Blog - Carmel Siler and Tyler King

Information for Sellers

Should You Fix Your House Up or Sell Now?

With the fall season upon us, change is in the air. For many families, children are growing up and moving out of the house, maybe leaving for college or taking a jump into the working world. Parents are finding themselves as empty nesters for the first time. The question inevitably arises: is it […]
First-Time Homebuyers, Information for Buyers

3 Powerful Reasons to Buy a Home Now

Whether you are a first-time buyer or looking to move up to the home of your dreams, now is a great time to purchase a home. Here are three major reasons to buy today. 1. Affordability Many people focus solely on price when talking about home affordability. Since home prices have appreciated throughout the past […]
Information for Buyers, Information for Investors, Information for Sellers

Experts Predict a Strong Housing Market for the Rest of 2019

We’re in the back half of the year, and with a decline in interest rates as well as home price and wage appreciation, many are wondering what the predictions are for the remainder of 2019. Here’s what some of the experts have to say: Ralph McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Economist for CoreLogic “We see the cooldown […]
Information for Buyers, Information for Investors, Information for Sellers

Why All the Chicken Littles Should Calm Down

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released their 2019 Q2 Homeownership Report. Some began to see the sky falling, believing the report showed Americans may be stepping back from their belief in homeownership. The national homeownership rate (Americans who owned vs. rented their primary residence) increased significantly during the housing boom, reaching its peak of 69.2% […]

Information for Sellers Should You Fix Your House Up or Sell Now? With the fall season upon us, change is in the air. For many families, children are growing up and moving out of the house, maybe leaving for college or taking a jump into the working world. Parents are finding themselves as empty nesters for the first time. The question inevitably arises: is it […]

First-Time Homebuyers 3 Powerful Reasons to Buy a Home Now Whether you are a first-time buyer or looking to move up to the home of your dreams, now is a great time to purchase a home. Here are three major reasons to buy today. 1. Affordability Many people focus solely on price when talking about home affordability. Since home prices have appreciated throughout the past […]

Information for Buyers Experts Predict a Strong Housing Market for the Rest of 2019 We’re in the back half of the year, and with a decline in interest rates as well as home price and wage appreciation, many are wondering what the predictions are for the remainder of 2019. Here’s what some of the experts have to say: Ralph McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Economist for CoreLogic “We see the cooldown […]

Information for Buyers Why All the Chicken Littles Should Calm Down The U.S. Census Bureau recently released their 2019 Q2 Homeownership Report. Some began to see the sky falling, believing the report showed Americans may be stepping back from their belief in homeownership. The national homeownership rate (Americans who owned vs. rented their primary residence) increased significantly during the housing boom, reaching its peak of 69.2% […]

Information for Sellers Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Sell Your House As a homeowner, it’s always tempting to dream about the next big project you’re going to tackle. The possibilities are endless. Should I renovate? Should I refinance? Should I stay? Should I move? The list goes on and on. In today’s housing market, it’s actually a great time to shift your thoughts toward selling your […]

Information for Buyers Should I Refinance My Home? With the recent lower interest rates, many homeowners are wondering if they should refinance. To decide if refinancing is the best option for your family, start by asking yourself these questions: Why do you want to refinance? There are many reasons to refinance, but here are three of the most common ones: Lower your interest […]

Information for Buyers Get Your Mod On! Everyone loves a mid-century modern home. One could even say it is one of the more desirable architectural styles in Portland. Just the word “Rummer” makes well-to-do Portland folks start to quiver with excitement. Sleek lines, abundant light, non-traditional materials – gosh, just writing about it makes me a little hot under the collar. […]

Information for Sellers What a Difference a Year Makes for Sellers Over the last few years, many sellers have been hesitant to put their houses on the market because they feared not being able to find another home to buy. We’ve reported on inventory shortages in the past, and it’s been a constant concern for potential buyers throughout recent years. New research shows the inventory concern […]

Information for Investors Do You Even Highest and Best Use, Bro? When I first begin an analysis on a property’s market value, step one is to determine “Highest and Best Use”. Without doing this first critical step, an agent’s opinion of value could be way off the mark. Highest and Best use is defined as: The reasonably probable and legal use of vacant land or an […]

First-Time Homebuyers Is Your First Home Now Within Your Grasp? Some Highlights: According to the US Census Bureau, “millennials” are defined as 18-36-year-olds. According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, the median age of all first-time home buyers is 32. More and more “old millennials” (25-36) are realizing that homeownership is within their grasp now!

Information for Buyers What to Consider When Choosing Your Home To Retire In As more and more baby boomers enter retirement age, the question of whether they should sell their homes and move has become a hot topic. In today’s housing market climate, with low available inventory in the starter and trade-up home categories, it makes sense to evaluate your home’s ability to adapt to your needs […]

Information for Buyers Location Location Location! Location is the driving force for value in real estate. I always tell the joke that I failed the final exam in Realtor School because I answered “Location Location.” Feel free to groan. The same sticks and bricks of a house can be worth a million dollars in one location and be worth pennies in […]

Information for Buyers What is happening at Grant High School? Grant High School has become THE school district on the east side. I have many buyers that will only look in this school district. I can’t say I can blame them. The school is closing in on a 300,000 square foot renovation and expansion that will completely modernize the school upon completion this fall. So […]

Information for Buyers Let me introduce you to Brooklyn! Fuggetaboutit! Brooklyn is a great close-in Portland neighborhood and is often overlooked by buyers. I am speaking anecdotally here, but it is not uncommon for me to meet with a new buyer and they will insist we only look in Eastmoreland, or only look in Laurelhurst, or Ladd’s Addition, or Irvington. Rarely has any buyer […]

Information for Buyers Feeling the Pinch in Milwaukie Are you a buyer looking for a home in Milwaukie/Oak Grove for under $400,000? Are you feeling frustrated that homes are selling above the asking price with multiple offers? Well, you are not alone! The Milwaukie/Oak Grove market for starter homes is currently very much skewed in favor of sellers and buyers are having the […]

Information for Sellers Top Tips For Staging Your Home A recent survey from the National Association of Realtors® revealed that 77 percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home makes it easier for potential buyers to visual it as their own. That’s why here at Breakthrough Broker, we believe staging is not to be overlooked! Here are our top tips. Dress up your yard. […]

Information for Investors Is Rent Control on the Horizon? After the election in November it has become clear that the state-wide ban on rent control will likely be overturned in Oregon. For landlords, just the words “rent control” strikes fear through their hearts. In Portland, rents are finally leveling-off and the real estate market is generally cooling. Adding rent control measures will likely add […]

Information for Buyers The Power of Leverage Most real estate transactions are leveraged. In other words, the purchaser is using a combination of their own cash with the balance coming from a bank in the form of a mortgage. It is often overlooked how important leverage is and why it is such a critical tool to build wealth. Your dream home may […]

Uncategorized 5 Negotiating Tactics That Kill a Sale Negotiation is a subtle art in real estate, but skilled negotiators can usually find some common ground that satisfies all parties. On the other hand, using the wrong negotiation tactics can sink a deal pretty quickly. Here are some negotiation tactics buyers (and real estate professionals) should avoid: Lowball offers: Going far below market value […]

Information for Buyers September 2018 RMLS Market Action The latest Market Action report from RMLS not only showed a continuing pattern of inventory expanding, but an acceleration of it. At 3.1 months, inventory in Portland-Metro went over the 3-month mark for the first time since 2015. This was a 34 percent jump from the previous month. Some of this inventory expansion is seasonal […]