The Many Benefits of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units)

by Lucas Gray, co-founder & designer at Propel Studio Architecture Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, are secondary homes that can be built on any residential property in Portland and many of the surrounding communities. As housing costs continue to rise, many neighbors search for affordable housing for themselves or loved ones. ADUs can provide wonderful …

Interest rates and closing costs

These two items are a big part of why we started Portland Loan Team. By eliminating staff and other fixed costs, we are able to offer much better rates and lower costs to our clients. These items also represent a large percentage of the questions we get asked about most often. Interest rates: Average 30 year fixed …

Is a debt consolidation refinance right for you?

Debt consolidation is more attractive now than it has been for many years. There are two factors creating this favorable environment. 1) Interest rates are at the lowest levels we’ve seen since Trump won the election in November 2016. Here’s a graph of rates over the past two years: Source: https://ycharts.com/indicators/30_year_mortgage_rate 2) Housing values have …

Start planning your neighborhood block party!

Spring’s here, and that means summer’s right around the corner. Throwing a block party is a great excuse to get to know those neighbors who you only see traveling to and from work or taking out the trash. There are a few bureaucratic hoops to jump through with the city, but throwing your own block …

Four Reasons to Buy Investment Real Estate

Tax Benefits* There are limited tax benefits for middle-class Americans. Rental real estate has two tax benefits that can provide tax-free income to investment property owners and a tax-free windfall to heirs. Owners can depreciate residential rentals over 27.5 years. The depreciation can be used to offset rental income; meaning owners can receive rent from …