Tigard Oregon Real Estate >> Wayne B. Pruner, GRI

Tigard: Coyotes are in Cook Park

As Tigard grows and subdivisions impact wildlife habitat, wild animals are often attracted to live in open space areas, parks, undeveloped parcels of land, river bottoms and on or near bodies of water. In most situations humans and wildlife can co-exist.

Coyotes share Cook Park with humans and other wildlife. Coyotes have not attacked any humans in Cook Park, but they have startled a few early morning joggers. However, when an area cat goes missing, coyotes are quick to be blamed. Officials think coyotes are keeping the non-native nutria in check, resulting in less damage to streams and ponds. Coyotes will eat just about anything and are attracted to compost piles and pet food.

Coyotes and other urban wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks, opossums, and squirrels, are becoming quite comfortable living with humans. Urban wildlife has enough food to survive and homeowners are discouraged from feeding them. This can cause higher numbers of animals than would naturally occur, and spread disease as they come in closer contact with each other. The increased critter population puts pets at risk and increases the nuisancee factor to humans.

For advice on how to trap and remove unwanted guests in and near your home, call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at 503-657-2000.

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® at Oregon First, who works in the Portland and Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.

Are Banks Really Suffering?

Bank of America reported fourth-quarter earnings 95% below 2006. The headline suggests that this is just one more example of just how our economy is slipping into recession. However, mentioned practically at the end of the article, was that B of A profits for the year were 15 billion dollars. It's hard for me to think that B of A is in trouble with only 15 billion in profit.

It turns out that many large banks have been profitable for the year, even with dismal fourth- quarters. John Berry has an article that does a good job of explaining this.

My take on this is that banks may have missed forecast earning targets for the end of the year, but are still healthy enough to make loans for credit-worthy endeavors.

The article led with the bad news, but is it really all that bad for the banks?

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® at Oregon First, who works in the Portland and Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.

How can I be sure I'm getting the Best Loan for me to Buy a Home in Tigard?

Many potential Tigard home buyers I talk with are wondering if today's lenders can be trusted and how they can tell if the loan they are getting is suitable for them. Lenders have received much bad press and their past relaxed loan standards are accused of causing much of our current housing crisis. The majority of lenders have always been reputable, honest, and ethical.

Undoubtedly, there were ill-advised lending practices going on. The upshot of this crisis has put the industry under intense scrutiny and these practices have been cleaned up and dishonest players have been exposed. The public is much more aware of the distinction between different types of mortgages and the consequences of each type loan. Lenders have taken painful measures to clean up their industry. The ones that are left realize the need to regain the confidence of the public and have adopted high ethical and business standards in their loan process and are currently offering very low interest rates to stimulate loan activity.

To help insure that you are getting the loan that is best suited for you, talk to someone who has been through the loan process and knows the pros and cons of each type of loan. This could be a friend or relative you trust or a Realtor® who can provide you with a list of responsible lenders. There is ample literature available on the Internet and at the library to help educate yourself.

Another prevalent idea is that there are no mortgages being originated. What has happened is that lenders are now requiring people to have good credit. Their standards are higher than in the recent past. This is the way it should be. Mortgages are still being made. Interest rates are low. Coupled with the large selection of homes available for sale in Tigard, there has never been a better time to obtain an advantageous mortgage.

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® in the Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.

Now is the Time to Profit from the Mistakes of Others

Let's list some bad real estate ideas from the last few years.

Lenders made some big mistakes that lead to the current housing crisis. They relaxed their loan standards and made many unwise loans. Loaning money to people who have a history of not paying their bills, the Sub-Prime crowd, was a really bad idea. These high default rates started this crisis.

Flippers, people who counted on continuing appreciation to make them money, instead of using sound investment principles, have also contributed to this crisis. Many are defaulting on their loans.

Homeowners, also counting on continuing appreciation, constantly refinanced to take equity out of their homes to buy cars and big screen TVs and go on vacations, have contributed to this crisis. They now owe more money than their house is worth.

The current result of all these mistakes is very low interest rates! Lenders are back to making sensible loans again and the only way to get buyers to buy right now is to offer very low interest rates. For those people with decent credit, well under 6%!

If you are a buyer, with financing, there are bargains to be had. You are in the driver's seat! There is no shortage of homes for sale. Bid low. If sellers won't budge from their price, walk away. Another home, at a better price, may show up. Ask for closing costs or a rate buy down, a home warranty, and all the appliances. Sellers are much more willing to take care of all the repairs identified by the repair inspection, than they have been in the past. If the house needs some updating, it may be possible to get the seller to complete this work before closing.

Oregon has weathered this housing crisis better than most of the nation. Don't let fear and negative thinking block you from buying a home now. This is a golden opportunity to profit from the mistakes of others.

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® with Oregon First, who works in the Tigard Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.

Buying a Home is better than Paying Rent in Tigard, Oregon.

Even though the news is filled with the dire straights of the current housing market, buying a home in Tigard is still a smart thing to do. Buying your own home is part of the "American Dream" and one of the smartest financial decisions you will ever make. It is the foundation of building personal wealth and one of the safest investments you will ever make. For an individual or a family, a home is generally the most significant asset owned and serves as their primary wealth-building vehicle.

Home ownership builds wealth in many ways. You know that you are have to pay to live somewhere. The rent you are paying is building someone else's wealth, not your's. This is wasted money that is providing you no benefit. Put this money to work so it is benefiting you and your family. You can pass your home down to your children, and their children, and create security for generations.

There are tax benefits for owning your own home. Being able to deduct mortgage interest, closing costs, mortgage insurance, and property taxes, reduces your taxable income. These tax savings reduce the actual cost of owning a home.

Owning your own home gets appreciation working for you. This is the major benefit of owning a home. Appreciation is the annual rate an asset increases in value. Tigard Oregon currently has stronger appreciation rate than most of the country partly because of the Urban Growth Boundary. Basically it is a legal separation between urban land and rural land. Land inside the UGB becomes more expensive. The UGB is a major reason why our real estate prices have remained strong. Example: At a modest 4% appreciation rate a $275,000. house after the first year would be worth $286,000. After the second year $297,400. After the third year $309,296. This is a very powerful way to increase personal wealth.

Home ownership is often characterized as the "American Dream." Home ownership has significant social and economic advantages for individuals and our communities. For communities, studies have shown that higher levels of home ownership stabilizes neighborhoods, reduces crime, increases civic participation, and improves local school performance.

To compare the costs of renting to buying, this is one of the best Rent vs. Buy calculators I have found to do the comparison. It will open your eyes to what is possible.

Don't let the current housing market discourage you from buying a home. A smart person with decent credit can find a good deal on a house right now.

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® with Oregon First, who works in the Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is, 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.