How does a community recover from a disaster? That’s the main question we put to Phoenix Mayor Chris Luz on this episode of Southern Oregon’s Real Estate Show. The Mayor shares his experience during the fire of Sept 8 and the efforts underway to begin the cleanup and recovery the community will need. Luz joins Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema as the discussion centers around ways to rebuild, how to clean up, where to build, what to build, how to contact former residents, how to make up lost revenue to the city, how will the business community emerge. Wow, it is mind-boggling to say the least which makes this show that much more interesting to watch.

Southern Oregon’s Real Estate Market remains at a pretty consistent level this past week with pending and closed sales remaining high. On this week’s episode, Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema concentrate on how buyers and sellers are maneuvering through this high-demand and low-inventory housing market. Get some of the latest strategies Pete and Alice use in supporting buyers and sellers as they seek new housing opportunities. We’ve never seen a real estate market like this before or may never again, so get the latest real estate news from two experienced Southern Oregon agents and their first-hand accounts of the current market.

Property tax statement are due out in a few weeks. Most everyone will see an increase in those taxes and most everyone will also see an increase in their Real Market Value. Jackson County Assessor Dave Arrasmith joins Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema for a wide ranging discussion about property taxes, valuation increases across the county and what happens to those properties destroyed in recent wildfires. We lost 3,300 structures recently. That will have an affect on government operations. Also hear what affected homeowners need to do to stop paying those taxes. Its our once-a-year property tax extravaganza episode with the county assessor for a round table that you don’t want to miss.

Are recent wildfires effecting Southern Oregon’s Real Estate Market? If so, what are the effects for buyers and sellers in the market? Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema are real time real estate agents working with buyers and sellers in this uncertain market where demand exceeded supply even before fires destroyed 3,300 homes. Pete and Alice share their personal experiences in advancing buyers and sellers interests during this uncertain time. Opportunities also exist in the market and hear what that means for you. Its a John L Scott Market Watch episode with information on real estate you won’t find anyplace else.

How will we respond to the loss of more than 3,200 housing units to wildfire? That question is among a wide variety of related topics on this edition of Southern Oregon’s Real Estate Show. Brad Bennington, CEO of Southern Oregon Builders Association talks about the challenges facing us just to rebuild lost inventory. He in end he tells Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema that expect it to take years to complete and our communities will not look as they did before. There are tens of thousands of cubic yards of contaminated debris that must be moved before any land is ready to build. This process will not be easy but we are up to the challenge as you’ll hear in this episode.

More than 2,500 homes have been lost to wildfires in Jackson and Klamath counties. The loss of housing on those affected will be felt for years to come as communities to rebuild. But how should we do that? How are Realtors responding to this crises and how will it effect the rest of Southern Oregon’s Real Estate Market? Tina Grimes, Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors, joins Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema on this episode that discusses the next steps forward. Also, hear about a new OAR grant for homeowners and renters who lost their homes. Receive $1000 in support from Realtors. As we begin to re-think how we re-build, don’t miss this show. 

You know all about the fire situation in Southern Oregon and how it has disrupted life throughout our region.  This episode of the Real Estate Show has Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema talking about their experiences from the fires and how we can respond to them when we begin to rebuild what is left.  Join in and hear about personal tragedies, stories of survival and how we might reimagine building Phoenix and Talent housing and reduce fuels along the Bear Creek Greenway.  A Real Estate Show like no other with so much changing around us.

One year ago mortgage interest rates hovered around 5%.  Today those same rates have dropped to below 3% and that is driving a real estate market boom in Southern Oregon. Guy Giles, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage joins Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema for a discussion on how buyers and sellers can both take advantage of these rates. Buyers are now able to purchase a higher-priced property with current low rates. These home purchases make up more than half of weekly home sales above $350,000.   Don't be left out of this amazing opportunity to purchase a home and change your life and an opportunity to create wealth for you and your family.

Coronavirus has prompted a lot of us to undertake home improvement projects around our homes.  A question sure to arise is "when and what for do I need a building permit?  We've got the answers on this episode when Kimberly London, Carol Wedman, and Sam Barnum of Medford's Community Services Department join Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema for a review of permitting and why it's important to follow the rules.  Don't follow the permitting rules and it may come back to haunt you when trying to sell.

One week sales are up, and the next week sales are down. Same thing for pending sales and even new listings. What’s going on in our real estate market? Pete Belcastro and Alice Lema sort it all out on this episode. No one issue or item is driving this market. Its a combination of record-low interest rates, yes, 2.625%, and low inventory that is making this time unique in real estate history by creating both a buyers and seller’s market across the board in all price categories. Catch the personal real estate experiences with two active Southern Oregon brokers. Understand more of what buyers and sellers need to know.