Archive for the ‘first time buyer’ Category

5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes

Buying a home is a big deal but don’t freak out! This purchase, for most people, is the largest purchase you will make. And for something that involves hundreds of thousands of dollars…well it should be a little complicated. Preparation is key. So when you are getting ready to make your first Portland home purchase, […]

Interest Rates Tick Downward..Again!

I feel like I’m blogging this same thing over and over. But I’m guessing you would want to know if rates are going down, even if it means I’m a broken record! Mortgage rates once again inched lower this past week, lowering the cost of borrowing and increasing housing affordability.    

Coming Up: East Portland Home Ownership Forum

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 15th! Rose Community Development is bringing their second East Portland Homeownership Forum to David Douglas High School from 6 – 8:30pm. They will be drawing more finalists for the $4,000 downpayment grant, sharing information for first-time homebuyers and more. This forum is free and open to the public! 503-788-8052 […]

Questions to Ask before Buying a Foreclosure in Portland!

You know that whole saying, “If it seems too good to be true than it probably is.”  Well that is definitely applicable to foreclosures, particularly ones that have been abandoned.  I often encounter new buyers who are excited about the prospect of buying a foreclosure because of the great price they may get.   And […]

Interest Rates Hit New Historic Lows….Again!

It was just about a month ago when Mortgage interest rates hit their lowest percentages ever. And now it’s happening again! Mortgage rates for mortgages fell this week, with the current average rate borrowers were quoted at 3.71 percent, down from 3.73 percent at this same time last week. And in Portland it’s even better! The […]

Portland Housing Stats from November 2011

Next week the numbers for December will be released but before we look at those I wanted to take a minute and look back at what was happening with the Portland area Housing Market in November. This also comes after many articles coming out these first few weeks in January saying that the Housing Market […]

Buying a Foreclosure in Portland? Things every Buyer should Know!

Are you looking to buy a home in Portland? Curious about buying a foreclosure in Portland? In a December survey, Trulia found that 49 percent of Americans were at least somewhat likely to consider buying a foreclosure, up from 45 percent in May 2010. But the number of US adults who believed there are disadvantages […]

4 Ways Portland Sellers and Buyers can avoid Surprises at the Closing Table

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 […]

5 Things Portland Home Buyers do That Can Kill a Deal

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

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 […]