Tag: Tracy Dau

“You Kicked Serious Ass. I’m so thankful for your hustle & integrity” – seller

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I’m one of those kinds of home owners that can be seen perched up on a 25′ extension ladder trying to paint their homes fascia board directly under the roof line. That was the image that attracted one of our recent sellers to use our real estate services. Lindsay saw me high up on a ladder and called me the next day to see if I might sell her rental home in NE. We didn’t really know one another at that time, but she saw me as a match for her rental house. A home that needed a fair amount of work to get it market-ready. Lindsay wanted the rental home on the market as quickly as possible and I agreed that we should get in on in the month of November rather than December. My goal was three weeks to hire a crew to paint the exterior, deep clean, repair part of the foundation coat, take down the old fence, build a new fence, and repaint some interior rooms, landscape and stage. Three weeks sounds like a long time to get a house ready but when the weather forecast shows an extended stretch of rain, it can be very difficult to make it on time with a painting crew that is working at other job sites. Sure enough, it rained and rained for 2 + weeks. In between the downpours I helped the painters prep the house and paint the exterior trims. I found myself on a ladder again. Sleep was difficult those three weeks.  I spent much of my own time going to the house and taking on much of the work myself in order to get it all done. All of the main floor windows had my caulked and nailed shut by the previous tenants so I took them apart to get them operable again.

We made our deadline in a nick of time! On the market on a Friday and pending by Monday with multiple offers all WAY over asking. I stuck to my word, we have happy seller because of it and the buyer closed on time. SWEET.

Whew…..

 

 

Good Staging Works EVERYTIME!

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  Seriously, besides having an agent evaluating the repairs and restoration of your house prior to  helping you list it, let them hire a staging company to help you make it shine. . If you can get the interior and exterior of your home in great show condition, your going to win buyers hearts when they find your home online. We think we work with the best stagers in the business and would be happy to schedule them for your sale.

7145 N Olin listed for $825,000 Sold for $50,000 over asking.

Saying Goodbye To Your Home

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As you say goodbye to the history, the moments, the treasures shared, all of your ‘first experiences’ in your loving abode, it helps to remember that a new person will enter the door after you’ve gone and create their own beautiful memories.  The house that held you will now hold another.  I know first hand what it feels like to leave a house you have poured your heart and soul into. I think that we fear that where we are going won’t be as good as where we have been. I know I felt that last year when I sold my own home. What I learned is that a ‘home’ goes with you where ever you go. Its about the love inside the walls.

****My client shared this note left on the kitchen counter from a husband who knows she’s going through a tough time saying goodbye ****   (I know some of you out there can relate)

I can I just say these were another set of my favorite clients EVER!!

 

Last Weekend I Got Married….

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One of the most endearing things about our wedding were the number of friends whom attended that had started as past clients and morphed to close friends.  I have been lucky enough to have folks that I have helped over the years stay in my life. It’s pure magic.  It’s much of the reason I like my job so much, it helps me find buddies. I want to share of of my dearest friends wedding toast which is a tribute to how old homes connect us.   Mark Halpern and Noelle Crombie happened to have trusted me 20+ years ago with their old home. Here we are, years later, celebrating life transitions and LOVE. They will tell you I still give advice and help with their house projects; which was why at I at was at their house this morning. Now to Mark’s toast:

 

For Tracy houses have bones. Wood, color, light and space. They breathe. Their history, their story is her passion. It is no coincidence that my friendship with Tracy started with a house: the house my wife Noelle and I bought, our first house. The home where we are raising our

daughters is imbued with the spirit of the Dau. Lights, colors, the attention to period detail, all gifts from Tracy – from the spirit of one of the most loyal, generous, and kind people we have ever known. Her giving is boundless. All you have to do is drive around inner Southeast. Look for

the colors, her colors, her palette, on the houses, her homemade chairs on the porches. Little bits of Tracy — of beauty — left for others to take in and enjoy.

What an honor it is then for me to give something back to her in this toast. How touched I was when she asked me to speak. Last fall when she asked if I could

help with Liv’s college essay, I tripped over myself rushing to the computer to help Olivia. And of course what a delight to see her mother’s values reflected in

her essay: She told the story of Johnny, a friend who was down on his luck. Tracy took Johnny in. She provided the thing we all take for granted: a home. And her delicious pies, of course.

The essay beautifully told the story of Johnny’s effect on Liv and likewise her effect on Johnny. But it was also a testament to that most difficult and rewarding

job that Tracy has done with such grace: mothering. Mothering while attending to the passion of her work. She is a hero.

So let us lift our glasses to toast my dear friend, Tracy, and her wonderful husband Darren.

While we know your home will be beautiful, let it also be filled with kindness, grace and joy. May your marriage, like your home, have good bones. Tracy, we all love you. Good luck on this next adventure.

 

Strength Mixed With Gratitude

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It takes strength in courage to forage out on your own. Karen lost her husband to cancer months ago and she knew she needed to move to Portland to be near friends and family after her loss.

If she didn’t move, sadness might get the best of her.

I can’t express how grateful I feel to have been the one she hired to help her navigate her house hunting journey.  It was a tough one, but Karen never gave up.  We wrote on many homes but we were always the runner up. In a way it was a blessing, it gave us months to get to know one another.

If it wasn’t for clients like Karen that are willing to lean all in, share their vulnerability and wisdom, show their fears and fight, I would have quit this business years ago.  It’s people like her that make me feel like I am making a difference.

This woman gave me the inspiration I needed after working with a really hard set of clients (whom I can say nothing kind about).  I’m so happy to have made a new friend for life. Cheers to all the Karen’s out there!

 

Our sellers is one m-e-l-l-o-w gal………

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We’ve been working with a good amount of sellers this spring and summer and never have I run across a client that has been so easy going to work with in our bonkers market. After working on our clients little bungalow for a solid week, we took it to market. Our sellers plan was to pretty much camp out of cell range most of the transaction.  That’s pretty much how it went down.

Unlike other clients, she didn’t need to know what was happening each day and how many showings the home was getting — nope.  She was sitting in the middle of the river with her legs soaking, a good book in hand, relaxed that she had escaped the Portland heat wave just in time. Life’s too dang short to worry about the sale of a house when its 115 degrees. When she did hit cell reception she would call to let us know she could be reached.

That vibe of – I know you have my back and will sell my house for the most money possible.  Call me when you need me to sign something. –

Our client is one cool gal and proves that real estate doesn’t have to be stressful.  It’s all about going with the flow.

 

 

This One Went $87,000 Over Asking

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Chris and I are what we call ‘full service’ agents. We put in our own sweat equality on 90% of our listings prior to listing them for our clients.  We do this for our standard listing fee with no “up charge”. The main purpose is to make the client more money so that the house sells for above list price which then pays for the cost of hiring us.  Secondly, I am an artist and working on a client’s home gives me an outlet for my visions of what a space can become. If you lend me your home I can work magic for you. House listed at $600,000 – Sold for $687,000.

Here is an example of a home I did and what I did to it:

  • I took of all cabinet door/drawers re-sanded them to remove all lacquer. Removed old hardware, patched holes, primed lower cabinets which I painted blue. Lacquered upper cabinets with new product.
  • New butcher block counters. Left raw so new buyer could either oil them or stain them.
  • Wiped down all wood trim throughout home- window sills, baseboards, door jams and doors and applied Restore A Finish to hide scratches.
  • Removed all lighting. Bought new lights for client and had handyman re-hang them.
  • New kitchen tile that I picked up at Home Depot ($200 in tile)
  • Painted front room, bedrooms, hallway and bathroom.
  • Hung draperies (purchased linen Ikea drapes)
  • New bathroom cabinet paint + new hardware
  • Cleaned floors in home
  • Brought some items from my home to add to the staging but hired out the rest of the staging through Arbor and Co.
  • Took multiple dump runs for client
  • Hired heating company to install new gas line for the new stove. Hired landscape person to clean up the backyard. Hired additional painter to paint what I didn’t get to.

    Looking for a listing agent?  Give us a ring and let us go to work for you!

 

Listen to Your Life

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Lately I’ve been paying more attention to the rhythm of my work days and the interactions I have with my clients and what moves them to feel the things they feel and act in the way they do under times of joy and stress.  Right now my days are helter-skelter, I’m out in the thick of handling client’s dreams and losses, experiencing extraordinary moments as well as the humdrum.  I’ve found myself taking a sideways glance at myself when I feel frustrated by some of the attributes that mark real estate: greed, happiness, generosity, ego, humility, consumption and fear.  I ask myself, can I say something in a new way that allows my person to see this moment differently?  How can I turn the tables so that they can step into the other side’s shoes to come to a conclusion which might bring forth better understanding if not empathy.  The temptation in real estate is to reduce life to – me vs them.  This mindset is foolish to me.

I believe we are all in this rat race of life together. And it only takes a moment of reflection to note that in the vast mystery of it, we all wish to have less pain, fear, boredom and scarcity and more happiness, security, excitement and love.  The person on the other side is often more like you than we might realize.  I often play a game with myself when I don’t jive with another in business transactions. I make up pretend questions in order to humanize them: Have you cried at anything during this past year?  Does your heart beat fast when you see someone you love?  Who?  Is there something that brings you incredible amounts of joy?  And since I know they will likely answer ‘yes” to all of these questions, I already like them just a little bit more.  I do believe if we start putting ourselves in others shoes more often than not,  ‘balance or grace’ might come knocking on our doors.

We Keep Throwing the Darts

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In this crazy real estate market where writing $30-50,000 over list price for a first time buyer is nothing short of uncommon it takes persistence and patience.

My dad used to say – “just keep throwing darts at the dart board- you’re gonna hit that red circle at some point.”

That’s what we’re doing for a couple of first time buyers that are getting priced out of the market.  Rather than give up on looking for a home, we are throwing the darts in hopes at one of these times a sellers going to accept our buyers offer.

 

Canadian Realtors Have to Do It ……

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In Canada, snow is part of the property package; realtors often have to embrace wintery conditions while showing houses.  I channeled my Alaskan/Canadian roots this weekend, while Chris drew from driving in Minnesota winters to get our clients into houses they wished to see.

Our clients felt taken care of and we didn’t have the normal competition scheduling showings.  Win-win for both sides but we did have to avoid many of the side streets while driving.

 

Should I Wallpaper My Powder Room?

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YES!  Is often my answer.

Wallpaper offers perhaps the single most dramatic statement you can make in a small space, and many patterns are perfect for the bathroom. Large or small-scale geometrics and florals or novelty patterns are all fair game and work wonderfully in small spaces. It may be just the budget-conscious alternative to tile that you’ve been searching for.  Below is my own personal powder room in a rental house I own.

Everyone that spends a few moments in this little space feels as if they’ve gone to a tropical far-away destination.  Dinner conversations often included the capital of countries and adventure travel -:)  Can you see why?

 

 

 

I’m Guilty of Having Favorite Clients

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There I said it.

I can only imagine how hard it is for a teacher in a classroom not to have a few favorites. Those lucky few students—the ones that are cute, smart, and well-behaved — the ones that are accustomed to big smiles and giving their teacher hugs. Those students that show their appreciation for you and are vocal about it.

I would have been a rotten teacher in that regard. For even in real estate, I find myself drawn to particular clients. It’s often the clients that really wish to know me and the internal workings of who I am as a ‘whole person’ rather than just a transaction coordinator of a home sale whom I fall for. Often these folks share the quality of curiosity, joy, storytelling, transparency and connectivity. Rather than our relationship being about just another home purchase or sale, they see our relationship as part of something grander. As if we were destined to meet so that we could develop a friendship and be there for one another over after the deal has closed. Meet Laura Duffey – A woman of travel, cooking, master gardener, insightful thinker, stoic, hardworking and a sassy sense of humor. Off to Montana she goes! Oh, how I will miss knowing she is perched on the hillside of Mt. Tabor watering her zinnia’s and kale. Laura is one remarkable woman and I am glad to call her my client and friend.

That’s One Big-Ass Water Heater You Got There

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If you are buying a home, you need to be aware of the fact that sometimes when a seller moves out of the home they will often leave things behind that you will then be forced to do something with. The things that get left behind are often things that the sellers may not have realized would be a big deal to leave behind, or they left them because they were simply too lazy to deal with it.

These items could include a pile of wood for the fireplace or a garden hose outside. Maybe a few old paint cans, light bulbs, or cleaning supplies, you know – that sort of stuff.

But when my client Molly purchased her home a few years ago, the sellers left us with a 400 pound steel water heater in the basement. Smart sellers – they wrote it into the contract that it had to stay as part of the deal.

So here we are in 2020 and Molly’s house is being handed to a new home owner.  That buyer didn’t see the ‘historical significance’ of letting the 1940’s beast (time capsule) sit in its quiet tranquil space. Fast forward to a weekend of being stood up by multiple crews from Craig’s List that promised to remove the item, “don’t you worry Tracy, our middle name is responsible.  We will be there on Saturday”, said one junk mover that never showed, to finding a 20 something year old man named Corey, again on Craig’s List, whom possessed a machine/welding background that did the job.

Four hours and six grinder wheels later and the beast was cut in half and loaded into a truck. And get this —  They sell as antiques for $500 bucks on Ebay. Corey came through and I couldn’t be happier.

Selling a Home in a “Challenged” Location

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“Location, location, location” is a common mantra in real estate. And it’s good advice that we drum into all of our buyers that we represent —purchasing a home in an area with good schools, amenities and a safe neighborhood is the smart thing to do.  But what if you’re representing a seller that has an exquisite home that is technically ‘centrally’ located, but also sits in light industrial, near train tracks and has a thriving homeless community nearby?  In a real estate boom, home buyers will clamor for almost any house that hits the market because there is little to choose from. That doesn’t mean agents whom take on more difficult listings will get to rest their bums while their home fly off the market though. You must work really really hard to take them to close. We do wish to SHOUT OUT to sellers –if you have a property set near a commercial pocket or a site that is soon to see development or maybe even on a busy road, and your thinking of selling it — unload it now.  Residential homes with check marks against them can be sold for healthy prices in this current market.

Case in point with our last SOLD listing, we took on a house which was built in the early 1900’s as an original duplex. Remodeled by an interior decorator the house dripped with opulence, including high-end fixtures, cutting design, and private courtyards spaces.  We knew the interior of the house would check many buyer boxes but the location itself could also lead to many-a-drive-by with no agent/buyer entry. As listing agents, the first thing we did was educate our seller that houses with ‘challenged locations’ often take more time on the market to sell.  It is incredibly important; to be truthful and transparent from the start with your seller that practicing patience will be a big part of the listing agreement. Marketing is an important part of any listing, but continued marketing over the listing period is key to a home that is waiting for its buyer match. My enthusiasm for getting the word out about new homes is not difficult to muster, like setting any other goal you set in your life, keeping energized and practicing consistency your end goal will pay off.  We wish to sell a home that might sit for awhile – don’t lose momentum. Who is your buyer? What else needs to be done to the home so it shows perfectly? How do we capitalize on our existing wow factors inside the dwelling?  How much of a deduction do we dedicate to our “hits” in regards to pricing?  These are just a few questions we ask ourselves before we come up with the house strategy.

Just like anything else that sits waiting, a home that sits for more than a couple weeks on the market will need attention to its surroundings. When you are working with an out-of-state seller, just like we did on this last deal, we do our best to drive by our properties weekly with the intention of picking up any garbage that has accumulated on the curbs or sidewalks. Having a rake, broom and dustpan in the car becomes handy. Doing those little things like checking the heat setting inside to see that it hasn’t been buggered with and turned down, assures that agents will be warm when they show the home and wish to stay inside longer with their buyers. This listing accumulated some abandoned cars that settled in front of our house and were soon abandoned.  One phone call into the city to be removed is all it takes. Anytime you have a sign for sale posted in front of an un-occupied property be sure to check on it regularly.  Besides that rack and broom in the back seat, I also carry a bat.

All in all, challenged homes take a bit more work for us agents, but I’ve got to say, when they close you really feel like you’ve kicked some ass.  Our seller did very well on their investment thanks to Chris Speth whom knocked this one out-of-the-park.

His name must be on a bottle of the smoothest whiskey that exists. He sure deserves it!

We Appreciate You

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To our beautiful clients –

Thank you so much for the wild ride we’ve had over the past year. It’s been amazing to see your dedication and commitment to riding the bidding war wave alongside Chris and I in finding the perfect house. We are thankful that by the time we close on a home we can call one another friends. And to all of our sellers, it’s been especially exciting to see how hard you’ve  worked to finish all of your projects and allow us to work alongside of  you to reach your goal. We’ve been in awe of those of you that picked up a paint brush, busted out your neighbor’s pressure washer and tiled your own floors all by yourself.  Having never tiled before!  We’re so thrilled and humbled that you chose to work with Chris and I.  It is always a big deal to us that we get to go on this ride with you — thanks for giving us the chance to help each other grow!

Cheers,

Tracy and Chris

Housing Market Forecast 2021: Do You See Signs of Crashing Next Year??

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Our buyers continually ask – “Should I offer gobs of money over asking to get this house when we might be in a bubble?”….  This is such a difficult question for Chris and I to answer.  We send our buyers the comps for the area, add up the homes recent improvements, try to make an educated ‘stab’ at where we think the bidding war will go, than tell our clients to cap their offer price and walk away.  “Don’t be an idiot and bid up a house that isn’t worth it,” is what I often say to buyers. Wait for the market to soften– if you can. Or be ready to hunt for a longer period of time so we can find something that makes sense.  We don’t want our clients to buy a home that needs loads of cash for improvement when our clients won’t have money left over to fix their problems.

But should we wait until 2021?  According to economists and market watchers, in the real estate sector prices keep climbing month-over-month, even in the face of an ongoing economic recession.  We are feeling it big time in Oregon.  From the many articles that I have read about our current market in the state of a pandemic, I thought you might like to hear from the pro’s.

Here real estate economists about the next few months:

  • This strong buyer activity points to a fall & winter housing market that is more active than normal.
  • Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures increased in August and October 2020, respectively. 1.2% of loans are at least 150 days past due according to CoreLogic. At the moment, the moratoriums on foreclosure have kept lenders from being able to even start their processing of defaults. It will be well into 2021 before you will see a spike in single-family and condo foreclosures which may began to flood the market and help to soften it.
  • Homes are being sold at an increasingly fast pace when compared to the previous year. As new inventory comes on to the market. they are quickly taken out of the market from heavy buyer competition. Therefore, housing units are still in short supply with unsold inventory sitting at a 2.7-month supply at the current sales pace.
  • Housing prices have surged to new records due to very strong demand but low mortgage rates are helping buyers offset this increased cost. Mortgage rates for housing are anticipated to stay at near 3% over the next 18 months which will keep things easier for buyers.

Sounds to me like we will continue to go UP for another year.  Who really knows.  Chris and I are here for you should you wish to take the buyer plunge!  Just give us a ring and we will be sure to talk you out of buying a shitty house. For real.

Vacation Homes Surge During the Pandemic

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Just as the trumpeting of Canadian geese can be heard flying South, there is a pandemic migration happening to outlying area’s outside of Portland. Some of our past clients are beginning to ring saying they are looking for more greenery, less traffic, less city crime; they need  a place to help unload their minds and breathe.  Buyers are ready to take the leap off the fence and plunk some money into the Gorge, the Oregon coast or the rolling hills of wine country.  They want to find something in their favorite small town – “a town that always makes us feel happy when visit it,” said our most recent clients.

Dundee Oregon, with a population of about 3000 folks and 29 surrounding wineries was the leap for Erin and Jason.  This view — This can be found all over the hillsides of Dundee.

My Neighbor Got Wind I’m Selling My Home. Should I cut Out My Agent?

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The phone conversation:

“Oh, my gosh guys. Guess what? My neighbor got wind that I’m selling my house –I think they noticed you over at the house meeting with painters and contractors, and now they have expressed interest. They told me that we can avoid paying real estate fees if we work a deal privately. Ugh! What should I do? I mean, I know we had a plan to go to market and you are making the house look so nice, I mean that mural you are painting on my fence looks incredible, but I could save commissions. I feel stuck.”

 

**** The above scenario has happened to me twice this week. Twice. That’s how crazy hot the Portland market is right now. It’s cut-throat. I’ve been in these situations so many times over my lengthy real estate career. The first time it happened, I wished to hit my client over the head with a frying pan and listen to the sound reverberate like it does in the cartoons. But I have learned to pause and explain my worth – see below ****

 

My answer:

People are always eager for an opportunity to save money, but you’ve got to ask yourself what benefit the potential buyer gets, and what’s in it for you.
In my experience, it’s usually one of two situations.
In the first, and most likely, the neighbor is likely trying to get a deal by paying less than market value. Note that it couldn’t be that they expect to save paying real estate fees themselves as the buyer doesn’t typically pay the fees, the seller does (though of course most sellers do factor in fees when determining their bottom line).
In the second situation; they simply aren’t serious. They’re testing the waters, and that’s a lot easier to do without a motivated real estate agent working to complicate things for them. If you put your plans to list on the market on hold and they then change their minds, you’re left holding the bag. If you have a potential buyer like this, tell them to make an offer when your property is listed on the market. It’ll make life easier for both of you.
Last month, we were preparing to list a home in close-in SE Portland. Just before we went to market, a friend to my seller approached her to try and work out a deal. One that would put agents aside and be potentially headache free. My sellers loved the idea of selling their home to their long-lost friend. We talked about the options, whether they could do their own paper work, was the buyer really serious, did they understand disclosures etc… Ultimately, our clients offered the home to their friend for $580,000 a tad less than what we were going to put it on the market for. The friend balked at the price. They had never broached what the price would letting their enthusiasm overtake the ‘business side’ of the transaction. The buyer-friend was hoping to get the home for much less. Imagine the emotion involved when the high-fives didn’t get thrown around.

We then took the house to market, worked the property quite hard and received 6 offers. The house is selling for $48,000 over asking. Far higher than our clients would ever have dreamed it could sell for.
It comes down to this: Work equals value, and skilled work equals higher value. A real estate agent is working for you, bringing their skill, experience and reputation to the transaction.

 

The Dark Place of Thievery & Vacant Homes

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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

Sheila T. Boone was born in Sayre, Oklahoma on April 23, 1922 and passed in Portland, Oregon on January 21, 2015

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Without Sheila Boone, I would not have spent the last 10 years living in house that has brought the children and I great joy and many memories. As Sheila aged, she could no longer take care of the home she had lived in for 40 years and reached out to my ex husband and I to purchase it. That was many years ago.. Before I became single and moved into Sheila’s house on my own. After the rats, squirrels and feral cats vacated the property and extra large dumpsters of hoarded items were taken to the dump, the house was gutted. Down to the studs. Only the fir floors would be salvaged since the rest of the house was a 50-80’s hodge-podge. The house was rebuilt slowly. After the new walls went up and fresh paint covered the surfaces, the kids and I moved in. We were now a trio, rather than a family of four. It was a very sad time for me with lots of nights crying myself to sleep and pushing back against a wall of depression. 19 years of marriage and dreams with the same partner dissolves into pulling back the layers of an onion all on your own.

But as time went by, I sunk my creative energy into my little home. Collections of art overtook walls, bird nests filled the porch, plants that I dug up from vacant lots that developers were about to bulldoze were planted in my front yard. The digging, scrubbing, ripping things apart and re-doing became a way for me to channel Sheila’s hard-working-crotchety energy. She once told me that while she had been married for a short period of time (she believed her husband to be gay), she thought herself better on her own. “You make more progress being on your own. There’s no one telling you how things should be.” is what she would say. Not having Sheila’s hardened heart (she carried a chip on her shoulder about every man), I never really believed her. But looking back, I have in fact, channeled some of Sheila’s strong-willed beliefs for the last 10 years.

This week I am moving out of Sheila’s house on SE 34th and into a rental I own 10 blocks away. Saying goodbye to 1129 is bittersweet. I am moving into my rental with a fiancé’ and my children. There are perks to the move – the kids will longer have to share a room and I can see love on a daily basis and share morning coffee daily with him. Lots of big change happening as a ‘four-some’. What would Sheila say to me at this time in my life? — Oddly, I think she would probably tell me another story about growing up in the depression years and how hard it was. Her story might turn to her years as a welder in the shipping yard, but come back and settle on the garden I have planted. She liked all things green and growing and would like what I have done. Finally, with a tip of her head, she might say — You have loved this house. I see that bright and clear. Now, get back to work and pack so you can make the deadline for the new fellow. No dilly-dallying. Allowed.

Yes, I think that’s what Sheila is thinking right now. Get back to work Tracy. You don’t have time to dwell on your emotions or what the future holds. Be present.

Does Your Property Need a Boost? Let Me Help You Transform It…

Posted on by Living Room Realty

 

My friends call me the old house whisperer.  I’ve been working on houses for that last 25 years, before I became a REALTOR®.  I enjoy restoring them, updating them, changing their flow, injecting them with color — bringing them back to life when they have become worn out.  All houses speak to my heart but worn out houses really whisper to me.

A new potential client contacted me on a referral from a dear friend. Steve had already interviewed a couple of great agents before meeting me and was transparent enough to tell me he would likely use one of them. I like transparency, so I immediately liked Steve. He went on to say that since he had promised our joint friend that he would meet with me, making good on that promise – we should have coffee. Suffice to say, that first coffee was the start of our friendship and my commitment to do everything in my power to transform Steve’s tired rental into a profit. (He was swayed pretty easily) I remember much of our first conversation had a lot of “what-if’s” —- ‘Can you really do all the work you say you can do and stay on a tight budget? How do you know the work will really pay off for me? What if I give you money to work on my house and we lose money? Can you really get it all done in less than three weeks? Can you make all the decisions and I stay completely out of it? As in, I wouldn’t even have to come to the project or do ANYTHING and you can work with my tenant whom is living in the home? Can you help me with the move and hire people for me to move of all of the tenants possessions as well?

I said yes to all of Steve’s questions.  Then I went to work on his house, spending three weeks beautifying and making it come to life.  I’m proud of how it turned out. Proud that I did what I said I would do.

The house listed the house for $429,000  —  Six offers received —-  Sold for $458,000

Before Photo’s

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After Photo’s

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Tracy Dau
971-275-0387
tdau@livingroomre.com

Getting Ready to Close on Your New Home?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Closing on a home sale is the culmination of more than a month of gathering and preparing documents. For closing to go off without a glitch, your closing officer, your loan officer and your real estate agent have to work together to get everything in order and processed correctly.

If your closing gets pushed back a day, that means they do it on Tuesday instead of Monday. Sounds simple, but it can cause a giant in their world of a buyer. That buyer might have a moving truck scheduled and deadline to vacate their current home. Your loan commitment has an expiration date and so does your escrow.  Meaning it’s most critical for the buyer, just as it is for the agent and loan officer to stay on top of things.  As a buyer, you are free to call your lender for updates and check in with the title company to make sure things are rolling along.  They should be already doing that with you, but if not, know that its OK to check in.  Lots at stake when purchasing a new home.

Last minute delays can happen because of an error in documents, mortgage delays or last minute requests from the lender (copies of a rental agreement, a canceled deposit check -that can leave you scrambling and lead to closing delays).  When a lender asks for information try to have no delays in getting them what they need. As a buyer you will need time to wire money for funding it get a cashier’s check, look into wire transfers at your bank and what form needs to be filled out.

Finally, don’t wait until closing to bring up any issues. Get them resolved beforehand. If your agent has asked with you would like a physical walk-through of the home before closing and you deny the offer, don’t ask for the walk-through while you are at the table signing your loan papers. If you now have that need, you’ll have to postpone the closing while we work it out. In some cases, you may prefer to just accept responsibility for the problems rather than delay closing.  Alas, it will all work out as it should in the end, breathe deep.

As a buyer its best to check in with yourself a week before closing make sure you are happy and understand what the next steps are.  If not, then check in with all parties so we can have a stress-free successful closing and give full support where support is needed.

Do You Think This Bathroom Adds Value To A Home?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Choosing a sleek bathroom design can be stressful and exciting at the same time so having a bathroom renovation company at your side to help you ensure that your ideas will take in to action. An Australian company Shane Rolfe Plumbing highly recommends to get a licensed renovator to get the job done.

These girls and their parents have been sharing one bathroom. And because that bathroom was in the sweetest house in the village, and because it was part of the family flow – this worked. In quarantine, with two teaching-from-home teachers, elbow room was harder to come by.  This fast tracked the idea of a move.

We were able to snag an off-market opportunity, just a mile and half away. When Mike and Melissa brought the girls over for the first time: it was pure joy.  The squeals! Their own bedrooms! 3 bathrooms!  A gymnastics area!

The best reminder of why I do my job. <3

Funny.  The listing agent of this home listed this house as a two bedroom two bath.  This is the second bathroom.  The lights don’t work, nor does the plumbing to the shower, but the toilet can be flushed.  I told my buyers that purchased this house that I didn’t think an appraiser would give this bathroom any value and that because of that, the house might not appraise.  I had to eat my words.  An appraiser attributed value to this bathroom.  WTF.  If your thinking of painting your bathroom walls for re-sale, it might not matter in this market.

I have completed many professional bathroom renovations Vancouver projects that include the following:

  • Complete bathroom remodels and renovations
  • Tub, shower and toilet upgrading and installation
  • Flooring, including heated tiles
  • Plumbing and electrical
  • Cabinetry, vanity and countertops
  • Commercial and residential
  • Bathroom Design

 

 

What’s the difference between living in a community vs a neighborhood?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

My business partner bought an old fixer-upper house off NE Alberta Street sometime ago.  The purchase of this home has had me thinking about the distinction between neighborhood and community. The words are often interchanged in the real estate industry, but they are not remotely similar.

Here’s what ‘feels’ different to me about those two words:  When I pull up to our fixer house off Alberta Street to work on it, Larry, the ‘Mayor’ of that block, immediately crosses the street to shake my hand and connect with me.  He comes to say hello, ask me how I am doing, or ask me whether I need something warm to drink.  Often he will ask me whether I would like to throw extra debris in his trailer since he’s going to the dump that day.  His willingness to give and help is extraordinary.  Even more so, since my partner and I don’t live in his neighborhood.  It would be easy for this NE community to view us as outsiders that are restoring an old house to make a buck.  A community, acts of friendliness. People in communities care for one-another, something not necessarily present in a neighborhood. Larry is not the only one on this block that comes to chat and share their friendliness, the rest of the block does it as well.

I have lived in my same neighborhood in SE Portland for over 20 years.  I love my neighborhood but it feels like a neighborhood; not so much of a community. Years ago it felt softer and more connected with long term residents.   Neighborhoods exist physically but the people do not necessarily have any connection with each other despite their close proximity.  Many of the homes around me have sold and new folks have moved in. I don’t know their names or even the names of their dogs as they walk by my house when I am out gardening. My work could be to knock on the doors of those new renters or home owners and plant the seeds of cultivating ‘community’ (something I have not yet done).  Perhaps that should be on our 2020 list if we are striving for more community in our neighborhoods?   Be the one to take action rather than wallowing in the fact that we wish we knew those around us.  My goal is to be more like my friend Larry.  To be the neighbor who crosses the street and takes the time to walk on over and get connected.

Another thing to add to my list for 2020

Don’t Take the Sellers Word Regarding Warranties —

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Every time you make a big-ish purchase — like a TV, home appliance, furnace, new windows, roof, sump pump etc,  — you’re offered an extended warranty on the product you have purchased. The extended warranty covers repair beyond the manufacturer’s warranty expiration date, usually by a couple years, but it requires an additional fee.  Most of us turn it down, unless a past experience reminds us that we ‘wish we would have purchased one’ when our dryer died on month 13.

If you’re moving into a house with existing appliances or newer systems, make sure you or your buyers agent looks into the warranties that the seller believes are set in place.  Recently, my buyers were under contract on a home that had a sump pump installed by Terra Firma.  The seller understood her warranty on the system to be 10 years from the time she had it installed, an added ‘perk’ to the sale that “clearly should add value to her home”.  Unfortunately, when I called the company to get the paperwork on the unit and read the entire contract (two pages of small type), the unit was under warranty for ONE year (which is normal).  The seller would have had to have paid an additional $3000 for a 10 year warranty.  Something she opted not to do (but didn’t remember). As such it is important to have the contacts of repair shops where you can approach people to repair your dishwasher, fridge, pumps and everything in between. It is important to be independent in such matters because sellers cannot always be believed.

Had we not caught that fine detail, my clients would have purchased a home with only one month left of coverage on a unit that pumps water from a basement and we were heading into fall rain. There is nothing like feeling like a sucker if something goes on the fritz right after you move in.. Besides, you have plenty of other expenses when buying a new home. The last thing you need is to replace an appliance you thought was in good working condition.

We negotiated a 10 year warranty.

Now I can sleep better.

Check the paper work and warranties that you are offered.  And if there is NO paperwork, then call the companies that did the install.

Community – Why do you feel it on one block and not the other?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Community.  Why do I feel it on one block and not another?  Every week I drive to an old house in the Alberta Neighborhood that my business partner and I bought to fix up. I get a fuzzy feeling in my gut as I pull up in front of it.  Not because I feel great about where the house is in terms of completion, we still don’t have walls, no… its something else.

While I often dread working on it, I’ve been trying to pinpoint what it is about this place that makes me smile every time I pull up to it.  I’ve decided it’s the neighbor’s that live around this old house.  I’m not sure if any of them own computers or TV’s or smart phones, I know they must all have those devices and go to work each day, but every time I go over, one of them will walk out of their front door, come clear across the street and greet me.  They proceed to take the time to ask me what I intend to work on that particular day, quick to give encouragement, often noting that the house is lucky to have Chris and I. On occasion they will ask if they can help me extend my heavy ladder or ask if I have things to put in their truck for a dump run.  Larry has even brought me ice tea when I have fallen off that high ladder.  I notice these folks sit on their porches when the sun is out and hear them extend hellos to those that walk by.  They lend a hand to one another by edging each other’s grass strips and pulling in one another’s recycling cans after the truck goes by.  Homeless folks have first names on this block.  This group of neighbors has worked to build this slice of heaven by being mindful.  Whether they know it or not, I feel their kindness every time I am over there.

It makes me miss having that same sort of community vibe on my own street in SE Portland.  I must work harder to cultivate it if I want it to feel similar, I know that. But in the mean time, I will feel gratitude that we have been taken under the wings of this tight-knit block and treated so wonderfully.  Community –  It’s pretty incredible to watch it in motion when its healthy and thriving.

It Could Have Been a Hard Deal – But it Wasn’t

Posted on by Living Room Realty
You don’t have to be an asshole in real estate to meet your clients needs and close a hard sale.  I like to think outside the box.  It helps to understand the agent on the other end of the transaction, To really listen to them when they express their clients needs in a transaction.  When I am representing buyers I always try and put myself in the sellers shoes even though I’m not representing them.  Building trust, getting a shit-ton of bids and being a good communicator is what every good buyers agent should be doing.  Kindness and wisdom can keep a deal together. You don’t have to bring an inflated ego to real estate deals.  Work together and your outcome can be a happy seller, happy buyers, and happy agents.  Buying a house doesn’t have to be hard.
Tracy!  —–It was a pleasure working with you…again, and we appreciate the efforts of a pro like yourself. I believe (buyers with) another agent could not have kept them from running for the hills on this property. Your cool head and problem solving approach is refreshing, thank you. Good luck to your clients”
Chris Guin
Real Estate Broker®
Dwell Realty

Interested in Gorge Property?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Black basalt cliffs, ribbon like waterfalls and lush forests all within a one hour drive of Portland, the Columbia River Gorge is a my ‘heart place’.  Not only does the wind lure me, but so the trails.  Contact me if you wish to talk about this geologic wonderland.  I can put you in touch with my favorite Gorge agent and be your second set of eyes and ears for bouncing your idea’s and dreams.  Make the leap.  The Gorge is where its at.

Be the Wolf – Be Like Chris

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My real estate partner, Chris Speth, has always reminded me of a character played by Harvey Keitel in the movie Pulp Fiction. That character is called “The Wolf”. Technically, the Wolf is a cleaner, which is a person that is brought in to fix a messy situation in a hurry. You call them to do the job that you personally don’t have the skills to do.  Cleaners are specialized people who remove incriminating evidence from a crime scene (usually one involving murder) in order to make the legal consequences of the crime go away. Cleaners flip a scene, shake things up, and transform a space so that it is whole again.  The house with stained carpet ✔ (taken care of), the house with the car that needs to be removed from the garage ✔ (hauled off), the filth and decay ✔ (bleach does the job), lastly, the multiple dump runs to clean the scene ✔ – done (by Chris personally- using his trailer).  Being a great REALTOR® is one thing, but being a combo ‘cleaner/realtor’ is something so incredibly special; it’s like having a bad-ass Tinker bell sitting on your shoulder protecting you at all times.

Elite cleaners, like my partner Chris, often work for agencies (government or boutique firms). You rarely hear about them because they are quiet and humble – stealth-like. You might hear a whisper about an event that ‘might have’ happened, but you will never know who cleaned it up because the cleaner never leaves a trail. Not only does he manage to get the job done, but he gets it done with grace and style. He’s the epitome of cool under pressure. Chris uses a checklist, and then he delivers. He doesn’t over-promise to his clients, nor is he cocky—instead; he surveys the scene, gets the facts and then confidently states what his plan is. Rather jumping-the-gun and diving in to the “the really messy parts”, Chris will often come up with a plan to delegate tasks. He understands that the goal can’t be met if he attempts to do it all himself, so he has a secretive team that he calls on: Clark, Jeff, and Jimmie often divvy up the work.

When all of the tasks are completed with the highest level of attention by the team members, the results can be extraordinary.  The key is to stay calm, cool, and collected throughout it all— and no one does this better than these guys.  The ‘situation’ that was once needing dire attention, is now cleaned up and transformed.

A Wolf understands that he must treat his help with encouraging words and celebrate all successful clean-ups at the Space Room.  Setting a holistic approach from the start of a clean-up, to consistently not loosing sight that whiskey is the perfect ending for all involved in the job. This assures everyone that the situation is under control. With a clink of glasses its done.  Cleaned, listed, ‘BOOM’ – Offer in the next day!

     The Wolf/Chris Check List:

  1. Introduce yourself to your new client
  2. Identify their needs
  3. Survey the scene
  4. Take notes – make a list
  5. Assess the situation
  6. Identify all of the shit that can go wrong
  7. Prioritize tasks
  8. Get to work and delegate if needed
  9. Always have a backup plan.  Always have a bag packed.

Light & Cheerful in the Mississippi/Williams Neighborhood

Posted on by Living Room Realty

For you buyers that are on the hunt for something clean, crisp, hip and sweet —-

Meet 4227 NE Garfield

$485,000

Two bedrooms on the main with separate basement den/studio space and second bathroom.
This home has ‘real’ wood floors, high ceilings, banks of windows, and open flow from the living room to kitchen to the back deck.
Updated kitchen w/ wood block counters, Eco friendly floor, subway tile, breakfast nook and sliding doors to a backyard deck + green space

New to the market as of 9/27/2019.  Check it out!

Mortgages Don’t Disappear When Love Does

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Plenty of laws help protect married couples when they split up and divide their property. But no such legal sympathy exists for folks that are unmarried and do the same.  Many of us buy homes together without rings on our fingers.

Purchasing a house means coming in with a down payment, paying closing costs and other so many other financial responsibilities. Many couples often think they can do it 50-50 from the start.  But after being a REALTOR® for so many years I often see the tables skewed right from the get-go.  I have worked with couples that have recently met, felt committed to one another (they’d already adopted a cat), but were tired of driving to one another’s homes every couple of days for companionship (I get it – trust me).  Often, one of these couples stumbles upon an open house, not intending to go to an open house, but because it was right around the corner from their coffee shop, so they had to sort of walk by it.  The sign out front had an arrow which commanded them to “check it out” so they had to go in.  Upon entering that house they catch the bug.  The bug elicits deep emotions that BUYING a house together needs to happen very quickly.  Like right now — because it itches.  ‘Did I know that the stagers carpet in the house is the color they have dreamed about?  That the swan on the fireplace mantle happens to be their spirit animal.  Oh, and wait….and that there was a blue lamp that really worked with the tile in the kitchen and until that day, they didn’t even know they both liked the color blue?  It’s a SIGN  — they say!  We are ready to buy together.’

So we start house hunting.

Often the following of scenario unfolds: One person in the relationship has saved a bigger deposit then the other.   But the other partner, makes a higher salary making it easier to pay the monthly mortgage payments. One of them is “handy” and believes they can take on physical repairs the house needs while adding monetary value but doesn’t have great credit for the loan.  Usually, there has been NO TALKING between the two love birds about the “what-ifs” and “what-we’d-do-thens,” if the relationship dissolves.  I get a tad  worried for folks if contributions aren’t divided equally from the start.  Mostly, because of the phone call I get years later after the relationship has gone side-ways, where one thinks that have contributed much more then the other.  One wants to house but the other thinks they are more deserving of it. (yikes).

So before you jump into the water and purchase, have a really deep conversation with your partner about the financials.  And if buddy tells you over a couple beers that maybe you need to get something in writing from a lawyer before you invest in property together, a contract, sort of like a prenup, about who-gets-what if you break up —  LISTEN TO YOUR BUDDY.  Its best to ALWAYS seek the advice of an attorney and get something in writing.  So both of you are protected.

 

Not Wishing to Follow in Van Gogh’s Footsteps…..

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You might have heard that many of Van Gogh’s paintings are fading. The artists famous Sunflower paintings, which contain petals and stems, once vibrant and ‘yellow’, look as if they are literally withering to an olive-brown color as a result of his use of a light-sensitive yellow paint. Many of his contemporaries used several pigments that discolored over time; blue’s, red’s and yellow’s are all primary colors that like to fade back then. But guess what? Those colors still like to fade because they are cadmium based.

That’s why it’s incredibly important to buy HIGHER quality paint if you plan on painting your house yellow, red, or shades of blue. Most often color fading is due to the quality of the paint in regards to color retention. When the paint is of low quality, the upper layers of the paint quickly begin to peel off. The paint coating chalks off, and the color fades out. Color fading happens with excessive exposure to sunlight as well. The UV radiation is harsh to the pigmentation of the paint especially bright blue, yellow and red. If you decide on this palette of colors, as we are doing with our current project, its best to spend the bucks and look into a brand like Benjamin Moore’s Aura. Yes, it costs way more them something at Miller Paints or Sherwin Williams, but it’s worth it. You won’t come home to a chalky looking paint job after a few years.

Selling a Home with Tenants that are Uncooperative

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Nothing says “don’t buy me” more than a rented listing with tenants that are grumpy, uncooperative and live like slobs.  If there is a chance to list a property as VACANT, before you re-rent and allow new tenants to move in, sell it as vacant.  If your tenants are uncooperative, it may be better to offer them an early release from the tenancy and pay their moving costs.. Some tenants prefer to choose the timing of their own move over the uncertainty and disruption of the sale process. You will be missing out on the rental income, but you might be able to sell for a higher price with the property unoccupied and staged with nice stuff.

 

It might be a win-win for both sides.  Let’s face it; most tenants facing the sale of their ‘home’ are likely to be less than happy about the process. An unhappy tenant can cause some serious grief for you and your agent, potentially hampering the sale process and impacting on your profit.

 

Sell it when it’s VACANT.

A Shout Out to Another Agent —–

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Real Estate Can be Transaction Based or Authentic Based.. Or BOTH.

I never knew when I got into Real Estate that so much of a REALTORS® job hinges upon the agent on the other end…

Just as important as the underlying sales contract which was signed in ink, is an ongoing social contract between the buyer’s agent and a listing agent.  As realtors, we don’t get to choose who we get to work with.  Our clients choose us, but we don’t choose the other agent. Expectations for how we will work together: norms for communication, decision making; how unforeseen events will be handled; dispute resolution; conditions and means for renegotiation; and the like are unknown from the start (unless you have worked with that agent in the past).  Sure, we are required to work from a code of ethics, but there are still some rotten apples in our industry, agents with BIG ego’s that are unresponsive, inflated, over-confident or lazy.  Most of us that have been doing real estate for awhile have an “A” list of agents we love, and a “D” list.  Some have “F” lists too. Thankfully, mine only has three names on it.

The best real estate agents follow the common goal of closing on a home but also have a clear focus on being genuine to one another. In a genuine relationship, both parties are responsive to each other regardless of the situation. Both sides can negotiate their clients needs – but do so fairly.  A transaction can become more personal when an agent takes the time to share a fuller picture of their client and their client’s fears. Building authentic relationships in real estate is not complicated, but it does take patience and a shift in focus. Instead of measuring success by the number of deals closed, we can measure it in smiles and gratitude.

I have another “A” agent to throw onto my “A” list.  Charity Adams.  She worked hard to facilitate a safe environment for her client to feel heard.  My job was to listen.  The result – A happy buyer and a happy seller.

Yo!  You still haven’t picked up your hot tub

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The hot tub that was marketed in your listing and was a feature of the home. A *perk* is what it was called. The hot tub that was photographed and talked about and that we had written into our original sales contract.  The one that you later fussed about, arguing that you “must have” and pushed us to exclude it from the purchase.

Yeah —  That hot tub.

It’s still sitting on the two story deck off the master bedroom and it’s been a couple of weeks since the deal closed. Have you forgotten about how much you love this hot oasis of water?

We are guessing you made a call to the crane company that will have to lift it off the deck while trying to avoid the railings and not damage the back yard and you changed your mind… Remember, you will need to hire an electrician too because it’s still wired to the home.

Signed –

Naked, laughing and splashing

What Your Truck Says About You………

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If you ever find yourself in a position of rehabbing a house from the foundation up and need to get bids from different contractors, take a peek at the truck they drive.  A truck needs to carry the contractor and crew to work, to haul their tools, materials and maybe pull a trailer.  A truck that is being used for work is often dirty, sometimes held together by Bondo, has a roof rack for hauling lumber and has seen multiple job sights.  These are the types of vehicles that Chris and I like to see pull up at our job sites.  It tells us a little about the person; they get their hands dirty.  They work.

See truck # 1 and truck #2   —— examples of bad-ass trucks that we like.  The guys/girls that own THESE trucks will have dirt under their nails.

 

There is another sort of contractor that might arrive at your job site to bid your project.  That person drives a ridiculously over-priced right that says, ““I am a sucker for shiny toys and am horrible with my money!”

Here’s the thing.  Although we want our contractors to be comfortable in what they drive, we don’t feel the need to pay for your flashy paint job and customization.  What your pimped out Sprinter van says about you, is that you most likely don’t use it to make money.  I get that the off-road tires you have look cool and might give you superpowers, but in the construction/framing business they also make you silly.  Your brand new van says you have a thick wallet.  Where are the splinters in your hands and the dirt under your nails?  Oh, wait… I forgot. You opted out of getting splinters and went for the Sprinter.

 

Backyard “shack” for a teenager

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I work with many clients that are squished at the seams.  Our house conversations often question whether they should add on to their home, remodel their basement, or sell and go bigger.  That conversation is the same one I have with myself.  Like my clients, my own 1905 bungalow that has served my two children and I very well over the years, but we too, are over-flowing our spaces.  My son and daughter share a room, we have one full bath, our living room is our shared space where we all hang; we have gotten used to living on top of one another.  Our 900 sqft of living space has made for one tight-knit-family.  We see our “tightness” as a really perk and wouldn’t give that up for the world. But come late summer/fall we will began our house hunt to make space for a fourth to entry our tribe.

But until that time comes, meet the “shack”.  This tiny-wee-bitty shed that we built for summer slumber parties years ago, has become my teen daughter’s summer room.  Its fits only a double mattress (It was an expensive one we’d bought though; click here to know the details). When she gets sick of her brother and I, or needs her own space, she can sleep outside or chill with her girlfriends.  It allows her to ‘be’ more independent.  It allows her to spread her wings, which are growing everyday and are quite beautiful.

The only pitfall so far, have been the raccoons that run over its roof at night and play with the extension cord but sound like giant beasts that want to EAT you.

Working on housing solutions for family, friends and Portland.  Give us a ring for some creative thinking.

 

It’s a No Brainer – People like CLEAN homes

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Selling a house and getting ready for a move is time consuming and trying to keep a spotless house  is tough. But it really is worth the effort – a cleaner home will usually sell faster than a dirty one.  Buyers look at homes with filthy rugs, marred walls and scummy showers and all they see is more work, time and expense. Not only is it a financial turn off, but the yuk factor comes into play. Who wants someone else’s bacteria and viruses?   If they walk down your basement steps that their tennis shoes stick to the stair treads, its a giant turn off.

OK, let’s say your house was pretty clean, it sold, and you are ready to move out. How clean should the house be when you close the front door for the last time? This part gets a little tricky because states have different real estate contracts and different requirements, some of which are vague and wide open to different interpretations. Oregon’s contract uses  the term “broom clean” which is what appears in the actual purchase agreement. Basically that means the sellers’ trash is gone, floors are vacuumed, bathrooms and kitchens are clean. The house should be at least as clean as the day the sale was closed. But again, common sense on the part of the buyer and seller should be the guide.  You probably will need more than a broom.  Don’t leave your house filthy for the new buyer.  Your reputation is at stake.

Enough said —-  CLEAN YOUR HOUSE.  And if you don’t know what “clean” is, then hire a cleaning team to do a deep clean for you.  There are some really great cleaning companies in Portland.  Need a referral?  We have you covered.

 

It’s three words no agent wants to see attached to a listing: Back On Market.

Posted on by Living Room Realty
While the Urban Dictionary describes the phrase, back on the market to reference a person who either was in an exclusive relationship or newly divorced and is dating again, so they are ‘available’ (much like a fresh chicken at the supermarket), in real estate, it feels like being hit by a tsunami.  When a house goes from “active” (for sale)  to pending status, and then suddenly appear back on the market, what was once “new” to the market now appears old.  With just the snap of a finger, your listing has now aged (dramatically).  Hopefully, you have a back-up offer that still wishes to go in back-up and hasn’t already found another house.  You hope for that. But if you don’t have it… you might be slightly screwed…….
Unfortunately, many buyers and their agents will immediately think there is something wrong with the property and make assumptions about why the sale fell through.  We build stories that the house must have something giant that came up in the home inspection, a failed foundation, or some enormous oil tank spill that has reached ground water. But maybe the buyers simply got cold feet over a little knob and tube wiring that could have easily been fixed had they asked.  Or maybe it was asbestos tape on some duct work that could have been removed or wrapped. Whatever the reason – Back on the market carries a stigma.
I believe that buyers remorse is a real thing.  Just as dating remorse is a real thing.

Sometimes buyers believe they made a bad decision and develop cold feet. They slowly begin to realize that with home ownership comes other financial obligations such as maintaining the home, paying for repairs and upgrades, and they become frightened of what they perceive to be an unnatural burden. Unfortunately, this realization often happens at an inopportune time such as during the middle of escrow.

For us agents and our sellers, its a draining process.  You start back from the beginning but you feel deflated.

We believe it important to do everything we can to help keep deals together.  For both sides.  We promise to work at keeping a deal together if we write on one of your listings.  We will get the bids.  Make the calls.  We will counsel our clients for hours before they write an offer.  And if we can’t keep it together, we will feel like dog poop.

Owning a house is like ‘being in a long-term relationship’

Posted on by Living Room Realty

I’ve been ‘thinking’ about selling my own home for two years now.  Mostly, because my children and I have started to outgrow our two bedroom house, but at some point, we will be a family of four (if we can find a wedding venue and find a house.  Jeez.  I hate this part.)  The kicker is — that while I might be a REALTOR® and understand the state of the market plus the financial pay-offs of selling my home, my house is not ‘just a thing,’ to me.  It often feels like an extension of my physical body and my sense of self that reflects who I was, am, and want to be.  I am an artist as well as REALTOR®, so I am forever making changes to my humble abode.  I have many ideas for my little home that I have not yet executed.  Which makes my house feel like a half finished painting at times.  How can I sell my casa when I still have visions to execute?  And will that new buyer appreciate what I have done?  Will I find that buyer “fit” someday…..?

Just like a long term relationship —  love comes in many forms and one is the connection we create to that place called “home.”

I know that selling a home shouldn’t be a rash, spur of the moment decision.  I’ve been doing the gut check every few months for a period of two years, plus, I have been looking at the numbers of what my house would sell for every time the market spikes and then dips again.  Thinking about the numbers is supposed to help me emotionally detach from my home and view it as a business deal.  (I know that… I help clients with that every day… that doesn’t make it easier for me when I have those projects I would like to get done on my house).  Instead, I have been trying to focus on my end goal, which means turning my attention to what the future might look like.  Re-framing the sale of my home as a good change rather than loss.  I’m working to channel my emotions towards the opportunity and possibilities of what await.

I also know that if I continue to wait for “the one” to come around and hit the market, I might be waiting for years.  Sometimes the home selling and buying process isn’t about finding “the one” that sticks around forever.   It’s more about finding the home that fits your needs best based on your current situation.

I plan on loving my house and working on her this summer.  The boxes of old vintage doorknobs I have been collecting will get added to the rock wall out front.  I will paint the bathroom ceiling pink.  Finish the love shack in the backyard for Olivia.  These are things an artist does to see their vision come to fruition, they are not what one does to boost their resale.  If I can do these things, it will be easier for me to let go.  My stamp will be more complete.

 

 

 

 

 

Unless You Are selling a Fixer Home You Should Always Stage Before you Sell

Posted on by Living Room Realty

SE 72nd – Staged with sellers possessions.  Bedding, accessories, artwork and lighting added.  Pending in the first week with a FULL PRICE OFFER .

SE 74th – Vacant home with pristine finishes.  Staging cost:  $850.00.  Listed for $429,500 and sold for $462,500.

Let me help you with your staging.  I can keep your costs down and promise you that our staging will pay off.

It’s really a ‘no-brainer’

Tracy – 971-275-0387

Chris – 503-515-5049

Don’t Neglect The Smaller Details When Listing Your Home

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Seriously, I think small details can make the biggest impressions on a potential buyer’s likelihood of making an offer on your home. A well-maintained exterior signals to buyers that the interior has probably been similarly well maintained. Make sure you trim trees, lay fresh mulch (I like the blackest kind for photos), pressure-wash dirty surfaces.  Little improvements, such as CLEANING the cobs webs off your old porch light fixture, replacing a rusty mailbox, or painting the front door, can go a long way.

If my sellers have original window or cabinet hardware, or old heating registers that are thick with years of paint, I like to take them back to my house and strip them over my stove.  Often the original finish is beautiful underneath, and if not, you can always spray them a new color.  One that matches your wall trim or a burnised brown

Its all in the details.  The little-bitty details

 

Real Estate Rules are Sometimes BEST When Broken

Posted on by Living Room Realty

REALTORS® will often tell you there is a hushed rule in real estate that buyers and sellers should NOT meet when a deal is still being negotiated.  Case in point, an agent in my office stated the following when I told her about my current transaction,”I do not like when buyers and sellers meet, and most of my clients don’t want to ever see the other side. You need to remember that the seller is wanting as much as possible for their house and the buyer wants to pay as little as possible for the same house. They are adversaries, they are not equals. “I would normally agree with this statement except when it comes to my current seller Cyn and a buyer named Elle.  They threw all caution to the wind in our current sale.  I call what we have going on right now a “unicorn” deal in real estate. It’s such a rarity in this industry when a seller and buyer were meant to find one another.  It’s not just a “house fit” it’s more of a relationship fit.

I’ve been known to say that Cyn Martino is the one good thing I’ve ever found on Craig’s List.  Rather, she found me, in the Housing Wanted section on that site years ago.  Cyn used me as her agent to purchase of a small footprint house near Laurelhurst.  Since then, it’s been good times.  She is from Santa Cruz CA (that’s right folks, she moved from California. No booing aloud.)  Cyn is like water.  She drives an old Volvo, is a farmer’s market guru, raises chickens, walks everywhere and cares about the planet.  She is very cool.  I mean like very very cool (hint hint to you single men out there that like nature and good food).

Elle, our buyer, was born and raised in Portland Oregon and looking to buy her first house.  Her grandparents happened to live only a block away from Cyn’s house on SE 30th and Ankeny, which is also where her father grew up.  How do we know all of this, because Elle included a personal letter with her offer.  Elle wrote about appreciating the original details of the home such as the retro cabinets and counter tops.  The icing on the cake was that I was able to meet Elle and her real estate agent at my open house.  She walked through the home quietly, taking it all in, but her eyes were smiling.  I knew that if she decided to submit an offer, my seller would like this young woman.  I had that gut feeling.  Elle wrote an offer, it was a strong offer, but not the highest in the pile.  But when you have a Cyn as seller, you know the ‘fit’ means as much as the money.

Here they are:  My seller, Elle, Elle’s mom and her Auntie.  They stopped by the house to give my seller a gift over the weekend and invite her to a Korean dinner.  Before the deal was negotiated.   Before the repairs decided upon.  Why — because there is this thing out there called good will and kindness.  I see it only occasionally in my industry.  It feels SO damn good to witness.  It makes me like what I do.

This is what a real estate unicorn looks like -:)

 

 

 

Count Your Rainbows and Not Your Thunderstorms

Posted on by Living Room Realty

1907 Bungalow With Rainbow Interior 

4820 SE 72nd Ave Portland Oregon 97206

$419,500

 
This cheerful home, in an array of happy colors, will make it easy for you to count those rainbows in your life. Open living spaces with generous sized rooms, solid craftsmanship, plus an updated kitchen & bath equal piece of mind.  Quaint upstairs loft space allows you to shut off the happenings on the main floor.  Use it as an office, sleep-over room or den.  Its flex space. It can be what you make it. Enjoy the covered back porch for morning coffee and the sound of birds. Recent updates include: Kitchen counters, cork flooring, tile, lighting, farm house sink + energy star water heater. 
Sellers move for all sorts of reasons.  There wasn’t a pot of gold at the end of Jordan’s rainbow, but something better, a woman named Christina.  Love is often the best reason to love. Good ol’ LOVE.
2 beds | 1 bath | Plus loft | Partially Finished Basement- 1780 sqft
MLS# 19242519 | Taxes: $3500
Schools | Arleta and Franklin High School
Tracy Dau – 971-275-0387
Chris Speth – 503-515-5049

When the Agent on the Other End Goes Silent..

Posted on by Living Room Realty
 Every smooth real estate transaction begins with good communication skills. Whether you are an agent representing a buyers or a seller, there are certain steps you must take when you are under contract on a house.  Agents co-oping the deals must TALK to one another in order for a successful transactions to take place. Sounds like a “no-brainer” right?  Not exactly. 
 
Every once in awhile, Chris and I will cross paths with another agent in our industry that does not believe in communicating. They go S-I-L-E-N-T right after they accept our buyers offer (ssshhh.. They might be sleeping). They won’t return calls or emails during the entire two week inspection process, making it very tricky to know whats happening. Their lack of communicating, makes for silent holes in the transaction.
 
Since we can not pick the agents we get to work with, every transaction is different and new. Sometimes we get seriously lucky and get to work with agents like Robin Springer, Dori Olmstead, Tina Schafer, Tony Le, Brenda Gunderson or the Bob Zawaski’s in our industry. But occasionally we end up working with a dud. Case in point, we recently had to terminate a deal with a non-communicative agent. Since it was an agent that we have unluckily worked with before, we were able to warn our buyers to “expect delays” due to poor communication right from the get-go. The trickle down effect of her crappy work ethic made us not be able to do our job well.  Its transactions like this one that are spread at cocktail parties.  The ones that give real estate a bad reputation.  Even though Chris and I worked our ass off to get the bids, meet the inspectors, give good sound advice, without words from the other side, we can’t always hold a deal together.
  Now that we are in an age of smart phones, digital files and signatures, title companies with transaction time lines etc. there is little excuse for not being communicative while under contract.  All the tools are there for one to use. They simply require using your arms and mouth.  There is no excuse not to communicate in this industry.