A Few Simple Safety Tips for Summer Grilling

It's Grilling Season!!  Summer is here and barbecues and cookouts are on the agenda for weekend fun.

To ensure you are able to enjoy the outdoor activity all summer long, be sure to follow a few simple safety tips to avoid becoming one of the yearly average 9,600 homes needing fire department assistance from home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues.

1. Read the owner's manual on how to assemble and use your grill safely.

2. Remember - grills are intended for outdoor use only. Never barbecue in your home, garage or other enclosed space.

3. Open the gas grill before lighting to allow any collected gas beneath the lid to escape through the top.

4. Establish a 3-foot safety radius between the grill and any eaves, deck rails and siding.

5. Never leave a hot grill unattended. Nearly three in five adults have walked away from their grill while cooking - one of the leading causes of home fires.

6. Thoroughly clean your grill after each use to prevent a grease fire.

7. When finished, let any coals from your grill cool and place them in a metal can with a lid.

Simple enough! Following these 7 grilling practises can make or break a great outdoor cooking event.  Fill your summer with delicious grilled food, lots of outdoor fun and memorable good times with family and friends!

2 New Listings!

2065 S Elder Lane, Cornelius OR 97113
Great home for first time homebuyer or those looking to downsize their home.  Single level, 1303 sq ft with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, open living area, and a big fenced yard with deck.  Located on a quiet cul-de-sac yet convenient to shopping, restaurants and main road.

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127 NE 8th Ave., Hillsboro OR 97124
This is perfect for a fix and flip, or fix and rent.  in a great location near downtown Hillsboro with the Tuesday and Saturday Markets, restaurants, shops and Pacific U's Hillsboro campus.  The home is charming, but needs some repair and updates.  Priced right to make this a winning opportunity!

If you're interested in taking a look at either of these homes, give me a call at 503-495-3533.

What is Important to Boomers Selling Their House

If you are a boomer and thinking about selling, now might be the time to contact an agent to help determine your options.

May 2019 Real Estate Market Statistics

(For the past few years, I've used my photographs for the headline photos on the monthly market updates, using local area scenes in 2017 and roof tops of homes sold in 2018.  This year I'm featuring public art that can be found in our local communities.)

The following is the latest Real Estate Market Statistics for May 2019.
Click here for the full report

• Sales:   2,969 in May 2019 vs 2,803 last May:  5.9 %

• Pending Sales:   3,292 in May 2019 vs 3,201 last May:  2.8%

• New Listings:   4,902 in May 2019 vs 4,665 last May:  5.1%

• Average Sales Price:   $471,200 in May 2019 vs $460,700 last May:  2.3%

• Total Market Time: 48 days in May 2019 vs 37 days last May:  28.9%

• Inventory in Months: 2.1 months in May 2019 vs 1.9 months last May

Inventory by Area:

• NW Washington County   1.96 months
• Beaverton/Aloha               1.16 months
• Hillsboro/Forest Grove     1.51 months

3 Things to Know in the Housing Market Today!

A lot is happening in the world, and it’s having a direct impact on the housing market. The reality is this: some of it is positive and some of it may be negative. Some we just don’t know yet.

The following three areas of the housing market are critical to understand: interest rates, building materials, and the outlook for an economic slowdown.

1. Interest Rates

One of the most important things to consider when buying a home is the interest rate you will be charged to borrow the money. In our recent post we posed the question, “Are Low Interest Rates Here To Stay?” The latest information from Freddie Mac makes it appear they are. We are currently at a 21-month low in interest rates.

2. Building Materials

Talk of tariffs could also affect the housing market. According to a recent article, the National Association of Home Builders reports that as much as $10 billion in goods imported from China are used in homebuilding. Depending on the outcome of the tariff and trade discussions between several countries, there could be as much as a 25% boost in the cost of building materials.

3. Economic Slowdown

In a prior blog post on this topic, we began the year with many economic leaders thinking we could expect a recession in late 2019 or early 2020. As spring approached, we reported that economists had started to push that projection past 2020.  Now, three leading surveys indicate that it may begin in the next eighteen months.

Bottom Line

We are in a strong housing market. Wages are increasing, home prices are appreciating, and mortgage rates are the lowest they have been in 21 months.  Whether you are thinking of buying or selling, it’s a great time to be in the market.

Bring on the Imagination ... Avoid the Boredom... Try these fun summer activities!

SUMMER'S UPON US!

Try these activities to keep your family entertained. Most of these activities require little to no money. Just your imagination.

1. TAKE A FAMILY BIKE RIDE Choose a safe path and take the whole family out on a ride. 2. FLY A KITE This is an activity that can engage every member of your family. Pick a windy day and choose a beautiful kite.

3. PAINT ROCKS Choose lovely colors and themes then hide them for others to find. 4. STARGAZE Brush up on some basic astronomy and try to find at least 4 constellations.

5. EXPLORE A NEW PARK Discover a park you have never been to before. 6. TAKE A PICTURE A DAY Document your entire summer by taking a picture a day, then print it at the end of summer so your family can look back on all the fun.

7. MAKE A BIRD FEEDER Create your own feeder for the birds in your community then sit back and watch all of your new friends. 8. VISIT YOUR LIBRARY Check out what your local library has to offer, they may have a summer activities schedule available online.

Don’t let another summer come and go. Summer activities don’t take a whole lot of planning, just a whole lot of bonding. Make it your goal to enhance your family’s experience this summer!

4 Criteria for Selecting A Home Inspector

One of the most overlooked professionals in the world of real estate is the home inspector.  Many buyers focus more on the cost of the home inspection versus the value that a good home inspector can provide in the decision to purchase a home.  A thorough report on the current condition of the home is well worth the investment in the long run.

Here are four things to consider when selecting your inspector.

1. Are they a member of a trade association – much like other professions, home inspectors also have associations they can belong to for networking, sharing experiences, learning about new building trends and having a fellow inspector to bounce ideas off of when they run into something unusual in a home they are inspecting.  Locally, home inspectors might belong to OREIA and OAHI, or inspectors might belong to national organizations such as InterNACHI or ASHI.  This might be one criterion, amongst several, to help you make an informed decision on which inspector to use on the home you intend to purchase.

2. How much time will they require?  This is important to know so you can plan your time and it’s a courtesy to let the sellers know how long they need to be away from the home.  A typical inspection will require at least 2-3 hours at the home, possibly more considering the size or condition of the home. If your inspector indicates they can complete the inspection in an hour – that would be a big red flag (unless it’s a studio condo with an HOA) and it would be best to continue looking for the right inspector.

Another important timing consideration is when will you get the inspection report. Not only is the actual on-site inspection important, the report is what is used to help negotiate any repairs.  Some inspectors will write up the report as they move throughout the home doing the inspection (which could result in an extra long inspection time).  Others will spend another 1-2 hours, sometimes more, writing up a summary of what was found during the inspection.  Typically, you should receive the report by the day following the on-site inspection.  Any longer, and you may eat up valuable time during your contracted inspection period.

3. Find an inspector with clear, easy to understand reports. A good report with explanations and pictures can make a huge difference in articulating the issues found.  Some inspectors will have a sample of their report on their web site.  Others will send a sample when one is requested.  Ensure you feel the report gives a thorough review of all aspects of your home from top to bottom, inside and out.

4. Make sure you have the right kind of inspector. If you are buying a distressed home and are getting a 203k/rehab loan, there are home inspectors who are qualified to perform inspections on distressed properties.  If you are buying a historic home, some inspectors are more knowledgeable about older forms of wiring/plumbing etc. that may still be present in the home.  Generally, home inspectors are qualified to assess the condition of most home types – finding the right one to support your needs may be another criterion in your selection decision.

Choosing the right inspector will be a big step in 

making a wise purchasing decision. 

1,100% Rise in Real Estate Phishing Scams!

Phishing scams rose 1,100% between 2015 and 2017
Phishing scams led to a $1 billion loss in real estate transactions in 2017 alone

Yes - it's happening regularly and it's real here in Oregon as well.  We frequently hear from our Title reps about buyers losing their down payment funds to scammers.

Through sophisticated phishing scams, scammers take advantage of home buyers during the closing process.  In emails that appears incredibly similar to the realtor's or title officer's email, they provide false instructions to home buyers to wire their down payment funds to a fraudulent account.

Steps are being put in place to guard against this kind of cyber attack such as, the title company only providing wiring instructions to the buyers in person, requesting the home buyer to have their financial institute call the title company prior to wiring the funds to confirm wiring instructions, encouraging home buyers never emailing their financial information and avoidign links or downloads that arrive in an email.

Read this Inman article to learn more about the June 3rd, 2019 warning from the Consumer Protection Bureau.

June 2019 Homework Series

If you need help finding professionals who can assist you with this checklist, I can provide you with a list of preferred contractors and vendors!  Just give me a call at 503-956-3505.

8 Top Reasons to Own Your Home

June is National Homeownership Month!

Now is a great time to reflect on the many benefits of homeownership that go way beyond the financial.  What reasons do you have to own your own home?

Here are the top 8 reasons provided by current homeowners...

Your Fabulous New Dream Home is Now Available!

Over the last several years, many “baby boomers” have undergone a metamorphosis. Their children have finally moved out and they can now dream about their own future. For many, a change in lifestyle might necessitate a change in the type of home they live in.

That two-story, four-bedroom colonial with three bathrooms no longer fits the bill. Taxes are too high. Utilities are too expensive. Cleaning and repair are too difficult. When they decide to travel to be with friends and family, locking up the house is too time-consuming and worrisome.

Instead, a nice ranch home with 2-3 bedrooms and two baths might better fulfill their new needs and lifestyle. The challenge many “boomers” have faced when trying to downsize to the perfect new home has been a lack of inventory.

The average number of years a family stays in their home has increased by fifty percent since 2008, causing fewer houses to come to the market. During the same time, new home builders were concentrating most of their efforts on large, luxury, expensive houses.

However, that is starting to change.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, sales of newly built, single-family homes rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 692,000 units in March. The great news is that more of those homes were sold at the lower end of the price range.
In a press release last week, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) explained that:

“The median sales price was $302,700, with strong gains in homes sold at lower price points. The median price of a new home sale a year earlier was $335,400.”

NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz offered further detail:

“We saw a large gain at lower price points where demand is strong. In March of 2019, 50% of new home sales were priced below $300,000, compared to 39% in March of 2018.”

Bottom Line

If you are a “boomer” thinking of selling your old house in order to buy a new home that better fits your current lifestyle, now may be the perfect time!