Sell a Home in the Portland, Oregon Metro

Top 1% Seller’s Agent

Planning on selling a 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 2,000 local sales under his belt and writes extensively about the Portland real estate market.

The Right Way to Sell

Our team charges 4% commission max. and we pay more online to market our Portland and SW Washington homes so they sell faster and for more. (In Salem and Bend areas we charge 4.25% max.) 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.

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next twelve months, Stephen would love to tour your home. Call today to set an appointment.

Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor
4% Max. to Sell a Home
Cancel Anytime Policy
Licensed Since 2003
503-714-1111

Appeal to Portland Home Buyers With Vintage Home Staging

August 13, 2012

Whether they are long-time Portland residents or have only seen the city on Portlandia or style blogs like Urban Weeds, if home buyers across the US were asked to describe this city in one word, that word would be: Eclectic. No doubt about it – styling your home to show off its funky, retro side (even if you don’t think it has one) will charm buyers and help your home stand out from the crowd. Here on the Portland Real Estate Blog, we’ve written before about how home staging can reduce the time your home spends on the market by 78%. Now, we explore five ways  to give your home staging a distinctly Portland feel, all without breaking the bank....

Portland Home Prices Rise, Zillow says 4.3% Higher 2013

August 1, 2012

For the first time since the housing market crash prices have risen nationally from one quarter to the next, in this case, from the first quarter of 2012 to the second. Nationally that rise barely occurred, .02%. In Portland we are looking at a 6% increase in the housing market this year. However, last fall and winter prices dropped in Portland over 10-12% and so from year to year homes are still cheaper in Portland than in 2011. Is this the beginning of a housing turn in Portland? Zillow thinks so and is forecasting a 4.3% increase in Portland housing prices in 2013. Other analysts are less optimistic pointing to an ongoing shadow inventory of foreclosed homes that have yet...

How a REALTOR® in Portland can stop a bad Appraisal.

July 25, 2012

These days appraisals are at the top of the deal killer list for residential home sales. Demand in the Portland home market is up and often the market itself doesn’t catch up fast enough. This means that appraisers will be looking at old information that is skewing the way the bank is looking at the current sale. Also, the days have long past where a Realtor can choose an appraiser they trust. Appraisers are virtually randomly selected by the lender with no input permitted. Given these facts, what can be done to stop an appraiser from killing your Portland home sale? 1. Have your Portland Realtor meet the appraiser at the property. Not all appraisers are willing to talk with...

DIY Portland Sunrooms Add Curb Appeal

June 11, 2012

In Portland, the one thing we can always use more of is sun. And if you’re selling your home, a sunroom is one feature that might help your home stand out from the crowd and get your Portland real estate agent’s phone a-ringing. A sunroom, solarium, enclosed or covered patio, attached greenhouse, or conservatory are all variations on the same theme: a room, preferably south-facing, that is designed to let in the sun and keep out other elements. They’re a space to keep tropical plants and start vegetables in the spring, or to hang out and watch a storm or the stars. In Portland’s climate, summer days are numbered, but on clear days in the spring and fall your sunroom...

How to pick a Portland Real Estate Agent.

May 29, 2012

Since I work with Portland Real Estate Agents everyday on a number of transactions and hear all sorts of things from various people, I thought I’d write a post on choosing a real estate agent (even if you don’t choose myself, though I hope you’d consider it). 1. Customer Service. No matter how experienced and agent is, no matter how much education they have, no matter how good their marketing package is, if they don’t have a customer service focus, don’t pick them. Customer service means picking up the phone or at least calling back within the same day. Customer service means updating the client regularly as the transaction progresses. No Portland real estate agent is worth your time unless...

Remodeling Tips to Boost Resale Value in Portland

May 11, 2012

Few events can trigger a home remodel like putting your house up for sale. When you look at your place through potential buyers’ eyes, it’s easy to start seeing things that need to be repaired, replaced or updated. Not only that, but in a competitive real estate market like Portland’s, remodels can be an efficient way to draw attention to your home. So where to start? Remodeling to improve resale value is a bit tricky – you need to be sure you’ll get a return on your investment (the time and the money you’ll spend) and you’ll have to do a little guesswork to know what your buyers will like. The best advice we give Portland home sellers who are...

A Day in the Life of a Portland Real Estate Agent: Spider House

May 9, 2012

A lot of people ask me, being a Portland real estate agent, “What is the worst house you have ever been inside in Portland?” I’ll tell you a quick story with a Portland home-care moral. The spider house. As many of you know, Portlanders often let their houses blend in with the vegetation. Sometimes it is hard to know where the yard ends and the house begins. Well, this house looked like a jungle from the outside, in fact, I couldn’t see the house from the curb. What I could see were spiders. Four spider webs blocked the open front gate; I cut those webs with a folder and stepped into a spider death maze. All around this terrified real estate agent, countless...

Sell Your Portland Home: Landscaping Tips

March 2, 2012

Spring is here, the perfect time to make some improvements to your property to boost your curb appeal to Portland home buyers. A well maintained outdoor area speaks volumes to potential buyers about the quality of the home and the neighborhood they’re investing in. If you’re even considering putting your home on the market this year, start now to save yourself time and money in getting your landscaping up to snuff. Here in Portland, Oregon, we’re known for our luxurious outdoor spaces. It’s not hard to establish one for your listing even if you only have a few months. Shop early for good deals on small trees and shrubs that will add dimension and character to your landscape. Look for...

Home Staging in Portland. Does it work?

January 6, 2012

I often find people assume spending money on Portland home staging and professional photography is a waste of time and money. It is not for at least four reasons. First, the Portland market is completely online-driven these days. 94% of buyers find the home they are going to buy online. The number one reason homes sell online is good pictures. Staging sets the scene for just the right picture to peak the buyer’s interest and convince them to schedule an appointment to see the home. Second, unless the home is owned by someone with amazing artistic abilities, chances are a home staging professional is going to be able to improve the look of your home. Third, after homes are viewed online and...

Zillow Zestimates, are they accurate?

December 26, 2011

These days many folks check out their home online, or a property they are looking to purchase, to find an estimate of value. Zillow provides these national in a format they copyrighted and call Zestimates. If you read the Zillow forums on Zestimates you’ll find a lot of angry home owners disputing the value. Recently I went to a seminar held by Zillow themselves to try to get an answer. Zestimates were the very first topic of discussion at the seminar, and from a Zillow representative I heard these words, “Zillow Zestimates are wrong by more than $30,000 dollars 30% of the time.” Now, most people will agree this is not an accurate enough figure to make any kind of...