Downtown city life may not be for everyone, but for those who are drawn to the fast paced lifestyle of the city center, it can offer some pretty amazing perks. Downtown Portland, in particular, is one of the most vibrant downtowns in the U.S. to live in.

One of the most obvious benefits is transportation. There’s no need for a car if you use Portland’s nationally recognized public transit system, TriMet. For most residents of downtown Portland, walking, biking, and public transit are the preferred mode of transportation.

City blocks in Portland were intentionally designed smaller than in some other cities (200 feet instead of a typical 300 to 800 feet), making for a closer walk to Portland’s many corner restaurants and shops. If your workplace is downtown, this means you may truly be able to do without a car completely.

The Pearl District is one of the most popular places to live in the downtown area because of the abundance of retail shops and easy transportation. You can search this site to find condos and lofts in the Pearl District and other downtown Portland areas.



Portland’s real estate market is not bad. Buyers of investment properties need to take advantage.  Want a competitive edge?  Better be on top of the new listings.  Most websites offer automatic email functions.  These can often be set to send immediately as new property listings become available but some only send once per day.  Only looking once per day may not cut it when competing for hot properties around Portland Oregon neighborhoods.

How can buyers have first shot at the good deals?  Reality is that 99.9% of real estate transactions happen through Realtors.  Hook up with a good one.  Agents working with investment property buyers need to stay on top of new listings and do market research immediately as houses become available.

What’s a good deal for investors?  Take a look at Portland’s west side for example.  Beaverton homes and Hillsboro neighborhoods often offer better cash flow than those found elsewhere.  When looking at the home purchase consider what sort of expenses are attached directly to PITI (principle, interest, taxes and insurance) and what neighborhood rents are.  Entry level homes offer much more bang for the buck than higher end, rental wise.  Rents on a 1200′ 3 bedroom 2 bath detached Beaverton home are running around $1100/mo at the moment.  Figure a good price for such a property might be $175k.  Compare that with cash flow on a $350k home where rents may be $1600/mo.  You do the math.

Competitive nature of investors.  Being first to the table with an offer is key.  It’s almost better to shoot first then aim in this market, you’ll have opportunity to bail out later.  I’m referring to red hot bank dumped properties here and not average run-of-the-mill real estate.  Hot properties like ones priced at $90 sq. ft. vs. the neighboring ones selling around $150.  These will be bank-owned foreclosures in Portland and surrounding areas, and they’re marketed through agents just the same as any other property.  I’ve seen several in the last few months around Beaverton and Hillsboro, they do exist.  Jump on them the same day they hit the market.

Sitting on the fence. At any given time there are a ton of buyers who say “wow, that was a good deal.  I’d have bought that one… if I’d known about it.”  The only reason buyers don’t know about it is because they (and their Realtor) are not paying attention.  Countless would-be investors sit on the fence analyzing a particular property while another savvy investor snatches it up.  That way the little kid mentality can kick in; That guy wants it, now I really want it.  Not all properties listed in RMLS are still available, some are awaiting bank paperwork before listing a property as “pending” in the system.  Dilly dallying doesn’t pay!

Metro Portland Area	Yr to date Avg Price	Avg Mkt Days	Avg Appreciation
North Portland	$234500	113	-5.1%
NE Portland	$297100	107	-3.0%
SE Portland	$240800	127	-6.2%
Gresham / Troutdale	$228200	167	-9.1%
Milwaukie / Clackamas	$296300	185	-8.2%
Oregon City / Canby	$299800	147	-9.0%
Lake Oswego / West Linn	$484400	178	-9.1%
West Portland	$446000	135	-2.6%
NW Portland / Washington County	$363000	126	-5.8%
Beaverton / Aloha	$249000	145	-6.6%
Tigard / Wilsonville	$320700	158	-8.0%
Hillsboro / Forest Grove	$245500	165	-9.6%

Data: June 8, 2009

Source: RMLS Area Report Metro Portland & Adjacent Regions

Dave’s Commentary on the Portland Real Estate Market:

RMLS numbers reflect a reduction in Portland’s housing inventory. We’re down to an 11 month supply for April’s final figures. This is a good sign that the market is starting to improve. Typically the amount of homes for sale rises in spring as do the number of closed sales. A reduction in overall inventory means that buyers are purchasing at a faster rate than homes are being listed for sale.

Working with buyers provides me an opportunity to interact with listing agents when out showing homes. I always ask other agents what their offices are seeing and what that person’s take on the market is. Lately it’s all been the same. Business is up!

Comments vary across the range of course but the majority of agents I’ve spoken with are raving about the amount of buyers they’re currently working with. While May’s inventory numbers are not out yet it’s exciting to anticipate. My guess is that it’ll be down even more, showing more market improvement.

RMLS data shows dwindling appreciation figures so keep in mind that these are a reflection of activity 3 -6 month’s ago. Forecasts are still fairly abundant that late 3rd quarter/early 4th will show we’ve reached a plateau. By the time the media starts reporting on such buyers will start seeing sellers being less desperate.

Dave’s prediction; We’re getting very close to bottoming out or may have already done so. Buyers closing in 2009 will reap huge benefits 5 years from now. Fence sitters need to make their move.

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.

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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.

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Metro Portland Area	Yr to date Avg Price	Avg Mkt Days	Avg Appreciation
North Portland	$234500	113	-5.1%
NE Portland	$297100	107	-3.0%
SE Portland	$240800	127	-6.2%
Gresham / Troutdale	$228200	167	-9.1%
Milwaukie / Clackamas	$296300	185	-8.2%
Oregon City / Canby	$299800	147	-9.0%
Lake Oswego / West Linn	$484400	178	-9.1%
West Portland	$446000	135	-2.6%
NW Portland / Washington County	$363000	126	-5.8%
Beaverton / Aloha	$249000	145	-6.6%
Tigard / Wilsonville	$320700	158	-8.0%
Hillsboro / Forest Grove	$245500	165	-9.6%

Data: June 8, 2009

Source: RMLS Area Report Metro Portland & Adjacent Regions

Dave’s Commentary on the Portland Real Estate Market:

RMLS numbers reflect a reduction in Portland’s housing inventory. We’re down to an 11 month supply for April’s final figures. This is a good sign that the market is starting to improve. Typically the amount of homes for sale rises in spring as do the number of closed sales. A reduction in overall inventory means that buyers are purchasing at a faster rate than homes are being listed for sale.

Working with buyers provides me an opportunity to interact with listing agents when out showing homes. I always ask other agents what their offices are seeing and what that person’s take on the market is. Lately it’s all been the same. Business is up!

Comments vary across the range of course but the majority of agents I’ve spoken with are raving about the amount of buyers they’re currently working with. While May’s inventory numbers are not out yet it’s exciting to anticipate. My guess is that it’ll be down even more, showing more market improvement.

RMLS data shows dwindling appreciation figures so keep in mind that these are a reflection of activity 3 -6 month’s ago. Forecasts are still fairly abundant that late 3rd quarter/early 4th will show we’ve reached a plateau. By the time the media starts reporting on such buyers will start seeing sellers being less desperate.

Dave’s prediction; We’re getting very close to bottoming out or may have already done so. Buyers closing in 2009 will reap huge benefits 5 years from now. Fence sitters need to make their move.

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 home buying and selling needs.

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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.

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!

Metro Portland Area	Yr to date Avg Price	Avg Mkt Days	Avg Appreciation
North Portland	$232000	114	-2.0%
NE Portland	$296000	130	-2.0%
SE Portland	$239000	149	-5.1%
Gresham / Troutdale	$225000	144	-8.0%
Milwaukie / Clackamas	$292200	137	-7.3%
Oregon City / Canby	$287000	171	-5.5%
Lake Oswego / West Linn	$491500	141	-7.9%
West Portland	$522900	179	-1.7%
NW Portland / Washington County	$383000	163	-4.1%
Beaverton / Aloha	$255000	145	-5.0%
Tigard / Wilsonville	$322300	226	-6.9%
Hillsboro / Forest Grove	$246700	162	-8.2%

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.

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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.

So, you’re relocating to Portland Oregon.  That’s awesome!  About 3/4 of Portlanders were either born here or relocated.  The other 1/4 were not sure about… just joking.  Attraction to this area can be attributed to several factors including entertainment, culture and cost of housing.  Believe it or not we’re ranked in the top 5 relocation destinations for the nation!

This blog focuses on Portland real estate and as luck would have it so will this article.  Surprise, surprise.  Coming from out of town has it’s difficulties so much research often takes place long distance before finding a suitable neighborhood to buy a home.  Here are 6 big tools to help with neighborhood research:

School ratings.  Whether or not you have kids is not the point.  Schools are one of the easiest ways to determine whether neighborhoods are going to be a good match.  There’s a fantastic website (www.greatschools.net) that rates schools on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best.  Elementary schools pull from a small radius.  RMLS lists elementary schools as a required field.  Even the laziest agent has to fill in this information before a home listing goes public, therefore, house searches can be centered around specific schools.  While a home’s elementary school rating is not everything, it is a reflection of community.  Better school rating, nicer neighborhood.  Check it out if you’re familiar with a particular school location in the country and see for yourself, this is a national tool.

Very few neighborhoods in Portland actually feed into “10″ rated elementary schools.  Bethany, Cedar Mill and Laurelhurst are the only ones, last time I checked anyway.  Lake Oswego/West Linn ranks top in Oregon too, but it’s a suburb-type city.  Some of Beaverton’s schools are rated well too.  It’s amazing that within only a few blocks school ratings can vary significantly, so do the neighborhoods.

Food Shopping – QFC, Whole Foods, New Seasons, and other high-end grocery storesare an indication of neighborhood quality.  Also, check out Starbucks.  They put alot of research into store locations and won’t plant one in a sketchy area.  Stores mentioned above can only thrive in certain areas, areas of higher income mainly.  Money isn’t everything.  Check out crime stats, income levels and other census information at www.portlandmaps.com but look at grocery shopping more than just shopping.

Pictures – Every Realtor is now required to upload at least one front shot of the listed house within a few days of input into RMLS.  Searching Portland homes for sale from a distance has it’s hurdles, especially when not familiar with the city or surrounding locations.  Want to know what a neighborhood really looks like?  www.maps.google.comwill put you right in front of the house you’re looking at online.  It’a a tour right from your desk.  Pan around, look at surrounding homes, see how many cars are parked on the neighbor’s lawn, how many washing machines are on their porch?  www.earth.google.comhas similar aerial shots.  Many times, there’s waaay more to the story than what RMLS pictures stratigically leave out.  How close is the subject property to commercial buildings, apartments or a freeway?  Value is affected by such.  This is a great tool!

Visit the website for Portland relocation, Portland neighborhood information, and Portland homes for sale throughout the metro area.  www.maxwellsinclair.com

Metro Portland Area	Yr to date Avg Price	Avg Mkt Days	Avg Appreciation
North Portland	$232000	114	-2.0%
NE Portland	$296000	130	-2.0%
SE Portland	$239000	149	-5.1%
Gresham / Troutdale	$225000	144	-8.0%
Milwaukie / Clackamas	$292200	137	-7.3%
Oregon City / Canby	$287000	171	-5.5%
Lake Oswego / West Linn	$491500	141	-7.9%
West Portland	$522900	179	-1.7%
NW Portland / Washington County	$383000	163	-4.1%
Beaverton / Aloha	$255000	145	-5.0%
Tigard / Wilsonville	$322300	226	-6.9%
Hillsboro / Forest Grove	$246700	162	-8.2%

Data: March 20, 2009

Source: RMLS Area Report Metro Portland & Adjacent Regions

Dave’s Commentary on the Portland Real Estate Market:

Portland’s housing inventory is down from January’s record number to 16.6 month’s worth of supply. At the current rate of purchase it’ll take this long to buy up all homes for sale, if no others houses were to list in RMLS. This number is important because it’s a gage on our housing market.

If playing field was level between buyers and sellers there’d be a 6 month supply. Scales are heavily favoring buyers currently. Projections for growth in the Portland metro area are still optimistic. New industry has capitalized on Hillsboro’s industrial locations. The South Waterfront is still projected to grow immensely in coming years and condos for sale in the area are plentiful. Also, 3 luxury apartment buildings are being constructed at the moment.

Interest rates today are pushing 4.5%. Wow! Investors need to look at this opportunity as rare in the overall picture of real estate. Cash flow on investment properties has not been this good for the last 10yrs at least! While the rental market has softened a bit there’s money to be made. Hold out for a couple of years and watch what happens with house prices. People will look back at the summer of 2009 as an excellent time to get into real estate.

Sales picked up in February and the number of new listings decreased by comparison to 2008. This is good for market correction. Activity picks up as we head towards spring and number of days on market will improve historically. Look for opportunities to capitalize on Portland’s real estate situation. This is the year of the BUYER!!

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.

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