Cyberscams and Real Estate

Watch the video below to learn more about how cyber crime is affecting Buyers, Sellers and Realtors during a home sale transaction.  While the video is focused on ensuring Realtors take precautions, it will also give you good ideas on what to watch for to ensure safety of your finances during the transaction. If you are in the process of buying or selling a home, be sure you, too, are taking precautions to ensure you aren't affected by a cyber scam.

Never trust wiring instructions sent via email - Cyber criminals are hacking email accounts and sending emails with fake wiring instructions.  Several title companies are now requiring clients to come to their offices to obtain the wiring instructions to ensure buyers and sellers receive the correct information to provide to their financial institute.

If you do receive email instructions for wiring funds, always call your escrow officer to ensure they sent the email.  Never wire money without double-checking that the wiring instructions are correct.

Click here: Cyber scams and Real Estate

Zoo Concerts start tonight!  Have you bought your tickets for any of the upcoming concerts this summer?

Wednesday, June 21     Seu Jorge

Friday, June 23     John Prine,  Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Sunday, July 16     Aimee Mann;  Rhiannon Giddens

Saturday, July 22     2Cellos

Sunday, July 23     Natalie Merchant

Saturday, July 29     Brandi Carlile

Sunday, July 30     Brandi Carlile

Tuesday, August 1     Echo & The Bunnymen; Violent Femmes

Saturday, August 12     Blind Pilot;  Gregory Alan Isakov

Wednesday, August 16     Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo;  Rick Springfield

Friday, August 18     Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home;  Love and Comedy Tour 2017

Friday, Sept 1     Kaleo - Express Tour 2017

Sunday Sept 3     Conor Oberst

Saturday, Sept 9     Mac Demarco;  The Garden

Happy First Day of Summer! Here's a Cool Tip to keep in mind

Q. Is it more cost effective to maintain a constant temperature with air conditioning or turn if off during the day while I’m at work?

A. Whether you have air conditioning or a heat pump, here’s our advice to keep your cooling costs in check:

• Set the thermostat 10 degrees higher than normal if you’re going to be away for more than half the day. Your cooling will run less frequently, but your home won’t get super hot.
• If you’re leaving for longer than a day — say a trip out of town — then go ahead and turn off the cooling to save energy. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set it to start cooling an hour or so before you return so you arrive to a comfortable home.

Remember: If you have pets at home, you’ll need to modify these recommendations so your animals don’t get overheated. 

Courtesy of PGE Newsletter https://www.portlandgeneral.com/newsletters/customer-news/2017-06/2017-06-thats-a-great-question

May 2017 Real Estate Market Statistics

The following is the latest Real Estate Market Statistics for May 2017.
Click here for the full report

• Sales:   2,896 in May 2017 vs 2,896 last May:  0.0%

• Pending Sales:   3,435 in May 2017 vs 3,563 last May:  -3.6%

• New Listings:   4,388 in May 2017 vs 4,144 last May:  5.9%

• Average Sales Price:   $423,800 in May 2017 vs $383,000 last May:  10.7%

• Total Market Time: 39 days in May 2017 vs 37 days last May:  6.4%

• Inventory in Months: 1.5 months in May 2017 vs 1.4 months last May

Inventory by Area:

• NW Washington County   1.75 months
• Beaverton/Aloha               0.73 months
• Hillsboro/Forest Grove     1.12 months

Homework Series - June

June is a good month to focus on outdoor home maintenance chores to ensure your home and yard are in great condition.