PDX Renovations

Author: joseph

  • Summer’s Coming. Now’s the Time to Sell. Why?

    Summer’s Coming. Now’s the Time to Sell. Why?

    Whoever coined the phrase “Timing is everything” may well have been referring to real estate. Deciding when to sell your home is of crucial importance. With summer soon to be upon us, there are several factors that make the season an ideal not only to sell your home quickly, but to maximize your profit. In this post, we will examine a few of these factors.

    Kids and School

    Changing schools is a major transition for children, especially in the midst of a school year. As a result, many parents prefer to move during the summer months to allow children time to adjust to a new setting before the school year begins.

    Low Inventory in Local Markets

    The inventory of homes for sale in your locale is crucial when deciding to sell, and inventory in many markets has been low. Lack of inventory can spark a rapid price growth. Low inventory can translate into more competing bids for your home, meaning you can negotiate better terms of sale.

    Longer Daylight Hours

    This one’s a no-brainer. Summer features more daylight hours than any another season, meaning your home is more visible to those on the street.  Potential buyers also have more opportunities to tour your home.

    Aesthetics

    A home is usually at its most beautiful during the summer. Gardens are in bloom, the grass is green, and all of those spring improvements owners have made frame a house in its best light. Furthermore, neighborhoods bustle with activity during the summer, creating a welcoming atmosphere for homebuyers. Or, put another way, during the summer potential buyers are less apt to be preoccupied with thoughts of having to rake leaves or shoveling a driveway.

    What are some other factors that make summer a great time to sell a home? 

    If you have a house, lot or land to sell, fill out our sell fast form.

     

  • When Should Seniors Sell Their Home? – 5 Reasons Senior Citizens Houses Sell.

    When Should Seniors Sell Their Home?

    Are you a senior or know of a senior considering selling a home? Many seniors are indecisive about the topic, but more and more seniors are selling their homes.

    To help with the decision to sell or not to sell, this post reviews the top reasons seniors today choose to sell their homes and why it is a good decision. PDX Renovations can help! – we are real estate investors and have our own money to buy houses, unlike real estate agents.

    Older Adults & Senior’s Reasons For Selling Their Homes, Properties, Or Real Estate:

    1. Living on a Fixed Income

    You hear about it in the news daily—more and more retirees are finding it difficult to live on a fixed income. Social security benefits don’t cover monthly costs. Pensions are all but gone in America. Retirement savings incurred huge losses over recent years. It all adds up to a shortfall in covering monthly expenses. More and more seniors are selling their homes because they can cash out their equity, supplement their monthly income with the proceeds and live a much more comfortable lifestyle.

    2. Costs of Home Ownership

    seniors selling their home - WHEN SHOULD SENIORS SELL THEIR HOME

    Let’s face it; owning a home costs a lot of money. Mortgages are expensive and, with little monthly income, difficult, if not impossible, to refinance. Reverse mortgages don’t provide enough to close the monthly gap in income needs. Even without a mortgage, the costs of property tax and utilities alone add up. Seniors have realized that the romance of living in their lifelong home doesn’t hold the lustre it once did. By seniors selling their homes and downsizing, they reduce the costs of homeownership and add to their monthly cash flow.

    3. Maintenance and Repair

    Homes are constantly in need of maintenance and repair. Paint, landscaping, and fix-it jobs around the house adds up to more than pocket change. Then there are the big-ticket items that, after time, need attention. Roof replacements, HVAC replacements, garage doors, appliances, and water heaters are expensive these days. With fewer houses to worry about, seniors reduce their financial risks associated with home maintenance and repair and find it easier to live within their means.

    4. Physical Challenges

    All of the maintenance and repair items mentioned above can be physically taxing. Just cleaning a big house becomes more challenging with each passing year. Spending less time with physically demanding chores is another reason seniors opt to sell their homes and find a less demanding home environment.

    5. Living Alone

    Not only is all that square footage expensive to operate and maintain, it just doesn’t make much sense to many seniors anymore. An empty nest can feel pretty lonely at times. Many are opting to relocate to a community that offers opportunities for socializing with others in the community. Areas like Portland, Oregon, are full of optional living situations for retirees of all ages and all walks of life.

    Many Seniors Selling Their Homes Want To Set Aside The Stress & Hassle

    Some seniors don’t look forward to selling their homes just because of the hassle of listing them with a realtor, fixing the house up to get it ready to market, and countless interruptions for showings to prospective buyers.  Selling a home for cash avoids all those hassles. The house can be sold in “as is” condition, and it can be sold very quickly—no renovations, no showings, no commissions, and no waiting. The sooner seniors can cash out their equity, the sooner they can improve their lifestyle and start living comfortably.

    Are you a senior or know of a senior who is selling a home?

    When should seniors sell their homes? The answer will depend on a wide range of factors, some of which we have discussed above – if you are unsure, then give us a call for some no-obligation advice and an offer:  Call us at (503) 560-6620

    Do you have a piece of property (house, lot, or land) you’d like to sell fast?  Please fill out our Sell Fast Form and get a cash offer within one hour of viewing the property. 

    Seniors Selling Their Homes Can Be Helped By Us!

    We Are Not Real Estate Agents! – We Are Real Estate Investors!

    PDX Renovations are not a real estate agent. We buy houses for cash, and we buy with our own money.  So if you have issues with retirement planning, issues with property taxes, or are not confident in the housing market (or have no adult children to help) to achieve a successful home sale, you can turn to us to help!

  • 4 Challenges Widows Face in Keeping a House

    Women continue to outlive men in our society. Faced with less income, some widows move to more manageable housing situations but decide to keep the house and rent it out as a source of monthly income. But is this a good decision?

    This post reviews the challenges widows face in keeping a house and why a decision to sell the house makes better sense.

    1. It’s Expensive

    Just getting a property ready to rent can be an expensive proposition. Everything needs to be in working order, cleaned, and freshly painted at a minimum. Other items needing attention may require a greater investment. Services like landscaping need to be considered if the property is to hold its value (don’t expect the tenants to keep it in the shape you expect). Marketing the property, running ads, and running background checks on applicants all cost money. In short, the initial outlay of capital can be great.

    2. It Requires Cash Flow

    The landlord business requires a good, steady stream of expendable cash flow. Keeping up with the costs of repairs and maintenance can be expensive. Then, there are the problems of abusive tenants, unauthorized pets, long-term guests, and other factors that add to wear and tear greater than might be expected.

    In cases involving serious property damage, repairs and renovations can be quite expensive.

    All the above costs continue to add up, resulting in far less monthly income than previously anticipated. The fact is that most rentals make money when they sell; profiting on a month-to-month basis is a rare luxury.

    3. It’s Hard to Do

    Rentals demand a lot of time and effort from landlords. For example, tenants consider household chores like fixing a light switch of a leaky faucet that homeowners take for granted as the responsibility of the landlord. Without a man around the house, who is going to take care of these tasks? More than likely, a widow is going to have to rely on the services of a handyman, and that just adds to the expenses already discussed above.

    Other areas such as advertising the rental, screening tenants, and showing the property require time. Alternatively, one can hire the services of a management firm, but that cuts into overall profits, too.

    4. The Income is Not Always Reliable

    Few landlords are fortunate to have long-term tenants. Turnover in the rental market is frequent. Each time occupants leave, there is a period of a vacancy during which no income is realized, and added funds are spent to prepare the house for the next renter. Idle rentals can deplete needed landlord cash flow in a hurry.

    Rather than face the above challenges and take the added financial risks, a widow may be better served financially by selling the house. The income from the home’s equity could be invested in an instrument like an annuity which could make up for less monthly income in a stable and no-risk manner.

    Selling the home for cash is a good way to avoid costs associated with preparing the property for the market—repairs, renovations, and the like—real estate fees and commissions. A cash house sale can take place very quickly, freeing up equity and adding to increased monthly income now when it is needed.

    Do you think a widow should try to keep a house as a rental?

    Do you have a piece of property (house, lot, or land) you’d like to sell fast?  Fill out our Sell Fast Form and get a cash offer within one hour of us viewing the property.