FISH, FISH and more FISH!!!!

Rick and Robert with the fish (yes it is real) we threw around the room.

It is very important in any business to have fun while you work. The positive energy and excitement that we share with our coworkers extends to our relationships with our customers; which ultimately leads to more business. It takes hard work to keep that positive energy going but it is worth every effort. We started a program today called FISH, developed by the fishmongers at Seattle's Pikes Place Market. It's a simple program, with 4 simple principles:

1. Be there
2. Play
3. Make Their Day
4. Choose your attitude

The program is several months long and involves videos and discussion groups. As with anything else, it's only as good as the effort you put into it. What is so exciting about this program is it gets us thinking about things we rarely thing about at work. How to have more fun, how to choose our attitudes when we walk in the door each morning, and how to look for ways to make our customers day.

We meet as a company every other week to discuss these FISH principles. When we meet, I make every one a homemade lunch (this is a great way to serve the people that are serving our customers, plus I have fun doing it).

If you would like to learn more about FISH, visit www.charthouse.com. Or go right to the source and see the fishmongers. who started it all, in action www.pikeplacefish.com.

Robert W. Bennington

robert@benningtonproperties.com

New village owners reveal plans

The plans laid out by the new village owners this month are very encouraging and appear to be exactly what Sunriver needs right now. Below is an excerpt from Sunriver Scene article.

New village owners make a pledge to 'stop the bleeding'

by Brooke Snavely

Rediscover Sunriver Village LLC laid out short-term plans for revitalizing Sunriver's mall at the Feb 14th SROA Board of Directors meeting. The plans include expanding the Country Store, relocating some tenants to remodeled buildings with design elements mirroring those of the Bank of the Cascades building. They will tear down four buildings that are damaged or blocking views, create entryways and spruce up the grounds with new landscaping, lighting and restrooms. "We'll start on the grocery store right away and make a difference," said Rachel Rudiger, Curry Architecture design intern. "We'll deconstruct some buildings to improve views of the Country Store. We'll somehow involve the community and make it an educational process and, perhaps, donate the materials to Habitat . . . . . .

Click Here to read the full Sunriver Scene article.

Who are the new owners of the mall?

Many of the investors have not been disclosed, but the most public investor is Curry Architecture (www.curryarchitecture.com). It appears that Curry Architecture gained a majority of its success from their 25 year partnership with Salem, Oregon based Holiday Retirement Corp (the largest retirement home company in the world!!). Here is an article in the Portland Business Journal about the founder of Holiday Retirement Corp, William Colson. Colson's wealth far out weighed that of Les Schwabs, giving us just some indication of the wealth and success of Curry Artictecture. Click here to read the full Portland Business Journal article.

Some interesting industry numbers

The "transient room tax" collection numbers have been published for the first half of the 08/09 tax calendar. This is the tax that the guest pays (7% to Deschutes County) on top of the nightly rent. No big surprise that the numbers are down from 07/08, although I thought you might be interested in some of the details.

As you can see from the monthly variance, December 2008 was hit the hardest with a -18.58% change over December 2007. The number I find the most encouraging though, is that the first half of 08/09, although down, is up 3.17% over 06/07.

Why do you ask is this encouraging? The 07/08 tax year was an extraordinary year with a 7.09% increase over the previous year. If we had seen a more modest increase in 07/08, then the current taxes would be about equal to the 07/08 year. So far, these numbers seem to show that tourism is staying relatively steady in Sunriver (the major contributor to Deschutes County taxes). I find this encouraging because at least the numbers are not falling as drastically as they feel.

The reason things feel worse then they are is because with the extraordinary growth in tourism that we have seen in Central Oregon over the last few years, we have also seen an extraordinary growth in available lodging throughout the region (Caldera Springs, more homes in Sunriver, multiple resorts throughout the County, etc.). In a flat period like we are in, this growth is diluting the available revenue to businesses and homeowners putting a strain on everybody.

The last number I found to be very interesting is that the City of Sisters is UP 29.87%. Very good news for the businesses in Sisters. My guess is this increase in tax revenue is due to the number of hotels that have sprung up over the last couple of years within the city limits (Black Butte Ranch's tax dollars are a part of Deschutes County tax revenue - not Sisters).

Deschutes County Tax Collection

Monthly Variance between 07/08 and 08/09
July 4.72%
Aug -7.67%
Sept -9.49%
Oct 6.26%
Nov 8.40%
Dec -18.58%

Deschutes County (does not include the cities)
06/07 YTD taxes collected = $2,180,851
07/08 YTD taxes collected = $2,335,564
08/09 YTD taxes collected = $2,250,000 (down -3.66% from 2007)

Deschutes County is down -3.66%
City of Bend is down -11.03%
City of Redmond is down - 13.78%
City of Sisters is UP 29.87% (holy cow, what's going on in Sisters?)
City of Prineville is down -11.33%

Is your Vacation Rental Profitable?

How to Make Your Vacation Rental More Profitable

Bennington Properties manages many different shapes and sizes of vacation rental homes. Big, small, older, newer, pet-friendly-we have them all! Variety is one of many reasons that people choose us when planning a vacation in Sunriver.

The old cliché: "A picture is worth a thousand words" has never been more accurate than it is in today's turbulent economical times. Homes that have contemporary features including updated flooring, lighting, countertops, sofa, beds, bedding and various furnishing will "pop" more when pictures are populated to our website. Did you know that over 70% of people who book with us have already seen pictures of homes available and have a short-list of homes that appeal to them? How appealing is your home to on-line shoppers? If there is room to improve the appeal, then there is most-likely an opportunity to increase your bookings!

Attractive homes photograph nicely and are desirable for those looking for a vacation experience. If you are considering any sort of updates, please contact me for ideas and suggestions to improve the presentation of your home. We have a list of contractors that specialize in every aspect of home remodeling. Upon completion of updates at your home, please be sure to contact me so we can request updated photographs and let our Vacation Planners know about the exciting news.

Image, pricing, location, and amenities are the equation for a successful rental. Location can't be changed but image, pricing and amenities are aspects that can be adjusted to make your home the shining star that grabs the attention of on-line shoppers!

Submitted by Deborah Nikita, Owner Relations Manager

deb@benningtonproperties.com

Direct: 541-593-0416

Time to hit the slopes!

Mt. Bachelor has unveiled Winter Stimulus Package Deals that are smokin' hot!

18 and Under Ride FREE - Teens and Youth receive a free multi-day ticket with the purchase of a corresponding Adult multi-day ticket. Families with more than two children can receive additional multi-day tickets at a discount of 50%. Not valid Feb. 14-16. Click Here

Double your Days - Purchase a 2 of 3 multi-day and get 4 days of consecutive riding. Purchase a 3 or 5 and ride the next 7 days. Click Here

Bring a Friend - The original 5 bring a friend tickets loaded on all adult passes for $50 each has a new twist: now bring your friends for $29 Sunday-Friday non-holiday, or use them Saturdays and Holidays for the original $50. This offer has also been added to Teen and youth season passes. Click Here

Hooky Days - Purchase a day ticket online in advance and ride Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday for $29. Tickets on sale Friday through Monday for that upcoming midweek period. Click Here

More Deals - The Ski and Sport in West Village is having a sale on helmets, hard goods and outerwear, 20% off! Save up to 50% off last year's gear too. It's a veritable smorgasbord of savings. More Deals

BP leading the pack

We have been analyzing our competition to see how everyone is doing during this crazy economy. We are happy to announce (and we didn't fudge on the numbers - we promise) that we continue to lead the pack in bookings. The graph below shows the # of booked homes divided by the total number of homes on that particular property managers program for each weekend in the first part of 2009.

Not Quite a Blue Bird Day, But Close!

Photo taken by Deb while skiing the slopes Super Bowl Sunday 2009.

Yesterday while riding the Pine Marten Chair Lift, the spry Irishman who looked to be in his early 70’s, sat next to me and remarked with a twinkle in his eye that it was a “Blue Bird Day”. Having never heard that term, I decided to Google it (gotta love that instant technology). Definition: “A blue bird day is a beautiful sunny day after an overnight snowfall. It’s a perfect skiing day with a clear blue sky, bright sun, and fresh snow.” I certainly agree with the clear blue sky and bright sun part but the snow could use a little refreshing. Once the skiers started to head out to Super Bowl parties, it felt like the mountain was mine alone. No lines and no competition on the runs. This is Central Oregon living at it’s best!

~Deb Nikita
Owner Relations Manager

deb@benningtonproperties.com