Portland Real Estate Blog

This is a top 100 real estate blog in the world according to Feedspot.com. In particular, this is a local real estate blog written by a top 1% real estate agent in the U.S., Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor. Stephen regularly reports on the greater Portland metro area’s real estate market including annual housing forecasts and best time to sell or buy a home reports. He gives home selling and home buying professional advice. He also writes informative articles on Portland neighborhoods and suburbs as they relate to the real estate market. Finally, he writes to inform the general public about real estate agents, such as annual average real estate agent commission reports and more.

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Short Sale Tax Exemption Could End Soon

October 17, 2012

Short Sale Tax Exemption / Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is set to expire on December 31st, 2012. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about and have had any portion of the mortgage on your principal residence forgiven by a lender or plan to in the coming year, you should read this article. For more information on Short Sale Tax, visit our article: “What is the Short Sale Tax?” For the last 5 years, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 has allowed borrowers who fall into this category to fill out a form come tax time that keeps this forgiven loan amount from being taxed as income. Without this Act, these borrowers could have faced a potentially huge...

New to Portland? Four websites to help you explore the city.

October 15, 2012

Congratulations! You’ve closed the deal on your Portland home and unpacked the boxes. Now what? Whether you’ve just moved to a different Portland neighborhood or you’re a new transplant to the City of Roses, it will take some time to feel like a local. Go for a walk, meet your neighbors, then check out these websites to get the full scoop on your new surroundings. 1. Portland Online – http://www.portlandonline.com/ Most government websites are about as fun as a pile of tax forms, but the City of Portland’s is different. This site makes it easy to become a Portlander, with a guide to composting and recycling, parks locator, bicycling maps, and a neighborhood events calendar so you can start going to those...

How Does a Home Sell?

October 3, 2012

Most home owners want to know, how does a home sell? NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) conducts an intensive survey and produces a report every year that spells out exactly how a home sells – by the numbers. This is a summary of some highlights with commentary from the 2013 NAR Home Sales Report: How the buyer finds the home: Age 18 to 24 = 91% Internet Age 25 to 44 = 93% Internet Age 45 to 64 = 88% Internet Age 65+ = 75% Internet Overall 92% of buyers are using the internet to find their home. Nearly every buyer uses the Internet to find a home. If they are not visiting an online website, chances are they are...

Strong August Real Estate Numbers for Portland, U.S.

September 25, 2012

August’s home sales in the Portland area were the strongest in five years, according the Market Action report published by the RMLS last week. Home prices are also on the rise in Portland and across the US, a piece of good news that prompted coverage by the Associated Press and the Oregonian and gave hope to underwater mortgage holders. Does this month indicate that the housing market will soon recover to pre-recession levels? Nobody knows, but a closer look at the numbers will help Portland home buyers and sellers decide what their next steps will be. Last month, 2,311 homes were sold in the Portland metro area, which is a new record since 2007, before the housing market fell. High...

Mobile Apps for the Portland Home Buyer

September 17, 2012

When it comes to buying a new home, nothing beats having an experienced real estate agent on your side. But your REALTOR® doesn’t fit in your pocket, which is why the mobile applications are very popular among home buyers. These apps are a good starting point, with location-based information on homes for sale plus photos, prices and other data pulled from the home’s MLS listing. The big real estate apps don’t do everything, though, which is why we’ve compiled the following list of handy mobile applications to simplify the entire home buying process, from setting up the first home showing to settling into your new place. We’ve also included a couple of apps that Portland residents find useful for navigating the...

Portland Zip Code Map and Portland Neighborhood Map

September 12, 2012

A while back we posted an article on the best Portland Neighborhood Map. While we still think it is the best, we found another Portland map that incorporates both zip codes and Portland neighborhoods! Simply enter a zip code or street address at the top and you’ll instantly go to the appropriate location on the map. There is also a wonderful Portland Neighborhood List on the right hand side. There are so many wonderful Portland Neighborhoods, it can be tough to know which one is which! This wonderful map will help you discover which one you are in and tell you the zip. Top 1% real estate agent in Portland. Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor See my listing package here. See my...

Why Hire a Portland Real Estate Agent?

August 30, 2012

Many people ask today, “With so much information online about how to sell my home, why should I use a real estate agent?” A lot of people believe they can put on a real estate agent hat and sell their own home without a lot of fuss or difficulty. I’m going to give you four quick reasons why you should hire a Portland real estate agent. 1. Education. Most of our education as real estate agents revolves around how to not get in legal trouble. There are countless legal pitfalls in real estate and agents have to study on average for six months to pass their license exam (mostly filled with legal questions). In addition to the education required to...

How to Save on Portland Closing Costs

August 23, 2012

Is it possible to save money on closing costs? Absolutely! If you’re a home buyer, Oregon is a great state to look at for some of the lowest closing costs in the nation. According to Bankrate.com, the average home sale closing costs in Oregon are 11th lowest of the 50 states. For a home purchased with a $200,000 loan, with 20% down payment and excellent credit, the closing costs average $3,509. But what are these closing costs, and who pays them? Your Portland real estate agent can help you figure exact amounts, but keeping closing costs in mind as you start your home search or list your home for sale will help you avoid surprises on the closing day. At the...

Best Portland Neighborhood Map, Right Here!

August 15, 2012

Find out which Portland neighborhood is best! Discover: Neighborhood statistics on population, income, demographics, owner occupied vs. rent occupied, level of education, and more. This interactive map program outlines each of the Portland neighborhoods. Which Portland Neighborhood am I in? Simply type your address in the search bar and it will automatically transport you to your neighborhood area.

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....

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Stephen FitzMaurice

Team at eXp Realty