$50,000 For You and your Portland Oregon Home?

Been looking for that perfect home in Portland Oregon but don’t quite have enough money to swing it? Perhaps you do have a bit of money for the down but there are just too many repairs to make it work?

Well this could be your day! Thanks to the Portland Development Commission and Uncle Sam under the Neighborhood Stabilzation Program $50,000 secondary loans will soon be availlable.

For more information about What it is and How can you get your Share stop by my web site at www.portlandrealproperty.com/50000foryou  for the details.

While your there be sure to check out all of the links. This truly is one stop shopping. Got a link idea you don’t see covered on my site? Drop me a line and tell me all about it. h.hamilton@remax.net

Portland Market Report for March 2009

Market Action Report , Source : RMLS Oregon for Residential Listings

The Portland Metro market activity continues to grow in 2009 although it is still slightly behind 2008 levels for the same reporting period last year.

March 2009 closed sales grew by 382% pending sales were up 28.3% over February 2009.

Inventory levels also dropped to 12 months, it’s lowest since October 2008. Average and Median sales price however continued to drop by 11.8% and 14% respectively for the month of March as compared with February.

                                Current Month                        Year to Date

New Listings                141                                         477                   Area141 ( North Portland )

                                    355                                        1,064                 Area 142 ( Northeast Portland )

                                    423                                        1,376                 Area 143 ( Southeast Portland )

Pending Sales                82                                            193                 Area 141

   2009                         180                                            430                 Area 142

                                    230                                            573                 Area 143

Closed Sales                  68                                            132                 Area 141

                                    117                                            303                 Area 142

                                    169                                            423                 Area 143

Average Sales          $216,600                                   $232,000            Area 141

Price                        $290,000                                   $296,000            Area 142

                               $237,400                                    $239,000            Area 143

Median Sales                                                              $229,600            Area 141

    Price                                                                       $260,000            Area 142

                                                                                   $210,000            Area 143

Days on The                                                                    114                 Area 141

    Market                                                                         130                 Area 142

                                                                                        149                 Area 143

All information is deemed to be accurate but not guaranteed and is only a partial amount of information provided by RMLS. Use of this information is for entertainment only and should not be used as a basis for conducting real estate activity.

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Portland Oregon Buyer’s Market or Sellers Market

Last week during a showing a group of a charming Victorian home in Portland Oregon the Buyer asked me ” Do you think the Seller would be willing to take less?  ” Now I have answered this question thousands of times over the last 20+ years usually with a simple answer like” I don’t make decisions for the Seller’s, perhaps we should put it in writing and see what they have to say? ”.

However because of the tone in the Buyer’s voice, a tone that gave me the impression he thought that he deserved a reduction in price, I asked ” What causes you to ask that “? His straight up answer was “ Because it’s a Buyer’s Market Right? ”.

In Portland Oregon over the last year we have had a decrease in market prices and an increase in inventory. The only problem with his question was that this home had been on the market for less than 12 hours and it had real estate agents and thier Buyers crawling all over it. I recognized many of the agents and could see in their eyes the excitement. This truly was an amazing property and very very agressively priced.  A victorian such as this will get multiple offers.

The question asked earlier in the day by me Buyer started me to thinking about the differences in a Buyer’s Market and a Seller’s Market. I have touched on this subject once before on my Portland_Flips_Business_Blog  .

So what are the elements? Well certainly over the last several years as the market has continued to expand, one would have to conclude that was a Seller’s Market. Prices were constantly going up, speculation was often the name of the game and Seller’s were reaping relatively quick rewards for their properties.

So then to be a Buyer’s Market the opposite must be true? One of falling sales prices, rising inventories and strong competition to make your property the most attractive with little or no profits at all for the Seller’s perhaps even selling at a loss as it has been in many parts of the country for the last couple of years or so. 

In this type of market you would conclude that Buyer’s following sound business principles of Buy Low and Sell High would then be in a Feeding Frenzy. Especially in areas that have been notoriously expensive to purchase. While interest rates are relatively low and prices are down you would think that all of the people who had hoped to purchase and were unable to during the Seller’s Market would be all over this Buyer’s Market. The pent up demand for those who have wanted to buy and had been priced out certainly would propel the amount of sales in a Buyer’s Market well past any number done in a Seller’s Market.

That however is not the case. In fact it has not been the case at all in the last 20 years. I have watched as markets went through there normal cycles of highs and lows.The reality is that Buyer’s tend to make more purchase’s in a Seller’s Market often times competing for the same homes while driving up the prices even further.

So what about this Buyer’s Market then? Well if Buyer’s don’t or won’t take advantage of the conditions then by it’s own default there can be no Buyer’s Market.

Do you Agree or Disagree? For me I think there is no such thing as a Buyer’s Market or for that matter a Seller’s Market. There is Just a Real Estate Market.

Let_Your_Next_Home_Find_You  Automated search for Portland Oregon Real Estate using Your Criteria.

Investor’s_Real_Estate_Search_Engine  Take advantage of this a true Real Estate Investors dream tool.

How Hungry Are YOU ?

A quick cute story. I had taken a Sign call fairly early in the morning some years ago on a Home that I had Listed in the Piedmont Neighborhood of Portland Oregon. The call had been placed by a fellow that I would guess was about 35 years old or so. He had asked if I could pick him and his Grandmother up and take them to see the house.

Beaming over the phoneI said that I would be Delighted. I went right into my qualifications spiel asking them my standard set of questions. Amongst the questions that I like to ask is ” would you have time to look at other properties as well. ” I generally would pick a couple of more homes close by. The man said that he thought that would be a great Idea.

Promptly at 3pm I picked up the man and his Grandmother and took them to the house. As we walked through the Grandson asked a variety of questions and I returned the favor by answering and following up with a series of questions of my own. Grandmother chose to walk through the home without making any comments at all even when I asked her questions she mostly nodded and moved on.

The Grandson seemed to be asking enough questionsfor the both of them. And as Grandmother did not seem the least annoyed or interested in contributing to the conversation I pretty much left it at that. The next two homes were literally a replay of the first home. That of the Grandson asking a lot of questions and Grandmother walking and nodding when required.

We had spent at least 45 minutes in each of the housesand I wondered if Grandmother was getting little tired. Before I could ask them if they wanted a brake, the Grandson said that he would like to take a closer look at the first house again. We spent a least another 30 minutes there the second time. The entire time Grandmother wandered and I answered questions.

Driving them towards the house the Grandson suddenly had the presence of mind to ask his Grandmother if she was hungry. After being with them for almost 3 hours Grandmother made her first and only statement.

” I’m so hungry I could Eat a Raw Dog ! “

Herb Hamilton is a real estate Broker associated with RE/MAX Preferred Inc. Realtors in Portland Oregon

” A Real Estate Experience with Herb is one YOU will Profit from “

Wall Murals of Alberta Arts District in Portland Oregon

Do you live in a city that embraces local artists?  Portland Oregon is just such a place. This detail of a wall mural in the Alberta Arts District of Portland is just one of many shining examples. The display fosters a sense of community and also helps to curtail graffiti taggers.

The Alberta Arts Districthas become very popular over the last several years. In the mid 1990’s I worked with several Contractors who bought homes in the area to rehab and resale. Returning those old turn of the century homes to a new state of grandeur has been quite emotionally rewarding. And now that people are poring into the area it is really a joy to see.

Don’t lose out on your opportunity. Come to My_Real_Estate_MLS_Web_Site_for_Buyer’s  and Let Your Next Home Find You.

Herb_sells_Alberta_Arts_District_Homes  by the boat load!

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Moving to Portland Find Schools for your home

Getting all your information in one place is often times very hard. Example you just found out that your company is moving you to Portland Oregon. The thoughts flood into your head like lightning bolts on the open prairie.

Where is Portland? What about my friends? Where will we live? What about the Kids Schools? Just to mention a few. Well now you can have it all in just one place.

Having worked with Incoming Buyers transplanted here from all over the world for more than 20 years I set out to put it all together on my Portland_Or._Web_Site . While here you can do a variety of things from Search_Foreclosures, find Mortgage Broker information or mortgage calculators, do a Basic_MLS_Search or for those who prefer the visual search try the Portland_Real_Estate_IDX_Search or you can simply Let_Your_Next_Home_Find_You with this simple email notification site. And of course you can do your own property searches right here on the Pickle.

One of the Biggest concerns for those transferring to Portland are Schools.  When moving to Portland you can Find_a_Portland_Public_School by you new home address. While there you can follow a variety of links to help you find more information about the schools like reports, attendance and class sizes, age of school and much much more.

While at my web site just for fun be sure to check out some of Herb’s_Sold_Homes . Golfers don’t despair, there is even a link for you at Golf_in_Portland right here. I welcome you suggestions as well. Didn’t see it here? Tell me about it.

Living through Challenging Times

The Following post is from my Activerain Blog :

One of the wonders of life is living through challenging times. In my own life the times of plenty and success have gone by like a blurr. Each and every year of prosperity virtually indistinguishable from one another.

Yet I can remember the years of hardships and adversity as if they were yesterday. Even in family gatherings more often than not those trying times will make for more reminiscence than the trips abroad.

The current troubling times of our country will make you stronger and closer to those who you know and love. The trials and tribulations that you go through yesterday, today, and tomorrow will be fodder for future reminisces at your family gatherings.

As I look back over my own trials of the past, even in those darkest days there was always something that stood out as an achievement. A sort of badge or courage in the dimmest of light.

Like back in 1986 when the unemployment rate in my small town became so severe that people were unable to pay there bills. I owned a metal fabrication shop at the time and a client who could not pay had to much pride to skip out. He paid his bill with a winters worth of firewood, a mini motor bike for my 10 year old son, and small aluminum fishing boat with a 7hp outboard motor that my wife and I enjoyed for many summers at the lake.

In the bleakest of times there are always opportunities. In years to come will you look back and say we bought our home in 2009? Let this be your year of opportunity. Create a memory today.

Yesterday I had just one of many memorable momentsas I passed the keys to a Young Fellow to his new home. Of course this home was built in 1908 but it was new to him and all his. I could see the pride of new ownership and promise in his eyes. I wish for all of you that same feeling.

To check out other Homes_Sold_by_Herb_Hamilton_in_Portland_Oregon  please take a look at this really cool map. Zoom in or change the view . House_hunt_Portland where your next home will find you! 

Have a wonderful and prosperous memory filled 2009.

Expectations of Service in 2009

One of the wonders of life is living through challenging times. In my own life the times of plenty and success have gone by like a blurr. Each and every year of prosperity virtually indistinguishable from one another.

Yet I can remember the years of hardships and adversity as if they were yesterday. Even in family gatherings more often than not those trying times will make for more reminiscence than the trips abroad.

The current troubling times of our country will make you stronger and closer to those who you know and love. The trials and tribulations that you go through yesterday, today, and tomorrow will be fodder for future reminisces at your family gatherings.

As I look back over my own trials of the past, even in those darkest days there was always something that stood out as an achievement. A sort of badge or courage in the dimmest of light.

Like back in 1986 when the unemployment rate in my small town became so severe that people were unable to pay there bills. I owned a metal fabrication shop at the time and a client who could not pay had to much pride to skip out. He paid his bill with a winters worth of firewood, a mini motor bike for my 10 year old son, and small aluminum fishing boat with a 7hp outboard motor that my wife and I enjoyed for many summers at the lake.

In the bleakest of times there are always opportunities. In years to come will you look back and say we bought our home in 2009? Let this be your year of opportunity. Create a memory today.

Yesterday I had just one of many memorable momentsas I passed the keys to a Young Fellow to his new home. Of course this home was built in 1908 but it was new to him and all his. I could see the pride of new ownership and promise in his eyes. I wish for all of you that same feeling.

To check out other Homes_Sold_by_Herb_Hamilton_in_Portland_Oregon  please take a look at this really cool map. Zoom in or change the view . House_hunt_Portland where your next home will find you! 

Have a wonderful and prosperous memory filled 2009.