Friday, April 1, 2016

How Do Escrow Accounts Work in Eugene?


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Today, we’re talking about how escrow accounts work. An escrow account is essentially a money-holding tank. It’s when a third party, such as a loan officer or escrow officer, holds on to a homeowner’s money to pay certain property related expenses. The third party collects and documents the money associated with a particular transaction.

Secondly, an escrow account can be used to pay a mortgage. The lending company can collect the money taxed from mortgage payments.

An escrow account, thirdly, can be used when a party purchases a home and the funds are held on to prior to the final transaction. These funds are referred to as earnest money, which is part of your down payment. It ultimately shows the seller you’re earnest about buying their home. Depending on which loan program you choose and qualify for, you might be required to have an escrow account, especially if you’re paying less than 20% down.



How much is the average fee for the service of an escrow account? The average cost is usually split between the buyer and seller. Typically, it costs approximately $200 and $3 per every $1,000 the home costs. For instance, a $200,000 home would cost you $800, from $600 (from the $3 per $1,000) and additional $200 fee. Split that fee in half between two parties and you have $400.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the surrounding Eugene area, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Don’t Miss this Expert Analysis of Lane County Real Estate


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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

Today we’re going to take a look at what happened with real estate in Eugene this past year. Overall, I think we’re heading into a busy market that will cater to both buyers and sellers.

Our average days on market in December was 68, and that has not changed a lot since then. It’s right at 71 days now, and we have about three months of inventory. This puts us in a market that’s favoring home sellers, so if you’ve been thinking about buying, now is the time to do so.

Our average sale price is increasing as well. It’s at $240,000 right now, so this is great news for homeowners and potential home buyers.



I would advise you to get into this market early before interest rates rise and people flood the spring market. You have a great opportunity to buy a home affordably.

Also, be sure to ask about my new book, Moving Forward: 25 Essential Rules to Buying and Selling Real Estate without Going Crazy.

Ask me about receiving a copy if you’re interested!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Ways to Save Money With Your Eugene Mortgage


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.  
Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

Today, we’ll discuss how you can save money with your mortgage. If this is something you’re interested in, think about this. If you were to add one extra payment on your 30-year mortgage every year, you could save seven years worth of payments! On a 15-year mortgage, you could save at least a year and a half worth of payments. Likewise, on a 20-year mortgage, you then subtract about four years worth of payments.

In fact, you could set up an automatic withdrawal into a savings account for a small amount each month. Saving little by little monthly makes it easy to make that one additional payment at the end of the year.


If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Eugene, give me a call or send me an email for a free consultation. I’d also be happy to pass on my report called The 90 Things You Can’t Afford to Neglect When Selling Your Home.