Portland Rent-to-Own Solutions

The term “rent-to-own” sounds like a contradiction for good reason. It’s often called upon to reconcile a buyer-seller situation that does not fit a standard mold. A Portland rent-to-own agreement can allow potential buyers to move into a Portland metro area house before their finances are up to snuff (or at least that’s the call most lenders would make). It’s can be a useful contradiction for both parties, because the would-be buyer can get the immediate benefit of living in their choice of home knowing that some portion of the rent paid has the potential of building residential equity, while the seller will either eventually have successfully sold the property or have benefitted from some cash flow should the sale fail to materialize.

If this rent-to-own scenario sounds like a win-win, that’s because it is…that is, unless it isn’t. The reason that rent-to-own is not more popular with Portland area home buyers and sellers is because of some frequently encountered landmines—but a well thought-out arrangement can tackle most of the […]

2016-01-14T03:26:12+00:00

Rainy (or slushy) Day Home Décor Inspiration

Even if you don’t pride yourself on your artistic flair, you probably have developed fairly firm ideas about what makes some Portland metro area homes come across better than others. Without even consciously thinking about it, you know as soon as you walk through a front door whether that immediate impression is strongly positive, just so-so, or sub-so-so .

A Portland home’s agreeable first impression can usually be laid to a combination of pleasing architecture, diligent maintenance, and appealing décor. Not every home in Portland has all that going for it, but there can also be a saving note: sometimes the most important impression comes from just a few minor touches—clever accents that just seem perfect.

Now that we’re wading deeper into the months when the Portland area’s bad weather days are stacking up, (especially with the recent “blizzard”) we are more likely to find ourselves with some spare time—the commodity that was so hard to […]

2016-01-04T19:49:38+00:00

A Skilled Portland Metro Appraiser Works in Everyone’s Favor

Mortgage and down paymentA skilled Portland area appraiser provides a service that should help make the buying and selling of a residence a smooth transaction.

Should’ is the operative word.

Going back to ancient times, homes have always been ‘real’ when it comes to establishing the amount of money that they are worth. The home’s role as the center of family and community groupings guarantees that it will change hands carefully. When something is so important, ownership does not come about haphazardly—doubly so because of its typically hefty price tag, arrived at after deliberation and scrutiny from buyer and seller alike.

Every home that is sold in Portland today should be a shining example of the efficiency (and fairness) of our free market. As a mechanism for determining the value of a good, the home buying system is without equal, since buyer and seller both have to agree on a price.

That’s where having an expert Portland Metro appraiser comes in. An appraiser (not to be confused with a home inspector, who reports on the […]

2015-08-26T00:03:42+00:00

Portland Metro Area Mortgage Rates Projected to Rise Sooner Rather than Later

imagesNow that we are deep into July, with summer in full swing, there might be vague thoughts running through your mind about some potential real estate moves—but certainly not until the fall. Right now all most of us are thinking about is whether another chilled glass of summer-something-or-other is in order. Mortgage rates and what the folks in Washington might be doing to affect them are not exactly top of mind on an idyllic July afternoon.

However, if you’ve been paying attention to any newscasts long enough to reach the economic stories they throw in toward the end of the broadcasts, you may have an inkling that conditions are about to change. And the evidence does suggest that mortgage rates in Portland and surrounding areas face a likely increase come fall. If you’re among those considering buying or selling a home in Portland this year, now should be the time to stop “thinking”and start “doing”.

Exhibit A for that proposition comes from one Michael C. Fratantoni, who happens to be the Chief Economist of […]

2015-07-20T19:14:02+00:00