Lots about Lots

When deciding between purchasing a new home and purchasing a lot on which to build a home, you may find a lot fits your needs perfectly. With a lot, you often have more flexibility because you can custom build the home you want on the property of your choice. Your local real estate agent can help you find a lot suitable for your needs. Together, you can carefully consider the lot’s location. While the area you are interested in may be desolate and peaceful at the moment, you should educate yourself regarding future zoning and plans for construction. The land nearby, for example, will probably already be zoned for residential or commercial development. You may want to purchase a lot that will not end up near a busy strip mall or restaurants. Or, you may learn that homes or buildings planned for the future will eventually impede your beautiful view. Also, you will want to consider the lot’s proximity to schools, to your job and to other areas of interest. After looking at numerous lots, you should consider any potential adverse conditions associated with each.

When looking at the lots you are interested in, hire a surveyor to look over the property. He or she will inform you if there are any problems in the land of which you should be aware, including steep drop-offs, drainage problems or poor access roads. You should also make sure all utilities are available in the area, and gas, electricity, sewer and water lines will be able to be run easily into the property. Visit the lot in the morning, afternoon and evening to get a complete feel for the land and environment, including sun and shade patterns and traffic in the area.

Once you have a better idea that a particular lot may be the right one for you, you should hire an architect to ensure your plans for building a home on the property are feasible. Certain lots may be difficult to build on and will call for higher building costs. This could be true, for example, if the grade of the land will require expensive work to put in retaining walls or a driveway on a steep area. Your architect will sit down with you and discuss what you would like to build on the lot, including the square footage, number of floors and rooms and style of the home. Depending on the size and features you are hoping for, you may find one lot will work better for you than another.

While looking at lots, you should work with a local real estate agent to find the best properties for your wants and needs. Whether investing for the future or looking to build, together you can find the right lot for you.

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How Not To Sell a House

johnny cash port richey house (Photo credit: the past tends to disappear)

We often rant about real estate in Lebanon Oregon and ways to help you sell your home at a great price. Here a few of the big mistakes people make when looking to sell a home or get a good offer. Many of these are simply common sense items, but they are the most common ones for some reason.

A. Going in without a plan - This is the biggest problem when people want to accomplish any goal, and selling a home is certainly no small goal. When you finally decide that you want your home to be sold, know what price range you will be willing to take, the way you will be advertising your property, and how long you expect it to be on the market before reconsidering your game plan. The homes that are on the market for years upon years are the ones that are missing one of these key steps and are stuck in a rut going nowhere fast.

B. Not bringing in help - Real estate agents can sometimes be a bit pricey in the long run, but the good ones that know your local market and have been in the business for a long time can provide you with valuable tips and ways the help you sell your home faster. Remember, they have the same goal as you, and although they may want to sell your home at a faster rate, they still want to help you sell it.

C. Not having enough Open Houses - Sometimes biting the bullet and making your home available for an open house on a great weekend is what you have to do to make your home easier to sell. Most people would rather have their open houses in the middle of the workweek, but not everyone can accomodate those plans, and you have to find ways to get everyone interested the opportunity to take a look at your home. If there is anyone in particular you know that is interested, make special arrangements for them to look at your home, and always ask your agent their opinion before opening up your home.

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Oregon is the State of the Day

Oregon (Photo credit: B_Zedan)

Oregon is one of the most visited states in the US in terms of internal visitors, and for a population so small, tourism makes up a big chunk of their industry. Along with tourism, it is one of the few states where real estate is a positive thing to talk about. Some markets like real estate in Albany Oregon has been doing great. What else can we learn from this great state? Here are a few interesting things to note about its history.

The first people to live in Oregon came in around 15,000 years ago, and have been living there ever since. Cave markings have been found on the walls, found mostly along the lower Columbia River. The first European explorers to come to the area were actually Spanish, but they never set up any major bases, which is why most of the present day cities have no Spanish names.

Everyone has heard of the Oregon Trail, but why was the destination Oregon? Simply because it had some of the most fertile soil in the US, making it an ideal place to farm. The great migration of people to Oregon set up strong economies and trading routes for many generations to come, and eventually led to Oregon being recognized as a state in 1859.

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Fanatical Mower Man

We used to live on a fairly quiet tree-lined street in an older "Beaver Cleaver" type home. Our two-story home was neat and tidy, and we had a picket fence out front, a lovely garden, and well-manicured lawn. Our home blended in with most of our neighbors, though we added a few more plants and fixtures to make it our own.

Down on the corner lived "Anal Mower Guy." We called him that because he was a fanatic about his yard. He had what you would call a "postage stamp" lot, with a few mature trees and some shrubbery. His home, garage, sidewalk and driveway took up most of the green space, however, so there wasn't a lot of grass to mow.

It took "Anal Mower Guy" approximately five hours to do his yard every week. He cleaned his mower. He edged the yard around the sidewalk and drive. He mowed, a different direction each week. He pruned shrubs. He raked the grass (even when it wasn't fall)! He weeded the two little flower beds. He blew the grass clippings off the pavement. He swept the edge of the street where tiny bits of grass clippings wandered. He went around each tree with his electric trimmer. He cleaned his mower. He put everything away. He stood back and looked at his creation.

There's something to be said for taking good care of your yard. Don't you wish everyone did?

(Don't you wish someone would sneak into your yard in the middle of the night and perform this miracle of mowing on yours?)


This article was written by Caron and originally appeared here

Manufacturing is Picking Up

Great Seal of The State of Alabama (Photo credit: Wikipedia)One way to know how well a region real estate market is doing is by taking a look at how their local industries are doing. That's why we'd like to put the Southern state of Alabama as places to watch for real estate developments. The state was just featured on CNN Money today for enjoying the best increase in industrial manufacturing within the last five years. Not only is it benefiting with local companies and industries, foreign manufacturing companies have been racing to the state to take a piece of the manufacturing opportunities the state of Alabama has made so enticing.
Alabama is not the only state however that is seeing growth in a surprising industry. States like Indiana, Florida and Georgia have all seen stronger increase in their industrial industry. Car manufacturers and valve manufacturers like the Valtorc Flow Control Valves have taken off nationally and internationally, and are all thanks to the strong growth.
So if you're in the manufacturing industry and are looking for new work or a fresh start, Alabama might not be such a bad idea!

City of Corvallis

The logo for the Oregon State University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most beautiful areas along the Pacific coast in the United States is the entire state of Oregon. Luckily, I had a chance to make a few stops throughout the state, a few years ago and I was able to come across the great city of Corvallis. I loved the time I spent in that town more than any other place I visited. Here a few reasons why I enjoyed the town so much:

Academically, the state of Oregon is well known for the University of Oregon, which consistently has a powerful football program with funky uniforms. However, Oregon State University is known as one of the top universities in the United States, and is just a short drive down from Corvallis. All the students there have a great passion and understanding of the environment, and actively recruit their community to do their part to save the planet.

Because the area is populated with thousands of college aged students, there are always things to do and places to go out to. Going off of this, USA Today ranks Corvallis as one of the top places to live for both young adults and families. Nightclubs, bars and late eateries are all over the downtown area, but there are also restaurants, parks and great schools throughout the area, truly making it an excellent place for any age.

If you're ever considering getting up and moving to someplace new, Corvallis might be a great spot. Take a look at homes for sale in Corvallis Oregon to see if there's anything that fits your fancy.

Visit Switzerland!

View of Matterhorn and Dent d'Hérens from Tête Blanche, Switzerland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Whether you are a thrill seeker, looking to explore the great outdoors and mountanous terain of Switzerland, or you are looking for a great place to ski in the Alps for you next winter vacation, Switzerland is a terrific place to visit. Here's a few reasons why:

Friendly people
Switzerland is known to have some of the friendliest people in Europe. Meeting someone fun and friendly on your vacation trip can make the experience even more memorable.

Scenery
If you're not coming to Switzerland to partake in physical activities, then taking in the scenery is certainly entertaining enough. The Alps are relatively young mountains, which results in majestic mountain peaks and extreme cliffs that you can't find anywhere else in the world.

Adventure Activities
The unique and intense terrain of Switzerland offers a mecca for adventure activities. Paragliders, bungee jumpers and rock climbers flock to Switzerland every year. If you are not experienced in such activities, you can always hire the help of trained professionals.

If you're looking for a place to stay in Switzerland, there are plenty of options. Many hostels, including the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, offer great amenities at a nice low price. For as nice of a town Interlaken is, Interlaken Hostel prices are quite low.