Memorial Day

Every Memorial Day my family and I always do something that helps us remember the men and women that risk their lives for our freedom. This year we went to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington Park. What a great experience. Every year on Memorial Day they read the Oregon men that died in the Vietnam war. As the names were being read, you can see many Vietnam vets wiping tears from their eyes. My wife asked one of the vets if he knew anyone that died. He said no, but the guy next to him lost his brother.

It is a sobering reminder how much is risked then and now for our freedom. I am very thankful we live in such a great country.

A Nice Note About Our Lender

Hi Adam,

Just wanted to extend a very heartfelt thank you for all that you did to make this happen. We know that if it hadn't been for your efforts we wouldn't have made it. I am sorry for the stress it caused you...it was certainly dropped in your lap like a bomb shell and you just hit the ground running. I have never been through such a stressful month! If we ever have an opportunity to recommend your expertise, we certainly will!

Regards,

Concha and Merritt

 

***Adam Ansteth with Wells Fargo can be reached at 503-720-4000

Arbor Pass Is Hard At Work






We currently have 4 buildings under construction, 8 homes are sold so far. 2 more buildings will start by June. We will soon be sold out, come by and see if we have your dream home.

Arbor Custom Homes In The News

It is nice to see some great news from the media. Here is a link to a news segment that Arbor Custom Homes was featured in. Check out this link:  Housing Construction Inches Up

Good News In The Housing Market

April Residential Highlights



Comparing April 2012 with


April 2011 shows improvement


in both pending and closed sales,


which were also up compared to


the previous month. There were


2,365 accepted offers, 18.0% more


than the 2,005 reported in April


2011 and 4.1% more than the


2,272 in the previous month. In


fact, with the exception of March


and April of 2010 which were


impacted by deadlines for the


First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit,


the number of pending sales is


higher than any month since


August 2007. The 1,822 closed


sales represent a 13.1% increase


over the same month last year,


when 1,611 were recorded, and


7.6% more than the 1,694 sales in


March.


New listings this April (3,038)


were down slightly compared to


April last year (3,099), but rose


5.3% compared to March (2,886).


The unsold inventory is the lowest


it has been since June 2007. It


would take only 4.7 months to


sell the 8,523 active listings at the


April rate of sales.


Year-to-Date


Compar ing the f irst four


months of 2012 with the same


period in 2011 shows closed sales


increased 13.1% from 5,513 to


6,236. Pending sales were up by


17.5% increasing from 6,806 to


8,000. New listings were down


9.7% at 12,378 versus 11,182. Total


time on market decreased 18.3%


from 161 to 132.


When comparing homes prices


year-to-date this year and last,


there is less than 1% difference


in both median sales price and


average

© Copyright RMLS™ 2012. All Rights Reserved

Mother's Day 2012

Every Mother's Day I work. So it has become tradition that my wife, daughter and mother in law go out for a date on Mother's Day. My mother in law took a very nice picture of my wife and daughter during their date today. Happy Mother's Day to the best mother on the planet!

And The Sold Signs Keep Coming

It would be an understatement that the market is changing. We have sold quite a few homes here in the past week. We still have homes that will be ready in June, but won't last forever. Come in and see what's left.

Why Portland Is So Amazing

Arbor Custom Homes Gets Another Award

Tulip Farm

Here is my daughter at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. We make the trip there every year. This year I could not go due to work being so busy! We live in such an amazing area that we can enjoy such beauty. I have to say, although the tulips are beautiful, my daughter is much more beautiful!

Birthday Party At The Clubhouse

Here is one of Arbor Pass' families celebrating their kid's birthday party at our clubhouse. They brought in a puppeteer to put on a show for the kids. The kids enjoyed the show, but I think the adults enjoyed it more. Everyone had such a great time.

I love that we have a clubhouse here at Arbor Pass to have parties in. It so nice for the homeowners to have a place that is large enough to house such a big group.

Summer's Almost Here

It is a beautiful day here at Arbor Pass. The weather is a touch over 70, perfect.

Homes of the Future: What’s Hot and What’s Not

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Metropolitan Portland announces the Ultimate Open House New Home Tour, presented by NW Natural and Standard TV & Appliance. Designed especially for homebuyers interested in new construction, two inspiration-filled weekends will offer the latest in new home trends, smart sustainability and affordable home options on April 28 & 29 and May 5 & 6, 2012, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The event is free for the public.

WHAT: The Ultimate Open House New Home Tour has changed the way homes built by premiere builders are sold. The tour not only provides a showcase for top builders, it simultaneously helps homebuyers find and purchase their ultimate new home. Homes run the gamut in size, price range, style (also incorporating townhomes and condominiums) and location across Portland and its suburbs.

The first ten people to buy a tour home during the dates of the tour with a natural gas furnace and water heater will receive a gas bill credit of $800 courtesy of NW Natural.

WHERE: New homes throughout Portland and surrounding suburbs will be featured. NW Natural has created a smartphone application for the event that can be used to navigate to each location.

WHEN: April 28 & 29 and May 5 & 6 / 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

COST: Free

BUILDERS: Participating builders include: Arbor Custom Homes; Legend Homes; Gertz Fine Homes; Stone Bridge Homes NW; Renaissance Homes; Monza Homes; Everett Custom Homes; Portland Development Group, LLC; Maratona Homes, LLC; TA Liesy Homes NW, LLC; Fish Construction NW, LLC; JT Roth Construction, Inc.; Westlake Development; Olin Homes; Pacific Lifestyle; Pahlisch Homes; and Hutchinson Home Builders.

WHO: The HBA of Metropolitan Portland produces the Ultimate Open House New Home Tour, presented by NW Natural and Standard TV & Appliance. Additional sponsors include Energy Trust of Oregon and Metros.

A Note From Claire

Arbor Custom Homes;


As a new home owner in your Arbor Pass community, I thought I would take a moment and recognize the quality employee you have in Chris Korenthal. He has been a true professional during this entire process for me. He has answered all questions and concerns for me and really helped during this process. I would certainly recommend any of my friends and family to this community, largely based on the knowledge Chris has about the homes he is selling.
Chris is a good guy, an absolute professional and I feel you are lucky to have someone of his caliber representing Arbor Homes. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at any time.

Thank you,

Claire

Good News From RMLS

March Residential Highlights

Comparing March 2012 with

March 2011 shows improvement

in both pending and closed sales,

which were also up compared to

the previous month. There were

2,272 accepted offers, 12.8% more

than the 2,014 reported in March

2011 and 7.7% more than the 2,109

in the previous month. The 1,694

closed sales represent a 4.9%

increase over the same month last

year, when 1,615 were recorded,

and 34.2% more than the 1,262

sales in February.

New listings this March (2,886)

were down compared to March

last year (3,056), but rose 15.8%

compared to February (2,492). The

combination of fewer new listings

and more closed sales contributed

to the lowest unsold inventory

since June 2007. It would take only

five months to sell the 8,391 active

listings at the March rate of sales.

First Quarter Report

Comparing first quarter 2012

with the same period in 2011

shows closed sales increased

12.2%. There were more closed

sales in the first three months of

2012 than in any first quarter since

2007. Pending sales were up by

18.2% in the quarterly comparison,

with new listings decreasing by

12.0%.

A comparison of first quarter

prices this year and last shows

average sales price declined less

than one half percent. The average

sale price was $251,700 in the

first quarter of this year and

$252,800 in the comparable period

last year. The median sale price

decreased 1.4% ($212,000 this year

and $215,00 in 2011).

Total days on market decreased

by 17.9%, going from 165 in the

first quarter last year to 135 in the

first quarter of 2012.

Happy Easter

A little advance warning that All Arbor New Home Communities will be Closed on Easter Sunday (April 8th) so that we can spend the day with our families.

Happy Easter to you & your family!

Newest Homeowners

Tim and Kelly are Arbor Pass' newest homeowners. We are so excited for them. Come by and welcome them to the neighborhood!

The Crazy Things I Do

This is a video of what my son requested for his 6 year old party. The crazy things I do for the ones that I love!

Busy Busy Busy Once Again

We are officially sold out until late June. Literally, Arbor cannot build the homes quick enough. The market is really turning. Come by and see what homes we have available for June!

..As Home Prices Fall Further, Is It Time to Buy?

Nobody wants to catch a falling knife. It is as simple as that. If potential buyers see continued home price erosion, they will stay parked on the sidelines. But as with everything else in this unique and historic housing market, perhaps the usual logic doesn't apply.

"Housing is one of the great investments right now. I tell people all the time when they come up to me, they say, "What should I do, Mr. Trump?" I say go buy a house," said Donald Trump earlier today on CNBC.

"It wouldn't be an obvious mistake to buy a house now," hedged Robert Shiller, barely a few hours later.

Perhaps they were just jumping off Warren Buffett's declaration yesterday that if he had a way to manage them, he would buy a couple of hundred thousand single family homes and rent them out.

Housing appears to be rated a "buy" these days, especially among investors, who see a ripe and rising rental market and big potential for income. But is it the right time yet for what I call "organic" buyers to get in? By this I mean people buying a home to actually live in it, raise a family in it, let the dog run around in the back yard. If prices are still falling, couldn't an even better deal be waiting down the road a bit?

No. House prices will continue to fall on a national basis at least through 2012, but you have to look past national headlines to your local market, which is likely already recovering nicely. The trouble with the national numbers is that they are heavily weighted toward the lower end of the market and to the distressed end of the market.

Around 73 percent of homes that sold in January were priced below $250,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. Forty-seven percent of homes sold that same month were considered "distressed," which is either a foreclosure or a short sale (where the lender allows the borrower to sell for less than the value of the mortgage). With all the activity in these areas, no surprise that prices skew lower.

The $250,000 to $500,000 price range may now be the sweet spot for the market. Sales in January were up in this price range, and if you have good credit, you are within GSE and FHA loan limits in most markets. While FHA just raised its insurance premiums, which may hurt much-needed first-time homebuyer demand, it is still one of the best loan products out there today, especially for those with lower down payments.

You cannot time housing any more than you can time the stock market. True, housing moves far more slowly, but that works to its benefit, as prices don't rise and fall on daily news or even on major events. Sales have clearly bottomed in housing, and prices always lag sales. They will lag longer this time around, no question, but they will come back. Supply and demand will eventually win out, even after an historic crash. If you can't get a good mortgage now, then perhaps it's not your time, but if you can, waiting may not buy you much.

Questions? Comments? RealtyCheck@cnbc.com And follow me on Twitter @Diana_Olick

So Many Sold Homes

So far this month we have sold 6 homes. That is amazing. We are running out of inventory so much that we currently have 3 buildings under construction at once. We do however have some homes that are move in ready, but don't wait, they may be gone.

Building, Building And Building

As you can see we have been very busy here at Arbor Pass. We currently have 2 buildings under construction with one more starting next week. We are nearly sold out of our show homes. Come by and visit and see what all the fuss is about.

Building 2 Done!

Here are pictures of building 2, ready for sale. The interior shots is our Sussex floorplan that is selling for $124,900. It is our only Sussex that is ready. Come by and view it and make Arbor Pass your new home!

Busy, Busy, Busy

January has been an amazing month. We have been so busy and sold so many homes. We just finished building 2,we have building 21 ready in June and building 22 will be ready in August. Come by and see all the new homes!

The Perfect Amount Of Snow

If you know me, you know that I don't really like snow. One major reason is that I won't drive in it which makes me crazy because I can't get to work. Lately we have had some snow that looks beautiful and does a light dusting. This is a picture of my son playing in the snow at his grandparents in Scappoose. The grandparents saw much more snow than we did. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Clear Capital predicts gains in Portland-area home prices

Home prices fell 3.5 percent in 2011, but are expected to reverse course in 2012.

Portland-area home values fell 3.5 percent percent during 2011 but are expected to stabilize and even post an increase in 2012, the real estate research firm Clear Capital reports.

The California company forecasts a 1.9 percent increase in home values in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton area.

In the company's ranking of 50 major metro areas' home prices, that moves Portland from No. 27 in 2011 to No. 14 in 2012. Exactly half of the markets are expected to post home price increases. The Portland market is also among 20 considered to be stable in 2012, with a predicted increase or decrease of less than 2.5 percent.

The company also reported 15.5 percent of home sales in 2011 were bank-owned foreclosures.

U.S. home prices fell 2.1 percent in 2011 and are expected to gain 0.2 percent in 2012, the firm reports.

The Seattle area was one of the hardest-hit markets in 2011, posting a 15.1 percent decline in prices. Clear Capital predicted the city would lose another 7.5 percent in 2012.

Published: Monday, January 09, 2012, 11:42 AM Updated: Monday, January 09, 2012, 12:36 PM

By Elliot Njus, The Oregonian

Two Happy Homeowners

Jose and Melissa signing for their new home

This is Jose and Melissa. They are the newest homeowners here at Arbor Pass. We are so excited for them, they are such a delight!

Congrats Jose and Melissa on your new home.

Back From Christmas Vacation

Housing sector could be recovering, Washington Post says

The housing sector seems to have finally bottomed, and may even be rebounding, according to The Washington Post, which cited data released over the past several weeks. "Housing has switched from being a drag on overall growth, to modest positive contributions,” the newspaper quotes Brian Bethune, chief economist of Alpha Macroeconomic Foresights. as saying.

Theflyonthewall.com

Merry Christmas From The Korenthal Family

The Korenthal Family Shopping At The Mall

I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Model For Sale

Support Your Local Tree Farm

Building 21 Underway



Building 21 just started and will be ready for moving in, in June



New Winter Hours Starting November 6th

Fall Is In The Air

I think my feminine side came out when I decorated the office. I love fall, probably because growing up in California, the leaves were only 2 colors, green and brown. I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving. Come on in and check out how my decorating looks.

Intel's quarterly outlook beats Street

(Reuters) - Intel Corp forecast quarterly revenue above Wall Street's expectations, defying concerns that the growing popularity of tablets and a shaky economy are eating into demand for personal computers.




Intel said revenue in the current quarter would be $14.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million. Analysts on average had expected current-quarter revenue of $14.23 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.



Intel's processors are used in 80 percent of the world's PCs but the company has failed to gain traction in mobile gadgets like Apple Inc's iPad and Google Inc's Android smartphones. It also increasingly depends on China and other emerging markets to make up for weak sales in the United States and Europe.



GAAP net income in the third quarter was $3.5 billion, up 17 percent. Earnings per share were 65 cents.



The world's leading chipmaker said non-GAAP revenue in the third quarter was $14.3 billion, up 29 percent and higher than the $13.87 billion expected on average by analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.



Shares of Intel rose 2.6 percent in extended trade after closing up 0.52 percent at $23.40.



(This story corrects GAAP vs Non-GAAP in the fourth paragraph.)






(Reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Richard Chang)

Fall 2011 Move-in Ready Package

Purchase a home by 10.31.11

and we’ll add our move-in ready package for FREE*

•Stainless Steel Refrigerator

•Washer & Dryer

•Blinds

*With full price offer. See the site agent for specific details as products may vary between neighborhoods and are subject to availability.

Living in Oregon…According to Jeff Foxworthy

THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAS TO SAY ABOUT ‘LIVING IN OREGON’…




•If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you live in Oregon.

•If you’ve worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Oregon.

•If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Oregon.

•If you measure distance in hours, you live in Oregon.

•If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Oregon.

•If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ and back again in the same day, you live in Oregon.

•If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Oregon.

•If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Oregon.

•If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Oregon.

•If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Oregon.

•If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Oregon.

•If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Oregon.

•If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Oregon.

•If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Oregon.

•If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the “Walk” signal, you live in Oregon.

•If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Oregon.

•If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Oregon.

•If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Oregon.

•If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Clatskanie, Issaquah, Oregon, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Oregon.

•If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Oregon.

•If you know that Boring is a city and not just a feeling, you live in Oregon.

•If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Oregon.

•If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Oregon.

•If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Oregon.

•If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Oregon.

•If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Oregon.

•If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your OREGON friends, you live or have lived in Oregon.

Back From Vacation

My Brother And Me At The Top Of Our Climb

Even with how busy it has been here at Arbor Pass, I needed to spend some time visiting my family in California. My mom is sick and really felt lead to see her. So my brother paid for my plane ticket to California, where I am originally from. My payment back to my brother was a 30 mile bike ride with 15 miles of it up hill. My brother lost his left leg in a car accident when he was in high school. He now loves to cycle not letting his disability slow him down at all.

Well, I am back and ready to work.

Last Home at Arbor Crossing is Sold!

Last Home At Arbor Crossing

Last Home at Arbor Crossing!

$154,900

716 NW Newstead Terrace: Windsor Classic Package, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances with gas range, wood laminate floors on entire main level, walnut cabinets with bronze knobs, granite counter tops with full height diagonal tile backsplash, Hunter Douglas blinds, corner unit with tall ceilings & lots of light & attached garage.

Pumpkin Time

Do you believe that fall is just around the corner? Now this is my wife's favorite time. She loves the leaves turning, getting costumes and candy for the kids. We always make it to a pumpkin patch. Below is a list of places where you can get your pumpkin.



■Bella Organic Portland Pumpkin Farm, September 3-October 31, NW Portland

■Fazio Farms, dates TBD, NE Portland

■The Flower Farmer, September 24-October 31, Canby

■Kruger’s Farm, September 23-October 31, Sauvie Island

■Lake View Farms, North Plains

■Lee Farms Pumpkin Patch, Tualatin

■Liepold Farms Harvest Festival, October 1-31, Boring

■Philip Foster Farm Cider Squeeze, September 24, Eagle Creek

■Plumper Pumpkin Patch, September 17-October 31, NW Portland

■The Pumpkin Patch, September-October 31, Sauvie Island

■Roloff Farms, October 1-30, Hillsboro

■Smith Berry Barn Apple Festival, October 15-16, Hillsboro

■Squishing of the Squash & Howloween, October 28-30, Oregon Zoo (Portland)

■West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, October 22, Tualatin

10 Years

Where were you on 9/11 10 yeas ago? I was getting ready for work when I heard the news from my mom. I turned on the TV and couldn't believe what had happen. My work (in California) was in a building that had Stanley Morgan Dean Witter as its main tenant. When I got to work they told me the devastation. Their company occupied an entire floor of one of the buildings of the Twin Towers. Fortunately the floor was under remodeling and most of their colleagues were not there.

I remember thinking, how can a human drive a plane into a building. How can a city deal with so much tragedy? What will this do to our country, make it stronger or divide us more?

You see my wife and I planned a trip to NY months before 9/11. We thought about canceling the trip. I called NY's box office where we ordered our tickets for a Broadway play. I asked them if I should cancel the tickets, she said "NO!" That would only hurt their local economy more. So we ventured out.

With a heavy heart we boarded the plane to New York. It was strange, flying for the 1st time since the attacks. Security was crazy about checking every bag and every person. I thought about the people that were on all 4 planes the terrorists high jacked. What went through the passengers minds, especially flight 93 who knew what was going on with the Twin Towers? I imagined me on that fateful flight calling my wife telling her I would not be home for dinner. When we finally got to New York City, we could smell the awful smell of the buildings still smoldering. The streets were wet to keep down the dust of the dump trucks hauling debris. New York City is known for its rudeness, not when we were there. They welcomed us with open arms. God Bless America was every where. You could see sheets saying things like, "I Love NY, City Of Heroes."

Probably the most shocking thing I saw was the dump trucks lined up. One had the words: Air Craft Parts Only. Something that should never be part of a building. It was an experience that will forever stay in my mind.

I love the slogan, "9/11, Never Forget." That is exactly what we should never do, forget!

Big Boy

Here is a picture of my son on his very 1st day of school. Arbor Custom Homes was so nice to let me take the morning off to walk my son to school. I am so proud of him.

Conversion Is Done



Before



After



Our office has been converted into 4 nice garages. Although not quite as pleasing to the eyes, much more practical. We even have 2 of our brand new homeowners living in their new homes. Congrats!

Street Of Dream Home Is Sold!

Bon Voyage to our 2011 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, Chateau Marseille – SOLD today!!!!




Congratulations to the lucky new home owners!!

7 Deadly Sins Of Overpricing

Most experts would advise that the best way to increase your
odds of a successful sale is to price your home at fair market

value. But, as logical as this advice sounds, for many sellers it is

still tempting to tack a few percentage points onto the price to

"leave room to negotiate". To avoid this temptation, let's take a

look at the seven deadly sins of overpricing:

1. Appraisal Problems

Even if you do find a buyer willing to pay an inflated price, the fact

is over 90% of buyers use some kind of financing to pay for their

home purchase. If your home won't appraise for the purchase

price the sale will likely fail.

7 Deadly Sins of Overpricing

2. No Showings

Today's sophisticated home buyers are well educated about the real estate market. If your home is overpriced they

won't bother looking at it, let alone make you an offer.

3. Branding Problems

When a new listing hits the market, every agent quickly checks the property out to see if it's a good fit for their

clients. If your home is branded as "overpriced", reigniting interest may take drastic measures.

4. Selling the Competition

Overpricing helps your competition. How? You make their lower prices seem like bargains. Nothing is worse than

watching your neighbors put up a sold sign.

5. Stagnation

The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stigmatized or stale. Have you ever seen a

property that seems to be perpetually for sale? Do you ever wonder - What's wrong with that house?

6. Tougher Negotiations

Buyers who do view your home may negotiate harder because the home has been on the market for a longer

period of time and because it is overpriced compared to the competition.

7. Lost Opportunities

You will lose a percentage of buyers who are outside of your price point. These are buyers who are looking in the

price range that the home will eventually sell for but don't see the home because the price is above their pre-set

budget.

Most buyers look at 10-15 homes before making a buying decision. Because of this, setting a competitive price

relative to the competition is an essential component to a successful marketing

Street of Dreams Update

Beautiful Days At Arbor Pass