The Republican National Committee voted to not defend the mortgage-interest deduction, in hopes of leaving the door open wider for a broader reform of the IRS tax code. Democrats also discussed the same thing a few months ago. So will this cherished homeowner tax break go away? Watch today's video for details! Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 08/21/2012

When our Portland home staging company meets with potential clients, usually they're in the process of getting thier home ready to go on the market.  We're used to seeing boxes stacked up, and things in disarray as decisions are made about what to do next. Sometimes sellers hire us to help them with ideas on how to present their home so it looks appealing and "move in ready" to potential buyers -- specifically, the target buyer of their home. Some sellers ask us to help them stage their home using what they already have, since they'll be living in their home while it's on the market.  We want buyers to notice each room's special features ... things like high ceilings, hardwood floors, the fireplace, big windows, crown molding, and other details that buyers love. Others may be moving ou... 08/20/2012

Corelogic just released a report showing national home prices rose 2.5% in the past year. If you exclude distressed sales, then the increase is even higher. Time to buy folks, and rates are still sitting at all-time record lows right now! Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 08/09/2012

I'll Be Walkin To Raise Money At The Portland Brain Tumor Walk,You Can Help! For the last couple of years, I've walked the three miles at Willamette Park in Portland to raise money for the Brain Tumor Society at the Portland Brain Tumor Walk to help find a cure as well as help those struggling with this. Why do I do this? Many years back, I watched as my best friend struggled when her sister died in her twenties from a brain tumor. So young and very sad leaving two young kids motherless. A couple of years ago, my hubby and I met a man named "Captain Bill". Yes, he was a true Captain and lived life on the water in a floating home right across from where this walk is. My fond memories of him were smiling, his white beard bright against his deeply tanned face. He fought valiantly to beat h... 08/07/2012

Finding That "Sweet Spot" Price To Get Your Portland Home Sold When pricing your Portland home for sale, together we look over all the comparables in your direct neighborhood that are are in active, pending or sold status to get a good idea of where your home should sell. Along with price, location and condition are also major factors. You can't change the location, but you CAN change the condition and price. If you have a home that might not be in the ideal location, chances are you knew this when you purchased it and probably got it at a lower price to compensate for the location. This is something you need to remember when selling. Even though the comparables might support a certain list price doesn't mean that the buyer's will. This is when we work together to not only make sure the... 08/05/2012

How Do Your Clients Find You? One of the questions we love to ask new or prospective clients is, "How did you find us?"  As a home stager in Portland Oregon, I've found that knowing how people hear about your company or find you online is helpful for future marketing planning. When I ask this question of new callers on the phone, we hear a variety of answers ....   Thanks, AR!  The value of your AR membership can't be overestimated!  Having an AR Outside Blog to your website is a great way for people to learn more about you and how you can help them with their real estate needs.   If this is the case, be sure to follow up with, "what search term did you use -- do you remember?"  because that's good info for you to know for future blog posts and marketing materials.  Remember what you le... 08/03/2012

Knowing what Portland home buyers want helps your property sell that much faster. Although I assist more buyers than sellers in the Portland real estate market that only makes my job easier when it comes to listing and marketing a Portland OR property. Because I know the buyers, I know how to stage and sell specifically based on what they want. Agents that exclusively list homes may not be attuned to the nuances of what today's buyers are really looking for. There are a variety of buyers in today's market; short sale buyers, foreclosures, and deal-of-the-day is what buyers are looking for, but not all. There are first-time home buyers that still want a practically perfect home with very little work or maintenance to be done once they move in. If you are an owner/seller and you're not fa... 07/11/2012

Dogs seem to be following me to work lately ... of course I don't mind, because I've been a dog lover all my life.  Most of my baby photos show me with Cookie and Chubby, the family English bulldogs...             Other family dogs represented various breeds, and one of our Irish setter pups was selected for a Disney movie years ago called "Big Red"...             We love living in Portland Oregon, which has been recognized as the #1 Most Dog-Friendly City in the U.S.!     I guess it's no surprise that in my work as a professional home stager in Portland Oregon, it's only natural that dogs continue to tag along wherever I go ... In this Portland home that we recently staged, 4 colorful dogs greeted buyers as they entered ...  In this home, 3 dogs took up residence, giving this family ro... 07/08/2012

Laurelhurst Colonial Revival Home 3444 NE Hassalo, Portland OR 97232 Immaculate home in Laurelhurst with gorgeous landscaping, beautiful master suite, gleaming wood floors, fireplace, plenty of storage, updated kitchen and baths -- the character and charm of 1923 with today's conveniences.  This turn-key home has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, in 2,834 sq ft. For more information please contact Aaron Rian of Keller Williams Portland Premiere @ 503.328.9335 ~ Staging and Interior Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~ 07/07/2012

Can You Stage Your Home in Portland Oregon for just $175? Will it help your home to sell faster? The answer to both questions is "YES!" you can stage your Portland Oregon home for just $175 when you hire Room Solutions Staging for a Verbal walk-through Consultation; and our staging statistics show that it will sell faster than un-staged homes.  What can we do for you? Here's what's included in our popular 2-hour Verbal Consultation service: A review of every room in your home, with advice on the best furniture placement and how to create a great traffic flow from one space to another How to create focal points in each room that highlight the best features of your home Creating inviting curb appeal that encourages buyers to want to see the inside of your home Where needed, providing pai... 07/04/2012

I'll admit that this post will the little beyond our general real estate topics but in keeping with the local post contest that active rain have going on right now I figured this would be a perfect time to feature this local wholesale transmission shop in Portland Oregon. All Transmission has been serving the Portland Oregon area for over 25 years and offers a small staff that knows the business and the market for most all transmissions ever made. They currently shipped just about everywhere in the US and sell new, used, and rebuild transmission parts and transfer cases. This group of less than 20 people assists with accounting, managing, purchasing and sales and handles just about any kind of transmission for the wholesale market that you can think of. Their website even caters to Span... 06/25/2012

One more Portland OR Builder is now a Believer in Home Staging As experienced home stagers in Portland Oregon, we've worked with quite a few local home builders ~ we're lucky to have so many talented ones here!   It's especially fun for us to stage a new home because we always wonder what lucky buyer will find it and decide it's the perfect home for them.  We love to see the latest in home building design trends, too. Recently we staged a new home that had been on the market for a few months throughout the construction process.  The listing agent, a Portland Realtor who's a satisfied repeat home staging client of ours, told me that this particular builder hadn't worked with a stager before -- but was thinking that this home might be a good candidate for staging.  Like many new homes, t... 06/24/2012

4313 SE NAEGELI CT, Portland, Oregon 97236 (HUD Owned Homes for Sale)  MOVE-IN READY! 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Ranch with Hardwood Floors, Gas Fireplace in living room, Vaulted Ceilings, Large Covered Patio for entertaining. Low Maintenance Yard! Garage converted to storage or hobby room. HUD Home. View the Virtual Tour for 4313 SE NAEGELI CT, Portland, OR Schedule a Showing WIN $10,000 toward your downpayment Search All Homes For Sale What Is Your Home Worth? Todd Clark Knipe Realty NW, Inc 503-524-9494 Questions?Schedule a Showing! MLS#: 12516983 06/23/2012

How to start a brand-new website in the Portland Oregon real estate market if you're new to real estate or perhaps you're starting with a new website in a highly populated cities such as Portland Oregon you have to remember that you'll be competing with people that of optimized and worked their websites for years. So how do you compete with those that have already monopolized the search engines and are ranking high for keyword searches such as “Portland real estate”? The key to optimizing a brand-new website in a highly populated city is through longtail searches and community/local posts. These longtail searches mean instead of using terms such as "Portland real estate" you're breaking down each blog post, article, or page on your website for more specific key phrases and terms. Find a... 06/23/2012

The recent elections in Greece and comments by the Federal Reserve have given our housing market a gift, at least temporarily. Watch today's video to find out what happened and how you can benefit from this! Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 06/22/2012

If you are shopping for a home loan, you MUST know the right way to compare lenders, and how to choose the best rate/fee structure for your needs. In some cases, the lowest mortgage rate isn't always the best choice ... watch today's video to find out why! Watch all my videos at www.EricNewmanBanker.com 06/20/2012

RMLS released a report on Friday that showed over 7% gain on sold home prices from May 2011 to May 2012 ... proving the Portland real estate market is heating up! Also, there are more FHA loan changes coming this week - watch for details. Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 06/18/2012

As professional home stagers in Portland OR, we believe that the very best outcome for a home sale comes about as a result of the "winning formula" made up of: a motivated seller with realistic price expectations a great listing agent with savvy marketing skills an expert home stager who advises sellers on easy cosmetic fixes to do before staging, then who stages the home to appeal to the target buyer We've seen this formula succeed over and over again!  Three of our recent vacant home stagings involved a variety of home styles, prices & neighborhoods, but the common element they shared is that they all sold in just one day!  ~ Here are some Before & After photos of these recent home sales in Portland Oregon ~ House #1 had a small living area where buyers would ask "how will we live in ... 06/16/2012

When you buy a home, and repairs are needed, it's important to make sure your Sales Agreement is written the right way. Here's a few tips on what your mortgage lender will expect, and how to make your home loan process go smoother! Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 06/13/2012

This is one of the most pivotal times in our history, and a major opportunity for home-buying. Watch this video as I give you the top reasons for you to get into the marketplace ... whether this is your first purchase, or 35th! Watch all my videos at www.YouTube.com/EricNewmanBanker 06/12/2012