Covid and real estate Archives - Living Room Realty

One year ago last Friday, our kids walked out of their schools and we thought, it’s just for 3 weeks or so! Boy were we wrong…and what a year it’s been!

Below is a year in Portland review:

The WHO proclaimed a global pandemic due to Covid-19, aka the Coronavirus.
School’s out as we know it…
We watched Italians sing songs to each other from their balconies.
ZOOM! March 12, we had never heard of Zoom, March 15th we were meeting with clients and stagers on Zoom…and it’s everywhere!
Real Estate came to a halt in Portland, and then U-turn, we got it back going.
Our eyes were fixed on the news and coronavirus numbers.
We started connecting in new ways and our need for digital/social media grew even stronger.
Toilet paper…there wasn’t any.
Bread, hard to find, yeast even harder, so we got creative and went back to sourdough starter-that was fun!
And speaking of baking…we baked, and baked, and baked…
Spanish police officers sang and danced in the streets to entertain folks indoors.
And we made masks…then people who were good at making masks made masks and we bought those.
Curbside birthday parties! Decorated front yards with folks on a sidewalk celebrating friends and family members popped up around the city.
And more Zoom…Zoom happy hours with friends, Zoom meditations…and yes Zoom for work…
George Floyd was murdered and a civil movement like no other was launched for all of us.
And we watched the numbers…and we were losing friends and family and colleagues…and it became more and more real.
We used our houses in new ways, setting up home offices and home gyms, and for a while, home classrooms.
Then the sun came out, and so did we. Summer had arrived!
Protests remained powerful throughout our city.
Covid carts, covid trays, covid basket, etc came onto the scene with a way to store hand sanitizer, extra masks, and more for folks who came over to hang in your yard or front porch.
And…Black Lives Matter
Camping was everything…couldn’t fly or go to a festival…road trips and camping were a hit.
And then nightly protests followed by teargas and sound canons ensued at the Federal Courthouse.
People started fixing up their houses and yards.
And then FIRE…smoke kept us trapped in our homes, windows closed, and we taped furnace filters to box fans…and it was dark.
School returned with a whole new way of learning.
And the smoke cleared…
An election was on its way.
And we had more yard signs than ever.
Restaurants geared up for fall and winter and cold weather outdoor dining became a new norm.
We bought outdoor heaters.
Halloween was skipped (mostly)
We got a new president. YES!
And all the while we kept selling houses because people need to move, and they need housing, and life happens.
The holidays were like none we’d seen before, and yet so very dear as we pulled out board games, and played cards, and cooked food we had never tried before…and it was okay.
And we braced for numbers to spike again.
There was an insurrection.
And an inauguration..and Amanda Gorman swept us off our feet.
And the vaccines came.
And the real estate market in Portland got hotter then ever and the buyer bottleneck began.
And here we are today…enjoying the sun, and grateful for all of you.

About Us:
Over the course of their professional partnership, Aryne + Dulcinea have helped over 200 clients prosper in their new lives. During this time, they have prided themselves in their top-notch selling abilities, with homes outperforming market standards, consistently exceeding list price while most of their listings sell in under 7 days. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, Aryne & Dulcinea will work in collaboration to guide you in investing in your future and reaching your real estate goals.

The Portland Police Bureau has shared that commercial crimes have risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic while residential crimes have stayed the same in comparison to last year. It sure doesn’t feel that way. Last month my daughter’s bike was stolen from our garage in SE Portland. This week, thieves with a truck and a crew of helpers cut the top of our Thule roof box off the top of our car with $10,000 plus in adventure gear. Finally, there is my clients SE listing, that is vacant and beautifully staged and has seen TWO break-in’s over the last week. The first “hit” on the home resulted in the loss of 1/2 of the staging items, including furniture, carpets, lighting, accessories and the removal of a Nest thermostat. Those thieves gained access through a window (that was locked).
After the first round of theft, our sellers installed individual alarms to all doors and windows. If triggered, a mind-numbing sound would be activated and the thief would hopefully run away. My partner and I also began to check on the property daily for our sellers; either a morning or evening trip to the home to make sure all was good. Even with the sound activating alarms, the French doors were pried open at their base to allow a second person to enter and turn off the system. This time, nothing was physically taken. The only signs that someone had used the home was the dampness of the shower curtain and a blackened cigarette butt.

If you are about to have your home staged and will be listing it as vacant, I would consider the hiring the back to base monitoring sydney services:

1.) Check your insurance policy……….Insurance companies are justifiably concerned about the liability a vacant home presents. You’ll want to contact your insurance company to find out how your coverage might change once you’ve left your home. You should also ask if there are specific precautions you must take to secure your home, and how long the policy will cover your vacant home. Some insurance companies specialize in offering “Vandalism and Malicious Mischief Coverage” that protects your unoccupied home. In our case, the sellers home owners insurance is covering the lost staging items.
2.) Use exterior lighting…..Fortify your home against intruders by improving your home’s exterior lighting. A combination of lights on timers and motion activated lights will deter burglars. Be sure that the entrances of your home are well lit, and don’t neglect the sides of your home where intruders are less likely to be noticed. There are home security systems that offer enhanced exterior lights that integrate with security cameras. When the light detects motion, the home security camera is activated and records video. You can view that video on your web enabled device.
3.) Prepare your home….Before you vacate your home, prepare it by doing things like replacing shoddy entry doors with hard wood or steel doors that boast strong locks. You’ll also want to make sure that all windows are closed and locked and it’s a good idea to set up a few lights on timers. A home automation system gives you the convenience of turning lights on and off remotely. If your home has blinds you should check True Value Outdoor Blinds Sydney you can turn them up so nature light is let in, without telling burglars that the house is vacant. Make sure you alert your home security company (if you have one) that your home will be vacant and provide them with the name of the people who can access your home.
4.) Leave a small radio playing at night in an area that a thief can not see. Turn up the volume so that voices can be heard on the radio while someone stands outside of the door. I prefer finding a news channel as opposed to a music station so voices can be heard.
5.) Leave some inside lights ON – Including one in the basement of the home.

Protecting your vacant home while selling it takes a bit of forethought, but it’s easy to do and doesn’t have to break the bank. I hope that you call can use some of these clues to prevent a break-in at your casa. Love and peace

Tag: Covid and real estate

It’s Been A Year!

The Dark Place of Thievery & Vacant Homes