Are you a first time home buyer in South East Portland? You don’t have to be clueless about the process anymore! Do you know where to start? Do you know what area you are looking in? Do you know what to watch out for? Do you know the advantages to living in one neighborhood over another?

There are many things to consider if you are a first time home buyer in South East Portland. One is where to start and may suggest for that is contact a great real estate team (May I suggest us) that specializes in South East homes that can get you in contact with a qualified mortgage lender. (Did you know there are presently tax breaks for buying your first home in Portland?)

Do you know what area you are looking in? What neighborhood you buy in really does matter! Not that anyone neighborhood is better than another, but there are even bigger tax breaks for buying in certain neighborhoods.

Do you know what to watch out for if you are a first time home buyer in South East Portland? There are a lot of pitfalls to watch out for that if your agent doesn’t warn you about them or get you in contact with the proper people to investigate these issues it could cost you thousands later. Some of these issues include old oil tanks and sewer lines. (Make sure you hire a licensed person to look into these for you)

We look forward to working with you if especially if you are a first time home buyer in South East Portland. Nothing makes us happier than handing the keys to you and watching that smile come across your face and saying this home is really ours!

Do you know what to look for when buying a ranch style home listing in SE Portland? There are a lot of things to consider when considering the value of a SE Portland ranch home. One that most people don’t think of is “Does it have a basement?”

Why does it matter if a Portland ranch style home listing has a basement or not? The main reason is square footage. Some homes only have a small basement, but others actually have a full basement that can be counted as square footage, increasing the value of the home. In some cases, they are built in such a way, that some people don’t even consider it a basement, but rather a 2 level ranch.

How old is the home? Have there been any improvements to the property? These are important questions as they can increase the value of the property far greater than what the tax records show the property to be. Many of these Portland ranch style homes listings have had bedrooms, bathrooms, and even full family rooms added which can dramatically increase the livability of the property and make it much more desirable to a buyer.

When you are looking to buy and older home in Portland, Oregon? One of the things to check is the sewer lines as many have been broken by tree roots over the years. This can be easily fixed, but it is just something to consider when buying older homes.

Do you have a ranch style home to sell in SE Portland? We have many buyers calling us every day to look at homes in SE Portland and we would love the opportunity to showcase your home in our tour. Do you have a Portland ranch that you think our buyers would love to see? Tell us about it and we will give you a free CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) and show you how our marketing can get it sold for top dollar, even in today’s market!

Click on the map to get complete updated list all ranch style homes for sale in SE Portland

Kids are helping local bears find homes in Tigard, Oregon. Build-A-Bear Workshop is a great place to take kids for a birthday party or just a special day out with grandpa and grandma. What is so special about Build-A-Bear? To put it simply, kids put their heart in to it and that bear will return the love and smiles!

Build a bear is a simple concept, but these bears still need to find homes in Tigard, Oregon. The idea is this, a child comes in and finds they style of bear they want. Now, this isn’t as simple as going to a department store and grabbing a stuffed animal off a shelf. No, each one of these bears is personal to that child. When they find the type of bear they want, there is no stuffing, which comes later.

The next step for our bear is to put the stuffing in to the bear. Now, I think, like pets, a fat bear is a happy bear. (Just my personal opinion here) Now, before the bear can go home, he has to have a heart. You can’t give or get love unless you have a heart and no build-a-bear is complete without that!

So, after you put the heart in your hands, warm it up and give it love, that is when it is finally ready to go inside your bear and your bear can come to life. A bear can’t find a home in Tigard, Oregon if it doesn’t have a heart. Home is where the heart is they say!

Now, we can’t have a bear get ready for going home until they are cleaned and dressed. So this is why each child needs to take their new bear over to the special bear bath section and get them cleaned up. Then it is time to pick out clothes for your bear. Then say clothes make the man, I mean bear.

Wow, now, your bear is ready to go home with you and before you even leave the store, it will already be giving you smiles and love. (I promise) So, if you are a child that can help a bear find a home in Tigard, Oregon, Build-A-Bear Workshop is looking for you!

Buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon isn’t as easy as looking online anymore! The properties you find listed on the MLS may not actually be available. Now, this isn’t the listing agents fault, they are just trying to sell that home, but are bound by rules that require them to show the property for sale.

Today I got a call from a buyer who was looking to buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon. Her question was, “Is it true that 85% of the homes on the market in Beaverton are short sales?” Now, it may seem when buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon, that all the homes that are on the market are short sales, but it really is a false reality and here is why.

When you are buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon you are bound to come across a short sale that you really like. You may be even the first to see it and put an offer in… But, wait, when your offer is accepted by the seller, that home you are buying doesn’t go “Sale Pending” on the MLS like a regular sale would. The MLS rules state that until it is accepted by the bank, then it can’t go sale pending, which gives people the false impression that the home doesn’t have any offers.

The fact is, when many of my buyers are looking to see a property they found online, they are being told by the seller they aren’t allowing any more showings until the bank has either accepted or rejected the offer that has been already presented to them. This is leaving many people buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon frustrated.

So, if you are looking to buy a home in Beaverton, Oregon, and you find a property that is a short sale online, a good question to ask your agent before you get too excited is, “Are there any offers on that home already and are they accepting more?”

Now, you can see why buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon isn’t as easy as looking online anymore! If you have a question about the home buying process anywhere in the metro area, don’t hesitate to call the Friendly Home Team, we would be glad to answer it for you!

Now, there is nothing more enjoyable to me than helping a first time home buyers in Clackamas County, Oregon. Ok, that isn’t true, what is even more enjoyable? Those first time home buyers calling me up and asking me to help them buy their second home after their family had grown.

Now what does this tell me about these first time home buyers in Clackamas County, Oregon? It tells me that I kept them well educated, and communicated with them enough through the entire home buying process that they were willing to refer me to many people over the past few years and then use me again when it was time to move up themselves.

Now, why do I love first time home buyers in Clackamas County, Oregon? Simple, I love to see smiles on people’s faces that you honestly can only get when someone buyers their first home. Now, this family does have some pretty big smiles, but, it still didn’t compare to the one that they had when were first time home buyers in Clackamas County and I got to hand them those keys Oregon 6 years ago.

You see 6 years ago, this young couple had been married just a couple years, had a young son and needed a place to call their own. That is when they read a post of mine then about being first time home buyers in Clackamas County, Oregon and gave me a call. Now, hearing back then that I was everything I said I was awesome. But nothing compares to knowing that despite all the thanks yous, the referrals over the years that when it came time to move up to a bigger house, these first time home buyers in Clackamas County decided to use me for their second home as well.

If you are a first time home buyer in Clackamas County, Oregon and would love an agent that would love to help educate you on the home buying process, then give me a call, I would love to help.