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The Benefits of a Virtual Tour

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
 Submitted by Aaron Levy
Virtual tours are considered to be a major advantage when listing and marketing a property on the internet. They can help sell a property rather quickly and easily by giving the home the maximum amount of exposure necessary. With a virtual tour, a property is available for viewing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week--ideal for buyers who live out of the area. A buyer can inspect and re-inspect properties at will without an agent at hand, which means less hassle for the agent and seller, and also less traffic coming through the house.
The virtual tour is a great tool for the buyer who doesn’t want to waste valuable time viewing every single property of interest. A real interest of an on-site inspection is developed with the virtual tour. This way, the buyer will be more informed when it comes down to making the decision of which properties he/she wishes to view. When it comes to making such a major purchase, it is always nice to explore a prospective new home in person, and having viewed the virtual tour will give you an advantage that others might not have.
In some rare situations, a buyer has even purchased a home without ever setting foot in it!
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Great homes, great schools, great sites, great opportunities!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Bruce Hecht:
I was working with some buyers this past weekend, they had some pretty specific goals in
mind for what they wanted in a home.  2400+ sq ft, 4+ bedrooms, OK sized backyard, newer construction, 3+ car garage, things like that.  It started to sound like there would be no chance to find them what they wanted.
 
But as we began our search and tours, another hidden, very important requirement floated to the top of the search requirements, the schools.  They have 3 kids that are in elementary school or will be starting in the near future.  We stopped searching for homes immediately and chose to focus on looking for schools first.
 
Great school sites can be found from our team website, these really narrowed the home area(s) that my buyers were willing to look in.  They drew the line at 7 out of 10.  This was the lowest score they were willing to accept for the elementary school that the home they would buy, feeds into.

With this information in hand we continued to search for two full days and found a beautiful NEW construction home in an outlying suburb of Portland Oregon.  The home has 2600 sq ft, with ALL of the nicest upgrades you could want - for $15,000 less than my buyers wanted to spend.  This new subdivision is also close to the Oregon beaches, by a nice lake where my buyers can take their kids to go fish and plenty of walking trails, and a really deluxe park that is in the sub division.
 
We are writing the offer up now.
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Escrow: Not so scary after all!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Tammy LeMaire
The world of escrow can be confusing and scary to the homebuyer, below are a few key facts about escrow;
 
1.) Escrow is a neutral third party
2.) Escrow is designed to work as a liaison between Seller, Buyer, Lender and Real estate agents.
3.) Escrow handles the legal documents which transfer ownership of the property.
Purchasing or selling a home often involves large sums of money and even larger amounts of paperwork.  The escrow officer is necessary to prepare these documents with close attention to detail for each party involved.  For more information about escrow please call The Rob Levy Team.
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Japanese Culture in Portland

Friday, April 13, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties

Submitted by Cathy Hill

Born in Japan near my mom's family and raised largely in Hawaii, I'm accustomed to a wonderful cultural mix in my community.  Here in Portland, I'm pleased to say I've found lots of Japanese culture - everything from memorable sushi to impressive landscape and furniture stores.  In particular, my mom and I have located our favorite sushi restaurant, Sinju.  Not only are the portions hearty, but the atmosphere is a nice blend of contemporary and traditional.  Sinju has locations in downtown's Pearl District, as well as the ever-growing shopping center, Bridgeport Village.  Mio Sushi is also a favorite, with locations from Hillsboro clear out to Northeast Portland.  Without question, Uwajimaya market is the culmination of all things Japanese; food, books, appliances, greeting cards, stationary, pharmaceutical products, and even dinnerware!  I make several visits each month, as the fresh fruits and vegetables are also seasonally updated.

Perhaps the most impressive display of Japanese culture in Portland is located in Forest Park, just west of downtown.  The Japanese Gardens, visited 1988 by His Excellency Nobuo Matsunaga, Ambassador from Japan to the United States, declared it as "the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan." The gardens are breathtaking, and change with the seasons.  There are a multitude of gardens, including a Flat Garden, Strolling Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Natural Garden, and sand and Stone Garden.  Guided tours are available year-round.  The Japanese Garden is a not-for-profit organization funded entirely by donations, membership, memorials, grants, and gate admissions.  If you're looking for Japanese culture in Portland, you won't be disappointed.  Call me at The Rob Levy Team - I recommend Uwajimaya and The Japanese Garden to all of my friends and clients who are looking for new and interesting things to do in Portland!

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Downsizing can be liberating!

Friday, April 13, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
 Submitted By Cathy Hill
While selling my house in Sherwood, I was searching for just the right condo in the West Portland area.  I looked in Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, and Beaverton.  I settled at The Courtyard at Progress Ridge, which is west of Hwy 217 and just south of Scholls Ferry Road.  In my community, there are townhouses (rowhomes), condos, single family homes, and even some apartments.  There is a 40 acre lot across the street where a new mixed-use retail/business complex will be constructed.  New Seasons Market, one of my favorite stores, has signed a lease with Gramor Development and will be open in late summer 2008.  I'll never leave home!
 
Leaving 2400 square feet for 1000 seemed daunting, and I must admit the adjustment took awhile.  I've found creative ways to use space, and great storage solutions at simple stores like Ikea, Home Depot, West Elm, Target, andLowe's.  For me, having less 'stuff' means I get to enjoy more of Portland whenever I want to - I am literally in and out, and I still have a garage, room to barbecue, and room to plant!  I would never have imagined how liberating it was going to be when I downsized, but I wouldn't trade the simplicity for yardwork, frozen pipes, gutter cleaning, and moles!  If you're considering condo living and want some insight into the options, please call us at The Rob Levy Team.  We sold 4 condos this past weekend alone!
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Portland’s Bustling Music Scene

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Aaron Levy - Resident Rocker!
Are you a musician who’s considering moving to Portland? No matter what kind of music you’re into, be it folk, funk, bluegrass, jazz, blues, indie-rock, metal or good old fashioned rock & roll, you can certainly find it all here! Portland is one of the most musically diverse cities on the West Coast whose musical community is prominent and comparable to the likes of Seattle, San Francisco, Memphis and New York City. This certainly isn’t a recent development; in fact, the Pacific Northwest has been on the map for more than four decades.
It all started with The Kingsmen--originally from Portland who then relocated to Tacoma, Washington--with their smash hit “Louie, Louie”. Their worldwide success spawned a flood of bands from all over the area, and to this day their influence can still be seen and heard. In recent years, Portland has produced many artists of significant impact on popular culture, including The Shins, The Dandy Warhols, Everclear, Pink Martini, and Elliot Smith.
Perhaps more notable is the overwhelming amount of band activity that exists in Portland today. With 10+ major music venues located within the metro area (and an even greater number of smaller, intimate venues, such as local café’s and bars), practically any band can find their audience.  Musicians will love moving to Portland - for relocation information on the music scene in Portland please email The Rob Levy Team!  If you want to see a great local band - check out my drumming skills with The Eegos, Reptilian Civilian, or The Super Destroyers (Willamette Week 2006 Show of the Year.)
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Rob Attends 2007 Prudential Real Estate National Convention.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Rob Levy
I just got back from the PREA convention in San Diego, California where I attended my 10th annual convention, every year since our company became a Prudential franchise.
 
This year was particuarly interesting as it was in San Diego, right in the middle of a real estate market which is dropping in price, vs Portland Oregon where our prices are appreciating and have every year since 1986.  Of course, our market hasnt had the up and down gyrations of the SoCal market, but we are now seeing a lot of our market fed by both people "cashing in the chips" in California and moving to Portland, and  also  investors looking here for a good and steady 5-8% expected appreciation - per a recent article in the Oregonian.
 
If you are thinking of moving here from California ( or anywhere else), contact us today at www.RobLevy.com and we can show you how your home can be both a great investment, and also a great place to live. I should know, after all I moved here from Los Angeles in 1984 to raise my family and have never looked back.
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Give the Gift of a Home Cooked Dinner for a Friend who is Moving!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Sandra Hanis

While waiting in West Linn for my home inspector to finish up ...my client and I happened to pass one of the "home-cooked meal assembly kitchens". My client said she had tried it and would recommend it but not with the glowing terms you would expect to hear if someone had just kindly stocked your freezer with tasty meals for a month.

Portland Metro has at least 10 different kitchens and though it is not cheap, it could be an option for today's busy families instead of takeout or worse, fast food. What a great gift for a friend who is moving...or even better - assemble meals for both of you. Purchasing or selling a home can be stressful and clients often say their eating and sleeping habits change during the months leading up to the transaction closing.  For friends moving or new neighbors - a home cooked meal may be just what they need to make them feel "at home."  It is important to check menu selections and products used to get the best choice and value for your needs, but certainly worth a try! Bon Appetit!

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SW Portland: Biking, Schools, Homes!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Bruce Hecht
I was working with a out of town buyers last weeknd, showing homes and condos all around town. This couple had done their homework and were really prepared, mainly from links from our website.
 
These folks could move to any city they wanted, they chose to move to  Portland, Oregon . As we drove around and looked at homes  they quickly honed in on the RaleighWood / Raleigh Park /Broadmoor/Montclair areas of SW Portland.  They liked the areas due to the Raleigh Park school, Raleigh Hills Schools.  They also liked the lower taxes of Washington County as well as its proximity to downtown Portland.  The style of homes, bigger square footage and large mature lots was also a big draw to them.
 
They were also drawn to the fact that the SW part of town had so many great bike lanes and bike paths.  These paths and trails could link them to many parts of town and easy access to the 100's of other great ways to get around Portland Oregon on a bike.  These websites have many links to great rides and maps.  
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Helping your Children Invest in Real Estate!

Monday, April 9, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties

Submitted by Sandy Morley

This past week I have been working with a client who is from out of state and would like to buy a property for his son while he attends a four year college in Portland.  The family decided that rather than pay rent with the possibility of having to move mid-semester that it would be a wise investment to purchase a property where the son could live and also rent out an additional room or two to fellow classmates. 

After home/condo hunting within a couple of miles from the school we found the perfect townhome for the son.  With no HOA or lawn to take care of the son will have little upkeep on the property.  As a student he will also have a built-in population for renters, but if all else fails - he can always use Craigslist, the online community that helps people around the world find housing and other goods/events.

The benefit of owning the property in an active and growing city such as Portland means that in four years when the son has graduated the townhome will have increased in value if the area trends remain the same.  At this time they family can choose to sell the property, continue to rent, or perhaps the son will not want to leave his new home and the great city of Portland.

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Displaying blog entries 231-240 of 301

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