Archive for the ‘Tips When Selling a Home’ Category
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Although most of the national media coverage of the Rose City focuses on innovation (like food carts, green energy, and high-tech public transportation) Portland is also full of quirky places with a lot of history. One of our favorite spots is Buck’s Stove Palace at 6803 SE Foster Road in the Foster Powell neighborhood. This neighborhood gem is a veritable museum of classic wood stoves, antique heaters, and cookstoves, and has been a vital part of the community for decades. Having been in business since 1974 and with over 35 years of experience there isn’t anything Buck and his team can’t do, find or replace! Whether you’re looking to buy a new woodstove or simply need a replacement part, Buck’s has what you need and will deliver it with a smile. The shop also features the largest collection of antique stoves on the west coast.
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Tags: bucks stove palace, foster, removal, wood stove certification, wood stoves
Posted in Home Improvement, Portland in the News, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Ever looked outside on a rainy day and thought about capturing some of that water to use later? One local business, Portland Purple Water, is hoping to make that idea a widespread reality by installing rainwater collection devices for homes and businesses in Portland. At their most basic, rain barrels are simple rainwater collectors that capture and store a portion of the runoff from a roof downspout. Stored water can be used for non-potable purposes such as irrigating lawns, washing cars, or flushing toilets. Harvesting rainwater can lower your water bill, save energy and reduce demand on Portland’s drinking water systems.
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Posted in Green Homes, Home Improvement, Moving To Portland, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Starting February 1st, there will be some new rules from the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program that should help ease the pain of buying or selling a short sale in Portland. First, “Once a sales contract has been initiated, loan servicers then have 30 days to approve or reject the transaction.” This should speed up the rate at which it takes to close on a short sale. Right now there are twice as many short sale listings than bank owned listings on the active market, but there are 2-3 times as many sale pending bank owned properties than short sale properties. It’s pretty obvious what’s more attractive to buyers. Also, “Another big change: Loan servicers will no longer be restricted on paying second-lien holders, allowing them more freedom particularly when dealing with second-lien holders when borrowers owe less than $100,000. Loan servicers used to be restricted to paying second-lien holders no more than 6 percent of outstanding loan balance (with an overall limit of $6,000) in exchange for releasing subordinate liens. Second-lien holders have been another big obstacle to completing short sale transactions.” (more…)
Posted in Mortgage Rates, Moving To Portland, Portland Real Estate, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
Thanks to new regulations that took effect on New Year’s Day, Oregonians can now take advantage of lease offers from contractors to install solar panels and eliminate upfront costs. The Portland branch of SolarCity, a major national solar company providing residential solar panels, announced a lease program today that will allow Portland area homeowners and residents of the entire state of Oregon to install alternative-energy solar panels for low monthly payments. This new lease program allows homeowners to enjoy the energy-bill slashing qualities of solar instantly, rather than waiting for the payoff on the initial investment to kick in after a few years. If you’re buying a home in Portland, renovating a historic home, selling your home and looking for ways to make it competitive in the Portland real estate market, or just looking for ways to update your home and reduce your carbon footprint, this new deal is definitely worth a second look.
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Posted in Green Homes, Home Improvement, Investment Information, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
Everyone loves a home with mature, beautiful trees, but how much value does greenery add to homes for sale? As covered in a recent article published in Nursery Magazine, new research from the Pacific Northwest Research Station determined specific dollar values for neighborhood trees in Portland. This is great news for those of us that treasure the trees and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, resources that can often be placed second to new construction and development. The main factors considered in determining these dollar values were “environmental and social amenities” including cleaner air, moderated storm runoff, reduction of environmental CO2, elevated property values, reduced heating and cooling costs, and improved human health. Similar studies in New York City determined that the five boroughs’ 600,000 street trees provide a financial benefit of $122 million a year, which totals more than five times the cost of maintaining them, but the Portland housing study is one of the first to look at the value of street trees on the Portland real estate market.
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Posted in Green Homes, Home Improvement, Investment Information, Moving To Portland, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
This time of year, many people dream of owning their own piece of land in the mountains to fully enjoy the sights and snows of winter. Mt. Hood real estate is booming, thanks to continuous redevelopment and new construction in the mountain communities. We’ve got the inside scoop on homes for sale in Mt. Hood and other winter wonderlands. Many cabins, winter homes, and ski chalets in the mountain towns are very inexpensive and can provide the perfect getaway in these magical winter months. However, one important thing to remember when considering buying Mt. Hood area homes for sale is new regulations that started in 2007 that changed the way the US Forest Service appraises the value of forest land, which can impact fees on existing cabin and ski properties within forest land. Under the new system, the Forest Service charges fees based on private real estate market value of the land, although the owners of properties on public forest land are not granted all of the privileges of cabin owners on private land. Currently, Congress is being asked to put a moratorium on the fees for 2010, as it did for 2009, to prevent the controversial fees from being implemented for another year. Mt. Hood real estate is still a great investment, but new legislation may impact the annual payments for properties, depending on the status of the land.
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Posted in Investment Information, Market Report, Mt. Hood, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Landmarks, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
Check out the New University Park Real Estate Neighborhood Guide detailing the charming University Park neighborhood in the “fifth quadrant,” North Portland. The neighborhood surrounds the historic University of Portland, and the area is bursting with youthful energy and up-and-coming development, where homes are affordable and community is strong. Combining the best of urban accessibility and small town atmosphere, it’s a fantastic place to live. If you’re looking for homes, apartments, or condos for sale around the University Park District, check out our University Park Real Estate Neighborhood Guide filled with interesting historical facts, the best restaurants in North Portland, and the top parks and neighborhood resources. Relocating to a new area can be hard, but it’s a lot easier when you’ve got the best real estate agents in Portland on your side.
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Posted in Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, North Portland, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
For most people in Portland, the coldest months mean higher utility bills, but there are steps you can take to prevent your energy and heating costs from skyrocketing this winter. In this age of high-end sustainable renovations, high-profile LEED certifications, and the seemingly never-ending marketing of the next popular Energy Star kitchen or home appliance, it sometimes feels like you need to spend a lot of money in order to cut back on energy use and save money. However, like many things in life, small changes can add up to a big difference, and some of the most important adjustments you can make in your home are downright cheap – leading to big savings this winter.
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Posted in Green Homes, Home Improvement, Moving To Portland, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Monday, November 22nd, 2010
We’re not going to lie, Portland can be a rainy city. This time of year, the weather gets serious, but in the true creative spirit of Portland, residents are taking the meteorological lemons and turning them into lemonade. There are many ways to harness the rainwater so common to the Pacific Northwest, saving residents money, resources, and the environment along the way. Rain gardens – garden areas set up to catch rainfall coming off of roofs – are a creative utilization of the Portland weather, easing the burden on the Portland storm-water and sewer systems, and can lead to savings on utility bills. Installing Rain Gardens and other forms of rain water capture leads to discounts in the Storm Water Management portion of your water and sewer bill! Portland was one of the first American cities to attempt to reward and educate residents about storm-water management.
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Posted in Green Homes, New Construction, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
CNN’s “This Just In” blog today featured an interesting study done by the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations in the Portland area that found that areas with larger, taller, well-maintained trees had less neighborhood theft and overall crime than areas with smaller trees. It turns out that tall trees “can reduce crime by signaling to a potential criminal that a neighborhood is better cared for and, therefore, a criminal is more likely to be caught…Large yard trees also were associated with lower crime rates, most likely because they are less view-obstructing than smaller trees.”
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Posted in Forest Heights, Laurelhurst, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Landmarks, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Southwest Hills, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
Check out the new Sherwood Real Estate neighborhood guide detailing the city of Sherwood, Oregon,one of the best small towns located just southwest of Portland. Combining the best of urban accessibility, small-town living, and rural atmosphere, Sherwood, Oregon is the best of all worlds. If you’re looking for homes for sale or other real estate in Sherwood or other Portland Suburbs, check out our new Sherwood Real Estate neighborhood guide filled with the best restaurants in Sherwood, the best parks and green spaces, as well as city events and neighborhood resources. Relocating to a new area can be hard, but it’s a lot easier when you’ve got the best real estate agents in Portland on your side. Contact the McDonald Group realtors to find out about homes for sale in Sherwood, Oregon, today!
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Posted in Announcements, Investment Information, Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Sherwood, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Every year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy releases their rankings of the most energy efficient states in America, and Oregon stepped up from last year’s fourth place ranking to nab the third place slot. It’s no secret that Oregon ranks among the best in therms of Sustainable Energy technology and alternative energy resources, but it’s heartening to see that Oregonians are also topping the list of efficient use of traditional energy sources. While solar, wind, and hydro electric technologies might change the direction of energy use in the future, smart use of existing resources is an immediate and significant way to proceed and preserve what we have. Many homeowners and business owners in Oregon are responsible for scaling back energy use, a move which saves money, resources, and creates a more efficient economy. The Portland Real Estate Market is loaded with homes for sale, and the most competitive homes for sale in Portland are those with energy efficient and green upgrades.
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Posted in Announcements, Awards, Green Homes, Home Improvement, Moving To Portland, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Monday, September 27th, 2010
Check out the new Richmond real estate and neighborhood guide detailing the neighborhood of Richmond in Southeast Portland, filled with quirky culture, classic Old Portland homes, and some of the best dining and shopping in town. The Richmond neighborhood is progressive and proud. Richmond includes parts of two of the most popular retail districts in town, Hawthorne and Divison Streets, complete with vintage stores, great brunch spots, and open parks. Combining the best of urban accessibility and comfortable, small-neighborhood atmosphere, Richmond is quintessential Portland.
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Tags: Announcements, Investment Information, Listings, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Real Estate Trends
Posted in Inner SE Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Monday, September 27th, 2010
Fall is the best time to make a few home improvements and renovations to get ready for winter, and it’s also the best time to plant for Spring gardens! If you’ve ever lived in Portland, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the onslaught of bulb flowers – gorgeous irises and daffodils – that take over residential real estate and abandoned street corners all around town, filling Portland with color and Spring fever. You can contribute your own splash of floral beauty to the Spring explosion in Portland by planning some bulbs and Spring-blooming plants in your yard and garden, and if you need a bit of extra help or new idea be sure to check out the 2010 Portland Fall Home and Garden Show at the Portland Expo Center, beginning on September 30 and bringing tips, tricks, and discount supplies to the Portland metro area until October 3rd.
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Tags: Home Improvement, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Real Estate Trends, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home
Posted in Home Improvement, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Tips When Buying a Home, Tips When Selling a Home | No Comments »
Although most of the national media coverage of the Rose City focuses on innovation (like food carts, green energy, and high-tech public transportation) Portland is also full of quirky places with a lot of history. One of our favorite spots is Buck’s Stove Palace at 6803 SE Foster Road in the Foster Powell neighborhood. This neighborhood gem is a veritable museum of classic wood stoves, antique heaters, and cookstoves, and has been a vital part of the community for decades. Having been in business since 1974 and with over 35 years of experience there isn’t anything Buck and his team can’t do, find or replace! Whether you’re looking to buy a new woodstove or simply need a replacement part, Buck’s has what you need and will deliver it with a smile. The shop also features the largest collection of antique stoves on the west coast.
