We have all been warned, we all know how important the data on our computer is to us, but what do we do to protect ourselves?  A couple of weeks ago I headed to Dallas, Texas and prior to packing up the lap top, I plugged in my book, and hit back up entire system. Since my laptop is pretty close to capacity it takes a while to do a full and complete back up – I generally only have the system back up files that have been changed since my last back up.  When I am going to travel though, I create a full and complete back up and over write everything – I want one clean back up to make restoring a breeze.I have never had to use my back up – but there have been times in the past that I did not back up like this and some little gremlin would come in and destroy everything on my computer.  No back up meant I had to start everything over, had to recreate the wheel and years of hard work.Now, I back up all of my systems and do it regularly – and as is standard when you take precautions I have never needed my back up….. until this last week.  While in Texas I had a major malfunction – I was able to get my laptop back up and running and everything seemed great until yesterday – I lost it all… I hit the on button and nothing – I thought the lap top was dead – after 3 years of abuse it would not have surprised me – I was amazed – I found the rescue disk – installed and loaded my backup with the restore – a couple hours later I was up and running.  After completing a little maintenance the laptop is good as new – well maybe better – it has everything on it… my contacts, my programs, my documents and my photos – If you do not back up your system please do so, there are so many choices today that are so much more affordable, easy to store and easy to use. 

15435 Pine Ct. La Pine OR 97739
La Pine offers a great outdoor lifestyle however, it is rare that a property comes on the market that has it all ready for you. This beautiful 2 acre lot is nicely treed with mature Ponderosa Pines, is fenced and gated. Deeded access to the timbr land and public land for easy access for riding or a nice hike.1809 Square foot home with 2 car garage that includes a shop area and a bonus room with a pool table that stays with the property – worried about plowing the driveway or smoothing out the corals, no need, the 1947 tractor stays with the property too.Covered RV Storage on cement slab with sturdy metal roof to keep the sun and snow off the RV while not in use.$309,900

Hidden Gem in the RAIN – Gabrielle Nemes a Great Pacific Northwest REALTOR
Teri Eckholm tagged me for the newest and maybe the best series of blogs to be published on ActiveRain, Hidden Gems.  Teri's Hidden Gen Was Rebecca Levinson.  Melissa Grant started the challenge on January 26th and bloggers are taking on the challenge to share with you other hidden gems of ActiveRain.I thought this would be an easier task that it was.  I had a couple of people scoped out for my article and found that they had quit blogging while I was away… well that would not work for this project.I did something I use to do often and realized I had not been practicing enough.  I clicked on the new members button off the home page and looked started looking at blogs of people that joined AcitveRain in December.  Cruising through their blogs I found one that really stood out, Gabrielle Nemes.  Gabrielle has received her GRI and is located in Southeast King County in Washington.  I can tell from reading the first of what I am sure will be a long list of posts that Gabrielle loves the Pacific Northwest as much as I do.  She has a helpful side to her, and the evidence is in her post about converting Outlook contacts into Excel or Word.Gabrielle tends to write in a manner that she leaves you with the feeling you have to comment, because she leaves you with a question more often than not.I suspect this REALTOR® will be a great blog to follow and check in with often.Now for the two people I would like to see their gemsMargaret Woda – Maryland real estateCandy Henthorne – Spring Texas 

Home Warranty – Update – Help Appreciated!!!
About a month ago I wrote about a home warranty and how one failed my buyers.  Many people have contacted me asking for an outcome of the situation.  This has been a big lesson and one I hope some of the agents, buyers and sellers can learn from this post rather than having to go through the troubles we have. It is common in central oregon to find a home with a heat pump.  It is also common to find REALTORS® and sellers offering a home warranty as an incentive to purchase one home over another.  One of the most common home warranties is AHS (American Home Shield).  I know a lot of us use this program and many of us have had good service and representation with this company.  Did you know that AHS does not cover geothermal heat sources or any of the components of such a system?  Did you also know that you can not receive a copy of the actual policy until it is paid for, which here is typically a week and sometimes two from the close of escrow?  At that point they mail -  yes snail mail the policy and the option to add additional coverage to the policy – that option is only good for 30 days from closing – so 2 weeks have been eaten up with the company processing paperwork – then a third week in getting the policy to the new owner.  If the new owner does not intend to live at the residence full time – you might want to call the company and confirm the proper mailing address.  AHS assumes that the new home is where the policy should be mailed – can you see a problem with this system?So, I represented a buyer that purchased a beautiful second home on The Deschutes River.  We wrote the offer that included a water test, a septic pump and inspect and a home inspection and verification of zoning for a portion of the land which we though to be wetlands.  The buyer attended the home inspection, and the septic pump and inspection, keep in mind that the buyer lives 4 hours away when the roads are not covered with snow.We received a copy of the property disclosure and saw no issues.  The home inspection showed a few items that the seller quickly agreed to have repaired.  The home inspection also reveled that the heating system was "complex" it is what is called a water furnace.  The inspector inspected the furnace to the best of his ability and explained to the buyer that the furnace was beyond the scope of his inspection and that he was not familiar with this particular type of furnace.  His report indicates it may be a good idea to have a qualified HVAC specialist look at they system if he had questions, but that the furnace was putting out adequate heat at the time of inspection.The transaction is not the smoothest I have ever completed, but we are able to work through several issues, a leaky septic tank, and some electrical issues and so on.  In the end we work our way through them one by one and all is done prior to the closing.  We close escrow on November 1 and the buyer has allowed the seller an additional 20 days rent back to make moving easier.  Thanksgiving weekend comes and the new home owner arrives late that evening to find the home extremely cold, they turn up the thermostat and you guessed it nothing.  The buyer is not worried – he has a home warranty and an agent that has assured him that the relationship does not end with the close of escrow.  The next morning he calls me and we call AHS only to find the warranty which we do not have a copy of does not cover any geothermal heating systems.  GREAT!  I call a trusted local HVAC company that agrees to go out on the holiday weekend for a very reasonable cost to check the system.  They arrive, and presto a few wires have burned through they are replaced and we all think – wow that was easier than we thought it would be. Did you get the date there – November 20 -Today is December 31, and guess what – yep you guessed it the furnace is still not working correctly – HVAC costs are up over $2000 a plumbing bill of $550 and now possibly a well re-drill estimated to be $2,500. Had we known the heater would not be covered on a home warranty or that the seller had had these same issues in the past do you think this would have been the home my buyers chose? If any of you know of a home warranty that covers geothermal systems please let me know – because once this issue is completely resolved, I am fairly certain this home owner will want a warranty.To make this even more frustrating it appears the seller's agent may have known of this issue, because when I contacted him about these issues back in November, his response was, "your buyer may be SOL" makes me want to deal with him again for sure.Any suggestions on a better home warranty for heat pumps are appreciated.additional information added -warranty companies feel that any heat pump is geothermal – in the Pacific Northwest it is common to have a heat pump that provides heat in the cooler months and AC in the warmer.  These units use the heating and cooling of water to create heat – hence they are geothermal

15987 Livewood Ct., La Pine, Oregon 97739
WELL, WELL, WELLWell – Located, Well – Built, Well – MaintainedQuality upgrades make this home your choice! Slate entry and hearth embrace the cozy propane free standing stove that will take the morning chill off or create a romantic evening. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room and huge living room make this the perfect home. Double car attached garage with a paved drive, full RV area with pull through drive. Back deck is the perfect spot to enjoy the family BBQ or a quiet cup of coffee.Located on the corner of Day Road and Livewood Ct this home has perfect access to Bend, Sunriver and La Pine. Paved and plowed road makes winter a breeze. 15987 Livewood Ct. La Pine OR 97739 $252,500 1704 Square Feet 3 Bedrooms 2 Bath

A Sweet Deal in La Pine real estate
Are you looking for the perfect family home in La Pine? This just may be the best buy found under $300,000 today. Living room is decorated to please the adult conversation while the family room is ready for the kids or family. When you walk into the kitchen the number of cupboards will amaze you. Mud room is actually large enough to also house the home office. Master bedroom is located on the fist level of the home and has a spa like bathroom. Extra storage, that is hidden behind the closet is a great place for those seasonal items you do not want to drag into the attic. Family room has additional storage with a drop down ladder for attic storage. All of this on an acre with the back fully fenced to keep pets and children safe. Great Play structure stays with the property.4 Bedrooms 2 bathrooms and over 2368 square feet priced at just over $115 a square foot. To see all of the homes currently listed between $250,000 and $300,000 in La Pine, Oregon.

Even REALTORS Move!!!
As a REALTOR® builds their business they do not know where their business will come from.  As time goes and transactions are completed years come and business plans are created a REALTOR® realizes where their business is, where it comes from and how it is most often obtained.After years in Sunriver, I have known for a long time that the larger part of my business is generated from sales outside of the resort.  Year after year I create a business plan by looking at my business over the last year.  This year, I looked at my business from the last 3 years to give myself a bigger picture of where my business came from, what I did to obtain it.The answer was right there – 80% of my sales come from outside the resort – 95% of my listings are in La Pine – so what am I doing in Sunriver?  The search started – looking for an office to call my home in La Pine.  I live in La Pine so this was pretty easy.  I called a few Principal Brokers – and talked with them about what they offered and where they anticipated their business to be in the future.  I made my choice - I am now an agent with John L Scott in La Pine!Moving offices is tougher than I thought – there is a lot to do and a lot to move.  We have painted, built furniture, set up computers, moved files – organized the new space and are almost completely moved in… we certainly are ready to serve all of our clients and focus on the real estate Market in La Pine and all of central oregon.

Sunriver Owners Have Their Homework To Do
Sunriver owners are getting ready to vote on the land purchase for the Village at Sunriver.  In the past I have tried to stay somewhat natural and see both sides of this controversial subject.  The mall certainly needs help, retail space stands vacant, and businesses come and go. Tonight I read the Land Sale Issues from the savesunriver.org blog and they bring to the surface some very enlightening issues.  The new plan does require additional land and to achieve SilverStar's plan they need this land.  However, this land belongs to all the owners of Sunriver.  What is a fair price?  And where will any of the funds once paid go?  Do they benefit the entire community? Ballots will be arriving and are due in February – before voting I hope that owners will research exactly what they are agreeing to or disagreeing to.  This is more than the issue of highrise condos, improvement to The Village; it is a matter of loosing land that was intended to be used for the common good of the Sunriver Community. Changes are inevitable, but are you willing to give up something as valuable as the land they are asking for at a price some feel is not fair?  This land in question belongs to you, please do your homework and know what you are giving up and what you will receive from the sale of this land.The ball is in the court of the homeowner's, and although many agree that something needs to be done at what cost?  What are you willing to give up to make the mall a better place? To better prepare yourself to vote the two websiites below may be helpful.The Village at SunriverSave Sunriver

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 9:05 pm and is filed under Oregon News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.