Hi, I’m Maria Ta, the buyer specialist here at Team Goché. If you’re shopping for a home in Portland, there’s a good chance you’ll be spending a lot of time with me: touring houses, dissecting inspection reports, and figuring out what “dream home” actually means once you start walking through front doors.
Lauren and I run this show together. She’s the strategist, thinking three moves ahead, negotiating like a chess master, and keeping her pulse on every corner of the Portland market. I’m the one in the field, helping our buyers get into homes that fit their life, not just the Zillow fantasy. Together, we’ve built a system that gives our clients double the attention and twice the brainpower.
How I Work With You
Our first meeting is low-key: usually coffee, maybe tea, definitely a conversation. We’ll talk through what’s going on in your life right now and where you want it to go – commute, pets, hobbies, budget, non-negotiables, secret Pinterest boards. It’s not a sales pitch; it’s the part where I start building the map.
From there, I curate a search that reflects who you actually are. I’ll probably nudge you to peek outside the “trendy” zip code you saw on TikTok. (Portland’s full of pocket neighborhoods that are just as cute, usually quieter, and often way friendlier on price.)
When we tour, I’m looking at flow, light, layout, and sound; not just the finishes. If the kitchen backsplash looks like a crime scene, that’s fixable. If the floor plan traps you in a maze of hallways, that’s not.
My goal is to help you see what a house could be and what it’ll never be, no matter how much paint you throw at it.
Our Buying Philosophy: “Buy Ugly, Sell Cute”
We say it all the time because it works. The homes that photograph well online aren’t always the best long-term investments. The ones with “meh” photos and strong bones? Those are the quiet winners.
Some of my favorite clients leaned into this philosophy:
- One of our clients fell for a not-yet-cute house on a stellar, walkable street. The bones and floor plan were right; the price reflected the cosmetics. They’ve been steadily leveling it up and living the life they wanted now, not after a five-figure bidding war.
- Another single buyer in her 40s (and her dog), closed on a place that fit her long-term life—key day included tears, a tree for her yard, and that deep exhale of “I’m stable.” Those are our favorite days.
When you trust us enough to look past the “Instagram” houses, we can usually find something smarter, something that grows with you.
What I Bring To Your Search
- Relocation radar. I’m a transplant myself, so I know what it’s like to land here fresh. I’ll help you get the real Portland vibe: coffee haunts, quiet streets, and off-leash parks included.
- Search obsession. I genuinely love digging for listings. I’m the nerd who finds a property everyone else missed, messages Lauren, and says, “Wait, what about this one?” (Half the time, it’s the one.)
- Calm in the chaos. When inspections get weird or the market gets spicy, I’ll walk you through what’s normal, what’s negotiable, and what’s actually worth panicking about.
- Translation that fits you. If you speak spreadsheets, I’ll bring numbers. If you speak video games, I’ll explain contingencies like boss battles. If you speak intuition, we’ll vibe it out.
- Big-picture honesty. I’ll tell you when something’s a deal, when it’s a trap, and when you might just need to wait six months and save more. No pressure, no fluff, just the truth.
Let’s Talk About “Overpaying”
This question always comes up: Are we overpaying? Here’s the truth – value is created in real time by real buyers. If multiple people would pay the same price and you can comfortably afford it, that is the market value.
Our job is to make sure you’re not chasing emotion, you’re making an informed move, and you’ll still love your choice ten years from now. When bidding wars do happen, we walk you through what staying 7–10 years in the home looks like. Historically, that’s long enough for any short-term market wobble to smooth out. You focus on building a life there, and we’ll protect your resale value in the background.
Speaking of what value looks like, if you’re curious what a high-performing “luxury-ish” segment looks like in Portland right now, check out this post: What $800K–$1M Gets You in Portland Real Estate in 2025. It gives good context for benchmarks, finishes, and what’s possible when you step into that price range.
What It’s Like To Work With Us
- The Game Plan. Coffee, clarity, timelines, neighborhoods, financing; everything mapped out.
- The Search. I hunt down the contenders and add the context Zillow can’t: how the space flows, where your couch will actually fit, and whether that “quiet street” is secretly a cut-through.
- The Tours. We walk, measure, and talk through “what ifs,” and notice what photos didn’t show.
- The Offer. Strategy built for this house, this week, for your comfort level.
- Inspections + Negotiation. I handle logistics; Lauren guides strategy. We get you the cleanest outcome possible.
Closing + Beyond. You get keys, photos, hugs, and a plan for what’s next; whether that’s nesting, renovating, or starting your “sell cute” countdown.
Who I Am (Beyond The Job)
- Dry humor. I’m introverted until I’m not.
- Dog person, obviously. (It’s kind of a hiring requirement on this team.)
- Gamer, storyteller, detail nerd. If metaphors help you understand escrow, I have a hundred.
When I hand you keys, I’m thinking about how safe, proud, and grounded you’ll feel walking through that door. That’s what keeps me doing this work every day.
Why Team Goché Works This Way
Lauren built this team to do real estate differently, to be strategic and human, to combine killer marketing with deep empathy. Having a buyer specialist means you get a dedicated advocate who’s fully present with you, while Lauren focuses on the macro strategy that keeps your deal airtight.
We overlap constantly. We text about your inspection results, double-check pricing models, and trade notes on neighborhoods and comps like we’re building an encyclopedia. You get a team that actually talks to each other (which, shockingly, isn’t the industry norm).
Note From Lauren
When I brought Maria onto the team, it wasn’t just to get help; it was to find someone who actually gives a damn. And that’s her to a T.
She’s organized, sharp, and genuinely cares about people. She still gets excited about finding the right house for our buyers – like, texting-me-at-10 excited – and that kind of energy is contagious.
She’s also younger and newer to Portland, which means she notices things I don’t. She has this fresh lens that keeps our team sharp (and keeps me honest). She’ll point out a detail or a neighborhood vibe I might’ve missed, and she’s usually right.
Working with her has changed everything; it’s allowed me to focus more on high-level strategy and negotiation while she gives our buyers the time, attention, and empathy they deserve. Plus, it’s just more fun. We brainstorm, problem-solve, trade memes, and basically keep each other caffeinated and sane.
Maria is passionate, steady, and real. She meets people where they are, guides them through every bump, and makes sure they never feel alone in the process. She’s not just a buyer’s agent; she’s the calm in the storm (and the secret weapon you want in your corner).
Clients feel that. And so do I.
Ready When You Are
If you’re even thinking about buying in Portland, this season or next, reach out. There’s no pressure, no contracts for asking questions. We’ll give you real answers, a realistic plan, and a team that actually gives a damn.
Let’s grab coffee. Tell me about your dog. We’ll take it from there.
