I Love Portland Homes

Did anybody love to play Monopoly as much as I did when you were little? My dad was good at buying up lots of hotels and houses, while I was more drawn to the cuteness of the little game pieces and purchasing property when I liked the color of the squares (that’s a good way to invest in real estate! haha!).  Norsola Johnson’s This Way Home Series reminds me of those adorable little house pieces all grown up and ready to wear.

She has lots of other beautiful modern jewelry in her shop if the houses aren’t quite you’re thing. (Check out the fuzzball rings!)

…and if you want some of her cute jewelry, you’d better hurry! She’s heading off on an adventure on April 9th and will be closing her shop for a few months.

My principal broker forwarded an email to us that she received from an agent down in Arizona. He kindly gave me permission to repost it here. Enjoy!

The Media’s Attack on the Real Estate Industry

The Media’s attack on the real estate industry is nothing new.  For decades they have practiced doom and gloom tactics and in some cases have actually caused real estate prices to decline short term.  The good news however, is each and every short term decline has been temporary and has been followed by long term price appreciation. 

Today we are in the middle of a window of opportunity to purchase attractive real estate at the best prices we may see in our lifetime and to receive “incentives” on our purchases on top of it!  The incentives, which are being offered by builders and developers, will not last any longer than they need to.  Once the market begins showing signs of a rebound, these incentives will dry up.

Sit back and enjoy some of these dire media projections from yesteryear and allow them to mirror the wide variety of “fear factor” type “media” comments that exist today. 

“The prices of houses seem to have reached a plateau, and there is reasonable expectancy that prices will decline.”
- Time Magazine, 1947

“Houses cost too much for the mass market.  Today’s average price is around $8,000 - out of the reach for two-thirds of all buyers.”
- Science Digest, 1948

“The goal of owning a home seems to be getting beyond the reach of more and more Americans. The typical new house today costs about $28,000.”
- Business Week, 1969

“You might well be suspicious of ‘common wisdom’ that tells you, ‘Don’t wait, buy now… continuing inflation will force home prices and rents higher and higher.’”
- NEA Journal, 1970

“The era of easy profits in real estate may be drawing to a close.”
- Money Magazine, 1981

“The golden-age of risk-free run-ups in home prices is gone.”
- Money Magazine, 1985

“Most economists agree…. [a home] will become little more than a roof and a tax deduction, certainly not the lucrative investment it was through much of the 1980’s.”
- Money Magazine, 1986

“Financial planners agree that houses will continue to be a poor investment.”
- Kiplinger’s Personal Financial Magazine, 1993

“A home is where the bad investment is.”
- San Francisco Examiner, 1996

“Home prices experience historic drop.”
- CNN Money.com, 2007

Each and every negative prediction by the Media was short-lived.  At the time such predictions made it appeared real estate would never go up again in value - similar to the way it feels for many now.  The good news is found in the few lines below.  This time is no different than times past!  

FACT:  National real estate values have appreciated 

•    88%               since 1996
•   340%              since 1977
•   685%              since 1969
• 2650%              since 1948

This article was posted with permission by the author, Terry S. Forsberg.

I just got word that as of June 1st, Fannie Mae will no longer accept stated income loans.  Many banks have already pulled their “stated” loans and those who haven’t are likely to do so within the next couple months.  If you would benefit from a stated income loan for your home purchase or refinance, now is the time to jump on that before this product is gone.