APRIL 10, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
Public Art holiday card McLeod gives housing
contest ups the ante update at Keizer Rotary
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Having your design chosen
as the city’s offi cial holiday
card would be a nice feather
in the cap.
What would be a nice top-
per?
Try a $100 gift card.
Keizer City Councilors
recently adopted a resolution
supporting the holiday card
contest, which was created by
Beth Melendy with the Keiz-
er Public Arts Commission.
Artists are being asked to
submit designs for a holiday
card by Sept. 18 in order to be
considered. KPAC members
will decide upon a winner
at their monthly meeting in
September. As previously re-
ported in the Keizertimes, the
winning design will be sent
out during the holidays as the
city’s offi cial card.
When Melendy fi rst pro-
posed the idea, she had the
winner listed as getting a $25
gift card to Michael’s Crafts.
That amount was later in-
creased to a $50 gift card to
Michael’s.
HELP
WANTED
The Keizertimes is
seeking a receptionist
position for Monday though
Friday. Pay negotiable.
Duties will include customer
service, telephones,
clerical and computer input.
Inputting skills a must.
Computer skills a plus.
During the March 24
KPAC meeting, Melendy not-
ed council liaison Amy Ripp
had suggested the prize be up-
dated to a $100 gift card.
“I put in the (contest rules)
a $50 gift card,” Melendy said.
“We can change it. Is $50
enough, with the public rec-
ognition to come as well?”
Kathy Lincoln fi gured that
would be suffi cient for a fi rst-
year contest.
“We can always make it
more next year,” Lincoln said.
Lore Christopher, KPAC
chair, convinced fellow com-
mittee members to go with a
bigger amount.
“It’s worth it, so let’s really
do it,” she said. “We will get a
lot of submissions for it. It will
be a $100 gift card.”
Artwork submitted for
the contest must be at least
4 inches by 6 inches, but no
more than 8 inches by 10
inches. Entries may be a pho-
tograph, a drawing (ink, char-
coal or pencil) or a painting
(watercolor, oil or acrylic).
Each person may submit up to
two entries.
One of the contest rules
stipulates the art should depict
a Keizer scene or event with a
holiday theme. However, there
is a limit to such themes.
“Items that are specifi cally
tied to one religion may be
excluded,” one of the rules
reads. “Examples include San-
ta Claus, angels, menorahs and
other religious-based images.”
It’s expected that all entries
will get some exposure, in the
form of being on display at
city hall during the holidays.
“I say we do it for all of
November and December,”
Christopher said. “We can tell
people they will be displayed
during that time in the trophy
case.”
In turn, that led to the
question of what happens to
the artwork after the holidays.
Debbie Lockhart, the deputy
city recorder, suggested allow-
ing people to pick up their
work after the holidays, be-
tween Jan. 4 and 29.
MHS band at
contest Friday
The McNary High School band is tuning up for a perfor-
mance in the Greater Valley League Concert Band Contest Fri-
day, April 10.
The Celtics will play from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. at West Salem
High School.
The contest is scheduled from 1:50 to 8:30 p.m. with awards
to follow immediately after.
We’ll transform your kitchen
or bath into what you’ve
always dreamed of
Send resume to:
publisher@keizertimes.com
Keizertimes
An Equal Opportunity Employer
503.393.2875
remodelkeizer.com
CCB#155626
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
First one on the market
wins.
Longtime local real estate
agent Amy McLeod gave an
update on the local housing
market during a recent Keizer
Rotary luncheon.
McLeod said there is plenty
of demand for housing and
gave some fi gures to back it
up.
“We increased home sales
18.4 percent in the Mid-
Willamette Valley last year,”
McLeod said. “Pending home
sales remain very strong. We’re
in a much better place than
before, above historically
healthy levels.
“New construction is
up 5.3 percent,” she added.
“There is very limited lot in-
ventory in the area. You can
also look at foot traffi c, be-
cause numbers remain high.
Five of the last six months are
the best we’ve had since the
summer of 2013. We have ev-
ery indication that points to us
we’re in a healthy market right
now. We’re in good shape on
the demand side.”
Naturally, there is another
side to that.
“The fl ip side is the supply,”
McLeod said. “Our primary
concern is that we’re getting
the most for our house (for
sale). One challenge is having
enough buyers. A lot of peo-
ple had their credit affected
the last few years. Those buy-
ers are now coming back into
the market, so there’s a fair
amount of pent up demand.
That demand is eating up our
inventory.”
McLeod said the home
inventory recently was 5.7
months. The number was
down to 4.7 percent in Janu-
ary but was up to 5.75 months
in the valley in March. When
the inventory is less than six
months, she noted it’s con-
sidered a seller’s market while
inventory of more than seven
months means it is a buyer’s
market.
“We currently have a sell-
er’s market,” she said. “It means
your prices are appreciating.
We are heading to (a buyer’s
market). Oregon prices gained
6.7 percent last year. We’re in a
healthy change.”
Compared to the peak
KEIZERTIMES/Craig Murphy
Realtor Amy McLeod gives an update on the local housing
market during a recent Keizer Rotary luncheon at the Keizer
Civic Center.
prices of July 2007, McLeod
said prices are still 8.7 percent
lower. However, that’s much
closer than in recent years.
“We have come back a long,
long way,” she said. “If you’re
putting your life on hold, I
wouldn’t encourage you to do
that. It’s time to get on with
life. We have nice steady, stable
growth going on right now. At
the peak prices were averaging
$249,000. We are currently av-
eraging $230,000.”
McLeod, who joked “a
monkey could have sold real
estate” during the 2006 boom,
said homes being put on the
market have to be ready for
younger buyers who don’t
necessarily want to put a lot of
work into their new purchase.
“You thought the mauve
and blue was fi ne for you, but
don’t expect the millennials to
buy that crap,” she said, elicit-
ing chuckles from the crowd.
“Home fi x-up is not part of
their curriculum. Part of get-
ting your house sold at top
dollar is you taking on the
work and getting the house
modernized. It’s just the gen-
eration we’re selling to.”
Along those lines, city
manager Chris Eppley asked
about housing trends.
“Once you all thought
popcorn ceilings were cool,”
Eppley said. “What are some
good ideas that will stand the
test of time for 15 to 20 years?
Is it granite? What can we do
slowly over time to keep a
house updated?”
McLeod pointed to granite
as an example of how trends
can change.
“Granite is going to be
outdated,” she said. “Quartz is
the new thing. You’re behind
the eight-ball if you’re talking
granite.”
McLeod said there are cur-
rently 84 million baby boom-
ers in this country, compared
to 42 million in generation
X and 74 million millennials
(ages 20 to 33).
“They will be a powerful
force in the marketplace, like
the baby boomers,” she said
of millennials. “They do not
make the money to buy your
kind of houses.”
If current home owners are
looking to sell, McLeod en-
couraged swift action.
“The great housing reces-
sion is over,” she said. “Buy-
ers are out in droves, but we
don’t have enough inventory
to meet the need. Millennials
are entering the market. If you
baby boomers are looking to
downsize, I’d say get over it.
You’re competing with echo
boomers looking for their fi rst
home. You’re competing with
the largest population group
equal to your own.
“I took my own advice,”
McLeod added. “I bought a
condo in Arizona. I want my
spot down there before the
rest of you come down. Mon-
ey is available and it’s cheap. I
don’t know what any of you
are waiting for.”