About Us
Tony and Libby Kelly, MBA, M.Ed. are ranked in the top 1% of REALTORS in Portland Metro. They have been featured on HGTV's "House Hunters" 3 Episodes & "My House is Worth What?" 4 Episodes.
10 Tips To Prepare Your Home to List
If you want to get top dollar for your home, there are some basic things you can do as a home owner to get your house ready to list. Here are ten tips:
1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home. Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and picture yourself handing over the keys to the new owners. Say goodbye to every room.
2. De-Personalize. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted.
3. De-Clutter! People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Remove all books from bookcases. Pack up those knickknacks. Clean off everything on kitchen counters. Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
4. Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets. Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out!
5. Rent a Storage Unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture.
6. Remove/Replace Favorite Items. If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. Once you tell a buyer she can’t have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.
7. Make Minor Repairs. Replace cracked floor or counter tiles. Patch holes in walls. Fix leaky faucets. Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
8. Make the House Sparkle! Clean everything inside and out. Pay attention to the little details and make sure your house doesn’t have funky odors or smells.
9. Scrutinize. Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Tune in to the room’s statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz? Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished.
10. Check Curb Appeal. If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of your home, you’ll never get her inside. Keep the sidewalks cleared. Mow the lawn. Paint faded window trim. Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive. Trim your bushes. Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
The Green Way to Deal
Portland Going Green and Away from Asbestos
When buying or selling a home, consumers frequently relay questions to their agents. Many old homes may need repairs or renovations, especially in locations that are susceptible to natural disasters. Many things may go unnoticed, such as obsolete forms of construction that can be a cause for concern. Having the assistance of an honest and reliable Portland real estate agent can make all the difference.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was utilized in millions of building and construction applications throughout the 20th century. This substance may still appear in roof shingles, insulation, piping and flooring in homes built before 1980. This should not make you jump out of your chair because exposure to asbestos is easily avoidable by taking simple precautions. There are many green, eco-friendly materials that replace the need for asbestos and can reduce energy costs annually.
Recently, congress passed an economic stimulus package that promotes energy efficiency for home and business owners. The American Recover and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 includes incentives for upgrading to more eco-friendly/sustainable methods of energy and insulation. The move to a greener lifestyle will build on the change to healthier methods of building products, home remodeling and renovation.
A rare, but severe form of asbestos lung cancer known as mesothelioma is caused solely from exposure to asbestos. The risks involved with asbestos were hidden from public or worker knowledge for financial gains by manufacturers. The negligence involved with most asbestos-related incidents has lead to mesothelioma lawyer firms providing assistance in advocating and protecting victims’ rights for their wrongful illness.
If any suspected asbestos is in good shape, it’s posing no apparent risk. If it’s in bad shape, it could be a problem. If a home inspector suggests removal is necessary, it must be performed by a licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials. They can perform the removal in public facilities, homes and work places.
Sustainability and energy guide many aspects of life in Portland. The Oregon Environmental Council protects what many citizens of Oregon want to keep: clean air, water, no pollution and healthy food. Their goal is to help individuals move to greener living, help business adapt to these new models and assist political officials in creating clear policy. Moving to a green eco-friendly paradigm has become an important part of Oregon’s Real Estate market. Insuring buildings, homes and apartments are up to date is vital to the success of companies and their investments.
Building green with proper insulation will save you on bills. Rather than expensive and mal-treated wood, interior walls can be made from steel and concrete, avoiding many of the problems associated with asbestos and other insulation methods. There are now many green alternatives to asbestos insulation. Many are unaware to the fact that utilizing eco-sustainable products such as cotton fiber and lcynene foam can cut annual energy costs by 25 percent.
Cotton fiber is made from recycled batted material and treated to be flame resistant. With the implementation of these recycled materials, waste is also decreasing in landfills. These options will provide a safe and healthy home, free of any damaging materials.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com
New Tools For Home Buyers
First, we have an iPhone application that has been created by Zillow.com that allows you to look up a listing while you are out and about. A lot of home searching is done on the move, driving around neighborhoods you are interested in. This way you can find out the price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the square footage without having to go home and log on your computer. This app uses GPS so the map can follow you.
InvestorLoft.com is a website with a new tool called PropScout that can help out those who are looking for the investment. There are those buyers out there who do not care what the house looks like, only what the house could be worth. Included are search filters that can find the biggest discrepancies between the listing price and the estimated value. They can also be ranked by amount of profit or percentage of profit.
Trulia.com has a new filter that enables consumers to search listings for price reductions. You can also look up the number of times the price has dropped, when it dropped, by how much and the percentage of the reduction. This way you can gage how desperate the seller is or if they are due for another price reduction.
Some say the future of real estate marketing is in video. Which is why YouTube and Coldwell Banker has started a channel where you can watch agents talk about real estate in their specific areas. It will even feature video listings which can offer greater detail of a home before you even head out to see it in person.
Finally we have Cyberhomes.com for a market report. This service costs $9.95 and offers projections for specific neighborhoods and includes 12- and 24-month price-change forecasts. It also reports the number of distressed, foreclosure and REO properties within a ZIP code and then compares that to the rest of the metro area and the state. You can also find the strength of your market and the predicted volume of sales in the next year.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/real_estate/0906/gallery.New_homebuying_tools/
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE http//:www.TonyandLibby.com
Lighting and Staging
Highlight Your Home with Lighting
When preparing your home for the real estate market, few things are as important as a good first impression. Anyone who has sold a home in the past will tell you that few methods are as effective as home staging. Home staging is the act of presenting your home in the most appealing way possible. While there are many ways to take advantage of home staging, one of the quickest and easiest ways is through the use of home lighting.
Even the most beautiful home may come across as mundane without the proper lighting. You want to create an inviting atmosphere for prospective buyers. The trick is to avoid relying on a single lighting source. If you combine both overhead lighting with accent lights, then you avoid the risk of your lighting becoming too harsh or too dim. Multiple lighting sources will help you achieve that warming glow you desire to help create the perfect ambience.
When lighting your home for potential buyers, you should also utilize the help of Mother Nature by incorporating as much natural light as possible. Sunlight is an instant mood lifter, so leave the curtains open and make sure your windows are clean. Sadly you canít always rely on the sun to help you showcase your home, but it is important to make the most of it when you can.
While the inside of your home is very important, you canít forget the outside as well. Use flood lights to shine a spotlight on your home and make it pop against the night sky. Not only will this help your home look more striking, but it will also make it easier to find at night. Sometimes address numbers can be hard to spot, especially at night. By illuminating your home once the sun goes down, you can assure that prospective buyers can find your home with little effort.
By utilizing simple home staging tips, you can easily get a leg up on the housing market. By sprucing up your home for buyers, you can be sure that you make a great first impression every time. Take a look at your home lighting scheme before your next open house. With a few simple tricks, you be able to make your home shine brighter than the competition.
Cappuccino of the Week
Last week your “Best Cappuccino” chasing Portland Realtor was preparing one of our new Pearl District listings (1410 NW Kearney St., Unit 910, THE EDGE LOFTS) and decided to stop by Stumptown Coffee Roasters on SW 3rd. Okay, it isn’t in the Pearl District, but I figured any excuse to have coffee at Stumptown is worth taking.
Now on to the coffee: Awesome presentation. The style appears to be cappuccino chiaro (white cappuccino, also known as a wet cappuccino). The foam wasn’t nearly as creamy as Costellos. But upon breaking thru the top layer your palette is pleasantly welcomed by a very honest and intense espresso flavor. You feel as though you mouth is bathing in a coffee bean puree, and it feels good! Okay, this review sounds really flowering I know. But I think I have found a tie for Costello’s cappuccino.
The Best Cappuccino in Portland?
I recently met a client for coffee at Costello’s Travel Caffe on 2222 NE Broadway. Even though I’ve dined at the Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant directly across the street many times, I’ve never ventured into this very cool caffe. My client said I was going to have the best cappuccino in Portland and proceeded to order for me. Note, I love coffee, espresso, and mocha with three shots, but I’ve never been a fan of cappuccinos. I’ve always found them to mild and lacking of flavor. But as the barista was putting the final touches on our drinks, I was quite intrigued. As you can see in the picture, each cup is handcrafted. It was so pretty that I had to take a picture. Verdict? One: is that I LOVE cappuccino made by a true barista. Two: this may be the best in Portland. Three: Now I’m on a quest for the best cappuccino in Portland! So if you have suggestions please feel free to share.
Here is some info I grabbed from their website, www.costellostravelcaffe.com
Owned and operated by the Costello family, Costello’s Travel Caffé is warm, inviting, and full of character. With a vibrant, old-world atmosphere, it’s not suprising that Costello’s has become a neighborhood favorite and a destination within the Portland area. While the unique environment is quite distinctive, it’s the great food and attentive service that have earned the loyalty of Costello’s customers.
A visit to Costello’s Travel Caffé can be reminiscent of a colorful European café. The theme of world travel is represented throughout the decor, most notably a pair of wood-framed flat screens. These screens artfully display filmed views from select cities and destinations around the world. Each scene was filmed and edited by owners Dave Costello and his son Chris. Beginning in 2000, Dave and Chris have traveled to numerous countries, armed with a camera and tripod, to film these views for Costello’s. The archive of footage now includes over 20 countries and growing. A typical visit to Costello’s could entail scenes from places like Budapest, Beijing, and Barcelona. The views are often accompanied by their natural sounds and international music, adding to the overall ambiance and realism.
In keeping with a passion of travel, Costello’s hosts weekly foreign conversation nights, foreign films, and international soccer. From the Soccer World Cup to the Tour de France, Costello’s has been a fixture for devoted fans to enjoy sporting events from each corner of the globe. Live music is played on Thursday and Friday night from 8-10pm, ranging from toe-tappin’ Gypsy jazz to Brazilian bossa nova. Foreign Film Night, Wednesday at 8pm, has been a longtime favorite as customers crowd the café to see some of the world’s best films.
Portland Ranks 3rd for Least Wasteful City in the U.S.!
From Rain Barrels and Recycling to Walking and Buying Second-Hand Clothes,
“The Nalgene Least Wasteful City Study” Puts Top 25 Metros Under Scrutiny for Wasteful Behavior
Here in Portland we pride ourselves for leading the pack when it comes to respecting and protecting our environment. Now it looks like our efforts have been effective according to a new study that focused on on wasteful behavior in our nation’s cities. “The Nalgene Least Wasteful City Study” ranked 23 waste-focused habits of urban Americans, from recycling, to using public transportation, to shutting off the lights when leaving the room. When the results were tallied, San Francisco earned the title of America’s Least Wasteful City, while Atlanta ranked last in the study. Other cities at the top of the least wasteful list are New York (2), Portland, OR (3) and Seattle (4). In addition to Atlanta, Dallas (24), Indianapolis (23), Houston (22) and St. Louis (21) were in the bottom five of those surveyed. Individuals can visit www.leastwastefulcities.com for complete rankings or to the take the survey themselves.
The Tony and Libby Kelly Group is also making an effort to be less wasteful. Soon we will be using Eco-Flyers to curb the use of paper and ink, as well as lessen the amount of garbage generated. We have also gone paperless in our listing and marketing presentations (we love our MacBook Pro) and transaction management.
Historic Interest Rates & National Portland Exposure
This is a great story about how a bank passed on some of the federal bank bailout money to clients in the form of lower interest rates for home purchases. The Great Northwest Home Rush was sponsored by Community Financial Corp. and Banner Bank. The homes included, in what turned out to be one the biggest home shows in the area, were offered a 30 year fixed interest rate of 3.875% by Banner. The show ran for most of March. Half of this National CBS story was filmed in Portland.
Check It Out!
Last week I had the pleasure of finally trying one of the best restaurants in Portland. This tiny place on East Burnside takes reservation, which I highly recommend because I had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. It worked out because they take down your phone number and call you when they are ready so I got a beer nearby. I also ended up getting to sit at the counter and watch the food being prepared which is a treat in itself.
To begin with my boyfriend ordered the pork belly appetizer which normally would have been me, and should have been but I was really curious about the sweetbreads. Both were great but the pork belly was AWESOME. The sweetbreads seemed to be deep fried and came with cooked grapes, bacon and truffle shavings. The pork belly had a bbq flavored crispy crust with a middle that completely melted in your mouth. (He won that round but the meal is not over)
For the main event I took the very wise advise of the waitress and ordered the rabbit. My boyfriend ordered the beef cheek. Knives come with the rest of the silverware but we did not need them for a single dish because everything literally cuts like butter. The beef cheek was cooked to perfection and had some sort of wine reduction sauce that was really good but a little too strong for our taste. The rabbit was so tender and seasoned perfectly with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic (I asked) and sat on top of potatoes, cheese, peas and some other great things. I love anything that feels like gourmet comfort food.
At this point we are way too stuffed to even think about dessert and I don’t normally get one anyway (I’m more of a carb person). But we saw the dessert special on the board on the way in and I am a sucker for the sweet and savory combination. So we decided to ask the very wise waitress whether is was a “must have” and it turned out that it was. Apparently the chef is not much of a dessert person either and shares my love of the sweet with savory. So I am just going to tell you what we had and let you know that it was truly as good as it sounds. We finished our meal with an apricot and honey cornbread with pieces of bacon in it. It was topped with maple ice cream, maple syrup and more pieces of bacon. I plan on going back there as soon as I possible can. (Reviewed by Wendy Webster)
Real Time Portland Metro Real Estate News
The PORTLAND market is currently quite strongly in the Buyer’s Market zone (below 30). The 90-day Market Action Index stands at 16. With several months of inventory available at the current sales rate, buyers should find ample choice. The Market Action Index has been trending lower for several weeks while prices have remained relatively stable. If inventory continues to grow relative to demand however, it is likely that we will see downward pressure on pricing.
Recent Blog Posts
May is National Moving Month
Friday, May 4th, 2012
May marks the official beginning of the moving season, and is known as "National Moving Month". 10 Tips To Prepare Your Home to List
Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
Ten tips to prepare your home to list. Agency Info
Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere
17700 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd
Portland, OR 97224