Buying ~ Selling ~ Relocation http://bethearnest.net Beth Earnest & Associates Portland, OR Real Estate Tue, 21 May 2013 04:54:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 My Favorite Recipes http://bethearnest.net/2011/06/07/my-favorite-recipes/ http://bethearnest.net/2011/06/07/my-favorite-recipes/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:33:09 +0000 earnestb http://bethearnest.net/?p=199 I love to cook and share good food ideas. Since I work for my clients basically 7 days a week simple and healthy dinners are a must.  Here’s one of my favorite winter salads that is so beautiful, so yummy and so easy!

Winter Salad

1 package of Pomegranate seeds (Trader Joe’s or Costco usually has them)

2 ruby red grapefruit – peel and break into pieces removing any skin or membrane

2 cups of firm red or green grapes – cut each grape in half

Toss together and serve!

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I have three children. My daughter has graduated from Sunset High School and U of O. My twin boys are at Sunset High School now. Beaverton School District is what I am most familiar with and I can share my experiences with Elementary, Middle, High School and the Option Schools the District has to offer. I am also familiar with several of the private schools in the area; Catlin Gabel, OES, etc.

There are several school districts in the Portland Metro Area. Since I don’t have personal experience with all of them I like to guide my clients to the appropriate websites so they can gather specific or general information about area schools.  Call or email me for a list of these sites.

Since I have been selling since 1991 I have a lot of clients with children in many different schools and with many different needs. We can find other parents for you to talk to and ask questions as well. Most everyone is willing to share their personal school experiences.

Give me a call or email and we will do our best to direct you and get your questions answered!

]]> http://bethearnest.net/2011/06/02/schools/feed/ 0 House Hunting with the Kids http://bethearnest.net/2011/05/30/house-hunting-with-the-kids/ http://bethearnest.net/2011/05/30/house-hunting-with-the-kids/#comments Mon, 30 May 2011 11:00:35 +0000 earnestb http://bethearnest.net/?p=194 The kids need to pick their rooms so bring them along! I always have treats, age appropriate toys, wet-wipes and paper towels in the car for our kid house hunting trips.

Even if the kids are not along we may make a stop at Starbucks for a treat to keep us jazzed up during our home tour.

]]> http://bethearnest.net/2011/05/30/house-hunting-with-the-kids/feed/ 0 First Time Buyers http://bethearnest.net/2011/05/27/first-time-buyers/ http://bethearnest.net/2011/05/27/first-time-buyers/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 11:00:47 +0000 earnestb http://bethearnest.net/?p=192 I love working with first time buyers. Being a mother of 3 and nurturing by nature it’s a good fit for me! It’s so important to me that Buyers are protected and educated through the home buying process. It’s a big decision to purchase a home and I do my best to guide my clients through the process not only looking at the home for today but also for the future.

There are a lot of things to consider in addition to price and how the home you wish to purchase fits your needs today. 

I really like to have my clients think about:

Resale – you probably will not live there forever. What will make this home be the home that sells if there are 5 homes for sale in the area? Sure those power lines don’t bother you but what about future buyers? What are the redeeming qualities that will bring buyers, what will eliminate buyers?

Schools – no kids now? That could change for you, or could be a factor for resale. I will direct you to the Oregon Schools Report Card website so you can review the schools in the area.

Investment/Future Rental Property – perhaps you will want to keep your first home and start building a portfolio of investment properties. If so we will talk about the property as a future rental, what would make it a desirable rental to tenants and how much could you charge for rent? We have resources to help us determine those answers.

General Condition / Future Maintenance – Sure it looks good now, and the inspection checked out but what will future costs be and when will items like a new roof siding, furnace or new windows come up?

These items and more are all discussed and worked through while looking for the perfect home.

Call me today to get started – first we talk to a lender or two then we go out and start the search!

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I wrote several offers on short sales in 2010 most of which closed, but it takes a lot of patience on the buyer’s part and a lot of prodding on the Realtor’s part. The average time from offer to 3rd party approval / acceptance to closing varies. I personally have seen a trend that indicates the higher priced properties get 3rd party approval faster than the lower priced properties. We can only speculate why that may be, I have my ideas.

I also wrote several offers on bank owned properties and found that the banks are not “giving” the homes away. While there is less “emotion” in the sale of a bank owned property it appears the banks are pricing the homes to sell and not budging much on price. We also see some banks set the property on the market for a week or two before offers will be reviewed as well as not open the home for sale to investors until they exhaust any owner occupied buyers. 

If you would like a list of banks owned or short sale homes please call or email. We will be happy to send you detailed info for your review.

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