Common Mistakes Buyers Make

Here are two mistakes buyers often make when shopping for a home, according to Realtor.com^®.

Not sticking to a budget
Once you’ve set a housing budget, try to avoid getting emotionally attached to a home that’s way out of your price range. Borrowing more than you can comfortably afford can lead to long-term financial problems. One rule of thumb says that your total monthly mortgage plus other debts (car payments, student loans, credit cards, etc.) should not exceed 43% of your pretax earnings.

Not comparing lenders
You can save money both in the short-term (closing costs) and long-term (interest rates) by shopping around before committing to a mortgage. You may want to begin with your own bank, but check with other banks, mortgage brokers or online lenders as well.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Five Star award Winner 2011- 2020 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.  

Rachel Sheller, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, Earth Advantage Broker,

MASTERS CIRCLE, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First- Principal Broker, Washington First-Managing Broker

Direct 503.380.9634, Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website 

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

5 Home Design Trends to Be Thankful for This Year

After years of normalizing neutral color palettes, for example, designers are embracing more colorful trends to showcase personality in homes. REALTOR® Magazine’s Styled, staged and sold blog asked designers and stagers what home interior trends they’re most grateful for this year. Here are their top picks.

1. More colorful spaces

Goodbye, white kitchens and gray walls. More color is moving in. Homeowners favor bolder hues inside the home, not just for pops of color but also as a base color for an entire room. Paint companies have chosen variations of blues, pinks, and greens as their picks for 2020 color of the year. These colors also are being splashed on kitchen cabinets, exterior doors, and home accessories.

The paint firm PPG selected Chinese porcelain, a blend of cobalt and muted navy tones, as its 2020 color of the year. Sherwin Williams followed suit with Naval, a deep navy blue.

Behr’s top 2020 pick is a meadow-inspired yellowish green called Back to Nature.

Pinks also are catching on. HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams, the company’s offshoot brand, chose a blush hue called Romance, while Benjamin Moore chose a soft, rosy hue called First Light.

2. Luxury vinyl flooring

A design trend that’s stylish but low maintenance, luxury vinyl is enjoying popularity as an alternative to hardwood and ceramic tile flooring. Vinyl is touted as being cheaper, warmer, and softer on your feet; it also requires less upkeep than traditional hardwood or tile.

Today’s luxury vinyl shouldn’t be mistaken for linoleum and other varieties of sheet flooring. Luxury vinyl can be laid out in planks, tiles, and sheets, and it comes in trendy finishes. Luxury vinyl planks can resemble the look of hardwood and are offered in handscraped and wide plank varieties. The planks can be installed diagonally or in a trendy herringbone pattern, and they also can resemble tile and marble.

The lower maintenance of luxury vinyl is appealing to families with young children and pets. It’s a water-resistant material that works easily in kitchens and bathrooms.

3. Voice-controlled smart appliances

Alexa, Google Home, and Siri are ushering in a new and advanced era of smart-home technology. The choices are growing, too: Smart plugs, for example, cost as little as $10 and enable you to say: “Alexa, turn on the lights.” Add smart lightbulbs that can be controlled via voice assistants, as well as other appliances such as the thermostat, door locks, and security cameras. Suddenly, smart homes have become more attainable and cost-effective.

4. Statement ceilings 

Finally, a reason to look up! The homes fifth wall is commanding the spotlight In the roaring ’20s, stamped ceilings, such as those plated in copper or tin decorative sheets, were popular. But the trend faded in favor of smooth ceiling finishes. Now, the statement ceiling is back.

This time, however, paint, wallpaper, or wood moldings are the ceiling accents of choice. A statement ceiling can brighten up a space and make it memorable, says Katie Skoloff, principal designer and founder of In Site Designs, an interior design firm in Greenville, S.C. “We find the interest on a ceiling draws the eye up, and you cannot help but feel the space is there to ‘wow’ you,” she says. Wallpapered ceilings, as well as wood beams and coffered ceilings, are today’s standout options.

5. Contrasting kitchen design

Along with more colorful interiors, the white kitchen is fading in favor of a bigger statement, including tuxedo cabinetry, shiny hardware, and brass-trimmed range hoods.

Polished brass on cabinet hardware, range hoods, and appliance handles shines in otherwise white kitchens, appearing to be like jewelry for the space. Café, a hardware line for the GE Appliance brand, offers customizable options in various metals for refrigerator or oven handles. For example, soft-brushed copper handles can be added to a matted white refrigerator for a more contemporary vibe.

Contrasting kitchen cabinets, such as the tuxedo kitchen, also are gaining popularity. The trend calls for upper and lower cabinets to be painted different colors—perhaps white on top and a gray or dark walnut on the bottom. It’s essentially a way to add more visual interest to an otherwise all-white display.

An alternative—and slightly less bold—version of this trend is also taking root, such as all-white cabinets and a contrasting kitchen island in a deep blue, gray, or walnut color.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Five Star award Winner 2011- 2019 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

Rachel Sheller

Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES

Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, Earth Advantage Broker,

MASTERS CIRCLE

CSA-Certified Staging Agent

Oregon First, Washington First 

Direct 503.380.9634

Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website.

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

What Comes With The House?

Imagine walking into your new home to find all the light fixtures, doorknobs and cabinetry hardware missing. Though uncommon, some buyers have faced this very scenario. Protect yourself by understanding the difference between permanent fixtures and personal property. 

As a buyer, you’re legally entitled to a home’s fixtures unless they are specifically excluded in the property listing. Realtor.com^® describes fixtures as anything “physically affixed to a property.” Personal property, on the other hand, is anything that can be moved, such as area rugs, curtains and some appliances – most often the refrigerator, washer and dryer.

Some items end up in a gray area, which is why it’s important to work with your Realtor^® and be very specific about what you’d like to have stay with the home. You can further mitigate any surprises by doing a final walk-through before closing.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Five Star award Winner 2011- 2019 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

Rachel Sheller, Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, Earth Advantage Broker, MASTERS CIRCLE,CSA-Certified Staging Agent,Oregon First-Principal Broker, Washington First-Managing Broker

Direct 503.380.9634, Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

Metro Areas With Significant Home Appreciation

For most Americans, the home they own is their largest investment and most valuable asset. These 10 metro areas have some of the highest home appreciation percentages over the past five years, reports Realtor.com^®.

1.     Santa Maria, CA – 95 percent

2.     Nashville, TN – 89.4 percent

3.     College Station, TX – 85.3 percent

4.     Charlotte, NC – 82.9 percent

5.     Omaha, NE – 73.5 percent

6.     Grand Rapids, MI – 72.5 percent

7.     Fort Wayne, IN – 67.9 percent

8.     Columbus, OH – 66.4 percent

9.     New Orleans, LA – 62.4 percent

10.  Lexington, KY – 61.7 percent

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller,Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES,MASTERS CIRCLE, Earth Advantage Broker, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Washington First 

Direct 503.380.9634, Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View this ALL available Houses on the market on my website. 

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington 

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

Length Of Ownership For Recently Sold Homes Has Increased

American home sellers who closed their sale during the first quarter of this year had owned their property for an average of 8.05 years, according to the National Association of Realtors^®. This is a significant increase compared to the average of 4.21 years for properties sold from 2000 to 2007.

ATTOM Data Solutions reported that the five largest metro areas with the longest average years of ownership prior to selling in 2019 were Hartford, CT – 12.52 years; Boston, MA – 12.36 years; Providence, RI – 11.15 years; San Francisco, CA – 10.40 years; and San Jose, CA – 10.27 years.

On a national average, the most profitable home sales occurred in these four California metros: San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oxnard. Honolulu, HI, was fifth on the list.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller,Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES,MASTERS CIRCLE, Earth Advantage Broker, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Washington First 

Direct 503.380.9634, Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View this ALL available Houses on the market on my website. 

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington 

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

Home Flipping Can Be Highly Profitable

During the Great Recession (2007-09), many properties lost equity as the housing market began falling. Short-term investors then started buying up properties that had fallen into foreclosure in order to flip them at a profit.

By contrast, flipping houses in today’s seller’s market is all about buying fixer-upper properties, making improvements and then reselling them to millennials and other first-time buyers.

Since the data firm CoreLogic first began tracking quarterly statistics on home flipping in 2002, the highest rate of home flipping as a percentage of all residential properties sold occurred during the first quarter of 2018 at 11.4 percent.

This upward trend continued last year with a higher rate in the fourth quarter than any previous fourth quarter – reaching almost 10.9 percent of all home sales. This marked the culmination of 12 consecutive quarters with residential flipping rates increasing on a year-over-year basis.

While flipping rates as a percentage of all homes sold vary widely across the U.S., the numbers tend to be highest in the Sun Belt. Eight of the top 10 metro areas are located in the southern half of the country: Birmingham, AL; Memphis, TN; Tampa, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Camden, NJ; Phoenix, AZ; Palm Bay, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Lakeland, FL; and Atlanta, GA.

Most of the metros where flipping has the highest rate of return on investment (ROI) are in areas that have a significant number of older homes to flip: Detroit, MI; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Cleveland, OH; Akron, OH; Baltimore, MD; Buffalo, NY; Wilmington, DE; Toledo, OH; and Milwaukee, WI.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Five Star award Winner 2011-2019 honoring the top 7% of
real estate professionals in Oregon.  

Rachel Sheller,Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI,
SRES,MASTERS CIRCLE, Earth Advantage Broker, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, -Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Washington First 

Direct: 503.380.9634, Email- rachel@rachelsheller.com

View this ALL available Houses on the market on my website.

Licensed in the State of Oregon and Washington

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

7 Tasks To Do After Moving Into Your New Home

The safety and security of your family, guests and pets are the most important reasons to complete these tasks as soon as possible after moving in.

1. Change the locks and the garage door entry code. You have no idea how many of the former owner’s neighbors, friends or relatives have a key or know the garage code.

2. Hide an extra key in a combination lock box. Burglars know all of the usual spots where people hide keys such as under a flower pot or in a fake rock.

3. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If there aren’t any or they look dated, make sure to install new ones.

4. Check the temperature on your water heater, especially if you have young children. The safest and most eco-friendly setting is 120^° F.

5. Make sure there’s a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and one on each additional floor.

6. Check motion lights and other security lights to make sure they have working bulbs.

7. Locate the main gas and water shut-off valves. Find the circuit box and label all of the breakers.

Five Star award recipient 2011-2018 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller, Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, MASTERS CIRCLE, Earth Advantage Broker, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent

Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634

Email- Homesforyou@frontier.com

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website

Licensed in the State of Oregon

***I’M ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP YOU AND YOUR REFERRALS***

Be Aware Of These Home-Buying Fees

In addition to a down payment, here are some other expenses home buyers need to be aware of.

“Just because you’re spending hundreds of thousands on a home doesn’t mean you should be comfortable throwing thousands of dollars at fees.”

Be sure to ask your lender or Realtor^® any questions you have concerning the fees you’re being charged. In addition, your real estate agent may be able to help you negotiate the cost of some of these home-buying expenses.

Home inspection: Inspectors will look for any signs of structural issues, mold and leaks. They also assess the condition of the roof, gutters, HVAC, water heater, plumbing, electrical system, and more.

Appraisal: Mortgage lenders require an appraisal report to ensure that the property is worth the sales price agreed upon by the buyer and seller.

Loan application: The lender will charge fees for running your credit report and processing your application. Be sure to ask for an itemized list of these charges.

Mortgage loan origination fees: These upfront costs, which are associated with underwriting and funding the loan, are quoted as a percentage (typically 0.5 to 1.5 percent) of the total amount borrowed.

Private mortgage insurance (PMI): Lenders generally require buyers to put down at least 20 percent of the purchase price of the home. Otherwise, PMI is required to protect the lender if the buyer should default on the loan. The PMI should be automatically canceled once the buyer reaches 78 percent of the loan-to-value ratio.

Tax service: This fee ensures that the seller’s tax payments on the property are up to date and that the buyer’s payments are correctly credited.

Property survey: This report outlines the boundaries, dimensions and major features of the property.

Title services: Title companies charge fees to cover the title search, notary costs, government filing fees, and more to ensure the buyer receives a clear title to the property.

Five Star award recipient 2011-2018 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller, Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, MASTERS CIRCLE, Earth Advantage Broker, Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent

Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634

Email- Homesforyou@frontier.com

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website

Licensed in the State of Oregon

***I’M ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP YOU AND YOUR REFERRALS***

Should you sell a home during the holidays?

Traditionally, most sellers shy away from listing their homes in November or December. Some buyers, however, need to make a quick purchase before the end of the year due to a job transfer, estate settlement or other tax reasons. With very little competition in the marketplace, properties listed during the holiday season tend to sell more quickly and for a higher price.

If you’re worried about moving during the holidays, keep in mind that buyers often need to close by December 31, but they don’t necessarily need to take possession until January. That way both you and your buyers can enjoy one last holiday season in the old house before making the move.

Of course, the most pressing question is whether you should decorate your home for the holidays. Real estate professionals agree that homes show better with tasteful, festive decorations. Buyers can typically feel the warmth of the season and comfortably picture themselves living there. Be sensitive to different religions and use generic decorations that reflect a fall or winter theme.

Keep in mind the importance of curb appeal, and be sure there’s an attractive wreath on the front door to welcome buyers into their new home. Call me to learn more about selling during the Holidays and it’s benefits.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!

Five Star award Winner 2011- 2018 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon. 

Rachel Sheller, Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES,  Diversity Specialist-HOWNW, Earth Advantage Broker, MASTERS CIRCLE, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Washington First

Direct 503.380.9634, Email-    homesforyou@frontier.com

View a current list of ALL available Houses on the market go to my website

Licensed in the State of Oregon

My business is referral based.
If you’ve enjoyed my service, please refer me!

Here’s a little sugar and spice and everything nice!

Five Star award recipient 2011-2017 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller, Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, MASTERS CIRCLE, Diversity Specialist, HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634, Email-homesforyou@frontier.com

See ALL available properties at my website!

Licensed in the State of Oregon

***I’M NEVER TOO BUSY FOR YOU AND YOUR REFERRALS***