Portland 3rd Best City in USA

According to the authors of "Cities Ranked & Rated, 2nd Edition", Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, say that Portland Oregon is the 3rd best city in the United States to live in. The other cities in the top ten include Gainesville, Fla.; Bellingham, Wash.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ogden-Clearfield, Utah; Asheville, N.C.; Fort-Collins-Loveland, Colo.; San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calf.; and Boise City-Nampa, Idaho.

The criteria these decisions were based on include:

• Economy and Jobs
• Cost of Living
• Climate
• Education
• Health and Health Care
• Crime
• Transportation
• Leisure
• Arts and Culture
• Overall Quality of Life

25th Annual Historic Irvington Home Tour

May 20th is the 25th Anniversary of the Historic Irvington Home Tour featuring 10 homes, Depression Era Mural Art at the Irvington School and even a strolling barbershop quartet. There will also be a lecture by HGTV Curb Appeal designer Paul Duchscherer.

Tickets:

• $20 a person
• $15 if you are 65 yrs old or over
• $10 for each lecture (there are two showings)
• $35 if you buy Admission and BOTH lectures as a package

Children under 7 not permitted except infants in "front packs".

Where to buy tickets:

• www.irvingtonhometour.com
• Architectural Heritage Center 701 SE Grand Ave Wed-Sat 10am-4:30pm
• Broadway Books 1714 NE Broadway Mon-Sat 10am-9pm Sun 12pm-5pm
• Cafe Destino 1339 NE Fremont Ave
• New Seasons Market Concordia 5320 NE 33rd Ave 8am-10pm daily
• At the door; Portland White House Bed and Breakfast 1914 NE 22nd Ave 10am-noon only
• Lecture tickets are also available at the door

The Paul Duchscherer lecture times are Sat May 19th 10am Westminster Presbyterian Church and Sun May 20th 2pm Irvington Tennis Club

For more information go to www.irvingtonhometour.com

Converting a FSBO

Don't assume that FSBO's have already made up their mind and stopping by their open house is a waste of time. A little over half of those who decided to list themselves do so to save on commission, but perhaps they do not really know what that money is going to. It then becomes your job to demonstrate your worth. An approach that seems to have worked well for others is to start a conversation with someone who has decided to go it alone, offer them some advice free of charge. Give them your card and let them know some things they can expect during the sale of their home. You will be gaining trust while highlighting your intrinsic value. Even if you do not convert the individual in question does not necessarily make it time wasted, that effort could easily turn into a referral.

FSBOS EARN LESS ON HOME SALE

Unrepresented sellers have a median household income that's only about 11 percent lower than that of sellers who use an agent from the get-go, but FSBOs' homes sell for 25 percent less.

Agent-assisted Household income (median) $87,000 Selling Price (median) $250,000

First FSBO, then agent-assisted Household income (median) $70,700 Selling Price (median) $192,000

FSBO/don't know buyers Household income (median) $77,800 Selling Price (median) $187,200

Data from the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2006 edition, NAR Research

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What's in a Credit Score?

A credit score is basically a number representing the a amount of risk involved in lending money to you. Considerations that go into your score: Payment History (35%); Amounts Owed (30%); Length of Credit History (15%); New Credit (10%); and Types of Credit Used (10%).

Fair Isaac Company, or FICO is the most commonly used credit score. The numbers range from 350-900 with the higher numbers deeming you more trust worthy.

Reason Codes are given with your credit score to let you know why yours may be lower than you like.

• Too few accounts currently "paid as agreed"
• Current delinquency (late payments)
• Too many inquires in the last twelve months
• Proportion of balances to credit limits too high on revolving accounts
  

But not all is lost, there are some things you can do to counteract your score. Fannie Mae recommends

• Strong equity position (large down payment)
• Debt ratios below highest standard ratios
• Excess cash left in the bank after closing
• Successful history of paying housing expenses
  

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST ON THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE www.TonyandLibby.com