In 2009 the Bella Casa Real Estate Group helped more buyers than any other brokerage in Yamhill County, and ranked #2 for total volume of sales. We’re pretty excited of those statistics, especially given that the Bella Casa brokerage is less than 3 years old!

The McCreith Team is proud of our sales record, but it’s really not about closing the most deals. Our greatest pride is in creating a positive real estate experience and financially profitable transaction for each of our clients. The McCreith Team is dedicated to serving Yamhill County and the greater Portland metro areas with the highest standards of excellence. We are optimistically hopeful and excited about 2010!

You don’t always have to dedicate an entire room for your home office. In the example above – there was simply not enough rooms in the house to use as a home office – so we got creative and just artfully placed a desk in front of window in the family room – wah lah!. Home offices are now more than ever very popular. They’re many of people who work and operate out of their home office these days. When a homebuyer is looking at your property, having an idea of where they can set up their home office is most likely to be high on their list. In Home Staging – you have to be creative in making a space work, no matter the obstacles in play.

This 3 minute video demonstrates how to effectively prepare the home office for showings.

Many sellers pay close attention to home staging, and even place just the right accessories on the bathroom counter. But don’t forget to scrub the shower and counter top tile!

Stone and tile both make beautiful flooring but when the grout becomes dirty and stained it can end up looking grimy and detract from the overall look of your house. There are cleaning solutions to most grout stains that will save you the money of having to replace your grout. A pH-neutral tile cleaner can be found at any tile store. Find one that doesn’t contain bleach (unless your grout is bright white) as this will lighten the grout. Always wear gloves to protect your hands from harmful chemicals.

The first step you’re going to do is pour some of the cleaning solution onto the floor and, using a soft-bristle brush, work it into the grout. Then, with a sponge and water, rinse the grout thoroughly. Soak up as much water as you can with a rag to expose stains as water will darken the grout leaving the stains hidden.

For coffee, juice and wine stains, scrub the grout with a bleach-free cleaner and allow this to do its work for a few minutes. Then rinse thoroughly. For rust and hard water stains, use a bleach-free scouring powder. For fresh paint use a commercial grade paint remover as directed by the label. For dry paint, you’ll want to scrape it gently with a razor to loosen its bond with the floor. If this doesn’t do the trick, use a paint remover. For oil stains, use a detergent that is free of dye. With this home cleaning tip your floor will look good as new in no time!

Article Source: www.homestagingchannel.com

Betty Jung All About…Portland, Oregon Real Estate

Many properties throughout our rural areas have wells for their primary source of drinking water. Effective January 1, 2010, sellers are required to test for arsenic in certain wells upon accepting an offer.

This year, the Oregon State Legislature passed Senate Bill 739, which requires testing for arsenic be added to the required tests for coliform bacteria and nitrate in well water. The tests are required for any property transaction that includes a well providing ground water for human consumption.
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By Randy McCreith, Principal Broker

Click Here to View the Market Action Report- November 2009

You would think it is Christmas! The numbers in November’s report look like an remarkable gift. 72.4% increase in closed sales compared with last November, and 19.9% increase in pending sales; this is the largest increase on record! The previous record was 56.9%. Read on…
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THIS SATURDAY – December 19th, 2-8pm

Do you appreciate fine, local art? Do you enjoy McMinnville’s quaint downtown in all of its Christmas glory? This Saturday you can particpate in the Art & Wine Walk along with a free carriage ride from 3pm-5pm with beautiful white horses and carriage provided by Don Price of Equestrian Tours.

Download the Walking Guide Here. Walking Guide Art & Wine Walk

Home staging is all about making your home comfortable and inviting, and this is especially important when staging the living room area of your home. When buyers walk through the room, they should want to sit down and spend time in it. Remember, you can always talk with The McCreith Team to get more tips on making your home desirable to buyers.

Check out this great 3 minute demonstration of staging a living room and see the tips below!

Tips for Staging the Living Room
- Arrange the room in a conversational way, if it’s not arranged like that already. A living room design and layout should be conducive to group conversation and family interaction. Experiment with different arrangements until you get it right.
- Let the living room breathe. If it’s hard to walk through because of furniture size and/or arrangement, remove some items and place them in storage.
- If your living room furniture consists of a cheap table with wobbly legs and your couch from college days, replace them with some nice rental pieces.
- If the furniture is worn or stained, but otherwise intact, invest in some nice-looking slip covers. This is a low-cost way to enhance the appearance of older chairs and couches. Slip covers can also help you neutralize “loud” fabric colors.
- If you have a mantle in the living room area, clear it of most items (such as family photos and knick knacks) and leave only a decorative vase or flower arrangement.

Realtor.com , www.stagingbug.com

“Location, Location, Location!” Everyone knows this is the most important consideration affecting value in real estate. But there is even more to it than that. The most basic principle for understanding and evaluating all real estate is this: All Real Estate is Local. It is very, very local, right down to the individual property. More… »

by LuxuryHomeMagazine

Many sellers are tempted to take their listing off the market over the holidays. Here are ten reasons why it’s important to keep your listing active.

1. People that are looking for homes during the holidays are BUYERS, not lookers. If someone is out scouring the homes for sale they need a place to live.
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A commentary by Yamhill County Tax Assessor Scott Maytubby for The News Register, published November 7, 2009

Despite the fact that we receive tax statements in the mail every fall, most people are not aware of how Oregon’s property tax system works. If you are like the vast majority, you probably just pay your taxes and never question the amount or the values on the statement.

This year, however, lots of people are asking how their property taxes can go up when the real market value of their homes is going down. This is a good opportunity for me, as Yamhill County’s new assessor, to explain how the property tax system works.

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