He named a figure. It was significantly lower than what a pristine house would go for in Portland's hot market, but it was fair for a hoarder home needing a total gut job.
Marcus stood on the porch of the now-empty house, looking at the bare lath-and-plaster walls. The smell was gone, replaced by the scent of fresh wood and possibility. He wasn’t just flipping a house; he was restoring a piece of the neighborhood and solving a crisis for a family in over their head. we buy houses portland oregon
Marcus pulled out a flashlight and began his assessment. He looked past the hoard, focusing on the bones of the house. He checked the corners for structural settling. He looked at the ceiling for water stains that would indicate a failing roof. He peeked behind a stack of National Geographic magazines to look at the electrical panel—old screw-in fuses. That would need a complete update. He named a figure
To the outside world, Marcus was a real estate shark looking to profit off people's misfortunes. But Marcus didn't see it that way. He saw himself as a problem solver for people trapped in real estate nightmares. Today, he was driving out to see a property in the Lents neighborhood of Southeast Portland, and it was a case that would test that self-image. The smell was gone, replaced by the scent
Elena nodded nervously and unlocked the front door. "I should warn you, it’s… it’s a lot. My brother lived here for thirty years. He was a collector. Of everything."
Marcus pulled out his tablet and brought up his calculator. He showed her the breakdown: the projected after-repair value based on neighborhood comps, minus the estimated $80,000 in repair and clean-out costs, minus his company's profit margin.
The fluorescent lights of the office hummed at a frequency that always gave Marcus a slight headache by 4:00 PM. On his desk sat a stack of yellow legal pads, a half-empty cup of cold black coffee, and a printed spreadsheet of distressed properties in Multnomah County.