Home buyers often bring up the old adage that newer homes aren’t being built like they used to be.  Hmm, might depend upon what they’re specifically referring to.  Ever heard of a predicted earthquake Portlanders lovingly refer to as “the big one?” Buyer’s may want to ask themselves this;  Would I rather be standing in the 2nd story of a 1940′s home or the 2nd story of a 2009 home if that thing hits?

Engineering vs. finished product, maybe that’s the question.

Materials are different. Asbestos and lead based paints have been replaced with more edible products like fiber cement and polyethylene.  Realtors are required to give lead based paint pamphlets to any person buying a 1977 or older home.  The pamphlet tells you not to snort paint dust or each the chips.  Actually, none of the materials mentioned are edible so please don’t try.  Sellers are required to disclose any known hazardous substances on the property and all for good reason.

Changes to construction materials can be due to improvement out of necessity but often also because of end cost to consumers.  How much did your parents pay for their house?  Prices today are outrageous!  Well, OK, they’ve come down 20% so maybe they’re in line with inflation.  Everyone’s trying to make a buck. Not trying to defend use of inferior materials here but have to understand that competitiveness is everything.  Using premium natural occuring organic green sustainable renewable stuff sounds good in theory but find a steady flow of consumers who will pay extra costs may be a bit challenging.

new construction

Fiber cement siding and polyethylene piping have replaced real wood and galvanized.  Is one better than the other?  Portland neighborhoods range from classic Victorian to contemporary.  New homes are often wrapped so tightly with siding materials that the house can’t breathe, causing moisture/mold problems.  I’ve also heard several buyers comment on the fumes from new materials/chemicals not agreeing with their health.  Neighborhoods with older home will probably contain far more natural materials.  Portland offers it all.

Engineering practices of today are much tighter than 100 years ago, that’s for sure.  Practices used then are not necessarily used now. Walk into some of SE Portland’s Belmont or Hawthorne houses and you’d think you’re may have enjoyed one too many of the local micro brews.  “Hey, these doorways and floors seem slanted.”  They are.  The plus side is that when you spill liquids they’ll run only to one corner and be easier to clean up…  Most buyers write off slants and crooked doorways to “character”, things you just won’t find in newer construction (or tolerate).  It’d be interesting to see how homes hold up over the next 100 years.

Changes to requirements for shear wall, tie downs, joist hangers and anchor bolts have all come a long way.  It’s educational to look at new construction and see all the metal that’s attached for engineering purposes, things that were just not present years ago.

Which is built better?  Points can be debated.  Tell you what though, when the big one hits I’d rather be in a home engineered to today’s standards than one from 50 years ago.  Of course, I may croak from the mold and chemicals before that…

Check out www.maxwellsinclair.com for more information regarding Portland real estate and home buying!

Data: April 21, 2009

Source: RMLS Area Report Metro Portland & Adjacent Regions

Dave’s Commentary on the Portland Real Estate Market:

Inventory has significantly dropped and at a faster pace than over last two years given the same time period. What does this mean? It means that buyers are seeing the light and taking advantage of short sale and foreclosure home deals. As supply of available homes for sale decreases our market improves. Keep in mind that a balanced amount of listed home favors neither the buyer nor seller at 6 months, we’re currently at 12. That number is way down from January’s record 19!

What we’re experiencing is no movement in secondary price levels, those above $250k or so. The reason our market is slow for anything over $250k is that first time buyers are displacing sellers who are in tough times. Normally these folks would move up in price to a new home, pushing the higher end. Entry level home sellers who overextended finances are now renters. Working through this inventory is again, a sign of market recovery.

First time buyers are looking to convert from renters into owners and take advantage of the federal tax credit of $8000. This money is available to most who close a home before December 1st 2009 and who have not owned in the last 3 yrs.

Sellers in the $400k+ price ranges need to be super agressive on pricing. Look at comparable sales within the last 6 months and subtract 10%. I’m not joking… you’ll move your house and make it up on the purchase!!

The bottom line: If your job is secure take advantage of this situation. Correction to our values was required and 2009 is the year for it. Money is made in real estate on the purchase… not the sale.

Call us and find out more about the Portland real estate market. We have specific strategies to guide both buyers and sellers. Find YOUR HOME WORTH now.

To search for your home anywhere in the Metro Portland area, use our FREE Portland Home Search tool. For more information about living in Portland and finding your dream home, call Dave at (503) 789-7633, Toll Free (877) 629-5825 or email.

Learn about our Exclusive VIP Portland Buyer Services. Contact Dave now. Make informed decisions; make smart choices. Call Dave now at (503) 789-7633 or Toll Free (877) 629-5825 ext. 7.

Relocating to Portland, Oregon? Let us help with your Portland Relocation.

Call us at 503-789-7633 (cell) or email us to see how we can help you with your Portland home buying and selling needs.

Proximity to Downtown- If you’re looking to relocate to the Portland Metro(politan) area there’s probably a reason and it’s most likely job related.  While our unemployment rate is blazing ahead of the rest of the country at 12.1% currently.  Several factors figure in to that number.  One is that Portland Oregon is a fast growing location and many relocatees move before securing employment.  Also, keep in mind that even in the best of times we tend to be ahead of the pack… maybe it’s just due to all the cool entertainment around.  Who has time for work?

Portland’s downtown area is a hub of entertainment both day and night.  Art, culture, open-air markets and the Willamette river provide attraction.  Distance to these and other recreation tend to be on the top of people’s lists when relacating.  Map searches are invaluable when it comes to home choice.  Find your ideal happy medium between work and entertainment, then map search homes for sale in target areas.  Search homes for sale using map based queries like www.maxwellsinclair.com/portland_mapsearch.php

Transportation – Portland is very progressive with it’s public transportation system and planning of such reflects the overall goals, keep it green.  Preventing urbal sprawl is what the urban growth boundary is all about and detailed transportation planning makes vehicle use optional.  In addition to busing systems there’s a light rail train (MAX train), streetcar (downtown Portland), transit mall (new trolley in downtown opening soon), sky tram (South Waterfront to OHSU) and commercial rail train (WES, Beaverton to Wilsonville commuter).

While not in existence yet the east side (Milwalkie) will be connected by MAX within a few years to downtown Portland.  There have been rumors about connecting Lake Oswego to downtown but that’s not going to materialize in the near future… check out www.trimet.org for proximity to public transportation.

Walking Score – Pretty cool idea that someone came up with recently.  www.walkscore.com rates addresses based upon several factors and their proximity to convenience.  Higher score means potentially less use of the car.  Leading areas in Portland are the NW District, The Pearl, South Waterfront, and Cultural/University Districts.  All receive scores near 100.  In fact, talking with downtown condo owners you’ll commonly hear things like, “ya, we went down to the parking garage to see if our car was still there since it hasn’t been used for a month.”

Convenience is a big factor in the overall equation.  Choosing the right Portland neighborhood for your home purchase doesn’t need to involve numerous plane tickets with desktop research whittling down the field.  In addition to these 6 websites finding a good Realtor will also help significantly… probably goes without saying, right?

For more on Portland Real Estate, check out www.Maxwellsinclair.com.