I used to pass a mortgage company billboard on the freeway every day that read: “Surprises are for birthday parties.” (Implied: surprises are usually unpleasant when they arise in the context of real estate transactions.) The worst case scenario that looms large in the minds of buyers, refinancers and sellers alike is that they’ll get […]
Archive for the ‘buying a home’ Category
5 Things Portland Home Buyers do That Can Kill a Deal
January 4th, 2012 
admin These days you see endless articles on all the tips and tricks for sellers to get their home sold and what they need to do to appeal to more buyers. Portland home buyers also need to take heed and be aware of what not to do when trying to buy a house. I can’t tell […]
Portland Seller Tips and Portland Buyer Pet Peeves
January 2nd, 2012 admin This week I’m going to cover the ups and downs, tips and tricks, insider secrets and need-to-knows of real estate this past year for Portland area buyers, sellers, owners and renters. 2011 was a tough year for home sellers in Portland – or at least, for those home sellers who were not in the know […]
Top 3 Real Estate Deal Killers–And How Portland Buyers Can Avoid Them!
December 29th, 2011 admin Once upon a time, Portland homebuying was a much less dramatic affair then it is today. The house hunt was fun, if suspenseful, and then there was another exciting whirlwind of inspections, closing and moving in. Today, though, as soon as buyers get the gumption to jump off the rent vs. buy fence, they find […]
Top 10 Portland Home Styles
November 18th, 2011 admin Bungalo– In my experience, this type of home is the most liked and desired among buyers. Bungalos often have low-pitched, side-gabled roofs, widely extended and supported by brackets, banks of casement windows, and huge covered porches that extend across the entire front of the house. These homes are generally 1.5-2 stories high, and usually come […]
Home Prices Continue to fall in Portland!
November 16th, 2011 admin Yikes. According to the most recent Market Action Report, the average sale price in October 2011 fell 6.5% when compared to the same time last year. Although activity is rising! Closed sales went up 14.1% in October 2011 compared to October 2010 and pending sales saw a rise of 15.1%. With low prices that continue […]
Posted in buying a home, home value, homeowners, Portland, property values, real estate 
No Comments »How to Choose a Mortgage Person
November 15th, 2011 admin Buyers always ask me how they should choose a lender/broker. It is so important that the team of people you work with while buying a home is one you can count on and one that does their best for you. This article from Trulia explains it well. One thing it doesn’t mention that I want […]
The End is Near?
November 9th, 2011 admin According to The Wall Street Journal, the study “forecasts U.S. home prices will finally start to turn around by early next year. It forecasts home prices in 384 U.S. metro areas will rise by an average of 2.7% between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, with 95% of those metro […]
How would you score on the Buyer IQ Quiz?
November 7th, 2011 admin If you are buying or have bought, you should know the answers! It only takes a few minutes. Go here.
Portland School Ratings
November 3rd, 2011 admin Questions about Portland area schools come up a lot when I’m working with buyers. Either they are planning for their future family or have children nearing school age and want their home purchase to be near their child’s new school. Years ago there were few if any good resources on all the different schools and […]
