Posts made by author 'Bend Premier Real Estate'

Buying a new home can be one of the most exciting real estate experiences for homeowners. Besides the possibility of picking out colors and interior finishes, being the first to hang a picture, to cook in the kitchen, to move in furniture can all  create memories which turn a new house into a home to treasure for years to come. However, there are several things which home buyers need to be aware when purchasing a new home.

First, when buying in a subdivision, typically the asking price is the price a buyer should expect to pay. The builder, unless he/she has excess inventory which is not moving, needs to keep the price where it is so that future homes he/she builds have good comparables. Sometimes a buyer can negotiate a refrigerator, A/C, fenced backyard, backyard landscaping to be included at the list price, but it is very difficult to get the builder to reduce the asking price. And the earnest money put down on t...

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The National Association of Realtors offers advanced training and certification in several real estate related topics. Among the best certifications for working with sellers is the SRS - Seller Representative Specialist. The SRS course provides the real estate professionals who take the training a foundation in best representing sellers' interests in today's market.

Bend Premier Real Estate is pleased to announce that Anita Keller, Laura Curry, Carrie DiTullio, Lynn Larkin, Sheri Hilton and Tina Roberts have all completed the SRS course and will soon have their SRS designation. These Brokers are taking their seller representation to the next level and show their commitment to be even better in their work with sellers of Central Oregon and Bend Real Estate.

Congratulations ladies!

At the Oregon Association of Realtors' annual conference last week, several presentations touched on recreational marijuana use within the state. We are now 1 year into legalized recreational marijuana and some of the rules and regulations which govern this use have been implemented. Anyone who wishes to engage in the growing, distribution or sales of recreational marijuana needs to be aware of these rules and regulations but also aware that the possession, growth and distribution of marijuana remains a federal crime subject to prosecution, should the Department of Justice ever choose to enforce the federal laws; the Cole Memo has outlined that at the present time, the federal government has elected to keep away from enforcing drug laws in states which have legalized marijuana use.

In Oregon, several counties - mostly in Eastern Oregon - have decided to keep the growing and distribution of marijuana illegal. In Desch...

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Bend Premier Real Estate Brokers worked last Saturday as part of Central Oregon Association of Realtors Adopt a Road. The Brokers worked for several hours on 14th Street between Newport and Galveston. When they were done, they had collected several bags of trash and weeds; the roundabouts at Galveston and Newport looked manicured and cared for. Nice job Dan Cardot, Bill Raven, Sherry Ortega, Jack Zika, Anita Keller, Pualani Helmbrecht, and Stu Hicks!

Home building in Bend has taken big steps toward going "green" whether it be individual "eco-friendly" homes or in the case of Northwest Crossing, an entire subdivision where homes are all Earth Advantage certified. But even if you aren't ready to buy a new green home in Bend, there are several simple ways you can incorporate "green" ideas into your own home in order to reduce energy consumption and your own carbon footprint. 1) Insulate – With heating and cooling accounting for 50% of your home's energy consumption, make sure you have proper insulation and your heating ducts and windows are sealed tight. 2) Appliances – When replacing appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label which offer significant energy savings without compromising performance. 3) Lighting – Upgrade lighting to LED or CFL bulbs. The prices keep coming down and the long term energy savings can be subs...

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