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.

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”...

Portland Landscaping Tips to Increase Home Value 2020

May 18, 2020

Whether you’re hoping to build home value long-term or are selling this summer and want to maximize curb appeal, landscaping is critical. This time of year is when Portland yards, gardens and outdoor play/relax areas really shine. There’s so much potential here to impress and win over home buyers that we’re going to have a hard time fitting it all into one blog article — but we will do our best! Landscaping to Boost Curb Appeal: Sell Your Home for More this Summer Study after study shows that curb appeal has a direct impact on home value: a 7-14% increase in sales price was recently reported by realtor.com. We also know that landscaping is a major component of curb appeal....

5 Portland Bathroom Remodel Ideas – Increase Home Value

April 24, 2020

Did you know? Portland home buyers love a remodeled bathroom! It’s true — according to Remodeling’s Magazine’s 2020 Cost vs. Value Report, Portland home owners received 10% more return on investment for a midrange bathroom remodel than the national average. Bathrooms offer great homeowner value because they’re a room in the house that we use every day. (Especially in the COVID 19 days right!) We go there to relax, rejuvenate and sometimes just to get away. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at just how much value a remodeled bathroom can contribute to your typical Portland home, and provide some Realtor approved improvement ideas! The Value of Bathroom Remodels The first thing to keep in mind about bathroom...

Portland Home Appraisals – 2020 FAQ

April 3, 2020

What’s the difference between the home inspection and the appraisal? Home inspections and appraisals have a lot in common. Both are key to the home sale transaction. Both involve a third party coming into the home to form an assessment. And both can be stressful for home buyers and sellers! That’s about where the similarities end. A home inspection differs from an appraisal in that the inspection is performed on the buyer’s behalf, and the results will help shape the sales contract. A home appraisal is performed for the sake of the mortgage lender, and the result will only affect how much money the lender is willing to pay for the home. While a home inspector looks at the “guts”...

Swimming Pools: A Portland Liability in 2020

March 9, 2020

In warmer parts of the country, a pool is often a feature that buyers are willing to pay more for. Here in the Portland real estate market an outdoor pool will typically decrease your value or at best leave it the same (not increase it). Before installing an outdoor in-ground swimming pool, keep in mind that it’s going to make it a little more difficult to sell your home when the time comes, depending on the current real estate market conditions as well as the condition of the outdoor pool. Here are some of the reasons that Portland home buyers – not all, but definitely most – dislike swimming pools: They’re a liability. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety...

Basement ADUs: 2020 Portland Guide

February 28, 2020

For many Portland homeowners, having an Accessory Dwelling Unit might be the ticket to affordability, renting out a second unit on your property. Or, an ADU might allow you to take care of an aging relative, or simply create housing out of what was unused space. Most people think of a backyard cottage when they think of an ADU, but in fact, many Portland homeowners have legal ADU potential right under their feet: in the basement! Now that Portland has updated its zoning rules to allow for ADUs on most city lots, 2020 may be your year to build a basement ADU. But before you start picking out wall colors and furnishings, there are four essential questions you must ask...

Best DIY Kitchen Cabinet Ideas – Improve Home Value in 2020

February 3, 2020

Update, Don’t Replace Cabinets Buyers are serious about wanting fresh kitchen cabinets in their home. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2020 Cost vs. Value report, a minor kitchen remodel — new cabinets plus appliances, flooring and paint job — will offer a higher return on investment than major kitchen renovations, and buyers in Portland are especially likely to pay top dollar. Although one Houzz.com study found that 3 out of 4 kitchen remodelers opt for full cabinet replacement, this investment is unlikely to pay for itself when the home goes up for sale. In this article, we’ll focus on updates to existing kitchen cabinets that will give the whole room a fresh look. How much to spend on kitchen cabinets for...

professional photography portland real estate market

Professional Real Estate Photography – No longer Optional in 2020

November 22, 2019

In the Portland real estate market, professional photos are the expectation and the standard. It is simply no longer acceptable for real estate agents to take terrible photos, nor is it acceptable (in my opinion) for real estate agents to take the photos themselves – use a professional! Also, considering the high-end cameras available on the average smart phone these days, is the term “professional photography” even applicable anymore? Among real estate professionals, the answer is an emphatic “YES”, even from those of us who consider ourselves to be cell phone camera virtuosos. Study after study shows that using a professional photographer to shoot your home’s listing photos will attract more buyers, generate more buzz around your home, and ultimately,...

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Stephen FitzMaurice

Real Estate Team