I was thinking of possibly selling my home in late October or early November.  Any ideas to show it in the best light?

Almost everything has it’s good and bad sides. One of the good things about working for a large company is that there are many resources in many regions. Deborah Ball is an Associate Editor with the RE/MAX Times Online, a company-wide ezine that often offers ideas of interest to realtors and real estate in general. In the latest issue, she presents some ideas from a RE/MAX Broker associate in Oakville, Ontario, named Jenny Kotulak. Kotulak has some interesting tips to liven up your home during Autumn that can make a sale more timely and/or profitable–and better yet, these are low-budget suggestions Continue Reading »

When considering the purchase of a home or lot, how do I know where the exact boundary lines are?

This is probably the most-often asked question Realtors get for which we have the worst, or weakest, answer.  The thing is, most of the time, in order to know the exact boundaries of the property, you’ll need to hire a surveyor, and this is never inexpensive.  To have even a partial survey done of a typical city or suburban lot, where the surveyor will define the property’s boundary lines, this normally could run you somewhere in the neighborhood of two to five thousand dollars Continue Reading »

PORTLAND HOME VALUES

Okay, okay, so last week I whined and moaned and - with respect to August’s 6.7%  downturn in average sales price according to RMLS - hopefully got much of the ‘crap’ out of my system.  Sometimes it’s good to vent .  With the Treasury Secty and the Fed and SEC and Congress et. al. all scrambling to save us from another Great Depression, it does help to put things in perspective.  I am crossing my fingers now every day for all of us.  But as for housing and Portland’s value in home prices, we still have had it pretty good.  Of major metropolitan areas, Portland still ranks on many Continue Reading »

PORTLAND HOME VALUES

There tends to be about a 2-week+ lag time in getting the new RMLS statistical report for the preceding month; figures usually come out about mid-month or so.  So it was with particular anticipation that I was waiting to see the August figures arrive on my monitor this September.  I say “particular anticipation” because I was beginning to note some change and flux in the market, from an “on-the-ground” sense, and was trying to peek around the corner to see whether our sinking ship of real estate was beginning to be righted.  Our market here has been, when all is said and done, relatively flat for the better part of the last year, with a more noticeable pricing decline in the last couple Continue Reading »

What are the risks and dangers in certain types of exterior siding I should know about when I buy a new home?

Not only are sellers required (with few exceptions) to submit a property disclosure to buyers, detailing any information they may know about defects in the home, but many brokerage firms require their real estate agents to have sellers fill out a “Siding Disclosure.” Because real estate has become such a litigious arena, it’s often in response to litigation that brokerage houses and real estate agencies develop more and more forms and protections to guard against further litigation.  The Siding Disclosure that has Continue Reading »

I’m planning on selling my home pretty soon. What are the more important things involved in getting it ready to show so I’ll get the best price and avoid having it sit on the market?

Well, it is a Buyer’s Market, so it’s more important than ever in doing what you can to put your home’s best foot forward so it will be appealing and stand out from the crowd. Here’s a list of basic “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” that will serve you well as a guideline in any market.

DON’T:

1) Remodel. One thing you can count on: for any substantial remodeling job, it will take longer and wind up costing you more money than you’ve budgeted. Be that as it may, you’ll almost surely not get back 100% of the cost you invest. Furthermore, you are gambling that Continue Reading »

I’m planning on selling my home pretty soon. What are the more important things involved in getting it ready to show so I’ll get the best price and avoid having it sit on the market?

Well, it is a Buyer’s Market, so it’s more important than ever in doing what you can to put your home’s best foot forward so it will be appealing and stand out from the crowd. Here’s a list of basic “Do”s and “Don’t”s that will serve you well as a guideline in any market.

DO:

1) Clean it. Get it scrupulously clean. Pay special attention to the kitchen and baths, the most important rooms in the house. Clean the grout in the bath tile. Replace the shower curtain with a new, fresh Continue Reading »

DANGERS IN THE HOME: LEAD PAINT

I’m thinking of buying an old Victorian home but I’m worried about lead paint dangers. What do I need to know?

It’s no secret: lead poisoning is a serious issue and can cause serious problems. So serious, in fact, that one of the very few Federal regulations that are part of the standard Oregon Residential Real Estate Sale Agreement has to do with lead paint issues. Two things are vital to comply with the Federal regulations: 1) Every prospective buyer of a home built in 1978 or earlier must receive and read the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in the Home” and 2) every seller of a home built in 1978 or earlier needs to submit to buyers a “lead paint disclosure” form, making known to the buyer any information pertaining to and  Continue Reading »

DANGERS IN THE HOME: RADON
I’ve heard some homes have high levels of radon which can be dangerous. What’s the story? Is radon testing part of the usual home inspection?

Well, you’re right. What a crazy world we’re living in, right? It seems hardly a day goes by without finding out about another food that will kill us or any number of other dangers out there. The dangers of radon are real and the government feels it serious enough to have issued a number of warnings about possible high Continue Reading »

I’ve heard of some people who have had problems with oil tanks and sewer issues when they bought homes. What do I need to know about these if I buy a house?

Continue Reading »