Stellar Realty Northwest

Sponsored by Rep. Chuck Riley (D-Hillsboro), this proposed bill would cause 1031 Exchanges (tax deferred like-kind property exchanges) to become taxable events. 1031s have been very popular with investors for years, as they can increase their property investment portfolios by exchanging "up" and ...

As agents, we all look forward to the monthly "Market Action" that is published monthly by the RMLS, and as much as we hope for good news, we have to take what we get and try to interpret what it means for our sellers (pricing strategies) and for our buyers (offer strategies). First we'll look at...

This is the question buyers and sellers (and Realtors too!) have been asking for months now. Though there are numerous way to measure market recovery, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported at the beginning of February that the Pending Home Sales Index rose 6.3% to 87.7 in December, ...

Even in these tough times you have some great resources that can help you come up with a down payment, they are very different and which one is best depends on your circumstances: ·         Clackamas County-This program is available to income qualified first time home buyers in Clackamas County. ...

As a buyer, the strategy for asking for "seller concessions" can be tricky in today's market and the "rules" are being changed everyday.  In the past a buyer asking a seller to pay for their closing costs and a list of repairs from the inspection report has been common practice.  What about askin...

Fannie Mae owns thousands of home at all price levels across the country. When foreclosures occur on mortgages in which Fannie Mae is the investor, they sell the properties "as is", and the condition can run anywhere from broom clean, recently remodeled, to needing a complete overhaul. It is reco...

The question is being asked a LOT lately about whether the banks will be reporting the shortfall on the loan (the difference between what the house sells for vs. what is left owing on the 1st and/or 2nd mortgages) as income to the IRS, resulting in a tax bill that could be substantial depending o...

If you are struggling with making your mortgage payments or are already in default, you may be considering a short sale, which is where your lender/lenders may be forgiving a portion of your outstanding loan balance in order to execute a short sale as  opposed to letting it go into foreclosure. L...

5 or 10 years from now, when the financial crisis is over and home prices are up smartly once again, many will use hindsight and realize that they missed a golden age for first time home buyers. Anyone who sat on their "down payment savings account" for too long will kick themselves, realizing th...

If we look at November compared October of this year, closed sales are down 28.9%, which sounds HUGE, but if you look at the actual numbers, it's less dramatic: 1,108 closed sales in 2008 vs 1,268 in 2007. It's encouraging to know that homes ARE still selling, the key question for consumers is wh...