PORTLAND OREGON 
REAL ESTATE

Celia Lyon
Principal Broker

503-260-6231

CeliaLyon@aol.com

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Portland Real Estate News / Buyer – Seller Tips


Portland FAIR MARKET VALUE


Setting the right price is an important first step in getting a home sold. Sellers often wonder if they should spend $200 to $400 for a professional appraisal of their Portland real estate before placing it on the market.

WAYS TO DETERMINE VALUE IN Portland


A professional appraiser's opinion of a property's market value is based on the recent sales of similar Portland real estate. Different appraisers could come up with different numbers. Even if all of them agreed on a value, there is no guarantee that you would receive that amount for your property. An alternative to a professional appraisal is to ask a professional Realtor for a written market analysis of your property. This analysis will include information about recent home sales in your neighborhood, as well as how those homes compare to yours.

Portland Real Estate Contract Options


Finally, the Exclusive Agency Listing allows an agent to list and market your Portland real estate. The agent will earn a commission if he/she or any other agent sells the property but not if the homeowner finds his/her own buyer. Very few if any agents are willing to agree to spend time, money and know-how on promoting a home without the guarantee of a commission when the home sells.

Many people imagine that the agent who lists their home begins an immediate search for likely homebuyers for Portland but this is not always the case. The real skill of a good listing agent is her/his ability to market your home to other agents. Usually as soon as your listing agent returns to the office, your home is entered into the MLS and is now available to hundreds, maybe thousands of other agents.


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.

Buying Portland Real Estate...Will it Pay?


With a typical 30-year loan, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest payments with only small amounts going to the principle in the early years. Only half the principle is repaid in the first 23 years of the loan. You can build equity in your Portland faster by choosing a 15-year loan instead of a 30-year loan.

As a Portland real estate owner you have the right to pay more towards the principle loan amount each month. Let’s say your monthly payment is $700.00 a month and $100.00 a month is being applied to the principle. If you choose to pay $900.00 instead of $700.00, the $200.00 overage will be applied entirely to the principle. Thus, instead of gaining $1,200.00 a year in home equity, you gain $3,600.00. Investing in Portland can be a very good idea.


Does Your Portland Have Curb Appeal?


Good curb appeal is definitely an advantage to home sellers when prospective buyers visit your Portland and can be an advantage in advertising in the newspaper and on the Internet. However, it is important to note that even a home with great curb appeal can look bad in an advertisement if the photographer did a bad job with the camera. A photograph of a Portland home on a dreary day will look quite different from a photo of the same home when the sun is shining. Sometimes it is better to take a picture of a home from an angle rather than a straight on shot that may turn out to be more about the garage door than about the house itself.

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