Portland Real Estate Cafe Blog

The defining characteristic of our real estate market this winter has been the lack of inventory.  As we enter the peak Spring home-selling season, I thought you might want to get some bigger picture perspective on our market.  This is a great time to be active in our real estate market.  It's our job to help you appreciate the opportunities, then develop and execute plans to capitalize on these opportunities.

Nationally, sales volume is up 9.2%.  In Portland,  our sales volume is up 18% for the 12-month period ending March 1, 2013. Prices are up 6% over the same period, so closed dollar sales in Portland has increased by 25% over these same twelve months.

Nationally, volume increases built over the course of 2012.  Locally here in

The past year has seen a more competitive real estate market emerge within the Portland Metro Region. Close-in neighborhoods are experiencing price appreciation for the first time in 6 years and a tight inventory environment has become the norm. These are generally considered to be good things, however, for prospective buyers, these improved market conditions can present some challenges as well.  Competition among buyers can increase the time and energy it takes to find the right property. Also, in a more competitive market environment, buyers are more inclined to examine alternatives to detached single family dwellings, most notably condominiums.  After examination of the data in MLS, it is clear that condominium and detached single family segments of

As experts in the Portland real estate market, educating our friends, family and clients about what's happening in the Portland market is one of our top priorities. This short video features three statistical resources that we share with our active buyers and sellers on a regular basis- The Total Market Overview (TMO), the S&P/ Case Shiller Report, and "The Market Pulse" from CoreLogic. Please enjoy the first of many educational video blogs and if you would like to receive these reports, all you need to do is send me an email. ENJOY!

"What’s the difference?” you may ask! The number of units is the answer. 2-4 units is
considered residential, while 5 or more is pegged as commercial. Residential financing
is used for 2-4 units and commercial financing for 5+ units. If you are an investor, the
deal will require 25% down. So, which way do you go? That depends on a lot of
variables: your investing goals, your purchasing power, your business management
sense, and your timing. Call or email me for more insight into your own investing scenario.
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Residential or Commercial Financing for Multi-Family Units

As an investor, you have a lot of decisions to make. Having well thought-out goals
should be the beginning of your plan and

If you have spent any time in the Pearl District you have noticed that it is a dog lovers paradise. The number one question we hear from our clients about living in the Pearl is: will dogs be accepted in the condominium building that we like? And the answer is usually always YES!

The main thing that we always check with our clients is the Bylaws of the Homeowners Association. When you choose Portland Real Estate Cafe as your realtors you have a team on your side and we will make sure that you are buying into a condominium building that fits your lifestyle. We remind our clients that you will have to live by these Bylaws so it’s in your best interest to make sure you go over them but we will guide you through that process.

Some of the condominium

 I have heard WONDERFUL reviews about the work that Kathy Masarie's parenting books, especially her work about raising kids in today's digital world.   I am pleased to share with you that the Ainsworth Elementary PTA has sponsored a seminar that will be held at the school on Feb 19 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.  I'm definitely going to attend.  Please let me know if you're going to be there. 

This week, Jan 28th-Feb 1st, the Portland Aquatic Club (PAC) is holding its annual Swim-A-Thon where over 200 swimmers from Portland and SW Washington will be participating in a 200m or 2-hour swim (whichever comes first) to raise money for youth swimming. 95% of the proceeds will stay with PAC and be used for additional pool rentals, travel assistance and much more! Not only is this an excellent event to raise money for neighborhood community centers (Columbia & Dishman Pools, Southwest & Mt. Scott Community Centers) and local youth programming, but it is also a great opportunity to do some socializing. Additionally, this event increases community awareness of the team and boosts team spirit! For more information about the event, please visit the PAC

Our review of the 2012 sales statistics for the condo market would suggest that it's reasonable to expect continued price improvement for sellers of Pearl condos.  Just four more homes sold in the Pearl than in 2011, yet prices jumped 9%. Despite flat sales, listing inventory for W Portland condos is down 27% as we exited 2012.

The largest price increases in 2012 were realized in the smaller units below 750 SF and the homes with 1,500-1,750 square feet of living space.  Modest price improvements were realized across the remaining segments.  Unit growth was strongest in the units between 750-1,000 square feet and the largest condos in the Pearl where the sales rate was up almost 30%.

If you're doing homework in advance of a purchase or sale,

Check out our 2013 Raleigh Hills Newsletter for more information.

Would you like to see what that house down the street sold for? Are you curious about how long it was on the market?  Are you thinking about selling your home and want to take a good long look at the comps in your neighborhood? We can help. We have recently initiated a project to add Pending and Sold listings to our Web site.  

While we're working to add these sold properties to our home search app, we've posted a table with the selling details and a further link to the data with photos of each sold home.  Is this helpful?  If the home you want to research is not on this list, or you want to talk to your neighborhood expert, simply give me a call (503-481-0825) or send me a quick