Savanna Ray Archives - Living Room Realty

Just Listed! Sip, Sip, Hooray!

Posted on January 23, 2023January 23, 2023 by Living Room Realty

3470 SW Ridgewood Ave

Portland, Oregon, 97225

Nestled in the coziest of neighborhoods right next to Raleigh Park and Community Center, this mid-century home has everything you need and more! Remodeled in 2017, no detail was overlooked while still honoring the era of the home. You’ll find elegant and welcoming features throughout, like the double-sided fireplace with flowing tile detail, bedrooms nestled in the South corner of the home for beautiful light, and a Primary Suite with a large closet and en-suite bathroom with gorgeous modern tile and high-end finishes. Entertain year-round with the open floor plan between the kitchen, living, and dining room and built-in interior and exterior Sonos system. Take the party outside to your 282-square-foot heated exterior living room. While you dine al fresco, you can enjoy the beautifully landscaped and completely fenced estate featuring mature trees, southern exposure, and so much privacy. More introverted? Escape to your two-story insulated and heated additional structure that has been lovingly updated for your choice of home office, playroom, exercise, or art studio. The fun doesn’t stop there! Make a toast in your state-of-the-art 1,200-bottle wine cellar complete with a reception and tasting area. Temperature and humidity control will keep your wine sound for decades. This cellar can be used for so many things – ideal for cigars, beer, storing cheeses, or finally making your own leg of prosciutto you’ve had on your Pinterest board since the beginning of the pandemic. Vegan? No problem! Cellars are perfect for over-wintering all of your bulbs and seeds. Get the party started and move in today!

OFFERED AT $900,000

3 BEDROOM | 2 BATH | 2,053 sq. ft.

MLS# 23689231 | TAXES: $8,763

A New Home For The Holidays

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Living Room Realty

I first met the Carsons in September. They are a family of four and were living in a condo in the South Waterfront and their balcony was being tear-gassed almost every night of the week because of the protests. They were living in 1000 square feet and they were itching to get out and have more space.

The most important items on their checklist were outdoor space for their two teenage boys, 20 minutes or less for their daily commute to the Pearl, decent schools and a bedroom for each kid. We embarked on a house hunting journey that took us from Forest Heights all the way to Tualatin and in-between.

When we found this house they walked-in and knew they loved it. It had been really nicely remodeled, had a fabulous backyard for their kids to play, two fireplaces, a big garage, an extra family room and enough space for them to all spread out. And bonus, they wouldn’t have to do any work to it, they could just move right in!

We beat out three other offers. Now they can move in just in time to celebrate the Holidays in their brand new home. They can start making memories here together. And bonus points for the kids: the Gabriel Park Skate Park is also just down the street!

New Beginnings

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Living Room Realty

I met Andrea at an open house and we immediately connected. Recently divorced, she was looking for a fresh start and a new condo to go along with her new lifestyle. She wanted to have enough room for herself and her two small dogs, some outdoor space and to keep the price reasonable so she could get back to what she loves–travel! We thought it would be a breeze because the condo market isn’t as tight as the single-family home market so we went out on our search with lots of hope!

The very first listing we saw she was in love. It was a nice stylish condo with some lovely updates. But there were so many offers! We found another one in the same complex, and again so many offers. A third… so many offers. The listing agent told us there was someone buying up all of these units with cash and renting them out because there was no rental cap. Ah-hah! Well, that explains why we were running into so much competition! We decided to move on from that complex.

Andrea went to an open house a couple weeks later and really liked the home but it was a studio and not quite big enough. Then, when a one-bedroom came on the market just next door she called me immediately and we jumped on it. We walked in and she knew this was it. The high ceilings made it feel so spacious! She was drawn to the modern finishes, appliances, quartz countertops and the openness of the living area and kitchen. The location was perfect in Beaverton: close to her job, close proximity to Nike, Cedar Hills entertainment, Beaverton Town Center, accessibility to the freeway and even right next to an aquatic center! The complex had so much to offer as well: clubhouse, pool, gym and jacuzzi.

We went all in and our offer was accepted. Now Andrea has a home she loves! She is investing in herself, trusting her gut and will have money left over for the things that are important to her. She said it best: “I try not to plan my life around someone else because when I focus on what I want and follow my instincts, things tend to work out for me.” Way to go, sister! What an honor it is to be a part of this experience with you.

Multi-Generational Living with a Pool!

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Living Room Realty

Vanessa and I met when we were mere ‘babies’ while working in the restaurant industry circa 1998–I really wish I could find pictures! Over the years we have remained close friends. And I was so thrilled when she contacted me to help her and her new husband to find a house!

Vanessa and Dan have always been close-in SE Portland people. Location was #1 on their list; and #2 was an opportunity for multi-generational living so Vanessa’s dad could eventually move in with them. Dan was the most stern about location. He did NOT want to go above 60th, North of Burnside or South of Sellwood and it had to be walking distance to a bar, a store and a decent restaurant. We saw a ton of homes but none of them seemed to quite fit the bill, were just outside of their desired area or they were out of budget.

To my surprise it was Dan that sent me the listing to this house and was excited to go see it. “But, Dan? It’s in Milwaukie!” I said. But he was charmed by the ample amount of space, the pool and the built-in bar. Talk about having a bar within walking distance! Vanessa was charmed by the absolutely incredible plants in the sunroom giving this house so much light and unique interest.

The beautiful Monsterra in their sunroom has been there for decades.

Vanessa and Dan have run into some hard times over the last few years dealing with tragedy and heartbreak. They had gotten engaged before the pandemic and decided that they still wanted to get married despite it all. They had a small and beautiful family ceremony in upstate New York in October. All of their difficult experiences have led them to the conclusion that this moment is all you have and you have to go for what you want. I’m so proud of them and honored to call them friends.

One of the main reasons I got into this business was to help people follow their dreams. Vanessa and Dan can now start building wealth and a future for their family and more importantly a home for their entire family… and a place where I can go swimming in the summer! Congratulations friends! You did it.

The Portland Market can be Rollercoaster!

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Living Room Realty

As you may know, the market in Portland right now is absolutely bananas. In fact, The Oregonian just wrote an article titled: Portland is Sold Out of Homes! Needless-to-say when my clients approached me in July about finding them a first time home I knew it would be challenging but their journey was more like a rollercoaster ride!

We toured over 60 homes in total all the way from deep Overlook to Mt. Scott. After making a couple of offers that were rejected, success! We reached mutual acceptance on a home near Madison High School. Sadly, after the inspection there were some issues with the foundation that were too scary so they backed out. Then it happened again! We were lucky enough to have had an offer accepted again and this time the mold issues were out of control. So sadly, after six rejected offers, two sale fails, 70 toured homes and more than three months we were back at square one.

Back to the drawing board! We revised our search a little with a small increase in our budget and renewed energy in our step and we went back out there. This time, they at least knew what to ask for when it came to the inspection. 10-15 more home tours and we found this little gem in the perfect Woodstock neighborhood that they originally wanted to be in. They were head over heels! The wood burning fireplace to the fresh maple flooring to the wisteria dripping on the pergola… all with three bedrooms AND two bathrooms! It’s difficult to find any home with more than one bathroom in this price range and with the age of homes in the neighborhood. But this one had it! Everything they wanted.

I knew there would be multiple offers and I wanted to make sure this was the home they would be able to call their forever home. I went to work and drafted an offer presentation that guaranteed our offer would go to closing over all the other offers. All-in-all there were eight other offers and because of excellent communication between Jamis and me our offer won out over the others even though it wasn’t the highest offer!

Getting to work with our own Jamis Minnis at Living Room on the other side of this deal was an absolute dream! Jamis was so helpful and prompt with her responses and communication. Knowing how to write an impressive offer presentation also didn’t hurt…wink! Now my clients have a cozy home in which to build their lives together.

Congratulations to my friends Danielle and Tyler!

Keep Calm and Believe in Your Home Destiny

Posted on October 30, 2020November 2, 2020 by Living Room Realty

You know that feeling of calm when something just feels right? That’s what this transaction was like for my friend and client Camille. We had only looked at one house before this one that she liked but just not quite in the right location. I called her a couple of days later when I saw this listing. I had a great feeling about it by looking at the photos and then… bonus! Ross Seligman at Living Room Realty was the listing agent. I thought it could be a perfect fit.

We walked in and immediately she felt it. That feeling when you know this is the right place at the right time and it feels like the universe is speaking to you… was this destiny? From the Japanese maples in the front yard, to the beautiful fireplace, the spacious kitchen, wonderfully updated bathroom with subway tiles and the private back yard. She was in love. It checked off everything on her wish list. We spent probably 45 minutes in the house just feeling the vibe and talking about how much she loved it. She wanted to make an offer. We came in with our best and crossed our fingers.

With 11 other offers on the table I was nervous, but Camille was calm. And then we got the news that our offer would be in the backup position. It was not the winning offer but backup is better than rejection every time!!! Then after about a week, DESTINY! I got a call from Ross telling me that the first position buyer had decided to back out. Our offer was accepted!

What a pleasure to work with friends and see them living their dreams. What an honor to be a part of this process with her! She never waivered, never felt anxious or scared because she just had the feeling that this was her future. After a challenging year she can move into the new chapter of her life in a home that was destined for her.

Finding The Elusive Unicorn In Record Low Inventory

Posted on October 27, 2020October 27, 2020 by Living Room Realty

Eva and Ben are a young newlywed couple looking for their first home. When I first met them we hit it off right away. They were eager but they needed guidance. I knew I could help them find their first home where they could build their lives. They asked to see a home right down the street from their current rental. They already loved their neighborhood in Milwaukie and the move, should they get the home, would be a cinch!

Because they were just starting out in their journey, I hooked them up with my favorite mortgage banker at OnPoint, and as a result they received their approval in a matter of days! Sadly, the house that we had seen in their neighborhood that they loved had gone pending. This market is FAST, y’all! I sent them other listings for a few weeks but they just couldn’t get that first home out of their minds. Then, out of what seemed like kismet the house came back on the market! They quickly called me to go see it again. That was it. The second look just confirmed that they loved the home, the location and the layout. They wanted to make an offer.

Now, this rarely happens that the first and only home a client sees is the one that they make an offer on and it is accepted right away, especially during this tough market for buyers. But this was the unicorn agents and buyers are always looking for! Offer accepted! As first time home buyers, I made sure to walk with them every step of the way. Thanks to their perseverance, quick decision making and hiring themselves an agent that goes the extra mile they finally have a place they can start their lives as a married couple after saving for so long! Congrats to my wonderful clients!

First time home buyer? I’m here for you! Contact me 503.267.0923 or savanna@livingroomre.com