By Living Room Realty, June 9, 2021
It’s beyond understatement to say this has been an unbelievably trying year– unprecedented is the word that has been (over) used to describe the times. As Realtors, we have been fortunate if not taxed to continue working throughout it all, blessed by the very self employment we sometimes curse. The booming market was surreal in the early days of the pandemic, then it became the new normal (another overused phrase, sorry) and quite often, painful as we watched so much client disappointment. I’m deeply grateful for the successes my clients have had but it’s difficult to openly boast or celebrate when the times are so hard for so many.
Much has been said about our hometown’s livability taking a huge hit. We are indeed living through a complicated web of issues that won’t get solved overnight. I wasn’t surprised to move more than a few clients out of Oregon this past year, a few who said they were “done with Portland”, most who simply wanted to be closer to loved ones. I was a little surprised at just how large the influx of brand new Oregonians came my way, many who said that the pandemic had forced a now or never reckoning to live where you’ve always wanted to live.
But the best surprise in my client base has been the returnees to Portland. Last fall, dear clients returned to Portland from Santa Fe after helping them to relocate a short four years ago; from Washington DC after just two years, from California, and currently, from Tucson after leaving Laurelhurst just four years ago. The common thread is just how much they missed living in Oregon, with it’s splendid eye candy, offbeat but conscious sensibilities and of course, the family and friends they left behind. They missed Portland, warts and all… and these good souls, all having experienced something else they thought would be a better fit, know what they are talking about when they say we remain blessed to live where we live. That fact stands alone even as we all reckon with the knowledge that we’ve got to get busy protecting what’s good and changing what isn’t. Welcome home, wanderers –we’ve missed you and your deep faith in the resilience of Portland.
