Searching for Your Home

| step 1: preparing to buy | step 2: needs vs. wants | step 3: searching | step 4: closing

Searching for a home has changed in recent years with the use of the Internet. What I am seeing today is that a number of my clients are drilling down their searches. They find approximately 6-12 homes they would like to be shown after I send them listings with the price range, neighborhoods, architecture and age they are seeking.  The requirements of a home differ for everyone and in order to accommodate each of my clients search criteria, I have partnered with a Settle Technology Company to implement what I believe to be the best property search in the business.  If you have yet to search for homes on my site, please take the time to make the service available to you.  In addition to the property search on my site,  I actively support my clients with personalized searches I conduct for them sometimes apprising them of homes not even listed on the market or advertised on some of the conventional venues.

Please Note:
The search on my site includes all MLS (Multiple Listing Service) listings, updated every 15 minutes.

Whether my clients choose to search on their own online or with my ongoing support via email and phone I arm my clients with as much information as they are willing to absorb.  If you prefer to have me personally search for you, I provide services in addition to simply emailing listings.  Whether creating photo portfolios online, drafting floor plan sketches or applying specific research catered to my client’s needs, I do whatever it takes to bring the details to my clients. 

Absolutely No Time Dependencies
My interest in representing my clients would not be genuine if it had a time dependency. Whether it takes 1 month or 1 year for my clients to find their perfect home, I work for them each day with the same work ethic and dedication.

Not every real estate agent works with buyers and there are certainly numerous agents who won’t work with buyers who aren’t in a hurry. Make sure you find someone who makes you feel comfortable and accommodates the speed you are willing to work at; otherwise it is fair to assume their motives lie elsewhere.

My Website - www.PDXHOMES.com
PDXHOMES.COM is arguably the most comprehensive source of information on the web for Portland Real Estate.  Whether you are interested in learning about Portland’s history, neighborhood associations, public works projects, the Opera Schedule, current real estate statistics in a particular neighborhood, tips on marketing your home or simply what the process of buying and selling a home should entail, pdxhomes.com has been designed to provide that information and in a manner easily understood.

In addition to the hundreds of resources I have made available on PDXHOMES.com I have also released the Power Search.  The Power Search on PDXHOMES.com allows my clients to conduct map based property searches inclusive of all MLS listings detailing all pictures, the MLS numbers and the physical addresses of the listings.  No other site offers all three.

Daily Automated Property Searches (e-mailed)
By simply contacting me via email or via my newsletter and requesting a daily property search you can get email notification from me at whatever interval feels comfortable to you. I compose a search which I automate based on the characteristics, area and price of a home you specify. Each day I email the result from that search to you. The search queries a dynamic database of all MLS listings on the market as they are made available.

Personalized Home Previewing (Digital Photograph Portfolios)
I provide personalized previewing of homes for clients out of state or busy with professional and personal endeavors. As part of this additional service I take a portfolio of digital photographs for my clients of the interiors and exteriors of the homes I preview for them. After titling and describing each photo I send my clients a link to a shared third party database where the pictures can be viewed efficiently without taxing the computer my client is using.

Floor plan Sketches
How are you supposed to know how a home is laid out when viewing it online or simply from looking at photos or written descriptions?

Coupled with my business and marketing background I have a background in design that I have applied to my practice. For clients who have particular questions about the layout of a home, I provide floor plan sketches to my clients, which I draw, scan and mail or email to them.  I will do this if clients haven’t seen the home or, if they have seen it, but can’t recall plan details.

Room Measurements
An invaluable service to my clients is a layout of the home complete with the rough measurements of the rooms. Having a specific knowledge of the capacity of each room gives my clients an idea of where their furniture will go, whether it will fit in the home and whether future remodeling may be possible. Previewing, sketching floor plans and taking room measurements not only makes my clients informed of all the characteristics of the home that impact them, but relieves them of time otherwise spent driving around at homes they would not buy or becoming involved in a transaction that is not completely right for them.

Personalized Research (Personalized Home Packet)
For my clients who plan to make an offer on a home or who have made an offer on a particular home, I put together an information packet specific to that home and neighborhood. Within this packet I include comparable properties which are listed in the area or have recently sold in the area to give them an idea as to whether the price of the home is reasonable or unreasonable. I also include school, zoning, crime and numerous other facts and bits of information relative to the neighborhood in which the home is located.  Given the circumstances I also offer to drive to local grocery stores, hospitals, parks or freeways, clocking the mileage to and from the home for my clients in order to give them an idea of how that home may affect the efficiency with which they travel from that home.

Information is key to any transaction and the more information my clients have the better prepared they are to make one of their most important decisions.

Proactive Searching and Research
I have specific clients who have identified homes in particular neighborhoods, on particular streets, or sometimes on particular lots they wish to purchase. In these cases the buyer has certainly made for an efficient search but there may or may not be homes available that meet their specific needs at that time. If my clients feel comfortable with me approaching an owner about their interest in buying in their neighborhood I put together a professional letter which expresses just that. At a minimum these letters are written not as a solicitation, but as a kind, complimentary inquiry. People in specific neighborhoods typically know whether their neighbors are thinking about selling a house prior to putting it on the market. Some people may actually consider selling as a result of the inquiry itself. The reality is you never know unless you ask. I do not, however, knock on doors as I personally wouldn’t want that done to me. Regardless, the letters I compose achieve their goal and are received in the manner they were intended.

The most effective way of ensuring that you are informed of all the active listings in the areas and  the price range you specify is to enlist a real estate agent who actively uses all the sources of information relative to the market.

Those of us who practice full time spend every day making ourselves and our clients aware of the complete inventory of houses on the market.

Another source which unfortunately not all agents subscribe to is FSBO (For Sale By Owner) listings which can be supplied to them by their local title company.  I personally believe that it is my responsibility to find my clients the best home for them and because that may mean it is listed for sale by an owner I always take into account these listings when working with my clients. A third source of information is foreclosure reports supplied to me by multiple title companies. Because not every person wants a “move in ready” home and can sometimes capitalize on their willingness to inherit remodeling work, foreclosure reports inform me of homes that my clients may be able to purchase below market pricing (sometimes) depending upon amount of work they are willing to take on.

For those who are looking for a new home, however, I have provided links to new home sites which have listings not always advertised in the Multiple Listing Service. As a service to my clients I provide this consolidation of new home sites to aid in their search for a home.  I can help you find a new home specific to a building site or from existing builders’ developments and advise you on the implications of these new developments, neighborhoods and the related resources.

A Buyer's Agent offers the following duties to their client:

• Loyalty
• Confidentiality
• Obedience
• Full Disclosure
• Accounting
• Care
• Diligence

These responsibilities are defined by state laws and the Realtor Code of Ethics.

Buyers Agency allows for the realtor to share the following information with their clients:

• How long the home has been on the market.
• Will the seller likely accept a lower price than advertised?
• What the seller’s reasons are for selling.
• Previous conditions of sales on the property.
• Strengths and weaknesses of the property.
• Establishing the conditions of the buyer’s offer.
• Negotiation skills in attempting to achieve the best price and sale conditions for the buyer.

How is a Buyer’s Agent Compensated?
The seller pays your fee through the commission their agent shares with your agent. Perhaps the right question is, "What will it cost me if I don't use a Buyer's Agent?" Purchasing a home without representation is possibly the biggest financial mistake you can make. A Buyer's Agent can guide you each step of the way to prevent costly errors. Failure to find out about defects in the property or the actual value of the property can, of course, be an expensive mistake. And failure to negotiate a contract that works for you can cost you plenty. With a Buyer's Agent, you can ask for and receive advice and assistance in selecting the best property and determining an offering price.

Who Needs a Buyer's Agent?
If you want to make sure you buy smart, you need a Buyer's Agent. If you're a first-time buyer, if you're relocating or unfamiliar with the local real estate market, if you're buying for investment and want negotiating help, or if you need to purchase anonymously, you'll be best served by a Buyer's Agent who puts your interests first. Also, if the real estate professional helping you find a home is a relative, close friend, a business associate or you previously were the agent's home-selling client, chances are you'd expect the agent to represent your interests and should establish a Buyer Agency relationship. Or, if you just want to get the best value in a property and an agent, you owe it to yourself to be the most knowledgeable buyer you can be.

Can a Seller's Agent Help Me Buy?
The answer is yes.  It is called dual representation and requires the agent to the sale to disclose their role as such.   As part of my practice I do not represent both a buyer and a seller on the same sale.  In short terms, it means I cannot help one party negotiate their price and conditions as I have a fiduciary obligation to the other party.  I can bring the two parties together, but I cannot help to strengthen one side’s position at the expense of the other party.  This condition alone is why I will not represent both a seller and buyer on the same sale.  My strengths come in part by way of my consultation to my clients regarding pricing strategies, repair strategies and overall aid throughout the sale that strengthens their position.

PDXHOMES.com Home Search
News!  In 2005 I introduced new property search tools to PDXHOMES.com which include quick search functions for condos, neighborhoods, city searches and an archive of our teams featured and sold properties.   With the map based search function and the ability to disclose addresses in addition to MLS numbers, aerial photos and the roll-over photo galleries, our property search continues to serve our clients and hundreds of other buyers each month.

The reality is some people want to be searching on their own in tandem with their agent or prior to finding a Realtor to negotiate their purchase and manage their transaction. This can certainly benefit the buyer in more than one way. It not only speeds up the process of finding a home, but gives the buyer comparative properties which support their rationalization of a specific purchase.

The property search I have provided on this site is inclusive of all MLS listings in the greater Portland area, so when using it rest assured you are being made aware of everything on the market regardless of agency, office or brokerage. This search, combined with my literature, knowledge of the market and the other sources of information I provide my clients ensures that everyone who works with me knows the market as well as anyone.

The downside of searching online on your own, however, is that a number of the sites online, whether specific to an agency or the public MLS aren’t always up to date or do not include all the information about the property that is available. Having a real estate agent whom you can question about specific properties can ensure you know everything possible about a home.  In this way, you don’t waste your time on a home that may be pending, sold or improperly marketed.

Another method is driving around in your car. While sometimes less efficient some people decide to scope out homes and or neighborhoods in preparation for buying a home. I did this myself and I certainly advocate it if you are near the area you want to live and have the time. Getting to know the neighborhoods, streets and resources related to a home can be done by getting in your car, whether on your own or with a real estate agent who knows all the intricacies of the neighborhood.