PORTLAND OREGON 
REAL ESTATE

Celia Lyon
Principal Broker

503-260-6231

CeliaLyon@aol.com

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Portland Real Estate Summary

Adjustable Rate Loans for Portland


ARMS may be called by various names including, variable-rate loans, adjustable rate loans or adjustable mortgage loans for your Portland home. They all feature an interest rate that can vary over the rate of the loan.

Advantages: The monthly payment on a typical ARM is lower in the early stages than the fixed rate loan. This may make it easier for the buyer to afford the Portlandhome.

Disadvantages: As interest rates increase, your monthly payment may increase or the amount of your payment applied to the principle may decrease which means that you must gamble on property appreciation to offset this increase in your indebtedness.

Guidelines for Buying Portland


Whether you are a seasoned veteran of real estate transactions or a first time buyer, my advice is the same: Know the Market, Know Yourself and Rely on Experts to give you the whole picture of what you are buying.

Know the Portland Market. Another way of stating this is Research, Research, Research. Of course the Internet is a great way to give an overview of Portland homes or homes in any given area but may not be enough, especially if you are looking to buy a home some distance from where you currently live. If you are looking to buy locally you can drive the neighborhoods that you are focusing on to get an idea if there are any problems you need to be aware of. Does part of the development back up to a busy highway? If so and if you want to avoid looking at homes in that area, know what streets are involved so you can recognize listings that may be involved.

Portland Real Estate Title Insurance


A Portland mortgage policy that insures the lender remains in effect until the loan is paid off. An owner’s policy insures the buyer and remains in effect as long as the owner or the owner’s heirs own the property. An owner policy may cost a little more than a lender policy. For example, an owner policy may run somewhere around $3.50 per $1000.00 of home value while a policy for lender protection may run in the neighborhood of $2.50 per $1000.00 of home value.

The Portland real estate Title Company searches and examines public records to determine if any problems with the title exist. Your real estate agents works very closely with the Title Company to help clear up any past clouds that may affect the transfer of title to the new owner.


Portland. How Much Should You Offer?


Comparable sales figures is a good guide for homeowners who are pricing their Portland and a good guide for prospective buyers. Make sure you compare homes that are similar to the one your are considering...the same neighborhood, the same size, the same condition. Also, make sure you compare sales within the past six months.

Ask your REALTOR for a comparison of the list price and sales price of comparable Portland sales. This information may give you a trend and a guideline for your offer. For example, maybe homes in the area have consistently listed for more than they actually sold for. If that is the case, find out what percentage of reduction occurred. Use this information as a basis for your offer.


Buying Portland Real Estate...Will it Pay?


The only factor being considered here is Home Equity. In individual cases it may be wiser to invest than to pre-pay your Portland loan. It also may be wiser to pay off high-interest, non-deductible loans before considering your home equity building options. Your financial advisor is the one to consult for these matters. If you would like up-to-the-minute information about home appreciation values in your area, please call or E-mail me today.

Green Remodeling Your Portland


Energy conservation. The average Portland today uses systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and most homes are not built as efficiently as they could be, resulting in high energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy believes if current buildings were green-improved, they would use $20 billion less in energy per year. Portland green remodeling puts a strong emphasis on making homes as efficient as possible with modifications such as energy-efficient appliances and thermostats that can be programmed at different temperatures for different times of the day.