Living Beaverton - Your guide to everything Beaverton

Well, I've lived in Oregon my whole life and it is true, if you head down to Swan Island, you aren't going to see any swans, and you won't be on an island. I do suggest if you want to see some swans there are some great places in the Milwaukie area that have some.

But, back to the island that isn't an island. You see in Swan Island used to be an island until the 20s when they filled in the space between the island and the neighborhood to make them connect. I'm guessing that was so they wouldn't have to build a massive expensive bridge.

You see, Swan Island was where the original Portland Airport was located and sometime during the 20s it was dedicated by Charles Lindbergh. It was later converted to a naval shipyard during World War II. Even today, if you head down to the Northwest end of the island, you can still see Naval ships on the docks being repaired from time to time. Most of Swan Island is now industrial, but the Navy still does have an outpost there.

As for how it got its name? I can't find anyone who seems to know and even the historical society wasn't exactly sure. But they are guessing at one time swans may have actually been a regular sighting off the island before the airport was there.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

I love Oregon, I have lived here all but two years of my life and I'm not sure college really counts since my laundry was still coming home on the weekends. But, how could Tigard or Beaverton not make the top 100 of best places to live?

Both are absolutely beautiful. There are parks, bike paths, and shopping. We have everything thing here you could possibly want. Is it because we are too close to Portland? Have we gotten Portland's bad rap, because when someone asks where we are from we answer "Just outside Portland"?

Portland has high taxes, homelessness, and government policies that I would think even a five year should know are stupid and take away from the livability of the city. Raising taxes on businesses and then not protecting them from protestors and then when they leave you complain that you have less money for schools? Protesters and the homeless generally don't pay taxes, so helping them to make your city a better place isn't the smartest corner to stand in during a fight.

Schools in Beaverton and Oregon are some of the best in the country and even their sports programs are second to none as far as I'm concerned. (I seemed to have turned out all right.) Do I still have an issue with schools and their political views and what they are teaching our children? You bet I do, but that is why I home school. But, if your kids do have to go to public school, then there are no better schools. (My brother is a teacher in Tigard, so I may be biased.)

So, please, to you out there that are looking at the best cities to live in around the United States, please don't include us as part of Portland. We don't. Maybe you can reconsider Beaverton or Tigard and if you need to have someone show you around and show you why we should be in the Top 100, give me a call, I would love to take around our beautiful cities here in Washington County.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Making the easy choice isn't always the best choice

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739
Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.com
www.IFoundYourNewHome.com

"Making the easy choice isn't always the best choice" Image is property of Todd Clark and is not to be used for any use without permission from Todd Clark or Samantha who is feeling sue happy right now - 2008

I wake up in the morning, check my mail and what do I see? "Another Google Alert for "Todd Clark - Realtor" in my inbox. I click on the link and I see that the Santa Cruz Sentinel quoted a post that I did awhile back on how to sell an investment property with a renter and what options you may have if the renter may slow the sale.

Here is a link to my post and also a link to the article by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Selling a residential home with a uncooperative tenant - An easy solution  - By Todd Clark

Some renters throwing up roadblocks to home sales - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Thank you once again Activerain for getting me publicity and more business. Since this article came out on December 13^th, I've gotten 4 calls about listing properties with renters.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Today is Friday, December 26, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington County, Oregon market. This week the stats came out for September 2008 versus September 2007 and the numbers are pretty amazing. With the average drop in home pending sales in Washington County since this time last years is 30.95% and now we are starting to feel the pinch of short sales and foreclosures hitting the market. It has caused the average home sold price to drop 4.05% since in the last month. This is an interesting situation, because for the first time we are seeing prices start to fall, but I’m interested in seeing the next couple months as I have started to see a little more buyer activity this month versus last month. I look forward to reporting this falls sales at the end of November and hopefully I will have some good news.

So, if you have a family home that you are thinking about selling, this is a great time to get it on the market!

Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by neighborhood. Just click on the link to your neighborhood for the complete breakdown of what the average of homes that are on the market, how long they have been on the market, how many have sold, what their average price was, and how long they were on the market.

As always, if you are looking to buy or sell in the Washington County, Oregon area, I would love to show you how you can save the most money by being on your side during the negotiations.

Neighborhood # of Active Listings

Aloha Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	150
Bull Mountain North Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	75
Bull Mountain South Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	115
Cooper Mountain Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	107
Greenburg Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	53
Greenway Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	25
Hart Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	81
Highland Hills Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	56
Lexington Neighborhood, Aloha, Oregon :	36
Mountainview Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	101
Murray Hill Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	93
Sexton Mountain Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	105
Sorrento Ridge Neighborhood, Beaverton, Oregon :	63
Summer Lake Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	42
Summerfield Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	34
Tigard Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	23
Walnut Grove Neighborhood, Tigard, Oregon :	26

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Now, let me say this before you get to mad. I've done many pre-written price reductions, especially when it comes to short sales. But, where do the actions of the agent and having a pre-written price reduction cross over in to an ethics violation?

Today, I have to say I think one agent I have been trying to work with took the pre-written price reduction and posted it despite his clients' best interest. Why do I say this, especially when it really does benefit my buyer that is interested in this property?

You see, today I noticed on the MLS that the house (Business) has had a price reduction of almost $30,000. When I called the agent about it, he said that they had a pre-written price reduction on the property for today and another one in 21 days.

WHAT? Did you just tell me that? I'm thinking I should have my clients wait another 21 days now knowing it will lower another $30,000. But, didn't this agent do another ethics violation by even doing a price reduction when they know we have an offer written on a non short sale property that is pending the financials of the foster facility?

My clients have said they would go as long as the financials (that the agent has said, everyday, that he will send over when he gets back to the office... and then, everyday, it doesn't show up in my inbox) come back equal to what was said. If the clients tax forms match the verbal of what the business makes my clients were and are prepared to write a full price offer on the property.

We already have the offer written, pending getting the paperwork, and have even forwarded it to the other agent. Yet, we have never heard back from him or his client and then we see a price reduction? At what point does it become an ethics violation? I think the moment the offer wasn't presented to the client or was it the moment the agent didn't produce the taxes that he already had in hand?

UPDATE: Late last night we withdrew our offer pending the price reduction that the other agent told us was coming and receiving the paperwork from the seller.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

If you don't have to go out and try to sell homes, snow can be a lot of fun. Since today is Christmas Eve, I certainly don't plan to go out and sell homes! So, today the family had some fun in our very unusual weather. We did what we call Snow Art!

Snow Art is created by taking empty spray bottles and filling them with water and food coloring and making different colors of water and then spraying the snow making art! You and your kids can draw anything you want in the snow and the only thing stopping you is your imagination.

Despite the humor that I saw in the picture above, my son really wasn't doing what it looks like he was doing above. (He has the spray bottle in his hands.)

Here is some of the artwork from today. Now go out and create your own and please come back and share your artwork with us.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

For the past couple weeks I've been reading in the rain how bad these banks have it and how 50% of all the loan modifications they did in 2007 are now in default again. Oh, the poor me syndrome, "Please help us, throw us money, this is why we shouldn't have to do loan modifications, congress."

Well, let me be the optimist here and go the other way and help congress with some math that may have been missed in this equation.

Let's say that there were only 1 million loan modifications in 2007. (I know this is low, but I wanted to keep the math simple.)

Since most of these loan modifications were done in the first 5 years of the loan that means 90% of the money paid each month was interest. (We are going to go with an average monthly payment of $2,000 per month.)

So, out of that $2,000, the bank receives $1,800 in interest and $200 toward principle. (I would love to have a rental property that made me $1,600 a month.)

Now, let us assume it took a year before this 50% started defaulting again. That means after 1 year, on those one million loan modifications, they made $1.8 billion in profit from those million loan modifications and continue to make $900 million annually from the ones that are still paying.

Now, what would have happened if they had foreclosed on all these properties and had to sell them at auction where they get only $.60 on the dollar? At an average home price of $250,000 and selling at $150,000 at auction, they would have a net loss of 100,000,000,000 billion dollars.

Wow, so if we take all those loans and modify them, rather than foreclose on them, does that mean we wouldn't have to be putting these homes on the market at a discounted rate, making property values go down?

Yep, that is what I'm saying congress. Who cares if 50% still go in to default, let them sell it on a short sale and let the banks be happy with the extra $900 million they made during that year the clients were paying.

So, let us multiply that by 10 and, guess what congress, you don't have to give these banks a dime and their money problems are fixed and they can start lending again.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

We found it! The perfect home for my buyers. It wasn't a long process, but long enough for them. It was actually only about three weeks from getting pre-approved to finding what they thought was their dream home. But, they really did want it yesterday.

So, off we go to see four homes and the forth one seems to be it. They tell me, "WE WANT TO PUT AN OFFER IN ON THIS ONE!" Great! Let's get the paperwork out and get the offer signed. I will call the other agent and see when I can meet with them and the seller to present. (Yes, I still try to personally present every offer.)

That is when the front door opens and the listing agent comes in and introduces themselves and says, "I saw you had shown my home and since I was in the neighborhood, I just thought I would stop off and show some of the stuff you may have missed and see how I can help." This, of course, went on for about 5 minutes. Now I'm trying to get my clients out the front door so we can write the offer at the office instead of there on the coffee table and then they could go home.

In the course of that 5 minutes, this agent had managed to talk my clients OUT of buying this home. Come on! You had the offer coming! If you had just stayed in your car and driven by.... Now, I have to go find them a new perfect home and you have to explain to your sellers why they didn't put in offer. By the way, I hope your clients enjoy the feedback form that I filled out and that states that they loved the home, but the last 5 minutes of the showing just turned them off to the home. (You can explain that was the time you showed up to help.)

So, please, if you are a listings agent and you have a buyer's agent showing the home, keep driving by and let the buyer's agent do their job and you do your job and answer any questions we may have WHEN WE CALL. If we don't call, we don't have any questions and don't need your assistance.

Would you have written the showing feedback form any differently?

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

When you bought your last home, how was it unlocking that door for the first time? For most of us it was when we were looking at the home as our own possible purchase. It was at the moment when we first popped our head in the door that we knew this was our home. It had what we were looking for, it had a feel that the others we had looked at just didn't have.

This home had the same layout, same yard size, same everything, but something was different. Was it that that bathroom door opened to the left instead of the right, was it the furniture layout, heck was it the large screen TV that just seemed to fit?

Last week I thought about this and remembered when I bought my home so I thought I would try something. I got the key out of the lockbox and handed it to the buyer, instead of unlocking the door myself as I have done so many times before.

You know what? They bought it, they bought that home, it was their dream home, it had the feel that they were looking for in a home. They didn't know what it was, it could have been the bathroom door, could have been the furniture layout, or even that big screen TV, but this was the home that they were looking for.

So, I'm going to stop unlocking my buyers dream home and hand them the keys, because maybe, just maybe I have unlocked the secret to helping buyers find the home that is perfect for them.



Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739