January 2022 Newsletter: From Portland with Love

Hi,

We're kicking off the New Year with our new series, From Portland with Love, to highlight and share everything we love and find unique about our great city. Each month we'll bring you a new neighborhood in the metro area, and post all the fun, quirky things to do there. They're all so different!

We would love to hear about your favorite non-profits and local businesses in the Portland area. Feel free to submit your ideas below, and we'll plan to feature them in our monthly newsletters and on our social media outlets this year.

Our article this month is all about easements -- something you may experience when buying a home in Portland. Also, check out our company owner's insight on finding balance in real estate in the Real Producers' special anniversary edition!

As always, reach out to us with all your real estate needs,

PARIS GROUP REALTY, LLC

North Mississippi Avenue

Do you relish the idea of meandering down Portland neighborhood streets with coffee in hand to find hidden treasures and unique hot spots? Do you love learning about the history of Portland and all our great city has to offer?

This month, we're kicking off our new series, From Portland with Love. Here you'll find local neighborhood information, including date night ideas, upcoming events, schools and parks (for relocating), and much more. We hope to inspire and help you spread the love!

Our January highlight is lively and historic North Mississippi Avenue, part of the Boise-Eliot neighborhood. It's full of fun and funky shops, eateries, and local events. Learn about the history and homes in this charming neighborhood, and sign up for a tour of the neighborhood to kick off the New Year!

Check out N Mississippi Ave

What is an Easement?

You found a home that is perfect for you, however, it sits behind another home and shares a driveway with it. The only way to access your new potential home is via that driveway. You ask your agent about this situation, and you are informed there is an easement. What does this mean? And how does an easement work?

The simple explanation for an easement is that it is a legal situation where a specific piece of land, in this case, the driveway, is owned by one party, but a second party is given the right to use the land for a specific purpose. Property A would own the title to the property the driveway goes across, however, Property B would have the right to use it to access their property. This means the easement goes across Property A's land.

There are several kinds of easements. If you find a property that you are considering purchasing has an easement or is subservient to one, let me know so that I can fully explain as to what exactly your specific easement entails and how it will affect your future if you choose to purchase this property.

The easement you will encounter most often is when a utility company, such as a power company or a sewer company, has an easement on your property to access an electrical pole, sewer lines, or something else that may require attention and maintenance. This is called a utility easement, and it benefits not just you, but your entire community.

A common type of easement is called an “Easement by Necessity.” In this situation, the second house is landlocked—the owners cannot access a public road without crossing their neighbor’s property. This happens more often than one might think, and often occurs when land has been divided or sold off in pieces. Because it would negatively impact the landlocked neighbor, the homeowner whose property is being accessed does not have the right to stop their neighbor from getting to the public road. Therefore, the easement will be reflected in the title of the homes.

A private easement is rarer. You will find it when a landowner has offered, agreed, or accepted a private easement to allow their neighbor(s) to access their land. An example would be if one owner uses another’s land to install solar panels. Note that these easements may negatively affect future homeowners. Easements can be difficult to challenge, and often require a court order to overturn them if easement owners do not want to terminate them.

When an easement is created, a couple of questions arise. These include who grants the easement, who has the right to use the easement, the purpose of the easement, its location, its liability, and who is responsible for maintenance, repairs, and improvements. Along with these, property owners need to know how to modify, or even terminate the easements.

When potential owners investigate a property that has an easement, the thing they should look for is to see who the dominant tenement is (or who the easement benefits, such as the person who is landlocked and needs to use their neighbor’s property) and who is the servient tenement (or whose property is being accessed by their neighbors).

This is just a brief overview of easements, as they can sometimes become a complicated topic. If you would like to know more about them, reach out to us at info@parisgrouprealty.com or (503) 926-5213 and we'll be happy to answer your questions!

Share Your Favorite Local Businesses & Non-Profits with Us

This past year we had the privilege of sharing some amazing Portland-based non-profit organizations and businesses with our media. We hope these resources have been useful for your home maintenance needs, and in bringing awareness to shops, restaurants, and non-profits that vitally need our patronage and support to strengthen the local community.

To kick off the New Year, we would like to switch things up a bit and ask you to share local businesses and non-profits in and around the Portland Metro area.

Do you or one of your family members or friends own a business you would like to see highlighted in one of our future publications? Is there a local non-profit organization you hold near and dear to your heart? We want to support you as you have so generously supported Paris Group Realty, Inc., while spreading the word and sharing our love for Portland.

Click here to share the love!

Considering Buying or Selling a Home?

We're committed to helping you buy or sell property that suits you, both personally and financially. Fostering a long lasting relationship with you is very important to us, and we'll work tirelessly to provide you outstanding service, support, and results.

We firmly believe real estate is one of the most effective means to building wealth. And when it’s time to move on to your next home or place, we're here to help make your sale both profitable and stress-free.

If you're considering buying or selling a home, reach out to us at (503) 926-5213 or info@parisgrouprealty.com and let's get started today!