Category Archives: West Linn home buyers

Home Buyers $8000 Tax Credit

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Tax Credit Time line is ticking – Are you ready?

The internet has brought the convenience of searching for a new home into our living room. These sites permit you to see currently listed homes and there are a lot of them. When you are working with an experienced local real estate agent he/she can help move the process along and save you a lot of time.

Knowing the market is my job.  Knowing what you want and can afford is your job.  Following these 4 short steps will help position your home search and together we will find your new place to call home.

1. Get Your Financing in Line:

Knowing what you can afford is the first place to start.  Talk to a reputable lender right away and go through the pre-approval process. Let me know if you need a good referral. 

2. Narrow Your Search:

Answer the two basic questions:  Where and how much.  There is a lot of inventory to choose from.  Where you want to live and how much you can invest is a must start.  Searching for your new home in Lake Oswego; friends have told you to look at value comparisons in West Linn; love the nostalgia of the close in communities of Portland Heights or Alameda? All nice areas. Once we narrow down we can look at commute time, schools, and other factors that make the community of choice a perfect fit for you.

3. Separate Needs from Wants:

There are must haves and then there are would be nice.  Be honest and realistic about priorities.  Start with the basics.  How many bedrooms do you need; is a separate space for play or office a need or a want;  Traditional home or attached townhome;  Single story or two story; need or want a basement.

4. Consider Condition:

Today, we hear lots about deals out there.  Many of the best values are homes that are not in move in condition.  Decide up front what you are willing to tackle to polish your ‘diamond in the rough’. Dated wallpaper in that mid century modern in Lake Oswego may be easy, but can you finance that fabulous West Linn home that has no appliances and even the bathroom fixtures are gone.

There are many points to discuss when preparing to seach for your new home. If you are ready to take the next step, call or ping me,  I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your real estate goals.

Roberta 503-495-5231

 

Still waiting to buy? That could cost your 1/2 point!

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For those buyers sitting on the side lines waiting and wondering when to buy, the answer could be RIGHT NOW.  If you are planning on buying your next Lake Oswego home on any FHA product be aware of fee increases.

If you do not have 20% down and you were planning on the minimum of 3.5% down just in time to get the $8000 tax credit – you clock is ticking.

Effective 4/5/2010 Mortgage Insurance (MI) goes from 1.75% to 2.25%.  OUCH!

More news – Buying a foreclosed FHA home in Lake Oswego or West Linn?  You could get into it with as little as $100 bucks – yes $100 bucks.  FHA needs to move some homes.  Call me.

Being informed is my job.  Informing you is my job.  Helping you is my job. 

Working for you is what I do. 

Call me today.  Roberta Nopson 503-495-5231

Visit my main website at www.RobertaNopson.com

Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

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Hot off the Press – 11/5/2009

House of Representatives today joined overwhelmingly, the Senate to PASS and EXPAND the 1st time home buyers tax credit.  The new credit will be expanded to include existing home owners. 

This will have positive impact to the Lake Oswego/West Linn markets among others, that tend to be a more step up communities.  The increased income levels will open the door to more families being able to take advantageous of the tax credits.  

$8000 1st time home buyer extended

$6500 Existing home owners have been added

Income limits for Married filing jointly has increase to $225,000.

Visit my web site for more information.  www.RobertaNopson.com

Real Estate’s new buzz words…

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Distressed Properties.  Foreclosures.  Short Sales.  Those are the terms that characterize much of the real estate press these days. What does all this mean to market value here in Portland or Lake Oswego Oregon?

Fortunately for many our home values did not surge like many areas of the country. Oh yes they did climb from 2004 – 2007, but climb was an easy steady tick. Which is why our bubble is so much smaller than the rest of the nation. Our past 12 month median sales price for the metro area is down 6.9%. There are pockets that are harder hit than others, but we are not even in double digits as a whole.

Yes, we have many home sellers that are in challenging times to say the least. More homes are coming on the market than are selling. It is not just adjustable rate mortgages that have put sellers into the market, maybe that much has more to do with the local job market. (And those in Salem just raised  business & individual taxes again! What are they thinking!) If Oregonians don’t have a job, they cannot afford their mortgage, let alone pay more taxes.

More homes are coming on the market, and many may be due to our shrinking employment options. There lies the price crunch.   More home on the market = lower market value.

Motivated Seller – one who will allow their agent to ‘advertise’ seller motivated. This is a seller that wants offers and possibly can take a big hit and not go through a short sale and damage credit.

Short Sales – This is a seller that has tried to sell and has now lowered the price again, and again, needing an offer to take to the bank to start the negotiations.

Foreclosures – Bank owned property that the bank really doesn’t want but had no choice once the timeline was at its end.

People are worried that their homes won’t regain value. I don’t think there is any doubt that they will, though not at the up tick pace we saw a few years ago. Many think the short sale is the answer to their devalued home. Many more need to rethink the purpose of their home. We got into trouble because many home owners were using their house as a bank. Borrowing from it, by refinancing it over and over. The whole idea of home ownership is to build equity not spend the equity. 

After so many people have gotten in to trouble buyingMcMansions (there is a glut on the market right now), I try to remind buyers today of the many stages in home ownership.  If you are a first time buyer, you don’t go shopping for your dream home the first time up to bat.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home.  Give me a call 503-495-5231.  I would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust.