Deb Tebbs Group

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Monthly Archives: June 2012

Make Bend Your Retirement Destination

June 27, 2012 – 3:33 am

Looking for that perfect place to enjoy your retirement?  Many retirees these days are picking mountain towns over crowded beaches, and Bend, Oregon is one of the best.  Combining modern luxury with rustic tradition, Bend has something for everyone.

Bend’s most impressive feature is its natural surroundings.  The town straddles the beautiful Deschutes River and is backed up to the majestic Cascade mountain range.  It is encompassed by the Deschutes National Forest, and is home to a wide variety of wildlife.  Summer in Bend is a sight to behold, the High Desert keeping the days warm and the nights cool.  Winter brings fantastic snow, turning Bend into a winter wonderland.  Throughout the year, Bend is home to some of the best weather in the Pacific Northwest.

All this great weather means that Bend boasts an incredible amount of recreational opportunities for retirees, at all times throughout the year.  Is golf your game?  Bend is home to eight courses, with more available in nearby communities.  Some of them, such as the Nicklaus course at the Pronghorn Club and Resort, are top-rated on national lists.  Retirees looking for the ultimate golf experience should definitely check out both Pronghorn and Tetherow; both offer sublime courses as well as fantastic home ownership opportunities.

Bend isn’t only for golfers.  Fishers will find plenty to love about the Deschutes River, which offers an astounding 252 miles of fishable water, as well as the numerous smaller rivers such as the Metolious and the John Day.  And if you ever get tired of the rivers, there’s always the multitude of pristine lakes and reservoirs.  Central Oregon is an angler’s dream, with plenty of opportunities for both fly fishers as well as lure fishers.  Trout and steelhead are the fish that Bend is known for, and Fly-Fishing Magazine named it one of the top ten fly fishing towns in the nation.

For the slightly more adventurous, Bend offers access to world-class rock climbing at nearby Smith Rock, as well as an incredible number of hiking and biking trails that wind throughout the mountainsides and forests.  A few miles from Bend, Lake Billy Chinook is a boater’s paradise, and several companies offer white-water rafting tours of the Deschutes.

Winter brings some of the best skiing in the country to Mt. Bachelor, as well as plenty of space for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice skating.  The natural splendor of Bend becomes even more breathtaking as everything from the tall firs of the forest to the peaks on the horizon is covered in a coat of pure white snow.  Bend in the winter truly projects a sense of serenity.

The town itself also offers a broad range of activities for retirees.  Bend is home to some fantastic boutique shopping experiences, and has an active nightlife.  For the food and beverage lover, there are a variety of top-class restaurants as well as ten local microbreweries.  Bend also hosts the Summer Festival, as well as multiple big name concerts every year.

One of the best reasons to retire in Bend is the Real Estate market.  The median home price is down since the recession, so now is the time to find a home at a fantastic deal.  CNN Money has named it one of the top retirement towns in the nation.  It’s your retirement; pick a place to call home that you won’t regret.  Get in touch with the Deb Tebbs Group today for information on how to make Bend your retirement destination.

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Summertime Activities in Bend Oregon

June 19, 2012 – 6:36 pm

Bend may be famous for its world-class skiing, but it turns into a veritable playground in the summer.  From biking to hiking to all manner of water-related pursuits, Bend is the place to be.  Here’s a brief rundown on just some of the activities that make Bend special:

Mt. Bachelor

One of the world’s premier ski locations transforms into a summer recreation hotspot when the sun comes out.  Summiting the mountain is a popular activity and there are several spots that are perfect to start from.  You can start in either of the resort’s parking lots, or you can ride the chairlift from West Village to the Pine Marten Lodge and then continue the climb to the 9,065 foot summit from there.  The chairlift is a fantastic family option, and the Lodge offers a wide variety of food for lunchtime.

Mt. Bachelor also maintains a fantastic disc golf course that is listed by the Professional Disc Golf Association.  An 18 hole course, it stretches from the Outback area to West Village and crosses a range of different terrain types.  Looking for something more out of the ordinary?  Take a summer dog sled ride with a four-time Iditarod musher!

Whitewater Rafting

Rafting the Lower Deschutes is easily one of Bend’s most famous summertime activities, and it should not be missed.  The best rapids can be found near the town of Maupin, with multiple outfitters available to take you on tours of Boxcar and Oak Springs rapids.  These Class 3 rapids will get your heart racing, and professional photographers are there to capture the most exciting moments of your trip.

Cycling

Bend is one of the best cycling areas in the country, and it shows in the summertime. From the Urban Trails of Bend to the world-famous mountain biking tracks, there’s something for cyclists of every skill level.  Many companies offer a wide range of tours as well, such as the Paulina Plunge, a mountain bike tour that takes you to several amazing waterfalls and swimming holes.  Bend also is home to a variety of cycling shops and rental centers for all your biking needs.

Spelunking

One of Central Oregon’s defining geological features is the extensive system of lava tubes.  These caves are far underground and stay at a constant temperature of around 45 degrees, making them an excellent escape from the heat of summer.  There are upwards of 400 lava tubes in Central Oregon, many of them on public land.  Be sure to check with local tour guides to see the best spots that are unavailable to the public.  Of particular note is the Lava River Cave, the longest continuous lava tube in Central Oregon, measuring nearly 7,000 feet in length.  This is a fantastic cave for the family, as it features improved trails and handrails.

Trail Running

Bend, Oregon is home to over 50 miles of in-town trails maintained by the Bend Metro Parks and Recreation service.  This is only the beginning, however, as the surrounding countryside is crisscrossed by hundreds of miles of various trails.  The volume of trails, combined with Bend’s exceptional weather, makes it one of the best places in the country to run.  It was even named “America’s Best Trail Running Town” by Outside Magazine.  One of the most popular trails in town is an 11-mile dirt trail that runs along the Deschutes River from one end of town to the other.  Also be sure to explore Shelvin Park, which boasts over 600 acres of old growth forest and Tumalo Creek.

There’s plenty to do in Bend; this list only scratches the surface.  Keep checking back on this blog for more summer guides, and be sure to check out the properties available through the Deb Tebbs Group for all your Central Oregon Real Estate needs.

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Home Builders See Market Improving in 2012

June 14, 2012 – 5:01 pm

Thanks to a variety of factors, homebuilders in the US are reporting the most-improved spring selling season in seven years. Mortgage rates are hitting record lows, job markets are improving, and shrinking inventories are attracting more potential buyers to consider home ownership. It all adds up to an increase in buyer confidence and the potential end to a multi-year slump in the national real estate market.

According to the Commerce Department, purchases of new homes went up 3.3 percent in April from the previous month. The biggest homebuilders in America reported an average 25 percent increase in purchase contracts in the first quarter of 2012, which is the largest jump since 2005.

Mortgage rates are dropping to all-time lows, spurring home sales. According to Freddie Mac, mortgage rates for 30-year loans fell to 3.78 percent, which is the lowest in Freddie Mac records since 1971. The Federal Reserve has also vowed to hold interest rates near zero through the end of 2014, and has also bought home loan bonds to lower borrowing costs.

Housing starts in the first quarter jumped 20 percent from a year ago, according to a Houston-based firm that monitors new construction in 84 metropolitan areas.  In Phoenix, new housing starts jumped 58 percent, and they jumped 30 percent in Northern California.  Inventory of finished new homes is down 13.4 percent from the previous year.

One of the big positive signs is the increase in demand for new homes.  While demand for existing homes has been rising for months, this has been largely driven by investors and distressed property sales. An increase in demand for new homes is a sign that traditional homebuyers are getting more involved again. Homebuyers are now choosing to pay a premium for a new home over a foreclosed one because foreclosed properties often come with a lot of hidden costs in the form of maintenance.

About 5,000 potential buyers showed up for the opening of nine model homes last weekend at The Bridges, a community in Delray Beach, Fla. The company used golf carts to shuttle customers from their cars and sold 18 homes over the weekend and another handful during the week. The company, which sells homes in the community for about $500,000 to $1.5 million, has raised prices about 5 percent since preconstruction sales began in February.

Rising rent across the country is driving more and more Americans with good credit to consider home ownership.  Rent has increased nearly 1 percent since the previous quarter, which is the largest jump since the recession began.  The economic pressures of renting are making home ownership a much more viable alternative for many people.

The Central Oregon market has certainly seen an increase in new home construction, and with loans as low as they are now is the time to consider home ownership for yourself. To see the best that the region has to offer, get in touch with the Deb Tebbs Group and let us show you what makes Central Oregon so special.

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