Looking in my Rear View Mirror.  This past week has been a doosey!  Sometimes a look in the rear view mirror can bring perspective to the world of real estate. This past week, I showed several homes to an out-of-town buyer, I wrote 3 offers for 3 separate buyers, I received an offer on one of my listings, I received 1 referral for a new listing, and I held an Open House on a fabulous new listing.  All of which took place on the heels of returning from a week-long business trip to Washington DC.  Whew... I must say, I'm tired, but I'm not complaining.  It always seems like things pick up when you're about ready to leave town.  I'm certain that the feelers go out and the message is: Melinda Peterson is leaving town, so now is a good time to buy or sell Southern Oregon real estate.   Looki... 05/22/2010

State Of Jefferson - Southern Oregon Just a tongue in cheek look at history. The day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Southern Oregon and Northern California were scheduled to secede from their respective states and become America's 49th state.  It was almost sure to have been accepted, and would have taken place had the war not broken out.It was to be named Jefferson and a governor had already been elected.  The Southern counties of Oregon and the Northern counties of California had long felt deserted and ignored by their respective capitals of Salem and Sacramento.  Thus the flag with the gold pan and the two xx's, which signified the feeling of both areas that they had been double crossed.I just wonder how we'd be doing now if we were living in Grants Pass, Jefferson?  We'd ha... 05/20/2010

51st Year Of Boatnik - Grants Pass, Oregon It's almost Memorial Day weekend, so that means it almost time for Boatnik! This will be the second time we've attended Boatnik, (we moved here about 18 months ago), and are looking forward to it, as I'm sure everyone else down here is.  The Active Club of Grants Pass has been sponsoring Boatnik since 1959.  The goal of the club is to give support to the kids in our community, and their motto is "No man stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child."  There are dozens of other sponsors for Boatnik; many local retail businesses, radio stations, construction companies, auto dealerships, restaurants, banks and many more. This year's Boatnik kicks off on Thursday, May 27th at 1:00 p.m. when the carnival rides and midway open at Riverside Park. T... 05/19/2010

Have A Friend Call Your Office Check periodically on how your incoming calls are being handled.  You can lose thousands of dollars every month by poor phone skills. As a Realtor®, I hate it when I call an office on a listing and they ring me through to an agents' voicemail. Now, I need to immediately call back and ask to speak to someone; anyone! Make certain that whomever answers your company phones has the skills to do the job.  This is too important a position to not treat it as the top priority, because it is! They have professional training on phone skills.  Spend the money.  You'll get it back ten-fold! 05/18/2010

Hiking The Wild And Scenic Illinois River - Josephine County, Oregon Here we are on another part of the west side of the raging Illinois River. Wild irises and other beautiful flowers are blooming everywhere.  Fields of rhododendrons dazzled us with their beauty and fragrance. We were amazed to look across the Illinois River and see the mountain that we climbed just last week.  We had climbed over the huge ravine and made our way to the left of the picture, and further north along the Illinois River gold fields. The day was a comfortable 84°, and even the turtle was reluctant to move off his rock, and we gave him his space so he could enjoy the gorgeous day. Beautiful flowers pop up along the Illinois River and spend their entire life growing in the water. Finally, after six long hikes ... 05/16/2010

Passport To History - Blind George's Newsstand - Grants Pass The second stop on filling out our Josephine County Historical Society Passport To History was Blind George's Newsstand. Blind George's is THE place to go in Grants Pass for popcorn!  You can pick up lottery tickets, caramel corn, an ice cream cone or snacks as well.  They have the best selection of magazines and newspapers in Grants Pass.  Blind George's is also a great place to stop and have a hot dog and soda for lunch.                         Blind George's was established in 1922 by George Spencer.  He had been a gold miner and logger before he had paralysis of the optic nerve.  So, he opened his newsstand with about $40 worth of inventory.  In 1946, George's guide dog Effie was one of the first seeing eye dogs in souther... 05/14/2010

Passport To History - Grants Pass Caveman   Our first stop on the Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History is the Grants Pass "Caveman" statue next to the visitor's center.  As you come off the I-5 freeway into downtown Grants Pass, it is the first thing you see. It's very fitting that the Grants Pass Caveman is part of the Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History. The 18 foot tall statue was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1971.  The "Caveman" represents the Caveman booster organization that came about in 1922.  They were officially named "Oregon Cavemen, Inc." and their goal was to promote tourism for Josephine County.  This group of business men would show up unexpectedly at major events in Oregon and around the country wearing furs and carrying clubs. ... 05/13/2010

Rogue River Cleanup Day Is Saturday May 15th - Grants Pass, Oregon The BLM's 18th annual Rogue River Cleanup Day needs your help.  This is an all volunteer project and covers the Rogue River from Grants Pass to Grave Creek. You'll need to register at the Hog Creek boat ramp (it's five miles west of Merlin) at 9:00 a.m.  If you'd like to participate in the Rogue River Cleanup Day, come prepared by bringing gloves, lots of drinking water and snacks.  T-shirts and trash bags will be furnished. To thank you for your efforts, there will be a barbecue at Indian Mary Park.  You will be entertained by the band "Missing Pieces," and there will be a raffle for some great gifts. Call the project coordinator, David Ballenger, at 541 471-6556 for further details.   Do your part to keep the Rogue pri... 05/12/2010

Josephine County Historical Society - Grants Pass, Oregon The Josephine County Historical Society is celebrating its' 50th anniversary. Josephine County was formed in 1856, but the Josephine County Historical Society was born in 1960. We spent an enjoyable afternoon watching performances and historical reenactments of the events surrounding the formation of Josephine County. The Josephine County Historical Society members treated us to the history of the Rogue Indian wars and of amazing tales of the families that fought and survived.  We were also treated to some beautiful composition by the RCC band and Rogue Gold.  The settlers of Josephine County were drawn here by the lure of gold and donation land claims.  (Free land to encourage settlement.)  "Our first government bailout!" "Membe... 05/11/2010

Illinois Valley Gold Fields - Josephine County, Oregon Further exploration of the Illinois Valley Gold Fields indicate a more expansive gold mining effort than I had envisioned. Traveling on the historical mining road, which is now blocked to motor vehicle traffic, was more interesting. The road ended up climbing up the mountain, and then it made a switchback to the right, whereupon we continued climbing up the rocky slopes. Meandering to the north brought us high above the Illinois River Valley and the Gold Fields below. Down a deep gully, and crossing one of thousands of rushing streams that reach their full raging glory before plunging into the Illinois River.  We continue across sheer cliffs to zigzag our way down the slopes, leaving our road far behind in our quest for new sights. ... 05/11/2010

"Passport To History" - Josephine County Historical Society - Grants Pass, Oregon The Josephine County Historical Society kicked off its' "Passport To History" on Sunday with a rousing celebration. This is like a new twist on a scavenger hunt, and designed to get people involved in exploring Josephine Countys' history. Come into the Josephine County Historical Society at 512 S.W. Fifth Street in Grants Pass, Oregon and pick up your "Passport To History." You will be given a book with assignments to complete, and when you have collected all 50 stamps to verify your achievement, you will be entered in drawings for prizes. As you earn your "Passport To History" stamps, you will be visiting; Grants Pass, Illinois Valley, Applegate Valley, North Valley, and North Country (over Mt. Sexton).  ... 05/10/2010

Antique and Collectible Street Fair - Grants Pass, Oregon   The Grants Pass Antique Dealer's League is sponsoring the annual Antique and Collectible Street Fair in downtown Grants Pass on "H" street, Sunday, May 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Antique dealers from the all over the west coast will be there.  Come hungry, because there will also be food vendors. You're sure to find that special treasure you've been hunting for, or a great gift for that hard to buy person we all have on our list. Hope to see you at the Antique and Collectible Street Fair in downtown Grants Pass. 05/09/2010

Peaceful Powwow Pulls Plenty of People - Grants Pass, Oregon The 16th Annual Native American Arts Festival and Mother's Day Powwow is in full swing in Grants Pass, along the scenic and wild Rogue River in Riverside Park. Make sure you get down there!  It will be open on Sunday, May 9th  from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00  p.m. Come check out the music, dancing and great vendor booths.   05/09/2010

This Gives New Meaning to Having a Solid Rock Foundation! One of my agents recently wrote an offer on an REO home in Grants Pass Oregon.  The agent and her clients noticed that the house was leaning, so she asked the listing agent about it.  Shortly thereafter, she received this photo of the understructure.  I guess this picture Gives New Meaning to Having a Solid Rock Foundation!   05/07/2010

Mother's Day Powwow At Riverside Park, Grants Pass, Oregon Come celebrate Mother's Day at the 16th Annual Native American Arts Festival  Mother's Day Powwow. It will be held May 8th and 9th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at Riverside Park in Grants Pass. The public is welcome, and admission is free.  The proceeds benefit "the encouragement of native American visual and performing and cultural arts." Come honor Native American Culture at the 16th Annual Native American Arts Festival  Mother's Day Powwow. It will be held May 8th and 9th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at Riverside Park in Grants For more information call Rocky at 541-531-6104 or Jack at 541-472-0215.     05/06/2010

April 2010 Homes For Sale in Grants Pass, Oregon The following results for the month of April 2010 for Grants Pass were compiled from records of single-family residential homes listed with the Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service. This inventory may be misleading when you consider all of those people who have either withdrawn their homes temporarily from the market and/or all those who are waiting until the market gets stronger before they attempt to list their Home For Sale. Number of Homes Actively on the MLS: 620 82 Are Short Sales 43 Are Foreclosures   *The Number of Homes that are Actively on the MLS are Located in the Following Areas: West Hills 48 North Valley 49 Jones Creek 10 Colonial Valley 25 NW Grants Pass 71 NE Grants Pass 46 SW Grants Pass 48 SE Grants Pass 32 UGB Redw... 05/06/2010

Saturdays In Downtown Grants Pass, Oregon Saturdays In Grants Pass are off and running.  The streets are starting to come alive! A tour of the open air Saturday Growers Market  and the Artisan and Crafters Market are a fun way to begin Saturdays In Downtown Grants Pass. Next, just a couple of blocks away, we stop for a latte at Dutch Bros, and then down historic "G" street.  People are everywhere, from fund raisers to campaigners, and of course shoppers. As we tour some of the delightful downtown stores, we realize that this is sure a change from the Portland shopping malls we had become so accustomed to. No trip to G street is complete without a stop at Sandi's Candies.  There, we load up on delicious fudge creations that always cap off a fun Saturday In Downtown Grants Pass. Somehow, ... 05/05/2010

Here are the latest Grants Pass Southern Oregon Real Estate Housing Statistics for April 2010. 981 - Active Residential Listings 86 - Homes Sold 57 - Listings Pending 143 - Average Days on Market $195,275. - Average Sold Price Statistics provided courtesy of Real Estate Cafe.  Source of information is Southern Oregon MLS - Monthly NAR Statistical Report.  Information provided herein has not been verified and is not guaranteed. Click Here for more information regarding Grants Pass Southern Oregon Real Estate 05/05/2010

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo - Southern Oregon.  Today marks the celebration known as Cinco de Mayo, or "May 5th", in Spanish.  Although many people have heard of this holiday - and even join in the celebrations with gusto - plenty of folks are not aware of what this holiday is all about.  And most people don't realize that the event being commemorated may have actually played an important role in shaping the United States of America. What Does Cinco de Mayo Commemorate?  Many people believe that Cinco de Mayo is the day that recognizes Mexico's independence from Spain.  But that event actually happened on September 15th, 1810.  Cinco de Mayo, on the other hand, celebrates an event that took place over 50 years later.  On May 5, 1862, the Mexican cavalry, under the command of Texas-born Ge... 05/04/2010

Hiking The Illinois River - Josephine County, Oregon All aboard!  Seating for two. We turn just beyond the cougar tracks. Unless you wish to return to a town, and drive another twenty miles to a bridge, and then more miles, and a longer Hike On The Illinois River, this is it! There is no other way to cross the raging Illinois River.  You can't swim it, you can't wade across it, but with sufficient arm strength, it can be an exciting trip across. The journey to the "wild" side of the Illinois River looks to be a downhill run.  Now, getting back is a job for some serious hand-over-hand pulling.  That is, after you climb the metal pegs to get aboard the gondola. No frills on this Tram, just the beautiful Illinois River in wild Josephine County in Southern Oregon at its' finest!     05/04/2010