Amid a sea of negative headlines, there is a hint of good news in the latest Portland area housing report: a small uptick in the median sale price of homes sold in July.

The Regional Multiple Listing Service said in its monthly market action report that the median home sale price in July was $227,200. Granted, that’s a decline of 7.6 percent from a year ago, but it represents a 1.9 percent improvement from June’s $222,900 figure.

Click on the link below for the full story

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/08/home_prices_edging_up_in_portl.html

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Thinking of moving? Ready to buy? Just curious? Our comprehensive guide to 95 Portland neighborhoods and suburbs lets you compare the data you need to know. This guide will answer all your questions and help you with any decisions you have regarding your move or current neighborhood.

Just click on the link below for more information.

http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/real-estate/articles/neighborhoods-by-the-numbers/

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010
Forbes Magazine recently published “Tomorrow’s Real Estate Trouble Spots” and the Portland area market ranks 3rd in the nation on their top 10 list of real estate with severe downside risk going forward. Eugene-Springfield ranks 9th in the nation on the list:

“While metros like Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles have gained notoriety for plummeting home prices, it’s not those markets that have the most to worry about now. These new housing trouble spots, most of which saw home prices peak after the national average, are set to see major price corrections in the next year. To identify them, Local Market Monitor, a Cary, N.C.-based real estate research firm found the Metropolitan Statistical Areas where it forecast the biggest average-home-price drops in the next 12 months”

As many have noted, Portland was late to the housing bubble party by two years, but it will not avoid the hangover -regardless of the “urban planning” argument tossed around by so many. Even those from the NW interviewed in the Forbes article throw it up like a magic shield that will prevent bad loans from ever defaulting. Hipster influx be damned. Jobs, wages, and real cash flow are all important now that the magic potion of easy real estate loans has vaporized.

The Forbes not so rosy conclusion: Portland’s real estate market has another 31% to drop from here, and we will see prices drop 9% in the next 12 months alone. The Eugene-Springfield market has another 21% to decline, and can expect an 8% hair cut in real estate prices over the coming year.

For those who’ve been paying attention, much of this decline will be predicated by the plethora of Alt-A and Option-ARM loans originated in the NW between 2005 and 2007. The majority of these types of loans have a 5 year reset/recast built into the original mortgage. Expect Portland’s market to go from bad to worse between 2010 and 2012 as a result.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Be sure to look at our new listing in NE Portland, just blocks away from Rose City Park & Golf Course!

NE Portland Capecod Gem!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

copyright RMLS 2009 all rights reserved

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

 We now have a research data report that is not available to any other Real Estate company in the Portland Metro area.

The Total Market Overview Report (TMO) can be customized to your area and keep you on top of the market. The TMO is a weekly report that compiles such data as number of listings active, number of pending listings, months of inventory, expired listings, closed listings, average original list price of sold homes, average final list price of sold homes, and average days on market. This information equips us to understand and respond to the market in real time.

What does this mean for sellers? Selling your home sooner for more dollars.

What does this mean for buyers? Buying your new home at the right market price.

For both? Achieving your goal, peace of mind, and moving forward!

For a customized report for your neighborhood or the area where you would like to buy a home, call or email us today.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I am pleased to present our 2008 recap of real estate sales for the Portland /Vancouver Metropolitan residential sales market. The data in the report is based on transactions that closed between January 1 through December 31, 2008.

Last year, the Portland Metro Area had a –8.7% decrease in new listings comparing 2008 to 2007 and closed sales shrank by 32.1% increasing the amount of inventory available. In December 2008, the inventory was 14.1 months compared to 8.5 months in December 2007. At the December rate of sales, if no new listings were to enter the market it would take approximately 14 months for the 13,882 homes to sell.

With all of the negative news about the housing market that it is being reported, is there any positive information? The answer is a resounding yes! Both Portland and Seattle’s housing markets are in much better shape than most other parts of the country. In fact, Forbes has rated Seattle  #1 in terms of long-term housing bets and Portland is rated at #9. Continue Reading »

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

 We have all heard the phrase “The only constant in life… is Change!”  This certainly seems to be true of today’s real estate market.  I have spent the last four years serving my clients as a broker of John L Scott Real Estate.  While this has been a great experience, I have made the decision to move my team to Keller Williams Realty.

I am constantly looking for ways to stay on the cutting edge of the market so I can provide Top Notch service and I am excited about the opportunities ahead!  Keller Williams has the environment and the tools that will enable me to stay on that cutting edge, and provide even better service to all of my clients; keeping you in touch with what is really going on in this crazy market.

As a broker in the heart of the Sunset Corridor I work with buyers and sellers in all three counties, Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas, as well as the outer lying areas.  While today’s market might not be for everyone, it certainly has opportunity for many.  History has proven that wealth is always created in a down market. If you, or someone you know, fall into one of these 3 catagories:

FIRST TIME BUYER   -   MOVE UP BUYER    -   INVESTOR

There is, without a doubt, plenty of opportunity for you!

 My team and I have adopted a new motto which is at the core of our business – EXPERIENCE MOVING FORWARDTM.  We are looking ahead, not back, and with great optimism!  There ARE opportunities out there, there IS money available for financing (despite what the media portrays), and we WILL be here to help those who choose to move forward.

I have enjoyed being a resource to all of my clients these past 4 years, and hope you have enjoyed the information I provide.  Some of the new services are:

Home Buyer’s Scouting Report – making it easier to search for very specific property (call/email to sign up)

SOLD report – keeping you informed of what is selling in your specific neighborhood (call/email to sign up)

This Blog – ExperienceMovingForwardPortland.com  (weigh in on the issues!)

Referrals are the lifeblood of our business.  We are looking for business so please call if you know of anyone even thinking about buying or selling.  We will treat them with the utmost respect, because having your support is of paramount importance to us!

Warmly,

Christy

NEW EMAIL:

christy@christytrotter.net

SAME PHONE:

503-504-0083

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The most common threat to your home is burglary. Here are a few things you can do to encourage burglars to move on:

• LIGHTING - porches, walkways, dark areas around your home
• YARD MAINTENANCE - bushes and shrubbery trimmed low
• WINDOWS/DOORS - Check for working locks and deadbolts
• PRIVACY - heavy drapes, shutters and blinds to hide contents
• INTIMIDATION - Get a dog (many benefits)                                            http://www.petcaretakers.com/dog-buying/benefits.php
• NEIGHBORHOOD - Organize a watch group http://www.co.washington.or.us/sheriff/service/nworg.htm   http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/sheriff/neighborhoodwatch.jsp
• CAMOFLAGE - leave a radio or t.v. on when you’re gone
• SECURITY - check all entry gates, garages and sheds when you leave
• PREVENTION - Don’t leave objects in your yard that could assist an intruder 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!