Tools for homeownership, tools for your business
Additional Resources
Find out how Realtors® are working for affordable homeownership, and read advice from our expert columnists who tackle issues such as the local real estate market. Content is updated monthly, so check back often.PMAR Members: Looking for historical background on the Stop the Tax issue? 1) Log on. 2) The page will refresh and you will see a "Welcome Your Name" at the upper right corner. 3) Then, click here for historical background on this proposed tax.
Stop the Tax
PMAR Governmental Affairs Director Jane Leo follows up her August 13th in-person testimony with a letter raising concerns about a "tax-on-a-tax" and what it means to do "business" in the city of Portland.
Letter to the Portland City Council outlining PMAR's objection to the tax proposal
City of Portland's Powerpoint explanation of the tax highlighting "real estate licensees would not be exempt."
Ordinance scheduled to come before the City Council on August 13, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. Document shows proposed changes to the City Code.
PMAR Radio Ads
Now is a perfect time to buy!
Make homeownership a reality!
The following ad announces the debut of PMAR's new homeownership resource website: HOWNW.com.
Documents
America’s low-and moderate-income families are facing a crisis—nearly 5.4 million American families have critical housing needs.
Surveys show that many homeowners and homebuyers are not aware of the true value a Realtor provides during the course of a real estate transaction.
The Bureaus of Environmental Services and Development Services are working together to address property issues involving party sewers.
Presented by Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors® at the June 5th PMAR Regional Homeownership Opportunities Summit
Real Estate Insider Articles
When the time comes to buy or sell a home, and you are looking for a Realtor®, Real Estate Insider suspects you won’t have a hard time finding one…or two…or ten! With over 7,500 Realtors® in the Portland metropolitan area, it seems like everyone knows a friend, neighbor or loved one who has made real estate their career. The question is, how do you choose who represents you in one of the most important transactions you’ll ever make?
Lately, it seems like every cause, inanimate object, and hobby has a month to call their own. For example, did you know that June is National Iced Tea Month and National Accordion Awareness Month?
The Irish have an old saying, “There is no fireside like your own fireside.” Of course, if you are a renter, you could adapt that saying to, “There is no fireside like the fireside that you are paying someone else to use.”
There is nothing quite like that first moment when you turn the key in the door, walk into your newly purchased home, and realize that it is all yours. No more noisy apartment neighbors clomping around upstairs. No more paying rent to someone else. You are home—and it is all yours.
Here at Real Estate Insider, we used to wonder why Realtors® replied to our e-mails at 10 o’clock at night…midnight…sometimes even at 2:00 a.m. “Don’t these people ever sleep?” we wondered.
Bad news sells, and sells well. And, at the moment, real estate news seems to be selling very well! However, the true state of the housing market cannot be distilled into a seven-word headline. Like most economic issues, it is complex—and to some extent, a matter of perspective. And, as the old saying goes, real estate is local.
When you are preparing to buy a home, the first decision should be to select a Realtor®. Choosing to work with a Realtor® will help you navigate the waters during the entire course of the transaction.
Here’s the scoop: Yes, there are a lot more houses on the market than there were two years ago. Yes, it is true that if you put your house on the market it will not (most likely) sell in three days.
By now we all have read many articles on how to get your home ready to put on the market—repairing, the “Ds”(de-cluttering and de-personalizing), cleaning and staging. In fact, Real Estate Insider covered those very topics in our October column. But, there are some additional factors to keep in mind that will help you make the decision of whether or not you should sell your home.
Preparing to sell your home? You are about to put your home on the "shelf" for sale along with other houses in your general price range and area.
Buying or selling a home is one of the most important—and biggest—investments that most people will make in their lifetime, as well as one of the most complex. Tallies vary because each transaction is unique, but estimates indicate there are over 180 steps that a Realtor® may need to take during a real estate transaction from start to finish.
On any given weekend the opportunity arises to explore open houses in your neighborhood. If you happen to be in the market to purchase you know that upon entry into the home the agent holding the open house introduces themselves and typically asks the question, “Are you currently working with an agent?”
With more than 7,900 Realtors® in the Portland metro-area, choosing one to help with your real estate transaction can be overwhelming. We've provided some basic guidelines for hiring a Realtor® to manage your real estate transaction.
Clear communication is important in almost every facet of our day-to-day life. It can be difficult to blend communication and confidentiality in business affairs to provide clear understanding as well as excellent service.
Not a week goes by without some article appearing in the media about the current state of existing and new home sales. And most of the news is unsettling and negative in tone and content. Locally, the Portland area has been fortunate to avoid many of the market excesses that appear to be contributing to the situation.
If you’re a homeowner, Real Estate Insider can tell you where 60% of your wealth comes from, without knowing anything about your job, savings, or even your weakness for buying really cute shoes. No, we’re not psychic. We just know that studies show for an average homeowner, 60% of their wealth comes from their home’s equity.
Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors®
5331 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 207 | Portland, Oregon 97239 | P: 503-228-6595 F: 503-228-4170
