July 16th, 2014
A good credit score can mean lower premiums for home and car insurance as well as lower rates for home loans, but there’s a lot of misleading information out there when it comes to that topic.
With that in mind, here are some helpful tips on how to boost credit scores and qualify more easily for a home loan.
Credit Score Myths and Loan Qualifying Tips
Myth 1: Cancelling Old Lines of Credit Is Helpful
“Wait a minute, isn’t doing away with my credit cards a good sign?” One would think so, but in reality older credit lines can boost your credit rating by …
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April 28th, 2014
These days everywhere you look someone is talking, blogging, writing & yelling about living small, right next to your neighbors. From the IKEA showroom boasting a fully furnished home in 500 sq.ft. to a recent New York Times article about a woman happily living in her friends’ backyard in a mere 84 sq.ft. (Here). But what does that really mean?
The big idea is that high density living = good: good for a vibrant urban community, good for promoting local small business, good for the environment, etc…Some places, like New York City for example, have been practicing pro-high density …
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April 24th, 2014
“Real estate activity had a fine start the first quarter of 2014, although perhaps not as robust as 2013. The 8,113 new listings represent a 1.9% increase over the 7,963 new listings posted in the first quarter of 2013.There were 6,258 pending sales and 4,892 closings, down 3.2% and up 2.2%, respectively, from the 6,466 pendings and 4,789 closings posted in the first quarter of 2013.”
Source: RMLS
For the complete Market Action Report for the month of March, click here: http://www.rmlsweb.com/v2/public2/loadfile.asp?id=7738
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April 1st, 2014
Borrowers are often worried about rising interest rates as they rightfully should because it impacts their monthly payment and the overall house they can afford. However, those of us who have been in the business long enough know that these rising rates (projected to be above 5% in Q1 of 2015) are still a great deal! To put this in perspective, Freddie Mac has been tracking mortgage interest rates since 1971 and recently released this chart:
Decade
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate
Approximate Payment (P&I) on a $200,000 Mortgage
1970…
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March 17th, 2014
RMLS Market Activity for February is now available!
Inventory and accepted offers fell a bit short of January, however,
closed transactions and average and median sale price showed improvement.
Source: RMLS
Click here for the complete report: http://www.rmlsweb.com/v2/public2/loadfile.asp?id=7697
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March 4th, 2014
Multiple offers are very common in today’s housing market.
Sellers aren’t necessarily accepting the highest offer anymore and there are multiple factors that are affecting their decision.
So, what are the other factors that buyers need to take into consideration?
See below for just a few of the bid strategies that can increase a buyers chance of coming out on top:
To view this entire article from the Wall Street Journal, click here: http://goo.gl/64s36S
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February 17th, 2014
RMLS has posted their latest Market Action Report for the Portland Metro area January 2014 figures and inventory continues to improve!
New listings nearly doubled compared to December’s numbers and average sales prices have increased 12.6% compared to January, 2013.
Click here to view the latest: http://www.rmlsweb.com/v2/public2/loadfile.asp?id=7665
*Source: RMLS
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February 5th, 2014
Portland area home values are looking up! These infographic charts show home values in the Portland metro area are continuing to rise.
The median home value has increased by a whopping 46.85% since 2004 and we are excited to see this trend continue.
How does your neighborhood stack up?
Click here to find out:
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/portlands_median_home_values_b.html
Source: oregonlive.com
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January 15th, 2014
We may be a little biased, however, we really do think that Portland is one of the greatest cities in the world.
No matter who you are or where you come from, you can find a place to belong and call home in Portland.
“Smaller than San Francisco but with the same green, open-mindedness, Portland is a city that loves to innovate. Breezy gardens stud Downtown’s grid of tree-lined streets, home to the laidback bars that support one of America’s best craft beer scenes. If you’d rather chew than chug, you’re in luck – there are more than four hundred food carts …
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January 13th, 2014
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