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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