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.

Top 5 Things You Need to Do When Selling Your Home

Cleaning up your act may seem like common sense when putting your home on the market, but many real estate agents will attest to the fact that numerous homes on the market miss the mark. In a brief (and decidedly unscientific) survey of a cross-section of our agents at The Garner Group, some common themes quickly emerged when it came to advice for home sellers. So, if you are selling your home, remember this practical advice for the top five things you can do to have good showings and, ultimately, sell your home!

Number Five:  Do the Repairs
If you know what home repairs need to be completed, do them before you list your home for sale.  If not, take the initiative and have a home inspection done on your dime. The inspector may find things you weren’t even aware of, and fixing them could help you close a sale when it comes right down to it.

Number Four: Curb Appeal
Clean up the outside. Curb appeal and first impressions are literally enough to make or break a sale. If buyers don’t like what they see when they first pull up, it is unlikely that they will even come inside, or – if they do make it inside – their minds will already be made up on the property.  And it won’t be in your favor.

Number Three: Price It Right
Listen to your agent – he or she is an expert in market values in your area. Do some research and market analysis on your own and you’ll have a good chance at landing on a fair price that will move your home quickly. Markets are always shifting and changing so having someone whose scrutinizes the real estate industry daily on your side is a big plus.

Number Two: Make it Smell Nice
Get a thorough cleaning by a professional before you list your home. This will give you a good starting point as you keep your home at “showable” quality throughout the sales process. If someone walks in a house that isn’t clean, or smells bad, it is an instant turnoff. Make sure there are no pet odors and that garbage has been taken out regularly. Our sense of smell affects every other sense in the body – including the desire to buy (or not buy) a home.

Number One: Clear the Clutter
Far and away, the number one piece of advice from experienced agents to home sellers: clean up your act. De-clutter, organize, get rid of your personal belongings – even if you have to rent a storage unit. Buyers want to envision the home with their own things inside of it, and that’s hard to do if a seller’s items are strewn all about. 

For more tips on Bend, Oregon real estate, visit us at The Garner Group Real Estate! 

MUSE Conference in Bend, Oregon: Proud Sponsor

We're always looking for meaningful ways to be involved in our community of Bend, Oregon, and that's why we're so excited about our second year of sponsorship for the MUSE Conference. This annual women's conference was designed to support and celebrate girls and women - inspiring them to create positive change in their lives and in the world. The Garner Group - and the whole community - is welcoming the conference back to Bend this March 7-9. 

Track the MUSE Conference on social media for all the latest updates - they are bringing in some amazing activists, artists, educators and visionaries. Just a few of the presenters on the three-day docket include: Zainab Salbi, the founder of Women for Women International; Amy Richards, co-founder of the Third Wave Foundation, a national organization for young feminist activists; and Lynne Twist, a recognized global visionary and author who once worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. 

So gather up your sisters, mothers, girlfriends, daughters and muses and make sure to attend this fantastic conference - a key example of the wonderful things we can bring into our community if we all work together. 

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! 

Realtor of the Year Award in Bend, Oregon

We are so humbled and honored that the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) has awarded The Garner Group Real Estate LLC with the "2013 Realtor of the Year" award. 

The 2013 COBA Excellence Awards were presented Jan. 23 at the association’s annual awards night gala. COBA presented Excellence Awards in 28 categories.

Our president Sandy Garner, said, “We are grateful for this recognition. New construction has been a major part of our business through the years and our agents have been privileged to work with many of Central Oregon’s finest home builders.”

She noted that the revival of the real estate market over the past year has given builders the opportunity to help ease low inventories. “New construction represented 21 percent of total residential sales in Bend last year, versus 14 percent in 2012,” she said.

The Garner Group is a proud member of COBA and has been a sponsor of the annual COBA Tour of Homes in recent years.

(We're sorry our blog has had a bad case of the "crickets" in the past few months, but we now have some exciting news to share with our Bend, Oregon community! We're BACK! Look here for regular updates in the coming weeks.)

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.