Tips to sell your house in the fall

Create an “Autumn Curb Appeal”

Curb appeal is what drives a buyer’s attention when they drive by your house or see a picture of your house. Getting a good curb appeal is critical in order for your house to stand out amongst others.

Exterior

Clean Up

Make sure your yard, driveways and gutters are free of any debris or leaves. Mow your lawn, clean your windows and make them sparkle. Take out any weed, trim the trees, plant colorful plants… Give your house a fresh coat of paint, as well as your front door if needed. You never know when a potential buyer is going to visit your house, so you should keep up with the cleaning work every day. Once the leaves change colors, they start to fall like crazy.
You can also arrange a nice pumpkin path, anything that will drive a buyer’s attention is good! Try to lean towards fall decor opposed to straight Halloween as it tends to be more inviting.

Interior

Your interior should shine as much as your exterior. Anything that needs to be fixed should be fixed. That includes replacing carpets, fixing wood floors or fixtures… Giving another coat of paint, deodorizing.... You can give a fall vibe by adding orange pillows on your sofa or lighting up a pumpkin spice candle.

Warm up your House

Days get shorter during the fall, so make sure to open curtains and blinds and do not hesitate to turn the lights on to help illuminate and warm up your house. If you have a fireplace, you should clean it and turn it on before a potential buyer visits the house.
Do your best to make buyers feel “At home” with a nice, fresh and cozy environment.

Check the HVAC

When was the last time you used your furnace filter? If you haven’t in a while, it is a good idea to change the filters and check HVAC system before turning the heat back on. As it gets colder, buyers will want to make sure the heating system works properly. If a home inspection is made, the inspector will look at your HVAC so it is better to find and fix any problems before putting the house on the market.

Contact us today to make all those efforts to create an Autumn Curb Appeal worth it and sell your house!

How to Save for a Down Payment

Before buying a house you will need enough down payment/closing costs to qualify for a mortgage. The Optimum down payment is 20% of the sales price, which allows you to forgo Mortgage Insurance.

It can however be hard for first time buyers to save that much. Here are a few easy ways to save for a down payment:

Determine your time frame

When do you plan on purchasing a home? In 2,3 or 4 years? The shorter your time frame, the higher your annual savings will need to be.

Automate a savings plan

The more convenient you will make it to save, the most likely you will be to actually save. You can either chose a fixed amount, 300$ for example, or a percentage of your paycheck so you will save more if you get a bonus or a raise!

Tap into other savings account

First time buyers can withdraw up to $10.000 from their IRA (Individual Retirement Account) to put toward the down payment. If you are married, that means you can each withdraw $10.000. You can also take a loan out from your 401K in which you pay your self back with interest, this is a Win Win in many cases.

There are many programs that allow first time home buyers to get into a home with minimum Down Payment and Closing Costs. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information. 

How to Keep your House Cool

If you are having a hard time keeping your house cool during the heat wave, try those few helpful tips.

Avoid Using your Oven
Using your oven will heat your house in no time. Try using the grill instead!

Here are some cool grill recipes ideas: Best Grilling Recipes For Summer Cooking

 Keep Your Blinds Closed

This will keep the heat from entering your house.

Open Your Windows at Night

Temperatures tend to drop at night, but remember to close them before the heat comes in the next day!

 Use Cotton Sheets

Cotton stays cooler than flannel and keeps your bed ventilated!

Set Your Ceiling Fans to Rotate Counterclockwise

Surprisingly enough, this will create a breeze instead of getting the warm air circulating.

5 First Time Home Buyer Common Mistakes

Buying your first house can be challenging, here are a few mistakes to avoid in order to make your experience a good one:

1. Not Knowing What You Can Afford 

Checking your credits is one of the first steps before looking for a house. It is extremely important to know where you are at financially as it will be the first thing lenders will look at before putting the mortgage together.

2.  Not Using the Help of a Professional

A Real Estate Agent will act for the homebuyer and home seller best interests. Getting the help of someone who has experience and knowledge about the real estate market is crucial to avoid making buying your first house a bad experience.

Your Real Estate Agent will be someone you trust to help you with the biggest investment of your life.

3. Not Considering Other Expenses

When first buying a house, there are many additional expenses you will need to consider such as property insurance, taxes, etc.. A Real Estate Agent can help you figure out what a realistic budget should be.

4. Skipping the Home Inspection

Sellers usually try to avoid the home inspection and it can seems like an easy way to save money to the home buyer. However, it is very risky not to do one. In fact, doing a home inspection will save you some time and money. Once the closing is done, you will be the one financially responsible for any repairs or any issues arising. Any issues linked with the good functioning of the house such as the electricity, the plumbing should be verified BEFORE the closing.

5. Not Researching the Neighborhood

You visited the perfect house. You picture yourself decorating the kitchen, choosing new appliances, but have you took a look at the neighborhood? Is it safe to walk back home at night? Is there a school in the area for your future kids? These are all questions to ask about the neighborhood your future house is in. It is essential you pick a house in an area you will love and can see yourself and your family grow in.

5 First Time Home Buyer Common Mistakes

Buying your first house can be challenging, here are a few mistakes to avoid in order to make your experience a good one:

1. Not Knowing What You Can Afford 

Checking your credits is one of the first steps before looking for a house. It is extremely important to know where you are at financially as it will be the first thing lenders will look at before putting the mortgage together.

2.  Not Using the Help of a Professional

A Real Estate Agent will act for the homebuyer and home seller best interests. Getting the help of someone who has experience and knowledge about the real estate market is crucial to avoid making buying your first house a bad experience.

Your Real Estate Agent will be someone you trust to help you with the biggest investment of your life.

3. Not Considering Other Expenses

When first buying a house, there are many additional expenses you will need to consider such as property insurance, taxes, etc.. A Real Estate Agent can help you figure out what a realistic budget should be.

4. Skipping the Home Inspection

Sellers usually try to avoid the home inspection and it can seems like an easy way to save money to the home buyer. However, it is very risky not to do one. In fact, doing a home inspection will save you some time and money. Once the closing is done, you will be the one financially responsible for any repairs or any issues arising. Any issues linked with the good functioning of the house such as the electricity, the plumbing should be verified BEFORE the closing.

5. Not Researching the Neighborhood

You visited the perfect house. You picture yourself decorating the kitchen, choosing new appliances, but have you took a look at the neighborhood? Is it safe to walk back home at night? Is there a school in the area for your future kids? These are all questions to ask about the neighborhood your future house is in. It is essential you pick a house in an area you will love and can see yourself and your family grow in.

Call today for your home needs

Very down to earth, easy to talk to, get ahold of.  Call today for your home needs.  503-668-4994.

Why Pacific Pioneer Real Estate works by Referral....

Relationships are vital to our business.

Pacific Pioneer Real Estate strives to provide exceptional customer service and life long relationships.  We strive to provide an exemplary experience that you brag to your friends and family about regularly.  

We recognize that many Oregonians are still struggling with owning more on their homes than they may currently be worth.  However with the recent spike in the Oregon Real Estate industry and Sandy Oregon specifically many families are now in a position to make a great move.  

Working by referral allows for a higher level of trust and support because you know our clients.  Many of our past clients refer multiple friends, family members and co-workers because they are so happy with their experience at Pacific Pioneer Real Estate.  

If you have lived in Sandy Oregon long chances are that you went to school with one of our Real Estate professionals or someone in their family.  It's important that our clients know that we aren't going anywhere.  We love Sandy Oregon and the small town feel that comes with it.  

However if you have been thinking about moving to Sandy Oregon, we can be a fountain of information.  Begin your search about Sandy Oregon at the Pacific Pioneer Moving Guide for Sandy Oregon.  

For more information or just to have coffee and talk about your options just contact the Pacific Pioneer Real Estate office at 503-668-4994.

Five Mistakes that Can Decrease the Value of Your Home

We all want to increase the values of our homes especially when we want to sell our home.  There is lots of advice of how to increase your home's value and make it more desirable but we want to address the mistakes we see home owners make over and over that diminish the values of their homes.  Learn from their mistakes.  

1 - Making it look even smaller - Small rooms can be a challenge and you can actually make a room look even smaller with the wrong decorating choices.  For instance using small tiles in a small bathroom make it appear even smaller.  Search the web for ways to make your rooms look even bigger like these 19 Foolproof Ways to Make A Small Space Feel Bigger by Buzz Feed.
2 - Landscaping without a plan - It may be a cute little tree now that fits perfectly next to the driveway but will the roots end up breaking up your pavement of sewer lines sown the road.  Before landscaping make a plan and research the trees and shrubs you plant to ensure you don't have any surprises in your future.  
3 - Keeping old appliances - Review the age an quality of the appliances in your kitchen.  A stove that is old and too scratched to be properly cleaned is a big turn-off for potential buyers.  
4 - Skipping the deep clean - Cleaning the dirt out of the window tracks, making dirty grout sparkle and cleaning stained carpets will help set you home apart because details matter when it comes to home care.    
5 - Choosing funky colors - The color choice may perfectly reflect your personality but if the chances of it appealing to the majority of buyers is slim you will want to pursue a more neutral color palate.  

The Pacific Pioneer Real Estate Team is always happy to help you identify and prioritize the items that will give you the biggest bang for your buck when it's time to sell your home.  Feel free to contact them directly at 503-668-4994.