Tag: #PortlandREALTOR® #portlandrealestate #OregonRealtor RealEstateBrokerLicensedinOregonandWashington #MartinCross

Carly’s Clients!

Posted on by Sean Patrick O'Feery
Leah Rutz was Carly’s client and I had the privilege to work with her briefly in the purchase of her condo. As Carly always did, she stayed in contact with thoughtful notes and timely calls and they became friends as often was the case with Carly.  When Leah called me to help with the sale of that same condo and the purchase of a new home that would accommodate herself and her partner, now both working from home, I was honored to be on the team.
To serve Carly’s people has always been a privilege AND fun, now more than ever it is an honor. I miss Carly and it is actually really nice to have someone to share stories with. It makes me feel closer to my friend. Carly loved her work and, maybe even more, she loved her clients. It feels good to care for Carly’s peeps.
Don’t you worry Carly, we’re here for you <3
From this beautiful Condo…
To this single family cutie in Irvington!

Kenton Gardeners Delight!      

Posted on by Martin Cross

This charming home sits on a freshly fenced lot with a large backyard full of garden plots, a pear & olive tree, bamboo, raspberries, strawberries & quince! 16′ x 10′ Tuff Shed with loft!

2 year old furnace & AC, all newer appliances, water heater & 5 year old windows!

Excellent location! Live car free! 5 minute walk to charming Kenton & 6 minutes to the Max! Easy freeway access to downtown Vancouver & PDX. Walk score 81, Bike score 89.

1315 N KILPATRICK ST, Portland OR 97217                                                                                                                    

Offered at $399,999

2 bed | 1 bath | 844 sq. ft.                                                                                                    MLS# 21694657 | Taxes: $2,387.15 | Lot Size: .12 Acre

Sometimes a Seller Goes Above and Beyond!! (Or, Kate and Katy buy a house!)

Posted on by Martin Cross

Like most first time buyers, Kate and Katy were nervous. Not just about the process of finding a home amidst the competition that’s driving the Portland market right now, but nervous that they’d make a poor choice and end up with a lemon. 

I work hard with my clients to make sure they understand the home buying process, especially where inspections are concerned. We talk in detail about the different inspections that can be done and the benefits and limitations of each. 

After viewing numerous homes, writing several offers and getting defeated, we finally found a sweet little bungalow in Southeast Portland that they LOVED and were prepared to fight for.  It appeared to be a flip which at first always concerns me because some of those flippers don’t put the time and attention into the details, especially the inner workings of a home. But after our initial walkthrough I had the distinct impression that this house was better finished than most. The attention to detail far exceeded the quality of a normal flip. 

We crafted a very strong offer and we lucky enough to be able to talk the listing agent and seller into accepting it before the offer deadline. So we were off to the races!!  

Once our offer was accepted we did a wide array of inspections, all of which passed with only minor, easily correctable concerns. Our home inspector even said this was the best flip he’s ever seen. But, one of the contingencies we had that helped us to win the offer on this home included a promise not to ask for any single repair under a certain dollar amount. As such, there was nothing we could technically request on the repair addendum. 

But in a rare move, the seller requested to see the inspection report even though we were not requesting any repairs. In an even rarer move, a few days before we were closing I got a note from the sellers agent telling us that’s a seller had gone back through and made numerous fixes to the minor repairs needed. Amazing, unnecessary and unprecedented care from a seller. What a nice cherry on top of an already smooth transaction! 

I couldn’t be happier for Kate and Katy. 

JUST LISTED! Colorful Cozy Casita in NE!

Posted on by Martin Cross

This charming home has large bedrooms, tons of closet space & newly redone bathroom with new floors, vanity & sink. The kitchen has new flooring, range, countertops, sink & brand new Olympia 5 stage water filtration/reverse osmosis system. Nest thermostat, gas furnace and AC! Gorgeous, fully fenced yard boasts color year long & comes with, 2 sheds & raised garden beds. A fully roofed & screened patio makes a great catio or the perfect place to set your hot tub!

260 NE 190th Portland, Ore. 97230 ~ Listed at $369,000

2 bed | 1 bath | 1008 sq. ft. 
MLS# 21612375 | Taxes: $2525 | Lot Size: .16 Acre
*DO NOT DISTURB OCCUPANTS. SEE RMLS FOR OFFER/VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS*

We came, we saw, we bought it!

Posted on by Martin Cross

It wasn’t quite that simple, but in this market, when your buyer gets to buy the third house they look at, that’s a pretty good week. Three hours, three houses, three offers and 3 1/2 weeks later we closed! Chris couldn’t be happier with his first home and I couldn’t be happier for him!

Family Opportunity Mortgage

Posted on by Martin Cross

I learn something new every day… Well, almost every day, and certainly every month. Last month, I learned about what is often referred to as a Family Opportunity Mortgage. Turns out, Fannie Mae allows a person to qualify to buy a home as if it’s an “owner occupied residence”, even though they are buying the home for elderly parents, or in some cases children to live in.

According to Fannie, an offspring may provide housing for an elderly parent if the parent does not have sufficient income to qualify for a mortgage on his or her own. And, the parents don’t have to be on the loan.

This means you can provide housing for your parents and obtain the same rates, fees, etc. as if you were buying a home to live in instead of paying the higher, second or investment home rates and fees. And, you don’t have to live in the home, your parent or parents can live there and you can stay where you are. Although, you can, in some cases use this program to by a multifamily property such as a duplex, triplex or fourplex and live in one of the units while your parent lives in another and still qualify for the lower owner occupied rates.

*It should be noted that I am not a loan officer and that you should verify all this information with one on your own as programs may vary from lender to lender.

Sometimes the second times a charm!

Posted on by Martin Cross

Derek and Julie were referred to me on short notice with a somewhat, urgent need to find a home. They were already in contract to purchase a gorgeous home in Southwest Washington when newly revealed information led them to realize they could not live in what they thought was going to be their dream home and they would need to terminate the transaction. 

Needless to say, since their home was already under contract to be sold in a few weeks they felt a definite sense of urgency to find a similarly wonderful home quickly. After viewing numerous homes we found what they believed could be made into the perfect place and we set about crafting an offer. 

In a multiple offer situation, we were able to strategize contingencies and timelines that would entice the seller and beat out several other buyers to get into contract!  Fortunately, the inspection period went smoothly and we received a clean appraisal so they were able to close on time and are looking forward to moving into their new place! 

Oh my God we have a house!

Posted on by Martin Cross

Mea and Thom entered this crazy sellers market well educated and with delibrance. Taking their time, educating themselves on the process, watching as homes sold and talking with me about what to expect when they were ready to make an offer. Unlike many people in today’s market, they had no sense of urgency. Their living place was secure so they could take their time and see enough homes to be confident in their needs and wants.

After looking at a half dozen or so houses, and still feeling like the were in the “research’ phase, we found this sweet little dream boat of a house and she checked all the boxes. With a strong offer and a few clever contingencies we got them into contract on the first home they offered on!! After sailing through inspections, they closed right on schedule.

One of my favorite parts of this business is handing over keys and seeing the excitement overflow from my buyers as the reality of home ownership sets in. Watching Mea exclaim “Oh my god we have a house!” as she hugged Thom filled my heart.

So give me a call when you’re ready to exclaim “oh my God we have a house!!”

Oh My God, We Bought The Farm! ~ Chickens & Goats & Horses Oh My!

Posted on by Martin Cross

Oh my God we bought the farm!  Chickens & goats & horses oh my!

 

When Kelly first approached me about looking for some property in the country she had several items on her “needs and wants” list. I don’t think she ever thought she would get it all AND MORE!!

She wanted a place in the country with at least an acre, preferably two or three, it needed to be move in ready-ish and preferably have a barn or outbuilding and space for a garden, chicken coop and possibly a greenhouse.

So off we went, over the hills, up the valleys and along the rivers. We went north, we went south, we went northeast and Southwest. Finally, she sent me a cute, tight looking 50s house on 6 acres north of Longview.

Not only was it more acreage then she dreamed of, it was already set up for horses, came with a barn, small greenhouse AND chicken coop, complete with chickens!

This was it! It felt like we had to act fast! The seller already had two offers in and more showings scheduled the next day. But, have no fear I said! We can do this!

Through careful discussion with the seller’s agent I was able to find out the list of terms and conditions that were important to the seller and we were able to negotiate a fantastic offer with a super fast closing date if the seller agreed to pull the house from the market and cancel any upcoming showings.

Even in this insane sellers market, through my knowledge of the market, great communication with the other agent, and the use of some clever terms and conditions I was able to get their offer accepted and Kelly and her family were able to say, oh my God we bought the farm!

 

Gratitude in Pandemic Times

Posted on by Martin Cross

In early March of this year the pandemic was just beginning to feel real. While most of us still had no clue as to the magnitude or impact of the problem, many of us were beginning to consider making changes to the way we moved through the world. I hadn’t started wearing a mask yet but I began social distancing, wiping down surfaces in homes I visited or held open houses, and avoided contact with buyers sellers and other agents. I remember the first weekend in March when agents looked at me weird, or giggled when I told them I wasn’t shaking hands for a while.

But, as the reality of the world situation started to settle in, I just naturally expected that people would be staying home, working from home, and planning to stay living where they were. I started circling the wagons in preparation for a slow year of business. It was still too soon to tell where things were going but of all the options I considered for what the business year would look like, there wasn’t one that looked like a fairly normally busy year for me and a banner year that some agents have experienced. I hadn’t seen the writing on the wall yet that a combination of lowering interest rates, low housing inventory, people working from home and their desires to be closer to their families or further away from the masses would combine to make for a busy real estate year. All of that said, I have been grateful for the ability to help people land where they wanted at a time that has been and is very disruptive and troubling to most of our lives.

With all of that comes mixed feelings. While I have been able to maintain a comfortable, albeit much less social and more hermited lifestyle, many people around me have struggled immensely this year and anticipate further and more difficult struggles into 2021. I can only imagine the pain and difficulty that many have felt through job losses, illness, the loss of loved ones and displacement from their homes.

As this year comes to a close I feel deeply grateful for my health, the health of my clients, friends, family and my partner. I am grateful for Living Room Realty,    the Real Estate Community and our clients willingness to adapt to doing business in a very different and much safer way. But most of all, I’m grateful for the emotional support I’ve received and especially the support I’ve been able to provide everyone around me. If I can be there for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Be well,
Martin ❤

Time in nature is essential to my sanity!

Posted on by Martin Cross

For me, the life of a REALTOR® is often seven days a week 10 hours a day. I tend to want to work when my people need me to and prefer not to set specific working hours. As such, I can find myself in periods where I’ve worked 30 to 60 days in a row without a day off. They sneak up on me. It’s during those times that my regular habit of taking little breaks in nature saves my sanity and allows me to continue to advocate well for my people. A walk in my neighborhood or a park. A drive up the Gorge or one night at the beach become essential to my sanity. 

But, when align perfectly, there’s nothing like taking a week off and spending it someplace beautiful. Last week was one of those lucky times where I was able to escape to Orcas Island and the peace and tranquility of one of the most beautiful places in the Northwest because time in nature is essential to my sanity.

Most things can be fixed, even if they are dead!

Posted on by Martin Cross

With time, patience, and a little (or a lot of) money, most things can be fixed. Question is, should you have to?

John is a young tradesmen eager to buy his first home. John was willing to take almost any home, in an ok neighborhood, that feels strong in its bones. 33 your old rusty water heater? No worry, my brother does that for a living. New roof? No problem, I’ve got a buddy. Dead animals in the crawlspace? No problem, I have a friend who will do that for a six pack of beer. Garage walls are a little bowed? Not to worry, with the installation of wall corner protectors and a few more foundation fixes, my brothers and I can fix that over a weekend.

His eagerness and enthusiasm were sometimes infectious but I had to slow him down many times on what condition issues were reasonable to accept from a seller. He was so excited to move into a new house, he was willing to take on most problems if the seller wouldn’t.

The seller was a “contractor“ who was really only interested in doing the minimum amount possible in the quickest way. Needless to say, this is rarely the path to a good resolution. It took many attempts at repair lists, many re-inspections and many considerations to get through the repair contingency period but eventually we negotiated for money instead to move on to the next phase.

But, even all through all that, when it was all said and done, John was moving into his new house exactly 4 weeks after our offer was accepted.

From Thinking to Skinny in 82 Days.

Posted on by Martin Cross

“I’ve been researching homebuying and I thought of you.“ That was the message I got from Cassandra on May 29. She wasn’t sure if she could pull it off but was feeling like buying her first home was finally a possibility. After several discussions and finding her a responsible lender we were on our way!

As everyone knows, the first time homebuyer market is very competitive right now. But, undaunted we just kept chugging along, looking for the right place. Ultimately, in a not common turn of events in today’s market, we only had to write one offer. After looking at numerous homes and almost writing offers on a few different properties, I knew when this charming little skinny house popped up that it was the right one for her. Dubious at first, it didn’t take her long to realize that the compact yet fluid feeling of well designed and constructed skinny house could be the right fit for her.

Congratulations Cassandra!

Vancouver Pending in Three Days!!

Posted on by Martin Cross

This charming ranch in Historic Hudson Bay close to Officer’s Row and downtown Vancouver went like wildfire! Over 50 showings in three days and my sellers were able to accept one of many offers in three days. While this totally illustrates what a Sellers market it is, its also worth mentioning that with good communication, straightforward offer writing and clever contingencies its still very possible to find a home to buy.

Let me know if you need help with your Real Estate, either buying or selling, in Oregon or Washington.