Historic Restorations Tips
MORE RealtyAl CronemillerLicenced in the State of Oregon Historic Restorations Don’t Forget This! If you are anything like me, I love old houses, especially Craftsman Style. The Craftsman era began in force right after the first World War 1 in about 1919, up until that point the war effort took up the time of many. Restoring a Historic Home can be fun, there is one thing you want to be careful with and that is Lead base paint was used on all of them. It wasn’t until 1978 that lead base paint was outlawed, however they began to eliminate this paint about 10 years prior to this. With that being said, if you are caught by the Environmental Protection Agency not properly containing the dust or paint chips you could get a huge fine. It is normally a neighbor that will turn you in. Just take this easy step. They have classes around that only take about 4 hours to complete. The cost is a little over 200.00 but it is well worth it, here is why. Lead base paint is especially tough on kids up to the age of 8. A kid’s body chemistry thinks lead base paint is calcium, so they will absorb all they can get. In many cases this will lead to learning disorders if to much is taken in. After the age of 8 their body does not need as much calcium and the less they will likely absorb. When doing any preparation before you paint, and lord knows there is bunches of that in a restoration, make sure you have a hepa-vac attached to your sanding tool’s, so all dust is taken into containment and can be properly disposed of. Normally a vibrating orbital sander works best. In class you will learn how to properly install plastic barriers and ground cover, so you are able to deal with the wind, if any, and have a means of gathering all the paint chips to stay in compliance. A heap-vacuum is a special vacuum that has high tech filters in it. Lead base paint removal is all about containing paint chips and dust. Like I said above, Craftsman homes all have lead base paint as do the hardwood floor’s clear coat. The same precautions should take place when finishing them. Historic Restorations can be tons of fun. To bring back the original luster of thies homes and give them a new lease on life is very fulfilling. The Craftsman era had so many wonderful colors, all very soft and inviting. If you are a purist like I am, special attention should be taken to choose the right colors. Many time’s you can have a 3-4 color paint scheme for your exterior. If you have high ceilings you can install a picture rail down about 2 feet from the ceiling and 2 tone your room for extra character. I will normally install crown molding so that I am able to get a nice contrast on the trim and the wall paint, making things look more authentic or period. Regardless of what direction you should go, I feel bringing your home back to its original luster is super important. I know the house will love it also. Check out the old homes in towns throughout the Willamette Valley here: www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net and contact me at al@cronemiller.com I would love to help.
Real Estate Salem Oregon
If you are moving to Oregon the real estate Salem Oregon is some of the best. Salem, The Cherry City earned a cherry ranking on our 2015 list thanks to its many recreational, cultural and natural amenities; easy access to quality and affordable health care; and a population well distributed across age groups to support both. This helps in its rankings as best places to live in Oregon, and like everything could be argued. You can look for yourself HERE Twenty-five percent of the 154,637 living in Oregon’s capital city are under age 18, and the city has many amenities to suit these children and young families. There is a park system of 46 parks covering more than 1,600 acres and still growing. Another popular attraction for kids is A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village, an interactive children’s museum with science-based exhibits throughout three Victorian homes. When I moved to Salem in 1969 those same three homes were vacant. Oregon real estate has changed. The city also scores well when it comes to educating these kids, too, largely because of its many choices. Salem-Keizer Public Schools is the second-largest public school system in the state, enrolling more than 40,000 students throughout 65 schools. Parents opting to send their kids to private schools have many options, as well. There will be many Oregon homes for sale in the areas where the good schools are located. Salem is home to the first university in the West, Willamette University, which enrolls approximately 1,800 students, as well as Corban University, an independent Christian college. Then there’s Western Oregon University in Monmouth, which is about 20 minutes from town, and an hour’s drive to Portland State University or University of Oregon in Eugene. Oregon State is about 45 minutes away in Corvallis. Education institutions employ many in the Salem area, where the largest employer is state government. The largest private employer, however, is Salem Hospital, which also elevated the city’s health-care scores considerably in terms of its economic impact, quality care and relative affordability. In the next 10 years the most job growth will be seen in the medical sector at about 21% of all jobs. With the hospitals footprint already established firmly, Salem’s rating of the best places to live in Oregon is surely to improve. If you are in the market for Oregon Real Estate, look me up, love to help. al@cronemiller.com
What happened to all the homes in Oregon?
MORE RealtyAl CronemillerLicenced in the State of Oregon What happened to the Homes for sale in Oregon? Every year the inventory of houses on the market decreases around winter time. Normally between November and February the selection gets pretty thin, this year is no exception. It is the seller’s mentality that since the weather isn’t as nice, the buyers are taking time off. When it comes to Oregon real estate, buying is not seasonal. This will also apply to many other states. Right now, there are very few homes for sale in Oregon, inventory is very low and it is a perfect time to sell, especially with interest rates slated to start increasing. With many people moving to Oregon I have seen the construction of many new multi-family projects. Building is at a very fast pace, much like 10 years ago. So, what happened to the homes for sale in Oregon? Two things. The first is that they are being purchased by the people moving to Oregon and the second is the sellers are thinking they will wait until the weather improves. Bummer for the sellers, list now and the competition is much lower. For years, the best places to live in Oregon have been signified by what towns that are getting the biggest population increases. Bend in central Oregon and Portland have been the two hot spots. HERE are some related articles Bend for its beauty and Portland for its jobs. Bend has attracted people from California for some time, as the weather is always sunny and the housing is less expensive. Besides, who in their right mind would not want to live there? Let’s face it, Oregon real estate has increased in popularity in the last ten years. Many people are moving to Oregon. With the increased popularity of Oregon’s housing comes a supply and demand problem. Right now, there is more demand than supply and it doesn’t help that people wanting to sell their houses are waiting till spring to do it. Not only have the homes for sale in Oregon been real thin but the rental housing in Oregon has disappeared. Trying to find a rental is a monumental task for most. Trying to find affordable housing is even harder. Many towns and cities go through cycles of being oversupplied with housing or under studied. Not too long ago we had rentals and many houses for sale. The tides have turned a bit and now we are in a tight housing market. Much harder to find home. This site www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net will help you with your home search. However, things will improve real soon. Get intouch al@cronemiller.com
Historic Restorations- Stay True
MORE Realty Al Cronemiller Licenced in the State of Oregon Historic Restorations, Stay true to the period. Here is a great related article Across the United States following the end to the first world war in 1918 a building boom started. This was not only a building boom where we were to see beautiful craftsman homes spring up, but also an end to the Victorian era homes. Many houses were built from 1919 to 1921 and their appearance took on many different looks. With straight lines The Craftsman era had arrived. With all your historic restorations, stay true to the period you’re working with. Let’s say our project is a 1920 Craftsman bungalow home with 2 stories. Any home that is almost 100 years old will have some rot in it. If the home that you are re-doing has a basement there may be less rot than a home where the wood is closer to the ground. This is because the older houses did not have vapor barrier (black Plastic) under the floor, causing moisture wicking up through the wood structure of the home. With the restoration of the exterior of the home, there will be some or many areas that will need to be sanded for proper preparation prior to painting. With this being built in 1920 there will be lead found in the exterior paint. It is the additive that made paint durable in those days. In order to disturb the lead base paint in the form of sanding you will need to have someone certified in lead base paint removal to remove it. This will apply to the interior walls and woodwork as well as the clear coating they used to finish their wood floors back then. There are very large fines for not doing the right thing when it comes to compliance with lead base paint removal. If the home you are doing a historic restoration on is in a historic district the city may have regulations on the paint colors, additions and alterations. Make sure you check. The paint color combination that you choose will need to be a combination of 3-4 different paint colors. You will have the body color for the first floor, the body color for the second floor, the trim color that would be all windows, doors, fascia, batter boards, columns and look outs. The fourth color would be an accent strip if your home construction allows it. There are many sources to find great historic colors. Lowes offers a full line of historic paint colors. Your paint job will only look as good as the preparation was. The better everything is sanded smooth, professionally caulked and primed the better your final paint job will be. Make sure all the windows have been glazed properly on the exterior, this will ensure a good paint line around the glass. After the home, has been prepped and primed a two-coat paint job is required for proper penetration and coverage. Your primer can be colored to match the final coat of paint; this will ensure two coats is enough. As with the restoration of exterior any old place special care has to be taken to make sure everything is still secured properly, no shingles are missing, the siding is in good shape and everything is sound structurally. One thing I learned when doing historic restorations was that E- Bay is your friend. They are a great source of anything needed from that era. I can’t express enough the importance of buying Art- Deco style light fixtures of the 1920’s, stay true to the period. If you shop enough you should be able to find enough light fixtures, door knobs and strike plates, hinges, knobs and anything else that will add that special historic touch. When restoring anything from the 1920’s make sure the patina is not removed! Light fixtures can be carefully cleaned and re-wired with cloth covered wire to match the original wiring. If a light socket is broken they are easily purchased at Amazon along with the wire. With any old house, you are going to have many plumbing, electrical and heating problems. Many of the homes from the 1920 era did not have heat upstairs so running a 220 circuit up there for some base board heat will be a good idea. Remember the baseboard heaters were not from that era but they seem to be the most cost effective way to get heat upstairs and keep cheating to a minimum. In my opinion all historic homes deserve to be restored to their original charm. There not like a newer home, they cost more. There not for the faint of heart. Take time to locate your perfect Craftsman home in the Salem, Oregon area. You can search easily at https://homesforsalesalemoregon.net/. Having spent a lifetime restoring historic homes I can help you with all you home buying needs. Let me know how I can help. al@cronemiller.com .
Oregon Homes for Sale- Low Inventory
Oregon Homes for Sale Real estate goes in cycles. Either there is too much and it’s a buyer’s market, or there is not enough and this leads to a seller’s market. Right now we have a reduced inventory of Oregon Homes for Sale , we have about 2 ½ months inventory,.It won’t start swinging to a buyer’s market until we see 4 months of inventory. The Oregon homes for sale have seen many eyes as there are many buyers in the market. A recent listing of mine had 43 showings and 9 offers in 5 days. Whether you are Moving to Oregon or moving within the state, there are a few markets to watch out for. One in particular is the Portland market, the bidding wars for Oregon homes for sale can be wild. Chasing prices upward even higher. Houses for sale in Oregon have become popular, to say the least. For that matter, many people are now looking for land for sale Oregon. With housing prices going higher and higher many are looking to put up manufactured homes on land. Oregon Homes for Sale Five years ago, you couldn’t sell a place. There was 14 months of inventory and banks running scared. Loans were hard to come by, things were very bleak. Now we have people moving to Salem Oregon in droves. Houses for sale in Oregon have definitely seen an increase in popularity. We now see many people moving to Oregon and many searching for the best places to live in Oregon. Take it from me, there are so many cool places to live, So many towns with incredible beauty. Houses for sale in Oregon Across the board, houses for sale in Oregon have increased in price. We saw an increase in Newburg of 22.5 % primarily due to the migration of people out of Portland and away from the traffic congestion. Population has increased in general as Oregon, for the 4th year in a row we have seen people moving to Oregon in droves. Oregon homes for sale and Oregon real estate in general have increased in popularity, to say the least. Take too long, there won’t be any left. Contact me at al@cronemiller.com or 503-949-5025 or use this Home search site https://homesforsalesalemoregon.net/
Oregon real estate
Oregon Real Estate Oregon real estate offers many Craftsman homes with different styles and sizes. When doing restoration on old brick, whether it’s a chimney or brick siding, they are a few things to remember. The mortar in the old brick work will more than likely need some kind of repair, mortar was not designed to last 100 years plus. On historic homes with the heating stove and brick chimneys were common. Craftsman homes for sale in Oregon Most of these old homes are between 100 to 140 years old. The mortar in the chimineys will be worn out If you are redoing a chimney you start by taking an average size screwdriver and start scraping out the mortar. Scrape it out until you have it about 1 inch deep, if you can get it that deep. Real estate in Salem Oregon The next step it to take a wire brush, thin enough to get in between the brick courses and clean the area. If this area can be blown out, all the better. At the home improvement store, buy a few tubes of mortar, make sure it is a light grey color, similar to cement. This is nothing more than mortar in a caulking gun. If your are only doing a section make sure your dried mortar is the exact color as the original mortar. With a caulking gun, fill area in between brick courses and finish with a tuck point tool. This will have a curved ½ inch blade, same width as the groove between the bricks. Real Estate Repairs You will also need to mix up a bunch of mortar the same color and install a new top cap on the fireplace, this will be worn out and cracked as well. Shape this with curved sides. Smooth it out with a wet sponge. This same process will apply if you are doing brick siding. Take special care to match the color exactly with what you are replacing, especially if you are only replacing some. Old homes require care if you are going to work on them. Keep water and a small paint brush around to keep all the mortal cleaned up from anything you don’t want concrete (mortar) on. With all jobs done on Craftsman Homes, being clean and orderly will turn out looking better. Let me know how I can help al@cronemiller.com or my site at www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net All old homes need a craftsman to keep care of them, rock on….. Some related ARTICLES Search yourself HERE
Homes for sale in Oregon
Homes for sale in Oregon Home Buyer Tips The homes for sale in Oregon have been very popular now for a few years. Oregon has been one of the most popular places to move to for a while. it wasn’t any surprise that we would be running out of homes. The reduced inventory of places on the market has caused a bit of a feeding frenzy. I know the buyers have felt this. There is at-least one shining star and that is interest rates are low, very low. I am speaking historically. This gives the buyer more house for the dollar. Homes in Oregon Before looking for homes, pick a good lender and get a pre-approval letter from them . Most will not guarantee the pre-approval but a couple will. This document will be obtained on the day you are submitting your offer from your lender. This will be very important to submit with all your offers. Realtor Salem Oregon Once you get to the point where you are serious, do interviews and choose a great realtor. After all, there free. This team you are building will be competing with other buyers and their agents in the market. A great realtor will be easy to work with, knowledgeable, responsive, and honest. Good luck finding the right one. Salem Oregon real estate Agents At this point you have a realtor that will set you up with a home search. This is where you receive homes as specified by your needs as soon as they come on the market. If you see something you like pounce on it the first day. A good realtor is also shopping for you in the for sale by owner pool, pocket listings and pre-lists. The buyers job is to constantly be looking anywhere and everywhere for a home. Look closely at the homes your agent is sending you and also pay close attention to all the For Sale by Owner listings. Work as a team The FSBO listings are a great resource. Many realtors are not real sure how to work the commission and will steer clear of them. If you can talk the seller into giving you a 2.5 to 3.0 commission you have it whipped. Just have the seller represent himself like he was going to do all along. You will probably have to help him or her a bit with paperwork to keep your files straight. For the most part, if a home that’s for sale is in great shape it will appeal to more people than the ones that are in rougher shape. With that being said, those homes will have more competition. That is the kind of home that will have multiple offers when it comes on the market. Salem Oregon real Estate The homes that have been on the market for a while normally are overpriced. Some of the best opportunities lie with these homes as most people are afraid to offer a lower price. Since they have been on the market for a while and the ad is getting stale, the owners are many times motivated and open to a lower offer. All you have to do is ask, then you will know the answer. A good agent will know the value of a home and can determine if it is underpriced or overpriced. If it is underpriced the buyer has the option of submitting an offer over the asking price in hopes of getting your offer accepted over your competition. Sellers Needs Sellers, when trying to pick a buyer will be looking at the offer price, terms, concessions, loan type, closing date and the buyer’s pre-approval status. This is why you want your offer as clean as possible. The type of loan will also have a bearing on acceptance. Sellers, when trying to pick a buyer will be looking at the offer price, terms, concessions, loan type, closing date and the buyer’s pre-approval status. This is why you want your offer as clean as possible. Loan Types Conventional loans are normally the second best then comes USDA, FHA, VA, and different kinds of rehab loans. So, to recap a little, here are some things a buyer can do to increase their odds: Get Pre-Approved from good lender. Choose a great Realtor. Set up auto notification from the MLS. Actively look for homes everywhere. Contact and negotiate with FSBO people. Contact new listings ASAP Communicate with your agent often. Give me a call, I would love to help you with your home buying needs. With Oregon being one of the most popular places to move to for the past four years, it wasn’t any surprise that we would be running out of homes. The reduced inventory of places on the market has caused a bit of a feeding frenzy. I know the buyers have felt this. Interest Rates are low There is at-least one shining star and that is interest rates are low, very low. I am speaking historically. This gives the buyer more house for the dollar. Before looking for homes, pick a good lender and get a pre-approval letter in the amount approved. Most will not guarantee the pre-approval but a couple will. This document will be obtained on the day you are submitting your offer, in the amount of your offer and from the lending institute that is giving you the loan. This will be very important to submit with all your offers. Choose a great realtor Once you get to the point where you are serious, do interviews and choose a great realtor. After all, there free. This team you are building will be competing with other buyers and their agents in the market. A great realtor will be easy to work with, knowledgeable, responsive, and honest. Good luck finding the right one. At this point you have a realtor that will set you up with a home search. You can also do it by going to my home search site at www.alanchomes.com and just start looking
Get prepared if you are moving to Oregon
Moving to Oregon Right now, with all the people moving to Oregon there are a bunch of things to consider. For the past 4 years Oregon, has been the number one destination for people moving within the United States. Having just come out of the greatest depression ever, according to verifiable facts, there was not too much building going on. With all the people Moving to Oregon it was only a matter of time before we ran short on housing. Oregon real Estate Currently Oregon real estate shows that we are in a seller’s market with homes for sale in Oregon becoming a little thin. Housing in general is getting harder to find, especially in the areas that create the most jobs. Moving to Oregon is a good idea, just have to plan a little better. When moving to Oregon many people are thinking of the best places to live in Oregon, this depends on what you are looking for. I always suggest moving to Salem Oregon as it is lower priced that the Portland metro area and it is just an hour away if you don’t mind the commute. www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net is a home search site that has a direct MLS link. All the homes on the market the minute they go live. Price on houses for sale in Oregon is going to be the highest in Portland and the surrounding areas. Bend will be next on the list and the rental housing will be expensive no matter where you go unless it is miles from nowhere. Oregon’s rental housing is the tightest it has been in as long as I can remember. Oregon real Estate Oregon real estate, weather you are buying or renting requires some thought and good pre-planning. Land for sale Oregon is in much the same situation as housing. With there being fewer Oregon homes for sale and rent many people are thinking about land. Weather they are building or putting a manufactured home on it the interest here has been higher. Anyone thinking of moving to Oregon will be wondering about the best places to live in Oregon. Fortunately, there are many. In some of these town the housing is affordable and in other the supply and demand principle shows through. Portland Oregon is the biggest city in Oregon. Its metro area with its many towns create a huge area of commerce and traffic. Weather it’s one of the best places to live in Oregon or just the city with the most jobs, I will let you decide that. Portland does attract many people, primarily for the jobs but I’m sure many like living there because it is a bigger city and there is more to do. Houses for sale in Oregon If you are looking for houses for sale in Oregon pick a realtor that has knowledge not only in real estate but has a background in building and is able to help you with a smart buying decision. It doesn’t get any better than the Oregon real estate we have. Let me know and I will find you the perfect home. www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net al@cronemiller.com 503-949-5025 Thanks
Homes for Sale in Oregon
Homes for Sale in Oregon Like any other state, Homes for sale in Oregon are in many different areas. With 70% of Oregon’s population in the Willamette Valley, most homes you will find here. There are 2 MLS services here for the most part, RMLS and the WVMLS. I have put together a search site that has both services on it so it is much easier to find a home. www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net is the perfect site for this. Homes in Oregon After you determine what area of Oregon you want to be looking in, go on the site and look for the exact type of home you are looking for. The system will record this and send you out new homes on the market that meet your search criteria, the second they come live on the market. This keeps you on top of the market. The homes for sale in Oregon will be found on either the MLS listings, for sale by owner homes, contacts I have and different pocket listings. It is harder to find the homes that are not on the market but much less competition and at times better prices. Realtors in Salem Oregon Most realtors will only deal with the MLS and not take the time to search out the homes that are off market, this is a big mistake. The homes for sale in Oregon are listed in different areas. I have a list of people selling there home privately, for whatever reason that is. It is very hard to sell a home yourself. Oregon rentals Rentals in Oregon are also hard to find and expensive with the current housing shortage going on. Oregon is building many homes and Apartments as you would expect. Like many parts of the country, lower income housing is needed but what seems to be being built is more the retail apartments and retail homes. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, the homes for sale in Oregon will be less expensive than the homes you will find in California. We will have less taxes, cleaner highways and countless more outdoor activities to fill your play days. All that is left to do is a little homework on what area looks good for you. Then just climb on www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net and search for homes for sale in Oregon that interest you. Call or email me, I am here to help. al@cronemiller.com 503-949-5025.
Oregon real estate- How to Find
How to Find and Purchase Oregon Real Estate With Oregon still ranked as the most popular state to move to, the Oregon homes for sale have seen an obvious increase in value, especially if you are in Portland and its surrounding communities. Oregon real estate in some places is being bid up, putting more stress on home buyers. Homes for sale in Oregon have seen value increases depending on where you live. Like any other state, the most popular places to live are the areas where there are the most jobs. Land in Oregon The land for sale in Oregon has also increased in popularity as many are looking to build a home. With Oregon real estate becoming more popular this is a great time to invest in something that will increase in value. The homes for sale in Oregon are at times overpriced, this is normal in the popular areas. One of the best ways to find a nice place is to partner with a good real estate agent, someone that understands the market, pricing, and can help you get the best deal possible. Find a person that is fun to work with. Moving to Oregon With many people moving to Oregon the housing market has seen a bunch of action. With inventory being at a very low level of only 2 ½ months there are fewer homes on the market. This means that if no more homes were to come on the market we would sell all the ones currently on the market in 2 ½ months. Right now would be a good time to search for some houses for sale in Oregon. Depending on where you want to live, there are many beautiful places to live in. Oregon has always had its share of great places. Homes for sale in Oregon There are many ways to search for houses for sale in Oregon. If you have a computer you can use different search phrases like Homes for sale in Oregon, Oregon real estate, Oregon homes for sale, homes for sale Oregon, Land for sale Oregon, and houses for sale in Oregon. Here is a great article explaining the process. Press Here You can also go to www.homesforsalesalemoregon.net and search for homes on the MLS. Call me 503-949-5025 or email al@cronemiller.com