Real Estate News
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Should you become a Real Estate Agent? 5 Steps.
Thinking about becoming a real estate agent? It's a great career for many reasons: the ability to work from home and make a schedule that works for you, working with people to help reach their housing goals, relatively low start-up costs, and the ability to make a good living. Some people come to a real estate career fresh out of school, but the majority of people make real estate their second career and have come from different professional backgrounds and in different stages of life. One of the cool things about a career in real estate is the ability to harness your natural strengths and put them to use in…
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What a GOOD agent really does and what it’s worth.
What do you think of when you think of a Realtor? A lot of people think of the slick salesman, with tacky clothes and pasted on smile trying to sell you any house they can stuff you into. Or the ones you see on the reality house hunter shows who are ditzy and lazy. And sure. Some of them are like that. Stereotypes exist because theres always a small nugget of truth there. But in reality, the vast majority of Realtors I know, are just folks who have come to this job because they really deeply believe that owning your own home can change the course of your life. For…
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Why single women should buy their first home… solo.
My first home purchase was as a single woman in 1997. I remember being in the Title Company office on closing day, the Title Officer laughing a little nervously as she handed me the official papers to sign. "Rhonda Spencer, Spinster" read my description. "SPINSTER??" I laughed. "Yeah. They'll get around to changing that when they've figured out that we no longer wear bloomers and need smelling salts" she laughed. I signed the papers and was then legally a "Spinster", and the proud owner of my very first home. Since that time I have gone on to purchase two more homes on my own, and finally another couple after my…
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How you as a buyer can compete and find your perfect home in a competitive “sellers market”.
If I had a dime for every time I answered the question "How is the market?" with the answer "Strong for sellers!" I'd be a rich woman. Here in the city of Portland Oregon, prices have risen, competition is strong and there seems to be no end in sight. It is indeed a strong and prolonged "Sellers Market". So what does it mean to be in a "sellers market" and do buyers have any chance of getting their dream home among all this competition? First, what does it mean to be in a "sellers market"? A sellers market arises when demand exceeds supply. In other words, there are many interested buyers,…
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Buy vs. Renting? Here’s why…
Advantages Of Buying The following are advantages of buying that one should consider: There are instances in which the cost of ownership can be less than renting. This is especially true in real estate markets with fast appreciation (like the Pacific Northwest!) The buyer has control of the property and can realize the the home as a capital gain. The buyer has “forced” savings in the form of equity, which can be important when the buyer pays down the balance by a substantial amount. The buyer will experience tax advantages with the ability to write off up to $10,000 in property taxes and interest on up to $750,000 of mortgage…
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