The Herald-Independent announced their 2019 Best of Cottage Grove winners last week. Amber Huemmer, of The Huemmer Home Team, was awarded Best Realtor in Cottage Grove. The winners are determined with a public vote; one vote per person.

Amber has been selling real estate for 15+ years with over 1,000 properties sold.  She specializes in negotiation, marketing, staging and has extensive training from the nations top real estate coaches. She's one of 4% of Realtors that have earned their CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) designation. She also earned her ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute), ASP (Accredited Staging Professional), and been awarded into the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.

"Thank you Cottage Grove! I have to say, I have the most amazing team of agents and support staff. Without them, none of this would be possible. The decision to raise my family here in Cottage Grove was the best decision I ever made."

Congratulations to all the wi ...

Last fall, some predicted that the 2019 residential real estate market would be a disaster. There was even belief we might experience a housing crash like the one that occurred during the last decade.
However, according to two separate reports*, buyer demand dramatically increased over the last three months, leading into this spring buyers’ market (the March data is not yet available).
Both the ShowingTime Showing Index and the National Association of REALTORS Buyer Traffic Indexshow that buyer demand has increased in each of the last three months.

Read complete article here

In school, we all learned the theory of supply and demand. When the demand for an item is greater than the supply of that item, the price will surely rise.
SUPPLY
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported that the inventory of homes for sale stands at a 3.8-month supply. This is considerably lower than the 6-month supply necessary for a normal market.

Read entire article here.

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting.
1. Prices Will Continue to Rise
CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports that home prices have appreciated by 6.9% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 4.8% over the next year.
The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.
2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have remained around 4% over the last couple months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac & the National Association of Realtors are in unison, projecting that rates will increase by at least a half a percentage point this time next year.
An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. A year ...

Every homeowner wants to make sure they get the best price when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensuring you get the highest price possible.
1. Price it a LITTLE LOW 
This may seem counterintuitive. However, let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their home a little OVER market value will leave them room for negotiation. In reality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for their house (see chart below).

Read more here.