2023’s Spring Market – Hot or Not?
You all know that the real estate market has its seasonal ebbs and flows, and Spring is typically where it starts to pick up in the new year. But it’s been a weird one lately, so I’ll lay out what I’ve seen happening on the streets of Portland these past few weeks.
Interest rates are dropping, and many well-priced (and cute!) homes are getting multiple offers…while others sit. It’s a case by case situation right now, so yeah, it really takes an expert eye and years of experience to decipher what’s what on each new listing.
It’s still so important to price your home aggressively to help nudge buyers along, and I do this by assessing what homes in the general vicinity have sold for, what the market is doing at the time, and how much your home is theoretically worth. If you underprice it TOO much, you’re at risk of a literal onslaught of interest – and dealing with a slew of weaker offers mixed with the real offers reflecting the ultimate value. And if you overprice it, there’s a real concern that your home will sit on the market while buyers avoid it and skeptically monitor price reductions, and you lose your greatest moment of leverage for price AND negotiating repairs. My job is to find that sweet, sweet spot that garners lots of legitimate interest, a handful of solid offers, and the best options as far as final sales price goes. So it’s really such a delicate dance, and my experience and knowledge means that you can trust we’ll get the response you want and need.
I also intimately understand which minor (and sometimes major) touch-ups add instant value to your home – what buyers are actually looking for, and how much impact a new paint job will/will not have on your final sales price. You might be surprised!
So if you’re thinking of selling, now’s the perfect time to dip your toes into the market. Spring is always such a frenzy of buyers looking to relocate, so it’s a prime time for listing. Reach out, let’s meet. I can assess your home and advise as to the next steps. Even if you end up holding out for a bit longer, it can’t hurt to get an idea of your home’s value, your selling options, and I am WAY more accurate than the online offerings going by guesswork – whereas I have the expertise.
Scroll down to take a peek at my current listing that made it into Portland Monthly’s online magazine…could your house be next?!
The Nitty Gritty on the Real Estate Market
Some people just love data (like, me!). Nerd out on real estate market stats with me…
Spring To Dos in the House and Garden
Here are some tips on Spring home and garden maintenance to get you on track (and boy, oh boy, writing these lists is a great reminder for me, too)!
* Direct-sow essential summer vegetables, like radishes, kale, chard, beets, and carrots. A great tip for getting a huge carrot out of your raised bed is to use a garden stake to poke a DEEP hole. This means each carrot has lots of room to grow downward, and hopefully you’ll pull some monsters when the time comes. If you haven’t already started seedlings for tomatoes, zucchini, etc, I find it’s best to buy some established starts from your local garden providers to get them in the ground in time.
* Spring = Spring cleaning and organizing! I find this is the perfect time of year to go through your pantry and closets and get rid of all the “clutter” that’s amassed over the past year. Donate to food and clothes pantries, give away on your local Buy Nothing, or host a yard sale with your neighbors! It’s so much easier to envision your next move, when you’re not bogged down by the items you’re over anyway, and thanks to my sister, I just found out about this organization that will come pick up all your discarded clothes and shoes, in any condition, for free!
* Give your houseplants some love. Refresh your potted plants with new soil, or transplant into bigger containers.
* I love to deep clean this time of year. Dust your baseboards, get behind the fridge to vacuum the elements, ensure your A/C is running smoothly by cleaning out the vents. There are so many forgotten spaces in your home that we tend to overlook, and it can also feel a little overwhelming. Make a list, and check off one small chore each day or week, and it’ll be far more manageable.
* Winter likely took its toll on your home’s exteriors. Squeegee those windows, power wash your paths, clean out the gutters, ensure there’s no water damage coming in though your windows or into your basement. Boring jobs, but so important!
* If you’re a forager, am guessing you’re already out there gathering fresh nettles for soup or pesto, or even finding a secret stash of landscape morels in your yard. Have you heard of these? Sometimes morels pop up in the strangest of places, especially if you’ve spread out some wood chips in the past few years.
As the weather warms up, Portlanders are looking to get out and about. Urban Nest love to put together an easy list of fun things to do this Spring….click the image above for the full Picks!
A Listing Success Story!
I’m delighted that this deliciously sweet vintage condo was featured in Portland Monthly. Click the image below to read all about it!
This light-filled and cheery 1 bed/1 bath vintage condo comes with a deeded garage and storage makes city living super easy, and is pet friendly, too. The $275,000 makes it pretty attractive, too.
Here’s all the pics and details, too.
Also, in the spirit of renewal, my website finally has a fresh new look. I feel it vibes with my aesthetic so much better than before, and I hope you love it, too.
I’m sure you’re shocked to hear I’m back in the yard, obsessing over my garden. I also have had a bunny visitor almost daily, and it’s quite possibly the most exciting thing to happen to the cats and I in a while. Hey, I’ve always been obsessed with animals, and well, nothing’s changed.
Last season and this year, I’ve switched my focus on the non-edible plantings a bit more, and WOW, my daffodils and tulips do not disappoint! Highly recommend planting more perennial flowers, it’s really worth the pay off. I also just spread seeds for a bunch more wildflowers so that I always have something bright and cheery greeting me and passerby’s in the front yard! I even had a person come by with a camera and say, ‘’You have kindness in your heart for planting these in your front yard”. It meant so much, and felt so good to hear I’m not the only one dazzled by these front yard additions!
With life normalizing more and more, I cannot wait to connect with more of the people I love (that’s you)! Face to face time is so overdue, and I’m ready. Who wants to come over and BBQ?! I promise not to talk your ear off about gardening.
Okay who am I kidding, come over anyway!
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