By Carson Mead, August 10, 2018
This clothespin really ties the neighborhood together. It’s a conversation piece, it’s a selfie highlight reel. It’s prominently displayed on the corner of my seller’s property, and he had it commissioned as the final piece of his landscaping reboot on the property. When the home was listed, I had several calls from interested neighbors that wanted to purchase the clothespin if the new buyers didn’t want it, so it could be relocated to another home in the neighborhood. It’s unlikely that the cost of this piece was a good return on the investment, but it’s not everyday that you see a house come up for sale that has a 7′ clothespin. That’s an intangible that ultimately ended up being an important piece for why the new buyers fell in love with this home.
As a broker, one of my favorite parts of the job is understanding the story of the home, and how it’s been lived in. If I’m representing the buyer, this usually means going through inspections and working with qualified professionals that can help shed light on the history of the home, the condition it’s in now, and where it’s likely heading. I like to understand the story, and help my buyers learn that story if they’re interested. I find this can be useful to learn the kind of care that the home has had, and what the experience will tend to be living there.
I’m very invested in my clients, and I work hard to understand how I can be of service in helping to achieve their goals. Ultimately the story of a home is a reflection of the story of our lives. It’s a great honor to be invited into that and have the opportunity to help in the big transitions. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions that I can answer.
Carson Mead
Broker & ADU Specialist
My first introduction to the world of real estate came in 2004, when at the age of 22 I bought my first home in NE Portland with my sister.
I still remember what a monumental life transition that was. Buying my own home laid the foundation for a lifelong love of all things related to houses. I enrolled in a year-long Building Construction program to gain more knowledge in housing systems and techniques. I have used those tools to enhance my own home both inside and out. I joke that my favorite part of a house is the basement, as that’s where I can see the health and maintenance of a home’s systems: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, foundation etc. While a home inspector is the professional on helping to understand the story of a home, I like to provide as much due-diligence as possible up front before you spend the money and get into contract.
Ultimately my goal is to meet you in any endeavor that you are wanting to undertake. If you are looking to sell, I will develop a strategy that makes sense for you with your goals, timelines and marketing strategy. If you want to invest in your home before going on the market, we’ll look at what you can do to maximize your profit: be it refinishing floors, painting, modifying light fixtures, and getting it staged. If you need to stay in your home while selling, I’ll bring in my stager to help get perspective on how to pare down the feel of your home and have tangible goals to achieve in getting ready to go on the market.
If you are looking to invest in Portland real estate, we can talk about the big four in analyzing properties. Rental income, principal reduction, equity growth and tax benefits. I work with spreadsheets to outline these assets so you can see the short and long term performance of your investment.
Once last piece of my professional and personal life that I spend a lot of time thinking about are ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units). Also known as mother-in-law units and granny flats, these can be detached or attached. When I see a home, I look at the property in detail to see how the home is oriented on the lot and if it is ripe for a detached ADU (new construction), or if it is a good prospect for creating an attached unit (a basement apartment). I also look at the zoning to see what kind of potential this could add.
I am in mid-process building my own detached ADU. The structure is going to be modern with clean lines and open concept. I live on a corner lot, which means the ADU can have it’s own street entrance. I also have zoning which will allow me to split the lot if I choose and sell it separately at some point. My plan is to keep it as a rental, but this will create a lot of flexibility both short and long term.
I am a cooperatively focused broker, with a passion for helping people achieve their goals and succeed in their endeavors. I am patient, understanding, trustworthy, and truly care about your best interests. I serve on my neighborhood association board and the larger Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods.
Please let me know if you'd like to share a beverage, coffee, tea, beer/wine to talk about what’s important to you and see if it would be a good fit to work together. All the best—
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- T: 503-853-5446
- F: 503-961-8224
- carson@livingroomre.com
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503-961-8224