located on the corner of Fort Rock Rd and Pitcher Rd. Closed since 2020 and in need of restocking and organizing in order to reopen and make it your own. Buyer's due diligence regarding underground storage tanks.

Listed by Ashley Bessey for West + Main Homes. Please contact Ashley for current pricing + availability.

 
 
 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
westandmain.co
hello@westandmainoregon.com

Presented by:
Ashley Bessey
(541) 279-3691
ashleyb@westandmainoregon.com


Search homes in Oregon
 

Just Listed: Low Maintenance End Unit with Tons of Amenities

 
 
 

Adorable West Side Bend Condo.

This desirable end unit has two bedrooms with a full bath upstairs. Main floor with kitchen, living room, and laundry. Beautifully kept grounds with mature landscaping and a fantastic location. Upgrades include private fenced in patio, storm door, patio shades, Minisplit AC upstairs and down, hardwood floors on the main level, and solar tube!

Conveniently located near COCC, just two miles from downtown Bend. This condo is a stone’s throw to Newport Market, tons of great coffee shops, and restaurants. Enjoy nearby trails at Shevlin Park or hit Century Drive up to Mt. Bachelor for some fun in the snow! This well kept condo community offers amazing perks for easy-low maintenance Bend living year round or as a home away from home! HOA fees cover water, sewer, garbage, snow removal, grounds maintenance, and exterior maintenance. Other amenities include assigned covered parking, 220 electric car charging on site, fitness room, and a secured storage space.

Listed by Elizabeth Lopez for West + Main Homes. Please contact Elizabeth for current pricing + availability.

 
 
 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
westandmain.co
hello@westandmainoregon.com

Presented by:
Elizabeth Lopez
(425) 281-7111
elizabeth@westandmainoregon.com


Search homes in Oregon
 

Central Oregon Real Estate Market Report from October 2022

 
 

The time it takes to sell a home in Central Oregon has more than tripled over the last year as buyers grapple with affordability due to higher interest rates.

Supply of homes for sale is leveling out while buyer demand is shrinking and new listings are decelerating, according to data from the Central Oregon Association of Realtors.

Median prices in Bend dropped below the $700,000 mark for the first time this year, landing at $680,000 for October. Redmond dipped below $500,000, coming in at $478,000 this month.

Mortgage rates climbed above 7% in October for the first time in over 20 years. Millions of potential homebuyers exited the real estate market in hopes that rates or prices will fall.

“The dynamics of a once-hot housing market have faded considerably. Unsure buyers navigating an unpredictable landscape keeps demand declining while other potential buyers remain sidelined from an affordability standpoint. Yesterday’s interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve will certainly inject additional lead into the heels of the market,” says Freddie Mac.

“The housing market is at a total standstill,” said Mike Simonsen of Altos Research. “There are fewer homes in contract right now than at any time since early pandemic. Anything being listed now is at a steep discount to earlier in the year.”

West Coast metros have seen a massive supply homes for sale over the past few months, but Central Oregon has seen much less. As the area’s remote workforce grapples with layoffs in the technology and financial sectors, we’ll get a clearer picture of the regional market for 2023.

Download the Full Report


 

BEND AREA
$680,000
Median Price
28 Days on Market

REDMOND AREA
$478,000
Median Price
24 Days on Market

JEFFERSON COUNTY
$380,000
Median Price
23 Days on Market

SUNRIVER
$828,000
Median Price
45 Days on Market

LA PINE
$445,000
Median Price
36 Days on Market

SISTERS
$654,000
Median Price
46 Days on Market

CROOK COUNTY
$409,000
Median Price
26 Days on Market

 

Thank you to Beacon Appraisal Group for compiling this report. Prepared by Donnie Montagner with information from the MLS of Central Oregon with permission from COAR.

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Oregon