Tag: anothergreatneighbor

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, It’s all about the Tub…

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

It’s our job to figure out what truly excites you when you embark upon a real estate purchase with our team.  We want to know what makes your heart sing and once we find that out, it makes it a whole lot easier to help you find your perfect property!

Rachel and Joe were not only looking for a new Portland home from across states lines from us, they also were looking across states lines from each other!  This definitely was a long-distance real estate purchase times two.  But in spite of some long-distance communication constraints, three things became clear very early on in Joe and Rachel’s search:  1.  Bathtubs were important.  We’re not talking some mamby-pamby, low-to-the-ground, skinny, hemmed-in tub.  We’re talking a big-ass soaking tub with a view and light and privacy all at the same time!

So thank you 1990s for installing some of the biggest, most luxurious soaking tubs out there for that at-home spa experience.  A little dated didn’t matter, it was all about the size and the view.   Which brings us to #2…

2.  Rachel and Joe wanted a lot with a woodsy, private, oasis feel but it couldn’t be dark.  Some sun was a definite must for Rachel and Joe.  Ok, a little trickier for wooded, wet SW Portland but no big deal, we managed to find that too.

Rachel and Joe’s house backs to wooded green-space but the trees head down the hill from their lot so their main-floor view is almost all fluffy green tree canopy and sky.  Their extensive decks plunge into the trees right before the ground slopes gently away from the house, creating a fantastic sense of light, green and breath around the home.  It is truly magical.

And 3.  A spacious garage with room for some serious tinkering.  Again, thank you 1990s for the oversized 2 and 3-car garages, right up front for easy access, that allowed Joe to cross off his one “must-have” for this home purchase!

And given the timing of this purchase and some savvy negotiating, Joe and Rachel were able to take advantage of our transitioning market and negotiate $35,000 off the advertised sales price!

Welcome to Portland Joe and Rachel.  We are so happy to have you here and we can’t wait to see how your life blooms in SW Portland!

 

I Feel Pretty in NW!

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

You know the “look”?  The light and airy, I-feel-pretty, carefully styled Boho-Beautiful look that many Buyers tell themselves they really don’t want.  It’s just no big deal, they say.  “It’s just staging and we can do it ourselves”…  And then you walk into a house that has the look and everyone just melts?

Our buyers weren’t really sure what they wanted when they started their search for a NW PDX condo, but they were very clear that they didn’t want to do work.

So when we viewed, this gorgeous, recently remodeled home that had not only the look, but the location and the floorplan our lovely clients wanted, it was a done deal.  Those light, seafoam green kitchen cabinets, floor-to-ceiling windows and soft white and grey tones combined with warm wood hues in the bathroom create the perfect zen effect.  Touring this home felt like visiting a spa.  How lucky our clients are to be able to actually live here…

Not too shabby for a first home, if we do say so ourselves…

Sale Fails Can Be a Buyer’s Best Friend!

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

If you are a buyer or a buyer’s agent in 2021, you just may come to love the words SALE FAIL.  Buyers are being put through the wringer this year but we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves in this competitive market and one of them is to hawk the multiple listing service for properties that have gone back on the market after a sale fail!

Properties that have had a sale fail can be easy prey for a smart Buyer because these frustrated Sellers usually are very motivated to just get it done!  Plus, Sellers often have copies of the previous Buyer’s home inspection reports and while all that property information can be a bit daunting right out of the gate, it also allows Buyers and their agents to quickly access the major issues of a property, make a plan, and hit the ground running.

Enter Mike and Beverly.  Like most first-time home buyers, Mike and Beverly had taken it on the chin for more than a few offers. Mike and Beverly just wanted a house.  Mike and Beverly honestly would have been happy with pretty much any house with four walls at one point!  Mike and Beverly are handy and were willing to do work; a lot of work.  How could it be so hard?

And then we saw those gorgeous words ‘back on the market’, followed closely by the holy grail:  ‘sale fail’ for 15215 SE Harrison St.  We knew we had a shot if we moved quickly.  We requested the inspection reports which Mike and Beverly reviewed with a contractor.  That gave them the confidence to be able to waive the inspection contingency in full and bam, Mike and Beverly were under contract on a house that not only had four walls-  It was lovely!  15215 SE Harrison had a big sunny yard, a spacious, hip mid-century floor plan, and warm hardwood floors.  There is definitely room in the spacious, level lot to build that ADU for Mom, and to create community in a way that only homeownership affords.

We are so happy for Mike and Beverly who never lost hope, never gave up, and patiently waited for the right home to appear.  We are so in awe of the privilege that we were given to help these two wonderful folks find their first home.

To learn more about how to use sale fails to your advantage, and other Buyer tricks we have up our sleeves, give us a call!

Kari & Erika:  HouseLovePDX

971.322.6612

 

 

 

Don’t Fence Me In…

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

“Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
Don’t fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don’t fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin’ breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever, but I ask you please
Don’t fence me in…”
See all those big, gorgeous trees?  They are now the beloved property of Chris and Adrianne;  all 5.83 acres of them.  5 ACRES, people!  After living smack dab in the heart of urban bustle on NE 81st and Fremont St in NE Portland for 14 years, Chris and Adrianne were ready for a change.  Chris and Adrianne were ready for a  big change.  They both had grown up in rural areas and were ready to get back to those roots.  Chris wanted land to work, and plant, and manage.  Adrianne wanted peace and tranquility with private space for a hot tub to enjoy not just a nice view, but a panorama.  And after living with 1418 adorable but quirky square feet spread out over three floors, they (and their two pups) wanted some space to spread out in their new home.  They loved the historic charm of their 1924 home for a decade and a half, but it was time for a more modern floor plan.  An open kitchen, great-room floor plan seemed almost too good to be true!
But Adrianne and Chris also wanted to buy and sell at the same time, which meant getting a contingent offer accepted in one of the hottest seller’s markets we’ve ever seen.  We definitely put some miles in looking at properties anywhere between Salem and Vernonia and then Chris and Adrianne saw this Amity property and we knew we were done.
Well, except the part where Adrianne and Chris needed to have their contingent offer accepted by the sellers, and then the part where they needed to get their current NE 81st house on the market within 6 days, and then receive an acceptable offer on NE 81st within another 6 days or all bets were off…
This Amity property had not just 1 acre, but almost 6!  This property had over 3000 square feet, all on one level.  And yes, this property had an open kitchen-dining room greatroom floorplan.  Chris and Adrianne were willing to move mountains to get this home.
So did they do it?  Did it all work out, you ask?  Why yes, it did.  With a ton of work on Adrianne and Chris’ parts, and with the help of their very experienced real estate team who came up with a good plan, and presented that plan in detail to the Sellers. We also analyzed the niche market details right down to the minutes before listing their NE 81st home and adjusted the listing price to ensure a quick sale and multiple offers.  Even with some unexpected hurdles, it all worked out like a beautiful fairy tale happy ending (because what Fairy Tale doesn’t have some serious roadblocks?).
If this all sounds daunting to you, well, it kind of is.  It takes some gumption and serious stamina to buy and sell a house all at the same time, but Chris and Adrianne just plugged away.  They took one step at a time and on the days where they had to take 7 steps at a time, they dug deep and got ‘er done.
Was it all worth it?

Finding Success in a Tough Market

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

There are lots of tough, “school of hard knocks” buyer stories out there right now, given the very strong Sellers’ Market we’ve been experiencing since the dawn of 2021.  But even in this seller-oriented market, we’ve been able to find success for many of our buyer clients.

Jim and Beth had been pondering a few different options for some changing family housing needs in their extended family.  They spent the better part of 2020 exploring and evaluating the market in and around Portland but nothing seemed quite right.  Then a house hit the market in January, just blocks from their current Sellwood home and it. was. perfect.  Clarity achieved!

Don’t get us wrong!  Of course, there were multiple offers and of course, Jim and Beth had to offer well above the asking price in order to win the home.  But all that evaluation time in 2020 helped Jim and Beth quickly understand the realities of the market.  They acted fast and were able to make informed decisions. 

On top of that, we were able to negotiate some rare pre-closing repairs at the sellers’ expense, and effective communication with the listing agent made for a smooth transaction… (well, except maybe for that small part about literally running for their cashier’s check, the day before closing!).  These were all good things for Jim and Beth who are working full time with small children at home, 24-hours, every single day.  Yup, whispered nap-time real estate conversations have become our specialty  (actually, we think whispered real estate conversations are super fun and calming so don’t be surprised if we start whispering if things start to get intense)!

Helping our clients evaluate and explore real estate options is an important part of our job.  We know that some time to thoughtfully explore and consider, spent in advance of your deadlines, can prove invaluable in the long or short run!

We’d be happy to help you explore your options and discover what makes the most sense for you.

Kari & Erika:  HouseLovePDX
971.322.6612 | 503.349.5449
www.houselovepdx.com

 

The Perfect End to Our Week!

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee
Sweet Clients – Sweet Note!

Of course, we never tire of real estate closings, but it’s the small, thoughtful gestures that are the real reasons why we love what we do so much.

This sweet note was given to us at closing by our clients Claire and Joe, who just moved into their new SW Portland home.  It truly made our month!

Claire and Joe moved just in the nick of time because baby’s impending arrival in April, was definitely non-negotiable!  Claire was more than ready to begin nesting in this lovely home, as made evident by the front stoop full of nursery item boxes when we arrived to hand over those house keys!  In spite of a stressful real estate market for these ‘expecting’ home buyers, Claire and Joe got a great house within their desired time frame.

Even in this competitive buyer’s market, we are finding ways to be successful for our clients.  And if you want to sell your current home and then purchase a new one that better meets your needs, we have options for you too!  If you are wondering why it still makes sense to buy a house in this strong seller’s market?  Simple answer:  Crazy Low Interest Rates.  These rates are worth the hustle it takes to buy a house right now.  Buying power is strong!

Contact us to find out how we can be successful for your particular real estate needs in any kind of market!

Kari McGee & Erika George
971.322.6612 | 503.349.5449
www.houselovepdx.com

The 2020 Portland Area Surprise Market Takeaway!

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee
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:
  1. 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.
  2. Historically low interest rates allowed for more buying power overall, and helped financially “young” buyers overcome hurdles to qualify for a home loan.
  3. 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

 

Southeastern Views and a Hot Tub to View ‘Em

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

Lots of buyers say to us: “We’re going to be so hard.  You are going to hate us!  We are really picky.”.  Now most of the time, buyers aren’t nearly as hard as they think they are going to be.  We think we’re pretty good listeners and find that we can quickly zoom in on what our clients are looking for.  But every now and then we have a search that can take many months, or in Jen and Brett’s case, even years!

You know what?  That’s ok!  We just happen to love looking at houses and it makes us so happy to help folks find their dream home.

Brett and Jen came up with a little “move to Portland” plan a few years ago.  Skyrocketing real estate prices in their CA city had definitely gotten them down.  Jen and Brett also have family in the Portland area and have long wanted to be nearer to their clan.  So a few years ago we started looking at houses with Brett and Jen.  After exploring various neighborhoods in the Portland metro area, they zoomed in on Happy Valley.  Jen’s mantra was to find a house with at least a hot tub (if not a pool or better yet, both) AND a view of Mt Hood.

Jen and Brett’s plan stopped and started a few times, and every time they came back with more money saved for their Happy Valley purchase, the sales prices had increased.  In fact, while prices weren’t nearly as high as their current location, they weren’t seeing the savings they hoped to find in our area, and we definitely weren’t finding that quintessential Happy Valley view-home with a hot tub.

Then Covid hit and all bets seemed off, but once the dust cleared and job security seemed like it might actually be a thing again, guess what came on the market at just the right price?  You guessed it, a lovely home with spectacular Southeastern views and a hot tub in which to soak ’em up!

Of course there were multiple offers but no sweat.  Brett and Jen were ready to pounce and wrote a killer offer that could not be refused.

As we look back at our clients who have had long, start-and-stop searches, we can say with all certainty, that our folks eventually got the home they were meant to have.  Sometimes life just needs to let the dust settle a bit before you are ready to see the one…

Welcome to life in Oregon Jen and Brett.  You have definitely earned this move!

Kari & Erika

 

First Time Home Buyer Appraisal Lessons

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

We’ve had the most wonderful good fortune to be able to help get an amazing handful of first time home buyers into home ownership these past few months.  While the market has been incredibly competitive, we have had great luck helping our clients get accepted offers in multiple offer scenarios, or on the rare 2020 sleeper property before it gets noticed!

Our latest success story is first time home buyer Flo.  Flo had a bit of a set back when the lender’s appraisal for her loan approval on a new construction home in Hillsboro, came back at a lower value than what she had agreed to pay for the property.  As a result, Florence had to terminate her sales contract on that property.  While the pull of sexy new construction is strong, we helped Flo understand that there likely would be something else out there for her in great condition, but without the tippy-top of the market sticker price one generally finds in new construction.

Sure enough, Flo found a wonderful 2015-built, townhouse style condo in Happy Valley near restaurants, grocery stores and other services that she can walk to.  The property is bigger than the new construction home she had originally decided to purchase and she now has a sweet patch of actual yard out back, another feature that was lacking in her original property.  Like the new construction community in Hillsboro, this resale home also has access to an outdoor neighborhood pool.  Most importantly, the home is in terrific, like-new condition!

We are so happy for you Florence.  We happen to think that Happy Valley is the perfect place for our energetic, gift-giving, eternally cheerful (except after low appraisals perhaps), eternally HAPPY Flo!

 

 

 

Sleeper Properties in a Hot Market?

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

If you’ve been reading our blogs from years past, you may recall us saying that September and October are some of the best months of the year to purchase home.  Buyers often have leverage at this time of  year when over-priced summer inventory can be found at great prices as sellers become more and more nervous about failing to sell.  September & October tend to be awesome months to find sleeper properties!

Fall 2020

This year however, is a whole other ball game!  While our spring selling season got off to a slow start due to Covid, Portland area buyers are definitely making up for lost time.  It’s been a HOT summer real estate market and that trend is showing no signs of stopping as we settle in to fall.  Buyers continue to value the home buying power of incredibly low interest rates, inventory remains painfully almost non-existent, and our September home buying stats are breaking records!   So are there any buyer leverage opportunities out there right now?  Yes, yes there are if you 1. pay attention and 2. get lucky!

Buyer  Trends

Our very savvy first time home buyers Sarah and Travis definitely got lucky, but also were smart enough to know where to look.  They had zoned in on the Hyland Hills neighborhood of Beaverton as their first choice neighborhood  but given the high volume of traffic we experienced when touring the area homes for sale, it was clear that many other buyers had made the same decision!   Thankfully, Sarah and Travis got lucky in that four new listings hit the market at the same time.  Three of the homes were in remodeled, turn-key condition.  This type of home has a huge buyer audience at the moment and we are in a strong trend of a lack of buyer interest in properties that need work – even cosmetic work.

It was clear to us that showing traffic for the pretty, remodeled homes was off the charts, but the fourth property was sitting quietly, patiently waiting for its new owners.  It was the rare and elusive 2020 sleeper property!

The home was being sold as an estate sale: slightly frumpy, needing cosmetic updates, not professionally staged, and so easy to over look… But oh the exceptional quality of this home!

The park-like back yard, the third full bathroom (so rare for the price point), and the fabulous floor plan all contributed to a property that felt less like a “first time home buyer home” and more of an “almost forever home buyer home”!  Sarah and Travis instinctively knew not to waste time in a bidding war for one of the remodeled properties and quickly wrote a strong offer on what is now their first home.

Nice work Sarah and Travis on snagging one of the elusive 2020 sleeper properties, with no competition!

 

If you’d like some guidance on how to look for those rare 2020 sleeper properties, we’d be happy to assist you!  Give us a call.

Kari & Erika

971.322.6612

Buying a House During an Apocalypse

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

You’ve all probably heard that a real estate transaction will likely be one of the most stressful events in your life.  But real estate PLUS everything that’s going on right now is… um… well, it kind of feels like living through an apocalypse (and yes I realize that ‘living through an apocalypse’ is an oxymoron).

Cut to Kirk and Celise who had been living a lovely life in London after work carried them there a few years ago.  Then 2020 upended a bunch of stuff for them and Presto Change-O, they came to the Portland area for Kirk’s sister’s (very small camping) wedding, and then bought a house in Hillsboro.  The end.

I mean seriously, 2020 just kinda feels like that right?  Kirk and Celise (and many of you I’m sure) have got to be feeling like they got lifted in the great Wizard of Oz Pandemic Tornado of life, and then were plopped down in Portland just in time to experience the worst Wicked Witch worthy fire season we’ve seen in our beautiful state.  Folks are getting a ton o’ S_ _ T thrown at them fast and we’re seeing big life decisions made in real time minutes before our very eyes.  Kirk and Celise are definitely not alone on this front.

But Kirk and Celise now have shelter in this apocalypse of a year.  They even got their keys a whole 24 hours before the smoke started to get bad in our area.  And they now have a place where they can weather out this storm, and carry on to a wonderful and full life in a new town that will, once the smoke clears out (and the pandemic is contained), be brimming with hope and opportunity once more.

It’s our job to help you get to your heaven on the other side of your 2020 end-of-days feelings.  And we will do that for you.  We’ve been working real estate for more than 15 years and we’ve worked all kinds of markets and conditions.  And while global pandemics and the worst air quality in the world are definitely new to us, we are carrying on and helping people find shelter in their storms, just like Kirk and Celise, and their cutie-patootie daughter.

Stay Strong Oregon.  We will get through this.

Kari & Erika

971-322-6612

www.houselovepdx.com

 

First Time in Their New Home, Mask-Free

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

Hali & Lucas Keys
Hali & Lucas Get their Keys

We don’t mean to be controversial!  Wearing masks during Covid is allowing us to do business during a very strange and difficult time.  As a result, we and our clients spend a lot of time in masks these days.  So much so, that as I (sanitized and then) handed over the keys to Hali and Lucas, I realized that they were about to enter their first home, mask-free, for the first time ever!  We had only seen Hali and Lucas, mask-free via Zoom and it was truly such a joy to see their lovely faces in this moment…

There’s  lots to be emotional about these days, but it definitely struck me how much has changed in our world and how we humans have the power to innovate, adapt, and overcome.

As first-time home buyers in an insanely competitive buyers’ market, with no childcare, and the pressures of balancing work life at home, and home life at home, Hali and Lucas gracefully handled one of the most challenging and stressful situations we can dream up.  Now Hali and Lucas get to say goodbye to renting small spaces with ever changing monthly rents, and to that feeling of rent money going down the drain.  Hali and Lucas can now put down some roots and start the process of building equity in real estate, which will contribute to the overall financial stability of their lives.  They also now have a pretty nice place to weather a pandemic (and other life challenges and joys)!

From our point of view, the hardest thing about Lucas and Hali’s home search was not being able to hold that friggen adorable baby!!  Truly, what has the world come to when Erika and Kari can’t hold our client’s cute babies?

If you are a first time home buyer and are daunted by this market, give us a shout.   We have been successful for six of our first time home buyer clients this last month alone, and have some great strategies that we can share with you as well.  We would love to help you find your own; your first, HouseLove!

Kari & Erika

971.322.6612

www.houselovepdx.com

 

 

In their own words!

Posted on by Erika George & Kari McGee

Normally we use this blog to tell our clients’ stories.  Our buyer clients Jody and Kevin just closed on their SE Portland home.  Just before closing, they emailed us a thank you note, recapping their story in their own words.  Simply put, it is so touching and authentic, there is no way Kari and I could tell their story any better than they already have.  So here is Jody and Kevin’s story, in their own words:

“Kevin and I are incredibly lucky to be able to work with both of you. Thank you very much for all that you do for us to make this dream come true. This means the world to not only us, but also our families, friends, and the many doctors in Washington D.C.
Four years ago, we moved to Washington D.C. for Kevin to attend The George Washington University School of Nursing. After nursing school we decided to stay in D.C. to get work experiences (Kevin in healthcare and mine in teaching). We bought a small house (similar to this Reedway property). Things were going amazingly but sadly my health declined. I was on life support for 10 days and remained in the hospital in D.C. for 2 months.
Ever since December 2018, I have been in various recovery programs in D.C. working with 9 different teams of specialists at the hospital. The progress that I have made so far is incredible. We thought I would need to be on oxygen for the rest of my life. Thankful I got to return the oxygen supplies back in April (perfect timing with COVID).   
Somehow we were able to continue to do work on the house while I recovered. Surprisingly we were able to complete many major projects by the time we sold it. 
Often people move because of kids or jobs. In our case it was my health. While making decisions to return to Oregon, COVID arrived. With my health dealing with respiratory issues and Kevin working in the ER, we knew that we had to live in separate homes. At the same time we sold our house while having to live apart. We continue to do this while closing on this Reedway house.
The situation at OHSU hospital is much better than the hospital in Washington D.C. Buying this Reedway home will mean that we will finally be able to live in the same home again. We are super excited! Everyone has been counting down the days with us. We plan to live in this house for a very long time. It is going to be surrounded by families and friends. Hopefully things will be safe to celebrate with many people who have been waiting for this moment with us. 
It is not yet the final day but we would like to give many thanks to the two of you for making this dream possible. Being alive and able to continue to share a life with Kevin is more than I could possibly ask for. But being able to have a house in Portland will be beyond our world. Although the teams of doctors in D.C. no longer work with me, they continue to check on weekly bases. They know about this Reedway house. This is beyond what they could have imagined. They truly believed that we made the right decision to return to Portland. 
Thanks a million for all your hard work and for sharing this journey with us. The two of you are an amazing team!“

Thank you Jody and Kevin for sharing your story — it means the world to us and is an inspiration to all!  Stay safe and healthy — we know you can expect years of happiness and good fortune in your new home!!
Kari & Erika