Some helpful data if you’re contemplating selling! It’s YOUR time!

It’s a good life!!

August 2016 Stats

The numbers are just out! Take a look at the appreciation rates for your City. Just amazing! This wont last. It can’t. If have wanted to make that move, NOW is the time. Call, email, or text me, I’d be happy to go over YOUR appreciation value and the steps to make your dream move a reality!

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 Oregon

I HONOR ALL VETERANS!

How to Lighten a Dark Room

Sometimes you get stuck with a small room or one without much natural light, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in the dark. There are lots of easy (and some not so easy) ways to lighten and brighten a dark room.
Walls
Painting the walls a lighter color can drastically change the appearance of a room. White is always an option, but light pastels can have the same effect without the starkness. Also consider using a satin gloss, which will reflect light, as opposed to a matte finish.
Floors
Most changes to floors are fairly significant, ranging from refinishing hardwood to installing lighter wall-to-wall carpet. When refinishing hardwood with a lighter stain, top it off with a high gloss to reflect light. You can also “lighten” the appearance of a dark hardwood floor with a pale-colored area rug.
Furniture
Dark furniture can really weigh a room down. Choose light fabrics and paint wooden furniture light colors. Also think about adding reflective surfaces to your furniture, like a mirrored table top.
Accents
Mirrors are your best bet for fighting darkness. Place them opposite a light source (a lamp or window) to maximize the amount of light reflected. Smaller items, like mirrored picture frames, reflect light as well.
Windows
Maximize the natural light coming in through windows. Keep the windows clean. Hang curtains higher and wider than the window frame so the entire window is exposed. Stay away from heavy drapes and thick blinds that block the light.
Lights
Use light that is cast up and down, such as wall sconces and lamps with shades that open at the top and bottom. Aim for diffused light. Use walls and corners to reflect the light around the room.

I hope this information is helpful. It is from my monthly “E” newsletter.

Call, Email, or Text anytime for all your real estate needs.

 

USING “SMART” TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR HOME.

Getting ready for bed used to entail walking from room to room, shutting off lights and electronics, locking doors, and setting alarms. But increasingly, this process is being reduced to merely the press of a button. Thanks to the popularity of smartphones and the widespread usage of broadband Internet, the market for home automation is taking off.

Home automation systems are designed to give you control over various features of your home – including lights, TVs, locks, security systems, and thermostats – via your smartphone or tablet. With a smart home you can:

• Receive an alert on your phone when a door is opened.
• Open the garage door to allow a package delivery.
• Turn on the lights before you get home at night.
• Adjust the thermostat so the inside temperature is comfortable when you get home.
• Make sure the kids locked up before they left for school.

A few years ago this might have sounded futuristic, but it is becoming more common. “Customers have come to expect access to information and data – be it banking, social, pictures, or work – on their phone,” said Andrew Brooks of Washington, DC-based SmartThings. “The smartphone has essentially become the remote control to our everyday lives.” A 2014 Allied Market Research report estimated that the market for home and building automation would grow nearly 30 percent per year – taking it from $4.8 billion in 2012 to $35.3 billion in 2020. So whether you are ready or not, the smart home is on its way to a neighborhood near you.

This is an interesting article from my monthly email newsletter. I hope you find it interesting and helpful. We have many options available to us. These are being built into new homes right now.

As usual, please call, email, or text with any real estate needs.

POPULAR FEATURES IN NEW HOMES….

As the number of new homes constructed continues to rise, more home buyers are seeing the benefits of buying new. Builders know which features are most desired by today’s buyers and are incorporating these features into their plans.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) surveyed builders across the country to find out what features they are most often including, and reported that the top priorities are focused on convenience, livability and energy efficiency. The features most commonly included in a single-family home were a master bedroom walk-in closet, a laundry room, a great room, and low-emissivity (Low-E) windows.
Other popular features:
Kitchen – granite countertops, double sink, central island
Bathroom – linen closet, private toilet
Outdoor – front porch, patio
“Newly constructed homes can suit the specific requirements of today’s home buyers,” said NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly. “And now is a great time to consider buying a new home, as consumers can take advantage of competitive home prices and low interest rates.”

Info from my monthly e-newsletter.

TIMING OPTIONS FOR BUYING AND SELLING REAL ESTATE…

You have options when it comes to timing the sale and purchase of a home. The most common source of confusion is what people should do first – sell their current home or buy a new one. If you do some homework first, you’ll probably get a good idea of what you are most comfortable with.

• Contact me and we’ll determine what price you are likely to get for your house.
• Meet with mortgage lenders and find out what size loan you will qualify for and decide how much you can afford.
• Look for homes that meet your needs and your price.

Are there houses you are interested in that are suitable? If there are, you might consider listing your current home and trust that you will find something once your house sells. If not, it might be better to buy before you sell.
Purchasing a new home first isn’t necessarily a bad idea, if it is financially possible. But this may involve qualifying for a new mortgage while still being responsible for the current mortgage on the home you’re getting ready to sell.
By selling first, you run the risk of having to quickly find somewhere to live, which could force you to rent or rush into buying a home that may not be ideal. If this happens, you could look into including a rent-back contingency in the contract so you can rent the home back from the buyers until you are able to purchase a new house.
For more information about buying or selling a home in our local market, please give me a call. As your real estate professional, I can answer all your questions and help with all your buying and selling needs.

Portland/Metro Real Estate Market Stats & Inventory-What that means to you….

Seasonal activity was again on the upswing this April in the Portland metro area! The months of Inventory right now at 2.8 months of inventory. The “bar” of a balanced real estate market is 6 months of inventory. We have been under 6 months all year. Under 6 months is considered a Seller’s market.
Furthermore, Closed sales, at 2,143, rose 15.4% from March’s 1,857 and represented 0.8%
increase over the 2,125 sales closed in April 2013. Despite the small increase, it was still the best April for closed sales in the Portland metro area since 2007, when there were 2,594. New listings (3,629) were up 0.2% compared to last April, when there were 3,623, and 17.4% compared to the 3,090 new listings posted in March. Pending sales (2,825) increased 11.5% from March’s 2,534 but dropped 4.0% from pendings in April 2013 (2,942).
Total market time in the region fell again to 77 days in April, and inventory again decreased to
2.8 months. The average price the first four months this year was $325,100, up 10.7% from same time in 2013 when the average was $293,600. Every neighborhood is different.

For your neighborhood average sales price please give me a call. I can help!

Information from RMLS Portland Market Action report

NEW LISTING IN GRESHAM $229,500

A brand new listing in Gresham in the highly sought after Walter’s Hill Neighborhood! Super clean and move in ready featuring 4 Big bedrooms, 3 full baths, open & bright floor plan, family room with fireplace, living room with cozy fireplace & unique mantle, central air, utility room, HUGE fenced back yard, RV parking, 2 car garage, freshly painted back deck overlooking wonderful established yard, brand new carpet throughout, new interior paint, vinyl windows, gas heat & H20 heater plus walk to the spring water trail. This home has it all! Move in ready too! Call agent for more info.

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

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 website