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Showing posts from October, 2019

Don't Let Fear Stop You from Applying for a Mortgage

A considerable number of potential buyers shy away from jumping into the real estate market due to their uncertainty about the buying process. A specific cause for concern tends to be mortgage qualification. For many, the mortgage process can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be! In order to qualify in today’s market, you’ll need to have saved for a down payment  ( 73%  of all  buyers made a down payment of less than 20%, with many buyers putting down 3% or less) , a stable income and good credit history. Throughout the entire home buying process, you will interact with many different professionals, all of whom perform necessary roles. These professionals are also valuable resources for you. Once you’re ready to apply, here are 5 easy steps that  Freddie Mac  suggests you follow: Find out your current credit history & score  – even if you don’t have perfect credit, you may already qualify for a loan. The average FICO ®  Score of all closed loans in September was 724, accordi

Things to do in Portland, Oregon - Part 7

Portland Art Museum

Renting or Buying…Either Way, You're Paying Someone's Mortgage

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There are some people who have not purchased homes yet because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you are living with your parents rent-free, you are paying a mortgage –  either yours or your landlord’s. As  Entrepreneur Magazine,  a premier source for small business,  explained  in their article,  “12 Practical Steps to Getting Rich,” “While renting on a temporary basis isn’t terrible, you should most certainly own the roof over your head if you’re serious about your finances. It won’t make you rich overnight, but  by renting, you’re paying someone else’s mortgage. In effect, you’re making someone else rich.” Christina Boyle,  Senior Vice President  and head of the  Single-Family Sales & Relationship Management  organization at  Freddie Mac,  explains another benefit of securing a mortgage vs. paying rent: “With a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, you’ll have the certainty & stability of knowing wh

Should you rent out your home, or sell it?

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    Should you rent out your home, or sell it? Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes  Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report Over the last decade, the Matin Real Estate Group has developed a reputation for working with sellers who’ve tried and failed to sell their homes.   One of the most common things we hear from these sellers, is that because of their bad selling experience they’d prefer to just rent out their property.   To be honest, in some cases, that may be a great idea.   In most cases however, renting out the home is simply not a good idea at all.   The fact of the matter is, not every property can provide a worthwhile return on your investment. When I think of a good rental property, I’m thinking about a duplex or a fourplex. Or possibly a large three bedroom, 2 bath home with about 1500 square feet of space.   Now that’s a good rental!   You do have to be careful however, that you’ve got the property financed in a way that gives you the best poss

Real Estate in Portland, Oregon: Out Of State Buyers Moving The Real Estate Market

The northwest is a haven for those in the technology industry. While silicon valley continues to be the true hub, cities like Portland, Oregon are some of the fastest growing in the country. In addition to the technology, Portland is home to several universities, a thriving arts community and a huge influx of people moving in from out of state. Jordan L. Matin, a real estate selling agent of Portland, Oregon , noted the trend includes a large number of people coming from out of the country. Almost 25 percent of the homes and properties moved in the city have come from immigrants looking to establish roots, attend universities or work in the technology industry. “We have an international MLS - called Proxy Pro, it is used by over 800,000 and 150 countries.  The system goes into 40 different languages and over 20 different currencies. An additional to that, our website has Google translate to assist buyers in finding properties in their native languages. We have people o

Things to do in Portland, Oregon - Part 6

International Rose Test Garden

Why are you waiting to buy?

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    Why are you waiting to buy? Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes  Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report If you’re one of the many people out there who are looking to buy their first home, you probably have some ideas about what you need in order to make your purchase.    But is your information accurate?   At the Matin Real Estate Group, we work with buyers everyday who are unfortunately misinformed when it comes to buying a home.   Maybe they think they need to keep saving for their down payment, or that they need a pay raise?   Or maybe they’re trying to pay down debt or build up a work history?   Well, the fact of the matter is, some of these factors matter and some just plain don’t. First of all, let’s talk about work history.   Let’s say that you’re in a nursing program, or some sort of vocational training program.   If you get a job in your field of study after you’ve completed your program, you can apply those years of study to your work history.