Home | Sonja Lovas Martek Real Estate Broker

Coastal Weather Dangers – Fierce but beautiful!
As I listen to the evening news, I hear of tornadoes, heavy snow fall, wild fires, and flooding. While living on the Oregon Cost doesn’t always make the National News due to our weather but [...]
Whimsical Wall in Newport
While driving home one day I noticed that a retaining wall was painted white. My initial thought was, oh dear, someone must have painted some graffiti and they were painting the wall to cover it [...]
Realtors Tool Box – Bolt Cutters?
Realtors always run into interesting dilemmas, this was at a home inspection. The house being inspected was set up as a vacation rental and the vacation rental company and the owners had locked up personal [...]
Realtor Safety
It was a normal Saturday afternoon and I was meeting my clients at 1 pm to walkthrough a house to inspect some repairs that were made prior to them closing. I arrived early and thought [...]
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms In Oregon
IT’S THE LAW! In Oregon a person may not convey fee title to any real property that includes a dwelling unit or lodging house, or transfer possession of any dwelling unit or lodging house pursuant [...]
Realtor’s Tools of the Trade
While showing houses I often find the need to have a well stocked tool box. I had an appointment to show a house and was given a lock box code for an old style contractors [...]
OCEAN FRONT LIVING ON THE OREGON COAST
Your dream of Owning an Ocean Front condo in Newport Oregon for occasional use can be expensive. In 2018 the City of Newport restricted the number of Nightly Vacation Rentals making it VERY difficult to [...]
Empty Shell Renovated
In a previous post Bitter Sweet I told you about the process of selling an empty shell of a house. In 2016, the house located at 900 S US-101 in Depoe Bay was purchased by a [...]
OAR Convention October 2-3 2019
On October 2nd & 3rd I attended the OAR (Oregon Real Estate) convention. It was the first time I attended and I’m really glad that I went. The first keynote speaker Maura Neill presented great ideas [...]
Market Report, Newport / South Beach, October 2019
Left-click to view or right-click to download this Market Report
Broker Open Tour of Homes August 21, 2019
On Wednesdays South County Lincoln County Brokers hold their new listings open for area brokers. The open houses are grouped by geographical areas giving listing brokers the opportunity to showcase their homes and to have [...]
Septic Tank Repair
Septic Tank Repair In the State of Oregon, you cannot sell a house without a functioning septic. If it’s not then it has to be repaired or replaced and disclosed. When a septic tank fails, [...]
Active Newport Oregon Chamber of Commerce
Newport Oregon has a very strong Chamber of Commerce. The community are very active and supportive of the of local businesses in the community and events which enhance the experience of living in the Newport [...]
Living on the Alsea River
Fishing the rivers along the Oregon coast stirs up quite a debate as to which river is the best. Alsea or Siletz? Every fisherman has their opinion and some fish both. It also depends on [...]
Fishtales Cafe
One of our favorite things to do on Sunday mornings is to go out for breakfast. One of our favorite places to eat is Fishtails Café located at 3101 Ferry Slip Road in South Beach. [...]
Off The Hook!
The Chamber of Commerce visited OFF THE HOOK restaurant for an Ambassador Showcase one Friday morning and it was the first time I had been in the restaurant. I had watched it being built over [...]
NEWPORT CANDY FACTORY
As an Ambassador for for the Chamber of Commerce, we met at the Newport Candy Factory located at 3211 Oregon Coast Hwy, South Beach, OR 97366. The owner Rob Hofes greeted everyone and told us [...]
Embarcadero Moorages
Did you know that you can actually own your own boat slip at the Embarcadero in Newport Oregon? M-23 allows you to easily slip in and out of the boat harbor making your excursion to [...]
Selling Furnished Vacation Rentals
Lincoln County is a very diverse area and there are different types properties for sale on the market. When an owner has a home that has been a vacation rental, they usually want to sell it [...]
Toujours Clothing Boutique Closed
Toujours clothing boutique closed September 30th, 2017. The owner felt it was time to retire after 24 years in the clothing business. It is rumored that building was sold to a new entrepreneur who will have a [...]
Job Well Done
I had a very nice surprise when a seller sent me bouquet of flowers and a beautiful heart felt Thank You card. Inside the card it said: Sonja, Thank you so much for all you [...]
Newport Aquatic Center
It was interesting to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Aquatic Center located at 225 SW Avery St. in the Newport on February 11, 2017. It was a well-attended event by the public and [...]
Try Before You Buy!
Are you thinking about owning an Ocean Front vacation on the Oregon Coast? Do you wonder what it would be like to just get away to a private place and listen to the sound of [...]
Crab City
As I woke up early this morning and looked out at the ocean there were City lights on the Ocean, I call it Crab City. It’s commercial crabbing season and the lights on crabbing boats dot the [...]
Home Inspection – Roof
When home inspectors arrive at a property to inspect, they usually start with the roof. Once on the roof the inspector can check the valley’s, flashing around the vent caps and plumbing vents, and how [...]
Home Inspections
The purpose of the home inspection is to discover “hidden defects” about the property you may not see or notice while looking at it and deciding to make an offer. Most home inspectors do not [...]
Thank You – Zillow Review
Real estate is the kind of job that doesn’t guarantee your work will be rewarded with monetary compensation. I was working with a very nice couple to find them a home in Newport for several [...]
Realtors Job Activities
It’s been another busy week. Some of the activities are the same but nonetheless needed to be completed. Here’s last week’s TO DO and done list. November 6 – 13th 2016 Update seller on delayed [...]
Newport Oregon Farmer’s Market
One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is go to the Newport Farmer’s market. There is a summer market and in the winter the market moves indoors to the Lincoln Commons. Both [...]
Green Spaces On The Oregon Coast
When driving or walking around the Oregon coast, you won’t see many sprawling lawns of green grass except when passing by a golf course. Growing grass on the coast is difficult and requires a lot [...]
Above and Beyond
Selling real estate on the Oregon coast requires that you go above and beyond the normal duties of a real estate broker. That was the case when outdoor lights didn’t turn on and off properly [...]
Morning Walks in Newport Oregon
Mornings walks with our two Golden Retrievers are always refreshing. We don’t always take the same route depending on the time of day, weather conditions, and season. One of my favorite paths is to the [...]
Coastal Flowers In November!
It’s a well-kept secret that it doesn’t rain every day all winter. My friends call it crowd control. While October of 2016 was one of the wettest months on record, there are days when the [...]
Realtor’s Life on the Oregon Coast
I’ve been hearing a lot of clients and friends say to me, “wow, you sure have to do a lot of things to sell real estate”. Reflecting back on their comments, it’s true, but I [...]
Ocean Front Home – Newport Oregon
When City dwellers think about getting away from it all, the central Oregon Coast is a favorite place to go for those living in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Albany, and Salem. When the summer sun heats [...]
Seafood on the Oregon Coast
A really fun place to eat on the Oregon Coast in South Beach Oregon Coast is at the South Beach Fish Market. If you want really fresh fish you can find it there as well [...]
Living In A Lighthouse
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a Lighthouse? This home was Lighthouse inspired and architecturally designed to create that feel. It is sited on 1.16 acres of wooded property [...]
Broker Tour Review
Real Estate brokers in Lincoln County have broker open house tours on a rotating basis. The northern end of the county rotate by areas on Tuesday and the Southern area of the county rotates areas [...]
4th of July Celebrations
The 4th of July is not my favorite holiday, mainly because of the loud explosions that go on several days before the 4th. The loud booming noises always frighten our two dogs and it is [...]
The Life of a Seller
When seller’s place their home on the market, it becomes a product for sale and you live in a fish bowl for all to see. Most sellers spend time, money and effort to get their [...]
Photography for Real Estate
As I think back to when I first started selling real estate, new listings were published in a book that was delivered to offices by the Multiple Listing service and there were no photos. As [...]
Newport Oregon Marathon 2016
Newport hosts an annual marathon that is well attended by runners throughout the area. It is well known for being a great 1st marathon because it has gentle hills, the climate is usually cool and [...]
Downsizing
While going through some files, I found my To-Do-List before we moved from NY to Oregon. I hired a professional stagger and boy did she have a lot for me to do. I started on [...]
Seller’s Property Disclosures.
Instructions on the Seller’s Property Disclosures state that “each seller of residential property described in ORS 105.465 must deliver this form to each buyer who makes a written offer to purchase. Under 5 ORS 105.475 [...]
Break Time Catering Taco Truck
Many towns around the country now have food trucks and they are becoming very popular. Newport Oregon only has one food truck but it works a little different than in most cities because it is [...]
Heaven for Dogs
Life on the coast in Newport Oregon with a dog(s) they will think they are in heaven. My husband and I walk our two Golden Retrievers every morning and as soon as we walk out [...]
Sale of House is Bitter Sweet
Some houses take a long time to sell and it is usually because of pricing and/or condition of the house. I listed a property back in March of 2014 and it was a challenging house [...]
Coastal Living in the Trees
Most people think of Coastal living as, hear the ocean, see the ocean, and smell the ocean. While all those are wonderful to experience, sometimes the wind, salt and sand that come with it are [...]
The Mighty Pacific Ocean
Many people who own (or want to own) vacation homes along the Oregon coast often miss out on some of the best days to be at the beach. Winter days provide beautiful waves, interesting sunlight, [...]
How To Clam On The Oregon Coast
Clamming in the Oregon coast bays is a very popular activity for visitors and residents. One of my favorite bays to clam in is in the Yaquina Bay in Newport Oregon. In order to go [...]

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