Everyone loves to update their homes, and if you live in an older home in an appreciating neighborhood, it can be a fantastic investment. There are some pitfalls to avoid, which can cost a homeowner quite a bit of money because of no return on investment. However, it's better to focus on what TO do and stay the course.
1. Raise the Roof!!!
Not literally, but gut the attic, and raise the ceiling in, at least, the living room. Older homes typically have 8 foot ceilings, and it's one of the first characteristics that buyers notice. It's relatively inexpensive, when you compare your return on investment, to demolish the ceilings of your older home and sheetrock over your new, vaulted ceiling. It's amazing how much larger and lighter your home will feel.
2. Knock Down Walls
Literally, knock down as many walls as you can and still retain the integrity of the home, and the NECESSARY separation of rooms. If you compare older homes to newer homes, you'll notice that older homes are typically "choppy" while newer homes feel "open and flow well." This is due to "line of sight." Newer homes opt for less separation in rooms. You can create this same feeling by demolishing a half-wall that separates your kitchen from the living room or knocking down the wall between the living room and dining room to create one grand room. You'll be AMAZED at the difference it makes.
3. Overhaul Your Kitchen and/or Master Bathroom
These are the two rooms in the house that you can ALMOST go overboard on and still get your money back when you sell the home. Refinish or replace the cabinetry, put in new tile and sinks - even install a new, stand-up shower! When (or if) you put your home on the market, you should see a GREAT return on investment.
4. Add a Master Bathroom
The 1-Bathroom houses from the 1970's and earlier are now obsolete. Americans have decided that we like a private bathroom for ourselves and another bathroom for our guests and children. While 90% of the house additions are bad ideas because they don't flow well or create poorly usable space, a master bathroom addition is a fantastic way to add more square footage, and more value to your home. Make SURE that your builder ties in the new slab to the old, and make sure that the addition is done properly. A poorly designed or executed addition never adds value - most buyers immediately imagine demolishing the work. And be sure it's properly permitted!
5. Xeriscape Your Lawn
It's trendy, it's cheap - it should be a go! Xeriscape = a trademark used for a landscaping method that employs drought-resistant plants in an effort to conserve resources, especially water.
Your home's curb appeal is the first thing that buyers notice, and it's how buyers decide whether or not they'll "click on your house" online to further investigate the interior. You can xeriscape a ¼ acre lot for around $3000, and you'll more than make up for that when your home goes on the market. Furthermore, it's environmentally & fiscally responsible. Stop wasting water!
6. Paint!!!
It's fairly obvious, but painting your home modern, neutral colors makes a HUGE difference in the appearance of the home. And when you factor in the cost - roughly $0.75/s.f. - it would be a HUGE mistake to forego painting your home when you decide it's time to modernize it. If you're planning on staying in the home for some time, paint it whatever colors you wish, but plan on repainting right before it's time to put it up for sale. If you plan on updating your home in order to sell it, go with neutral colors so that it will appeal to the widest audience. **Ask me about color consultants - I can refer you to someone wonderful!**
7. Put in Wood Floors
You won't ALWAYS get your money out of installing wood floors. If you're in a great area, and it's time to replace the floors, look at the cost difference between tile, pergo, and wood. If your home will sell for $250k+ then forget about pergo and, if you choose tile, make sure it's not cheap tile. If the cost difference between wood and your other options is negligible, then go with wood - it appeals to the most buyers.
Updating your older home can be very fun, very rewarding, and potentially very lucrative. Older homes in established neighborhoods are ripe for updating and can draw a premium on the marketplace. It's a great investment!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Postage
Beginning May 14th, new higher postal rates will go into effect. If you don't want your loved ones - not to mention your creditors - waiting by the mailbox, now is the time to prepare.
The cost of postage for a standard one ounce first class letter is increasing from 39 cents up to 41 cents.
And you know the drill - each time the post office bumps up the rates by a penny or two, it requires an annoying trip to the post office to purchase a book of one or two cent stamps.
But now - you can wave goodbye to those pesky one and two cent stamps that clutter up your desk or your wallet...the post office has finally created a stamp that will last "FOREVER".
The new stamp is called the "Forever" stamp and was created to do just what the title states....last forever. Once the stamp is purchased, the stamp can be used forever to mail one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future regardless of postage increases. The current price of each Forever stamp is 41 cents, and you can buy Forever stamps at that rate until the next postage increase.
When the postal rates increase in the future, new Forever stamps sold at that time will go up in price too - but you can use up all your previously purchased Forever stamps without having to deal with buying and using the inconvenient make-up stamps for the difference.
Forever stamps can now be purchased online at www.usps.com or at post offices nationwide.
The cost of postage for a standard one ounce first class letter is increasing from 39 cents up to 41 cents.
And you know the drill - each time the post office bumps up the rates by a penny or two, it requires an annoying trip to the post office to purchase a book of one or two cent stamps.
But now - you can wave goodbye to those pesky one and two cent stamps that clutter up your desk or your wallet...the post office has finally created a stamp that will last "FOREVER".
The new stamp is called the "Forever" stamp and was created to do just what the title states....last forever. Once the stamp is purchased, the stamp can be used forever to mail one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future regardless of postage increases. The current price of each Forever stamp is 41 cents, and you can buy Forever stamps at that rate until the next postage increase.
When the postal rates increase in the future, new Forever stamps sold at that time will go up in price too - but you can use up all your previously purchased Forever stamps without having to deal with buying and using the inconvenient make-up stamps for the difference.
Forever stamps can now be purchased online at www.usps.com or at post offices nationwide.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
What Bubble? Oregon Real Estate is Rocking
Bubble burst? What bubble burst? The danger in talking about local situations as if they applied across the board is that real estate is always a local situation and what's a bubble bursting in one area can be a time someone else's balloon is expanding rapidly.
Take a look at these metro areas that were the biggest value gainers in 2006, according the National Association of Realtors.
2006 biggest value gainers
Rank/Metropolitan statistical area/One-year appreciation (%)
1. Salem, Ore. 19.8
2 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C. 19.4
3 Spokane, Wash. 17.7
4 Salt Lake City, Utah 16.7
5 Eugene-Springfield, Ore. 16.7
6 Baton Rouge, La. 15.9
7 Gainesville, Fla. 15.9
8 Ocala, Fla. 15.5
9 Dover, Del. 14.7
10 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash. 14.7
Source: National Association of Realtors, February 2007 Metropolitan Area Existing-Home Prices and State Existing-Home Sales report
Take a look at these metro areas that were the biggest value gainers in 2006, according the National Association of Realtors.
2006 biggest value gainers
Rank/Metropolitan statistical area/One-year appreciation (%)
1. Salem, Ore. 19.8
2 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C. 19.4
3 Spokane, Wash. 17.7
4 Salt Lake City, Utah 16.7
5 Eugene-Springfield, Ore. 16.7
6 Baton Rouge, La. 15.9
7 Gainesville, Fla. 15.9
8 Ocala, Fla. 15.5
9 Dover, Del. 14.7
10 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash. 14.7
Source: National Association of Realtors, February 2007 Metropolitan Area Existing-Home Prices and State Existing-Home Sales report
Monday, March 19, 2007
New study shows which words sell, and which don't
Words that help sell a home:
Handyman special
Curb appeal
Move-in condition
Landscaping
Granite
Gourmet
Golf
Words that hurt:
Motivated seller
Good value
As-is
Clean
Quiet
New paint
Words matter. Wars have started over them. Civilizations have collapsed because of them. And it appears the speed with which a house sells might be determined by them.
As listings grow old on the vine in this flush-with-inventory market and frustrated sellers reach for the slightest edge, the findings of several academics might offer guidance.
For example, a Canadian professor, as part of a broader study on real-estate sales patterns, found that homes where the seller was "motivated" took 15 percent longer to sell, while houses listed as "handyman specials" flew off the market in half the average time. "It surprised even me," said researcher Paul Anglin, who teaches real-estate and housing trends at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. The study dissected the wording of more than 20,000 Canadian home listings from 1997 to 2000.
What surprised him most was how the buying public put style over substance. Words that denoted "curb appeal" or general attractiveness helped a property sell faster than those that spoke of "value" and "price."
Homes described as "beautiful" moved 15 percent faster and for 5 percent more in price than the benchmark. "Good-value" homes sold for 5 percent less than average.
Another finding in Anglin's study was that the plea of "must see!" was received about as enthusiastically as a dinner-time telemarketing call. Using "must see" had a statistically insignificant effect on the number of days homes took to sell.
Listings where "landscaping" was heralded sold 20 percent faster, and homes in "move-in condition" took 12 percent less time to sell than the benchmark, although the study showed that "move-in condition" had an insignificant effect on the sales price.
Owners use listing language to convey how serious they are about selling. Some words work better than others, Anglin's study found. Listings in which the seller said he or she was "moving" sold for 1 percent less compared with 8 percent less when the seller was "motivated."
Real-estate listings, not unlike personal ads, are crafted to minimize blemishes and maximize perceived selling points. So if "enjoys moonlight walks on the beach and cooking together" means "I'm unemployed and am looking for someone who won't always expect to eat out," then "needs TLC" might mean "this house will have you on a first-name basis with the clerks at the local hardware store."
Anglin's study isn't alone in its attempt to determine what language moves the market.
Last year, the effect of listing language was covered in a National Bureau of Economic Research study that looked at whether real-estate agents selling their own homes hold out for a higher price. (They do; the study found they take longer to sell but fetch a higher price.) **perhaps it's because we know our own threshold for pain better than we know yours!**
Descriptions of houses that indicated an obvious problem — such as "foreclosure," "as-is" and "handyman special" — drew substantially lower sale prices.
Words that suggested desirable attributes — "granite," "maple," "gourmet" — translated into a higher sale price, the study found.
One problem discovered was that "superficially positive" words that, in effect, damn with faint praise — such as "clean" or "quiet" — had zero or even a negative correlation with prices.
Those findings echo those made in a 2000 paper, "Real Estate Agent Remarks: Help or Hype?", researched by University of Texas finance and real-estate professor Ronald Rutherford.
Rutherford found, among other things, that buyers read between the lines. If you can't find anything better to say than "new paint," perhaps it's best to say nothing at all.
Positive and factually verifiable comments such as "golf" or "lake" drew increased sales prices. Other presumably positive comments regarding new paint or new carpet brought lower ones.
"What you say needs to be extravagant, or the signal that is received by buyers is that it's not worth talking about," Rutherford said.
But what do sellers know? "New paint" appeared on 15 percent of the listings and was the most commonly listed comment.
Rutherford said sellers would be best-served by a listing with "just the facts, ma'am."
"In today's market, if it's a good deal, you need to convey it with factually verifiable language," Rutherford said. An example: "Needs repairs."
Of the information from his study, conducted between 1994 and 1997 of almost 60,000 closed residential transactions in Tarrant County, Texas, what surprised him most? That homes with "motivated" sellers stayed on the market 15 percent longer than average and sold for 4 percent less. His theory: "They overpriced the house to start with and eventually had to lower it. That explains the length of time on the market and the lower sales price."
Does he have any advice for today's sellers?
"Yes," he said. "Avoid the word 'motivated.' "
By Ann Brenoff Los Angeles Times Heather McKinnon / The Seattle Times
Handyman special
Curb appeal
Move-in condition
Landscaping
Granite
Gourmet
Golf
Words that hurt:
Motivated seller
Good value
As-is
Clean
Quiet
New paint
Words matter. Wars have started over them. Civilizations have collapsed because of them. And it appears the speed with which a house sells might be determined by them.
As listings grow old on the vine in this flush-with-inventory market and frustrated sellers reach for the slightest edge, the findings of several academics might offer guidance.
For example, a Canadian professor, as part of a broader study on real-estate sales patterns, found that homes where the seller was "motivated" took 15 percent longer to sell, while houses listed as "handyman specials" flew off the market in half the average time. "It surprised even me," said researcher Paul Anglin, who teaches real-estate and housing trends at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. The study dissected the wording of more than 20,000 Canadian home listings from 1997 to 2000.
What surprised him most was how the buying public put style over substance. Words that denoted "curb appeal" or general attractiveness helped a property sell faster than those that spoke of "value" and "price."
Homes described as "beautiful" moved 15 percent faster and for 5 percent more in price than the benchmark. "Good-value" homes sold for 5 percent less than average.
Another finding in Anglin's study was that the plea of "must see!" was received about as enthusiastically as a dinner-time telemarketing call. Using "must see" had a statistically insignificant effect on the number of days homes took to sell.
Listings where "landscaping" was heralded sold 20 percent faster, and homes in "move-in condition" took 12 percent less time to sell than the benchmark, although the study showed that "move-in condition" had an insignificant effect on the sales price.
Owners use listing language to convey how serious they are about selling. Some words work better than others, Anglin's study found. Listings in which the seller said he or she was "moving" sold for 1 percent less compared with 8 percent less when the seller was "motivated."
Real-estate listings, not unlike personal ads, are crafted to minimize blemishes and maximize perceived selling points. So if "enjoys moonlight walks on the beach and cooking together" means "I'm unemployed and am looking for someone who won't always expect to eat out," then "needs TLC" might mean "this house will have you on a first-name basis with the clerks at the local hardware store."
Anglin's study isn't alone in its attempt to determine what language moves the market.
Last year, the effect of listing language was covered in a National Bureau of Economic Research study that looked at whether real-estate agents selling their own homes hold out for a higher price. (They do; the study found they take longer to sell but fetch a higher price.) **perhaps it's because we know our own threshold for pain better than we know yours!**
Descriptions of houses that indicated an obvious problem — such as "foreclosure," "as-is" and "handyman special" — drew substantially lower sale prices.
Words that suggested desirable attributes — "granite," "maple," "gourmet" — translated into a higher sale price, the study found.
One problem discovered was that "superficially positive" words that, in effect, damn with faint praise — such as "clean" or "quiet" — had zero or even a negative correlation with prices.
Those findings echo those made in a 2000 paper, "Real Estate Agent Remarks: Help or Hype?", researched by University of Texas finance and real-estate professor Ronald Rutherford.
Rutherford found, among other things, that buyers read between the lines. If you can't find anything better to say than "new paint," perhaps it's best to say nothing at all.
Positive and factually verifiable comments such as "golf" or "lake" drew increased sales prices. Other presumably positive comments regarding new paint or new carpet brought lower ones.
"What you say needs to be extravagant, or the signal that is received by buyers is that it's not worth talking about," Rutherford said.
But what do sellers know? "New paint" appeared on 15 percent of the listings and was the most commonly listed comment.
Rutherford said sellers would be best-served by a listing with "just the facts, ma'am."
"In today's market, if it's a good deal, you need to convey it with factually verifiable language," Rutherford said. An example: "Needs repairs."
Of the information from his study, conducted between 1994 and 1997 of almost 60,000 closed residential transactions in Tarrant County, Texas, what surprised him most? That homes with "motivated" sellers stayed on the market 15 percent longer than average and sold for 4 percent less. His theory: "They overpriced the house to start with and eventually had to lower it. That explains the length of time on the market and the lower sales price."
Does he have any advice for today's sellers?
"Yes," he said. "Avoid the word 'motivated.' "
By Ann Brenoff Los Angeles Times Heather McKinnon / The Seattle Times
The Latest Trend in Home Color? "Green."
Ten Things you can do now to create a greener home.
1. Light up. Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs.
2. Recycle. Basic, but still important.
3. Purchase Green Power. if available in your area, opt for green power.
4. Add Solar Power. Use federal tax credits and state buy-down programs to reduce emissions, and your energy bills.
5. Turn it Down, Turn it Up. Turn your heater down and your air conditioner up by three degrees.
6. Wash Cool. Do two loads of your laundry per week in cold water instead of hot, and hang things out to dry when you can.
7. Buy Smartly, Save Money. Energy Star appliances save money as well as 1,000 lbs. of CO2 a year.
8. Be Water Wise. Low-flow toilets can save up to 220,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four.
9. Use Green Paints. Buy no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) or low-VOC paints that can eliminate eye, nose and throat irritation, and more severe health threats.
10. Fan It. Installing a whole-house or ceiling fan improves interior comfort by circulating cold and warm air, and dramatically reduces the need for air conditioning, at one-tenth of the price.
For more great ideas on how to make your home greener, visit globalgreen.org.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Housework abc's
aprons - y/n? Yes. I almost always wear them when I cook, though sometimes I forget to take them off when guests arrive. My favorite is one of my mom's that we gave to her when we were evil teenagers. It's yellow and it says "bitch bitch bitch" on the front.
baking - yes! I love baking cookies.
clothesline - y/n? Nope. Just a rod in the utility room where I hang things on hangers. And the deck railing is where I throw the big comforters when they come out of the wash to get that smell.
donuts - ever made them? Not since I was a little girl, but they're in my top 5 foods.
everyday - one homemaking thing you do everyday? Does making coffee count? Seriously, we split chores around here and Norris does almost all the dishes. I guess assembling a salad of some sort is my forte.
freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer? Yep and it's loaded with our new favorites - California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas (950 calories for the whole pie) and 40 calorie fudgesicles. Can you tell we're trying to lose a few?
garbage disposal - y/n? Yes. And the plumber told me not to put potato skins down there (as he was snaking out the drain literally 10 minutes before many many guests arrived.
handbook - y/n? Not sure what this means. Handbooks for all appliances and electronics are all in one place - if that's what they mean...Otherwise Martha Stewart.com is the source for all homemaking info I'll ever need.
ironing - love it or hate it? eh. It's ok, but I still have a bag of napkins that need to be ironed -this bag moved here with us from Pennsylvania in 1993.
junk drawer - where is it? In the utility room. We cleaned it after the kids went to college and you can find things now. Except for flashlights. They're all missing.
kitchen - design and decorating? We need an update. Typical 1991 oak cabinets, white tile counters and backsplash and white appliances. But I love the wall color - Devine Steamer - and we're going to splurge on a honking commercial range & double ovens, which will result in a complete remodel before we're through... coming soon. Still trying to determine the counter choice - which is leaning toward something that's not granite and is more industrial.
love - what is your favorite part of homemaking? Getting the house ready for the kids to come home, and for holiday dinners. The very best feeling of all.
mop - y/n? Not me. Thankfully, I have help in that department.
nylons - Seriously? Do I wear them? Heck no, nobody does anymore.
oven - do you use the window or open it to check? Open it.
pizza - what do you put on yours? Fresh tomatoes, roasted veggies, basil, mozzarella, sometimes mushrooms, onions, black olives or pepperoni if there are men eating.
quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Read my latest book or fool around online.
recipe card box - big wooden box with 5x7 cards, plus an entire baker's rack filled with cookbooks. Not to mention epicurious.com.
style of house – Traditional
tablecloths and napkins - y/n? Yes - lots and lots of linens. (some in need of ironing and 18 napkins still missing at the cleaners....see? I should have done my own ironing, but then they'd be in that bag....)
under the kitchen sink – Cleaning supplies, trash and recycling.
vacuum - how many times a week? Thank goodness for Renee.
wash - how many loads do you do a week? About two. Saturday morning. Norris does 'em.
x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? Not religiously, but if I'm especially crunched, I do.
yard - who does what? That's my territory. That's why it looks so bad. We all hate doing it but we love it when it looks pretty and we can have fresh cut flowers in the house. The HOA mows the lawn. I have to do all the flower beds and sometimes I get help from Sally or Victor.
zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day? Let the dog out for one last time. g'night.
baking - yes! I love baking cookies.
clothesline - y/n? Nope. Just a rod in the utility room where I hang things on hangers. And the deck railing is where I throw the big comforters when they come out of the wash to get that smell.
donuts - ever made them? Not since I was a little girl, but they're in my top 5 foods.
everyday - one homemaking thing you do everyday? Does making coffee count? Seriously, we split chores around here and Norris does almost all the dishes. I guess assembling a salad of some sort is my forte.
freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer? Yep and it's loaded with our new favorites - California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas (950 calories for the whole pie) and 40 calorie fudgesicles. Can you tell we're trying to lose a few?
garbage disposal - y/n? Yes. And the plumber told me not to put potato skins down there (as he was snaking out the drain literally 10 minutes before many many guests arrived.
handbook - y/n? Not sure what this means. Handbooks for all appliances and electronics are all in one place - if that's what they mean...Otherwise Martha Stewart.com is the source for all homemaking info I'll ever need.
ironing - love it or hate it? eh. It's ok, but I still have a bag of napkins that need to be ironed -this bag moved here with us from Pennsylvania in 1993.
junk drawer - where is it? In the utility room. We cleaned it after the kids went to college and you can find things now. Except for flashlights. They're all missing.
kitchen - design and decorating? We need an update. Typical 1991 oak cabinets, white tile counters and backsplash and white appliances. But I love the wall color - Devine Steamer - and we're going to splurge on a honking commercial range & double ovens, which will result in a complete remodel before we're through... coming soon. Still trying to determine the counter choice - which is leaning toward something that's not granite and is more industrial.
love - what is your favorite part of homemaking? Getting the house ready for the kids to come home, and for holiday dinners. The very best feeling of all.
mop - y/n? Not me. Thankfully, I have help in that department.
nylons - Seriously? Do I wear them? Heck no, nobody does anymore.
oven - do you use the window or open it to check? Open it.
pizza - what do you put on yours? Fresh tomatoes, roasted veggies, basil, mozzarella, sometimes mushrooms, onions, black olives or pepperoni if there are men eating.
quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Read my latest book or fool around online.
recipe card box - big wooden box with 5x7 cards, plus an entire baker's rack filled with cookbooks. Not to mention epicurious.com.
style of house – Traditional
tablecloths and napkins - y/n? Yes - lots and lots of linens. (some in need of ironing and 18 napkins still missing at the cleaners....see? I should have done my own ironing, but then they'd be in that bag....)
under the kitchen sink – Cleaning supplies, trash and recycling.
vacuum - how many times a week? Thank goodness for Renee.
wash - how many loads do you do a week? About two. Saturday morning. Norris does 'em.
x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? Not religiously, but if I'm especially crunched, I do.
yard - who does what? That's my territory. That's why it looks so bad. We all hate doing it but we love it when it looks pretty and we can have fresh cut flowers in the house. The HOA mows the lawn. I have to do all the flower beds and sometimes I get help from Sally or Victor.
zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day? Let the dog out for one last time. g'night.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Portland's housing market lamblike as springtime nears
The median price for metro-area homes is up about 12 percentWednesday, February 21, 2007
(as published in the Oregonian)
As the all-important spring selling season approaches, Portland's housing market continues to show signs of slackening.
The median home price in the Portland metropolitan area was $275,000 in January, according to figures released Tuesday by the Regional Multiple Listing Service.
That's up nearly 12 percent compared with January 2006. But home prices have essentially been flat since late spring, and have even come down a hair since their peak in June, when the market was gyrating upward and the area's median price hit $280,000.
New listings were up 19 percent in January compared with the same period last year, and closed sales were down 9 percent. Consequently, the inventory of homes for sale in the region hit a 6.2 month supply in January -- its highest level in five years. The average market time for a home sale was 65 days, up from 44 days in January 2006.
"It's the thing we expected, transitioning from a seller's to a buyer's market," said Jerry Johnson of Johnson Gardner, a Portland economic consulting firm. "If this is as bad as it gets, we can live with that."
While median home prices still show strong growth year over year, Johnson thinks those comparisons will get tougher as spring wears on. For the year, he thinks the Portland area will do well to see prices hold at current levels, a soft landing that will look positively muscular compared with some metropolitan areas around the country. Still, Johnson cautions, "There's no way we're replicating the first six months of 2006 in the first six months of 2007."
Don't tell that to area home builders and real estate agents, who are still sounding a boosterish note as they head into home sales prime time. Many of them blame the media for spreading doom-and-gloom stories that have scared away buyers, and say there's plenty of pent-up demand that will fuel sales this year. "In reality, the market is still incredible -- it's not like we're Las Vegas or Arizona, where we can continue to build into the desert," said Rob Young, a broker in Clackamas County.
Yet RMLS statistics and anecdotal accounts suggest that Clackamas County -- specifically Happy Valley -- is one of the weakest pockets in the metro area precisely because there is so much new building going on. The average time on the market in Clackamas County was 84 days, compared with the metro average of 65 days. "I'm signing off on the same number of deals in this office," Young said. "I don't see a difference."
Likewise, Brian Bellairs, an agent with The Meadows Group in Beaverton, says he senses a decent equilibrium in the market, with some recent signs that activity is heating up.
"We don't know how hot it's going to be, but we think there are more buyers in the marketplace," Bellairs said.
Arbor Custom Homes, one of the area's largest home builders, said its sold a record 95 homes in January, following its record of 67 home sales in December. That's quite a change since last summer and fall, when Arbor was seeing a 50 percent cancellation rate on home sales because buyers were scared off by stories about the imminent bursting of a real estate bubble, said Wally Remmers, the company's co-owner.
Johnson, the consultant, says he hopes area home builders will show some restraint in coming months and let the market catch up with supply. There are already signs that they have their ears to the ground. The number of building permits issued for privately-owned housing units in the Portland area was 663 in December, down more than 50 percent from December 2005 and substantially less than any month in the last two years, according to census figures.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
$4.00 Vignette
I need a little sprucing up around here. I mean, Christmas is over and I finished the last of the holiday decoration purge on Superbowl weekend. But what do you put in all those bare spots once the holiday gear is gone?
Well, the primroses are only $1. at the grocery store, so I grabbed 3. I had a bag of moss from the Dollar Store.
So.....I threw a few silver pieces on a table, (or baskets or pottery - we have silver, thanks to mom and grandpa, who have bequeathed us with tons of old stuff) and drop the plants in, fill with moss and voila! $4 later, plus a bag of candy for the dish, we have spring in the house.
I even finished the fall clean-up on the garden last week. Just in time for the Spring clean-up, which I might be able to save until summer.
Procrastination can be rewarding.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Phones
I was so hot for the Treo 600 once it was released, I could hardly wait. What a gorgeous phone! Even Brian Allen was impressed with it! Of course AT&T strung me along and never delivered on my pre-order, so I bought it directly from Palm - which may have been a good thing because they treated me well during my hundreds of phone calls to India to complain about the phone. I should say phones. They sent me at least 4 replacements of the 600 and finally just gave up and upgraded me to the new 650. It took so long to resolve my Treo 600 issues the new model was out.
That little beauty lasted for three years. I loved it. Except when I hung up on people because a part of my face or ear or something would touch the off button on the screen. Or when it constantly froze between calls. Or when the data synch ceased to work in spite of the purchase of a new cord. My love faded. And faded. Yet I was stuck. All my data (clients, vendors, friends, family, lists, memos, my beloved PITI calculator, everything!) was in Palm format. The easiest switch would have been to the 700. But 700 owners were hating the thing.
Just in time, out comes the 680. The new improved 650 without all the extra junk that made the 700 unweildy. The perfect solution! I rushed out and bought one. Popped all my data into and was back in business in a half hour. Except it died within a week. And the replacement phone suffered from the same horrible reception. I couldn't place a call in my neighborhood.
While the Real Estate industry has embraced the Treo as the phone for Realtors, the new 680's have the worst reception (they got rid of the external antenna) and the 700 has too much stuff going on. (Do you really need to download documents to read on your telephone while you're out selling property? I don't) I hardly know a soul who actually likes using their Treo.
But the Real Estate big-wigs have reeeally fallen for the Treo. Now Realtors can use their Treo to open lockboxes! No more carrying the little black box.
But if you can't make a phone call, who cares if you can open a lockbox. If your earring hangs up on your clients, or your phone freezes every time you switch from call to call, how good a Realtor are you really being?
So I fell for the Blackjack. It seemed to do everything the Treo had done for me. And it gets reception in Portland Heights. And on SW Skyline. And places where I hadn't ever been able to make a call. The phone doesn't hang up on people! I can google. I can send funny pictures.
While it took me an entire day to transfer all my data from Palm to Outlook, I'm in love with Blackjack. And it has satellite radio and will keep me company with miniature tv shows! (BTW, the rest of my family uses the "Dash" from TMobile, and it has very similar capabilities)
Bye bye Treo. Blackjack had me at hello.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Organization 101
As much as I'd love to tell you all that I'm always organized in every way, you know I'm not. I mean, I get my job done in an organized way, and I can put my hand on almost anything within five seconds, but my jewelry was pretty much of a disaster area. Some on a shelf, some in bowls on my vanity, and some on an ancient belt organizer along with belts and sashes and... you get the picture.
I don't know how I came up with this plan, but it's been floating around my head for about 6 months - and finally I bought the parts and Norris assembled it for me.
It's just a couple of those coated wire racks for kitchens that they sell at Storables - and we hung them on the wall of my closet. There are all sorts of hooks and things, and I especially love the long racks that hold an armfull of bangle bracelets... and then there's a little basket at the bottom for all of my watches and cuffs and.....
Well I could go crazy organizing stuff with all the containers and things at Storables.
The cost of this project? About $45. (half of that was for all the hooks. There's probably a cheaper way - but I like it all matchy)
Will you see me wearing jewelry more often? You tell me.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
