Zero Energy? We Say Hip, Hip Hooray!

We are pleased to be co-listing (with GoBend Realty) a Zero Net Energy Home in NorthWest Crossing, being built by SolAire Homebuilders in Bend. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the property, which is located in Bend, Oregon on the corner of Dorian Way and Newport Hills Drive, last Tuesday.

What does "Zero Net" mean you may ask? Just that - the home will contain features that that define the most advanced elements of green building. It will use a combination of passive and active solar energy to average zero electrical consumption over the course of a year. Building materials, finishes and mechanical systems will embrace healthy home, clean air and sustainable building concepts. There's some more information on the concept here.

At The Garner Group in Bend, Oregon, we believe in going green. Many of our agents are green-certified. Our offices are located in the sustainable Bend, Oregon neighborhood of NorthWest Crossing. We are so excited to represent this new home, which is scheduled to be in the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes 2011.

The home will qualify for certification as an Earth Advantage Zero Net Energy Home, Earth Advantage Platinum Home, Energy Star Home, Energy Trust of Oregon Advanced Performance Home and Oregon Department of Energy High Performance Home.

Open House in Bend, Oregon: Just Like the Old Days!

Last week, we hosted an open house in the Bend, Oregon neighborhood of Shevlin Pines, which has developed building sites and new homes near Shevlin Park on Bend's west side. Our 100 or so visitors loved the new neighborhood, commenting often on the larger lots and variety of builders that are building homes. This range of influences in home design keeps the streetscapes away from that "cookie cutter" feeling of many new areas.

The festive, positive atmosphere of this open house reminded us of events we used to hold during the glory days of Bend, Oregon real estate! Many visiting builders expressed interest in buying lots in the next phase of Shevlin Pines, which will be released in early spring 2011. The number of lots to be released in that phase are being determined over the next couple of weeks.

The best news of all? The home in which we were holding the open house SOLD during the open house! Luckily, our agent Shelley Griffin had a SOLD sign in her car to put up!

Bend, Oregon Real Estate 2010 Report Card

We are proud to say that we've just completed our third year as an independent real estate company on an optimistic note. The number of transactions we closed in 2010 was up 27% from 2009. Counting new residential construction in Bend, Oregon we were Number One in dollar volume at the end of the year with nearly 20% of the market. A snapshot taken among Central Oregon MLS members in late February 2011 ranked us No. 3 in Bend residential listings by dollar volume and No. 4 by number of listings, both up from the end of 2010. We continue to add new brokers and now have 19 licensed agents engaged in real estate sales. We realize success is something that is earned and we are grateful to our clients, builders and colleagues in the Bend, Oregon real estate community.

By the way, are you following us on twitter @thegarnergroup? Do you like us on Facebook? If not, please connect with us on social media to stay up-to-date on all the latest happenings!

What Is With All This Snow Anyway?

It's just about an even split here in Bend, Oregon: half the population loves all this white fluffy stuff and have used up all their sick days to spend flying down Mt. Bachelor, and half the population is huddled by the fire counting the days until summer. Is this amount of snow "normal" for Bend? A little look at history may tell us:

For the period between January of 1928 and December of 2005, the average maximum temperature for February was 45.2 degrees, with an average low of 24 degrees (that's looking pretty balmy as we stare -2 degrees in the face for tonight)! Average total snowfall for the month was only 3.2 inches. Looking outside, we'd say we've far exceeded that so far this February. In fact, the storm mid-month brought more than 9" overnight to some places in Bend, Oregon!

Many visitors have been asking us if this weather is normal, and based on historical data, the amount of snowfall we've gotten this year is above average, and temperatures are colder than normal. So, if you like snow - get your gear on and get out and enjoy it! You can even Nordic ski right here in town! If you don't - well, it's likely next year will be a completely different story - and we do have very beautiful summers here in Bend, Oregon. Happy winter!

The View From My Seat ;Bend Oregon Real Estate

As transaction coordinator for Bend, Oregon real estate company The Garner Group, I really feel it when things pick up because action in our sales office keeps me hopping! And lately, I’ve been very busy and noticing some interesting trends:

1. Multiple Offer Situations
My husband, who buys homes, was recently one of thirteen offers on a single property in the $250,000 range. Another agent in our Bend, Oregon office mentioned that she was ready to make an offer on a home, and when she called the listing agent there were 27 offers already made on the property. In fact, four other agents at The Garner Group have run into similar problems recently.

2. Low Inventory
Inventory in MLS is the lowest it’s been in a long time, with only 495 residential listings in Bend, Oregon right now. Last month’s inventory was in the 570 range, so this would indicate that houses are selling faster than agents can list them! (Seems like the perfect time to list a home, yes?)

3. Transactions, Transactions (I’m Busy!)
In January of this year I opened 41 transactions with 38 of those accepted and on schedule to close. To have 93 percent of the transaction written in our Bend, Oregon real estate office come together and close is fantastic. This is compared to January 2010, when I opened more than 30 transactions and only had 13 that closed as scheduled.

Another interesting note: MLS average sales price for 2010 was $191,750. The Garner Group average sales price for 2010 was $320,089. I think that’s pretty awesome and wanted to share! We’re working hard as your Bend, Oregon real estate experts.

Two New Brokers Join The Garner Group in Bend, Oregon

We're pleased to add two new agents to our Bend, Oregon real estate team! Both are licensed brokers in the state of Oregon.

Arlene Edwards has held an Oregon license since moving to Bend from California in 2008. A native of southern California, she was licensed in that state between 1991 and 2002, during which time she marketed new home communities for several large national building companies. She has earned the Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP) designation from the National Assn. of Home Builders’ Institute of Residential Marketing, an advanced course designed for specialists in new home sales.

Victoria Davis earned her Oregon real estate license in 2010. A native of Kennewick, Wash., she graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BS degree in geology. Her professional experience includes conducting hydrogeologic site studies for municipalities, private and corporate clients and environmental site assessments triggered by real estate acquisitions, permitting or divestiture. Victoria was a licensed Realtor in the state of Washington during the late 1990s, practicing in the Tri-Cities area.

Welcome Victoria and Arlene!

It's Still a Buyer's Market In Bend, Oregon

While falling home prices may not be the news some homeowners want to hear right now, it is true that these trends are making it easier than ever to buy a new home in one of the best places on earth - Bend, Oregon! In a recent news broadcast on our Bend, Oregon real estate market (our own Sara Garner Lafaver was interviewed), a cited report showed that median home prices have dropped 57 percent over the last five years.

See the full story at the KTVZ web site here: http://www.ktvz.com/news/26474780/detail.html

This is not bad news for those looking to buy here in Bend, Oregon - there are some wonderful deals on homes and many are hoping that visitors will decide to take up permanent residence with us. Are you a buyer looking for a home in Bend? We're the experts! Contact us today at info@thegarnergroup.com or call at 541-383-4360.