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 gets the house in oregon divorce

Who Gets the House in an Oregon Divorce?

May 5, 2021

Divorce often brings out the worst in people, and aside from fighting over children, one of the biggest disputes in a divorce is often the award of the marital home. It’s often the most significant asset a couple has, and– especially if there are children in the marriage– the marital home may have substantial practical and emotional significance. The answer to the question of who ultimately will be awarded the house in a given divorce is long, complicated, and will depend on many factors. But with this article, we’ll try to break it down a bit. Who Gets To Live In The House During A Divorce? Unless there is a specific court order otherwise, both spouses can remain in the...

portland sellers overprice homes

Why Sellers Overprice Their Homes (and Why They Shouldn’t)

May 3, 2021

Deciding on a list price is hands down one of the most crucial steps of selling a home. And the final decision rests with the owner, who must agree to a number after working with a real estate agent. It’s all too tempting for a seller list high, hoping to get the most they can out of the transaction. Unfortunately, that’s not always the best strategy, even in Portland’s hot seller’s market. Yet the fact remains that many sellers continue to list their homes over or at the high end of the market value. In 2019, the Journal of Housing Economics reported that the average homeowner overvalues their home by 8%. And Americans aren’t alone. For example, a 2020 JHE...

top home value estimates

Top 4 Free Home Value Estimates to Check, Before Selling a Home

April 21, 2021

4. Redfin.com’s Home Value Estimate Redfin.com Statistical Home Value Rating: D On Redfin.com’s home value estimate explanation page they claim to be the most accurate on-market (listed for sale) estimator. This as we’ve already explained in previous articles, is no great trick. Basically the online portal can simply adjust their estimate so it closely aligns with the advertised for sale price tag. Simple, and not helpful. Most homes are still sold by a Realtor in the U.S., a licensed professional who advised the homeowner on setting the list price. Redfin or any other online website taking credit for that is nonsensical. Notice Redfin.com says their off-market home value estimate has an off-market median error rate of 6.94%. Wow. That’s like...

staging from the interior in the studio

Sell your Home with Virtual Staging

April 5, 2021

Given the pandemic, home buyers are increasingly turning to the internet to vet homes before seeing them in person. But while this trend may have intensified due to Covid-19, it didn’t start there. Why see a ton of homes in person when you can filter them by searching online? Prospective buyers, especially millennials, increasingly look toward online photos in their home search. In fact, according to inman.com, 44% of millennials surveyed indicated that they would buy a home solely based on its online photos. Virtual home staging presents a more affordable alternative to traditional home staging, focusing on drumming up online interest. Today we’ll take a look at how virtual home staging works, what it costs in Portland, and how...

home inspection vs appraisal

What is a Home Inspection and Appraisal? Must know facts.

March 1, 2021

Buying a home is one of the most complex transactions most people navigate in the course of their life. (Though selling a home while buying another just could top it!) When the financial stakes are that high, things inevitably get complicated – and that’s not to mention the emotional stakes of deciding on a new home. So it makes sense that the process is involved. That doesn’t make it any easier. The home inspection period is one of the most stressful parts of the home buying period. Am I buying a lemon? Is there something underlying that is going to cost me big in the end? Then comes the appraisal – which can seem like just another inspection! So what’s...

real estate website traffic

Top 10 Real Estate Websites by Traffic – 2021

February 12, 2021

A top real estate agent will know the trends, which real estate websites have the most home buyers on them, and how to best promote their clients’ homes on those same sites so their homes get more attention, sell faster, and for more money. So every year I put out a report looking at the winners and loosers, which real estate websites are gaining in traffic and which are dropping. As a top 1% sellers agent in the United States, serving Oregon and Washington, I pay extra to the top sites on behalf of my clients so their homes sell faster and for more (I already said that, but honestly most don’t understand huge impact it has), and so, of...

House model on human hands with dollar icon.

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...

Interior design of scandinavian open space in stylish home staging.

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 vacant home safe

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...

portland wallpaper design trends

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...