PORTLAND OREGON 
REAL ESTATE

Celia Lyon
Principal Broker

503-260-6231

CeliaLyon@aol.com

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Portland Real Estate Listings


Preparing to Sell Your Portland Home


Experienced agents know what puts prospective buyers off when they view a home, especially Portland. For example, when buyers find dirty dishes in the sink, notice offensive pet odors or spot obvious stains suggesting a leaking roof they begin to devalue the property. Some buyers may decide to pass on the house completely while others may think about making an offer way below the asking price. So, a good agent’s first step is to help the homeowner see the house as others will see it and take care of problems.


Portland HOME BUYING PITFALLS TO AVOID


Sellers usually rely on sales of Portland homes of comparable value to determine a fair and realistic price to set for their home but many sellers feel their home is worth much more and price their home accordingly. Buyers must also be tuned into sales for comparable homes in Portland in order to judge the price of any home that is under consideration.

Being “House Poor” gets to be “Old New” real fast. A large and beautiful home with little or no furniture tends to be empty and cold. A life where almost every dime of income goes to the support of the Portland house wears thin very quickly and is a frequent cause of family stress. Pushing yourself right up to your limit leaves you highly exposed when the inevitable changes to the national or your personal economy occurs.

Guidelines for Buying Portland


Let’s say everything is a GO! You have found the perfect Portland home. You know you can afford it and it is actually priced below what you expected to pay. What a bargain! Yes there are bargains to be found in Portland. At this point it is fine to put in an offer on the property but only with a well-planned contingency. Of course, it the home is going to be financed, the lender will want a Home Inspection before agreeing to lend money on the property. However, you need to protect yourself by making an offer SUBJECT TO a clean bill of health from the Home Inspector of your choice. This kind of a contingency gives you an out if the inspector finds a problem with the roof, or foundation or other structural problem that was not apparent to the seller or to your agent. This does not mean you will not buy the house but you will have a good reason to renegotiate the price with the seller.


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.

When Portland Does Not Sell


The number one, main reason why a home remains on the market is PRICE. There can be other problems as well such as the home’s condition or location and even overall market conditions but the major reason for the NO SALE sign is the Portland is over priced. In fact, proper pricing will often overcome most all obstacles.

Some people prefer to buy Portland that needs some work if the price is right. Investors look at the property, evaluate the cost of brining it up to speed and make an offer if they feel they can make a quick profit. These kinds of investors are looking to fix and flip. Others with limited budgets may see the fixer-upper as a way to get started with Portland ownership. They may spend years working on improving the home, making improvements as they can afford it. So, a home’s poor condition will not prevent a sale if the price reflects the situation.


Portland APPEAL


A large part of the appeal of the real estate market in any area is the architecture or the style of the homes themselves. The appeal of Portland is its appropriateness to the region in terms of style, history and weather conditions.