Darva Derr
Oregon Coast Real Estate

Find Your Dream Home on the Oregon Coast!

Tips for Buyers
Tips for Sellers
How to Search the MLS - Tips for getting the best results

I hope you will find the home of your dreams on my web site! I also want to help you be a savvy buyer or seller. You can explore all sorts of homes and properties for sale in Lincoln County, Oregon by clicking on Search the MLS. You do not need to register, and this service is free to you! See what's for sale, or see what your home may be worth. Browse photos, details, maps, virtual tours, and more.

You will find additional search features and financial calculators on my Windermere web site.  An especially handy function allows you to have new listings emailed to you automatically.

Whether you are ready to buy, ready to sell, or just curious, I am here to assist you. You may call, fax, or email me. Whatever works best for you!

Here are some info-nuggets to improve your real estate experience and save you some cash.

Top Tips for Buyers

1. Get pre-qualified or pre-approved early on. I'm happy to show you home listings to help you get a feel for our local real estate market. You can also do this on your own using the MLS search feature. Very soon, you'll need to figure out your price range to narrow down the choices. The best way to do this is to visit a mortgage broker, bank, or credit union. I can help you with this step during our initial consultation. You can estimate your price range with this Mortgage Qualifier Calculator.

2. Write down features you need in a home. Next list things you want. Then add nice-but-not-necessary details. Keep this list handy and update it as you search for homes. Remember to share your list with me. As new homes come on the market, I can email you listings that fit your specific criteria.

3. Surf the web. Browse listings, look at maps, and become familiar with real estate terminology. Consider setting up a myWindermere account to recieve daily or weekly automatic updates of listings. The more prepared you are, the more we'll accomplish together.

4. Select an agent and give her a chance to perform. If it really isn't working out, thank your agent for her time, and pick a different agent — at a different agency, please. While it's perfectly acceptable to interview agents before selecting one, it’s best not to accept an offer to get started until you’re ready for a working relationship.

5. Use your imagination. A home may look dreadful at first, but envision the rooms with your own choice of paint and without the sellers’ possessions! If you can look past clutter, old drapes, and dated color schemes, you'll see potential that other home shoppers have missed.

6. Be ready to buy. When you find your gem, you'll want to act quickly. We can submit an offer any day of the week.  We'll make the offer contingent upon things like securing financing, and getting the home inspected. If the offer is accepted, you'll write a check to serve as earnest money. A title company will hold your earnest money while the conditions of your offer are being satisfied in the following weeks. This is called escrow.

7. Be realistic. Now that you're in escrow, order a professional home inspection, and read every line. If repairs are necessary or impending, let's talk about getting a contractor to estimate repair costs.  This gives us room to negotiate with the seller.

8. Be patient. The best laid plans go wobbly sometimes. Maybe it's a glitch in your financing. Maybe the sellers change their minds about repairing something. I am very good at helping people resolve the unique issues that challenge their transactions. Hang in there, and allow me to work for you!

Top Tips for Sellers 

1. Be critical of your home. Ideally, we will find someone who loves your home as much as you do, and who will be willing to pay more than your asking price. More likely, shoppers will object to little imperfections that you may not even notice. A leaky faucet, some moss on the roof, chipped paint... These are issues to identify and address now.

2. Consider getting a professional home inspection. If your home is in great shape, we'll brag about having a clean home inspection report. If there are some issues, let's get them fixed now. With so many homes currently on the market, buyers can insist on getting a home that's "move-in ready." Lenders are getting pickier, too. Nothing brings escrow to a heart-sinking halt faster than a red flag on a home inspection report.

3. Price your home to sell. We'll get a surge of "hits" in the first few weeks after your home goes on the market. If people are turned off by the price, they may not be around to give your home another look later when you lower the price.

4. Clean, de-clutter, and de-personalize your home. Improve lighting and views by removing heavy drapes or decorative curtains. Expect shoppers to lack imagination. Show them potential by arranging a few key pieces of furniture in each room. This is called “staging,” and I can help you do it effectively!

5. Keep your home clean, neat, and odor-free. Be ready for an agent to bring buyers on an hour's notice. You can ask for more time, of course, but many potential buyers are just visiting our area, and they may be on tight schedules.

6. Get lost. Be gone when the agent shows up with clients, and don't come back until they're sure to be finished. This rule isn't carved in stone, but the odds favor your absence.

7. Be prepared to say goodbye. Selling a home can be a very emotional time. Are you really ready to give it up? Do you know what you're going to do with the money? Consider meeting with an accountant, attorney, or councellor before that first offer comes in.

8. Be flexible. We have a strange market on the coast right now. The good news is that it hasn't tanked like so many places in the country have. But buyers have the upper hand right now, and they may ask favors and concessions, ranging from creative to absurd. Would you consider making repairs you believe are unnecessary? Will you negotiate paying some of the closing costs? What's your timeframe for closing escrow? Are you willing to carry a loan? Your flexibility may be key to closing the deal!

How to use the MLS search feature

The Search the MLS link opens the Lincoln County Multiple Listing Service search feature in a new tab or window of your browser. The MLS has details of every home and property listed for sale in our area. We will use the menu choices to narrow it down to properties you are interested in.

When the MLS windows opens up, every Property Type has been included in the default search, so you will see a really big number of matches.

Click on a single Property Type in the property type selection menu, and the number of matching listings will be reduced. Use the scroll arrows on the right hand side of the menu to see all of the property type choices.

Tips:
1. Ctrl+click to select multiple property types. For example, if you are considering site built and manufactured homes, first click on Residential/Site Blt. Then use the arrow to scroll down until you see Manufactured. Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on Manufactured. Now your search includes both types.
2. Manufactured Only homes do not include the land beneath them, which is typically leased.

Next, we'll set your maximum List Price. For example, to search for homes listed for $300,000 or less, replace 999999999 with 300 and click on Update.

Tip: Most homes are listed for more than they will sell for. Set the List Price higher than what you can afford and see what turns up. There's always room for negotiation, especially in today's market.

Skip the Area and City selections. We'll use the map feature in a minute. But first, continue narrowing your search using the other criteria. For example, let's say you want to see some water outside your windows. Under the View menu, click See All and a selection box will pop up. Check any type of water view that interests you, then click Finished.  

The other selection menus funtion in a similar way. At any time, you can click on the tabs in the upper right corner to see a list of matching homes.

Now we're ready to put these homes on the map. Click the Map Search tab in the upper right hand corner. The homes in your search are shown on the map. You may need to zoom out to see all of them.

Let's say you are interested in homes in the Waldport and Yachats areas. Pan the map south, then zoom in a bit. Select the Search Box Tool below the map. To draw a Search Box, click and release in opposite corners (rather than click and drag). Your search has now been constrained to the geographical area inside the box.

The techniques we've used so far should reduce your search to a manageable number of listings.  The tabs in the upper right hand corner will now be helpful to view and compare details of the homes. They're user-friendly and very forgiving, so click away! Call or email me if you need any assistance. I'm more than happy to help!