Selling a Home in Portland

Top 1% Seller’s Agent

Planning on selling your Portland home in the next year or so? You’ve come to the right place. Stephen FitzMaurice, Principal Broker is a top 1% sellers agent in Portland with over 1,000 local sales under his belt and writes extensively about the Portland real estate market.

The Right Way to Sell

We charge 4.5% commission max. and pay more online to market our Portland area homes so they sell faster and for more. We have a reasonable commission fee, while still providing more marketing and services than our competitors. We back it all up with a cancel anytime policy for no charge. Read all about our top home selling service here.

Who Pays for Title Insurance? Oregon Closing Costs

September 21, 2020

When’s the last time you heard of someone losing their home because an unsatisfied heir of a previous owner laid claim to it? You probably haven’t because of title insurance, an often-overlooked component of real estate transactions. In Oregon, title insurance represents a lion’s share of the average home seller’s closing costs, but home buyers have to buy a policy, too. But let’s start with the most frequently asked question our real estate agents are asked about title insurance: What exactly is it? What is Title Insurance?  A “title” refers to the legal right to ownership; it’s an abstract concept and different from a “deed”. With a deed, you just have a piece of paper stating ownership, which is pretty...

Professional Real Estate Photography Sells Homes

September 14, 2020

As a real estate agent, it’s hard for me to name just one thing that sellers MUST do before they list their home for sale. But getting professional photographs of the home is pretty high up on the list. There’s just no arguing with the facts: A well photographed home is a home that sells more quickly, and often for more money.  Professional vs. Non-professional Photos Let’s make a distinction between standard, camera-phone photos and professional photography. The pictures that most real estate agents take are simply inadequate for accurately displaying a home online. Even though high-megapixel smartphone cameras are pretty nice these days, they’re not good enough to replicate professional photography.  Professional photography isn’t just about the high-end camera,...

How much are Sellers’ Closing Costs to Sell a Home in Oregon?

September 11, 2020

The seller pays for the title insurance closing cost. A home seller has to pay for the title insurance cost, title insurance being that policy purchased to protect the buyer from a false or hidden seller. Title insurance covers the passing of ownership to the buyer and by Oregon state law, is paid for by the seller. Title insurance rates change, but a rough estimate for today is about $1350 for a $500,000 home. The price goes down if the home sales price is less and up if it is more. It is my understanding based on industry experience that this title insurance cost cannot be passed on to the buyer. The seller pays for half of the escrow closing...

Top 5 Flooring Choices – Portland 2020

September 7, 2020

The past decade has seen a move away from carpeting and toward easy-to-clean, hard-surface flooring. In particular, hardwood flooring is huge in 2020, and products that mimic the look (and sometimes the feel) of hardwood floors are a close second. New advances in graphic tiles, vinyl and engineered lumber have embraced the wood-look trend, but are these products the safe and green options that buyers are looking for? Let’s take a look at this year’s Top 5 flooring materials, and how they stack up for your home value.  Genuine Wood Portland, like many places in the Pacific Northwest, has a long-term love affair with wood building materials. Hardwood floors are the basic definition of a classic Portland home, no matter...

What is Real Estate Escrow and How Much is It?

September 4, 2020

Going through the escrow process can be a bit like an obstacle course: You pay to get in, and then there are a lot of hoops to jump through before you end up closing on your home! A good real estate agent can help you avoid the pitfalls. In this article we’ll attempt to give you a preview of the escrow process and associated costs.  So what is escrow?  According to Investopedia, “Escrow is a legal concept describing a financial instrument whereby an asset or escrow money is held by a third party on behalf of two other parties that are in the process of completing a transaction.” That’s about as clear as mud so let’s break it down! Basically, escrow is the...

Pros and Cons of Top 5 Portland Roof Types

August 31, 2020

A good roof is something we take for granted until a big storm comes through or it’s time for a replacement. That’s why we’re bringing you our unbiased, real-estate-agent-approved list of the Top 5 roofing materials in Portland, and the pros and cons of each. Except where noted, pricing information comes from Home Advisor, per “square” of roofing which covers 100 square feet. This doesn’t include the cost of installation. Wood (Cedar) Shake Roofing in Portland Cedar is the most common type of wood used for roofing in North America. Cedar shakes (the term for cedar shingles cut for roof application) look beautiful and natural, but come with some drawbacks. Cedar shake roofing Pros:  It’s a natural look with great curb...

Portland Home Sellers’ Checklist 2020 – Get Ready

August 3, 2020

Good news for Portland home sellers: Your home could go from “listed” to sold in just 42 days this summer — that was the average number of days on market in June 2020. Proactive home sellers can move their home quickly by getting organized, completing as many tasks as possible before the home goes on the market. To help you get there, we’ve compiled our top real estate agent tips for getting your home cleaned up, fixed up and staged to sell. STOP! Before you do anything else:  Shop around for a real estate agent. Having agent representation is critical in Portland’s hot real estate market, but you don’t want to work with just anyone. Before you sign the listing...

Top 5 Roof Repairs: What to look for in 2020

June 22, 2020

Portland is a city with some special challenges for roof maintenance — big trees, a lot of flat roofs and high rainfall. And while roofs are easy to place in the “out of sight, out of mind” category, a compromised roof can compromise the entire structural integrity of the home. Whether you’re shopping for a home or considering putting one on the market, get to know the common roof issues that Portland homeowners experience.   Top 5 Roof Problems for Portland Homes It’s true with most things, but especially with roofs, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Knowing these five signs of roof trouble could save you big bucks down the road: 1. Missing shingles...

Portland Home Staging Works 2020

May 25, 2020

We’ve yet to understand the full impacts of the 2020 pandemic on the real estate market, but one thing that is certain is that more home buyers are looking at homes online. They’re clicking through dozens of photos and sometimes taking virtual tours before, or sometimes instead of, touring in person. That means home staging is more important than ever in 2020. Photographs of an empty home typically do not look as good online, and even in 3D virtual tours, furnishings in the room help the buyer to grasp the dimensions and potential functions of the space. Even that being said, staging isn’t the best choice for every home. I’ll explain more as we go. Latest Statistics on the Power of...

Top 3 Exterior Paint Colors to Boost Home Value in 2020

May 22, 2020

Repainting a home before you sell is always a good idea, especially if it’s been more than five years since the last paint job. A fresh coat of exterior paint is an immediate facelift, a signal to buyers that the home is cared for and move-in ready.  This year, Portland home buyers are going back to the basics, gravitating toward homes that look inviting, cozy and classic. Check out the top three real estate-agent approved colors to paint your home before you sell. Our Top Three House Colors for 2020 1. Creamy Mushroom by Behr When to use it: Contemporary-style homes, ranch houses, traditional-looking homes What it is: Most people know this color as “greige”, but we like “creamy mushroom”...