How to Decide if You Should Remodel Your Mt Hood Home or Move

From birthdays and anniversaries to graduations and weddings, your home has seen many great days. But, you also may find yourself making repairs more often, and you could begin to get the feeling you need a change. This change can come by remodeling your Mt Hood home whether in Brightwood, Rhododendron, Welches or Government Camp or selling it. Before you make a decision, consider a few very important factors.

• What does remodel mean to you? — If your idea of a remodel is as simple as replacing flooring and adding fresh paint, that should be an easy fix. But if a complete demolition job is involved, you'll probably save yourself money and a lot of headaches by buying a new home.

• Factor in finances – Whether you plan to remodel your Mt Hood home or move, money is involved. Figure out if it financially makes more sense to make updates to your current home or move into a new already updated home. You'd be surprised how quickly renovation costs can add up, so keep that in mind. Expect the unexpected!

• Assess your neighborhood – Do you still recognize the area you once knew? Are your neighbors still "neighborly?" An important point to consider is whether or not the neighborhood still has value. You want to make sure it is well kept and safe. If not, selling could be the answer. You also don't want to price yourself out of the neighborhood. If updating your home would make it the highest valued home in the neighborhood, you'd be better off moving into a neighborhood where you can purchase one of the lowest valued homes.

• What about the children? Most times, when kids practically grow up in a home, many strong friendships are made. Think about how moving can affect your kids. Starting over in a new neighborhood and a new school can be life changing for children. In this case, remodeling your home could be the better option.

Bottom line, when trying to figure out if you should remodel you home on Mt. Hood or sell, take your time. You should exhaust every possibility to ensure you make the right choice for you and your family.

Remodel:
www.bobvila.com

Renovation costs:
www.trustyguides.com/home-renovation1.html

Moving can affect kids
www.tlcinst.org/Moving.html

Great Cabin on the Mt Hood National Forest.
Zig Zag River site. A lot of updates in the past 20 years!!! Cozy up by the fireplace in the winter. Sleeping area downstairs, Lotf and bedroom upstairs. Separate dining area. Metal roof. Located in Tract of Forest Service Cabins in Government Camp Oregon. Fully furnished. $179,900

Check out the full single property web site at
78419eroad35lot109.ePropertySites.com

Information to Have On Hand When Selling Your Real Estate on Mt Hood

Selling your property, whether it is a primary home or income property, is easier if you have the information your buyers are likely to want to know on hand.

Type up an info sheet answering the most commonly asked questions buyers have when looking at real estate for sale in Welches, Rhododendron, Brightwood and Government Camp.

Questions such as:

• How old is the roof?
• Has the roof ever leaked?
• Have you had a recent Appraisal?
• Have you had a home inspection in the last three years?• What improvements were done and when?
• What comes with the property? Window treatments? Do all of the appliances come with the property?
• How old are the appliances?• Is there water in the crawlspace?• Has the basement ever leaked?
• Where are the hot water heater, the electrical service panel, and other important maintenance items located? Are they easy to access?
• What kind of Heating System do you have and has it recently been serviced?
• Are the roads plowed in Winter?• What is the age and condition of the plumbing and wiring?
• Are there schools nearby?
• What is the average utility cost per month/year?
• Have you had any major problems in the past? Your normal seller's disclosure does not require you to list problems you had and have fixed. Some buyers would like to know what those problems were. It can give them an idea if they are likely to be a recurring problem (like flood damage) or if the fact that you already had the issue and fixed it they will not likely have to deal with that particular problem in the future.

Of course, you should always have the general information about your Mountain real estate available such as square footage of the building, property size, zoning and any restrictions or easements.

Having all of the information on hand will prove to potential buyers that you're serious, that you're prepared to be upfront with them about any issues your home may have, and that you've taken excellent care of your home

Thinking of selling your home? I specialize in selling homes in the Mt Hood Corridor between Sandy, Oregon and Government Camp, Oregon. Find out more by calling me today at 503-706-7101 or emailing me at blythe@servingmthood.com.

Income property:
www.investorwords.com/2405/income_property.html

Electrical service panel:
homerepair.about.com/od/electricalrepair/ss/anat_elec_pnl.htm

Seller's disclosure:
homebuying.about.com/od/homedisclosures/qt/Req2Disclose.htm

You Don't Need Paint to Make Your Mt Hood Home Green

The environment is a major news issue and everyone is thinking green. Sometimes it seems difficult to go green in your everyday life, but just a few simple steps can move you down the path to a green home in Brightwood, Sandy, Rhododendron, Government Camp or Welches. You won't even have to break a sweat or crack open a can of paint.

In the Laundry Room pick machines for your Mt Hood home that have an Energy Star rating for peak performance to conserve water and electricity. According to Planet Green, an Energy Star washer saves enough water over the machine's life to provide drinking water for six people for a LIFETIME. It will also save you hundreds of dollars in utility bills over an average 11 year machine lifespan. Use natural drying when possible. Hang clothes on a clothesline in the sun on nice days.Use green products to wash your clothes. Laundry soaps that contain phosphates are dangerous to the environment. Look for products made from bio-degradable phosphate free materials.

At the Store buy your cleaning supplies and cleaning detergents as concentrates so you get more in each bottle. The fewer bottles you buy throughout the year the less ends up in a landfill.Buy florescent bulbs instead of incandescent and carry your purchases home in reusable shopping bags.

Eat Green Right from Your Backyard You can make your home in Brightwood, Sandy, Rhododendron, or Welches your very own grocery store. Check out the Great New Welches Home if you are looking for a site for a Garden in the Links below. It doesn't take a huge space to grow a garden big enough to feed an average family each year. You will harvest fresh vegetables you know are free of pesticides and herbicides that are bad for the environment and your health.If you'd like more tips on going green, subscribe to my blog. Each week you'll get free tips like this one sent to your email inbox. It only takes a few seconds to subscribe now.

Great Welches Home with Sunny Site for a Garden:
68303etwinberryloop.epropertysites.com/

Energy Star:
www.energystar.gov/

Planet Green:
planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-index/index.html

Grow a garden:
www.backyardgardener.com/veg/

Tips for First Time Home Buyers in the Mt Hood Corridor

Are you considering buying your first home? I'm sure you already know that now's an amazing time to buy your first home. You have the perfect combination of low interest rates, lower home prices and President Obama's stimulus plan which gives you additional incentive to buy now.

To help make your first time home buying experience the best it can be, here are some tips:

1. Know What You Can AffordIt is easy to get carried away with what you want versus what you can actually afford. Start with reasonable expectations.
2. Decide Exactly What You NeedConsider your current family status and what your immediate future might hold, then decide on the number of bedrooms you require and the amenities you feel you can't do without. If you love to cook, a well-equipped and spacious kitchen will be important. If you eat out 90% of the time, it is wasted space.
3. Make Good Use of the InternetIf you're like millions of other Americans, you spend a lot of time online. Make use of the many available free programs and calculators to give you a better idea of what you can afford and what your mortgage payments will be. There are mortgage calculators that give you an instant idea of what each home you find will cost you monthly.
4. Don't Hesitate to Ask QuestionsCall around to get insurance quotes so that you have a reasonable estimation of what to add to the total cost of your monthly mortgage. Check the information on Mt Hood Corridor towns, like Welches, Brightwood, Rhododendron or Government Camp to find home properties you are interested in & find out what the taxes are, utilities have run, what water system/or well the home is on and what the sewage disposal system is just to name a few questions to find out. Add that amount to your total monthly mortgage cost too. The Taxes will be going up in the area of the Oregon Trail School System. A great new High School was voted in November 2008!!

Buying your first Mt Hood home should be the thrill of a lifetime and with proper planning it can be. If you'd like to work with a real estate agent who specializes in helping first time home buyers get their dream home at the best price, call me today at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com .

Stimulus Plan:
www.premiercapitalmortgage.com/2009_Stimulus_Plan

Mortgage calculators: Link to the mortgage calculator on your website. If you don't have one, link here:
www.mortgage-calc.com/

total cost of your monthly mortgage:
www.loanpage.com/morpay.htm

Barriers to Selling a Home Here On Mt Hood

The Biggest Barriers to Selling Your Home
Often they are those you create yourself by wanting a quick sale or not learning all there is to know about presenting your house to its best advantage. When you first begin to think about selling your home it seems easy. Put a sign on the lawn and list it. Once the shine wears off of the desire to do it all yourself, you might need some tips to help sell your home:

Clean It Up
That's the first and foremost advice. Nothing deters a real estate sale faster than a messy house. Living in your home while trying to sell it makes it difficult to keep it clean, but if you're serious about wanting to sell your home, it's worth the extra effort. You may want to learn how to clean your home fast for those times when a buyer calls and wants to see your home in 15 minutes or less.

Take Good Pictures
Where do you think people search first for homes for sale? Online. Newspapers used to be the first place people looked for homes. But now, approximately 80% of all home buyers look online before searching anywhere else. Due to cost and space limitations, newspapers usually display only one photo of the front view of the home. On the internet, where space is abundant, buyers expect to see lots of exterior and interior pictures, in fact, the more the better. If you aren't experienced at getting good room photos that show off your Mt Hood home to its best advantage, hire a photographer or a real estate agent who can do it for you.

Looking to Streamline the Selling Process
There are pitfalls you can get tripped up on when selling your home here on Mt Hood. If you'd like to work with a real estate agent who can help you maneuver around those pitfalls, give me a call today at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com.


Tips to help sell your home: www.statefarm.com/learning/life_stages/learning_lifestages_sellinghome.asp

How to clean your home fast:
www.ehow.com/how_2312344_clean-house-faster.html

Room pictures:
www.ehow.com/how_4516889_take-photos-house-sale.html