Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd… - 03/31/08 05:39 PM
Well, hopefully you know the rest of the tune. I write this for two reasons, one is the fact that opening day is fast approaching for the Portland Beavers Baseball team.
The second is the opening day of Little League baseball for which my son is a part of this year yet again. Practice is exciting, but to get my son and daughter excited, we have a tradition of going to opening night Beavers game every year and this year will be no exception!
We don't have a major league team here in Oregon, but that doesn't matter to the little … (16 comments)

You may want to hire me, but I may not want to hire you! - 03/31/08 10:18 AM
I work with a lot of sellers and this week was a record for me. I turned down three people that called on the phone and said, "Come list my house!" I know as a seller you are asking yourself, "I thought an agent will take any listing that is thrown their way?"
Well, let me tell you a little secret...A lot of agents do work that way, but I'm not one of them! You see, as you interview me, I'm interviewing you! I believe that the listing of your home needs to be a partnership, and if I don't think … (10 comments)

Selling land on the moon - 03/30/08 07:38 PM
I remember a few years ago the ads selling the right to name stars after loved ones and before that it was selling land on the moon. My question is, can I sell land on the moon or do I need a special license for that?
I know I can't sell in other states or countries unless I have their real estate license, but I've searched and I can't find the Moon's Department of Licensing. I thought to myself, can I get in trouble if there are no laws on the moon pertaining to real estate or in this case does … (16 comments)

The importance of good credit, it affects you more than you know! - 03/30/08 02:22 PM
Did you know by having poor credit that you are missing a lot in life? It's also costing you thousands every year that you didn't even know about. Let me explain. You know with bad credit you could be turned down for home loans, auto loans and credit cards, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.
I was once told that your credit score should be really called your debt score and that made sense to me. The more debt you had the less you could borrow, the less debt you have the more you could borrow. (DEBT SCORE)
… (16 comments)

My worst nightmare when walking in to a home for a preview happened this week - 03/29/08 02:14 PM
It finally happened, my worst nightmare! I had some clients call me the other day to list their home that had been a rental for the past 5 years. We met at the office, quickly went over the comps in the area and then were going to go over to the home for pictures and measurements as the renters had finally moved out the night before.
As we drive up, I compliment my client on how clean the home looks on the outside and how this was going to be great for selling it as the curb appeal was amazing! He … (41 comments)

How buying furniture and selling your home are similar - 03/29/08 10:29 AM
OK, I know you are asking, "Todd, you are joking right? Where are you taking this?"
Well, here it goes.Have you ever heard that when you buy furniture you should always take it home with you right from the store and never have it delivered? If you haven't you had better start doing it that way! The reason why is a lot of furniture stores go out of business all the time and did you know that if you order the furniture, pay for it and they file bankruptcy they have no obligation to deliver it, even though they have your … (12 comments)

Washington County, Oregon home sales week in review by neighborhood (03/28/2008) - 03/28/08 09:45 PM
Today is Friday, March 28, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington County, Oregon market. This week was a little slow for sales, but we still had some movement in the market. This week, I've started to add stats for expired listings to the weekly pages for each neighborhood because of the increase of over priced homes that are not selling.                                         
While this is not news, but if you price your home correctly, you still can have a quick sale.
Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by neighborhood. Just click … (1 comments)

What your ringtone on your phone says about you - 03/27/08 10:23 PM
I used to have "Our house" by the group Madness, as a ringtone, but recently I went back to using the standard AT&T ringer. I don't know why, I just did. But, what other people could you think of that could use ringtones to say what they do?
I bring this up, because I was talking about ringtones with someone when we heard a news report about an arsonist who was arrested, and wondered if we called him right now, would we hear "Burning Down the House" by the Talking Heads coming from his pants pocket.
Think about it, a funeral … (52 comments)

How’s the neighborhood? - 03/27/08 01:28 AM
If you are a buyer and have a question about the neighborhood, please don't ask your agent. By law he can't tell you, but if you are in a neighborhood and have a question, the person to ask is the person who is out working on their lawn.

Just go up, introduce yourself as a potential buyer in the neighborhood and that you want to know what they think of the neighborhood. I promise, since they have nothing to gain, you will find out more than you ever wanted to know about the neighborhood, including the fact that the other … (24 comments)

Don’t let the threat of foreclosure cost you more than your home - 03/24/08 07:02 PM
When most people get in trouble in life the stress affects them in ways they are not prepared to deal with. Most divorces in America are caused by money issues, which I don't think is necessarily true. I think money is part of the problem, the other part is that when people get stressed they shut down, and all communication stops, because their body doesn't know how to deal with the stress.
I think the best thing you can do is if you start to get in trouble with anything in life is to communicate. First of all, with your loved … (6 comments)

Kids thought it was fun, but the family’s get together got expensive! - 03/24/08 12:21 AM

I am really lucky to have all my family really close and we can all get together for every holiday. But, today didn't go quite as planned! You see, my sister is a day care owner and the basement of her house is a treasure trove of play toys. So, the kids really enjoy going there every chance they get.
But, today after dinner was served and dishes were being washed, for some reason the hot water pressure dropped in the kitchen. My sister didn't think anything of it, but when her husband turned on the water, he knew something … (27 comments)

Moving cross town or cross country, help your kids deal with it (Beaverton Oregon Relocation) - 03/23/08 11:33 PM
One of the biggest concerns for kids when it comes to relocating across town or cross country is that they will have to make new friends and will never be able to talk to their current friends again.
One thing to consider to help your kids before you move is to enroll them in Boy Scouts / Girls Scouts before you move, and while visiting the new city or area, take them to the new troop so they can start to make friends before the move. That will help with their anxiety of the move if they have already started to … (6 comments)

Oranges in the Kitchen, Bananas go to the bedroom and um… and Coconuts to the living room - 03/23/08 10:41 AM
Have you ever had to relocate or even move across town, and had to go buy boxes at the local u-haul for $3.00 a box? This can get real expensive real quick and I admit I move myself about every two years now and one of the secrets I've learned to save money is to make real good friends with my local produce manager!
You see, every couple days the produce department gets new boxes of fruit and then they recycle the boxes so they can make room for more boxes of fruit to come in. But, if you talk to … (15 comments)

MY PEN DIED! - 03/22/08 03:27 PM

While I was writing down the buyer's information while at the open house yesterday, the pen died. So just like any good boy scout, I pulled out my brand new back up pen....Nope, isn't working either. So, let's try back up number 3, then four.
This wasn't my day, the clients said, let us take your card and we will call you later. It really isn't looking good for getting a call from them, since that was yesterday and still no call.
In the heat of the moment, I didn't think of the things I could have done. … (14 comments)

Worried about the HOA dues going up? Get involved! - 03/22/08 12:04 PM
I am happy to say I am involved in a condo conversion project in Tigard, Oregon, but the number one question I get is when will the HOA dues go up? Well, to be honest, I don't know! You see the HOA dues are determined by how much is needed to do the everyday things in the HOA, plus plan for the big items. (Roofs, siding, windows)
The reason I get this question is our HOA dues are relatively low here compared to the competition. Why is that? Well, first of all we already have new siding, windows, roofs and gutters. … (3 comments)

New post card gets people show up at open house! - 03/21/08 09:19 PM
I was watching TV the other day and there was a teaser for the news and they were talking about the real estate market and how these post cards were going out, that had a line around the block of potential takers at this open house.
What I got from the teaser as I forgot to actually watch the news, was that they were advertising two bed, one bath places free for a minimum of one year if you qualified and it worked on a first come, first serve basis.
Well, the line at this new apartment complex was around the … (32 comments)

Washington County, Oregon home sales week in review by neighborhood (03/21/2008) - 03/21/08 08:59 PM
Today is Friday, March 21, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington County, Oregon market. This week was a little slow for sales, but we still had some movement in the market. This week, I've started to add stats for expired listings to the weekly pages for each neighborhood because of the increase of over priced homes that are not selling. 
While this is not news, but if you price your home correctly, you still can have a quick sale.
Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by neighborhood. Just click on … (0 comments)

Down payment assistance programs get a stay of execution - 03/20/08 02:41 PM

In the past year I have had three buyers getting FHA loans, use a down payment assistance program and I have been hearing for the past six months that it was on the chopping blocks!
Well today my mortgage broker called and told me they have been saved and will continue to be available to buyers. From what I understood, HUD's argument was that these loans had a better chance of default and were artificially inflating prices. I personally didn't think so! The reason I didn't think so was because if the house didn't appraise, you couldn't use it.
… (11 comments)

They finally got a GPS unit at a price I could justify! - 03/20/08 12:53 AM
Let me give you a little history about myself first! I've owned both a Disc Jockey company and a courier service in my time before I joined the world of real estate. Since then I have never owned a map book or a GPS unit, I just thought it was a waste of money. With my past experience, I knew where everything was, I didn't need it.
But, every once in awhile, I would have a client get in the car and ask how come I didn't have a GPS unit, since they were so inexpensive now! I would always tell … (36 comments)

For Sale by Owner doesn’t mean you have to do it alone - 03/17/08 02:05 PM
Are you selling your home FSBO, "For Sale by Owner", and know you can do it, but would like some advice? Did you realize that you may be able to work with a Realtor without having to pay for advice on advertising and paperwork? You really don't have to go it alone.
I work with a lot of FSBOs for a lot of reasons. But, I am willing to work with a FSBO owner only if they are willing to work with me! If you are a FSBO, answer me this question...How many buyers can buy your home? Unless you own … (4 comments)

Feds want to regulate mortgage brokers - 03/17/08 12:56 AM
A couple months ago I talked about this thing coming with mortgage brokers and actually think it is a great idea. In my original article I wrote of a mortgage broker that told my clients to lie on their application and if I should ask, lie to me so they could get the loan. In the process they ended up losing their home because they really couldn't afford the home they were buying.
The idea of regulating and licensing mortgage brokers was not just because of that situation. I think mortgage brokers have access to a lot more sensitive information than … (10 comments)

You never know how your words can change someone’s life - 03/16/08 04:31 PM
About six months ago a young married couple, I would say no more than 20 or 21, came in to an open house of mine with their one year old baby. They were just looking since they had been across the street filling out a rental application for some apartments.
They were amazed when I told them that they could own one real easy and it wouldn't take long to fill out an application and at least find out. They said that they had credit problems. They had a charge off and a repossession on their credit in the last couple … (23 comments)

The family dinner isn’t lost (As least for me) - 03/16/08 12:37 AM
One of the things I love about my family is every night we have dinner together, talk about the day, and just spend a little time together. No distraction of the phone, TV, computer, or anything.
We each get to talk about what is going on, even though we all really know because my kids are home taught. We have a close relationship with our kids and are very involved in their lives from, obviously, school, coaching their baseball and softball teams, and being a part of their girl scout troop and church events.
I love being this involved with my … (30 comments)

I’m moving abroad - 03/15/08 03:07 PM
Yep, you read that correctly! I read a title to an article the other day, and then another, and another, saying how great it is to move abroad. After reading all these titles, I had to ask the question myself. Would moving abroad really be that good for me and my family?
Questions kept popping up. How I could accomplish it? Where would we move to and could I handle it? I wasn't sure I could at first and had to wonder how it would affect my business.
I have to say it hurt a lot worse than I thought it … (42 comments)

Washington County, Oregon home sales week in review by neighborhood (03/14/2008) - 03/14/08 08:23 PM
Today is Friday, March 14, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington County, Oregon market. I'm happy to say if you own a lower to medium priced home, sales are still making a moderate increase, if your home is price correctly.

While this is good news, higher priced homes are starting to sit a little longer on the market. This just may be due to the fact that we seem to have a larger than normal inventory of the upper end homes.
Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by … (2 comments)

Looks like I lost a referral client on Saturday, but I’m starting to think it was a good thing - 03/13/08 10:56 AM
Three weeks ago, I got a call from a lady who talked to one of her co-workers about real estate and she said, "You need to call Todd!" Great, she did and we had a good conversation, but it was her boyfriend who wants to buy, not her.
She tells me the story how he wants her to do all the leg work to get this thing going. I give them some numbers of lenders to call, so we can get the ball rolling. Well I get a call back saying she will get the information to the lender ASAP. Then … (36 comments)

Investing with other’s money - 03/12/08 09:40 AM
Have you ever wondered how the rich get richer? Why they are able to make so much money and never seem to lose? They have a secret and some of my investors now also have the same secret.
I've been teaching this method of making money in real estate at my investor club meetings for two years now, and my investors are so glad I have. The biggest key to making wealth in real estate is leveraging, and using other people's money.
Yes, it really is that simple, but you have to know how to do this. I can find you … (12 comments)

You can repair your credit and own a home quicker than you think! - 03/11/08 03:14 PM
Credit repair and home ownership are two things that most people think about at some point in their lives. Everyone that I've ever met has wanted to be part of the American dream and own a home that they can call their own. What has held them back from that dream? The thing that keeps most away from the dream is their less than perfect credit due to a job loss, medical bills or possibly even a bigger event in their lives such as a divorce or death in the family.
Did you know there are ways you can fix your credit … (6 comments)

The importance of a pre-approval letter - 03/10/08 10:58 PM
Recently I lost a client because I insisted they get a pre-approval letter before I showed them a home. I would like to write this post to my future clients and any future home buyer that wants to start looking for a home.
The pre-approval letter is a very important step in the process of buying a home, it tells you the price range you should start looking in and also gives you a chance to clear up any errors on your credit report that may arise prior to the closing on your new home.
From the seller's point of view, … (24 comments)

You were born great with nothing holding you back! - 03/10/08 08:35 AM
I know my parents looked at me the same way your parents did when you were born. Nothing was going to stop you, whatever you chose to do, you were going to be great and nothing was going to stop you!
Then, as we grew, the world was slowly putting thoughts in your mind, making us doubt ourselves. I recently looked at playground equipment where I would jump from one bar over six feet to another bar that was lower. I was half the size that I am now and I had no fear, I could do it, and I never … (8 comments)

You can still invest with 100% financing, but you have to know who to talk to - 03/09/08 01:30 PM
I keep getting told time and time again by the investors I meet at my empowered investors networking meetings, that they just can't get 100% financing anymore and it is hard to come up with 10% over and over to buy more properties for investment purposes.
I tell them there are plenty of opportunities to get 100% financing they just have to be creative and find the right sellers. I have sellers everyday that offer 100% financing with an owner contract, giving an investor a 100% financed investment property.
If you are looking to buy an investment property with 100% financing … (10 comments)

Married, dating, going to date, whatever, this play is for you! (Defending the Caveman) - 03/08/08 03:56 PM
Nothing makes me feel better than when a client gives me a gift. It tells me I'm doing something right, but the gift that I was given last night CHANGED MY LIFE! You see my client gave me tickets to the longest running one man show on Broadway, "Defending the Caveman", and my wife and I were laughing from beginning to end!
If you haven't seen this play, you have to! You see, this one man production tells why men and woman are so different and helps you create a stronger relationship with your significant other. My wife and I have … (11 comments)

What are the secrets to getting my home sold? - 03/08/08 01:20 AM
First of all there are a lot of factors that go in to getting a house sold. The most important being price and terms. When you talk to me, and we determine a price, there are a lot of factors to consider. A lot of sellers think that it all has to do with square footage, but that is only one of the factors.
The things I look for are first the condition of the property. Has it been recently remodeled, is there a lot of fix ups that are needed? The condition of the property can dramatically increase or decrease … (3 comments)

Washington County, Oregon home sales week in review by neighborhood (3/7/2008) - 03/07/08 11:32 AM
Today is Friday, March 7, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington County, Oregon market. I'm happy to say if you own a lower to medium priced home, sales are still making a moderate increase, if your home is price correctly.
While this is good news, higher priced homes are starting to sit a little longer on the market. This just may be due to the fact that we seem to have a larger than normal inventory of the upper end homes.
Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by neighborhood. … (2 comments)

Selling a residential home with a uncooperative tenant – An easy solution - 03/05/08 07:28 PM
Have you ever had a residential home that you have been using as a rental and now you want to sell? Then when you go to put the for sale sign up, you find out you have a tenant that doesn't want you to sell, and does everything in their power to keep it from selling?
In my state you have to give the tenant 24 hours with a posted notice that you are going to be entering the property, then, if the tenant wants, they can still make it difficult for a buyer. They just leave the house a mess and … (7 comments)

Buying investment property in Oregon doesn’t have to be risky - 03/05/08 12:03 AM
One of the biggest concerns for a first time investor is that they will lose their shirt in a bad investment property. The key to protecting yourself is to have an exit strategy and let other people pay for it!
I know that sounds crazy, but I have buyers that don't have the credit to buy property and want to buy on a lease option or owner financing. Sometimes, these buyers have a rather large down payment and if you use their down payment as your down payment then you can get a property at 80% LVR without using any of … (9 comments)

My First Concert experience – Who is that? - 03/04/08 09:08 AM
OK, for those of you who know about my past life as a DJ for 18 years may be a little surprised by this, but I didn't see my first concert until I was 15! On top of that, I wouldn't really listen to, and didn't own anything other than "The Beatles" and "Elvis Presley" until my 14th birthday, when a friend decided to try to break me of that and bought me a "Journey" album.
OK, this album was pretty good. OK, it was great. I realized at that point that maybe I should give a shot to more artists … (22 comments)

What can we learn from a Girl Scout selling cookies door to door? - 03/03/08 07:53 PM
My daughter is a Girl Scout, and has been for a few years now, and I must say a little competitive at times... I don't know where she got that. (LOL) But, what does she do that I need to do more of? Learn the word "NO" isn't really a negative thing, it is just an objection that you can overcome with perseverance.
You see when she goes door to door, she is told "No, I've already bought some cookies." But, does she turn around and walk away? Nope, she just smiles and says great, then you know you like the … (26 comments)

If you don’t know where your finish line is, how do you expect to get there? (Home ownership and goal setting) - 03/03/08 01:35 AM
One of the biggest obstacles for first time home buyers is getting their credit in order and having a big enough down payment to get their first home. One of the things I tell people is in order to know what you need, you need to have a finish line or you will be running forever! You see, when a runner goes out for a race, he knows where the finish line is. He doesn't just start running or he would get lost a long the way and never finish!
I feel this is the same result most first time home … (6 comments)

New State, New Job = No bank financing (What?) - 03/02/08 10:39 AM

If you are thinking about moving to a new area for a new career, have you thought about the possibility that when you get there, and try to go get a loan on a new home, that the bank will say "No!"?
Why would the bank do this? The banks like to see a down payment, good credit and a good job history, and if you are changing fields, even if you make more money, the bank still may say "No!"
This is where someone like myself may be able to help! I specialize in lease options and owner financing … (7 comments)

Want to get to know your kids? Spend time with them! - 03/01/08 09:16 PM
OK, time for me to brag about my kids a little! Nothing makes me prouder than when I'm as a restaurant and an older couple comes up the table after they are done eating and says, "You know you have some of the best behaved and most well mannered kids I have ever seen."
This can make a dad pretty darn proud of his kids, real quick, and this has happened not just once or twice, but I actually can't count the times this has happened to us in the last 9 years. But, what is my secret? I spend time … (13 comments)

 
Helping Families Home is a blog set up to help families find that perfect home for them. I have a family and I understand how hard it can be to find a home that everyone is happy with. Let me help you find that home and help your family home.


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