Pricing your home can be overwhelming.. I am here to help!!

Pricing your Home in Today’s Market

Deciding to sell your home is a big decision. The next big decision in the selling process is pricing your home. There is an art and a science to this critical step, so your best bet is to utilize the expertise of a real estate professional.

Setting the right asking price for your home without professional help is much like defending yourself in court without a lawyer – you can do it, but it comes at a risk. Avoid pricing yourself out of your local market, or under-valuing your home, by working with a knowledgeable real estate professional.

Realtors^® have exclusive access to information and a vast knowledge to pull from to help you appropriately price your home. They can provide insight on pricing trends in your area for similar homes, so yours is competitive.

Real estate professionals will be able to take into account home improvements and amenities in your home. They will also consider square footage, the age of the home and the benefits of your neighborhood, such as a great school district, walking trails, nearby shopping, public transportation, and green spaces.

The job of a Realtor^® is to stay up-to-date on pricing trends in your local housing market. Valuable insights into where the market is headed will help you sell your home in the shortest amount of time.

I can help stage your home to give you the opportunity to get the most money possible for your home!! I am here for YOU!

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, ASTERS CIRCLE, Diversity Specialist, HOWNW, CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634, Email- homesforyou@frontier.com

Check out ALL homes at my website!!

Licensed in the State of Oregon

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

Something sweet for this warm weather!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

3/4 cup diced strawberries
3/4 cup diced mango
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp. diced red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 tsp. honey, to taste
Juice of 1 lime

In a large bowl, combine strawberries, mango, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, honey, and lime juice.

Serve immediately with chips or over grilled chicken

If you’re looking for something sweet, call me and I will help you get a sweet deal in real estate!

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 homes at my website!

Licensed in the State of Oregon

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

Here is something tasty for you to try!

 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 houses at my website!!

Licensed in the State of Oregon

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

 

SOLD SOLD SOLD!!

725 SE 207th Avenue Gresham, OR 97030 RMLS# 17285799, Asking $299,999

AMAZING LOCATION! You are in for a treat! This wonderful home is nestled in a highly desirable Gresham Neighborhood. This beauty features 3 bedrooms, 2 sparkling clean bathrooms (the master suite has double closets and a full bathroom), office or possible 4th bedroom. Bright kitchen with eating area, gas appliance, dishwasher, JUMBO pantry, tile floors and tile counters. Spacious living room with cozy fireplace, plus formal dining room, and separate laundry room. LARGE family room with ceiling fan, solar tube and light filled windows & door that lead to a covered patio, plus tool shed and darling play house (could be chicken coop?) all in a VERY private fenced, back yard. Central air conditioning, RV parking, and so very much more! This treasure of a home is clean and move in ready! See additional photos and more information on my website.

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, Earth Advantage Broker-“Green” Realtor.

CSA-Certified Staging Agent, Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634, Email-    homesforyou@frontier.com

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

Licensed in the State of Oregon

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

 

Facing the Lenders!

Facing the Lenders: How to Get Approved for a Mortgage

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or have bought and sold several homes, proving to a lender that you are financially prepared to take on a new mortgage payment can be complex. Doing your research and being prepared for their offers will help ease the stress.

Begin by gathering all your information. You need to know your monthly income, the sum of all your monthly debts (student loans, credit card payments, car payments, etc.), your credit score, how much cash you can put toward a down payment, and how much house you can afford. There are free online calculators to help you find any one of these totals. MortgageCalculator.org is a good place to start.

Calculate your income and debt before meeting with a lender to get a grasp on what you can reasonably afford. For the increasing number of millennial buyers, personal finance expert and founding editor of MoneyUnder30.com, David Weliver suggests buyers reserve 25 percent of their gross income for a total housing payment. CNNMoney.com offers this rule of thumb: aim for a home that costs about 2 1/2 times your gross annual salary.

Decide how much you can afford for a down payment. Expect any lender to require at least a 10 percent down payment, unless you plan on getting a special program loan such as an FHA loan. A minimum of 20 percent down is typically required to avoid paying mortgage insurance. Having your desired down payment in mind helps you when you start house-hunting, and is a great launching point for a conversation with your lender.

Have your paperwork ready to hand over. Expect to provide enough pay stubs to cover 30 days of employment. If you’re paid weekly, for example, you’ll need the last four. If you are self-employed or have various employers, they may ask to see previous tax returns.

Remember that you can get prequalified by a lender any time just to see where you stand financially. Getting prequalified is nonbinding and informal, but it will give you an idea of the types of homes you will be in the market for when you start your search.

Be sure to shop around for the best rates before making your decision. This is a major financial commitment, and you should be confident you’re working with people who want the best for you.

If you are looking for a great lender, I can recommend one.

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 houses at my website!

Licensed in the State of Oregon

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

LATEST PORTLAND/METRO RE STATS

September Residential Highlights

The Portland/Metro area saw some clouds roll in our real estate activity this September 2016.

Pending sales (2,857) fell 3.8% short of September of last year (2,971) and 14.1% short of the 3,325 offers accepted last month in August 2016. This is expected as the market tends to cool a bit right after the school season starts. The swing of the market does lend itself to a further cooling. It is still very strong seller’s market, but sellers are having to try a little harder for the sales, as we are seeing an increases of “fail sales.” You will begin to see this a little more with more frequent price reductions, if a home is a priced a little on the high side in the first place.  Buyers are still making offers in high numbers on homes that are very competitively priced. Consequently, the total market time increased by only one day, climbing to 35 days.

Average And Median Sales Prices; Prices continue to rise in the Portland metro area. Comparing 2016 to 2015 through September, the average sale price rose 11.4% from $352,500 to $392,600. In the same comparison, the median sale price rose 13.1% from $305,000 to $345,000. Even though the prices have rose (The September numbers were coming off the HOT summer selling season) we are currently in the middle of a slight adjustment. Prices cannot continually increase in price by 11 % every month. It wouldn’t be long before no one could afford a home. I think we will see more modest increase in sales price and the buyers becoming more picky.

Please call, email, or text me if you would like to talk about selling your home and/or buying in todays market. I would love the opportunity to talk with you.

Months of inventory; What it means 

A quick gauge of the health, and swing of the real estate market is done by looking at the months of inventory on the market. Six months of inventory is considered a healthy, balanced market.

0-5.5 months of inventory- Seller’s Market

6.5 months on up of inventory- Buyer’s Market 

The very latest numbers sit us at 2.0 months of inventory. We are in a Seller’s  Market. We have been in a sellers’ market for well over 3 full years. Our numbers are on the rise. I expect a higher number next month.

 Five Star award recipient 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 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

View ALL available Houses on the market on my website 

Licensed in the State of Oregon 

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

    My business is primarily based around referrals
from my clients.  If you or someone you know is
thinking about buying or selling real estate,
please feel free to pass along my information
or just let me know!

 

PORTLAND/METRO MOST CURRENT REAL ESTATE STATS & NUMBERS

October Residential Highlights

October brought some cooling to real estate activity in the Portland metro area, but pending sales were still on the rise this was the strongest October for pending sales in the area since October 2005. Inventory in the Portland metro area decreased slightly in October to 1.8 months. Remember 6 months is considered a balanced market. Anything under 6 months is considered a sellers’ market and above 6 months is considered a buyers’ market. We are in a STRONG sellers’ market right now. We have actually been in a sellers’ market for well over 3 years.

Total market time in holding steady at 46 days (Time it takes to get an accepted offer on your home).

Sale Prices and the Future of Real Estate

Prices continue to rise. The median sale price rose a whopping 7.0% for all areas (All neighborhoods are different-for your call, email or text me).

The interest rates are still very low making it affordable to purchase even though the prices are rising. The economic forecasts I have heard say we are in in for another year of increased prices!

This is very good news people! If you are waiting to make a more or wished you would of done it before the crash NOW is the time! Call, email, or text me for information on selling or buying residential property. You’ll be glad you did!

Five Star award recipient 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 honoring the top 7% of real estate professionals in Oregon.

IT’S A GOOD LIFE!!

Rachel Sheller-Principal Broker, Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES,

Diversity Specialist, HOWNW-Oregon First, Realtors

Direct 503.380.9634 Email-    homesforyou@frontier.com

View ALL available Houses on the market @ my Web Site-

WONDERFUL WOODBURN HOME FOR SALE!

Welcome home to your wonderful Woodburn home! Nestled in a charming side street this home has many fabulous amenities! Wood floors under carpet (bedrooms and living room), lots of windows, 912 SF of living space, BIG, BRIGHT kitchen with appliances included (FS-Range, FS Fridge AND clothes washer & dryer too!!). Spacious 11 X 7 utility room, detached 1 car garage, room for RV parking in driveway…..just needs a little TLC to make this darling home shine!! see more photos & information at my website. RMLS#15170094

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS!! Build your own sweat equity! NEW LISTING!!

Bring your tool belt! This beauty just needs some TLC to shine. This is an amazing opportunity for you! This fabulous home features an enormous 3 car garage that has 220, an office and storage area-VERY RARE. This home also features covered RV parking, calming deck overlooking the spacious private back yard, extra large kitchen with lots of light. Open floor plan throughout and hardwood floor.
This beauty is in a perfect location off the main thorough fair but with easy access to public transportation. You are also located at the foot of Powell Butte-Walking trails just down the road. RMLS# 15430922
SEE ME on my website!!

BASIC LAW OF ECONOMICS IN REAL ESTATE.

It’s a basic law of economics: Demand goes up. Supply goes down. Prices rise.
Nationally, that’s happening right now. With normal population increases and an improving economy, demand is growing, and supply is tight in many areas.

Additionally, despite analysts’ predictions, interest rates have held at relatively low levels. Low rates keep home payments more affordable.…

What might this mean for you?

• If you’re in the process of buying or selling, you’re probably in a good spot. Many sellers are seeing higher bids, and many buyers can afford to make them because of currently low rates.
• If you’re planning to stay in the home you now own, it’s likely your home value is growing. More equity and the possibility of refinancing at today’s rates create a comforting combination that’s tough to beat.

If you are looking to buy or sell real estate give me a call. I’m here to help.

Thank you Randy Drizwicki for this great article
All Western Mortgage