Hot Portland Properties

Tips for a greener oven

dorstadh — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:21:50 +0000

Clean your oven. Not only does this prevent unwanted household smells, it also saves the energy needed to keep your oven hot. Your oven does not have to heat up anything extra and it keeps the air circulating.

Don’t preheat unless you are baking. Most of the time when you are cooking, preheating is not necessary and it wastes energy.

Turn off the oven a few minutes early. Your oven takes a long time to cool down, therefore if you turn your oven off a few minutes before the food is done, it will continue to cook as normal and will decrease wasted energy while cooking.

Avoid opening the oven early. Every time you open your oven while your food item is cooking, you release a ton of heat, causing the oven temperature to go down around 25 degrees. The oven then has to use more energy to heat it up again.

Stagger pans and baking sheets. Air flow is very important in the oven to efficiently use energy, therefore if you have several items in the oven, try to stagger them so that the air can continue to circulate.

Only use the self clean feature right when the oven is still hot. This way the oven will not have to use as much energy to use this feature. The best way to clean the oven and use the least amount of energy is to wait until the oven is completely cool, then clean the oven by hand with a rag, soapy water, and some elbow grease.

Saturday Market at Portland State University

dorstadh — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:20:20 +0000

Dates: March 21 through December 19
Times: 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – April through October

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – November & December

Location: The Saturday Market is located at Portland State University in the South Park Blocks between SW Harrison & SW Montgomery.

Stimulus Plan to Give $15,000 to Home Buyers

dorstadh — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:18:28 +0000

If record-low interest rates and an abundant supply of houses on the Portland market weren’t enough to make you eager to start looking for a new home, the Senate yesterday passed a proposed economic stimulus package that includes $15,000 for home buyers purchasing within the year.

The plan would give a tax credit of $15,000 (or 10% of the home’s purchase price, whichever is lower) and applies to all buyers – not just those purchasing their first homes. The Senate plan has no income limits and, unlike the tax credit passed last summer as part of the Housing Recovery Act, does not have to be repaid.

At the same time, mortgage interest rates are expected by many to fall to 4.5% in the coming months.

Is a sizable tax credit combined with a rock-bottom interest rates and unprecedented selection enough spark stagnant sales? Or are potential buyers going to continue to wait, believing that our market has not yet hit bottom?

Current home prices in Portland metro area are down 17% from their peak. Houses in the local market usually sell quickly when priced at 80% of their peak price.

Home buyers waiting for the real estate market to hit bottom will inevitably be caught making their purchase as house prices are on the rise. There may never be a better time to find the home of your dreams….

Top 10 Ways to Make Home Buyers Hate Your House

dorstadh — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:17:41 +0000

Even though home buyers are all looking for something different, the majority will turn around and walk back out your door if they notice one or more of these problems:

1. Odors
If you smoke indoors or have pets your house might smell bad, even if you don’t notice it. Ask a friend or neighbor who doesn’t live there to take a whiff… and don’t get angry when they tell you the truth.

2. Dirty Bathrooms
Scrub them, paint them, buy a new shower curtain, rugs and towels–do what it takes to make them shine!

3. Dimly Lit Rooms
Replace dim light fixtures, remove heavy drapes, repaint some rooms with light colors and clean your windows inside and out to bring in more light.

4. A House Full of Busy Wallpaper
Don’t paint over it, because it will be obvious that you did… and ultimately make removal even more difficult.

5. Damp Basements
Most are not due to faulty foundations but occur when rainwater is not diverted away from the house. Prevention can be surprisingly inexpensive.

6. Dogs that Meet You at the Door
Dogs frighten some people and irritate others. Remove pets during showings if possible.

7. Bugs
There are many natural products that can help safely and effectively get rid of insects.

8. Gutters with Plants Growing in Them
Make buyers wonder what else hasn’t been maintained and can contribute to a leaky basement.

9. Sellers Who Hang Around for Showings
Home buyers feel awkward about opening closet doors and lingering for a really good look at the house if the seller is home. Give them their space!

10. Poor Curb Appeal
See above…

Solar Panels

dorstadh — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:16:22 +0000

Believe it or not… Portland is a great city for solar panels!

Solar Oregon is a non-profit organization promoting and supporting solar energy. Solar Oregon offers free workshops to provide basic solar power knowledge and educate the public on the current financial incentives that are available. These workshops are a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about this progressive energy option.

Landscaping and Curb Appeal

dorstadh — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:15:21 +0000

Considering selling this Spring?

While we all know that location is vital for potential buyers, curb appeal runs a close second. Having your yard landscaped and tidy can play a very important role in getting a potential buyer inside your home.

Here are some quick, low-cost ideas
for sprucing up your yard…

Remove weeds

Edge pathways and beds

Prune overgrown shrubs and trees

Topdress your beds with mulch and compost

Unwanted noise (busy street or PIR, perhaps?) can be effectively neutralized with a water feature

Plantings along the foundation help visually “ground” the house and can also deter theft

Container plantings can are a nice way to display plants. Many nurseries will help you arrange your purchased plants in your container free of charge

Call me for more helpful tips
selling your home!

Going Green – Imagine…

dorstadh — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:14:31 +0000

If everyone in the U.S. said “no thanks” to ATM receipts, it would save a roll of paper so long it could circle the equator fifteen times.

Change light bulbs from traditional incandescent to compact fluorescent. If every American did, it would reduce greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Turn off the car instead of idling when waiting to pick up the kids at school. When a car idles for more than 30 seconds it actually uses more gas and releases more greenhouse pollution into the air then if it were turned off.

If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones we would save 544,000 trees.

Trade Up – The Opportunity of a Down Market

dorstadh — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:13:33 +0000

A buyers’ market is a trading up market. With falling home prices comes a great opportunity for move-up buyers. Even though your home’s sale price may be lower, the smaller loss at sale can be compensated by greater savings at purchase. For example, if home prices dropped by 5 percent, here’s what if could look like if you decided to trade up:

Old Home Price = $200,000
Sell at $190,000=$10,000
Less

New Home Price = $400,000
Buy at $380,000=$20,000
Savings

Portland Mall Light Rail

dorstadh — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:12:52 +0000

Opening in 2009, a new MAX light rail line to Clackamas County-dubbed the “Green Line”-will run the length of the Mall, connecting Union Station and Portland State University.

Mortgage Rates Plummet Thanks to the Fed!

dorstadh — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:11:57 +0000

In Late November, an announcement that the Federal Reserve and US Treasury would purchase up to $600 billion in asset-backed securities sent mortgage rates plunging below 6%. This is a bold step towards a more stable economy. Not only will this increase the availability of credit, but it should help support the housing and financial markets as well. For new buyers and for homeowners looking to refinance, this is great news. While no official announcement has been made, there is rampant speculation that the Treasury will purchase additional mortgage backed securities to force 30 year fixed rates down to 4.5%. With interest rates near historic lows, home prices at 2003-2004 levels in many markets, and a tax credit up to $7500 for first-time buyers (anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years) the current real estate market is ripe with opportunity!