By Erika George & Kari, November 20, 2020
Many of the surprises in 2020 have not been fun, to say the least. However, one surprise has delighted us: the success that our first-time homebuyer clients have found in spite of the strongest sellers’ market we’ve seen in our 15 years of real estate! We had multiple-offer success after success for these intrepid, can-do buyers as a result of several important factors:
- The big, national cash investor companies halted operations in our area due to Covid-19 and related real estate market concerns. That meant our buyers didn’t have to compete against cash buyers with deep pockets. The absence of these cash investors finally leveled the playing field for first-time homebuyers who generally had only to compete with other financed buyers for the first time since 2013.
- Historically low interest rates allowed for more buying power overall, and helped financially “young” buyers overcome hurdles to qualify for a home loan.
- Our first-time homebuyers have benefited from our extensive experience in writing offers in a multiple-offer scenario. The sales price is just one of a handful of very important concessions a buyer can make when writing an offer: appraisal support, limitations on repair requests, and other secret-sauce tactics have proved to be very powerful for sellers who are comparing numerous offers.
There are many things we love about our job, but helping people purchase their first home will always be at the top of our list. It gives us so much joy to help folks put down roots, build community, and start to build financial stability for their lives. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to Neil & Caitlin, Sarah & Travis, Flo, Celise (and Kirk!), Hali & Lucas, Kath, Shannon, Jody & Kevin, and David & Mireille, all of whom purchased their first homes in crazy, stressful pandemic-ridden 2020!
Thinking about purchasing your first home? We’d be honored to help you beat the odds too!
Kari & Erika: HouseLovePDX
971-322-6612
www.houselovepdx.com
Erika George & Kari McGee
Broker-Esquire | Principal Broker | Senior Real Estate Specialists
She/Her
Meet cousins Erika George and Kari McGee - the highly skilled HouseLovePDX Team at Living Room Realty in Portland, OR.
Realtor® Erika George brings to the table 20 years of experience as an attorney specializing in construction and contracts and has been a full-service real estate broker since 2013. Principal Broker Kari McGee is an 11-year Portland Monthly 5- Star Realtor® and has helped clients successfully navigate the evolving Portland real estate market for more than 20 years.
What this means for you is that there's not a lot we haven't seen. We will be proactive, where others will miss important opportunities. We like to negotiate and operate with a deep understanding of what it means to be your fiduciary: your strenuous advocate, not merely your transaction coordinator.
Our step-by-step system will be tailored to your specific goals. And, we will provide you with expert resources to help you make informed decisions at each milestone stage of your transaction.
As designated Seniors Real Estate Specialists (SRES®), we specialize in helping Seniors and their families navigate aging in place, downsizing, multigenerational housing, senior community living options, and probate sales.
We strive to help people with a wide variety of needs, prepare for life’s transitions with compassion and expert guidance. We would be honored to help guide you through your changing real estate needs in the greater metropolitan Portland area.
Here are our Top Five Favorite Things to do for you:
1. Ask you questions (lots of questions!) and actually listen to your answers. 2. Show out-of-area Buyers all the fun neighborhoods and important spots that make the Portland Metro area special. 3. Crack you and ourselves up with funny photos and random moments of hilarity that pop up in a day of touring homes or after a long day of listing preparation chores! 4. Negotiate and advocate strenuously for you and your goals. 5. Celebrate the many (big and small) milestones in a real estate sale or purchase. 6. Watch your life grow and change after the sale closes, and be there for you when you need us. ps - oh how we adore your "look at what we did to this house" photos! And lunch. We also adore lunching with you. (Yes, we know, that's two in one and we're already at six...). 7. Make "Top-Five" lists that always have more than 5 top-fives. Just goes to show you how much we love to exceed your expectations! We would be honored to help guide you through your changing real estate needs in Portland Oregon. CONTACT Erika George and Kari McGee 503.349.5449 | 971.322.6612 Team@HouseLovePDX.com www.houselovepdx.com
