Now he has the best of both worlds, with “great things happening” in home sales, as well as a full schedule of soccer, dance and band performances with his grandchildren, Kayley, 14, Emily, 10, and Austin, 6.

Describing the metro-area housing market as “fortunate” — stable during the downturn of the past several years — Harris said sellers are now seeing an average 3.5-percent gain over a year ago.

Harris said clients from outside the region consistently find amenities offered in metro-area homes “very attractive” compared to homes in the same price range in other cities.

That goes for foreclosures as well as traditional sales.

Among Harris' current bank-owned listings is 8012 NE 140, a 3,367-square foot, five-bedroom, brick home on a leafy 1-acre lot a short walk from the south shore of Arcadia Lake, for sale for $330,000.

It is not what many people think of when they think “foreclosure.”

Entering via the hardwood-floored foyer, the home's construction quality and detail are immediately apparent. Plantation shutters accent the windows in the spacious living room, with custom built-in cabinetry a highlight in the study.

The kitchen and family room flow together, a cathedral ceiling and windows to the rolling back lawn making the center of the home open and bright.

The downstairs master bedroom is a roomy retreat, the adjacent master bath offering separate bath and shower, custom tile, and a deep walk-in closet.

Family space upstairs was the designer's obvious goal. Two ample bedrooms connect via a multipurpose room ready for art projects, homework or Lego compounds.

Two additional bedrooms are just a few steps down the hall — one of which could easily be configured as a media room.

Harris said the $330,000 price tag on the foreclosed property is not unheard of.

“We see a lot of lower-price investor properties,” he said, “but also seven-figure foreclosures.”