Blog
Property Management: Redmond Changes Utility Billing for Rentals
Citing nearly $500,000 in uncollected utility debt, Redmond, Oregon's City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, May 28, to make owners of rental homes directly responsible for water, sewer and garbage bills. Apparently not wanting to risk any more uncollected debt,...
Home Buying: Existing Home in an Unfinished Development
You finally found it! Your dream home. There are three bedrooms with the master on the main floor. A huge bonus room and a fenced yard for the kids to play in. The kitchen is bigger than you hoped for and it doesn't need to be updated. The house is in the perfect...
Property Management: Rental Market in Bend Still Strong
The strong rental market in Bend, Oregon continues to pay real estate investors well with rising rents, low vacancy rates and solid appreciation. The Central Oregon rental market has been getting stronger for the last couple years but it's not too late for investors...
House Flipping: Get an Inspection
When house prices are rising flipping houses becomes more popular to investors. Lately at Preferred Residential we are seeing more real estate investors coming into the real estate market with the intent of flipping. House flipping is defined as buying and selling a...
Do Investors Need a Real Estate Agent?
I think if you asked 10 real estate investors at least eight of them would say they don't need a real estate agent to be successful. Investors are a proud group with an entrepreneurial spirit who like to do things on their own but the smart ones also know there is...
Descutes County DIAL Has New Look
Deschutes County launched a new version of their online property search in January 2013. The service is called DIAL, as in dial up the property information you are looking for. The look of the new Deschutes County DIAL is the first improvement users will notice....
Hire a Property Manager or Manage it Yourself?
It's that age old question for real estate investors, "Should I manage the property myself or hire a property manager?" Sure, we might be a little biased about what we think your answer to that question should be but we understand and appreciate those who chose...
Study Questions Accuracy of Trulia and Zillow
This blog post is not intended as an indictment or criticism of sites like Trulia and Zillow. Instead the intention is to educate and inform. Zillow and Trulia offer a wealth of information for home buyers and for sellers a large number of eyeballs view listings on...
Get Your Home Ready for Spring and Summer
Most people think of spring as a time for cleaning but preparing your home for the summer months is just as important as getting it ready for winter. Here are some tips for bringing your home out of winter hibernation. Inside Clean or replace the filter on your...
How we Decide Which Mortgage Lenders to Recommend
Inside Mortgage Finance recently published the results of their study regarding the role real estate agents play in determining who their clients use to obtain a mortgage. The survey, Key Factors in the Referral of Homebuyers to Mortgage Originators,...
Premier Ski & Golf Destination: Bend, Oregon
Bend is well known as being a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. The list of available outdoor activities is wide ranging from white water rafting to mountain biking, snowmobiling to paddle boarding, and fishing to camping. But Bend is perhaps best known for...
Strong Rental Market in Bend, Oregon
Each year the Central Oregon Rental Owners Association (COROA) publishes the results of their annual member survey. The survey is not scientific but does offer some insight into the Central Oregon rental market. This year there were 175 responses to...
Should You List Your Home for Sale in Winter?
Conventional wisdom says that you should not list your home for sale during the winter because potential buyers are occupied with the holidays, the days are shorter, and bad weather prevents or discourages many courages many potential buyers from touring homes. The...
Is Your Home Ready for Winter?
It’s time to make sure your homes are ready for winter. Homes are usually our single biggest investment yet we often don’t protect them the way we should. Here is a list of inexpensive maintenance items that can prevent expensive fixes in the middle of...
What is Deschutes County DIAL?
What is Deschutes County Dial? Did you know that you can look up a property online and find out who owns it and how much they paid for it? It's true and it is really easy. Deschutes County Dial is a great online system for public real estate records managed by the...
Buying a home with a Realtor? Why?
In this information age that we live, many of us feel more empowered than ever to do things on our own. More and more people these days are buying a home without the help of a real estate agent. After all, the law doesn't require that you have an agent representing...