Brian Ramsay

Hi Gati,

Old Towntown/China Town is a part of town that is undergoing a lot of redevelopment currently. I would refer to the site below for all the changes. Right now there have been reports of violence and drug crimes on the news and actually does have a larger traffic of transients as one of the community food pantries is located within Old Town (Ballard House across the street from Flanders). I strongly believe in this area and think that all the things the city is doing such as transportation, store fronts etc... are positive steps to a healthier neighborhood. Also remember, that a transient population isn't equal to crime (most crimes that I've heard of are committed by people who are drinking at local bars). If you are considering moving into the Flanders Street Lofts, I would simply talk to a couple of homeowners that already live there and see what they have to say. Trust me people love to talk.

As a Realtor, I think the building is great and there are some great deals in there right now. If you are familiar with urban settings I would say go for it, you will thank yourself 5 years down the road.


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Best of Luck,

Brian Ramsay
Principal Broker
Condos, Lofts and Townhome
Realty Trust Group Inc. - Yesterday, 15:22

Jody,

Just change the status to "ACT" again. It will pop-up on the MLS as Active or even as BOM (back on Market) for a day or two. Also make sure that your contract date has not already expired before doing so.

Hope that helps.

Best of Luck,

Brian Ramsay
Principal Broker
Realty Trust Group Inc - Yesterday, 07:42

Eduard,

Great question.
I don't feel that a BAC directly effects how much the property sells for, but it does help how many showings you get so long as the property isn't significantly overpriced. Showings are synonymous to sales at the end of the day and the more people that see your listing the more likely it will have an offer.

I also believe from personal experience that if there is a problem in mid-sale, a Realtor who has a lot more to loss financially if the deal falls apart, will put more heart and soul into making the deal work or figuring out more solutions when there is a road block.

People regardless if they are a realtor or not are looking to make money (which is why we do this), if someone offers me the potential to make more money in a transaction then of course I will take more time to preview the property, take time to make a comp report and see if it fits the needs of a client we are working with. Also if there is a property that a listing broker is offering at a higher BAC then it might pencil out for me as a buyers agent to send out an email blast or newsletter mentioning the property is available for purchase. What it shouldn't stop people from doing is negotiating a price that the buyer wants/market can hold or overlooking material defect against the property.

In conclusion, I strongly believe in offering more to a buyers agent in a challenging market as long as the property is properly priced.


Hope this helps.

Best of Luck,

Brian Ramsay
Principal Broker
Realty Trust Group inc.


*BAC is Buyers Agent Commission - Wed May 14 2008, 15:53

Hi Jules,

Great Question and I am glad you asked it. I am sure you aware of the buildings that already exist in the pearl that are available for incomes such as those stated. For example, the Lovejoy Station at NW Lovejoy and 10th is a building that subsidizes rents based on median incomes, so do several others including one for ages 55 and older. The district also has a number of apartment buildings such as the Wyatt, The Burlington, The Louisa, and soon to come The Lovejoy all of which offer market rent apartments to the general public.

As far as foreclosures, the district does have a number of them available and on the market. The best website to use for foreclosures in my opinion is http://www.usa-foreclosure.com or with your preferred Realtor.

I am biased when it comes to the Pearl as it is the primary neighborhood that I work in, but I feel that it has been planned very well for a new neighborhood and will continue to adjust as time progresses. It is a highly competitive district when it comes to housing, food, entertainment and quality of life. There is plenty of on and off street parking, housing opportunities for all income brackets, Fine Arts, Galleries, transportation (including the infamous ZIP carhttp:// www.zipcar.com) and educational institutions etc...

Hope that begins to help you with your question.

Best of Luck,

Brian Ramsay
Realty Trust Group Inc.
Principal Broker - Mon May 12 2008, 12:14

Hi Jules,

The Pearl District already a pretty great urban environment, but just as you thought it couldn't get better...

The Deschutes Brewery opened last week and seems to be the busiest place in town lately. I've tried the food and its pretty good (I recommend the fish and chips). The space is really great and represents the warehouse feel that we all have come to enjoy here. Plus its a pub you can go with a group of friends from any side of town or city and everyone will have a good time (its on Davis and NW 11th)

Of Course there is plenty of new housing options including The Metropolitan, The Casey, The 937 (which is looking pretty cool as they just unveiled the red glass on the decks today) and The Wyatt apartments.

The Pearl District Design Center is opening new studios each month on the north end of the district. Take a walk down 14th Ave, not many Pearlites go down that far, but its a pretty cool area. The entire area is for architecture, furniture, interior design and Art.

There is a new service in town that we have fallen in love with called Doston James Concierge Service.
For a totally reasonable price you can get a personal assistant to help with errands, fresh cut flowers in your house weekly, someone to drive you to the airport (or pretty much anywhere), a chef that comes to the house and makes a perfect after work feast and I have to admit they have the best personal trainer/nutritionist in town. I just checkedhttp:// www.dostonjames.com, its just one page but has a phone number.

Not to mention the Farmers Market, First Thursday, and you could always ride the train in fareless square all you want.


Best of Luck,
Brian Ramsay
Realty Trust Group Inc
Principal Broker - Fri May 9 2008, 20:02