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Portland ranks number 22 in construction activity
With almost $1 billion in new housing projects, the Portland area ranked No. 22 in the country for residential construction last year.
Rob Smith posted an article today for The Business Journal featuring their “On Numbers analysis,” which features a searchable database, ranking the country’s top 366 metro areas. Salem ranked No. 2 in Oregon, with $130 million in housing projects, and the Eugene-Springfield area was third, with almost $109 million in projects.
Read the entire article here.
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The Overpricing Trap
Overpricing a home can have many ramifications for a home seller. It can limit the number of potential buyers who can afford your home, reduce showings and create an impression in the marketplace that the homeowners aren’t really serious about selling their home. Serious homeowners who overprice their home often get caught in the trap of price reduction after price reduction trying to catch up to the market.
Ginger Wilcox, at Trulia, has shared with us the seven deadly sins of overpricing your home, including the following:
- Appraisal Problems: Even if a buyer is willing to pay an inflated price, the home might not appraise for that price, which will likely kill the sale.
- No Showings: Buyers usually won’t bother looking at an overpriced home.
- Branding Problems: Once your home is branded, by agents or buyers, as overpriced, it is difficult to reignite interest.
- Selling the Competition: Over pricing makes your lower priced competition look like bargains.
- Stagnation: The longer your home sits on the market, the more people will start to wonder what is wrong with it and why it is stagnant.
- Tougher negotiations: Buyers tend to negotiate much harder on a home that has been on the market a long time or is priced higher than the competition.
- Lost Opportunities: You will lose a percentage of buyers who are outside of your price range. They are the ones who are looking in the price range the home will eventually sell for, but won’t see the home when it is overpriced.
Read the entire article here.
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The Bite is back! This weekend, August 12-14, 2011
The biggest and most popular summer festival in Portland, The Bite of Oregon, is coming this weekend to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Head on down to taste and sample local food, beer, and wine, while enjoying live music and watching both Oregon chefs and national celebrity chefs do what they do best on the culinary stage.
Where: Tom McCall Waterfront Park
When:
Friday, August 12th, 11 am – 10 pm
Saturday, August 13th, 11 am – 10 pm
Sunday, August 14th, 10 am – 8 pm
$15 Weekend Pass
$10 One Day Pass
$5 Early Bird Special
(Friday entry before 2pm)
Click here for more information.
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Founder of ForSaleByOwner.com Hires Realtor to Sell His Home
After six months of trying to sell his New York home through various websites and his own classified ads, the founder of ForSaleByOwner.com, Colbly Sambrotto, hired a realtor. His decision to hire the realtor resulted in multiple offers on his 2,000 square foot condo and a sale for $2.15 million, which was $150,000 over the original asking price.
AGBeat columnist Herman Chan said, “If people want to take a stab at For Sale By Owner (ie FSBO), go for it. But well over 80% of FSBO’s eventually have to list with a real estate agent to get their house sold. It’s harder than it looks!”
Read the entire article at agentgenius.com.
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Portland Dog Parks
It’s getting close to that time of year again when the dog’s want to get out of their cramped living quarters, small backyards and play with a few of their friends OUTSIDE. Portland currently ranks first in the US as having over 5 dog parks per 100,000 residents. So, there is no shortage of places to take your pooch in Portland or other suburban areas. Janet Johnson at First American Title has shared a fabulous article with a list of off-leash dog parks, and fenced and unfenced sites to take your dog out for some exercise. Enjoy!
Portland/Oregon Off-Leash Dog Parks
Good Dog Neighbors – great list of off-leash area (dog parks) in Oregon and SW Washington.
Dog Friendly.com – the world-wide pet travel guide has a simple list of local Off-Leash area dog parks.
PortlandPooch.com – your guide to everything on the Portland Dog Scene.
MeetPaws.com – has a list of Dog Parks/Dog Off-leash areas for the whole State of Oregon.
BringFido.com – a list of dog friendly park in Portland and surrounding areas.
PetFriendlyPDX.com – a list of Portland Area Off-Leash Dog Parks with Google Map included.
Fenced/Unfenced Sites- Off-Leash – 5am to midnight
PortlandOnline.com-for a complete list of off-leash areas & hours.
Dog Parks & Dog Runs by Neighborhood – Top Rated
Dogster.com – the top rated dog parks and dog runs in the Portland.
Read the entire article here.
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Astoria Crab, Seafood, & Wine Festival is this weekend!
We invite you to join us at the 2011 Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival to enjoy great coastal cuisine, arts and crafts, wine tasting and more!
Festival Program:
The Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce contracted with the Coast River Business Journal to produce the Official 2011 “Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival Event Guide.” The guide is filled with seafood recipes, a schedule of festival events and other useful information regarding this year’s festival!
The 2010 Crab Guide, also produced by Coast River Business Journal, took top honors for its design at the statewide Chamber meeting.
Festival Hours:
Friday, April 29, 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, April 30, 10:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday, May 1, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Admission Rates:
Friday: $8
Saturday: $10
Sunday: $5
Children under the age of 12 are free. However, we recommend that families enjoy the quieter times at the Festival on Saturday morning and Sunday.
Location, Parking and Shuttles:
The Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival is located at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds on Highway 202 about 4 miles from the junction of Highway 101 in Astoria. The physical address is 92937 Walluski Loop in Astoria.
Parking at the Festival is $5 per car. Parking is limited and the lot does fill up, so we encourage you to use our frequent shuttle service. Handicapped parking is available, but limited at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds general parking lot.
Shuttles will be servicing several of the Astoria and Warrenton Chamber Member lodging properties, campgrounds in addition to many public Park & Ride locations (designated with *) at the Port of Astoria on Friday and Saturday.
Expect delays/wait time during peak festival hours.
Limited shuttles will run on Sunday only from the Port of Astoria Park & Ride location.
Shuttle Service from Seaside is available SATURDAY with Seaside’s Best Tours.
Shuttle Pick-up at the Seaside Convention Center: 9:00 am & 12:00 noon & 3:00 pm Returning from the Festival: 4:00 pm (if there are enough people) & 6:00 pm & 8:00 pm. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Call 503-440-6852 or 503-738-9898.
Click here for complete event info.
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15 Tips to Help Sell Your Home
When I list a client’s property for sale, I am almost always asked the question, “What can I do to help sell this house?” Following is a list I put together of some tips to quickly and easily increase the marketability of your home.
1. Tidy up the outside of the home, including the porch, garage, driveway, and other outdoor features. Keep the lawn trimmed and edge, and make sure your yard is clear of debris.
2. Pay special attention to the front door, as it is the first thing a buyer sees while their realtor is opening the lockbox or unlocking the door. Make sure it is clean and welcoming.
3. Clean blinds or launder curtains. Windows attract the eyes, and their coverings should be clean.
4. Make the kitchen and bathroom sparkle. A fresh coat of paint or some inexpensive decorations can make all the difference.
5. Remove all hazards, such as items that can be tripped over or clutter blocking stairs or hallways.
6. Check all light fixtures to make sure bulbs are working, and replace any that are burned out.
7. Use attractive linens and spreads on beds. It is not necessary to purchase expensive linen sets, but using spreads, pillows, and blankets that match and look nice can make the bedroom feeling warm and cozy.
8. Keep pets out of the way. Some clients are annoyed by animals in the home, and the ones who aren’t are distracted by them, diverting their attention away from their surroundings.
9. During the inspection, avoid having too many people in the home. This will likely make the buyer feel like an intruder, causing them to hurry through the home.
10. Leave all house showings up to the realtor. Realtors know the buyer’s requirements, know how to emphasize the features of your home, and will call you if needed.
11. Do not discuss the sale of your home with the buyer. Leave all discussions concerning price, terms, possession, and other sale factors to the realtors. Realtors are qualified to bring negations to the best possible conclusion.
12. Keep your home smelling fresh and clean. Open windows when you are home to allow fresh air to flow through, and use room scent products lightly, if at all. An overly-perfumed home can be irritating to the buyer and can also give the impression that an odor problem is being masked.
13. Never apologize for the appearance of your home or point out imperfections.
14. Do not sell furniture, window coverings, or other items to the buyer before the sale is complete.
15. Your house does not have to be immaculate at every moment, but keeping dishes clean and out of the sink, clothes put away, and newspapers, magazines, and other items, stacked and organized makes all the difference.
Posted in Home Improvement, Real Estate
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Portland Real Estate Market Update
The Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) releases its most current Market Action Report for Portland on the 15th of each month, following the month it is being published for.
The March, 2011, report just came out, reflecting average sale prices, appreciation rates by area, days on market, and other valuable Portland market data. According to the report, market activity increased significant between February and March, 2011.
The average sale price for March, 2011, increased 6.8% to $261,100 from February’s, average of $244,500. Closed sales increased 50.4%, from 1,074 in February to 1,615 in March, and pending sales increased 26.5%, from 1,592 to 2,014.
Take a look at the full report here.
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What You Can Learn from Unemployment
You can live on less.
Whether you’re drawing from a savings account or relying on those unemployment checks, you’ll find ways to cut corners that you didn’t expect, and you may learn that you don’t miss some of the things you considered “necessities” before. By continuing a few of these cost-saving measures even after you receive a regular paycheck, you’ll be able to save more and pay down more of your debt.
You need an emergency savings account.
You can’t limit your savings to IRA and 401(k)s because the unexpected will happen. It makes life a lot easier if you have a little cushion to fall back on. If the idea of saving up for three to six months worth of living expenses (as many experts recommend) seems impossible, don’t worry. The truth is that any amount helps. Set up your savings to be automatic with every paycheck, so you don’t have to think about it. You’ll appreciate it the next time an emergency comes up, whether it’s a job loss or an unexpected large expense.
Rice, pasta, and oats are delicious food options.
Food is a big expense, but it’s also one of the easiest to control. By cooking at home, you can cut down significantly on what you spend and by taking advantage of inexpensive foods such as rice, pasta, and oats, you can get a lot of bang for your buck and still eat delicious, nutritious and easy meals.
Debt holds you back.
Even in good times. Yes, some types of debt, such as home loans, have tax benefits, but most other forms are best to be avoided, such as credit card debt and car loans. If you aren’t tied up in paying back loans, you’ll have more available cash to use when you don’t have any income coming in, but you’ll also have extra cash during the good times to build up that emergency savings account and to spend on things like travel and new gadgets.
Your greatest asset is good health.
If you get sick or become injured when you’re unemployed, you’ll not only incur the costs of solving your health issue but also may be unable to focus as much on finding a new job. So take care of yourself! Exercise, eat well and make regular visits to your doctor and dentist. Remember the old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
For more tips to help you make the most of your home, money and credit – including a Debt Payoff Plan that helps you get out of debt faster and save potentially thousands in interest, visit Quizzle.com.
Read the entire article here.
Posted in Business, Current Events
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Any period of unemployment is tough. You’re not sure how long it will be until you find another job or how much you will make when you do. You’re following your finances closer than ever before. But once you get out of the woods, you may find that there are many lessons you learned that you can carry over to the good times too. They can make any future bouts of unemployment less stressful and even make you richer in the long run.
Juliana Weiss-Roessler at QuizzleWire has posted an excellent article on what you can learn from unemployment, including some of the following words of wisdom.