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The 48th Year
Championing the Human Parts of Real Estate Since 1979™
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Oregon Condo Governance: Part 2 - The Gamble of Low HOA Dues
Artificially low HOA dues aren't a badge of honor—they're a ticking time bomb. Freezing dues is a silent shell game that starves reserves, guts home equity, and triggers 2026 mortgage blacklists.


A Nice Voice with a Dangerous Motive
Providing detailed showing feedback isn't a "professional courtesy"—it’s a dangerous trap. While the customer service crowd uses feedback to get competing brokers to do their difficult pricing work for them, savvy listing agents are using those follow-up calls for a completely different reason. I didn't call to find out what you thought about the house; I called to see how quickly you’d hand over your client’s negotiation leverage for free. Here is why true mastery means keep


Walls That Shouldn't Talk: Staging and Fair Housing
Most brokers tell sellers to "depersonalize" so buyers can imagine their own furniture in the room. But there is another reason to clear out a seller's belongings: The Fair Housing Act doesn't just apply to your words; it applies to your walls. From religious icons to physical accessibility barriers, the "message" your staging sends can turn a private residence into a legal liability the moment it becomes a public offering. Learn how to navigate the fine line between ahomeown


Sunday Reflection: Why I Stopped "Showing" Houses
In 1986, I thought I was the "main event." I had the heavy metal tape measure, the polished pitch, and a practiced "agent dance" for every room. But that October, a client moved through a house in a way that pulled me right out of my rhythm. He wasn't looking at the granite or the hardwoods; he was listening for something I couldn't hear.


Sunday Reflection: Remembering Mrs. Miller
In an industry obsessed with "lead generation," we’ve lost a bit of "heart generation." Join me for a Sunday Reflection on Mrs. Miller—a woman who taught me that our true value isn't in the "close," but in the "care."
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