5 Tips for Buying a Home
Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.
Tips For Staying Cool In Portland Without AC
The Portland area is great. We don’t get too hot and we don’t get too cold. We (usually) get a week or so of snow in the winter and a week’s worth of high 90’s and 100 degree days in Summer. A lot of homes in the area don’t have air conditioners. I have written […]
Preparing to Sell
Moving from a small town or suburb to a large city can be an intimidating proposition. Here are a few tips to help make your move as painless as possible.
“What My Realtor Said” – My Perspective
I came across an article on WiseBread titled, “5 Things Our Realtor Told Us That Weren’t True.” I knew it wouldn’t likely be a glowing report for Realtors so I wanted to see what was said. If you read my blog you know that I have issues with what goes on in my industry so […]
What is a Moving Mob?
Imagine only being requested to help a friend move one single box, give a high five, and get on with your Saturday. Wouldn’t that be nice? I mean. it’s always a Saturday isn’t it? The same friend that would take a bullet for you will likely find an excuse not to help you move. Why? […]
How Zillow Is Inadvertently Helping My Business
I’m not worried about Zillow and Trulia like some agents. Actually I’m all about open information, and that is what Zillow gives, to a point. But only up to a point, and that is how their product actually helps me. One issue that agents have with Zillow is the Zestimate which Zillow’s estimate of the […]
When A Realtor Sells Their Own Home Part 2
I can’t get too deep in the details of selling this home but we got four offers in two days. The pricing was not fun, which I will talk about when the deal is over. By far the most interesting aspect of this is watching Jessie, my girlfriend. I get to watch her from a […]
When A Realtor Sells Their Own Home Part 1
When I first got into real estate I remember being told, “You should buy and sell your own home every four years so you stay in touch with how tough the process can be mentally.” It is tough. It’s been reported that it can as stressful as a death in the family. On Saturday we […]
Zen And Patience From Car Troubles
I have a degree in psychology. I read a lot about mindfulness. I try to practice patience and control over my emotions but these last two weeks I realized I wasn’t nearly as in control as I thought. To keep this short I will give the briefest of details. Dropped my car off at the […]
Selling “Different” Homes – Lessons From OKCupid
[Originally written January 2011] “Sexy, to me, is the way you carry what you have. I have a big nose, but I rock it.” – Justin Timberlake. Our Multiple Listing System recently started tracking and reporting view counts on RMLS.com, RMLSweb.com, and when a listing is emailed to a buyer. It’s wonderful because now we […]
How They Moved The Sellwood Bridge: A Project Manager Explains
I walked down to the Sellwood Bridge Saturday morning and got some cool shots but realized I wasn’t going to stay there long as it was cold and the bridge is only moving an inch a minute. Might as well watch paint dry. Luckily a project manager came down and was giving an explanation to […]
Realtors and Incentives
In the video above the authors of Freakonomics talk about Realtors and how they are not incentivized to get the best price for your home. A $10,000 reduction in sales price is only a few hundred dollars reduction in commission. First, are there agents like this? Absolutely. I also know of agents who won’t show a home […]
Relocating to the Big City
Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.
Dealing with Financing
As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril.
Do Real Estate Agents Limit How Many Homes A Buyer Can Look At?
(Excuse the distracted talking. I was watching for my clients.) Over the years I have heard agents brag that they never show more than 10 homes to a client. I always sat in disbelief that they would think like this. In my nine years in real estate it has never occurred to me to do […]
Home Showing: My Halloween Fright
This is a repost from 2007. About 4 years ago I was setting up showings for a client. It was about 4 days before Halloween and nasty weather. There was one house that was owner occupied but it said to call the Listing Agent. That almost always means there is some problem with something. […]
