Arbor Ridge Homes for sale -

Located right on the border of where Beaverton real estate meets NW Portland, commonly known as Bethany, this subdivision was built around 2000.  Homes range in size from about 1400 square feet to over 3000.  Lot sizes run close to 4000′ and most are well manicured making the most of their size.  Planners incorporated a very nice play structures into the local park situated on 174th in the heart of this middle-class neighborhood.

Exterior architecture is broken up with numerous traditional 2 story floor plans.  Front porches are common and neutral finishes receive designer colors to bring out character.  New listing in Beaverton’s Arbor Ridge provides big upgrades for the price.  Buyers in this market can really capitalize on finishes normally available only in higher end homes.

Here’s one of the latest hot listings:

STUNNING FINISHES in this custom home. Upgrades of Brazillian Cherry floors throughout main floor, slab granite, and designer fixtures. Gas convection range, SS appliances. Open family room plan w/fireplace and built-ins. Larger master suite with new tile and lighting. Fenced yard, sprinklers and deck. Truly a move-in ready home! Check out this Arbor Ridge Home For Sale  MLS#11280371

The Portland Plaza -

One of the landmark condo buildings in Portland’s downtown area is the Portland Plaza.  With an unconventional triangular design and protruding rounded corners it’s easy to spot this sleek silver building of steel and glass.  The unique condo building sells views and because of each unit’s curved shape a much broader picture can be embraced.  Owners are taking contemporary 1974 construction and converting it to luxury condo living.  Walls of windows are practically a requirement in many high-rise buildings and this is certainly no exception.  Buyers in the market to purchase units during summer months can really capitalize of this type of Portland real estate.  Prices have savvy buyers scooping up deals where sellers have gone to great lengths on high-end remodels.

Condos For Sale -

Take, for example, this description of a unit listing on the 22nd floor of the Portland Plaza:  “BREATHTAKING PANARAMIC VIEWS of West hills and city with amazing sunsets and nighttime views that will make you the envy of your friends.  Total privacy and views from every room!  No expense was spared in this HIGH-END top-to-bottom exquisitely remodeled 22nd floor, 2bed/2 bath condo.  Upgraded W/finest Italian Travertine floors, custom built Bar, Gourmet custom designed kitchen w/ soft close drawers and pull out pantry shelves w/ Grand Island slab-granite, Thermador Induction cooktop, convection oven, Franke non-scratch stainless steel sink w/ filtered tap & instant hot water and other premium integrated appliances. Luxurious master bedroom with sound poof walls, large Master bath w/ stunning granite counters, floors, and luxurious steam shower. Toto soft closing toilets, Programmable Lutron lighting system and dimmer control throughout w/ custom designer lighting fixtures.  All new plumbing, water heater, furnace & electrical wiring all w/permits. $200K Remodel! Built-in 42 inch flat screen cabinet and washer/dryer located in the unit.  This amazing unit comes with 2 premium parking spaces and extra storage. ” See RMLS listing #11132538 for more details and pictures.

Amenities include 24/hr on site Security/Concierge, fully equipped workout room with dry sauna, swimming pool, meeting room/library and large entertainment/party room with piano, full kitchen and bathroom facilities.  Private and beautifully maintained grounds w/ several built in BBQ areas.

Portland Plaza Location -

This is city living and at affordable luxury condo pricing.  Nestled between the South Waterfront and the Pearl District, owners are utlimately positioned in the center of downtown Portland .  Residents enjoy maximum convenience of Portland’s Streetcar as well as the transit mall.  Cars are optional here.  Check out walkscore.com’s rating for the Portland Plaza, 98 of 100.  Very walkable!   Great location, short walking distance to great restaurants, Saturday Market, River place Marina, Keller Auditorium, Portland Museum of Arts, Arlene Schnitzer Hall, everything.  It’s all here.  Contact us for your personal condo showing!

What’s it going to take to get my home sold!?  After listing a home for sale in the Portland real estate market and not getting desired result sellers have two choices in order to produce an offer.  Improved the property or lower the price.  That’s it.

Is a property priced competitively?  Pretty simple to answer by gauging response after being listed in the Multiple Listing Service (RMLS in Portland).  A reasonable amount of traffic is having a showing 2+ times per week.  If houses are not receiving that then buyers are buying something else.   Quite frankly, they aren’t even seeing enough value online to warrant a tour.

Improving value can be lucrative and as simple or complex as sellers would like.  Simple means consulting a staging professional to give decorating tips or completely stage a home.  Vacant homes benefit significantly from this.

Let’s take a look at a current listing example in Hillsboro at 1234 Oleander Ln.  MLS #10066603

This particular home was done originally in white, interior and exterior.  Owners made several improvements to both color and finishes after consulting with Maureen Bray at Room Solutions, 503 246-1800

Warm neutral tones were used in the living room and family rooms.  An old fireplace insert was removed and the mantel repainted white.  New windows were installed, eliminating the single pane with storm aluminum frames.  Laminate flooring was replaced in the dining and family room.  Deck was refinished and home staged.

While sellers of this home were gung ho on remodeling and upgrading the home it’s probably fair to say that most homeowners are not that ambitious.  Look at the staging improvements alone.  Color and warmth were added to an otherwise blank canvas.  Buyers can see themselves living there and that’s the difference.  Sellers will recapture their improvement investment here and sell quicker.

Buyers are very superficial.  Change perception of value and you’ll get an offer!

What could be better for sellers in this market than selling?  Nothing! Keeping your deal together is incredibly important.  Like it or not, buyers control transactions when it comes to Portland Oregon real estate.  One of the ways they control the deal and potentially leverage a lower sale price is to nit-pick details brought up during home inspection.  So, how about a few tips to help minimize the list of piddly concerns that buyer’s inspector will inevitably bring up?!

After being on hundreds of inspections Stefan McGuire from A-Team Home Inspections shared with me a list of seven incredibly common problem areas:

1. Vegetation – To help deter wood rot and/or insect infestations keep vegetation 12″ away from structure.  Soil should be sloped away from the house and not be any closer than 6″ below start of siding material.

2. Exterior Paint & Caulking – Keeping surfaces sealing with caulk and painted helps minimize moisture damage and water intrusion.  Pay particular attention to bottom edges of wood siding near the ground as this is a leading cause of failure due to Portland’s wet climate.   This is often completely overlooked by painters and the first areas to show rot.

3. Crawlspace vents- Eliminate possible entry of rodents and your neighbor’s cat.  Check foundation vent screens for looseness and around protrusions from air conditioning lines, cable TV, etc. for holes larger than 1/4″.  Animals love to make tear down floor insulation, shred duct work and then die under your house.

4. Roof Repairs- Missing shingles generally result after heavy winds.  3 tab roofing is much more subject to damage than architectural styles.  If roof is visible from the street missing shingles can be very eye catching, showing that the owner may not pay attention to detail.  Even though initial damage doesn’t necessarily cause a noticeable leak problems may surface down the road and result in underlayment (roof plywood) or interior Sheetrock damage.

5. Gutter and Valley Cleaning – Treed neighborhoods in Lake Oswego, Forest Heights and others will product gutters clogging material on a regular basis, especially during fall leaf shedding periods.  Pain in the neck that it is keeping debris out and rain water flowing freely really limits damage to rafter tails, facial, and house trim in general.  Roof valleys are notorious for pine needle buildup which causes water to wick up under shingles and cause leaks.

6. Hot Water Tank Connections- Comes up on almost every inspection.  Small leaks occur at the galvanized supply line connections and water soaks into a tank’s insulation.  Potentially this causes irreparable damage long before drips appear below the heater.  Consider replacing galvanized fittings (pipe nipples) with brass to minimize chances of a disastrous water heater blow out while you’re out on vacation.

7. Exterior Faucets – Properly winterizing exterior hose bibs/faucet relieves pressure and limits chances of pipe breakage.   Many home sales happen during winter months and inspectors will test these faucets looking for leaks and correct shut off valving.  Shut off valves are often under kitchen sinks, bathroom or utility sink and on garage walls.  Closing these and opening exterior faucets to drain the line can save a lot on the plumbing bill.

Check out more seller tips, search all homes for sale in Portland and find Portland neighborhood information at www.maxwellsinclair.com

Changes to Portland’s real estate market bring out some interesting ideas for those who are looking to take advantage of the foreclosure situation. Sellers are often tempted by alternative avenues proposed by parties operating just under the radar of Oregon’s Real Estate Agency.  Funny how these folks won’t get licensed.

Let’s look at a recent example of a Tigard real estate listing in southwest Portland, a desirable area with convenience to everything.  Searching for hot deals in RMLS brought up this jewel:

Pre-approved Short Sale, can Close in Days!  3500 sq ft on 2 levels, 4 bedroom 2 bath, new windows, wheelchair accessible, etc, etc, etc…Sold AS-IS  $325,000.

Pictures didn’t look too bad.  Sure, it wasn’t pristine and may need a bit of sweat equity but the price was fantastic based upon description and comparable sales in the area.  Location was great, close to everything.  All factors point in the right direction.

So we arrive at the house and it looks a titch worse than in the pictures.  Beautiful kitchen shots had been taken before the owner decided to remove appliances and rip out the cabinets.  Blackberries had actually engulfed one entire side of the house as well as several trees on the property.  Garage doors were falling off and pretty much toast, but that was no biggie compared to all the soffit and window sill dry rot issues.  Oh well, still a good deal, she’s a fixer.  We’ll also have to overlook listing comments about being wheelchair accessible since there were about 4′ elevation differences all over the place and no ramps.  In the sales industry these little details are called “puffing.”  Works for the some people I guess…

People Promoting Win-Win Situations Are Often the Winners

A quick phone call to the listing agent reveals not only is this property a short sale but there’s another party involved who expects to be paid for her amazing negotiating skills.  Essentially what happened is that the seller was contacted by this win-win negotiator just prior to going into foreclosure.  Negotiator paid some of the overdue payments and/or fended off foreclosure proceedings temporarily while property was advertised for sale.  Through her incredible abilities she also convinced the seller to give her an assignable contract for sale of the house.  That contract needed to be bought out in order for any other buyer to proceed.  Cost to buyer was $15,000 (she would then assign her interest to the new buyer).  This buy-out money would not have gone towards the seller’s overdue payments/loan balance and would have essentially cost the buyer $15k more in purchase price.

What a great win-win situation!  Wait… I only count one winner, where’s the second?  Nothing like having a third party negotiator step in and take advantage of an already bad situation.  There are several of these “professional negotiators” out there now.  In fact, many are weaseled into RMLS listings.  The buyer is expected to pay for professional negotiation services of which they are not even receiving representation.

Another Avenue for Sellers in Trouble

One of the best solutions for sellers is to contact a reputable real estate broker well before foreclosure.  It’s their job to negotiate with banks, advertise, secure the best price and generally represent the client’s best interest.  No special win-win third party negotiators need to be paid!!!  Note that not all brokers deal with short sales and some that do have a special team (complete with weasel fees).  Hiring the right real estate broker will benefit sellers, banks and property buyers in the long run.

If you’re looking to buy Portland real estate, you can’t do better than to do it through us here at www.maxwellsinclair.com.

Sales are moving at a snail’s pace and frustrated sellers may weather the storm easier by taking their home off the market and doing that temporary fix.  Remodeling.

Updating an existing home may curb the sale for a year or two while our economy corrects and stabilizes.  Home sales will pick back up and what owners need to keep in mind is that prices are all relative.  When sale volume picks up, so will price of both the existing residence and the next purchase.  Remodeling can be one of the best ways to protect your Portland real estate investment and get you through a bumpy economy, provided it’s done correctly.

Follow a few simple guidelines and recapture of costs will be there.  Check out the following:

• What are the Joneses doing?  Consider the neighborhood.  Has everyone else already updated or are you going to be the first?  Add square footage that matches the neighborhood.  Small houses carry higher $/ft, larger ones mean lower $/ft.  If yours is big for the area don’t add on.

• Kitchens and bathrooms are the big hitters.  Don’t neglect the rest of the house completely.  Eliminating the textured 80′s blue carpet in bedrooms is a given…

• Square peg, round hole. When renovating or adding on, avoid too much customization of space so potential buyers can envision the home suiting their needs. A well-designed fourth bedroom to you could be an office, workout room or home theater for someone else.

• Put a Band Aid on it and paint.  No cheaper way to update.  If you’re not sure what colors to use check out builder’s model homes.  They are cutting edge in design and finish!

• Don’t put a $30,000 kitchen in a $200,000 home.  Going overboard is not the goal and if there’s an awesome kitchen it better be attached to an awesome house for best recapture of cost.

• How’s the curb appeal?  Neighboring houses are dragging down the top dog.  Top dog brings up value of the one with a weedy front yard.  Curb appeal is easily accomplished by manicuring the front to look inviting but you don’t need to hire a landscape architect in most cases.

There are no guarantees that you’ll recapture 100% of every dollar spent.  Furthermore, how would you ever gauge it?!  Careful planning will take your remodel dollar the furthest and help you sell much quicker!  For more Portland real estate investment tips check out the website.  www.maxwellsinclair.com

If you work with buyers and sellers year after year you’ll see patterns develop.  Similar phrases come from each party repeatedly.  Some of my favorites come from sellers.  Recently I dealt with another Beaverton Oregon home for sale where I was representing the buyer.  The listing agent and myself had several conversations, many of which entailed hearing about seller perspectives.

Sellers are usually after just one thing; Making the most money possible from their sale.  There are several points to keep in mind considering the condition of Beaverton’s real estate market (and Portland’s).  First off, look at what’s available for the money in similar neighborhoods close by.  Buyers will compare pricing in several locations.  Rarely do I find a buyer that says “I must live on Primrose Street.”  Just doesn’t happen.  Second, sellers, buyers don’t care what price a seller “needs” to get out of his house!  Can’t emphasize that enough.

The particular house my buyers and I looked at was in the Aloha section of Beaverton and priced fairly reasonably by comparison to what else was available on that particular street.  However, a quick look just a few blocks away revealed similar homes available for a lower price/ft.  Pricing of homes around Portland Oregon is more competitive than ever.  When evaluating price we took into consideration these factors:

• School performance
• Exterior and Yard condition
• Neighboring property conditions
• Interior options/finishes
• Road noise
• Tax data
• Future development
• Appreciation/depreciation of Portland Real Estate Values

Pretty common evaluation approach.  After reviewing such we came to the conclusion that this particular Beaverton house was overpriced by about 10%.  One year ago it would have been right on target but with today’s economy and what’s happened in Portland’s real estate market adjustments need to be made.

The seller came back with a counter offer that closely split the difference between what he listed it for and where the buyer’s offer came in.  Buyers chose to walk away.  My forecast is that Beaverton’s prices will slide another nearly 10% before all is said and done.  That seller is going to end up really close to our original offer (seen as market value, not a lowball price), if he sells at all.

Sellers, when you get a bite don’t let the fish get away in this market!  For more Portland real estate tips check out the website www.maxwellsinclair.com

Homes for sale in Portland Oregon.  There are a lot of them out there.  What the heck can sellers do to differentiate themselves from the pack?  After working with buyers for the past six years I’ll share a little on the mentality of many buyers.  They could potentially be grouped into a couple of types:

1. Investor buyer; “I’m going to flip this place” type, wanting to find a place with tons of upside potential.

2. Bargain shopper buyer; ”I want an screaming good deal so let’s make offers all over the city” type, wanting to low-ball everyone.

3. Move-in Ready buyer; ”why would I pick up a hammer if I can pay someone to do it” type, looking for a perfect house and not wanting to deal with any sort of maintainance issues.

4. Average buyer, ”It doesn’t have to be perfect and a few projects are OK” type, wanting a place to call home.

Unless you need to move yesterday market to buyer #3 and #4.

Focusing on a couple of areas can greatly improve your home’s appeal in the Real Estate For Sale marketplace. First off is the paint scheme.  Don’t have an eye for color?  Go walk through a couple of new construction homes.  Agents are happy to show off the latest design, finish and style.  Second, take note of the furnishings, wall hanging, and general decor in these models.  They’re staged for a reason.

One of the most interesting points about home buyers is that few are able to distinguish the difference between personal and private property.  A warmly lit, well decorated home with manicured landscaping sells a piece of junk home better than the empty and unheated jewel down the street.

I’ve experienced staging impact several times while listing properties.  Turn on heat when it’s cold, turn on the A/C if it’s hot!  Temperature is a subconscious factor along with lighting.  If you know that the house is going to be shown turn on a few incandescant lights for glow.  It’s a lot cheaper to pay for a bit of electricity than do another price reduction!

Next comment has to do with market conditions in our area at the time of sale.  There are many Homes for Sale in Portland currently.  Sellers and agents do a CMA (comparitive market analysis) to guage where a particular home should be positioned price-wise.  Houses that are selling are doing so for one reason; the buyer sees the biggest value for his money!  Doesn’t matter which buyer type above makes the purchase.

Today’s backwards sliding home prices indicate that eager sellers can curb the effects of such by pricing agressively.  Look at the comparable sales and listings.  Come up with your theoretical reasonable price then subtract 5%.  Doing so nearly eliminates chasing the market downward.

The bottom line is that you’ll get maximum return on based upon cosmetics, selling to buyers 3 & 4.  If buyer number 1 or 2 purchases your property I guarantee that it’s netting you less in the long run.

Fore more tips on Portland Real Estate feel free to call or visit www.MaxwellSinclair.com