Recently Sold « Living Room Realtors

Just Sold: 2336 SW Osage St, Unit 402 (The Envoy Condominium)

February 20th, 2012 by Brian Jones

A completed short-sale is generally a bittersweet outcome for any property seller: any cash equity the seller once had in the property is wiped out and becomes a realized loss, and the seller’s credit-rating will take a significant hit which can impact the ability to finance a new property purchase for at least 2-3 years. Unfortunately, for many homeowners whose property values and personal finances have been impacted in the downturn, a short-sale may be one of the few viable options when circumstances require them to sell their home or condominium.

The silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud is the ability to get out from under monthly mortgage payments and other expenses which may have become unsustainable due to changes in the owner’s circumstances.

This Northeast-facing condo unit on the 4th floor of the Envoy Condominium building has fantastic views and very nice original detail – but had also declined substantially in value since it was purchased in 2007. The sale closed at $185,000 leaving a very relieved seller and happy new owners excited about their move to Portland (the buyers were well-represented by Janet Karas of Meadows Group Realtors) .

Deciding whether to pursue a short-sale is a complex decision involving a variety of financial and legal factors. Depending on the particulars of both the property and the seller’s situation, it should be made in consultation with all relevant professionals. Generally, this includes the seller’s attorney, accountant and/or financial-advisory professionals, and a competent and trusted real estate broker. If you have questions about the potential short-sale of a property you own – or questions about the short-sale process in general – don’t hesitate to contact your Living Room Realtors agent!

Brian Jones
Principal Broker
503-819-2344
brian@pdxliving.com

Park Your Money Here!

February 9th, 2012 by Jaime Arb Haessig

Let’s say you’re an investor and a US citizen, and you’ve decided to do what some folks only dream about, live in a foreign country. When the need to invest arises, but it simply doesn’t make sense to buy property there, it’s time to explore your options. And I couldn’t have been happier to help Todd do so.

Todd was referred to me by his sister, an old friend of mine, who lives here in Portland and who was more than willing to assist in the hunt for the right property. The search began on-line and after less than a month we hit the pavement to preview properties together. Our outings turned up some good possibilities and during this past holiday season Todd flew into town and we spent a day looking at ten different options. By the end, he decided his best investment was a duplex in vibrant SE Portland along Division. This charming duplex, has 2 spacious 3 bedroom, 1 bath units. Each unit has a private patio, a fireplace, a 1 car garage and a partially finished basement. Add on the new roof built last year, and you’ve got something worth investing in.

With all that these units have to offer, and renting out at $1195 each, it comes as no surprise that there are tenants already in place. Todd is pleased to have a turnkey investment here in Portland, and being an out of country investor he’s going to hand the reigns over to Living Room Rental for property management services upon closing. Then he’s going to sit back while his investment pays for itself in rent.

The best park was Todd’s smile after signing the purchase paperwork at closing knowing he’s that much closer to early retirement!

And yes, it really is just that easy.

A Vintage Renaissance in Woodstock

February 7th, 2012 by Tim Pitts

Jessica and Luke bought their first home a few years back. They’ve enjoyed having their own place, but decided that a change of neighborhood and a new house was a goal for them. On our first trip out to look at houses, we looked at several older homes that had been remodeled. Jessica and Luke really wanted some character in their new place. Then, the last house we visited was something different: a vintage-inspired new home built by Renaissance Custom Homes. After seeing this house, they decided that new construction was the way to go. With a Renaissance home, you get loads of vintage charm: box beam ceilings, built-ins, thick mouldings, etc. But you also get the best of new construction–green features, all-new systems, plus a big master suite with walk-in closet, bathtub, and shower.

Jessica and Luke found the perfect home in the Woodstock neighborhood. It’s a foursquare-style house near the school, park, and some great places to eat. The house was in the middle of construction, so Jessica and Luke got to pick some of their finishes. This meant a trip to Renaissance’s showroom, which was tons of fun. They were guided by Renaissance’s interiors expert, who helped them to pick out the right combination of materials to create the perfect vintage feel.

The house was beautiful once it was complete, and now Jessica and Luke are enjoying their new home.

Tim Pitts
503-317-4312
tim@livingroomrealtors.com

And When the Boat Sinks, Buy a House

January 31st, 2012 by Jaime Arb Haessig

As an engineer who assesses risks for a living, Robin could probably tell you the percent chance that a hurricane could sink a boat, and as a television news producer, Chris could help cover the story. Or maybe he could do a little bio piece to tell the story of their own boat sinking. Which may have been a launching pad to the question, where to go next? In the last seven years their love for travel had taken them across the US. They resided not only in Florida, where they spent sunny days soaking up the rays and surfing, but also in Colorado, Texas, and Georgia. Tracking their past addresses for the loan application process was a bit of a Where’s Waldo experiment, minus the candy cane sweater and medieval horses of course.

Then, Robin and Chris welcomed their baby girl, Tallulah, into the world and the concept of where to raise a family was then in play. Hugo, their loving and loyal mutt, was flexible to any living situation. He had already lived on a boat after all. But where was a good place to plant some roots and raise a daughter? And by plant roots, that’s exactly what they meant. Robin decided it was time to trade her days in the salty sea for days among soil and seeds. Gardening was the next adventure, and Portland was calling them home.

Adjusting to “life on land”, they spent their first six months in Portland renting a basement apartment and looking for the perfect place to call their own. Then one day, there it was. A charming old Portland style Montavilla home with original unpainted woodwork, great natural light, a roomy front porch, and 3 upstairs bedrooms. The additional bedroom on the main floor could double as an office, the double car garage would make winters in the Northwest much more tolerable, and the possibilities of what could become of the semi-finished basement just added to the list of what made this one a keeper. The double lot and big yard would leave plenty of room for Tallulah to play, Hugo to explore, and a garden to flourish. Within walking distance to Country Cat, the seasonal Farmers Market, The Observatory and more, this is where their new adventures would begin.

I assess the likely-hood that this family will be happy in Portland is pretty high, and the experiences of Tallulah’s first years will be fun breaking news stories for their friends and family. And Hugo? Well, he has no complaints.

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The Story of the Fearless Buyers

January 20th, 2012 by Laura Wood

My buyers and I had looked at a lot of houses. Everyone thinks being a first time home buyer is hard but sometimes having bought and sold a couple of houses makes it even harder. You don’t want to make any mistakes! No kitchens that are really too small once everyone crowds in when you’re cooking…no living room that doesn’t really allow you to arrange furniture…no dinky storage (even though we all want to live minimally-stuff happens). And of course there’s all the goodies you wish you had – walk-ability, beautiful finishes, original woodwork, an amazing fireplace with great built-ins. You get the idea.

We were getting discouraged – the nice houses that had been fixed up weren’t necessarily to their taste and they didn’t want to redo work that had just been done. We looked at fixers but my clients are a busy working couple with a young child and they just didn’t have the time to take on a project. Then we stumbled on to the perfect situation – a house in Ladd’s Addition across of one of the rose gardens that was just starting renovation by the Portland Development Group. My clients could still pick out finishes and make some layout changes and it would all be done in record time.

Here comes the fearless part – which you’ll only understand if you’ve found yourself standing in a sea of tile or paint, grabbing the arms of strangers passing by to ask which tile they like best. My clients picked colors for the entire house (with the invaluable help of Nancy Alwin – color consultant extraordinaire), tile, light fixtures (we had a great time at the new School House Electric showroom ), rearranged two bathrooms and added a doorway to open the kitchen…all in about three days. There should be a medal for this. The house is getting the finishing touches but see below for some of the great picks!

Laura Wood
Broker
Cell: 503.545.9912
laurawood@livingroomrealtors.com
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Portland vs San francisco

January 19th, 2012 by Laura Wood

Portland vs San Francisco

A very good friend of mine (we worked together for many years at Dove Lewis) moved away to San Francisco for a job. At first it was all good – obviously San Francisco is a great city with a lot going on, right by the water and all those views of the beautiful bridge. But the longer Steve lived there the more he missed having a garden, a yard for a dog, going out to dinner and being able to park his car. He was renting a small apartment for more money than seemed legal. He wanted friendly city vs big city, Mt Hood views vs Golden Gate, a couple of hours drive to mountains or coast vs endless traffic, the best summers on earth vs the city that inspired Mark Twain’s famous quote (the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco), no earthquakes vs….well, let’s leave that one alone.

Steve wanted to come back to Portland and I was thrilled! We found him a close-in rehabbed North Portland house with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, an oversized yard, garage, remodeled kitchen, dining room and a basement complete with Tiki Bar. The basement alone is bigger than his San Francisco apartment and the mortgage cheaper than his rent. Let the gardening begin!

Portland won, hands down.

Laura Wood
Broker
Cell: 503.545.9912
laurawood@livingroomrealtors.com
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New neighborhood….with an awesome kitchen.

January 19th, 2012 by Greg Sobotka

One of my favorite roles as a realtor is helping buyers discover new Portland neighborhoods that they were not previously familiar with. Then they fall in love with its character and then decide to make it their new home. A neighborhood that they will spend the next year exploring to find their Saturday coffee shop hangout, favorite boutiques and restaurants, and their own secret happy hour spots.

Bruce and Jenna were first time home buyers who were really open to exploring areas of town that were new to them, so we started out with the broad search criteria of all of Eastside Portland. They were also open to most styles of homes, but soon realized after a few tours that a newer construction home was a better fit for their busy schedules. An obstacle with newer construction homes located in close-in Portland is finding one built on a decent sized lot as many are built on divided lots, leaving not much of a yard. We contacted many home builders inquiring about lots that were slated for future construction without finding one that was a both good fit for their criteria and also in a location that spoke to them.

Then we came across an Alberta Arts house that was easy to get excited about. A newer construction home that ended up being perfect fit that included both a yard and a spacious 2 car garage. I loved it myself and immediately became envious of their great kitchen that featured a full sized commercial style refrigerator and freezer.

They have already started exploring Alberta’s many shops and restaurants as we celebrated handing off the keys at a restaurant within walking distance of their new home. I assured them we would be bumping into each other next summer at many of Alberta’s last Thursday’s events that have to be seen to be believed. Congrats Bruce and Jenna!

Greg Sobotka ABR, GRI

503-804-0315

Entertainers Dream House

January 16th, 2012 by Chandra Noble-Ashford

I never thought that Glenn, Diane and their daughter Nancy would settle on a home built in 2003. From the get go their preference in homes tended to be older homes, with character. Diane loved the built-ins and the charm, Glenn liked the quality and the layout. Nancy was just concerned with a good tree for climbing and space for a golden retriever. We looked at houses for months, had one disappointing miss, and then it seemed like we had seen everything on the market. I got a little desperate. Glenn is a phenomenal chef. He wanted to have a gas range. I sent them homes that were out of their usual taste/preference, newer but with nice kitchens (all gas ranges). They liked “the one with the red door”. We went to look, and upon entering everyone realized “this is it!”.

It seems that it had what everyone was looking for, The kitchen is perfect, so much space, so many outlets. There is a perfect reading nook for Diane and there is a tree for Nancy’s swing and a place for her future dog. The layout is perfect, all the bedrooms and laundry room upstairs, a great open living room, dining area, kitchen on the main, and a game room with full bath in the daylight basement! The Brazilian cherry hardwoods are stunning. Add to this great views, being next door to a park, and jacuzzi in the master bath and you have a perfect fit!

I am very pleased that Glenn, Diane and Nancy found a house that makes them happy! I cannot wait to eat Glenn’s delicious food at their house warming party!!

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Chandra Ashford
Broker
Cell: 503.933.6538
chandraashfordrealtor@gmail.com
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A New House makes a New Home for the New Year....

January 9th, 2012 by Jaime Arb Haessig

Living in a condo in the energetic and busy Northwest Portland can be exciting and downright fun, but for some folks there comes a point when peace and quiet, and the ability to stretch your legs in your own living room become much more enticing. For David and Larry that stretching is taking place in a beautifully crafted 2595 square foot OsterCraft home in the Northeast Rose City Park neighborhood.

Locally owned and operated, OsterCraft Homes, a father/son duo with unparalleled craftsmanship and ever present creativity has been providing Portland with exceptional homes since the early 1970′s. This particular jewel is an energy efficient Earth Advantage Certified Home with an upgraded heat pump, installed at the new owners request, to take eco-friendly one step further. The original plan was to find a vintage home, but after growing quite accustomed to the carefree condo lifestyle, the reality of old home maintenance issues seemed less and less appealing.

Upon approaching this shiny new penny, seeing the gleam of the gorgeously stained concrete front porch, these buyers accepted that for them the idea of purchasing a vintage home was indeed a thing of the past. The fantastic details inside the house confirmed this decision as they walked through the large, open gourmet kitchen with an Italian gas range, a bonus room well suited to become a home gym, indoor theater, or spacious guest room, a separate office space, 3 bedrooms, and 3 full baths. The magic happened when they discovered a hidden door doubling as a bookcase. It turns out this new home had vintage charm after all, and come on, who doesn’t need a secret passageway?

David and Larry are now centrally located in historic Northeast Portland and nestled amongst beautiful parks, quaint dining spots, the Rose City Golf Course and so much more. I can think of few better ways to ring in 2012!

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Ramblin' on home

January 6th, 2012 by Heather Lamkins

Simply fabulous rambler seeks loving family to call home~

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Michelle came to me looking for a roomy home to purchase that would host not only herself and her daughter, but her retired parents as well. Although her folks were moving in, Michelle still wanted her own privacy–some sense of separation and 2 living areas. As luck would have it, there is a well kept secret in NE Portland, it is a sweet neighborhood called Parkrose Heights, just east of Rocky Butte. Convenience is yours in this location, where the 84, Halsey, and the airport are easily accessible. The neighborhood is speckled with mid century ramblers and sweet ranches. There is very little traffic, the streets are wide, the houses are large and comfortable and it just simply feels serene. Michelle grabbed the renovated 1958 family home of her dreams with 2 sprawling levels including a daylite basement, 2 kitchens, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 fireplaces, pellet stove, 2 car garage, a massive private sun room and over 3000 of finished sq feet (not to mention a sprawling landscaped 0.2 acre lot). This home was move-in ready with newer furnace, electrical, plumbing, & fresh paint–the list went on and on. And the price tag?–an affordable $245,000!!! Jealous yet? Congratulations Michelle!

Interested in your own mid-century steal of deal? Contact Heather at (971)255-9868

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