The Garner Group Real Estate Is First Oregon Location for Harcourts

We're excited to announce that we have entered a franchise relationship with Harcourts USA, a division of Harcourts International LTD! We're still locally owned and operated by the Garners, but we'll have fantastic new real estate resources available to us through this new relationship. 

The main body of our news release is below, and will give some background information on this exciting new development: 

Harcourts, which was founded in New Zealand in 1888, is an international real estate company with offices all around the world. The Garner Group is the first location for the company in the Pacific Northwest and will be instrumental in bringing Harcourts to Oregon as the company pursues its expansion strategy.

Sandy Garner, owner of The Garner Group Real Estate who has 35 years of experience in the Central Oregon real estate industry, said, “When Harcourts approached us about entering into an agreement, we quickly found that our company cultures and values fit together well. While fitting in with our goals of putting people first, Harcourts also provides the industry-leading technological expertise and training programs we needed. I’ve known the people at Harcourts for 20 years and putting our trust in them was a logical step as we continue to grow our office.”

As a franchisee, The Garner Group Real Estate will have access to the company’s vast resources, including: state-of-the-art business management systems; an array of in-person and online training resources; industry-leading software and tools; and the largest real estate network in the world. Garner said that this platform of comprehensive services will allow her agents and staff to concentrate more on their core business of giving clients top service and attention.

Founded and owned by local real estate experts Sandy and Jay Garner in 2008, The Garner Group Real Estate will continue in its core mission of providing unparalleled expertise, service and value to clients. The company’s Bend, Oregon office represents three generations of the Garner family, and currently is home to more than 25 employees and agents.

The Garner Group Real Estate plans to co-brand with Harcourts and will be changing its name to “Harcourts The Garner Group Real Estate.” An unveiling of the new brand will be held in a few weeks at the company’s headquarters at 2762 NW Crossing Dr., Suite 100, in Bend, Oregon’s NorthWest Crossing neighborhood. http://www.thegarnergroup.com.

About Harcourts

Founded in 1888 in New Zealand by John B. Harcourt, Harcourts has been identified as one of the top five real estate brands in the world by Stefen Swanepoel, author of the Swanepoel Trends Report. The company introduced its current franchise model in 1988, expanded to Australia in 1997 and quickly grew to 170 offices between the two countries. Currently, Harcourts has 800 company and franchise offices in eight countries: New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Fiji, China, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United States. www.harcourtsusa.com

Net Hope: Bend, Oregon Team Comes Together To Support Cancer Patients

We had a beautiful morning to celebrate the ceremonial ground-breaking of a "ground breaking" new project: "Net Hope--A Community Collaboration Supporting St. Charles Cancer Center and Zero Net Energy Homes.” We're so proud of this fantastic project! Below is the press release that went out today explaining the new project and its partners. 

Seven Bridge Signature Homes, ZeroHomes.org, St. Charles Foundation and The Garner Group Real Estate came together to create this unique collaboration in Bend’s new Hidden Hills neighborhood. The new project, dubbed “Net Hope--A Community Collaboration Supporting St. Charles Cancer Center and Zero Net Energy Homes” will start with the construction and sale of a zero-energy home, which will benefit cancer services in Central Oregon through St. Charles Foundation.  

David Hesla, owner of Seven Bridge Signature Homes, came up with the concept when his own neighbor found limited resources during her husband’s fight with cancer. He said, “I have been involved in charitable endeavors in the past, so I started talking with others in the industry about my idea to help cancer patients and their families.” And the “Net Hope” project was born.

Hesla began working with David Sailors, a licensed broker at The Garner Group, who introduced him to the founders of ZeroHomes.org, Joe Emerson and Ann Brayfield. The three-bedroom contemporary style home he is building for this charitable project will demonstrate how the zero-energy concept can be affordable to the average buyer.

Zero energy homes produce more energy than they consume in the summer, creating an energy credit the owner can use in the winter. “The home produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year,” Emerson said. “It will have solar photovoltaic panels and thick walls filled with insulation. It will be airtight and have energy-efficient appliances and lighting. It is healthier for the environment, healthier for its occupants and healthier for the owner’s pocketbook than standard construction.”

Sailors and The Garner Group will be marketing the home. “This is an exciting opportunity to show the community the benefits of a zero energy home and help local people in need,” Sailors said.

The new home will be located at 61076 Ruby Peak Lane, and will be completed by mid-summer in time for the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes. The builder and seller will donate proceeds from its sale to St. Charles Foundation for cancer support services and nurse navigation to help patients and their families who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis. The partners hope to make this an annual project.

Congratulations to One Of Our Own! Bend, Oregon Girl Heads to the Big Apple

The Garner Group salutes Katie Wise, daughter of one of our own brokers Christina Wise, for a singular accomplishment. Katie, a proud Bend High School Lava Bear, was the only girl in Oregon chosen to perform with the Honors Choir in the 2014 High School Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.

The talented young soprano spent five days in New York City. She joined students from North America and abroad who rehearsed and performed with master conductors and performed before invited representatives of collegiate and professional music programs. High point of the week will be a concert by the Honors Choir at Carnegie Hall Feb. 9. New York sightseeing and Broadway musicals were also on the agenda.

Katie auditioned last fall for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. “Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing,”said Morgan Smith, program director. “We process thousands of applications annually, selecting only the most talented performers applying on an international level.”

Katie studies music with Angelina Anello-Dennee of Bend and is a member of the Vocal Ensemble and Bend Freshman Choir. She also is active in track, honors scholastics and Musical Impressions.

Congratulations Katie! 

The Garner Group Real Estate in Bend, Oregon Welcomes Two New Agents

We're excited to welcome Lauri Miller and Christina Wise to our Bend, Oregon real estate team!  They each bring lengthy experience in different segments of the real estate industry.

A Central Oregon resident since 1987, Lauri Miller has a lengthy background as a Certified Public Accountant. She served for 19 years as Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Crest Resort, accumulating experience on the financial side of real estate development. Later, as a consultant, she was interim Financial Director for the city of Redmond. Lauri has been active in several community organizations and is currently a member of the St. Charles Health System Board of Directors. Lauri lives in Bend with her husband, Charley Miller, and a canine family member, Porter. They have two grown daughters: Campbell, a recent Dartmouth College graduate, lives in New York City. Shelby is attending Lewis & Clark College in Portland. 

With over 20 years of experience in fields related to real estate, Christina Wise has gained extensive knowledge of the industry. She has title and mortgage company experience and held a real estate license in Washington state before moving to Bend in 2000. She earned her Oregon broker’s license in 2001 and returned to real estate sales in 2010 after holding marketing and sales positions in the title industry. She is a native of Portland, Oregon and studied in Eugene before starting her career. Christina has two grown sons, David and Joseph, and a teenage daughter, Katie. While she participates in numerous Central Oregon outdoor recreation, fitness and community activities, Christina’s passion is softball. She has played for 30 years and currently plays league softball with Bend Parks and Recreation. She is an avid supporter of local high school sports and music programs.

One More Weekend for COBA Tour of Homes in Bend, Oregon

You have one more weekend to visit us at the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes! We are proud to be the presenting sponsor of this event! You can come see us at any of the following homes on the tour, and we'll be happy to show you around some of the best examples of Bend, Oregon real estate. Many of the homes we represented won awards for the tour. We are so proud of all our builders! Congratulations! 

• 2341 NW Floyd Lane, NorthWest Crossing. Tyee Development Inc.
• 2155 NW Lemhi Pass Drive, NorthWest Crossing. Leader Builders LLC
• Best Architectural Design
• Best Feature (Interior Architecture)
• 2355 NW Floyd Lane, NorthWest Crossing. Stone Bridge Homes NW
• 2487 NW Drouillard Avenue, NorthWest Crossing. Makena Custom Homes
• Best Landscaping
• 20528 Avro Place, Woodhill Park. Woodhill Homes Inc
• Best Interior Finish
• Best Master Suite
• Best Value
• Best of Show
• 1352 NW Elgin Avenue, Northwest Bend. Woodhill Homes Inc.
• Best Landscaping

Check here for a complete list of winners. 

Green Real Estate in Bend, Oregon: The Garner Group

It's not a secret that we pride ourselves on a real focus on sustainability here at The Garner Group Real Estate. Our brokers put in the time it takes to educate themselves (and their clients) about the benefits to buying "green" to make sure everyone can make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing a new home. Last month, nine of our brokers have earned the Earth Advantage STAR designation from the Earth Advantage Institute - bringing our total number of STAR agents on staff to a whopping ELEVEN!  

The certification was granted following a course of training that included classroom lectures, visits to green building sites and a final examination. “STAR” stands for Sustainability Training for Accredited Real Estate Professionals.

The training enables the brokers to identify home features and building products that provide greater energy, water and resource efficiency and create a healthier living environment for their clients. The newly-minted EA STAR agents at The Garner Group are:

·         John Anderson

·         Erin Campbell

·         Victoria Davis

·         Shelley Griffin

·         Sean Haidet

·         Suzanne Iselin

·         Melody Lessar

·         Alison Mata

·         Angela Tweedie

( Jody Tuttle and Phyllis Mageau earned the designation at an earlier date.) 

As we said, green real estate is a priority at the firm, with several other agents demonstrating their commitment to serving the green building market by completing an advanced training program conducted by the National Association of Realtors. Lessar, Griffin, Mata and Tuttle have earned the association’s GREEN broker designation, along with Carol Donohoe, Matt Garner, Patsy Roome, Rob Davis and managing principal broker Sara LaFaver. All individuals are licensed Oregon brokers with The Garner Group Real Estate LLC in Bend, Oregon. 

Congratulations everyone!

Shelley Griffin

John Anderson

Suzanne Iselin

Erin Campbell

Alison Mata

Melody Lessar

Sean Haidet

Victoria Davis

Angela Tweedie

Brokers Receive New Certifications

Three of our fantastic brokers have earned new certifications to help serve you even better! 

Sandy Garner, owner of the Bend, Oregon real estate firm, said, “Continuing education has always been a big part of our culture as a company. We believe that staying abreast of all the latest trends and information in the real estate industry is vital in providing the very best service to our clients.”

Alison Mata and Melody Lessar, who are both National Association of Realtors (NAR) certified GREEN brokers, have recently earned NAR’s Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) certification. This designation is awarded upon completion of an advanced course of study that focuses on the objectives of home buyers. Specifically, the program:

- Elevates the overall understanding and knowledge of the home buyer;

- Provides ongoing specialized information, programs, trends and updates regarding home buyers and their needs;

- Allows certified agents to access members-only online marketing tools and resources.

In addition, broker Carol Donohoe, who is also GREEN certified, has earned membership in the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. To earn this status, she completed special training designed to build skills in the marketing of luxury homes and estate properties. The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing is the premier independent authority in training and certification for real estate agents working in the luxury residential market. 

Congratulations! 

Help Out Those in Need This Season in Bend, Oregon

Not only is it the season for celebration, but it's also the season for giving. If you are looking for some ways to give back this holiday time, we have two easy things that you can do! 

1. "Like" Our Facebook page: Until the end of the year, we will be making a cash donation of $1 for every new like to The Garner Group Real Estate Facebook page to Relay for Life. As some of you might know, our team was very involved with the 2012 Relay for Life annual fundraiser in Central Oregon. We were able to raise more money to fight cancer through this event that ever before! So it is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts. Please share our page far and wide to help raise money for this worthy cause.
   
2. Come by our office with your non-perishable food item! We are a donation station for NeighborImpact which will be helping to provide food for Central Oregon families in need this season. NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit organization established to serve and speak out for economically disadvantaged people in Central Oregon. Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty by helping remove the barriers that prevent people from achieving economic self-sufficiency. 

So we hope to see you soon - either on our Facebook page or in our office. Happy Holidays! 

Growth Continues for Bend, Oregon Real Estate

We just don't get tired of reporting on these numbers! Things are continuing to strengthen in the Bend, Oregon real estate market, and we like to keep you updated on all the latest happenings. We are seeing prices and sales numbers outpacing last year significantly, with the total number of residential sales in Bend at 19.2% above 2011. 

Interesting points to note include that new construction sales have nearly doubled year-to-date when compared with 2011, and the inventory of homes for sale continues to drop. Below shows a snapshot taken on November 6, 2012, which illustrates some of the numbers we are seeing in the Bend, Oregon real estate market. 

The figures above represent single-family detached homes on less than one acre in the Bend area extending from Tumalo to Alfalfa, but can give you a great idea of what's happening across the board in our region. 


As always, NorthWest Crossing continues to post strong figures. Year-to-date sale numbers outpace the same period last year by healthy margins. The average sale price increased about 5% and is 53.5% higher than the average for Bend as a whole.

Questions? Comments? We'd love to talk to you more, just email our office at info@thegarnergroup.com or call us at (541) 383-4360.

Giving Thanks for...Bend, Oregon Real Estate

Now is the time of year we all pause to give thanks - Thanksgiving is only a little more than a week away! We have a lot to be thankful for here in Bend, Oregon - sunny skies, early snowfall, Mt Bachelor, beautiful landscapes and beautiful streetscapes. Many of us at The Garner Group have worked in the region's real estate industry for many years, and we're all seeing strong signs of a comeback in 2012.

We gave some statistics here that outlined all the numbers year-to-date, and we hope they made you smile. For regularly updated information, visit our Market Watch page on our website. Whether you are buying your perfect home for the holidays, or selling your home, now's the time to get involved in Bend, Oregon real estate.

Here are a couple listings that might catch your eye, and to show you the great range of properties available in our area right now.

Affordable Brand-New Construction in Bend, Oregon
Priced at $199,900 this brand-new home is designed for livability by Choice 1 Builders. It features a master suite on the main level and two bedrooms, a full bath and bonus room upstairs. Vaulted ceilings in the great room and a dormer vault in the master bedroom make for bright living spaces. 

Rare Acreage in Skyliner's Wilderness
Priced at $1.2 Million, this is an extremely rare find: 40.59 acres of pristine forest land above Tumalo Creek. This property is surrounded by Forest Zone, BLM land and adjacent to Shevlin park. CUP was previously approved for dwelling. The best of all worlds - close to town and yet completely pristine property with pine trees, manzanita and mountain views.

Contact us at The Garner Group today! We can help you find or sell your home. 

More Good News for Bend, Oregon Real Estate

We love reporting good news - and that's just what we got to do in the latest issue of our newsletter, the Central Oregon News Digest. If you don't receive it already, sign up on our website. It is full of great information each month.

We were pleased to see that on the Bend, Oregon housing front, year-to-date margins remain strong when compared to last year. The number of listings is dropping, while sales and prices continue to rise. This all equals absorption rates of 2.5 months of residential inventory, compared to 4.2 months last year at this time. See the chart below for details, and as always, contact our Bend, Oregon real estate office with any questions! 

As we reported in the newsletter, and you can see from the chart above, NorthWest Crossing "continues to exist in a world populated by faeries and unicorns, with an average sale price so far this year that is 53.2% above Bend as a whole. (Don't get us wrong--we like faeries and unicorns.)"

In addition, the Central Oregon MLS shows that figures are up with the ending of the third quarter of 2012. Compared with the first three quarters of 2011, here's how the number stack up:

Number of homes sold, 1,489, up 17.4%.

•  Average sale price, $258,511, up 9.7%.
•  Median sale price, $216,000, up 12.3%.
•  Total sale volume, $384,922,963, up 28.8%.

The number of transactions was the highest for the period in the rolling five-year MLS report. The median sale price was highest since 2008.

All this adds up to a great time to take another look at Bend, Oregon real estate. Whether you are buying or selling, now's a great time to be a home owner! 

Yes on Oregon's Measure 79!

Hello Oregon! The Garner Group and its individual agents and staff members encourage you to vote Yes on Measure 79 this November. The measure would prohibit state and local governments in Oregon from imposing real estate transfer taxes.

This is one of those ballot issues where Yes means No. Vote Yes for No Additional Taxes.

A real estate transfer tax is a sales tax on any transfer of ownership. Oregon law currently prohibits city or county governments, districts or other political subdivisions from imposing such a tax (except for Washington County, where an 0.1% tax is grandfathered in). This could be changed easily by a vote of the legislature. That is why Measure 79, an amendment to the state constitution, is so important.

As state and local budgets tighten, officials look for new sources of revenue. Legislation to reverse the current prohibition has been introduced in every regular session of the Oregon legislature since 2001. The city of Portland has listed repeal as part of its legislative agenda for 2013.

In other jurisdictions, taxes on agricultural, commercial and residential transactions typically range from 0.1% to 4.0% of the sales price. A county transfer tax of 1.0% and a city tax of 0.5% on the sale of a $200,000 home would add $3,000 to the purchase price, irrespective of profit or loss on the sale.

This is a cost burden, added to system development fees and property taxes, that could price prospective home buyers out of the market. The ripple would extend to builders, subcontractors and suppliers. This could suppress the modest but steady recovery in home building we are currently experiencing here in Bend and elsewhere in the state.

Measure 79 has been endorsed by a number of chambers of commerce and business organizations including the Oregon Assn. of Realtors, Oregon Home Builders Assn. and Oregon Farm Bureau. For more information click here: http://www.yesonmeasure79.com/

New Website for Bend, Oregon real estate searches

Have you visited www.thegarnergroup.com lately? We've redesigned and relaunched with your needs in mind - it makes finding just the right property in Bend, Oregon even more simple. The site is built around an informative and user-friendly search module that makes it easy for viewers to locate and map all property for sale in Central Oregon.

You'll recognize the familiar slide show of local scenic views and events on the home page, but the Quick Search feature is brand new! Couple that with the new large buttons that connect to an advanced search, open houses, agentinformation and pages containing builder profiles and information on greenbuilding, and you have a website worth visiting! You can even sign up to receive an email message when new listings come on the market that meet your specified criteria.

As if that's not enough, you can also navigate to information about market trends, local information including an active weather report, buying and selling tips and The Garner Group’s newsletter and blog.

The search mechanism sweeps listing information from the CentralOregon Multiple Listing Service and allows you to choose criteria that will narrow the search to properties of interest. Selections display in list form or on an interactive map using Bing mapping technology. You may choose to show points of interest including schools, health care facilities and shopping venues.

“There has been a fundamental change in the way people use real estate web sites,” observed Sandy Garner, the Bend, Oregon real estate company’s president and CEO. “When our most recent site was designed, emphasis was placed on creating an attractive billboard for your business. We achieved that with some pretty advanced graphics for the time.

“Now, site visitors have made it clear that their number one priority is information about all listings in the area, To be competitive, you have to provide one-stop shopping. It’s not enough just to feature your own listings,” Garner said.

While the previous provided an MLS search, “it was pretty primitive compared with the new technology we have in place now,” Garner said. “People are a lot more tech-savvy.” The site is compatible with mobile devices, offering a simplified display that makes it easy to search and find property on the go.

The new site is hosted by Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies Inc., a company that serves over 9,000 real estate offices in the United States and Canada with software for a variety of business functions including back office accounting, transaction and contact management, lead tracking, data storage, information sharing and web site development.

Visit us today at thegarnergroup.com!

“We have employed Lone Wolf office management products for several years,” Garner said. “They specialize exclusively in real estate and understand our business.”

Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent News

We are excited to welcome back real estate broker John Anderson to The Garner Group Real Estate in Bend, Oregon! John has been a real estate professional in Bend continuously since 2001 and was previously affiliated with The Garner Group from 2008 to 2010.

Before entering real estate for the first time in 1996 in Corvallis, Anderson was a surveyor with CH2M Hill. Anderson grew up in Klamath Falls and graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and minors in fisheries and wildlife, civil engineering and surveying. He is an avid outdoorsman and horseback rider.

In other news, Patsy Roome, a Bend Oregon real estate broker with The Garner Group has recently earned her GREEN Designation from  The National Association of REALTORS® . The Garner Group has more agents who have earned this designation than any other Bend, Oregon real estate company.

The certification by NAR’s Green Resource Council is awarded to those who complete a three-day course focusing on fundamentals of green building practices, consumer awareness and marketing of homes built to green standards. The Garner Group, which specializes in green real estate in Bend, Oregon, has several agents who hold this designation, as well as the Earth Advantage STAR designation.

The Garner Group is headquartered at 2762 NW Crossing Dr., Suite 100, in Bend, Oregon’s NorthWest Crossing neighborhood. http://www.thegarnergroup.com.

The Garner Group: Serving Seniors in Bend, Oregon Real Estate

Two members of our team, Angela Tweedie and Victoria Davis, recently earned the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation from the National Assn. of Realtors. To qualify for the SRES designation, the they completed an advanced study course that provides Realtors with specialized knowledge about the real estate needs of the fast-growing age 50-plus market.

 

“We’ve seen the mature homebuyer increasing activity in our region over the last several years,” said Sandy Garner, owner of the Bend, Oregon real estate company. “This is likely a result of the baby boomer generation beginning to look at retirement in a community like Bend. Having agents that specialize in this segment of the market will help us serve our clients even better.”

Tweedie, a Texas native, lived in Alaska for many years and obtained her Alaska real estate license in 2005 after a 20-year career with Nordstrom in Anchorage, following which she earned several performance awards at an Anchorage brokerage. She joined The Garner Group in 2010.

Victoria Davis has also been with The Garner Group since 2010. With an education in geology, Davis spent much of her career conducting hydrogeologic site studies and environmental site assessments triggered by real estate acquisitions, permitting or divestiture. She practiced real estate in the state of Washington before moving to Bend.

Congratulations ladies! 

Patsy Roome Joins The Garner Group Bend, Oregon Real Estate

We are pleased to announce that Oregon broker Patsy Roome is joining our growing team of Bend, Oregon real estate agents. Roome brings experience in all phases of residential and commercial real estate, and urban planning to the firm.

“The growth of our company is indicative of the strength we’re seeing in the Central Oregon real estate market,” said Sandy Garner, founder of the Bend, Oregon real estate company. “Because she is a Bend native, Patsy has intimate knowledge of this community. In addition, she brings decades of professional real estate and planning experience to our team. We are excited to have her join us on this journey to the future.”

Roome initially received her real estate license in Aspen, Colorado, where she lived for 19 years. She later worked as an urban planner for the City of Big Bear Lake, California, Deschutes County and the City of Bend before obtaining her Oregon real estate license in 1997. Patsy is active in professional and civic associations including Oregon and National Assn. of Realtors, Central Oregon Assn. of Realtors, Commercial Investment Assn., Commercial Brokerage Assn. and Habitat for Humanity. She is president and secretary of the Bend River Heights Homeowners Assn. and treasurer of P.E.O. International Chapter EA. She holds a degree in business from the University of Redlands in California.

She grew up enjoying Central Oregon’s outdoor recreation opportunities and continues to do so today. Her husband, Ronald L. Roome, is an attorney with the Bend law firm of Karnopp Petersen LLP. They have two daughters, Jamie and Erin, and two grandsons, Connor and Chase.

Welcome Patsy!

Erin Campbell Joins Bend, Oregon Real Estate Company The Garner Group

We keep on growing! We just added licensed broker Erin Campbell to our expert Bend, Oregon real estate team. With a background in customer service, event planning and education, as well as real estate and neighborhood planning, Erin brings diverse skills to our company.

A native of Oregon and a resident of Bend since 2000, Campbell has held an Oregon real estate license since 2008. She graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in communications and management and has worked in guest services for JH Ski Corp. in Jackson Hole, Wyo., as a corporate events planner for Nike Inc. in Beaverton, and as admissions director for a therapeutic boarding school in Bend. Campbell graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in communications and management.

As frequent vacation visitors to Central Oregon, Erin and her husband Jay chose Bend as the place to raise their family and moved here permanently in 2000. They have three daughters and enjoy Bend’s family outdoor recreation activities like skiing, running, boating and camping.

Welcome Erin!!

The Garner Group Bend, Oregon Real Estate Adds Three New Brokers to Team!

The Garner Group Real Estate, a family-owned company committed to green real estate in Bend, Oregon, just added three licensed Central Oregon brokers to its Bend, Oregon real estate team. 

Phyllis Mageau has been a licensed real estate agent since 1988, first in Hawaii and later in Oregon. She moved to Bend in 2004 from Maui. She is certified by the Earth Advantage Institute as a STAR (Sustainability Training for Accredited Real Estate Professionals) broker and by the Distressed Property Institute as a Certified Distressed Property Expert. Mageau is the current president of the Central Oregon Chapter, Women's Council of Realtors.

Sean Haidet is a second-generation Realtor who obtained his Oregon broker's license in 2010. He has lived in Bend since 2008 following a 15-year career as a fire fighter/paramedic in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Haidet competes in road, mountain bike and cyclocross races and is a cycling coach with the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

Gail Day has been licensed in California and Oregon over the course of a career that included managing and rehabilitating distressed apartment communities and renovating investment properties in the San Francisco Bay and Portland areas. She moved to Central Oregon in 2010. Gail has earned a Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation from the National Assn. of Realtors.

Welcome to the team everyone!

Risk Vs. Reward: Bend, Oregon Real Estate Values...Second Installment!

This is the second installment in a series article written by David Pease of The Garner Group Real Estate in Bend, Oregon. To read the first installment see our blog post from last week. The article in its entirety originally appeared in Bend, Oregon's newspaper, The Bulletin.

Bend displays evidence that all real estate is local.

“Don’t be unduly influenced by national news reports describing a housing Armageddon,” Sandy Garner of The Garner Group advised. “By definition, they don’t reflect local or even regional conditions. Reports come from different sources on different days. It’s a classic example of mixing apples and oranges.”

Even within Bend there are market fluctuations. NorthWest Crossing, the Bend, Oregon neighborhood where The Garner Group is headquartered, has created an environment that is attracting builders and home buyers, and supporting prices, on a scale not measured elsewhere.

As documented previously in The Bulletin, 48 of the 62 single-family building permit requests filed with the city during the first six months of 2011 were for homes in NorthWest Crossing. The neighborhood marketed as Shevlin Pines was second, with 13 permits.

Freddie Mac statistics show annual average commitment rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages peaked at 16.63% in 1981 and did not recede into single digits until 1991, when the annual average was 9.25%.

Rates have largely been below five per cent in 2010 and so far in 2011. The rate for June was 4.51 per cent.

We have one last installment of this article series coming next week!