What do you mean your client isn't buying it just because of the countertops? My client just spent $5,000 on those granite countertops to make it look this good so it will sell faster and now you are telling me that you aren't buying because of them?Yep, this was the conversation I had with a buyer's agent on Saturday and I was in shock to what I was hearing. Those countertops looked dang good and it made that kitchen look awesome! Evidently, this buyer could not see that and says to my seller that if they want to sell it they will replace all countertops in the house with another type countertop.It turns out that this person didn't like granite because of salmonella and the warnings that she heard on the news about how it traps the bacteria easier and can kill you. Oh, but that isn't a... 09/29/2008

One of the toughest things about working short sales is knowing you are helping a family who is in trouble. For some reason, they can't afford to live there anymore. Many times it's because of life changing situations such as divorce, job loss, death, or many other reasons. But, now they have to sell their home and don't have the equity to pay us or what is owed to the bank.The loss in value in the last two years has made it impossible to sell a house for the same price they bought it for plus 6%-8% to cover our commission and closing costs. Now, every one of these families I've met has never had a desire to move. They would prefer to live in their home they bought and continue to live the American dream, to raise their kids in one school district and never have to move again.The stress... 09/28/2008

Today I got a call from a lady who was crying uncontrollably. So much so that I was having a hard time understanding her. But, when I finally got her to calm down enough that I could understand her, she wanted to know what she could do. She had gone with another agent, despite reading my posts and now had a 24 hour notice on her door.I didn't want to get too involved for legal reasons, but I did give her the number of two good real estate attorneys here locally. The problem was she bought a home on owner financing and choice to do so without the use of and escrow account or any memorandums on the title, and now she was given a 24 hour notice by the mortgage company who just foreclosed on the house, and she didn't know it.What had happened is she bought this home on a contract and the co... 09/28/2008

Apparently Corvallis Oregon is the place to be if you don't want to have to worry about things like terrorists, extreme weather or job loss.  Farmers Insurance has ranked the security of small and large cities by looking at things like crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental hazards, terrorism threats, air quality, life expectancy and job loss.  I've been to Corvallis and I most certainly believe it.  Local Boyz (Hawaiian food) should actually be your first reason to move there but security is a good second! PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND METRO BLOG AT http//:www.TonyandLibby.blogspot.com (make sure you leave comments) http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/most-secure-us-place... 09/26/2008

I have a group of investors that have learned that investing in real estate doesn't have to be venture in losing money like so many investors have in the past year. You see, they learned that you can't really lose money if you are buying properties at 60% of the appraised value.Why were they able to do this? Because they found out about homes before they even became part of the MLS, or they worked together with other investors and bought a group of homes (Portfolio) from banks at a discounted price and then they divide the homes among themselves.Why are these investments winning propositions? Two reasons, the first being they plan to hold the property and not re-sell it immediately. This will give the time for the economy to turn around and house values to rise. Then when it becomes a s... 09/25/2008

For the fourth year in a row, Portland, Oregon has been topping the list of most sustainable city in the United States.  SustainLane.com has ranked the 50 biggest U.S. cities by their sustainability and Portland has been number one since the beginning (2005).  “Sustainable” is of course a term that is notoriously ambiguous, so you may want to check out their criteria on their website. They seem to be taking a wide variety of facets into account. Variables like commuting options, green spaces, local food sources, government innovations and disaster preparedness all add up to Portland being a fabulous place to live now, and in the future. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/portland-again-tops-a-sustainable-cities-list/ PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBS... 09/24/2008

With the price of fuel and the cost of moving companies going up more and more people are realizing that they can sell a lot of their stuff on line and at garage sales and buy used furniture and replacement items in their new home state and save thousands over packing it up and sending it on a moving truck.I recently had a client move from North Carolina who got a quote to move all their stuff, furniture, kitchen appliances, pots and pans, to Oregon would have cost them nearly $12,000, but instead they sold it online and at a garage sale. They made $8,000 and bought used furniture and appliances once they got here and only spent $6,000. So they made $2,000 rather than lost $12,000 moving cross country.So, if you are considering a big move, you may want to consider new stuff as a way to ... 09/22/2008

We have all seen or heard of an agent that does something that we find completely outrageous and we think they should have their license revoked for it, haven't we? But, what makes us different than that person when we try to market our homes to sell faster than the other guy's houses?Are we out make a quick buck or are we really out there for our buyers and sellers like we are supposed to be? I love my career choice and I can't imagine me doing anything else. But because I love my career, does it make it alright to do anything and everything I can to stay in this business?Or should I look at this business as a war between me and the one million other agents in America and the last one standing wins? I think I disagree with "all is fair in love and war" and I think if we really want to ... 09/21/2008

Are you a buyer looking to buy a condo, but have a pet that has been in your family for 13 years and you can't imagine living without? If you are looking for condos and you realize that your 54 lb, loveable golden retriever is 4 lbs over the average pet weight for most condos, what can you do?Do you wait for your partner of 13 years to die? Give them up? Put them down? HECK NO! Just ask the HOA for an exception and you may be surprised by their response. From my past experience most, if not all, have let many pets over the weight limit in. Now, they still won't allow certain breeds in, but if you have a border collie that is a little fatter than most and are looking at condos, maybe asking could be the difference between never finding a place to live and moving tomorrow.Good luck on you... 09/20/2008

With more and more buyers being told no by traditional mortgage lenders, because of lack of down payment or credit history, lease options are becoming a great way to make more from the sale of your home.The great thing about lease-option is the flexibility of a property owner to sell whether its a house, or a condo. Lease-option could also be use for commercial properties.Lease-option is a complete opposite of your typical home sale. There are always more lease-option buyers than there are sellers.  When you have more buyers it will surely be easier to sell your home.  It will be a great benefit to any home seller to have a deeper understanding how lease-option really works.  What is exactly a lease-option?It's a lease of a house, condo, or even a commercial property, that gives the ten... 09/18/2008

      August Residential Highlights   Market activity in the Portland metro area appears to have slowed in August, compared to the same period a year ago. Comparing August this year with that of August 2007, new listings dropped 27.1%. Closed sales were off last year’s pace by 30.7%, while pending sales also fell 22%. In a month - to - month comparison (July v. August 2008), new listings dropped 16% (4,398 v. 5,237). Closed sales were down 3.3% (1,770 v. 1,831) and pending sales decreased 4.7% (1,908 v. 2,003). At the month’s rate of sales, the 17,556 active residential properties would last approximately 9.9 months at the month’s rate of sales. This is down slightly from last month (10 months).   Year-to-Date   Comparing January-August 2008 with the same time in 2007, new listings decr... 09/16/2008

      Summer is a great time work on projects around the home that reduce your environmental impact. Even if you are not making big changes, such as replacing old leaky windows or installing ceiling fans, there are still small things that can be done around the house to minimize energy consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. Read on to learn more about how to make simple, sustainable adjustments to your home. •·         Plug household appliances such as computers, printers, televisions and microwaves into a power strip that can be turned off at night. Even when these items are not in use their "standby" consumption can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously. •·         Use the dishwasher. Newer dishwashers typically use only 4 or 5 gallons of wa... 09/15/2008

Last year I wrote a post, "I WILL NOT DO IT - I guess I'm not a friend of the environment (Sorry)" and now I see the Associated Press has done an article on an agent doing exactly what I said I wouldn't do.There is a company in Boulder, Colorado called Pedal to Properties and this is all they do! I'm sorry, you are not going to see my fat butt on the seat of a bike riding around with clients, no matter how high gas prices get.To me it was still a joke post, but I'm glad to see others have picked it up and are taking their business to another level with it, but it just isn't me.ToddShhhh....I used one of my pre-written posts and posted it while getting milk. (Getting back tomorrow and will update everyone with some great pictures) 09/11/2008

Houses in Sunnyvale, Calif. are typically on the market for 66 days, making it the fastest-selling real estate market in the country. Sadly, that is more than double what it was a year ago when it was just 31 days on the market. Buyers are in a "wait and see" state of mind no matter where they live.  They know that houses isn't likely to go any where so they are waiting for prices to drop even more.  Obviously some places are doing better than others but no area is exempt from the slow housing market.  The cities with the strongest economies have a tendency to have the fastest selling markets.  Cities like Portland OR, Seattle WA and Salt Lake City UT are examples of these high ranked selling markets. Austin, Tex. is another high-tech center that comes in second at 68 days. Then San Die... 09/10/2008

Portland Oregon has been listed in the top 5 "greenest" cities.  Portland is in the Pacific Northwest and has more than 500,000 people.  It has been a model of sustainable living for decades.  They are recognized for smartly mixing urban and outdoor spaces. Portland did not wait for it to become popular to be "green".  Since its 1903 Portland has been leading by example to encourage cities to embrace green space in their urban planning. Thirty years ago Portland demolishing a six-lane highway to develop a waterfront park in its place. There are about 92,000 acres of green space, including 74 miles (119 km) of biking, hiking and running trails.  Portland is one of the most bike friendly cities around.  In fact about one quarter of commuters bike to work.  It also has enacted an urban-gro... 09/09/2008

Tigard Farmers Market:  Produce to Die For The Tigard Farmers Market is located at Young's Funeral Home in the parking lot at 11831 SW Pacific Hwy.,  The Market runs through Oct. 26, 2008 and is held every Sunday from 9AM to 2PM. This is a temporary location until the permanent one is built in downtown Tigard. In addition to fabulous produce, there are beautiful flower arrangements, craft and food booths, and live entertainment. One thing that pictures cannot capture are the fragrant smells that envelope the Market. Support your local small business owners. Small bills and change are always appreciated and remember to bring your reusable grocery bag. Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® at Oregon First, who works in the Portland and Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your re... 09/07/2008

You have had your home on the market for four to six months now and all of a sudden it expires. Why do you think that is? Was it your agent's marketing? I doubt it! Was it the neighborhood? I doubt it! Heck, was it just that dang barking dog next door? Once again I doubt it!So, what could it have been? My guess it was price and price only! Sometimes a home could use some clean up and staging, but usually it all comes down to you, the seller, thinking your home is worth more than it actually is. This coupled with you having an agent that either doesn't have the backbone to tell you or you as a seller not willing to listen to their professional opinion.If it is you not willing to listen to their professional opinion, then why did you hire them in the first place? You wouldn't hire a lawye... 09/06/2008

There is no doubt that we are in a buyer's market.  A rock-bottom price just isn't enough for buyers these days; they're just getting warmed up.  If you have your house on the market, offers are not pouring in and buyers know it.  Demanding new furnaces, new carpet or new air conditioners is not out of the questions.  In fact, there's a good chance the buyer will get it.  Because the thing is, if one seller doesn't give it to them, the next will. This is all on top of the closing costs that the sellers are forking over.  Buyers were getting the short side of the stick a couple years ago where they were over paying and couldn't ask for anything, now it's their turn.  Repaved driveways, one year home warranties and trips to Hawaii are practically being handed out.  Back in the days of the... 09/02/2008

I'm glad to say that in the last year I'm probably one of a handful of agents in the Beaverton and Tigard area that is doing better this year than I did last year. Now I know the top producers, and thanks to Google Alerts, I now know they know me also.You see one of my niche markets is lease options and owner financing and since I've been doing it for almost 4 years now, I know all about them and have even had to face some tough scrutiny. But, in the end, I have always been able to come out on top and prove that I was in the right.But, as others notice my signs popping up more and more, I've noticed more and more people searching for lease options and coming to my site to read more about them. Three of the Top Producers in the areas that I specialize in have probably been noticing my si... 09/02/2008

Recently there was a case here in Oregon that a child had come down with lead poising and they were talking about it on the news. My wife and I both said at the same time "Don't lick the paint stupid!"But, then the news said they lived in a 2001 farmhouse. I asked my wife, then how did the kid get lead poising? They haven't used lead based paint since 1977, and so unless he was going to the neighbors and licking their walls there had to be another explanation.The story said they were thinking just like me, what could it be? Well, it turns out that they wanted to make their nice 2001 farmhouse more authentic and found a clawfoot tub made at the turn of the century. This tub, it turns out was made of lead, and if sealed, would have been completely safe. But, they were giving this child ba... 08/31/2008