With fee-for-service packages, sellers are able to choose the level of professional real estate services they need and pay the listing side of the commission accordingly.  Keep in mind that the standard buyer’s agent commission in Metro Portland is 2.7% of the sales price. 

My fee-for-service packages start with a flat fee MLS listing only, which typically appeals to sellers interested in selling for-sale-by-owner, and go all the way up to full-service, which has no up-front fee.  Full details of all of my packages can be found on my web site, www.PointClickandPack.com.  Click on the Fee for Service link on the Home page.

I look forward to assisting with your sale!

2720 SE Steele

Buildable lot. City encourages mixed use - commercial/residential. Could be manufacturing facility, retail or residential. Need to do half-street improvement with any development. Easement on west side of property serves businesses behind lot. No set-back regulations along easement - can build right up to it. Zoning height limit = 30′

Lot Description: Slightly irregular lot size. Refer to plat map for boundaries. Borders industrial zoning. Check with the city if you need industrial usage. Close to Reed College and Eastmoreland Golf Course.

See more pictures at www.PointClickandPack.com.  Click on the My Listings link.

Nobody wants to be a crime victim.  Here are some easy do-it-yourself weekend projects to make your Portland, OR home safer from intruders.

1. Install dead bolts on all locks. 

2. Install motion-detector lights in the driveway and/or on the front porch.  Pathway lighting is also an effective deterrent.  Remember that it’s more risky to break-in to a well-lit house than a dark house.

3. If you are going to be away from your home for an extended time frame, add timers to some of your interior lights.  Timers will turn particular lights on and off at specified times each day and will give anyone who is watching your house the appearance that someone is home.

4. Trim large shrubs at the bottom to make them less likely hiding spots. 

5. Install a peep hole in your front door so you always know who’s on the other side before opening.

6. Purchase a locking screen door and keep this door locked if you want to leave your front main door open to get some fresh air in the house during the summer months. 

7. Leave a car in the driveway if you will be away on vacation.  It gives the appearance that someone is home.

8. After purchasing a new home, change all of the locks.  You never know to whom the previous owner gave a key and then forgot that person had it.

For more safety ideas, go to www.cnn.com/openhouse or contact me today at www.PointClickandPack.com.  I look forward to working with you! 

With global warming becoming more and more of a threat, Portland home owners are beginning to make small changes in the ways in which they live to try to be more enviromentally-friendly.  Here are some energy-efficient facts for making your kitchen greener from www.cnn.com/openhouse.

1. Using a dishwasher is 35% more water efficient than hand washing your dishes.  

2. Cooking on a gas range is 50% more efficient than cooking on an electric range.

3. The most energy-efficient style of refrigerator is one in which the freezer is on the bottom.  The least energy-efficient style is the side-by-side.

4. If you purchase new appliances, look for appliances with “Energy Star” stickers, as these utilize energy-efficient features.  In addition, in Oregon, you will get a tax credit for purchasing these appliances.

5. Change all of your light bulbs to the new long-lasting energy-efficient bulbs.  These cost more at first but do last much longer than standard bulbs and they cut down on your electric bill.

For more energy-efficient tips, or if you’re looking for a new home utilizing environmentally-friendly materials and appliances, contact me today at www.PointClickandPack.com. 

Find out what your home is worth in today’s market.  For your FREE online market analysis, go to www.PointClickandPack.com.  I’ll email your market value to you within 24 hrs. 

Also, please visit my Fee-For-Service page to find out how you can save money on real estate commissions while listing your house on the Portland MLS. 

I look forward to assisting with all of your real estate needs.

According to last Sunday’s New York Times, foreclosures are starting to really hurt mortgage companies and the local real estate market.  Last year, lenders began offering “no documentation, stated income” loans to buyers with marginal credit or poor job history.  At the end of the year, the loan applications were compared with the borrower’s reported tax income and huge discrepancies were found.  In fact, the lending industry changed the name of this loan to “liar loans” because it was determined that so many borrowers had greatly inflated their incomes on the stated income loan application, some by as much as 50%.  Loans were indiscriminately handed out to borrowers, albeit at higher interest rates, and ultimately many of those borrowers have not been able to make their mortgage payments which has led to high foreclosure rates.

So what does all of the above mean for the real estate market here in Portland, OR?  First, it means that loans in the sub-prime market are going to be tougher to get.  Companies are no longer offering the no doc, stated income package and some borrowers will not be able to qualify for a loan with the more conventional forms of financing and with the need to provide income and employment verification.   

Also, it means that more foreclosure properties will be hitting the Portland market.  Are these good deals for future buyers?  Probably not.  Since the home owner typically has no to little equity in the house, future real estate buyers can only bank on housing appreciation to make the cost of a home affordable (or a good buy).  When you add in real estate commissions, foreclosure costs and repairs (since foreclosure properties aren’t typically in good condition), the cost of the house either needs to support all of these fees or be sold as a “short sale,” which means that the mortgagor agrees to take a loss in order to sell the house. 

The higher rate of foreclosures also will add more inventory to the Portland real estate market.  More houses on the MLS means more competition for all sellers.  Typically, this kind of competition will perpetuate a buyer’s market and could lead to prices coming down.

If you have specific questions about financing or would like to receive lists of foreclosed properties, please email me at phyllis@pointclickandpack.com.

As a real estate professional, relocating buyers often ask me to recommend Portland’s “best schools.” However, there is no such thing as a “best school.” Each school, like each student, is individual and has unique programs and specialties to offer. Having said that, there are a few publications and web sites that can help parents make the important decision as to which school is the best choice for their child’s needs. On my web site, I have included links to as many of the schools that have web sites as possible for your convenience.
Oregon Department of Education
Visit the Oregon Department of Education web site for information and reports about Oregon schools. Most of the reports are in PDF format and require you to have Acrobat Reader© installed on your computer to view them properly. You can download the reader, free of charge, at the Adobe web site.
Oregon School Report Cards
Each January, the Oregon Department of Education produces performance report cards for each school and district. The Oregon state legislature sets the rules and measurement criteria and then publishes the annual results in a report card format. Educational performance and improvement are the focus of the Oregon School Report Card rating system. Schools are rated on several measures including student performance, student behavior, and school characteristics. These measures are combined to yield an Overall School Performance Rating of exceptional, strong, satisfactory, low, or unacceptable. A full explanation of this performance system is available at the Oregon Department of Education web site as well as the report cards for each school.
Molly Huffman’s School Choices Book
Make sure you check out Molly Huffman’s book, School Choices in Greater Portland. This book covers all of the major public school districts in Metro Portland and the surrounding cities plus information about private schools and preschools.

A bumpable buyer is the same thing as a contingent sale.  It means that the buyer owns a house that they must sell in order that they may use the proceeds of that sale to purchase another property.  Because their purchase is contingent upon something that the seller has no control over, (when or if the buyer’s house sells),  the seller wants to keep their house on the market by listing it as bumpable in the MLS (as opposed to sale pending).

Can you make an offer on a house that is listed as bumpable in the MLS?  Absolutely!  However, upon acceptance of your offer, the bumpable buyer is given the first right of refusal.  This buyer will have between 24 - 72 hrs (depending upon what time frame was initially agreed upon by all parties when the seller accepted a bumpable sale) to remove their contingency.  If this buyer is able to purchase the house without selling theirs, (for example, they acquire a different kind of financing), then the status of the house gets changed from bumpable to sale pending in the MLS and all other offers can only be accepted in back-up position.

If the bumpable buyer is not able to proceed without selling their home, their offer is terminated and the seller can proceed with offers from other buyers.  Typically, in the Portland, OR real estate market, we only see sellers accepting bumpable offers on their homes in a buyer’s market.  We are currently in a buyer’s market.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly at phyllis@pointclickandpack.com.

OPEN 1:00 - 3:00 pm TODAY!

Rambling Milwaukie Ranch
2 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bathrooms
1973 SF
Gas Fireplace
2 Car Garage w/Shop
Gas Heat
Rambling ranch with more room than you can shake a stick at. All new within last 5 yrs: kitchen appliances, tear-off roof, water heater, double-paned windows, electrical panel, interior and exterior paint. Sunroom was added in 2005 and has been a perfect spot for hot-tub (not included). Shop and tons of storage space in garage. Don’t miss hidden wine closet.

Lot Description: Large level 12,196 sf lot with nice view of Kellogg Creek.  New double-paned windows installed in 2005 keep house extremely quiet.

SEE PICTURES @ www.PointClickandPack.com. Click on the My Listings link.

Most people are aware that we’re now in a buyer’s market. For the past few months, sellers have watched as more and more homes have come on the market allowing buyers greater negotiating power over sales price and repair issues.

My firm belief is that there are only two things that sell a house, price and location. You can’t do much about a house’s location, but you can price it lower than market if your house sits on a busy street or near commercial or industrial property. If the seller is firm about keeping their sales price at a particular price point, there are a couple of other ways they can try to improve their chances of getting a great offer.

1. Offer incentives such as a credit towards the buyer’s closing costs or a decorating allowance if the house is dated or in need of new carpeting.

2. For condominiums or townhouses, offer to pay up to six month’s worth of home owner association dues.

3. Offer a higher buyer’s agent commission (BAC) to make the house more attractive for Realtors to show and sell. The standard BAC is 2.7% of the sales price. A good incentive BAC would be 3% or 3.15%. I’ve even seen commissions offered at 3.5% and would absolutely LOVE to sell one of those!

4. Include in the house sale something unusual of value. This incentive would typically only apply to high end homes where some sellers have included a new car with the house. Lesser expensive value items may include upgrading the kitchen appliances to stainless steel.

5. Think about hiring a professional staging company to give you ideas about how to reposition your furniture and accessory items, remove unnecessary clutter and/or paint accent walls so that your home elicits a WOW factor when buyers enter for showings.

When you sell your home, make sure you know about the other homes in your area that are also on the market. These houses are your direct competition since any buyer looking at your house will probably also see these and will be making comparisons amongst all houses toured.

Also, consider my fee-for-service packages which allow sellers to save real estate commissions on the listing end and may therefore enable sellers to pass on those savings to the buyer in the form of pricing their home at a lower price point initially or offering one of the incentives above. You can see full details about all of my fee-for-service packages on my web site, www.PointClickandPack.com.