Simple Ways to Add Character and Charm to Your Portland Home

It is easier than you think to add character and charm to your home without spending thousands.  Not only can it help your home sell, it will definitely make your home memorable for potential buyers.  Similarly, perhaps you have found a fantastic home – in your favorite neighborhood for the best price – but it is a major snore.  Don’t let that stop you from buying.  Use these simple ways to add vintage character and charming period details to make it your dream home.

Increase Curb Appeal

• Put up some window boxes if there is room under your front windows
• Paint your front door a  bright color such as red
• Add exterior shutters to your windows

Add Character Inside

• Install crown molding
• Put wainscoting in the dining area or bathroom 
• Change the doorknobs inside to glass doorknobs 
• Visit the Rebuilding Center on N Mississippi for some amazing art pieces (such as old windows)
• Use bookcases with molding or an armoire to hide your TV

 Antique looking rugs add visual interest and tie room colors together.

 

The most important thing to remember is to have fun and don’t be afraid to be a bargain hunter!  Garage and estate sales, antique stores and other second hand stores can be treasure troves if you’re willing to look past all the junk.

Fireplaces and Great Rooms Will Lead the Housing Recovery

Even though the media loves to report all the doom and gloom about the housing market the fact is people are still buying and selling homes everyday. We are nowhere near a full recovery but ridiculously low mortgage rates and reasonable home prices are keeping the market moving. A recent article posted by RISMEDIA entitled, Young Home Buyers Will Lead Housing Market Recovery, describes how the next generation is approaching buying homes.

This demographic, Americans ages 31-45, expect different features out of their homes than the previous generations. For example, “Seventy percent said that they were willing to pay $5,000 more for a green home, but those responding to the survey said that they expected new homes to already have many green technology features. They also said they would pay a premium for dark wood cabinets, a separate tub and shower and a fireplace in the living room, and more preferred a great room over formal spaces.”

What can we learn from this one paragraph? If you’re selling your home and have any of these features make sure your agent is highlighting them aggressively in marketing materials. If you’re thinking about updating your home and want to sell it in the future, add some of these features. For Portland in particular, it may mean a few more walls will be coming down in our historic homes to create a great room feel.

After you chuckle at the hokey picture that depicts a young couple and a formally suited agent, read the article in its entirety to get even more insight into the psyche of young home buyers.

New Seasons coming to Beaverton

Construction is almost done at the Progress Ridge New Seasons. Having been spoiled with a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's minutes away at our last home, I am ecstatic to have a grocery store with a better local and organic food selection.

Lisa Sedlar, President/COO of New Seasons has also revealed this about their newest location:
"The store will also feature an expanded full-service deli and a cooking school. Like all New Seasons Markets, the new store will have an in-store Chef available to help shoppers create menus for family meals or large dinner parties."

The sign says they are planning to be open in September, but I'm secretly hoping they may open sooner!

Irvington Home Tour 2011

My favorite home tour in Portland, the Irvington Home tour, is coming back Saturday May 15. The homes always exemplify historic style and have been lovingly well maintained and/or updated. It's also a wonderful excuse to walk around Irvington and enjoy the beautiful neighborhood. I hope to see you there!

What: 7 Historic Homes  

When: 11:00-5:00

Cost: $20/per person

More Info Here

Foreclosure Filings vs. Actual Foreclosures

Did You Know?

When a lender initiates a foreclosure there are often multiple foreclosure filings for the same property? The average number of filings by a lender when attempting to collect a mortgage debt is actually 3 and the number can easily climb into double digits!Why is that? Well, every time something changes – such as the actual foreclosure sale date – they file a notice again.
So, next time you see a large headline that states: Foreclosure Filings Up, remember that it’s a misleading term. For example, 400 foreclosure filings probably translates to 50 or less actual foreclosures.
If you’ve received a notice of default and are in danger of foreclosure call, email or text me and I can talk you through some important options. I’d love to help you prevent foreclosure.
Banks shouldn’t, and don’t want to be, in the business of selling homes!

Portland Named a “Comeback City” for 2011!

Kiplinger has named 11 Comeback Cities for 2011 and Portland was one of them. We all know how amazing this city is but high unemployment throughout the great recession has certainly damped the mood in the last few years.
Well, according to financial and business forecasters, Portland will see a significant comeback this year with possible 3.4% job growth in 2011. Clean technology and software development are leading the charge. That is a welcome relief from the minimum wage retail jobs that seemed to be the only positions available lately and do not pay anywhere near a livable wage.
Portland seems perfectly poised to turn this forecast into reality and I for one can’t wait see this comeback in action!

How Much is Your Portland Home Worth?

One of the questions I get asked most often is “How much is my home worth now?”

Since the market correction in Portland, home prices can be hard to gauge without an in depth Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) provided by a real estate broker.  With the larger number of short sales and foreclosures on the market it can be difficult to price your home based only on what you are seeing sell in your neighborhood.  A broker can look at homes in your area with similar features that have sold, are currently pending, and on the market right now.  We take that information and interpret it to create a ball park figure for your home. It is important to understand that a CMA is not an appraisal but a price that a reasonable buyer would pay to purchase your home.
Knowing the equity in your home can help with many things including:

1. Ensuring your home is adequately insured.
2. Planning your estate realistically for your heirs.
3. Using the equity for college, renovating and updating the home, ect.
4. Selling your current home and purchasing a larger one.

Creating a CMA for my clients is actually one of my favorite activities.  If you would like to know what your home is worth give me a call and I can create a CMA specifically for you.