New Date:  Saturday, December 19at 10:00am Where:  Along Willamette Falls Drive Theme:  Jingle All the Way   Join the City of Wet Linn for this fun festive morning.  Watch the parade, then enjoy a visit with Santa, cocoa, horse-drawn carriage rides and discounts from local merchants. While you’re there, donate a new unwrapped toy at the fire station.   Join the parade. Click here to register online.   ###   Upstage, LLC helps people sell their homes quickly and profitably.  Our staging and marketing techniques help attract buyers and increase the perceived value of a home.  Also offering color consultations for living or selling. 12/07/2009

According to an article recently published in the West Linn Update newsletter, 1997's Measure 50 set a permanent tax rate for all cities in Oregon, and West Linn's is the lowest.  Here are some of the nearby tax rates:   West Linn $2.12 Lake Oswego $5.04 Tualatin $2.27 Oregon City $4.16   Having trouble figuring out your property tax bill?  Click here for the county's helpful webpage.   ### Upstage, LLC helps people sell their homes quickly and profitably.  Our staging and marketing techniques help attract buyers and increase the perceived value of a home.  Upstage the competition!    11/30/2009

Start the holiday season with a special community celebration. 8th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Central Village Hood Street, West Linn Saturday, December 5th, 2009 6 pm - 9 pm Performances by Radio Disney, West Linn Community Chorus, and the West Linn High School Jazz Quartet. Activities include Sing-a-longs, cookie decorating, pictures with Santa and other kids activities throughout the village and at the Library. Refreshments will be provided, activities and special shopping discounts to be provided by Central Village merchants and shops. Click here for more information. ### Upstage, LLC helps people sell their homes quickly and profitably.  Our staging and marketing techniques help attract buyers and increase the perceived value of a home.  Upstage the competition!  11/23/2009

  The weather has turned cold and now’s the time to think about winter energy usage.  All of the items listed below are worked overtime this time of year due to lower temperatures, less daylight and holiday entertaining. PGE recently published some solutions that may help keep energy usage down.  Good for the environment and good for you wallet!  Here’s a list of common triggers and ways to combat them.   Heating Set thermostat to 68°, lowering it to 60° at bedtime or when you’re away Check furnace filters monthly and clean or replace as needed Hot water Set your water heater to 120° Wash laundry in cold water when possible Install a high-performance showerhead Lighting Switch from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs Replace traditional holiday lights with LED strands Holida... 11/03/2009

I am not going to discount the difficulty of purchasing a Short Sale.  However, when you have a good Real Estate Broker working for you it is not your hardship to bear.  With a little patience you may find yourself owning a home at rock bottom price.  There are many causes behind the short sales that we are seeing on the market today, however, there is one truth to always keep in mind: Lenders do not want to see the home go into foreclosure.  This simple fact is what allows a skilled negotiator to assist you in purchasing the home for a discounted price.  However, there are also many misconceptions to keep in mind about short sales that you must be aware of.  •·         Every short sale is NOT a good deal:  just because the seller is selling the home for less than they owe on it does no... 04/08/2009

West Linn was one of the first Oregon cities to submit its application to receive a portion of the Federal Stimulus money for transportation upgrades.  Among the list of potential projects is the HWY 43 project and funding for the Willamette Falls Locks.  The City is encouraging residents to contact Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, and Congressman Schrader to encourage support of these projects. The City of West Linn is working closely with Oregon's federal delegation in order to take advantage of every opportunity to receive a portion of the federal funds! 03/11/2009

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago you would have $49.00 left. With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00. WithWorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left. But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans> for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214.00 cash. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. - It's called the 401-Keg. A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found Americans drink, on the average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon. Makes You Proud To Be An American! 03/11/2009

We are hearing about the many foreclosures affecting American homeownership but I have found that many sellers do not fully understand how they affect them individually.  They may feel sorry for their neighbors who have lost their homes but they do not realize that their neighbor's loss is theirs as well. When a home enters into foreclosure the bank prefers to unload it quickly.  They do not have the resources to hold onto the home and rent it until the market returns and they have little interest in holding onto it to get the highest possible price.  Additionally, many homes that reach the point of foreclosure have been neglected due to the homeowner's lack of resources to make necessary repairs.  Some homeowners are simply frustrated and angry and take as much as they can before leavi... 03/10/2009

I am NOT your average agent and I am confident that you will discover that you can rely on my knowledge, experience and confidentiality.  My experience offers a sophisticated approach to analyzing your needs.  After years of observation, interaction and training in the real estate industry, I am able to help you through every aspect of the transaction.  This translates into a smooth move with a seasoned professional.  The market is changing and what used to be a hot market is becoming an "intelligent market".  The buyers today are thinking through their decisions more than they have over the past years and it is even more important to price your home correctly according to TODAY's market standards and have your home in top notch condition for showings.  It is equally as important to kno... 02/19/2009

Your home is most likely the largest investment of your life.  Therefore, the sale of it is perhaps one of the most important decisions you will ever make.  There is more to the home selling process than simply receiving an offer on your home and determining if it is a price that you can live with.  When preparing your home for sale it is important to understand that buyers do not simply look with their eyes.  Below are some tips to making your home an experience using all five senses...  The Five Senses: Sight:  Removing clutter makes each room feel spacious and comfortable.  Buyers do not want to see how you live in your home, they want to see how beautiful it can be.  A fresh coat of paint in a warm neutral color (not stark white) and house plants, whether artificial or real, give yo... 02/19/2009

In recent months I have experienced a wide range of response from sellers regarding "short sales".  One end of the spectrum does not know what a short sale is while the other end knows a great deal about the process yet does not fully understand the process and what happens behind the scenes of a short sale.  Today, I would like to discuss some of the key factors to be aware of during the short sale process.  What is a "Short Sale"? A short sale occurs when the seller of a home owes more on the home than the current market will bring.  For example:  you owe $200K on your home yet the market value of your home is only $175K.  You are now short $25K.  Rather than going through the costs of a foreclosure, the lender may be willing to allow the buyer to purchase a home for less than what is... 02/17/2009

Knowing what the buyer wants and convincing the seller to do it can be a challenge.  Time is money.  As the list agent, you only get paid when the home sales.  Your out of pocket expense varies with the type of marketing you do.  But none is free.   As the seller, you only get to move on when the home sells.  You have the cost carry every month if you bought before you sold, you may have needed to relocate to take advantage of a new opportunity.  But the monthly nut is still there.  So why no common ground?  Many prospective list agents worry about offending the seller and not getting the listing.  Relax, do you really want to take just any listing that is competing with the many that are on the market here in West Linn or Lake Oswego.  Agents that are taking listings on an over priced ... 02/16/2009

City of West Linn OregonThe City of West Linn is located in Clackamas County OR with an estimated population of 24,400 as of July 2008. Parts of West Linn are it is bordered by the Willamette and Tualatin Rivers. West Linn has over 600 acres of park land, including Mary S. Young State Park and the Camassia Natural Area a beautiful natural reserve. Property "home" values are in the "upper end' range with very community oriented residents.  Short Sales West LinnPortland OR Homes  Gresham Oregon Homes  Beaverton Homes Lake Oswego Property   Tigard Property   02/02/2009

As a Realtor I will admit that I am biased and feel that most people need the assistance of a Realtor when selling their home.  However, I also strongly feel that there are many people who are perfectly capable of selling their home on their own without the assistance of a Realtor so please do not view this article as "preachy". Recently I read "Why Sell For Sale By Owner" at www.homesbyowner.com and have to admit that I received a good chuckle.  The web site answered this frequently asked question listing the following 7 reasons.  I have listed my responses after each point.  1.        Less Hassle and Frustration:          a.       You don't have to leave the house when showing: the purpose of leaving the house during showings has proven psychological benefits to the buyer that actuall... 01/26/2009

I have to admit, I have not had so much fun with politics in years.  In fact, despite the fact that I worked for two Congressmen in the past, I don't know that I have ever had so much fun with politics! In just a few short weeks we have experienced a drastic change in cultural, political and economic attitude and nothing substantial has changed.  I have experienced an overwhelming sense of cross cultural connections and new bonds that are being created in the effort to achieve a common goal.  I am amazed that we are now hearing of both Republican and Democratic joined efforts to work together and expedite passage of legislation after years of hearing of Bill's that likely will not pass because of disagreement on how they should be structured.  Most importantly, I am finally hearing a si... 01/26/2009

While listening to Obama's inaugural speech this morning I was struck once again by his perspective that our country is not going to turn around simply because there is a new President in office.  His focus is, and always has been, teamwork.  We as a nation need to work together to create change.  President Obama is going to do his part to create avenues for us to prosper but it is up to us to use those avenues for the greater good.  What has made the United States a country that people desire to become a part of, to the extent that they leave their own countries to create a new life here, is the hope of the American Dream.  Many of us who have lived in this country our entire lives have forgotten what that is.  According to Wikipedia the definition of the American Dream is:  "The freed... 01/20/2009

We have heard it over and over; "change is not going to happen overnight, it takes time".  Logically this is a very accurate statement.  However, for the millions of Americans who are hanging on by their fingernails and need immediate change this is not an encouraging statement.  There is hope however.  I have written before about HOPE for Homeowners; a program created by Congress to assist homeowners at risk of foreclosure.  This program may not be for everyone, however.  One of the drawbacks of this program is that you split your equity with the federal government when you sell.  For example, if you sell your home within 5 years the government will receive 90% of the equity on your home.  In year 5 the government receives 60% of the equity and any time after 5 years the equity is spli... 01/16/2009

I have to admit, I understand how some mortgage brokers could have become caught up in providing creative financing to many innocent buyers with no money and little ability to make monthly mortgage payments.  After all, I suspect that many lenders trusted the fact that these buyers understood that they would be paying more on their mortgage payment than their current rent payment.  I am certainly not justifying the lenders that are now being called "predatory lenders" I am simply stating that I can see how it can happen. What I don't understand is the new generation of so-called predators under the guise of a "loan-modification" company.  These are companies that ask for money up front to negotiate with banks.  The problem with these companies is they cannot guarantee their promises of ... 12/04/2008

Took part yesterday in an inspiring cooperative effort on the part of Realtors who had listings in West Linn, Oregon.  36 of us Reators worked together to put 36 of our listings on an advetised Tour of Homes Open House.   The homes covered almost every style, price range and location througout West Linn.  What was inspiring was that 36 of us were able to come togetherl, work together in helping promote our seller's properties for sale.  Rather than looking upon each other as competition, we lput our sellers first.  As a result of this effort, each of us saw increased interest for our sellers - some of us had over a dozen people attend our Open Houses.  This cooperation among Realtors also helped the home sellers to take a critical look at their pricing, their home appearance and a reali... 11/17/2008

Are you ready to sell your home but worried about the kids rooms?  You are not alone.  One of the largest stressors in selling your home is having it ready to show and if you are family with children the idea can seem daunting.  Rather than fighting against the nature, or should I say natural disaster, of your child sign them up for the Equity Group Clean Kids Award.  This is a monthly award that I offer to your child for keeping their rooms clean.  They will receive a certificate and gift for each month that they have helped during the sale of your home!   11/13/2008