INSIGHT, formerly known as Kathleen's Korner

First of all, let me tell you that the average tenant is looking for a rental UNDER $1,000 per month. Secondly, the average person is between the ages of 35 to 44 years old and has at least one (1) pet (our second highest age bracket is 45-54 years old). The average individual has some form of secondary education, is technologically savvy and state they came here for the outdoor recreation. We also have a higher than normal amount of small business owners for a region this size. And yes, people are still moving here.

So why are there so many vacancies? Other than the fact that so many of the homes we built during the glory days was for the house "flipper" and not for an actual homeowner, we still have many people moving here looking for a place to call home. A significantly large portion of the calls I receive are from people outside of the area wanting to move to Bend and are afraid of buying in a sinking market. They want to relocate here, are able to telecommute or have a small business, want to get to know the area and wait for the market to stabilize. They express an intention to buy at a future date, so want to save their money and live in an inexpensive but NICE rental. The second highest number of calls I receive are from homeowners who were significantly invested in the real estate market and have lost everything. They have restructured their lives and are starting over with a steady income and want to live simply yet do not want to have to give up a minimal (to them) standard of living. Both of these groups are very savvy about the real estate market and realize the power of negotiation. Both of these groups typically contact a Realtor first when they start looking for a rental as they wish to speak with a professional who knows the local market and can help them find a home. Quite a large number of them may have better credit or more money than the owner they are renting from and do not want to lose more than they've already lost in this market.

This is where I come in. As a Realtor and Broker who manages property, I market the homes I manage as I was trained to do as a sales agent. I've found surprising enough, that this is actually very powerful experience. After receiving their license, many area property managers stop right there with their professional education. With a very strong internet presence and a wide network of fellow Realtors I refer to, I receive numerous inquiries through my website and reciprocal websites, through fellow Realtors and through personal contacts.

There are many more, however these people have signed up for my listing notifier. Any help would be appreciated.

Today, it's extremely important to provide high quality customer service to tenants and owners alike. Owners wish to have their property protected and tenants wish to live in their private home, not "someone else's house." We are asking tenants to move in and help us pay our bills, so it's very important to believe in customer service for tenants. When you are getting ready to rent your place out, do you think: 1. Would I want to live here? 2. How do I want to be treated? 3. What can I do to make their life easier thereby making my life easier? If you're not thinking about these things now, you will be.