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.

Should You Sell Your House Online? 5 IBuyer Options

January 20, 2021

There’s no getting around it: the importance of an online presence for buyers is growing. In 2019, 93% of people shopping for a home used an online website in their search. But what about sellers? It’s likely that by now you’ve seen advertisements for companies that will buy your home hassle-free. These “iBuyers” pitch themselves as the easiest way to sell your home fast. Redfin and Zillow have been expanding their home buying programs for years now, with Zillow announcing in 2019 an intention to focus even more attention on Zillow Offers. And more iBuyer startups have joined the game. But how exactly does selling your home online work, and more importantly, what will it cost you? We’ll lay it...

How Much Does Portland Staging Cost?

January 13, 2021

Even if you’re a first time Portland home seller, chances are you’ve heard something about the benefits of staging a home. Staging has become a standard feature of many major real estate reality shows, and it is undeniably fun to watch as lived-in homes are transformed into elegantly styled spaces. But one thing these shows never tell you upfront is how big a chunk staging takes out of your wallet. How much does Portland staging cost? (We are going to tell you exactly.) And are you likely to see a return on your investment? We’ve reached out to some trusted Portland staging companies to find out how much staging is likely to cost. Keep reading for our analysis of how...

How to Sell a Vacant Home Safely.

December 4, 2020

Going away for vacation is one thing; leaving a home empty for weeks or months on end is asking for trouble if you don’t take some preventative measures. A huge number of vacant homes are sold in the real estate market every year. These vacant homes are vulnerable to pests, floods, crime, and more. Yes, homes are selling quickly on the greater Portland real estate market right now (in an average of 38 days according to the most recent RMLS report), but add in closing time and your home for sale is still going to be vacant for two to three months, minimum. Follow these real estate agent-approved tips to keeping your vacant home in good shape, for however long...

Top Portland Home Design Trends of 2021

October 2, 2020

The pandemic has provided some with the perfect opportunity to rethink their home space. We combed all the best Portland home design blogs and Instagram accounts to bring you this trendsetting city’s seven biggest decor influences for 2020 and into 2021. 1. Lighting gets specific. “We have all been in that Zoom meeting where someone has terrible lighting and they look like that are giving an anonymous witness testimony or live in a yellow covered world,” says Portland designer Kevin Twitty. Let 2020 be the year you perfect your home’s lighting situation (start by learning the difference between watts, lumens and Kelvins). LED is the best, and they cost one-fifth of what they did seven years ago. LED bulbs can...

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...