Great Value for your Money

985 Bridgeview Ct Astoria, OR

$189,900

Newer home on South Slope with Youngs Bay view! Home includes fireplace, back deck, master suite and basement!Sits on a large lot in quiet neighborhood cul-de-sac! Back yard had issue with slid, contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436 for more information, or email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com.

Till the Cows Come Home

For the past week I have been reading many news stories about the housing crisis and the impending financial crisis facing the country. The news affects me as an individual who wants to protect his portfolio to insure a comfortable retirement, as a parent who wants to protect his children from a diminished lifestyle, as a business owner who wants to generate yield on his investment, as a broker who wants to see his staff do well during challenging times, as an agent who wants to give good advice to his clients, as a friend who wants to see those close to him not face financial ruin and as a brother and uncle who wants to give sound leadership and advise to his family.

Today I feel the burden of responsibility more than at any other time in my life. Not only because I am a student of history do I have a sense of concern, but also as a sixty-two year old, do I tend to look with less optimism at life than I did as a younger man when death was so far in the distance and when I knew less of the human condition. All that being said, what do I do and what do I say to those around me for whom I have a sense of responsibility and leadership?
It is easy to say that it is fun and interesting to sit on the sidelines and watch those in power do their best to right the ship in order to avoid a Depression or worse events, since there is little else to do because it is beyond the little man's control. It is easy to prognosticate what could have been done or what should be done on economic subjects that are so complex and beyond my understanding. Watching and waiting, or ignoring and hoping is what a cow might do with its life, especially when it is already at the stockyard.

Using one of my sister's favorite expressions, it is a good idea to be proactive. She may have learned this concept at a young age growing up in our family. She learned how our father smelled the dangers of Naziism and took steps to engineer the moving of our extended family out of harm's way. This was a time when many others just watched the events unfold, ever hopeful, and then were ultimately led to the slaughterhouse. Now I am not saying I think that disaster is imminent, it is just that survival in nature requires insight, cunning, and luck. Those who fail to recognize that and depend on passivity and faith, religiously perish. I do not have a list of suggestions for those who matter to me. Is it time to buy Euros, invest in foreclosures, pay off debt, stockpile vegetables, or buy a gun with plenty of bullets?

All I know is that the air smells differently, the problems seem almost insoluble. Even though there are short-term aids, the leadership seems frightened of an impending storm, and that scares me. I know there is always a crack in the fence for those who look for it. The question for me today is whether there is a safe haven. It wasn't simple for my father to choose and plan a new life in America for his family. He had the strength to plan. I wonder today whether the direction for myself and those I care about is to think about planning. There is an old expression, "Either moo or move." Lee

Mill Pond Custom Craftsman

2 plus bedroom, 3 baths, security system, central vac।, unobstructed river view, see more details at:[PDF] Mill Pond।indd, and http://www.areaproperties.com/listman/listings//l0101.html

Columbia River View 8-Plex

721-781 14th Street, Astoria Oregon

$750,000

Centrally located 8 unit apartments. We maintained & upgraded close to downtown and Columbia River. Low maintenance, low vacancies and good rents.

For more photos & info go to AREA Properties website.

Contact Laurie Duey @ 503 791-6518 or Sandy Calvert @ 503 791-2682

See my other Astoria Investment Properties on AREA Properties website.

Salesperson Cannot Represent Competing Purchasers Continues

Last week I summarized a Montana court case where an agent had represented two competing buyers on the same property. The buyer, who failed to get the property, claimed that the agent had failed to fulfill his duties and did not act in his best interest by representing competing bidders. The real estate brokerage and association argued that it was possible to represent both, since agents were trained in dual agency, and the agent had not done anything to adversely effect the outcome of the bidding. The winning offer was accepted based solely on own merit and the agent did nothing counter to the losing buyer's interests.
This topic spurred lively debate at our Tuesday morning Area Properties staff meeting and also brought an interesting perspective from a blog reader, Steve from Massachusetts. Most of my agents are suspicious of dual agency, sense its pitfalls and, in the past several years, have represented either the buyer or seller, but not both. They asked how can one effectively advance the positions of two of opposing forces? Likewise the question was raised whether the agent in the Montana case had disclosed his intention and obtained permission to represent multiple parties? It was assumed that this was not done and therefore, more than anything, evoked the ire of the losing bidder. Steve from Massachusetts contributed that agents in Massachusetts represent sellers only and disclose that information to buyers. He reminded me that single agency avoids the issue. Therefore the agent has no particular duties to buyers aside from honest and fair dealings unless otherwise hired by them. It reminded me of the old days in Oregon before dual agency when buyers felt totally without representation.
In the Montana case, as I read the article, the court narrowly sided with the plaintiff. The court felt it was not enough to sit on the sidelines or do nothing adverse while the forces duke it out. Rather, agency means taking an active role in promoting your client's position. This the court felt was not possible when representing competing clients on the same property. This, of course, says the same conditions are true when an agent represents a buyer and a seller on the same property. Even though dual agency is allowed, it is limited in scope and contradictory in nature. How many consenting sellers and buyers understand that maybe half a loaf isn't really bread at all? Lee

Hilltop Cottage

410 Madison, Astoria

$210,000

Cute and cozy! 2 bedroom like-new home with custom finish throughout. Single garage & professionally landscaping.

For more photos & information go to AREA Properties website.
Contact Laurie Duey @ 503 791-6518 or Sandy Calvert @ 503 791-2682

Salesperson Cannot Represent Competing Purchasers

An agent in my office, Mary Ann, shared with me an interesting article from Buyer's Rep, a publication from the Buyer's Agent council. The article is a summary of a recent Montana lawsuit in which a real estate agent submitted offers from two separate buyers on the same property. The question in the suit involves whether it is possible to represent fairly two parties competing for the same property and fullfill all the duties expected of the agent and promote the interests of the client. The plaintiff who failed to obtain the property alleged that this was impossible and that he had been misrepresented and harmed. The real estate office and association argued that real estate agents are trained to handle dual agency and are allowed to represent buyers and sellers at the same time. Also, as long as the agent did not act in an adverse manner to the client's interest, representing multiple clients fairly and competently, who are bidding on the same property, was certainly possible. How do you believe the court ruled? I am eager to hear your opinion about this case or on any other real estate related question. Click the comments link below or send e-mail. Lee, Area Properties

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