Real estate agents Portland Oregon

Unfortunately, Zillow can’t give you an accurate valuation of your home. Here’s why. Looking to Buy? Search All Homes Looking to Sell? Get a Home Value Report Buyers and sellers who look to Zillow’s Zestimate for an accurate idea of what a property is worth contact me all the time.  This can be a problem. The issue is that Zillow is using an algorithm and an average to spit out a value. They don’t know a lot of things about a home, including whether it has orange 70s shag carpet, or a completely remodeled stainless steel kitchen. Their algorithm takes into account outdated tax records and user-submitted data.  All of this makes a huge difference in the variation of where the Zestimate will land. They are often off by 10% to 20%. Don’t expect an accurate valuation from Zillow. Just like you wouldn't expect WebMD to diagnose your health problems, you shouldn’t expect Zillow to be able to price your property. You really need to bring a professional l...

    What makes a great offer? Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes  Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report So you’re ready to make an offer on a new home and you want to make sure that you put in the best offer to the seller.   That’s great!   But let’s talk a little bit about what makes a strong offer so we make sure you get your dream home.   When I talk to my clients, whether they're buyers or sellers, the most common thought is that a cash offer will always be the strongest offer.   This is not always the case.   You have to make sure you consider the context of the sellers situation.   For example, maybe you’re working with a seller that has no time restraints with their sale.   They’ll most likely be wiling to wait a few extra weeks for a loan to fund if it means they’ll make more money on the sale.   In this case, a cash offer means nothing if the price isn’t good enough for the seller. The next thi...

    How do we determine a home's value? Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes  Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report It’s common knowledge that your individual credit score plays a vital role in your ability to purchase a home. But what do you do if your credit score is less than perfect?   Well first of all, don’t panic.   Poor credit scores are very common, and with some dedication and planning, it’s relatively easy to raise your score to a level at which you can qualify for a mortgage.   I myself struggled with poor credit throughout my twenties, so I know first hand how possible it is to raise a low score. First of all, you need to understand the two different metrics that lenders use to qualify you for a loan.   The first metric is your credit score.   This is a reflection of how reliable you are in paying lenders back the money that they have loaned you.   The second metric is called your debt to income ratio. ...

    What are The Differences Between Title and Escrow? Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes  Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report When you buy a home, people are going to say things to you like, “You’ve got to get your check into escrow! Make sure you talk to your Title Officer, and turn in all your documents!” It can get very confusing, very quickly and what does all that mean anyways?   What’s the difference between title and escrow? Well the truth of the matter is, title and escrow are in the same building and in fact are usually the same company.   Essentially, both title and escrow are types of insurance.   Title insurance, is a policy that covers the property and any liens that may be held upon it.   For example, let’s say that the previous owner of the home you just bought had a new roof installed, before your purchase.   Now, let’s say that the previous owner neglected to pay for the work and you get a visit fr...