Your home is probably the biggest purchase your family will ever make, and it involves many decisions that go beyond simply choosing one you like.

As top Portland, Lake Oswego and Tigard/Tualatin area real estate agents, here is how we will guide you through the entire process, from viewing homes and financing, to making sure the final contract is in your best interest:

- You will have full access to ALL homes available on the Portland, Lake Oswego and Tigard/Tualatin market, even listings not yet on the MLS, through our professional Oregon real estate affiliations.

- Our expert local knowledge of the Portland, Lake Oswego and Tigard/Tualatin area should be invaluable to you, not just in terms of real estate, but also schools, neighborhoods, the local economy, and more.

- Every local real estate market absolutely has its own trends and opportunities. This can vary greatly, even one neighborhood to the next. Portland, Lake Oswego and Tigard/Tualatin is no different! It's our job to steer you into opportunities and out of traps.

- What is the true market value of the home you are interested in? Is it priced too high? Is it a bargain that you should jump on? We help home buyers make decisions like this every day, and we'll make sure that YOU get the best value for your money.

- Negotiating with sellers can be stressful. We will help you negotiate, so that the final contract includes your best possible terms and conditions.

- You should know absolutely everything about the property you are buying! You and a member or my team or I will view every home that you are interested in, together. And prior to closing we will make you fully aware of any and all inspections available to you.

- Have confidence when signing documents. Contracts are full of complicated terms and clauses that can greatly affect your future life in your new home. We will give you the full benefit of our real estate knowledge and experience.

Let us represent your best interests in your search for a new home in the Portland, Lake Oswego and Tigard/Tualatin area. While you can see a million homes on the web, actually buying your home is another matter entirely. Buyers beware!

Deciding How Much House You Can Afford

Your lender decides what you can borrow but you decide what you can afford.

Lenders are careful, but they make qualification decisions based on averages and formulas. They won’t understand the nuances of your lifestyle and spending patterns quite as well as you do. So, leave a little room for the unexpected – for all the new opportunities your home will give you to spend money, from furnishings, to landscaping, to repairs.

Historically, banks use a ratio called 28/36 to decide how much borrowers could borrow. An approved housing payment couldn’t be more than 28 percent of the buyer’s gross monthly income, and his or her total debt load, including car payments, student loans, and credit card payments, couldn’t be more than 36 percent. (In Canada lenders apply similar formulas to determine how much a buyer can afford. The Gross Debt Service ratio, or GDS, is not to exceed 32 percent of the buyer’s gross monthly income, and the Total Debt Service ratio, or TDS, is not to exceed 40 percent of the buyer’s total debt load.) As home prices have risen, some lenders have responded by stretching these ratios to as high as 50 percent. No matter how expensive your market though, we urge you to think carefully before stretching your budget quite so much.

Deciding how much you can afford should involve some careful attention to how your financial profile will change in the upcoming years. In the long run, your own peace of mind and security will matter most.