Keeping It Real Estate with Colleen Benson

The 2024 Baby Boomer’s Guide To Downsizing

When it comes to deciding where to live in retirement, many Baby Boomers are choosing to downsize their home. There are many benefits to going this direction, but there are also several challenges that we often see.
 
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 - Intro
1:41 – Why downsize?
3:47 – Emotional concerns
6:20 – Health issues
9:50 – Financial considerations
11:32 – Market conditions
13:10 – Role the agent plays
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
 
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 
 
Watch our show & see featured listings on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3uGMsBW

Beautiful Home in Waldport, Oregon – FEATURED LISTING

Our feature listing this week is a wonderful home in Waldport, Oregon. We’ll tell you all about it in this video and share some pictures of the home on Edgewater Drive.
 
Plus, we’ll answer a question form Bill that covers a topic we get asked about all the time. Is it difficult to buy and sell a home at the same time? If you’re going through that experience for the first time, we’ll tell you what you need to know because it can be a little difficult trying to navigate on your own. Join us as we share the steps and some tips to help you through that process.
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 - Intro
0:57 – Listing of the week
7:32 – Buying & selling a home at same time
 
See the featured listing here: https://www.bensonbrokergroup.com/homes-for-sale/OR/waldport/97394/875-sw-edgewater-dr/bid-394-24-278
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
 
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 
 
Watch our show & see featured listings on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3uGMsBW

How to Handle a Disagreement Over Listing Price

Every seller who decides to put their home on the market wants to get as much as they can at the closing table. It’s not uncommon for that person to have a price in their head before meeting with a real estate agent and then they find out it might not be that valuable.
 
Today we want to talk through this scenario thanks to a question we received from someone recently. Here it is:
 
I have spoken with a couple of realtors about selling my home and can’t seem to agree with any of them on a listing price. They all think I should price it lower, but I really think I can get a higher value for the home. How should I handle the situation of a disagreement over listing price with a realtor?
 
Find out how Colleen handles the price discussion with sellers and learn more about a great event coming up in the Salem area on this episode.

How National Real Estate Trends Impact Salem, Oregon

On this episode, we're zooming in on how national real estate trends are directly affecting your local market. Are sellers in your area more open to concessions? How have recent shifts in interest rates influenced the local real estate scene? And has the rise in remote work been a boon or a drag for your local housing market?
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 - Intro
2:27 – More seller concessions
4:29 – Interest rates
6:10 – Low existing home sales
7:31 – Realtor concerns
10:00 – Remote work impact
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 
Watch our show & see featured listings on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3uGMsBW

January Real Estate Market Jumps in Salem, Oregon

On this episode, we're zooming in on how national real estate trends actually differ from what we are seeing around Oregon to start 2024. While many of the headlines are full of doom and gloom, Salem and surrounding areas have had a great start to the year.
We’re going to highlight a few of the key stats that capture this positive momentum and then share a great story from the closing table about a multigenerational home we worked on last month.
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 – Intro
0:46 – Market update
4:06 – Local perspective
6:00 – Closing Recap
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 
Watch our show & see featured listings on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3uGMsBW

Two Listings in Salem & Dallas, Oregon You’ll Want to See

We’re excited to bring our podcast to YouTube so that we can expand the show by sharing photos of the homes we feature on the show. To kick it off, we have two great homes to showcase in this episode.
The first is a 3br/2ba home in Dallas, Oregon that is listed for $530,000. It features a large flat driveway with an RV parking pad and some beautiful touches throughout the home.
The second home is a cute home in West Salem, Oregon that you’ll find for under $400,000. It’s a new home, built in 2015, with a very manageable lot.
Check out the listings below: 
https://wvmls.paragonrels.com/paragonls/publink/view.mvc/?GUID=a453f22b-271e-49e0-a3ac-0a4fa0dfedd1&Report=Yes
https://www.bensonbrokergroup.com/homes-for-sale/OR/salem/97304/909-limelight-ave-nw/bid-178-813059 
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
0:00 - Intro
1:10 – Home in Dallas, Oregon
4:57 – Home in Salem, Oregon
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 
Watch our show & see featured listings on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3uGMsBW

How to Find a Bargain-Priced Home

We all like to get a good deal, especially when it comes to a major purchase like buying a home. Today, we talk through an older article with tips and tricks on how to find a bargain-priced home. Colleen shares which of these pointers she agrees with and which ones she feels have changed over time.
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
Homes on the market for more than 30 days may open up a bargain.
Stay away from turnkey and fixer-upper homes.
Should you shop for alternatives to single-family homes?
Seek out less desirable or outdated homes. 
Find foreclosure options…if they exist.
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
 
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value 

Clearing The Air About Commissions

You may have heard some recent buzz about real estate commissions in the news. Following a lawsuit in Missouri, we discuss some potential shifts and perspectives regarding commission structures. Right now, buyers don’t pay a realtor fee and the sellers do. How could this potentially impact homebuyers? Colleen shares what she foresees happening and how much to be concerned about it.
 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
How standard real estate commissions work.
What changes could buyers face?
Will first-time homebuyers have a harder time?
 
Get in touch with Benson Broker Group: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/
Find out how much your home is worth: https://bensonbrokergroup.com/home_value