Laura Gwyn Properties — Salem Oregon Real Estate and Property Management

Complete Your Home Servicing Fall and Winter Checklist

November 2, 2010

It’s November and that means Home Winterization! Can you believe November is already here? Have you started your Home Winterization Checklist? Our limited summer caused fall and winter to slip in unnoticed. The gentleman that services the homes I manage is out getting ours done today. He is installing foundation vents, draining lines, cleaning off roofs, gutters, downspouts, picking up leaves etc. If you have ever bought or sold a home with me, you probably had a full home inspection completed. You should have received a book with seasonal checklists on how to [...]

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Did a deal "old school" and got 2 thumbs up!

October 27, 2010

Ralph Silbernagel closed and wrote me 10/20/10: I met Ricky Guaderrama by walking into the Key Bank in Stayton. I have only bought 2 homes before so I really didn’t know much about the process or what to expect. I am almost to retirement age, don’t have email or a cell phone and work around the clock. I am really hard to reach and have very little time for this whole real estate process. I told him I wasn’t going to be easy. He said that wouldn’t be a problem. [...]

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September Existing-Home Sales Show Another Strong Gain

October 26, 2010

Existing-home sales rose again in September, affirming that a sales recovery has begun, according to the National Association of Realtors®. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said the housing market is in the early stages of recovery. For a complete copy of this article click http://bit.ly/9K5pNl You can also watch a short video of him going over some statistics. In the West, we are up 5% in sales, values are down 4.9%, the national median price for a home is $171,700. Right now we have a 10.7 month supply of homes. I will [...]

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An Evening with Chef Kim Boyce, Good to the Grain

October 19, 2010

I have just come back from spending the evening at Bob’s Red Mill with Kim Boyce. She is a pastry chef who has recently moved to Portland from the Los Angeles area. She worked at Spago and Campanile in LA, as well as other fab Hollywood locales. She’s been featured in and written for Bon Appétit as well as Los Angeles Times, and others. After writing for the LA Times, it was suggested she put together a cookbook. She said it felt right since she was now at home with [...]

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Family Friendly Harvest Party Invitation

October 18, 2010

There are many fun safe alternatives for kids in the Salem Keizer area this Halloween. Visiting malls and the large churches in your neighborhood are great alternatives to door knocking strangers in the dark. If you do not already have a location picked out, please come join our Community Harvest Party! Our Saviors Lutheran Church Community Harvest Party When: Sunday October 31st Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. What: Games, Candy Treats and Prizes Food: Refreshments available, donations accepted Bring: Canned food donations for the Marion-Polk Food Bank Location: Our Saviors Community [...]

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Online Buyers Want More Quality Photos

October 14, 2010

<This pertains to the blog I wrote yesterday so I am re-posting this with permission. ~LG> Do listing photos really sell homes? By Jaclyn Kane, Homes.com Of course they do! Ever hear the saying “a picture is worth 1000 words?” Well this age old saying applies to your real estate listings too! The proven advertising medium for real estate professionals is the Internet, and according to the National Association of Realtors, 93% of homebuyers look online for their next home. The text description on the MLS is very limiting so [...]

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Another Home Sells With Online Showings

October 12, 2010

Online Viewings Beat Physical Showings Again! I just sold another house where once again, the only physical showing we had was the one that made it pending. This has been the trend and it is only going to get better! One showing, one pending, one sale. Technology has really changed the home buying process. 4863 Happy Drive NE sold in 28 days. Stats from just a few of the websites this home was advertised on: Our local multiple listing service – 124 viewings (79 realtors viewed online and 45 were buyers) Realtor.com – [...]

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Pop Warner Football Great Family Fun

October 10, 2010

Pop Warner is a national non-profit organization that provides youth football and cheer/dance programs in 42 states and several countries around the world. It is the largest youth program in the United States. It was founded in 1929 and I can see how it continues to grow. Salem kids play in the Mid Valley Pop Warner League which is based out of Albany. This league is the governing body for the associations of Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Philomath, Salem and Silverton. The organizers try to group the kids by [...]

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