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Just Throw Away Your Money Forever or Buy a House               Parade Magazine had an article that caught my attention on May 4th. Written by Mike Hammer (Isn’t he that old Mickey Spillane detective hero?) it was titled, Great Reasons to Rent.   Huh? He has to be kidding, rent in a buyer’s market? I read it with eager eyes.             Since I am in an Oregon broker, I suppose I dove into this read with some cynicism, looking for holes I could punch in it. Of course I found them. But for some people, he is right. Some people are not candidates to buy a home.              His first point, Renting can save money is a little too simplistic in its reasoning. Hammer states that “You’re paying for closing fees, mortgage interest, property taxes,… Read Full Post

 

 

              While on vacation years ago in another country, a local resident’s car drove by where we were sitting on the balcony. It was hand painted-- a bright lime green no less. One of my party very drolly made this comment, “Painted with a broom.”   I never forgot that moment. It was too funny, even though I felt sympathy for the driver.           Now, years later as a Realtor, I have seen the same phenomenon occur with houses. Last year, I had to visit a medical specialist’s office a few times. This medical group acquired a really cool craftsman style home and made offices out of it. You could tell they didn’t use an interior decorator. But the furniture and decorations were simple, warm and cozy for patients. However, the paint job was… Read Full Post

 

              Once a buyer or seller starts working with a Real Estate Agent as a client, they soon come to realize that agents are very handy for many things beyond selling real estate.              I found out that to really help clients, especially those from out of town, I had to have at my instant disposal, answers to just about everything a homeowner needed to know. No matter how minuscule, or far flung, I either had to know the information or how to find it for them. In other words, I needed to be a telephone directory (or web directory) on two feet. As a Roseburg, Oregon Broker, I can’t imagine that this is any different for any Realtor across the country.             What kinds of things do people need to know about?   Well, some of the… Read Full Post

 

                            Years ago, when I was a junior high school principal, people always asked me, “How can you stand working with these teenagers today?” I soon found myself becoming a public advocate for teens because the reality defied the stereotype. The fact was that five per cent or less of my school’s population were the chronic “bad kids” in the school. That meant that the overwhelming majority of teenagers were really good kids and they were getting a bad rap for the actions of a few of their peers.             Ok, you know where I am going with this. Yes, we have had some mercurial turns for the worse in the real estate market nationwide. Yes, in Douglas County, Oregon, we are in a buyer’s market with a large inventory to choose… Read Full Post