Like so many folks, Emily and Alex’s work shifted dramatically during the pandemic. With their physical location being less of a priority, they opened up their minds to the possibility of relocating. Having visited Emily’s cousin in Portland and loved it, it was top of the list. Emily and Alex are both people that make things happen and they decided to get the ball rolling by planning a trip to get into a few homes and explore the city. On their trip we toured a home that was quite simply, just what they were looking for. They acted with clarity and decisiveness in presenting an offer and found a delayed possession plan that worked for all involved. We are so excited to welcome them to the city and their new home!

Even real estate agents have to be buyers in this competitive market. My husband and I toured on a Monday afternoon and upon entry knew this was the perfect house that we had been waiting for. We drove away and I was hopeful that it would be a late season non-competitive situation… That hope quickly faded when I checked in with the agent.  She was already expecting about six offers and had set a deadline only hours away for all offers to be submitted. I quickly went to work and delivered a competitive offer, but learned only a little bit later that she had received 21 offers in full. We had little to no hope left, but did still amend our offer to try and make it stronger.
The stars aligned and we got the call at 8 PM that night that our offer was accepted! It was a good reminder of how slow the minutes pass as you await news! Never give up because it’s not always the sales price it’s the whole package… Terms matter!

The buying process is different for everyone – some folks have spent large swaths of time researching the market or have lived in Portland for decades, and so have clear perspectives on what areas of town will work well for them. Others are making the leap from miles away, maybe even buying a home sight unseen. What’s most important from our perspective, is that we are working within the parameters that are right for each individual buyer. For Zsofi and Eddy, they began their search after just moving to town and did not have a chance to let their sense of the city and what works for them develop before diving into the deep end. We met them after they nailed down a short term rental and so were able to proceed with less urgency and a keen eye toward what would make sense for them long term. As soon as they were allowed the space to solidify their priorities, they found the house they had been seeking. We always want buyers to travel at their own pace and embrace the process that is right for them as they make the jump toward this exciting milestone.

With a new teaching job to look forward to, Julie wanted to buy a home in a neighborhood that would be an easy commute to her school and afford her the space to invite her mom to move in with her. Equally important was the long term investment potential and rentability of the new place down the road. We began the search focused on detached homes within the budget and found that with location as the priority, compromising on condition felt inevitable. Once we expanded the radius of the search AND opened up to the possibility of attached homes, the options became exciting and Julie landed on an attached move-in ready home that will not come with the stress of needing to renovate immediately upon moving in. We are so glad to have been a part of finding the home that will work for Julie’s life.

Ayumi and Brent entered the market knowing they wanted a home in their current neighborhood, which they love. They also knew they wanted a newer home with more space for their family. Sometimes when you go into the search with pinpoint focus, it is all about the waiting game. When a great home in their preferred price range surfaced, we were thrilled and Ayumi and Brent took a swing, only to be offered the back-up position. To our delight the first place buyers backed out and they were offered an opportunity at the home they had fought for. That very day another promising candidate at an even better price point popped up on the market and they knew that in order to move on this new home, they would have to risk losing out on the other property. They took a big risk to great reward – they wrote their best offer and had it accepted within the day. We are so glad they followed their intuition and ended up in the best possible scenario for their family.

In this market it is hard to negotiate an under asking offer whether it is warranted or not.  Getting past the sellers expectations that every home receives multiple offers and sells well above the asking price is one of the largest challenges.  We toured this home and could not figure out why the home was not going crazy?  The finishes were great, the floor plan was ideal, the area lovely, so why?  There was no glaring reason except market timing.  The summer surge winding down, people going out of town for their end of summer vacations, and families preparing for in-person school to start were the only plausible reasons.  Entering the market with perfect timing and finding value without compromise is Mackenzie and Cory’s story.  Inspections were very clean, appraisal came in above the sales price… everything lined up and they are now the proud owners of their new home. Congratulations!!

Adrienne and Spencer set out to find a parcel of land to farm and raise their two sons.  They started the search 15 months before they needed to be settled for their oldest to enroll in school.  We definitely felt that was plenty of time, but it was barely enough.  Limited inventory, preferred school restrictions, commute times, and trying to find quality land for them to farm proved to make this journey feel almost impossible, to say the least.  They were open to all ideas and angles to make this happen, but settling on those major points was not one of them.  Many properties we considered had some major concessions, and the ones that worked were fiercely competitive.  Time had run out and hope was almost lost until they found an interim school that their son could attend to give them more time – I was so happy for them to have found an option to take the pressure off, but it is funny how things work out because once the school pressure was solved another home hit the market.  The land was perfect and the house would work.  They fought hard for it and came out victorious – now they are about to get the keys and finally put this chapter behind them and move into a new chapter for their family.  Every second of helping them has been a joy!

Now that retirement was on the horizon, the time had come to consider living closer to their daughter and leaving behind the hurricanes and destruction they had dealt with over the decades.  After a few exploratory trips and counsel, the idea of building a home transitioned into finding a beautiful condo.  The amazing views, easy-care, and walkability became very seductive, so when they came to town again with the goal of finding their next home, we visited many great options, but the first unit we toured was breathtaking and no other home we saw came close – the decision was clear.  We are so excited to have been a part of this journey with Stephen and Janice – Congratulations!

What an honor to help this family once again! When Nicky and Noah reached out and mentioned the family they were a part of I was once again honored and super excited at another opportunity to help. Every person in their family radiates kindness, grace, and excitement to become a homeowner and it has been such a pleasure to help each and every time.  Nicky and Noah were no exception, my only selfish regret is the search was so short because an amazing home had a price reduction in the first week of their search and became an option for them.  We toured the home and could not believe that it satisfied every one of their needs and wants.  Amazing things happen to amazing people, period!

Wow, when entering this amazing home it was hard to look past the amazing view, but once our eyes peeled away from the windows the house wowed Danish as well.  He knew this house was meant to be his.  In a very competitive scenario, Danish showed up and came out victorious on his first offer.  Today he gets the keys to a great home with secondary living quarters for family and friends to stay in when they come to visit him in his new home!  Congratulations Danish, we are very excited for you!

Elaine and Greg were ready to jump into Portland’s competitive market and had heard all of the intimidating tales of multiple offer scenarios and long term buyers spinning their wheels for months unable to successfully purchase a home. We believe that even in a seller’s market, buyers can and should feel empowered in their decision to purchase. One of the ways we arm buyers with the reclamation of their power in a competitive landscape is building a foundation of information, a strong understanding of each home’s value and shortcomings (there is no perfect home), and being a living reminder of the values buyers entered the market with so we can help uphold those values when challenging decisions emerge. For Elaine and Greg, starting the search with clear needs and a thorough understanding of where it made sense to compromise led them to an ideal home and neighborhood immediately upon entering the market. The introspection that foregrounded their search made things deceptively easy! We are thrilled that things aligned so elegantly and can’t wait to celebrate.

Mallary and James entered the market excited to find their new home, but after listening to a lot of their friends’ stories they were also realistic about the possibility of it taking a while. To their surprise that was not their experience. Their clarity on what was most important and their commitment to make time to look at possibilities brought them to the finish line quicker than the average buyer in this limited inventory, competitive market. The most exciting part is they did not need to concede on anything.  Today they received the keys to their lovely three-bedroom home, with amazing natural light, and an oasis of yard to enjoy. Congratulations Mallary and James, it was such a pleasure helping you!

This amazing family of four set out to make their dream come true of settling into the neighborhood they had come to love. In a fierce market with limited inventory the hope of making dreams come true can feel impossible and at times it did. They adjusted expectations, sought council, and put trust in their real estate team, which all led to an amazing outcome and a beautiful home to raise their family and make roots. Congratulations Abra and Jeff, it was an honor to help you!