PORTLAND OREGON 
REAL ESTATE

Celia Lyon
Principal Broker

503-260-6231

CeliaLyon@aol.com

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Buying and Selling Portland Homes for Sale

Portland has special regulations


Every area has its own building regulations. You need to know how these restrictions will affect the design of your Portland home. Issues to consider include zoning, setbacks, rights of way and easements. Most subdivisions have CC&Rs (Covenants, Codes and Restrictions). Studies of Portland demonstrate that these carefully to make sure they are not too restrictive for your needs or create excessive building costs.

Bitten by the Portland Home Improvement Bug?


Before you finalize your decision regarding remodeling versus moving, it is wise to get a professional estimate of your Portland home’s current value, the actual costs of moving to a different home and the estimated return on investment of the most common types of home improvement. I’ll be happy to provide you with a complimentary analysis of your home’s current value. Simply call or E-mail me whenever you are ready. As for improvements that traditionally bring the highest rate of return on investment, here are some statistics. Kitchen remodeling and adding a bath tends to bring rates of return with averaging anywhere from 85% to 95% return on your dollars spent. Compare that with the 64% return on investment for adding a home office.

Buying a Portland Fixer-Upper


Some Portland investors concentrate on buying fixer-uppers, making repairs and upgrades then selling for a profit. Going with a Portland fixer-upper can also be a smart way for those who are handy to buy a home in a neighborhood that they might otherwise be unaffordable. Fixer-uppers are a wonderful opportunity for those who simply love to create their space to their own specifications but for whatever reason do not want to start with a vacant lot.

Best to know the extent of the job and whether or not you are up to it before you buy. Some Portland fixer-uppers simply need cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, carpeting and maybe kitchen appliances are fairly easy to estimate the costs for fixing. Portland homes that need minor structural repairs such as roofing are also fairly easy to cost estimate.

Does Your Portland Have Curb Appeal?


From cottages to castles some Portland have so much curb appeal that passersby can’t help but stop and admire them. When visiting property with great curb appeal, prospective buyers often experience 'Love at First Sight' and this disposes them to love the entire home before they even walk through the front door.

Portland curb appeal is the result of a perfect blend of architectural style, landscaping, up-keep and color choices. Money alone does not guarantee outstanding curb appeal. I’ve seen very expensive Area homes with costly landscaping that fail to appeal and I’ve seen very modest priced Area homes with outstanding curb appeal. In part, the landscaping aspect of curb appeal is a matter of personal taste.

Does Your Portland Have Curb Appeal?


Every prospective buyer who visits your Portland home is struck by a variety of impressions regardless of whether your landscaping is eye-catching or merely so-so. Plants that overrun the walkway, trees that badly need pruning and visible suggest to the prospective buyer that this home will take a lot of landscaping maintenance and yet if your yard is well-maintained, the prospective buyer is inclined to simply admire the fact and move on. If your Portland front porch or front door need paint, the prospective buyer is likely to notice the paint job inside and out and think about how much maintenance that will take on a yearly basis. The important message here is that things that look bad or run down call attention to all the work that needs to be done while things that are well maintained conjure up ideas of how pleasant it would be to live there.

Portland INVESTMENT


Investing in Portland as a second home or as a rental has many advantages. But before you invest, it is a good idea to acquaint yourself with the actual sales price of similar properties and to get a picture of the Portland market in general. Please contact this office for detailed information on Portland market