The Benefits of Working with a Professional Realtor

Mar 2, 2018 by admin

There are lots of people looking for properties to buy or sell in Portland, Oregon. Some of these people are doing it on their own, while others are using the services of a real estate agent. The truth is, there are lots of advantages in choosing to hire a realtor. Here are some of the reasons why working with a realtor is a good option:

Real estate is one of the most complicated industries today, and is best accessed working with a professional who understands the tricks of the trade
Buying or selling a house isn’t simple. There are numerous, crucial processes necessary in order to complete any real estate transaction
You will most likely need other professional services as well, such as assessors, title companies, home inspectors

Tags

Happy New Year!

Jan 5, 2018 by admin

A brand new year! Are you asking yourself “Where did 2016 go?!” We sure are! It’s been a year of amazing discoveries, tough challenges, new possibilities and thankfulness for family and friends.

We hope your new year is better than you can even imagine today. May your home be warm, your heart light and your new year full of good things.

From the ARM Real Estate Solutions team.

Happy New Year!

Tags

The Choice is Yours

Nov 3, 2017 by admin

A simple search for real estate agents in Portland, Oregon will result in over 1,100 listings on Yellowpages.com. This includes listings of individual agents and big name agencies, such as Oregon Realty, Encore Group Realty and Realty Solutions. A commonly used website for home buyers, Zillow.com, lets you search for real estate agents in Portland, Oregon by their neighborhood, with 3,692 results of real estate agents and agencies which can then be filtered through options such as Listing Agent, All-Stars, Local experts and Foreclosures. Another review based website, Yelp.com has over 800 listings for real estate agents in Portland, Oregon.

As you can see, the options are endless if you’re looking for a real estate agent in Portland, Oregon. All of these agents have successfully completed their pre-licensing education, resulting in obtaining their real estate license, valid in Oregon. Brokers and appraisers have gone through additional education courses for their license, as well. A potential real estate agent in Portland, Oregon must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. They must then complete the Real Estate License Application online, pay a license application fee and select an agency approved school.

According to the Oregon government, 150 hours are required for a broker’s pre-license education. Once the 150 hours is completed, the student must pay for and pass both sections of the broker license exam at a designated testing center. They are also required to submit fingerprints for a background check.

With the endless options for real estate agents in Portland, Oregon you can be assured that they have gone through formal education and have obtained the required licenses to represent the company they work for. The best thing about options is you can take your time, get to know the agent who is going to work the best for you in the Portland, Oregon area.

Tags

Real Estate Companies Can Be a Great Tool!

Sep 1, 2017 by admin

The Portland, Oregon metropolitan area is an expansive area that can make it difficult for people to narrow down a search and locate just the right properties to buy, or to find qualified buyers for the property they want to sell. Thanks to the many Portland, Oregon real estate companies, however, property owners and buyers can more easily find the best solutions to their real estate needs. Property owners can use these companies to advertise and find qualified buyers for their properties, while potential buyers can more easily locate the properties they want to purchase.

How to find the best real estate companies:

There are several channels available to find the best real estate companies to meet your needs. Most real estate companies have an online presence and their websites can be easily located through major sites such as Zillow, Yahoo, Google, Equity Group, Realty Trust, Oregon Realty and Yelp, to name a few. Alternatively, people can use the Yellow Pages or find out from their social contacts.

Benefits of real estate companies for potential property buyers:

Different people have different preferences for where they want to live. It could be anything from a condo, an apartment, or a single family home in a neighbourhood. Searching for a property by location, size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, purchase price and nearby amenities can be a daunting and expensive task for a property seeker. Real estate companies in Portland, Oregon help property seekers locate the property they want faster and more cost effectively than undertaking it on their own. Most of these companies have a search engine on their websites that allows property seekers to type in their property specifications and get instant feedback on the properties that fall within those specifications. The real estate company can also represent the client once the decision is made about what property they want to purchase.

Benefits of real estate companies to property owners:

Some individuals or organizations own properties of varying sizes in one or multiple locations, and at different prices. Finding buyers or tenants for these properties can be a monumental task for some property owners. With the help of real estate companies, however, these owners can much more easily find suitable buyers or tenants for their properties. These real estate companies can also represent these property owners during lease or ownership transactions.

Conclusion:

Real estate companies in Portland, Oregon help property buyers and sellers find the right solutions much more easily and quickly than handling the process single-handedly. These real estate companies provide services that go beyond simply finding locations or interested parties. Find the best real estate companies that can help meet your real estate needs. You have a lot to choose from.

Tags

Tips for Preparing to Sell Your Home

Jul 7, 2017 by admin

Have you been thinking about moving out of your home or listing it for sale, so you can make some money? If so, you should know that you have to plan out the selling of your home or else you could be in for a rude awakening. Chances are, you need someone to help you get your home ready to put up for sale. After all, not everyone is going to love your decorating style and a professional will be able to help you get the most out of your home.

However, you may not be able to find a professional that will help you or you are too cheap to shell out the cash in the first place. If that’s the case, check out the tips below and you will most definitely increase the value of your home. Also, you will be able to sell your home much faster.

Make sure your home has no pests in it. You will want to have your home inspected for termites and other pests by a professional. If any pests are found in your home, you want to make sure you reverse all the damage that they have done. No one should ever be able to tell that there were ever any pests within the home. Also, after the inspection has been completed, you will be given an inspection certificate that you can show off to any potential buyers. That way, they know the home is pest-free.
When people come to look at your house, they like to picture how the house is going to look with all of their stuff in the house. Therefore, you should try to keep your personal items stored away while your house is for sale. For instance, you may want to take those family photographs and put them in the closet. Try to give the house a very general look, without any of your personal decorations.
Your pets shouldn’t be seen while you’re showing off your house. If you can, you should drop them off at a friend’s or relative’s house. Alternatively, you could keep your pets outside. Either way, it’s not attractive when a dog is jumping all over the people that are coming to look at your house. Also, litter boxes, beds, etc… Should be put away and out of sight. A lot of people don’t enjoy living in a home where pets once lived.
Have your carpet steam cleaned before you list your home for sale. It’s recommended that carpet should be steam cleaned every three years. Have this done right before listing your home for sale so it will be fresh.
Cleaning your house before showing it to prospective buyers should be common knowledge, but you need to get those hands dirty. You will want to clean everything you can possibly think of and I’m not talking about vacuuming and mopping the floor. You’ll need to dust your house, clean the windows, ceiling fans, etc.. Also, don’t forget about cleaning the outside of the house. A clean house, both inside and out, is a lot easier to sell!

Tags

Take the Stress Out of Buying or Selling Your Home

May 5, 2017 by admin

Having a solid, comfortable place to live, whether you live in Portland, Oregon or anywhere else in the world, is extremely important. It’s a challenge, however, that finding a home in Portland, or in most other places in the world, has become an extremely challenging task these days. Real estate has become so expensive!

As an individual looking to purchase or sell a real estate property, your aim will naturally be to get the best deal for your money (when you’re buying) and the most money for your property (when you’re selling). It goes without saying that sometimes, it can be close to impossible to find the ideal property that you want to buy, or find the ideal customer for the property you’re selling.

In either scenario, it makes sense to have Portland, Oregon real estate companies help you out. A real estate company will have the listings of the best properties in the market if you’re looking to purchase a property. These companies will be able to provide you with an inside look at the property and also furnish you with all the details that you’ll need to make up your mind. They can transform the task of purchasing a property from highly challenging and likely frustrating to relatively easy and speedy!

A real estate company will also be able to make the task of selling your property an easy one by providing you with pointers on how you can get the maximum sale price for your property. The real estate company can also help provide you with a number of potential buyers so that you can sell your property to the best buyer.

It’s a well-known fact that buying and selling real estate doesn’t happen overnight. This challenging task calls for awareness, attention to detail, patience, knowledge of the real estate market and experience. Let an Oregon real estate company help make this stressful experience easier.

Tags

Portland, Oregon Housing Market Report

Mar 3, 2017 by admin

When buying a home in the Portland, OR area, one thing that many people do some research on is the real estate market in the area. If you haven’t done the research yet and are considering the purchase of a new home in the area, you will no longer have to as you’ll find out everything you need to know and more right here. To start things off, the average listing price of a home for sale in the Portland area is somewhere in the range of $450,000 dollars. While this might seem high to the average person (or not so high to others), there are homes in the area that sell for far less as the average selling price is some $200,000 dollars less.

Nearly 2,000 of the 6,000+ homes sold in the last year or two have been foreclosures which means that they typically sell for far less than what they would originally be listed for. This, in turn, not only saves you money but gives you a property that you could resell later on down the road for a decent profit should you decide to relocate to a new area and sell your home.

What if you’re looking to purchase a home in a certain area? For example, if you are looking to buy a home in the Southwest Hills area, you can expect to spend over $1 million dollars. However, if you are on a budget and want to live in an area that is still considered ideal, you can look in the Montavilla area and expect to spend less than $200,000 dollars for a home.

If you have kids and care to know about the various school districts in the area then you’ll most likely be comparing two different districts which are the David Douglas School District 40 and the Beaverton School District which is the larger of the two with something like 40,000 students (David Douglas has around 10,000 students). Taking all these things into serious consideration, you should have no trouble finding the perfect match as long as you have a solid real estate agent or company by your side.

To get started, you can start shopping around and finding homes that are of interest to you. Once you find one that you’re interested in, you can either contact the real estate company that has the listing for sale or bring in your own real estate agent to seal the deal, make an offer, or find out more information about the home. Portland is not only a great area to invest in a home but is an equally great area to live in. The pricing of the homes showcases this fact as does the amount of homes sold in the area on an annual basis. In comparison to other cities the size of Portland, you’d be hardpressed to find a better housing market on the West Coast that is both affordable and in good locations.

In short, the Portland housing market is growing and affordable. This is great news for new home buyers or those fresh out of school looking to make their first big investment. With prices in ideal neighborhoods under $200,000 dollars, Portland may just be your ideal city.

Tags

Portland is One of the Best Places in America to Live

Jan 6, 2017 by admin

Moving is never an easy thing to do, but if you’re fortunate enough to live in the Unites States, you’ll have lots of great cities to pick from – such as Portland, Oregon.  Why Portland? It’s is one of the most popular cities in the US to live. The city is known for its friendly people (who will help you connect with other locals), lots of great neighborhoods, a strong sense of community and a great cultural environment. The very essence of the city revolves around staying connected to the people you love and building strong community connections. In fact, the city houses the Oregon Public House, which is the first ever nonprofit pub that donates every single cent of its profits to charity!   And Portland is known to attract some of the best talent and great thinkers, like Julie Keefe, who happens to be one of the top 100 most creative people on the planet!

Whether you’re a fan of the arts, music, performances or philosophy, you’ll find communities of people who share your interests and who can’t wait to meet you.

There’s also another side to Portland that welcomes your furry family members. Many employers in town, such as the Wieden Kennedy Group, actually allow you to bring your furry family to work! No need to be bored or suffer from loneliness.

No matter what your tastes are, Portland is considered one of the greatest cities in America to live. All it takes to get established here is to find a good real estate agent that can help you locate just the right home for you. Real estate agents in Portland will be able to help you find the right place to stay here while you’re looking for just the right place to settle into. After that, the sky’s the limit!

Tags

Three Tips for Choosing a Good Real Estate Agent

Nov 4, 2016 by admin

If you’re moving to Portland, Oregon and you have no idea which is the best area to buy or lease a house or an apartment in, your best option could be to hire a real estate agent. As a professional, they know the area well and will help you look for a suitable property. All you need to do is explain your preferences, the kind of environment you want and the realtor will help you find it.

Make sure to do some good research before you hire anyone. Look for the most reputable individual or company, and then, depending on your needs, contact one for a consultation. You may need to interview several realtors before you find one that you want to work with, but take your time. Choosing the right real estate agent is one of the most crucial decision you can make when selling or buying properties. Real estate agents can either help you get the best deal in the market or lose your desired purchase or sale. To make sure you’re dealing with the best agent, try following these three simple tips in finding and choosing the best one for you.

 Research:

You need to do your research. You can do this by visiting agents and asking them questions. While engaging in the conversation, note how they talk and the solid information in their statements. If you ask the right questions, you can extract more sensitive data, like their previous experiences, achievements and certifications. If this strategy is not enough, you can ask for a list of the agent’s previous clients and then, give them a call. Their past client’s experiences are the best means by which you can fully establish the credibility and effectiveness of a possible agent. This strategy, however, is a lot of work. That’s why very few people go through this type of research, although it’s the best way to find the best agents.  

Validate:

Getting verbal claims and achievements isn’t enough. You need proof. One way to do this is to check the regulatory board of your state for real estate agents. States such as California, Arizona and Virginia have online postings about real estate agents and their achievements as well as the disciplinary actions taken against them (if there are any). Check Oregon’s regulatory board to see if it has an online posting for real estate agents.  

Strategy:

One of the best things to know in choosing a real estate agent is to find out the strategies they will use in order to help you in the market. Some valuable questions might be:

How will the agent sell or get the property you want?
What are their connections?
How do they deal with other clients?
What will their mode of communication be?

These are just some of the things that will help you pick out the best real estate agents in Oregon. Make sure you get the best. Why settle for anything less?

Tags

Services Provided by Portland, Oregon Real Estate Companies

Sep 2, 2016 by admin

Portland, Oregon real estate companies assist home sellers and buyers to sell or purchase homes with ease. Sellers may not always know where or how to look for buyers to purchase their home at the right price, time or terms. On the same note, buyers may not always know how to find their dream home. Thanks to real estate companies that provide house sale and purchase services, buyers and sellers can achieve their goals more quickly, cost effectively and hassle free.

Services to Home Sellers:

Selling a house involves a number of processes, including advertising and preparing ownership transfer papers, among numerous other things. Real estate companies advertise homes on their company platforms. These companies can find the best home buyers faster than the home sellers can because the companies have a pool of potential buyers. In addition to advertising the homes for sale, real estate companies may offer to screen potential home buyers, prepare home sale documents and collect the money on behalf of the seller.

Services to Home Buyers:

Real estate companies in Oregon can assist potential home buyers in finding their dream home in the desired location, and at an affordable price, without having to travel around neighborhoods asking about available homes for sale. These companies have in their databases many diverse homes, and anyone can visit their offices or websites in search of their dream home. In most cases, the websites have search engines where potential home buyers can type in their desired home details (location, price, neighborhood) and then have the search engine give feedback on the homes tailored to the desired specifications.

Conclusion:

Portland, Oregon has many real estate companies that assist buyers and sellers to purchase or sell homes hassle free. Buyers can benefit from easy and tailored home searches, while sellers can benefit from the companies’ wide pool of potential buyers. You can locate real estate companies in Oregon on websites such as Zillow, Realtor and Yellows Pages.