Archive for November, 2011

From Cedar Mill News

If you’d rather not fight the crowds at the malls or big-box stores this weekend, stop by Leedy Grange Hall, 835 NW Saltzman (the building with the mural!) for a great selection of gift items from local artists, crafters and entrepeneurs. We open up on Friday 3-8 pm — and there will be some special opening-night treats! “Just Us Flute & Guitar” duo will entertain from 4:30-6:30 with a selection of Celtic and Classical music, plus some favorite holiday tunes, too! And Mireille Nett, of Couleurs de Provence, is bringing her delicious French cookies called Madeleines – sample vanilla and lavender-flavored delicacies along with hot cider, coffee & tea, all free. The Bazaar continues on Saturday: 9-4; and Sunday: 11-4. Credit cards are fine.

Visit http://leedygrange.org/bazaar for more information.

By Lee Davies

As America comes upon hard times, many home owners have unfortunately had to sell and move into a rental home as they look to regroup and rebuild their nest egg.  The result is that good single family home rental properties are tough to find, rents are going up, supplies are decreasing, and there appears to be a great opportunity for investors to step into the real estate market.
 
When one combines the sub 5% “non-owner occupied” lending rates, along with the home bargains presently in the marketplace, this is a fabulous time for investors.   Prices are down 30-50% over the peak market in 2007 and are likely to stabilize.  Renters are in desperate need of a good home to hold them over with little supply.   And finally a fixed 30 year loan can provide a long term wealth building platform. 

While it sounds too good to be true, one may wonder why everyone is not jumping into this venue.  The answer is simple.  An investor needs a minimum of 20%, and ideally 30-40% down, along with a stellar credit score north of 700, in order to easily obtain financing.   Due to the financial crisis of the past four years, most folks have lost their liquidity and are not in the position to purchase investment real estate.  It is for this reason that there lies a great opportunity; the demand is down due to the lack of buyers with liquidity and for those who can acquire, the time is right.

Because everyone needs a little fun heading into the weekend!

China’s Architectural Curiosities…

Check out more – http://www.inman.com/news/2011/11/3/chinas-architectural-curiosities

Hope you have a great weekend!

The Portland Business Journal published their annual rankings of residential real estate companies based on gross sales, but by taking a closer look and dividing gross sales by the number of brokers at each company, it becomes crystal clear as to which company has the most productive sales staff. 

As you can see in the chart above, our brokers ranked number one and it is not an accident.  Unlike other residential real estate firms, we are unique.  At Lee Davies Real Estate our brokers do not act autonomously; we conduct business as a company with proven systems and protocols.  Each of our client teams is led by one of our Senior Brokers, along with one of our highly trained Corporate Team Brokers who ensures that our company standards are executed consistently for every client.  Additionally, we have a “backup” broker assigned to every client in the event that the Lead Broker is not available.  The net result is that every client at Lee Davies Real Estate receives the services of three licensed brokers and the complete services of our corporate marketing engine. 

The results are clear, while other companies continue to allow their brokers to run their independent businesses, our brokers are collectively ensuring that our clients receive exceptional representation along with around the clock service.