I had the pleasure to help a Seattle Real Estate Agent buy a home here in Portland. She walked into my open house and found the townhome I had listed was not quite right for her but it was SO close. She called me a couple days later and we took a look at one down the street that was a better fit for her family.
It was great to work with someone that has a feel for the pace of a purchase and although she was a client it was more like working with a colleague. Bethany was great and the sale was a sweetheart deal. Thrilled to be welcoming another stellar human being and new Real Estate Agent to Portland!
If you are looking for your home here in Portland, I’m always happy to be of service.
I helped my buyers Brooke-Lynn and Ivan sell their classic mid-century in Rose City Park back in March. They loved their old 2 bed 1 bath home, but were ready for something bigger and in closer-in NE Portland. When they sold their home they had multiple offers and were able to get a buyer who gave them 2 months of rent-back. Once late May came around, they still had not secured their next dream home, so off they went to stay at friends houses, then AirBnB’s.
The layout and flow throughout the home is absolutely ideal for a home of this size. Through the hall, you’ll find three bedrooms filled with natural light and ample closets. Also, a roomy bathroom with double sinks and stylish updates.
My first time buyer August is smart, diligent, stubborn, fun and funny. Basically, dream client. And, I promised them I’d go skydiving, since they took a leap of faith with me. More on that one later.
Molly and her son have been renting a below market rate home owned by a non-profit in NE Portland for years. With her rent about to rise, Molly made it her mission to buy a home to provide her and her son much needed stability. Through luck, timing and meeting the right qualifications, Molly qualified for a $90k down payment assistance loan through the Portland Housing Bureau. The loan is actually a silent second, which means there are no payments made on the loan, it accrues no interest and is forgivable after a certain number of years living in the home. Concurrently, Portland Housing Center’s LIFT program was unveiled and Molly was able to snatch up one of their $20k grants. With $110k in down payment assistance, Molly was able to buy a fabulously adorable new construction home on a quiet street in the heart of the Kenton neighborhood. The 2 bed 1.5 bath was built in what was an oversized yard of a house, and though only 800 sf, this home is a great example of how to use a small footprint to create a home that lives much larger than what you would expect with a home with less than 1/2 the square feet than your average new construction home. And with the smaller footprint, it kept the cost down and created an affordable option for home ownership in the thriving Kenton area. The transaction itself was smooth as butter with an awesome listing agent, Daniel Silvey with Knipe Realty, who also happened to own the home, a fabulous lender- Jennifer Leon at Umpqua, terrific escrow officer Mariah Yee with Ticor Title and lots of help and guidance of folks at both the Portland Housing Bureau and the Portland Housing Center.
Congratulations to Sarah, Scottie and Piggers! Thanks to impeccable timing they were able to get $35k in down payment grants through the LIFT program and University of Portland’s down payment program designed to help full time employees buy their first home near the UofP. Within a week of having the LIFT reservation in hand, we found a great rancher in University Park that checked all the boxes including what we thought would be a difficult to find huge detached garage for Scottie’s blossoming contractor business. This was the week before Christmas, and knowing that the LIFT funds expired in 2 months, and that most likely they were not going to see a house that checked this many boxes in their price range anytime soon, I suggested they offer just a few hairs over asking in hopes that the seller would accept their offer prior to the weekend, and it worked! Three days before Christmas they had their offer accepted, which was just 2 days before I left town on vacation for 2 weeks. Thanks to my excellent colleague Lisa Avena at Living Room who took great care of them and handled their home inspection, I was able to enjoy my vacation knowing Sarah and Scottie were being well taken care of. The inspection turned up a few unexpected surprises in the crawl space, but having a contractor buying a house always makes me feel better when a house is going to need some work. Even though the seller (who was also the listing agent) wasn’t happy, we were able to get him to agree to fix the big stuff. And then the appraiser called out some dry rot on the garage. Grrrr. By this time we were in mid-January and the market had clearly turned a sharp corner. In the 4 weeks from when their offer was accepted to the time the appraisal came back, the market shifted strongly into a sellers market with little inventory and a ton of buyers out shopping. The seller was very aware of this, and reminded me a couple of times that he had someone waiting in the wings who wanted the house badly enough because of it’s huge garage, that this supposed buyer would have taken the property as-is. So when I told him that the appraiser had called out that the garage needed to be repaired before the lender would loan on the property, he refused to the garage repaired. This would have been the end for most buyers, but Sarah and Scottie were not daunted. Scottie knew he could take care of the issue himself in less than a day’s work, so we got the seller’s permission for Scottie to fix the issue and Scottie got to work. Between the 35k in funds, finding the right property at the exact right time, and having the literal skills and ability to fix a problem, this family of three were able to close on the perfect house for them.
Upon entering you’ll notice vaulted ceilings and wonderful natural light. The floor plan flows easily into the formal dining room and formal living room, wonderful for entertaining and intimate dinners alike. You’ll love how the living room shines with an oversized picture window and soaring ceilings. Making your way into the heart of the home is the beautifully updated kitchen featuring ample counter space, storage galore and soaring ceilings. A dining nook and breakfast bar help to make this space feel both spacious and inviting.
DELIGHTFUL BUNGALOW IN ST JOHNS 
With some buyers the journey towards home ownership takes a few more twists and turns then planned. My buyer Sydney had a few bumps in the road along the way, but through luck and good timing, reaped the reward of the perfect house for her.
Through the kitchen, you’ll find yourself in a spacious den with a big window and bookshelves. 
