tigard real estate agents: Good News/Bad News - 02/27/09 10:42 AM

The good news is that we are ranked #4 in the U.S. for best housing markets.
The bad news is that we still declined 14%, although the national average is 18%.
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND METRO BLOG AT http//:www.TonyandLibby.blogspot.com (make sure you leave comments)
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tigard real estate agents: Just had to share... - 02/23/09 10:57 AM
I am just so, so excited that I had to share.  I just recently filmed another two episodes of "My House Is Worth What" for HGTV.  On top of that exciting news I received a phone call to do an episode of "My First Place" for HGTV as well.  I will try and keep you guys updated on when those will air.
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND METRO BLOG AT http//:www.TonyandLibby.blogspot.com (make sure you leave comments)
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tigard real estate agents: Time To Buy A House - 02/11/09 10:48 AM
No matter what the market condition, there is always going to be a group whose turn it is to be in the most advantageous position.  Right now it is the first-time home buyer.  This is evident by the stat saying 41% of buyers at the end of '08 were first-timers.
This stroke of luck is for a few reason.  With the new lower prices they are able to afford better than they could before, if they could afford anything at all before. Not to mention all that inventory just sitting there, sellers are negotiating.
Then there are the low interest rates … (7 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Westside Express Service - 02/03/09 09:40 AM
Yesterday, Monday, Feb. 2, the Westside Express Service commuter rail went on its first ride. The westside of the Portland Metro area now has its own commuter rail line. The 14.7-mile route has five stations in Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, with trains running every 30 minutes during weekday morning and evening rush hours.
So far the busiest station has been the Beaverton Transit Center.  Officials are hoping it will become popular so that it will reduce traffic on Pacific Highway, 217 and I-5.
The new commuter trains are equiped with free Wi-Fi, bike hooks and swivel seats; and the stations … (1 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Negotiate Your Rent - 01/26/09 10:10 AM
It seems that economic crisis has caused an opportunity for some. (besides buying up cheap properties)  Apartment vacancies are on the rise putting people in a mighty good bargaining position. 
Managers are starting to get desperate to get and keep people in their buildings all across the country.  The Portland OR area is one of the biggest rent drops of -3.2%.  So if your lease is up, now is the time to talk to your landlord about a new longer and cheaper lease.
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/106480/Rents-Drop-Nationwide-as-Vacancies-Spike
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND … (6 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands - 01/22/09 10:34 AM
Toll Brothers Inc. is a luxury homebuilder who is tired of watching buyers sit on the sidelines waiting for mortgage rates to hit bottom.   They are now offering on their new-home inventory a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an interest rate of 3.99% with no points paid up-front.  The idea is to get those teetering on the fence to finally jump off and buy. 
This is a brilliant idea on their part and the phone has been ringing off the hook.  Now they are even locking that rate in for nine months for those who want to buy a new, built-to-suit … (3 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Do You MeetUp? - 01/20/09 09:48 AM
I was going through the Realtor magazine and found a page about people connecting.  With all the blogs and facebook pages and ways people are getting together on the internet this article was letting people know that you can still meet face to face. 
Apparently there is this website called http://www.meetup.com/ where you can start or join a group of like minded people who want to meet up and get to know new people. 
So I got on there and looked up my city and found all kinds of cool groups!  People who meet to hike, play poker, talk about Buffy … (5 comments)

tigard real estate agents: 14305 SW 100th Ave, Tigard OR - 01/16/09 03:13 AM
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tigard real estate agents: Inflated Home Values - 01/14/09 11:00 AM
This article on CNN.com mentions that one of the reasons that home prices were soaring too high was the appraisals.  Loan officers and mortgage brokers were (and do) putting lots of pressure on some appraisers to "hit the number" that the officer or broker was looking for.
So now there will be a Home Valuation Code of Conduct starting in May.  These will be guidelines for appraisals being used in loans being sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  The guildelines prohibit lenders from coercing, extorting, colluding with intimidating or bribing appraisers.
So what you are telling me is, this was … (3 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Pendings still going down... - 01/07/09 10:26 AM
It's hard to be optimistic when pending sales for the month of November have hit a 7-year low, but you just have to try. 
There are so many factors working against home buyers like strict lending standards, recession, rising unemployment and the likelihood that their currant home isn't selling and/or the value has dropped too much.  Even historically low interest rates have only caused a lot of people to refinance their currant mortgage.
The bright side?  Well, we can only go up from here, right?  It will be slow, but it will be in the right direction.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/06/real_estate/pending_home/index.htm?postversion=2009010614
PLEASE CHECK OUT … (7 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Refinancing Frenzy - 01/02/09 05:00 AM
Interest rates have fallen recently, as most people are aware, and naturally people are rushing to refinance in order to reduce their housing payments.
The average rate for a 30-year, fixed mortgage dropped to 5.08% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, more than a full point lower than just a month ago.
Mortgage applications were up 48% last week, and by far, the majority of those were from homeowners looking to lower housing costs.
Refinancing is not for everyone however.  If you currently have an adjustable rate, you could lower your rate by a percentage point or more, you … (7 comments)

tigard real estate agents: November Market Report - 12/12/08 10:36 AM
November Residential Highlights
 
Sales activity continued to slow in the Portland metro area during November. The number of closed sales dropped 39.9% compared to last November. The 1,041 sold properties was the lowest sales total since February 1993. Pending sales also fell 31.7% compared to last November. New listings decreased 20.2%. Comparing November 2008 to October 2008, new listings dropped 25.5% (2,687 v. 3,605). Pending sales declined 12.6% (1,108 v. 1,268) and closed sales were down 28.9% (1,041 v. 1,465). The inventory of homes grew to a record 15 months, assuming that the 15,611 active residential listings are sold at … (1 comments)

tigard real estate agents: The REAL Victims - 12/09/08 10:36 AM
There are those out there getting hit but the housing crisis even though they pay their bill in full each and every month.  These victims are called tenants and are getting blind sighted by sudden evictions all across the country.  And in a lot of states they have no recourse.
This isn't just apartment buildings either.  There are single-family homes that families with small children have been renting for years with no notion that they should be making other plans.
In the majority of cases the lender dealing with the foreclosure is not putting in too much effort to find out … (3 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Great Interest Rates! - 12/05/08 05:02 AM
Rate Update 11/26/2008
WOW!! The Federal Reserve and Treasury rolled out an $800 billion dollar plan that includes buying up some $600 billion in debt tied to mortgages. This news obviously carried over into mortgages rates. Interest rates fell about 1 whole point to 5.25% today!! Lets get some buyers!! This is a fantastic opportunity for buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a good reason to buy. Conforming and  FHA   5.25% 30 yr fixed 5.0%   15 year fixed 5.75% 5 yr ARM   Jumbo/Conforming Rates $50K to $5 million on Primary and 2nd Homes   … (6 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Check This Out - 11/26/08 04:46 AM
I just wanted to share with people a really great Portland blog by Ron Ares.  It just has some good stuff on it so I encourage you to check it out.  Particularly the sections, NAR Releases Q3 Numbers and Oregon Holds Head Above Water.  Both great reads!
http://www.repdx.com/
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND METRO BLOG AT http//:www.TonyandLibby.blogspot.com (make sure you leave comments)
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tigard real estate agents: Top 10 Vacation Hot Spots - 11/25/08 05:43 AM
CHECK IT OUT!  Someone thinks this is one of the Top 10 Hot Vacation Sites!!!  But of course!
6. Willamette Valley, Ore.  
Located about an hour’s drive south of Portland and spread out on the banks of the Willamette River, this up-and-coming wine region has been making waves of late in wine glasses across the nation. Billing itself as the "place for pinot,” this slumbering grapevine district is home to more than 200 wineries, most of which beckon visitors with tasting rooms and even eco-wine tours. Visitors can also opt to take in the vineyard-covered landscape from a hot-air balloon … (10 comments)

tigard real estate agents: October Market Report - 11/24/08 03:02 AM
October Residential HighlightsMarket Activity continues to be on the decline when compared to 2008. Pending sales fell 39.6% when comparing October 2008 with October 2007. The number of closed sales and new listings also fell, 21.4% and 21.6% respectively. Comparing October to September, we also saw a decline across the board, although not as intense as the comparison above. There were 25.6% (1,268 v. 1,705) fewer accepted offers in October. Additionally, there were 14.2% (3,605 v. 4,200) less new listings added to the inventory. Further, there was a 10.7% (1,465 v. 1,640) drop in closed sales. At the month’s rate of … (2 comments)

tigard real estate agents: Tigard Trends - 11/20/08 07:49 AM
Real Estate Market Trends in Tigard According to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, home values in Tigard decreased -8.05% in the third quarter of 2008,  compared to the third quarter of 2007. Nationally, home values decreased -9.7% during this same period.
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com & OUR NEW PORTLAND METRO BLOG AT http//:www.TonyandLibby.blogspot.com (make sure you leave comments)
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tigard real estate agents: 12755 SW 138th Ave, Tigard OR - 11/14/08 06:33 AM
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tigard real estate agents: Tight Rental Market - 11/05/08 05:49 AM
The rental market has felt the squeeze due to all the people who fell victim to foreclosures, laid-off workers and young adults starting out who are all out there searching for affordable lodging.  Because of this competition, rents have been on the rise and the number of vacancies is on the decline.  For many years the average of available apartments in Portland Metro was 5.6 percent, but last month it was only 3.6 percent. 
To make matters even more difficult for those in bad situations, landlords are in a position to be picky, unlike before.  So now your bad credit or … (2 comments)

 
Tony and Libby Kelly, CRS, ABR, ePro, SRES, CLHMS, CDPE (Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere)

Tony and Libby Kelly

CRS, ABR, ePro, SRES, CLHMS, CDPE

Lake Oswego, OR

More about me…

Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere

Office: (503) 924-3520

Mobile: (503) 753-7300

In this forum we will offer discussions on a wide variety of subjects, but focus on Portland Metro and real estate. Hopefully our insights and experiences will inform, educate, challenge and entertain our readers week after week.


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