PineCone Properties NW

08/22/2024

Been listing as of last week in Portland!

If you know of anyone looking for a fresh new spot near Mt Tabor let me know!

Info below 👇

This 1814 square feet Single Family home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is located at 7923 SE Sherman St, Portland, OR.

03/10/2024

Does anyone know someone who can repair stucco in SW Washington? I’m in need. Thanks!

12/01/2022

Couple before and after pictures to drool over 🤤

Love seeing these! So satisfying.

Whole project took about 5 months from purchase to sale.

🤩

11/23/2022

08/10/2022

Is your home jam-packed with projects that need to get done?

We know what that’s like.

The floor needs repaired, windows need replaced, there’s water damage in the bathroom, and the grass is turning more and more grey every year.

When falling behind on projects… things can get overwhelming.

And then where does one even know where to start.

Much less are the funds even available to tackle all of the projects at once.

But don’t get discouraged.

You’d be surprised at how often this happens.

At PineCone Properties, we’ve helped a lot of homeowners in the Pacific NW who’d fallen far behind on their home’s maintenance for one reason or another — some of them were disabled, some simply didn’t have the budget to make the repairs, and some only found the damage once it was too late.

Everyone’s situation is different.

But one thing is the same: these people have always been excited to sell so that they could move somewhere else that feels more like a home should feel.

Because home should be somewhere to feel safe and comfortable… not somewhere that nags at you with its laundry list of projects and repairs that either can’t be done DIY or are too much to pay someone else to do.

It’s not always easy.

But it often brings these homeowners a lot of joy when they sell their home that’s in disrepair fast for cash and use that cash to buy a better home.

If you’d like to get a fair cash offer for your home and sell it AS-IS, then give us a call at (360)572-6664. We can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll even pay all closing costs.

07/27/2022

Not sure how much to charge for a rental property?

The number chosen is an important one — it’ll determine how easy it is to find tenants and keep tenants.

The price needs to be competitive.

It also needs to cover all of the costs associated with the property.

At PineCone Properties, we’ve bought, flipped, and rented out a lot of properties in Clark and Cowlitz County over the years. And we thought we’d take a moment to share some of the most important factors to consider when setting a rental price.

Here they are!

Competition — This is the most important thing to understand when determining the rental price of your property: what does the competition look like? If there are nicer homes that cost less, then it’s going to make finding tenants difficult. But if you charge too little, then that might attract low-quality tenants. Understand where a particular property falls along market lines.

The 2% Guideline — The 2% guideline states that a rental’s monthly rate should be about 2% of the value of the property. So a $100,000 home would rent for $2,000 per month and a $250,000 home would rent for $5,000 per month. But this is just a guideline… not a hard and fast rule.

Location — Is the rental in a highly desirable area? Or is it in a less desirable area? How much demand is there for the particular type of property? More demand means a higher rental price.

Amenities — What amenities does your property have that add to its perceived value? A pool? Parks nearby? A good school across the street? Anything else? Make sure to mention amenities in the marketing!

Hope that helps!

If you or someone you know is looking to sell your home as-is for cash, give us a call at (360)572-6664. We can close in as little as two weeks and make you a fair cash offer within just 48 hours!

07/20/2022

At PineCone Properties, we’re a team of real estate investors that buy and sell homes in Clark and Cowlitz County.

More specifically, we can buy YOUR HOME as-is for a fair cash price.

BUT…

One of the most common questions we get from home sellers like yourself is… “How do I know your offer is actually fair?”

That’s a fair question.

Heck, it’s a question we expect to get.

And so we thought we’d stop by and give you a little more insight into how we calculate our offers for home sellers like yourself. :)

Here’s what we consider…

Cost of Repairs — This is the amount of money we’ll have to put into the home to list it on the market and resell it. More repairs mean a lower offer price might be necessary. Fewer repairs generally mean a higher offer price.

ARV — This stands for After Repair Value. It’s the amount of money the house is expected to sell for after repairing it. This isn’t guesswork, though. Our office runs comps just like a real estate agent would.

Holding Costs — This is the amount it takes to pay for “holding” the property before it sells (interest, property taxes, utilities, etc.) or rents.

Cleaning Costs — This is the amount of money it’ll cost to clean the property. The cleaner the house already is, the less it’ll cost to have it cleaned it!

That’s how it’s done.

If you want to get your fair cash offer, give us a call at (360)572-6664!

07/11/2022

Having a rental property can be a great way to create passive income, build equity, and invest in your long-term wealth.

But how do you prepare a property to be a rental?

At PineCone Properties, we’ve spent quite a long time investing in real estate in Clark and Cowlitz County... so we thought we’d drop by with some tips.

Here’s what’s recommended for preparing your property to be a rental.

Inspect & Repair — The first thing to be done is to inspect the property for problems and make the necessary repairs. As a landlord, you’ll be largely responsible for the safety of the tenants as it relates to the quality of the home being rented. So don’t skimp on the repairs.

Clean — Obviously, the property must be thoroughly cleaned if it’s going to be rented out. People won’t want to live in a dirty place. So, make it as sparkly clean as possible before it’s time to start showing it.

Notify Insurance — It will be necessary to let the mortgage and insurance companies know what the new use of the property is going to be. It’s also important to get landlord insurance.

Determine Price — How much should the charge per month be for the rental property? You can determine how much it’s fair to charge by looking at demand, market conditions, and other similar properties that are being rented out in the area. Try to charge enough that there’s a little bit of income every month but stay competitive.

Screen Tenants — It’s better to let a property sit unoccupied for a couple of months than it is to have your property destroyed by bad tenants. So take the time necessary to find the right tenants for your property.

Hope that helps!

Oh — and if you want to get a fair cash offer on your property, give us a call at (360)572-6664. We can pay all closing costs and close in as little as two weeks!

06/28/2022

Thinking of selling your home to a professional cash buyer?

At PineCone Properties, we’ve helped a lot of homeowners just like you in Clark and Cowlitz County sell their property fast, as-is, and for a fair cash price.

It’s been great!

BUT…

We also understand that our service isn’t for every homeowner.

So we thought we’d take a moment to share the pros and cons of working with a professional home buyer.

Here they are!

PROS

You can sell your home “as-is” — The biggest advantage of working with a professional home buyer is that you can sell your property in its current condition. You don’t have to make any repairs or renovations whatsoever, saving time and money on the front end.

Sell your house in weeks — When you work with a professional home buyer, the sale process is typically much faster than if you were to list your home on the open market. We can usually close on a property in as little as two weeks!

CONS

You might not get “top dollar” — Since you’ll be selling your home as-is in just a couple of weeks, that means we’ll be taking care of all repairs and improvements to get the property back up to its market value. So you won’t get as much money for it as you would if you made all of those repairs and renovations yourself.

You can’t control who buys your home — We work with a lot of different cash buyers and you won’t have control over who buys your home. But that’s not much different than working with a real estate agent. At least you won’t have to deal with strangers coming into your home or being present during showings!

Hope that helps!

If you want to learn more or get a fair cash offer on your home, give us a call at (360)572-6664! We’re happy to explain our process to you!

06/21/2022

Did your homebuyer recently back out of the contract?

Few things are as frustrating as that — it leaves you (the seller) in a financially and personally precarious position.

Here’s how you can recover!

First of all, remember that a home purchase is a legally binding contract. So, if a buyer backs out without a legitimate reason, it may indicate a breach of contract. This gives the seller some recourse and can create a much better negotiating position.

1. Review the contract

Next, you should thoroughly review the contract to see if there are any clauses that would allow the buyer to back out without penalty. If so, you may be out of luck. However, if there are no such clauses, it may be possible to take legal action against the buyer.

2. Claim the earnest money

If the buyer backs out after the contract has been signed, you may be entitled to the earnest money. This is money that the buyer puts down to show that they are serious about the purchase. It is usually held in escrow by the real estate firm, title company, or lawyer and can be used to cover the seller’s costs if the buyer backs out.

3. Negotiate with the buyer

If the buyer does have a legitimate reason for backing out, it may be possible to negotiate with them to find a solution that works for both parties. For example, you could agree to a lower selling price or a later closing date.

4. Take legal action

If the buyer still refuses to honor the contract, you might consider taking legal action against them. This is usually a last resort, but it is an option if you feel like there is no other choice.

5. Sell your house fast for cash

Don’t restart the entire process. Give us a call at (360)572-6664 and we can make you a fair cash offer within 48 hours. We can even close in as little as two weeks. You pick the closing date!

06/17/2022

Getting a lot of maintenance requests from your tenants?

We get it.

Those requests get overwhelming… fast.

At PineCone Properties, we’ve been working in the real estate market here in Clark and Colwitz county for quite some time. So we know a thing or two when it comes to dealing with maintenance requests from your tenants.

Here are some tips for making things faster and simpler…

Create a System — To make it easy for tenants to submit a maintenance request, we recommend standardizing the process. Consider a property management app to make the entire system simple and efficient.

Respond Quickly — It might be inconvenient (it always is), but responding to maintenance requests quickly is absolutely critical to keeping tenants happy, the property in good shape, and your conscience clear. Don’t wait. Hire someone to help if there are time constraints with scheduling.

Budget For Property Repairs — The harder tenants are on your property, the more money is necessary to budget for repairs. Make sure to keep funds in a savings account that can be used for those unexpected and spendy projects.

Be Clear In Your Lease — Make sure the lease is clear about what types of repairs the tenants are responsible for making.

Maintain a Clear Record — To avoid legal battles with tenants, be sure to keep a crystal-clear record of all the repair requests, costs, and completions on the property. This documentation will help should a tenant unjustly accuse you of not fixing something.

Hope that helps!

If you want to ditch the maintenance requests and sell your property fast, as-is, and for a fair cash price, give us a call at (360)572-6664. We can close in as little as two weeks!

06/07/2022

Going through the probate process?

That can feel like the dark pathway of paperwork that never ends…

In fact, the American Bar Association places the average probate process (from start to finish) to last six to nine months. In rare cases, though, it can last as long as two years.

Other times, it can be much faster.

How long will your probate process take?

Here are some factors to keep in mind…

Size & Complexity of Estate -- If the estate is relatively small, with few assets and beneficiaries, the probate process will probably be fairly quick. However, with an estate that is large or complex, with a high value set of assets and/or multiple beneficiaries, you can expect the process to take longer.

Due Dates -- Probate laws will vary from state to state, but many require that it be settled within a certain period of time (often one year). This can obviously add pressure to the process, and may contribute to additional fees if the estate can't be settled within that time frame.

Location of Estate -- The probate process is handled by the court system in the state where the deceased resided. If your loved one lived in a state with a backlogged court system, you should expect the process to take longer.

These are just a few of the factors that can influence how long the probate process will take. The best way to get an accurate estimate for your situation is to speak with a probate attorney.

And if you want to sell a property fast for a fair cash price, give us a call at (360)572-6664 -- we can buy your home as-is and close in as little as two weeks!