Stewart Real Estate Group Podcast
101 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago -If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Stewart Real Estate Group - your professional Portland Real Estate Agents.
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Episodes
Navigating the Market as a Seller-Turned-Buyer
March 17, 2021 00:00 VideoHere are the realities of selling then buying in today’s red-hot market. Many folks are asking themselves, “How can I sell my current house and purchase my next one in this crazy real estate market of ours?” These days, we can no longer write contingent offers. About a year ago, the market was still loose enough that we could get away with submitting contingent offers, or at least writing offers while in escrow. Here in early 2021, forget about it—don’t even consider writing an offer tha...
5 Home Features That Defined 2020
February 22, 2021 00:00 VideoHere are the top five most popular home features among 2020 buyers. The unique challenges of 2020 transformed home-buying trends, and space became king. However, simply saying that buyers sought out larger homes doesn’t quite capture the core of this shift. For the first time in a very long time, people began pushing themselves to find creative and practical ways to optimize every space in their homes—a mindset that will likely persist in 2021. Here are the top five home features that b...
Wishing You Happy Holidays!
December 15, 2020 00:00 VideoHappy holidays to you! The holiday season has officially arrived. We hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year and make some fantastic memories. We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. We love helping people make their real estate dreams come true, so thank you for working with us and supporting our business. This may be a busy time of year, but we are always here to help you and answer any questions you may have. Give us a call or reply to this email and we’...
What Are You Grateful for This Year?
November 19, 2020 00:00 VideoThe 2020 holiday season has officially begun and it’s unlike any other. Despite all that’s going on, my team and I believe it’s important to take a minute and think about our gratitude’s, even if they seem small this year. I encourage you to think of what you’re grateful for and read this Declaration of Gratitude. We have met some truly wonderful people, and we’re proud to have helped so many reach their real estate goals over the years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of ...
Q: Who Should Not Buy or Sell in This Market?
October 21, 2020 00:00 VideoThese are the people who shouldn't be buying or selling in our current market. Even though we’re technically in a hot seller’s market and there are opportunities out there, there are certain types of buyers or sellers who should take their foot off the gas, at least for the time being. There are four specific reasons you shouldn’t be buying or selling in this market that maybe you hadn’t thought about. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various poin...
Q: What Are the Latest Homebuyer Trends?
September 08, 2020 00:00 VideoHere’s a quick rundown of what buyers are looking for in a home. If you’re a seller, what trends are driving homebuyers in our real estate market? I know you’ve been hearing about the “new normal,” and it’s been fascinating to watch. It’s been six months or so since the pandemic hit, and I never imagined it would catapult the market the way it has. In my experience dealing with clients, the most interesting thing that’s been happening is buyers deciding to move based on what they’ve ...
Is Our Foreclosure Fear Justified?
August 27, 2020 00:00 VideoHere’s some important info to close the door on recent foreclosure fears. As you may have heard, some people are predicting that the fall and winter will bear a glut of foreclosures across the country. It’s obviously been a really rough year for many Americans; people have taken severe financial hits and lost their jobs. However, there are two reasons why this dreaded wave of foreclosures isn’t about to come crashing down anytime soon. Early on in the pandemic, the government basically p...
How COVID-19 Is Affecting Our Market
April 09, 2020 00:00 VideoIs COVID-19 impacting our real estate market? Find out here. I hope you’ve all managed to stay safe and sound! I know these are trying times for a lot of people, given what we’re experiencing with the stay-at-home orders. Many of you have reached out to me to ask about what’s going on in the world of real estate. Has the pandemic affected our market? Today I’ll share a few key details that will give you a better perspective about how real estate manages to continue, even during the pa...
7 Tips to Save on Energy Bills
November 25, 2019 00:00 VideoHow can you save money while also making your home more energy-efficient? Many people don’t realize they’re likely wasting hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the years by not assessing their home for a small list of things. In Multnomah County, they passed a policy that states when you list a house for sale, you now have to show the energy score of that house. Whether it’s a hundred years old or brand new, it’s a requirement. It’s for informational purposes only but they are givi...
What Does Your Property Tax Statement Mean?
November 14, 2019 00:00 VideoFall is the time of year where homeowners get their property tax statements in the mail, so today I’ll tell you what’s in yours and what that information means. First, your statement comes in two colors: yellow or green. The majority of us receive a yellow document, which means your lender is likely paying your property tax by collecting a certain amount every month from your mortgage payment. If you get a green document, it means you pay your property tax outside of your mortgage payment ...
What’s Happening in Our Fall Real Estate Market?
October 21, 2019 00:00 VideoA lot of you have been asking about what’s going on lately with that bit of stagnation in the market, so I wanted to address those questions today. Real estate during the winter isn’t always the same from year to year. Sometimes our market is quite busy, while other times we see it soften during these colder months. To better assess where we stand as we head toward winter 2019, let’s discuss a few key developments. First, the average number of days homes are spending on the market has re...
What Baby Boomers Care About When Buying and Selling
September 19, 2019 00:00 VideoWith about 10,000 baby boomers retiring every single day across the United States, it’s no wonder why this demographic constitutes such a large portion of buyers and sellers in our national real estate market. If you, yourself, are among this massive group of buyers and sellers, then it’s time to connect with a Realtor. You’ll need a strong professional by your side, whether you’re looking to downsize, relocate, or simply move to a home with fewer maintenance requirements. “Like all buyer...
Why Low Interest Rates Are Good for Buyers and Sellers
September 05, 2019 00:00 VideoWe haven’t seen interest rates this low in a while, so I wanted to take a few minutes today to explain to why they’re so important. We’re back to historic low interest rates and that means cheap money for buyers. For buyers out there who’ve been considering a move, your buying power just went up substantially. And for all the sellers out there, know that these low rates are going to increase the number of buyers we see and keep prices going up. “Even if you just want to refinance, now i...
The 3 Trends That Define Our Midyear Portland Market
August 19, 2019 00:00 VideoAs we pass the halfway point of 2019 and take stock of our Portland market, there are three developments that buyers and sellers need to be aware of. First, appreciation rates have normalized, which is great news. I like the pace of appreciation as it stands. There’s not a mad dash from sellers to draft their price upward and attract multiple offers, and prices aren’t rising to the point where buyers can’t get in the game. This doesn’t mean there are gobs of inventory to sift through, eit...
4 Unbeatable Upsides to Investing in Residential Real Estate
July 26, 2019 00:00 VideoInvesting in residential real estate is a topic I’m very passionate about. I’ve recently been conducting market studies for past clients who I’ve helped purchase a property and who are now looking to sell that same property. The most exciting part is getting to share the news that they’re in an equity position to sell their home. That’s just one of the many upsides to owning a home, and today I’ll spell out four more. The first thing I tell potential homeowners is you’re paying a mortga...
Homebuyers: Here’s What You Need to Know About Affordability Today
June 27, 2019 00:00 VideoMany people are concerned that it’s no longer affordable to buy a home, but this is not at all the case. Prices have leveled out and interest rates are still low. In fact, to put current rates into perspective, the average interest rate when I entered real estate 18 years ago was 9%. And people thought that was low. So, if you’ve been concerned about where rates are headed now, you can take comfort in knowing they were once much higher. You may also be glad to know that the Fed has held...
What Would Make You Sell Your House?
June 03, 2019 00:00 VideoI was reading an article recently that was talking about the three groups of people who sell their houses and why they sell. As I kept reading, I thought that they did a great job of grouping most home sellers into these three archetypes. As it turns out, certain age categories tend to sell for similar reasons. For home sellers in the age range of 29 to 38, the reason most of them sell is that because their house is too small and they need something bigger or closer to work. They are ofte...
What Is the Market Doing in May 2019?
May 20, 2019 00:00 VideoIt’s May 2019 and we’re quickly approaching the summer market. A lot of people have been asking me lately about what the market is doing right now, so here’s my assessment based on what I’m seeing. We always break our year down into quarters because the market shifts every 90 days or so. It’s true: 90 days ago, we didn’t have the same market as we do right now, and it will be different again in another 90 days. Even though the market changes, we do see similar trends every year in the sa...
The Most Common Reasons Listings Fail to Sell
April 22, 2019 00:00 VideoNo one assumes their home will fail to sell when they list it on the market, but, unfortunately, this is sometimes the case. The topic of failed listings certainly isn’t fun to think about, but it’s important to understand the reasons this happens so that you can avoid the worst during your own selling experience. The first and most common reason a listing may fail is its price. If a home is overpriced, this can have disastrous results. Just because you can set whatever price you want for...
How Many Settlement Statement Fees Will Arise From Your Home Sale?
April 08, 2019 00:00 VideoWhat kind of settlement statement fees should you expect to pay during the closing of your home sale? This subject is a bit of a mystery to many home sellers out there, and because of that, they don’t know what their actual net profit will end up being. Here are the general fees you can expect from your settlement statement: 1. County taxes. It can get confusing trying to understand how property taxes are calculated here in Oregon, but the title company usually walks you through this at t...
3 Things You Should Look for in a Real Estate Agent
March 22, 2019 00:00 VideoIf I was looking to hire a real estate agent, I would be looking for these things very specifically. I think it’s really important for people to understand this list because these factors are critical and essential to the success of a transaction. Here’s my list: 1. Communication. A high level of communication is absolutely necessary. It’s the premise in which we determine how we talk about the process, transparency, and all the things that go along with it. We pride ourselves on regularly...
The 3 Points of the Home Sale Trifecta
March 05, 2019 00:00 VideoThe best way to maximize what your home can sell for is to follow a three-point formula my team and I call “The Trifecta.” The first part of this trifecta is marketing. This is your agent’s responsibility, but unfortunately, a lot of agents get cheap or fail to utilize technology when it comes to marketing. It’s our job to have as many prospective buyers in your area as possible looking at your home, and then to bring those buyers to your front door. For us, this means marketing online w...
4 Trends That Have Defined Our Portland Market So Far in 2019
February 08, 2019 00:00 VideoNow that we’ve reached February of 2019, it’s time for a quick market update from our Portland area. Overall, we’ve seen a dip in our market over the last several months. We’re transitioning out of the fast-paced market we’ve seen over the past few years, and now things are leveling out a bit. During the previous market cycle, buyers typically came out of the woodwork during each year’s first quarter, but is that the case so far in 2019? Here are the four most fascinating trends I’ve no...
How to Net the Most Money for Your Home
January 21, 2019 00:00 VideoIf you want to make the most money out of your home sale, there are a few things you need to think about. I recently heard someone new to the industry talk about how there’s no need to prepare a home, but it’s simply not true. Getting your home ready for sale is the best way to put more in your pocket. However, because every home is unique, I couldn’t possibly give you an all-encompassing list of what to do to prepare. When I meet with clients, I’m evaluating their home based on what the ...
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
December 26, 2018 00:00 VideoFrom all of us at the Quinn Stewart Real Estate Group at eXp Realty: Thank you for a wonderful 2018.. It was our pleasure to serve your home buying and selling needs, and we’ll be here for you in 2019. We hope you had an amazing Christmas, and we want to wish you a happy new year!
When Is the Best Time to List?
December 17, 2018 00:00 VideoPeople often ask us when the best time to list a home is. Well, while this depends heavily on what is most appropriate for your specific circumstances, there are certain seasonal benefits to consider as you think about your real estate goals. While many say that spring is the absolute best time of year to list, this isn’t the truth. There are many benefits to listing toward the end of the year, as well. Not many people want to list during the winter months. They’re busy with family, the ...
5 Tips for Increasing the Appeal (and Value) of Your Home
November 15, 2018 00:00 VideoOftentimes, our clients are living in their homes while they’re trying to sell them, so my tips for you today will help you add value to your home while still allowing you to live there during the process. 1. Declutter. Get rid of everything you don’t need. I often tell my clients to either sell it, donate it, or chuck it—whatever it takes to minimize the number of things you have in the home so that potential buyers won’t be distracted. You want them to see a very clean, minimized interio...
What You Need to Know If You're Moving to Portland
September 26, 2018 00:00 VideoIf you’re looking to come to the Portland area and buy a home, there are some things that you need to be aware of. This is why today I want to tell you all about Portland and what the process of relocating here looks like. The first thing to know is that Portland is a big, small city. Compared to other metropolitan areas, Portland is actually pretty small, but it’s spread out. This is why it’s important to know where you want to look for a home because neighborhoods can differ so greatly i...
The Myth of the 20% Down Payment and How You Can Buy a Home for Far Less
September 12, 2018 00:00 VideoA lot of people out there think you need to put exactly 20% down to buy a home because back in the good old days, you had to. Back then, there weren’t a lot of loan programs available, so our parents and our grandparents ended up telling us that we had to save for a 20% down payment. In reality, most of us can’t save fast enough to be able to put down 20% in today’s market. That’s okay, though, because the good news is there are many loan programs out there that don’t require you to put do...
This No-Obligation Rent-To-Own Program Provides an Easy Transition Into Homeownership
August 30, 2018 00:00 VideoIn the past, I’ve always presented rent-to-own scenarios as being disreputable. However, there is now one instance in which this kind of arrangement is actually viable. A company here in the Portland metro area has totally flipped the script on rent-to-own arrangements. Their success has put millions of dollars into our local market recently, and so today I want to share some details on what this company is doing. First, before borrowers can take advantage of the great terms this company ...
7 Ways You Can Boost Your Home’s Value for Under $10,000
August 15, 2018 00:00 VideoHere are seven ways you can add to your home’s value while spending less than $10,000: 1. Amp up the curb appeal. When someone pulls up to your house, what do they see right away? If the answer is flaky exterior paint, a drab front door color, or “meh” landscaping, you should spend some time improving those areas. Colored front doors, for example, are all the rage right now, and I’m seeing people get more creative than just the plain old black, white, or red ones we’re used to seeing. Enha...
The Benefits of Paying in Cash
July 11, 2018 00:00 VideoIn today’s real estate market, buyers must realize that cash is king. Cash is king as far as homebuyers are concerned. Submitting a cash offer for the full list price means buyers don’t need to worry about receiving financing, going through the appraisal process, or being underwritten. A lot of sellers love this assuredness and it makes you a very strong buyer. What can you expect as a cash buyer in this market? For one, the seller is going to want proof that your money is liquid. If you’r...
The Portland Real Estate Market Is Starting to Cool Off
June 25, 2018 00:00 VideoWe are halfway through the year, so it’s time for an update on our June 2018 Portland real estate market. This is an important time of year where we typically see things start to change.This year is no different. In fact, we are seeing a pretty significant change happen right now. While our market continued its surge of activity during the first two quarters of this year, things have let up a bit recently.Most people think that this is when the market starts to heat up, but we have actually...
Even More Helpful Information on Omitted Property Taxes
May 16, 2018 00:00 VideoWelcome to part two of my discussion about omitted property taxes. Since my first video about this topic, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about it and I’ve been able to gather more useful information for you. I even had a specialist who fights property taxes for a living come into my office to conduct a seminar about it. If you didn’t watch my last video, I’ll take a moment to explain what omitted taxes are. In the Portland metro area, there’s a cap on how much your property taxes can be i...
What Is Private Mortgage Insurance and What Should Buyers Know About It?
April 18, 2018 00:00 VideoIf you have private mortgage insurance on your monthly payments, you’re going to want to hear what I’ve got to share today. First of all, what is private mortgage insurance? Private mortgage insurance, or PMI, is an insurance policy that protects your lender whenever a person puts less than 20% down on a home purchase. On average, PMI costs between $30 to $70 for every $100,000 of the amount you’re borrowing. However, if you’ve gained an equity position at or above 20%, even if you didn’...
How Does Generational Living Work?
April 03, 2018 00:00 VideoIn real estate, we are seeing generational living become a huge thing. We recently held an open house for a 5-bedroom home with well over 4,500 square feet and we were shocked at the number of buyers who came in looking for a setup where they can have mom, dad, their kids, or both living in the same household. This trend seems to increase in popularity each year. Portland is not exactly the most retirement-friendly place. Our cost of living is pretty high, as are our property taxes. Downsi...
What Are Omitted Property Taxes?
March 20, 2018 00:00 VideoOmitted property taxes are what we are going to talk about today. They’re really important to pay attention to because they could mean that your property taxes have increased or even doubled. I hadn’t heard of omitted property taxes until the last few weeks, to be honest. I discovered something that has absolutely blown my mind regarding property taxes in the Portland metro area. Here’s what omitted property taxes actually are. It’s when the county can determine that your property value i...
What Happens During a Home Inspection?
March 05, 2018 00:00 VideoToday I’m going to give you the full rundown of what happens before, during, and after a home inspection. The home inspection is probably one of the biggest things that happens in a real estate transaction, and it’s one of the biggest contingencies a buyer has when doing their due diligence. The home inspection gives the buyer an opportunity to find out anything and everything they want to know about a home before they make their purchase final. The inspection is a contingency, meaning tha...
What Happens When You Sell a House in Probate?
February 19, 2018 00:00 VideoHow do you sell a house in probate? First of all, a lot of people don’t know what probate is. We’ve been getting a lot of listings from people needing to sell the home of a family member who has passed away. Most of these families have a will but, unfortunately, a will won’t necessarily keep you out of probate. I’m not a probate attorney or real estate attorney, so I would direct you to them if you have any specific questions. That said, I have seen many people go through probate. Probat...
What's Your Selling Strategy for 2018?
January 15, 2018 00:00 VideoAre you planning to sell your property in 2018? If you are, I’ve got some key tips to share with you today. First and foremost: Get a strategy going now. Regardless of when you plan on selling, it’s never too early to start preparing. Some people take months to get their homes ready for sale. Sometimes, though, people do much more than is necessary. My team and I met with a couple recently who had literally remodeled their entire house before they put it on the market. “Trying to time th...
7 Projects Under $10,000 That Add Tremendous Value to Your Home
December 14, 2017 00:00 VideoIf you’re thinking of selling your home anytime in the near future, there are many ways you can increase its value before the time comes. Here’s a list of seven improvements that typically cost under $10,000 but can add tremendous value to your home when you sell: 1. Curb appeal. What do people see right when they pull up to your home? If you have flaky paint or landscaping issues, those are a few easy areas that you can address on your own. Repainting your front door and baseboards is a g...
Have You Considered Investing in Real Estate?
November 22, 2017 00:00 VideoToday’s topic will be the very compelling reasons why you should consider investing in real estate now. Before I get into those reasons, I want to stress why it is I think this is important. I come from a family of real estate inventors, and the one thing we all have in common is that we want to retire. Most us know that, as an average American, we can’t save our money fast enough for retirement. Most Americans are very, very behind in having enough money in reserves for when it comes ti...
Is It Possible to Sell a Stigmatized Property?
October 27, 2017 00:00 VideoHow do you sell a home with a perhaps haunted past?Let’s say you’ve got a property with a stigmatized past. The kind of home I’m referring to is one wherein an event such as murder or suicide took place. I’ve actually got a personal story to share with you on this subject. But first, I’d like to cover some general information about stigmatized homes. Of course, we all have different sensitivities. Variations such as culture and mindset can have a big impact on how people view death. Some ...
What Kind of Buyers Does Portland See the Most?
October 10, 2017 00:00 VideoThere are a few main buyer demographics to look at in today’s market. When we look at buyer profiles, what we’re really examining is which groups are buying property right now. If you’re selling your home, knowing your buyer demographic can be extremely helpful in marketing your property. So, what are the most common buyer profiles driving the market right now? Well, the one demographic that will always be our biggest base when we discuss the population driving the market is first-time ho...
5 Trends Affecting the Portland Market
September 26, 2017 00:00 VideoIf you’ve been watching my updates over the last few months, you know that our market has been extremely hot. High prices, low inventory, and multiple offers were the norm. However, I knew this day would come. Part of this change is seasonal, but we are definitely seeing some indicators that the market is starting to shift. Here are five of them: 1. Contingent offers are going up. We saw a huge bump in these in the last 30 or 45 days. There are about 100 homes right now that have continge...
Why You Must Sell Your Home Twice in Our Market
August 30, 2017 00:00 VideoIf you’re a seller in our market, you have to be prepared to sell your home more than once. In a market like we’ve been in, where home values have been rising quickly, we’re seeing a lot of challenges in the appraisal world. Even if you come to an agreement with the buyer on the sale price, you still have to sell that price to the appraiser, who has to find reasonable comparable properties to suggest they can verify your home’s value so the bank will give the loan to the buyer. A 1% to ...
How Did We Manage to Save This Transaction Disaster?
August 24, 2017 00:00 VideoRecently I sat down with Erika Hagfors and Andy Varcak of Envoy Lending to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of our success stories. Erika recently represented one of our buyers who was adamant about going with their own out-of-state lender. We’d never heard of this lender, and on a Friday when we were just four days from closing we received an email from this lender saying they wouldn’t be able to finish the loan. When buyers and sellers are all packed and ready to move, this kin...
Where Do You Think the Real Estate Market Is Headed?
August 08, 2017 00:00 VideoEvery week, friends, family, clients, ask me“What is the market doing?” The market has been hot, hot, hot, and if you’ve bought or sold a home in the last 18 months, you’ve probably sensed that. There’s a lot of discussion about where the market is going. I can tell you what I think is happening or list the things I’ve heard other people say, but if you’ve watched any of my real estate videos in the last few months you may have seen that the market is trending. Where is it going though? ...
The Rising Popularity of One-Level Homes
July 05, 2017 00:00 VideoToday I’m talking about one-level properties and “master-on-the-main” properties. In the last several years and especially the last 18 months, I have noticed this trend where buyers are coming to us and asking specifically for these types of properties. Why is this so significant? What we’re finding is that there are a huge number of people that are retiring, downsizing, or dealing with health problems which require living in a one-level house who are requesting these properties. These ...
Some Interesting New Trends in the Portland Market
May 22, 2017 00:00 VideoWhat’s happening in the Portland market as we head toward the third quarter? I want to be candid and frank today with my observations because most general things in the market don’t change much, but the little things can really make a difference. The market has been hot for sellers and inventory is low. So what changed? We watch the market action report, which comes out every month and shows what has gone on in the past month, to give us an idea of where the market is and where it’s going....