One Block At A Time

It was very important for Daniel to find a house close to the one he just moved out of. He’s a dear friend of mine, as is his immediate family. His needs were similar to what mine are. I live within very close proximity of my ex, who is the father of my child. It’s important to us. We are pretty much best friends and we like to be close because it makes things easy for our child to go back and forth and I like how it extends our household.

Just last year we were looking for a house for Daniel’s mother in law, and we were dumbfounded at how cool it was that she’d be a mere “few houses down,” when we found it! Now Daniel (and Julia’s) son could run back and forth to his grandma’s house. We joked about finding another one on the block and just taking it over. That’s how much they love the neighborhood, ha ha!

Well, life happens and I was called again to help find another home. Would we be able to get lucky again, in this competitive market, in one of the hottest neighborhoods in Portland? We did. Daniel scored. We barely had any competition. It was just perfect summer timing. It’ll be a little love triangle, but not the one you’re thinking. 3 houses, the path to each creating a triangle built from a family that loves and respects one another. They may not own the whole block, but they sure are assets to the neighborhood. I wish them all the best.

New Beginnings & Rosy Richmond Retreats

My clients, Andrew and Erina, currently reside in Seattle and are expecting their first child together soon. They also just closed on this lovely bungalow in SE Portland! Erina is a Portlander by birth and when we found this gorgeous home it was love at first sight for them both. Immediately they were a little overwhelmed with the competitiveness of the market and weren’t quite sure if they could write a competitive offer. Lo and behold, the listing agent followed up with news that for the SAME reason, other prospective buyers hadn’t written offers either! The sellers were left with no offers and encouraged my clients to write.

By the next day they were pending, and now here we are at closing! What a wonderful twist of fate. My clients love it so much, they’re purchasing half the furniture with the home. It helps that the sellers are master woodworkers and made the furniture themselves! Once again, a huge congratulations to Andrew and Erina on their perseverance, patience, and poise throughout this process. I’m so excited for them to begin this new chapter with a beautiful home and family on the horizon. Special thanks to Elizabeth Wren Shiffler at Urban Nest PDX for facilitating the sale! 

Just Sold! A New Springtime Start

Gabrielle and Bobby are recent newlyweds (congrats!) and just closed on their first home together. They met when Gabrielle was visiting a friend for a weekend (she’s from the Chicago area) and it was love at first sight. Fast forward, and these two are now the proud new owners of this beautiful ranch-style home. They love the abundance of natural light throughout, the kitchen, and especially the backyard which is private and spacious. This will be a perfect house to raise a family in, as Gabrielle and Bobby plan to do. Along with their cute 2 year-old pup, they’re so excited to start their life here. Congratulations to you both, and here’s to a bright future in your lovely new place.

Just Sold! Cute, Quaint Quarters in Cully

Sitting on a gorgeous oversized lot, this charming Cully home just closed for my clients! Theirs is a rare find with great amenities and an unbeatable NE Portland location. Courtney and Trace are new parents to beautiful Harper, who was born last April. They’re so excited to raise her here. They’ll enjoy tons of space with this 2,963 square foot floor-plan featuring 5 bedrooms (3 beds ensuite-style) and 4.5 baths. Their big backyard will be perfect as Harper grows up, and for the two pups to run around in. Plus, there’s room for Courtney’s parents to move in and enjoy daily playtimes with Harper. I can’t think of a better home for this amazing couple, and I wish them all the best on this journey ahead. 

When you decide to buy a house together

 

Sometimes buying a house together is just a breeze.  This was one of those times.  Kara and Nicole are one of those couples that works well together and were on the same page while shopping.  Looking to move out a little further for some more space, inside and outside, these two were open to a lot of options.  They settled on outer lents in a delightful little pocket neighborhood.

Kara was my very first client in 2013 and it has been great to watch her grow both personally and professionally and continue developing our friendship along the way.  These two caring, giving nurses brought masks to us and special treats specifically for me as I dealt with some health concerns.  It’s great to see them settle in a house that will allow for them to build their future family together.  It has been very rewarding to be part of that process. I can’t to see what the future holds for them!

Room to Move

When we had the opportunity to talk with Chelsea and Jose to hear their story of why they wanted to buy a home, we felt that this couple was very special. They bought a mobile home a number of years ago and with hard work they were able to save up enough to buy their first home now that their family now growing.  Being in a specific school district was top priority for them, so we honed in on that school district and began their home search.

For Chelsea and Jose they were in contract a few days after getting pre-approved.  However, the home that they got in contract turned out to have a number of big ticket items that they did not feel was wise to continue to pursue. We loved how pragmatic they are and how they are able to make wise decisions for their family without much back and forth.

 

So we set out again looking for their home. This time the home they chose ended up being desired by multiple buyers. So, they had to compete. We found out that the other offer in hand was higher than theirs. Chelsea and Jose wrote the sellers a letter that really helped the seller’s connect with them and in the end the seller decided to go with their offer and saw that they were quality people and would take good care of their home.

It felt so good to relay the good news and to help them get one step closer to having their new home. Then the inspections came around, and there were a number of items that needed attention. In order to work together as a team we were able to find vendors to do the work and get paid from the proceeds of the sale which worked for the sellers and Chelsea and Jose.  Jason went out to the property multiple times during the transaction to make sure the work was being done correctly and that Chelsea and Jose had a good advocate for them so that when they moved in the re-roof and and sewer line were finished and that there were no loose ends that they had to take care of.

It was a very good thing that Jose and Chelsea asked for a re-roof, because when it was being done the roofers discovered that there were 3 layers of roof that needed to be stripped off before the new roof couple be put on.

We are so excited for you all and hope Rex loves his new backyard!

 

World Travelers Make Portland Home

When Kristin & I first met with Erica and Nuno we knew they were our kind of people. Both of them, as we found out at our meeting, had a rich international background and appreciated different cultures.


Erica grew up in SE Portland and moved to Germany where she met Nuno.  Their family speaks three languages and have a plethora of experiences already, but they wanted to be near family as they continued to raise their kiddos and Portland was a good fit for both of them.

So, we began their home search by drawing a tight parameters of the areas in SE Portland that were ideal to them both. They were willing to wait for the right one that landed in those parameters, plus the home had to be a good blend of both of their styles so we were all on the same page that this might be a longer than usual home journey to find the right home and they were ok with that.

Nuno’s architectural background gave him a love of details and the entrance into a home was very important and how it flowed with the rest of the home. Erica had a lot of grace when it came to the quirkiness of Portland homes from growing up here and was able to see potential in fixers if they landed in the right location. But both of them were on the same page in regards to the home that they bought needed to be manageable. Neither were wanting a major project.

The home search began and then was put on pause for a time as they were weighing their options.  Then the pandemic hit and the inventory dried up even more. Choices were slim, and initially it was seeming like the right house was still a ways out the stars aligned for us after a few weeks after starting up their home search again, of looking when a new viable listing popped up within their search. 

When we toured it was love at first sight and I could feel the connection between the home and Erica and Nuno. Not only did this beautifully maintained  1908 craftsman bungalow exuded with the architectural style and features they had been looking for in a home, it was also in an amazing location of the Brooklyn neighborhood in SE Portland.  It was like we stuck gold, and we weren’t the only ones who had the same thought. 

We quickly got together that evening on a Zoom call to strategically crafted an offer with great terms and price based off of comparable sales. All the while, getting to know each others world pretty well with our kiddos bouncing around in the background. 

The offer was submitted and now was the waiting game. We were competitive and we made sure to have  great communication with the other side which got us into contract in a multiple offer situation. We were over the hill with excitement. 

Now began the inspection process. Inspections are usually something that tends to be a bit of challenge in every home buying process. During this pandemic it is extremely important that the over communication be exercised.  We worked together to get bids for Nuno and Erica’s lists of high priority request and negotiated a credit for their repairs. This was a major win for Nuno and Erica as well for the sellers which made it party all around. This is exactly the feeling we like to see is that our clients are happy first and foremost but that we continue moving forward joyously all around. 

Signing was scheduled with a mobile notary and with masks and all they signed their closing documents. An experience that is truly memorable.

Nuno and Erica  have had to make several sacrifices to make this dream a reality and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of the adventure. There couldn’t be a more fitting home and we excited to see their family further enhance and  grow into their home sweet home.

After long last your home sweet home is yours!

Selling and Buying During A Pandemic

After working with Tylor and Nicole previous during the purchase of their condo, Kristin and I knew how kind, level headed and truly made of the finer things they were. However, we would soon be blown away with their strength and determination as we headed into life together once again.  We saw how they handled one obstacle after another and how they came out on top in the end. So, we’ll start from the beginning of their story.

Without a pandemic within the forecast, Tylor and Nicole had goals of selling their condo from over 1 year ago.  The plan was simple: 1. Sell their condo at a compelling price 2. Negotiate a free rent back which would give them ample time to find a suitable new home 3. Negotiate a great price on their new purchase, all without having to move twice.

It seemed like one year went by in a blink of an eye. Tylor, Nicole and their two beautiful toddlers spent countless hours cleaning, painting and staging their condo just in time for photos. Their condo listed on the market for 2 days before it went pending. The planning and strategizing we all exhausted had paid off and now it was time to start the hunt. This was like after a plane takes off for flight and we could now take our seatbelts off for the first time, except we were about to hit our first bit of turbulence.

 

We celebrated the victory of getting into contract so quickly on their listing, and now the hardship of getting into contract on a contingent sale was about to commence.  We toured multiple homes and competed against multiple offers time but because we were a contingent offer this created a challenge for getting into contract. It would have been easy for many to give up at this point, but Tylor and Nicole are made of the toughest stuff and they kept their heads held high. This was right as the COVID-19 epidemic became a pandemic.

Soon we found a home that checked so many of their boxes and we were in contract. During the venture of purchasing their thought to be dream home, we learned of some big ticket repairs that were going to cost over $30,000 in repairs. They weren’t going to move forward unless the sellers gave these concessions. As COVID-19 was rapidly spreading, buyer and seller confidence in Oregon was beginning to wane. It became even more difficult to find contractors to help provide estimates on these necessary repairs as all involved wanted to keep their distance. We did not let this affect our mindset as we dug our heals in the sand and got the bids we needed to negotiate the sale. The sellers only wanted to drop the price of the home by $30,000 which didn’t give Tylor and Nicole the funds they needed to make necessary repairs. It felt like a punch to the gut for us. They decided that the wisest decision for their family was to terminate the sale at this point.

Sometimes you have to take 30 shots in order to make 1!

We were back out in the field touring homes and by this point we had developed new precautionary policies to keep ourselves and others safe. We wore masks, gloves and brought our own booties to every listing. By now listings on the market had precautionary signs asking visitors to stay safe, use hand sanitizer and and keep things wiped down.  Only two people were allowed into homes at once. The fear behind COVID-19 had escalated within a matter of two weeks from the general public as we were all trying to grapple with what was causing the virus to spread so quickly. Plus, there wasn’t much inventory in the price range they were in. Then we discovered this gem:

It was on a dead-end street closer in located in the Mt Tabor neighborhood. The turbulence had started up again when we found out that we would be competing against another offer.  As a team Tylor, Nicole, Kristin and I craft a competitive offer and after some tense negotiating we got into contract! It was a good reminder that sometimes you have to take 30 shots in order to make 1! We celebrated this victory together.

Navigating this process in the height of the pandemic here in Portland was very new to everyone involved. All parties had to do a delicate dance in order to perform inspections and negotiate repairs. Tylor and Nicole were adaptable and persistent which really paid off. We were able to bridge a delicate gap which resulted in the best possible outcome to keep the sale moving forward their family.

They came, they saw, they conquered.

By this time Tylor and Nicole’s free rent back on their condo was coming to an end and their plans of not moving twice needed to change. They were able to find an accommodating Air BnB to put them up until they could take possession of their new home. We all felt a tremendous amount of turbulence throughout their venture which wasn’t expected; however, we came together to come up with solutions and really had to dialogue a lot about the possible outcomes which was painful at times but in the end like the saying goes: They came, they saw they conquered.

We have never seen so many obstacles been thrown at one family during a sale and purchase situation and are so amazed you all handled each hurdle along the way. Kristin and I are honored to have worked with you all through it all. We are thrilled for you all Tylor, Nicole, Quorra and Quentin! We are excited to see your special touch on your new home sweet home.

 

 

Sunny Sought After Hillsboro Condo

SUNNY SOUGHT AFTER HILLSBORO CONDO  $212,000

2330 SE Brookwood Ave #112,  Hillsboro, OR  97123

Move in ready 3 bed, 2 bath condo in tip-top shape! New interior paint. Double pane windows, laminate flooring, affordable HOA with pool access & 2 carport spaces with plenty of parking for guests! Washer, dryer, living room tv/tv mount included! Easy access to Noble Woods Park, Orenco Station, Intel Campus, The Streets of Tanasbourne & much more! HOA includes Commons, Exterior Maintenance, Maintenance Grounds, Pool, Sewer, Trash & Water!

3 bed | 2 bath | 1,004 sq. ft. | 2 Carports w/ Guest Parking | HOA $365/month
MLS# 20439940 | Taxes: $1,407.57 (2019)

Cool Cat Cinder Closes on Charming Condo

“Cinder” is the name of the very lucky cat who will be inhabiting my most recent sale. His new home will be a studio condo in a vintage building in NW Portland. It comes with four big, sunny windows that overlook a courtyard. Perfect for lounging in sun spots and spying on birds from. He hopes his mom, Sylvia, will build him a shelf with a rope to climb up to the top of the 9.5 ft tall ceilings. Now that she has a parking spot, she can get home from work quickly to play and give pets. Since there’s a storage unit too, he expects they will never run out of cat treats and toys, as she can keep it well stocked for him.

Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of meeting Cinder just yet. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with his family though. I helped his owner, Sylvia, and her parents Katelyn and Michael, buy his new home. We looked all over NW Portland for a building with 1920s vintage charm. Sylvia loves the vibe of these old buildings with their high ceilings and ornate lobbies. Katelyn and Michael love that they are able to secure Sylvia (and Cinder) a nice place she can make her own.

After not being able to reach an agreement with the seller of a condo in another building, I was thrilled to see they found one that was an even better fit! The location is incredible, and other residents of the building we met all had great things to say about living there. When Katelyn, Sylvia, and I met at this place, I knew it was the right one. I took finding this one as a reminder that while a sale falling apart, is a bummer, it usually means there is another place out that’s even better!

I was so excited to meet the whole family yesterday evening. We went up to the condo to set up a little wine and cheese plate to welcome Sylvia home with. She met us there and we cheers to their closing on this charming vintage studio!

From what I’ve heard, Cinder will love it.

 

Lake Oswego Easements

So very excited for my clients who’s offer was accepted on this beautiful Lake Oswego Craftsman. Located in the idyllic Lake Grove community, this 3 bed, 2.5 bath home is one of those homes that you don’t want to leave (I got real comfy during inspections).  It’s cozy and peaceful, and was a great deal because at $875k, it came with a Lake Easement.  My clients wanted to make sure that they had year-round Lake access.

Lake Oswego House

So, what is a lake easement?

Easements provide access to property owners in the City of Lake Oswego who have special deeded lake access privileges.  It’s like a small, private club that allows members to access the lake for water activities like swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and boating.

Lake Oswego Corporation (LOC) owns 20 lakeside properties at various locations around the lake to allow eligible easement members to exercise lake access privileges. Each easement is governed by its own individual set of by-laws and has its own volunteer board of directors, which can be found online.  The people we reached out to during our search were always so helpful and friendly. Facilities and rate structures vary from easement to easement. Some have gas grills, picnic areas and playgrounds, while others have boat slips (these usually come with a long waitlist!) and kayak racks.  Initiation fees range from $500-$3000 and annual fees are typically $225-$1000.

There are over 3,000 homes in Lake Oswego whose residents are eligible to exercise lake access privileges.  Sometimes agents don’t advertise that the home they’ve listed has an easement, but this site allows you to see if a property has access to any easements.  Just type in the home address in the box at the bottom.

Easements can’t be sold or transferred. Lake Oswego residents do also have access to two swim parks, although these are only for swim and operate in the Summer months as opposed to year round.

Interested in Lake Oswego home with an easement? Reach out!

Downsizing Texas to Portland

Everything is bigger in Texas, right?

Well that definitely includes beautiful big homes! Making the move from TX to PDX, Gary is downsizing his home and “up-sizing” his time with family.

This month, I had the pleasure of working with Gary from Texas and his kids. Together we found a beautiful home for him here in Gresham. Relocating from Houston, he was ready to make a move and the Portland area was an easy choice. In his sweet 50’s ranch with mature trees and landscaping, Gary will be close to friends and family. Zack, Sarah, and Jeremy, his son, daughter and her husband, all live less than 25 minutes from his new home. He also has ties to Tualatin, Lake Oswego, and more cities with friends and relatives throughout the PNW!

Buying a home sight unseen is a big deal.

Gary had his family here to be his “eyes on the ground” who knew what he’d like. I toured homes with them, and took lots of detailed video tours before we found this house. I knew it was the right one when I learned that the Gary had been referring to it as the house with the “happy tile”.

Gary was not in a hurry to buy and move. He was able to offer a 3 week rent-back to the seller so she could stay after closing. While we offered under-asking, this was a key term that helped us seal the deal. The seller of Gary’s new home was waiting for the owners of her new home to move as she had given them a rent-back period as well. With all of us making accomodations for the next person, we found terms and a price that worked. Even though he was out of state, we had a smooth and pleasant transaction. I took care of the details of the sale, logistics of a sewer line replacement, and attended all inspections with his kids. Then Gary, provided with detailed inspection reports, videos, and family input, made all the decisions. It worked great and he got a good deal on a great home.

I am so thrilled to hand over keys in a few weeks!

It will not only be the first time he sees his new home, but it will be the first time we meet in person! I know we’ll get along great though. Gary is a fellow foodie, and I’m looking forward to celebrating over dinner with the family at one of Portland’s amazing restaurants. Congrats Gary!

___

I always love helping out of state buyers and sellers. It’s a joy knowing I can help provide some calm and extra insight to clients who are far away. It is also very gratifying to close a deal for an out of state client. I know how much trust they have placed in me to handle the in-person logistics for them and to work closely with their family or friends in the area if they have them. If you are out of state too, or have family or friends who need real estate help here in Portland, please reach out. I am always happy to just answer questions or help you get started on your move if you’re ready!

Family Matters!

 

This is Kristin and Dante. I met them both on a rainy afternoon out in Sherwood. Initially Kristin wasn’t quite sure about leaving city life for the suburbs. Though with Dante’s school years fast approaching she knew that she wanted to start putting down roots in a place with an amazing sense of community for the family.

Kristin had friends that lived in Sherwood and was familiar with the area, but not so much the community. This was an amazing opportunity for me to share my love for Sherwood. I grew up there and could speak first hand about my experiences in the area.

We ended up spending our first afternoon only viewing one property. We spent the rest of the time at Snyder park watching Dante play. It was the same park I played at with my friend growing up and spent time with my family and it was amazing to share old stories.

After that afternoon Kristin knew Sherwood was the community for them. About a week later we pulled up to the house Kristin would end up falling in love with. The children’s toys in the neighboring yards immediate felt right. When we walked in to find huge windows and big living spaces it all really felt like a bonus.

 

Congratulations Kristin and Dante!

 

 

Zoe Spring is a Licensed Broker with Yascha Group at Living Room Realty in Portland, OR.  Follow Yascha Group  on Facebook.

A Long Time Coming

Matt & Eleanor and I had been working for over a year to find the perfect home for them. Their family was growing and they wanted the perfect home to grow with them. Their one and half year old son and golden retriever need more space to play. They really wanted something close-in North or Northeast Portland, with a 2 car garage and oversized lot. After a long and tiring search they finally found a fixer with loads of potential.

We made an offer and then found out that it was one of 13. They were nervous, but in the end we got it! Turns out the sellers really wanted the home to go to a family. Matt & Eleanor are excited to fix up the home over time and restore it to its former glory while adding their own touches to make it their perfect family home.

Selling the Family Farm

When one of my all time favorite clients called to ask if could help her dad sell his childhood home, there was no way I could say no. After learning more about the property and having a fall vacation scheduled, I decided to seek the co-advice of one of my amazing colleges, Kim Parmon. I can honestly say, this ended up being one of my wisest decisions ever.

Kim and I met with our client when we competed for the listing. Immediately, we both fell in love with the property. A charming 50’s ranch, located on 18+ acres with jaw dropping views out of the wall of windows throughout the main floor. We were in the country, with deer in the backyard, but minutes from the city. An old historic barn sat to the side of the house. The barn once housed cows and horses, hosted weddings, a basketball hoop and a loft with a rope swing. It full of charm and possibility.

The listing went live toward the end of September. It truly was a one of a kind property and buyers felt the same way. Despite the million dollar plus market being a little softer, we received multiple offers within days. Typically, multiple offers lead to a fairly straight forward transaction. However, in this case, Kim and I were faced with sale fails and numerous negotiations. This caused a high level of stress for both our seller and the potential buyers. The uniqueness and emotional pull of this property made it difficult for all. In the end, a buyer and the seller were able to come to terms acceptable for all and we could not be more thrilled.

Yesterday Kim and I received an e-mail from our client saying, “It’s been a pleasure working with you both. You’ve expended a lot of energy, time and expense, doing things above and beyond our expectations. From dealing with the inspections, well and septic folks, providing the cleaning and warranty, keeping good communications the whole while, and not pressuring any decisions, but providing lucid advice when asked for, has made this transaction as good as it could be. The icing on the cake is the thoughtful painting – it will give us a wonderful memory of the family farm.”

We couldn’t be happier for our client and that we were able to provide the type of service that we strive to give in every transaction. We would love to help you and your friends with your real estate needs. And, if you want a painting of your house, similar to the one of the barn above, we can hook you up with that too!

 

NICE AND SLOW WITH ROOM TO GROW

Expecting their fourth boy. J&B were feeling the constraints of their first home. They had found a listing for the perfect little slice of rural life just outside the city and gave me a call. The property was a rural farm house in Canby, OR. With over 3,000 square feet and just over an acre of land. The photos online featured a river running through the backyard, one of the biggest Oak trees I have ever seen, and the cutest little pump house covered with ivy.

It was a chilly January afternoon when we decided to check it out. As we pulled up, the sun broke through the clouds. It didn’t take long to realize that this home was perfect for them. Soon after, I went to work developing a game plan
to rush their current house to market. Then we wrote an offer! This gem of a property had been listed for sale by owner for over a year. Imagine our surprise when another offer came in the same day as ours… and it was accepted!

 

First time viewing the home!

We were all a bit devastated. It had been so easy envisioning them making that property their home. I knew how much they wanted that house. We had laid down all of their cards with the offer. The offer was well below asking and at the top of their budget. The house had sat for so long though. So back to the drawing board we went. It was pretty clear from the get go though, that they just weren’t ready to move on.  J&B were not going to just get over “the one that got away”. So, with the impending birth of a new baby, J&B decided that moving just wasn’t meant to be. They decided to stay put for the time being.

Fast forward two months later and two weeks from baby 4’s arrival…. I got a call from the owner of their dream property. Rising interest rates had caused the accepted offer to fall out of contract. The house was going back on the market. The owner wanted to know if my clients were still interested? I immediately called J&B and told them I needed to talk to them in person. They had no idea what I was about to tell them (see the reaction photo above). They were beyond excited and we resubmitted!

 

The house is back on market!

 

Being a rural property. The inspections are a little more nuanced than they tend to be in city limits. We asked for one month to list and sell their old home. We then asked for a 20 business day inspection period rather than the usual 10. The rural property was located on a flood zone. It also had a well and septic tank that we needed to understand.

 

Pump house for well

With baby T due in just two weeks, we went to work preparing their house for sale. Walls and cabinets were painted. Staging was brought in and some landscaping was done to ensure that the house would sell promptly. All the efforts paid off! The house went pending! We then wrapped up the purchase of their dream home!

 

 

Fast forward 5 months. This family is now settled into the rural life! They have spent the summer swimming, catching snakes, making new friends, and enjoying river view sunsets. This purchase certainly wasn’t a short one, but it was well worth it to see this family living their dream! Just as they had envisioned on that cold January afternoon.