Annette Sievert's Real Estate Blog

What you pay for your home owners insurance differs greatly depending on where you live and of course the Florida Coast has much higher premiums (if you can get insurance at all) than we here in the Mid Willamette Valley in Oregon. But there are other factors than location that you might not have...

Turning a problem into an asset can be an art. If a property has a huge problem that lowers the value, is there a way of making lemonade out of those lemons? Not always but sometimes a bit of creative thinking can do just that. Years ago I took a listing that was at the end of a narrow, tiny side...

Perception is reality.  Different perspectives and experiences determine what value we attach to things. This phenomenon shows extremely when it comes to property values.       Where the seller sees his home along a creek with lovely views of the water and a pretty bank I see flood plain and sky ...

There is a huge difference between TRYING to sell and actually SELLING. The difference is commitment. Tryers are not 100% committed to sell a property. There are things that are holding them back. 1.They want to achieve a certain price, whether it is achievable or not. 2.They do not want to be in...

Are you an analytic mind? Nothing wrong with that. Analyzing options, features, financing etc. can help to make decisions more streamlined and realistic. But data has limits and there is a point where interpretation supersedes bare data. That is the point where analysis goes over the cliff and be...

1: Have the house spotless, clean your heart out, do not just put stuff away in the closet (or store things in the oven or the dishwasher) and then barely close that door,  everything that can be opened will be opened by buyers (built ins, kitchen cabinets etc) and should be as good looking insid...

Ever noticed that when you have a medical issue, want to buy a car or are selling or buying a home and you talk about it, everybody around you has an opinion and advice for you, regardless of whether a person had any expertise or insight? How many times have you noticed that when you have a probl...