On March 15, 2007 the housing market was white hot and we had a great vision for a new and better way to practice real estate. Bella Casa Real Estate Group was birthed as a brand, the name recorded as a new Limited Liability Company in Oregon, and in our mind the business model was already alive and successful, and our prospects were exciting.

Four months later the bottom dropped out of the housing industry and we have been in free-fall for almost five years. We have lived through a series of disasters unprecedented since the Great Depression. The sub-prime mortgage mess of 2007 gave way to the financial/banking sector meltdown in 2008 which paralyzed the nation. Immediately In 2009 this set in motion a tsunami of business layoffs, consolidations, closures, bankruptcies and the unprecedented escalation of government spending. Debilitating unemployment next insured that by 2010 we were awash in foreclosures, short sales, and bank-owned properties; each one dragging down home values and the mass of them crippling the economy further. We capped that year with the crash of the commercial real estate market. 2011 gave us unprecedented spending and debt, stock market insecurity, Euro-threats, economic malaise, and otherwise hopelessness in a shell-shocked world. We are still awaiting recovery…

Not exactly what we were expecting!

Five years later, Bella Casa Real Estate Group is a well-known, highly respected brand, a home for 32 of our area’s most accomplished Realtors® and with some of the most promising newer agents I have ever seen. 18 of our Realtors® are Principal Brokers and 6 of our brokers have owned brokerages. We vie for top honors in all areas of sales, often owning the top sales numbers in most of the categories. We have grown each and every year in breadth and depth and we have expanded, swimming against the current. In 2010 we opened a second office in Newberg. We also added Bella Casa Property Management by quietly building our systems and developing our expertise in the background. Without any public notice, advertising or promotion to date, we now have 70 doors under the professional management of Gary Eckdahl, Principal Broker. On our 5th Anniversary, it is time to go public and grow those business services for the benefit of our clients.

What has changed? Everything.

The poles of our world flipped. Markets were unrecognizable. Normal methods were irrelevant and ineffective.

We had to adapt or die. We needed to educate ourselves about things we never heard of or had any experience with. We had to get creative and experiment with new ideas, adopt new practices and technologies, and work like slaves many times longer and more diligently than ever in our lives. We had to practice persistence and patience which has stretched us to the limits.

Our incomes were sliced and diced. Life has been insecure and financial threats were common to us and our clients. We vicariously suffered the losses of others as we learned to work compassionately and empathetically with our clients and the victims of our times.

Near the top of the list of changes were all the fixes for all the causes of all that ails us. I am sure that I would be joined by throngs of Realtors®, mortgage brokers, and title and escrow officers in saying the cure for all the ‘diseases’ has been exceedingly much crueler than the disease itself. The endless regulations reigning down on everyone like terrorist missiles have often been absurd beyond any amount of reason, damaging and destructive to the very people they were supposed to save, and frustrating beyond measure. They remain our greatest challenge to recovery and to any form of sanity. I could wax eloquent for hours…

But today, we have a great deal to be thankful for and to celebrate…

We began with a handful of Realtors® who were looking for a new home for their businesses. With many more who followed we have built a collegial professional cooperative of good will for sharing generously with each other. Our Realtors® have been the greatest source of encouragement and joy throughout the intense hardships, and they are the shared wisdom and expertise for adapting to radically different market conditions. Survival is something we could only accomplish together. Thank you!

Our clients have been amazingly loyal and gracious. Some have remained with us for years of feeling helpless and frustrated. They have trusted us and provided the motivation for us to work diligently to get the job done for them sooner rather than later, and to preserve their precious resources. We are all in this together. We are humbled by this trust as it is helping us to pay our bills. Thank you!

We work with great Realtor® colleagues in order to make the few transactions a win-win. It takes two agents dedicated to being professional and patient to withstand all the insanities of this time. Together we have to figure out how to make it work for each of our clients and that means solving problems and challenging problems when they erupt. I worked with a great Realtor® (not with BC) for 597 days to keep one transaction together so both our clients could get what they really wanted! We have an Association of Realtors® (YCAR) which promotes professional cooperation for the benefit of our clients. In our association we come together without brands but as colleagues willing to help each other. Thank you!

We have amazing affiliated businesses (mortgage, title and escrow, inspectors, contractors, etc.) who contribute to our success everyday through their essential education classes, their willingness to personally train us on things related to their business, offer encouragement and friendship, and work with us for the betterment of our communities in events like the annual Realtor® Charity Auction. Thank you!

“But for the grace of God, there go I.” We have seen real estate offices close, brokerages lose locations, and Realtors® forced out of the industry by bankruptcy and foreclosure. While I am grateful for our successes, I cannot rejoice in the suffering of competitors. I know too intimately how difficult it is to build a business, how much money is put at risk, and how much sacrifice has been made to help employ others, serve the public, and support our families and build our dreams. It is literally blood, sweat, tears, and painful perseverance. I am personally grateful Bella Casa Real Estate Group is alive to celebrate five years with the good hope of many more to come. By all I could foresee by 2008, we should not have made it! We could never have anticipated such a storm or be prepared for such mighty blows. We have faced unbelievable losses too many, and some too personal to tell. For whatever the purpose we are the recipients of the grace of God who has provided our daily bread through just enough sales, and special assistance from people we never could have imagined. Thank you!

We have a bright future.

Surviving this perfect storm will make each of us even better in our profession. We are sobered. We are freshly committed to the fundamentals of prudent principles of sales and property ownership. We trust the seared memories of the carnage, the hurt, and the loss caused to so many people when some people cast off restraint and got intoxicated with money, success, or careless indulgence will for the rest of our lives make us wiser.

For all of this I am thankful and optimistic. I only regret that the demands of this housing depression and economic recession, and the lack of money and time, have taken away from us most opportunities to sponsor and support our local communities as we have in the past. We look forward to better days ahead for all of us and a return to generously sharing with the communities that allow us to make our living.

Tonight we celebrate our 5th Anniversary, join us from 4-7pm at our McMinnville location. We would love to see you!

Best,

Randy McCreith

www.thebellacasagroup.com | 503-437-9005 | buy. sell. be happy.

Bella Casa Real Estate Group is growing, has established an exceptional reputation, and is successful because we believe in lofty values and basic principles which define us. Here is an overview of what we aspire to be and practice:

1. We are Ethical

We are legally squeaky-clean. We are not looking to see how close we can get to the line without transgressing it; we are trying to see how perfectly we can meet the legal requirements in the letter of the law and in the spirit of the law.

We uphold high ethical standards. We are Realtors® because we belong to the National Association of Realtors®. We belong to NAR because we subscribe to a carefully delineated Code of Ethics for our practice. At the core of the NAR Code of Ethics is the Golden Rule. We also want people who will uphold the highest level of business ethics, exceptional standards of conduct, and employ the industry’s best practices.

We are committed to impressive levels of customer-centric service. Genuine service is first an attitude. The best Realtors® understand that those who always put the client first and work for their interests will be the most successful, benefit financially, and enjoy longevity. Reputations are built and destroyed based on the quality of customer service.

2. We are Professionals

That is more than a statement of our work; it is a statement of our character. The most basic expression of a professional is exhibitting wisdom in self-control. You choose to do only what is good and right, not what you may want to do or say under pressure. If you cannot control your emotions, reactions, attitudes and provocations for the purpose of doing good, then you will not achieve what is possible.

3. We Value Independence and Autonomy

We all need a hand up and we all benefit from the united resources of experience, education, and the gifts and talents of each other. That is why we are a cooperative and share generously with each other. But we do so as those who have grown up and developed our own businesses according to our own designs. Some people always want someone else to give them more and do things for them. People who are dependent by nature and satisfied looking to others to take care of them do not fit our business model. We each function independently and autonomously. As such, we can choose to cooperate, not because we can’t be successful on our own, but because we see the value we can realize from cooperating with like-minded professionals.

4. We Value Cooperation

We formed a cooperative! Our Realtors® are gracious and generous. We foster a culture of sharing and helping. We collaborate when there is greater value together than we can know on our own.

5. We are Colleagues Who Practice Collegiality

We are not hierarchical and so our cooperation is based on shared values and commitments. We make progress through consensus. What may distinguish us is what we earn and accomplish. We respect each persons right to become what he or she imagines.

6. Creativity

Everyone is unique in some ways and many of us reflect different perspectives. We encourage our brokers to think outside the box, to explore fresh ideas, and create their own unique identities. In no way are we a cookie-cutter brokerage of conformists.

7. Reputation

Our reputation is the most valuable asset we have. A good reputation can take a life-time to build but can be destroyed in a day. No amount of money (or any its benefits) is worth the loss of our reputation. Carelessness and compromise are dangerous; the love of money above all else is deadly.

8. Accountability

If you are independent and autonomous you are accountable. No one else takes that responsibility for you. You live with your consequences, good and bad, and you experience the satisfaction of the fruit of your efforts. When we are wrong we admit it. It is better to learn from something than to assign blame. It is better to apologize and make appropriate amends than to argue and dispute a failure.

9. Integrity

Integrity means that our values, our standards, our commitments, and our morals are fully integrated into our full person. It is not an act, an image, nor is it a manipulation or a deception. You are what you aspire to be. You are for real, genuine, and sincere. Hypocrisy usually cannot be hidden forever.

10. Generosity

We contribute to the communities which allow us to become successful. Professionals are giving people. We value the efforts of all who work to create a better lives and communities. We are active in our churches, local government commissions and task forces, we support local charities and non-profits. We are members of service clubs and business and community associations. We sponsor a wide variety of community events. Our Realtors® support our Annual Realtor® Auction each October.

Bella Casa is a professional cooperative of Realtors® serving home buyers and sellers in Sherwood, Newberg, McMinnville, SW Portland, and surrounding areas. We are free to conduct our practice with cutting edge creativity and the finest personal service. And we are truly local-envisioned and developed in and for Yamhill County. Our brokers sell every type of property, from niche wine country bed & breakfasts to buildable lots in town, from starter homes to gated communities. We offer in-depth information for home buyers and home sellers, market statistics, and more. Take a look around and let us know how we can help you buy or sell McMinnville real estate, Newberg real estate, or anywhere else in Yamhill County. Put our passion and expertise to work for you!

“Sometimes you just have to create what you want to be a part of!” - Geri Weitzman

It was early spring of 2007. There were tremors in the housing markets of California, but no one here worried much about it. Joni and I lived through the February 9, 1971 San Fernando earthquake in Southern California but we never expected anything like that when we moved to Oregon. California is home to earthquakes, even in their housing industry. Their prices routinely grow sky-high, and then get shaken back down to the ground. We’ve learned to ignore it as an inevitable event. Little did we know, within 4 months of our inception the mother of all quakes would shake the nation’s housing industry.

Randy, Joni, & Amy - 5 years ago

So much for foresight and good judgment! But if we lacked understanding about the size of the sub-prime quake, we did not lack vision and direction for what we knew would be the brokerage of the future. The colonial era of brokerages was past, and the new era was to be built upon a new model, one we called a Professional Cooperative.

We began on the 15th of March, 2007, with Mary Jo, Tanya, Joni, Amy, Randy, and Mary. Soon Rena, Olya, and Grace made the move. By March 15, 2008, our first anniversary, Robin joined us as our 30th Realtor® making us the largest brokerage in McMinnville, and among the top three for size in the County. But while size may be a commentary on the attractiveness of our model, alone it may only mean we put on a better party!

Our goal has always been to be the brand of choice for our area, the greater Yamhill County area, one of the most beautiful places on the earth! We are accomplishing this with a sterling reputation, which we value more than gold and the highest level of competent service available for our clients. Since the past is the best predictor of the future, we are very optimistic!

Join us this Thursday, March 15th at our McMinnville office open house and 5th anniversary celebration!  Stop by between 4-7pm.

These fabulous folks came to our 5 year anniversary party in Newberg this past Friday night – and won some pretty awesome prizes!

Prizes compliments of Bella Casa Real Estate Group, The McCreith Team, Joy Dale-Broker, Rosalie Peck-Broker, and Kim Hamblin-Broker are as follows:

$15 Coffee Card to Coffee Cats: Victoria Linton; Kipp Jorgensen

$15 Coffee Card to Chapters:Mark Jackson; Janay Cookson

$75 Dinner Gift Certificate to SubTerra: Jean Gallagher

1 each iPod Shuffles: David Holmes; Erin Harris

$50 Gift Certificate to Yamhill’s: Missi Gregg

Kim Hamblin print, “Hers, His, Theirs”: Jeff Rathjen

Kim Hamblin print, “Prairie Plants”: Sue Bissett

Winery Tour: Charles Keen

Winners of a bottle of local wine:

• Carl Craig
• Jean Fulton
• Sharon Schneider
• Michelle Gregor
• Leigh Williams
• Daryl & Cindy Nelson
• Myrna Anderson
• Cassandra.

Coming up on Thursday, March 15th, we will continue to party in McMinnville with more prizes – including a Kindle Fire! This is a community-wide event so we hope to see you between 4-7pm next Thursday.

"Hers and His" Kim Hamblin

This Friday, in honor of Bella Casa Real Estate Group’s 5 year anniversary celebration, we will be featuring art at our Newberg office for the Newberg Downtown Art Walk event that is all part of our personal collection.  At Bella Casa Real Estate Group, it is our priority and our pleasure to decorate both our offices with truly unique and beautiful pieces of local art made by artists right here in Yamhill County and close surrounding areas.  Over the last 5 years, we have acquired quite the collection, and we look forward to sharing it with you.  While you enjoy this wonderful art, we will also offer complimentary wine tastings by J.Daan Wine Cellars, we will have some delicious appetizers, and we will have drawings for exciting prizes such as a Kindle Fire, 1 of 4 iPod touches, wine, local business gift certificates, art prints by Kim Hamblin, and more!

On display, we will have art by the following local artists:

Kim Hamblin
Susan Day
Carl Craig
Daryl Nelson
Kari Fahrenkopf
Bill Miller
Phyllis Meyer
David Atkinson
Kris Horn
Corby Stonebrake-Soles
Jeanne Cuddeford
Hannelore Fischer
Kathleen Buck
Myrna Anderson
Elizabeth Berg
Anna Tewes
John Casey
Cindy Stinson-Chennell
Phyllice Bradner
Susan Fey

On the first Friday of every month the very best of local art is on display – all in one centralized location! You’ll see talent that has been encouraged and developed by our very own landscape – the vineyards, the mountains, the buildings, the people… It’s nothing short of inspiring. And although the art is the reason we gather, it gives an opportunity for tasting fantastic local wines and engaging with others our community. You won’t be disappointed if you do come out for a few hours. You’ll be surprised by how much fun it is and impressed by everything that Yamhill County has to offer.  We look forward to meeting you at Bella Casa Real Estate Group!

This Friday, March 2nd from 5 to 9 pm, we are pleased to feature complimentary wines tastings to each of our guests at Newberg Downtown Art Walk.  Though we have the pleasure of participating in Art Walk each month, this month is especially exciting because we are celebrating Bella Casa Real Estate Group’s 5th Anniversary as a 100% locally owned business!!  We will feature local art all part of Bella Casa’s private collection, as well as have delicious appetizers and have drawings for prizes including a Kindle Fire, 1 of 4 iPod shuffles, wine, art prints by Kim Hamblin, and many gift certificates to local businesses.

We are also thrilled to welcome back Justin and Megan Van Zanten to feature J. Daan Wine Cellars, a family owned, boutique winery.  Here is a little bit about J. Daan and the Van Zanten’s taken from their website, www.jdaan.com.

J. Daan is a boutique, family-owned winery in the Willamette Valley

Justin and Megan Van Zanten

Justin and Megan Van Zanten were twenty-three years old when they started J. Daan Wine Cellars.  Justin had been working as a cellar assistant at a Willamette Valley winery and envisioned a family winery of his own.  He started with a modest 100 cases of 2003 Willamette Valley Pinot noir ($18/bottle).  Robert Parker noted Justin’s effort, “…the 2003 Pinot noir, his first release, is outstanding…”  Today, Justin and Megan produce 1200 cases a year and have added Rhone varietals to their repertoire.  Justin’s most recent Pinot noir, the 2009 Willamette Valley, was described as “…a primer for what should be looked for in Pinot’s essential elements…” by Oregon Wine Press.

The Van Zanten’s have worked to maintain prices that allow a variety of wine lovers to enjoy their wines.  Their 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot noir was listed as a “Value Pick” by Oregon

J. Daan Wine Cellars

Wine Press ($20/bottle).  They view winemaking as a tribute to simpler living and hope that their wines will play a part in reconnecting food, family, and the earth.  Their own extended family has played a huge part in the project– offering support, free labor, and lots of good meals.

Justin and Megan are proud to a part of a wine region that focuses on sustainable and ethical vineyard practices.  They believe in small, responsible business so that you can feel good about every sip.

On the first Friday of every month the very best of local art is on display – all in one centralized location! You’ll see talent that has been encouraged and developed by our very own landscape – the vineyards, the mountains, the buildings, the people… It’s nothing short of inspiring. And although the art is the reason we gather, it gives an opportunity for tasting fantastic local wines and engaging with others our community. You won’t be disappointed if you do come out for a few hours. You’ll be surprised by how much fun it is and impressed by everything that Yamhill County has to offer.  We look forward to meeting you at Bella Casa Real Estate Group!

The following properties have sold or gone pending this past week in Yamhill County real estate.

To celebrate our 5 year anniversary we are hosting two community open house events! Stop in, taste some wine, enjoy some food… Our personal art collection from years of enjoying Yamhill County’s many talented local artists will be on display at both locations. We’d love to see you!

Drawings for prizes include a Kindle Fire, 1 of 4 iPod shuffles, gift certificates to local restaurants and coffee shops, local wine, and much more! Free gift for everyone who comes!*

*limit one free gift per family. while supplies last.

There is much good news in the Market Action Report for the Portland metropolitan area for January 2012: