Ah, Northeast Portland. Land of artisanal everything (cheese, pickles, tacos, and beer!), vintage clothing stores to get your planet-friendly recycled clothing fix, and enough beards to make a Viking jealous. But beneath the surface of all things ‘Portlandia’, lies a neighborhood teaming with creativity, a burgeoning food scene, and a surprising amount of affordability.
NE PDX is the juxtaposition of the inconic “Portland Four Square” as the backdrop for a fixie bike with a basket overflowing with local farmer’s market produce. Here, you’ll find dive bars serving PBR alongside trendy gastropubs boasting Pinot Noir pairings. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of good old-fashioned fun in places like the Alberta Street Pub, happy hour dinners at Dekum Triangle’s neighborhood gathering spot Breakside Brewery, or getting your spin on at the new disco roller skating rink in the old Lloyd Center Marshall’s Department store (yes, the ice skating rink is still there too!).
And speaking of the Lloyd District. There are big plans for a revamp of this southernmost pocket of inner NE Portland that include an exciting reimagining of the old Lloyd Center Mall Space and surrounding neighborhood. Field Operations, the firm that designed the High Line, the wildly popular park built on an old elevated train line in Manhattan, will design the open spaces at the new Lloyd Center. About 20% of the site is designated as greenspace which will remove the “go-around” necessity created by the concrete barrier of the old mall structure. Instead of focusing ‘in’ as the old mall did, the new plan creates an outward-facing and interactive neighborhood space. Maybe the best news yet is that Portland baseball fans still might have a chance at realizing the dream of a Major League Baseball team and stadium in Portland. While the Lloyd District master plan doesn’t currently include a baseball stadium, it doesn’t rule it out either (If you build it, they will come…).
And Did we mention the food? From Alberta Street’s long-standing favorite La Bonita serving up some damn fine Tacos al Pastor, to Cason’s Fine Meats where you can bring home something delicious to grill for your summer backyard BBQ hang, to Bamboo Sushi & Zilla Sake for some of the best sushi in town, and inspired local restaurants with menus that change seasonally (Dame, Expatriate & OX are some notable standouts), there’s something to tantalize every taste bud. 
So, if you’re looking for a place with a pulse, where you can catch a live band playing in a neighborhood hangout one night and spend the next morning choosing from more brunch spots than a human has the right to walk to (and run into 12 of your favorite friends and neighbors on the way), then Northeast Portland might just be your perfect match. Just be warned – you might develop an uncontrollable urge to lose your car, make a lot of art, and (of course) become mildly surprised by nothing, not even that guy in a kilt on a double-decker, 2-story bicycle.
Jim and Leslie have finally made the move from the Seattle area (bub-bye horrible big city traffic) to the lovely Villebois neighborhood in Wilsonville, OR!
definitely was a long-distance real estate purchase times two. But in spite of some long-distance communication constraints, three things became clear very early on in Joe and Rachel’s search: 1. Bathtubs were important. We’re not talking some mamby-pamby, low-to-the-ground, skinny, hemmed-in tub. We’re talking a big-ass soaking tub with a view and light and privacy all at the same time!
Compare this to the $350,000-$650,000 price point where 31 units are currently pending and 291 units sold in the same May through October 2021 six-month period. The median number of days on market was 53 and while more units sold in this price range, only 80% of the total listed inventory was sold in this timeframe. Buyers definitely have a lot to choose from in this price range.
Effectively marketing the strengths of your unit also is imperative in this competitive condo market. Hiring a savvy real estate broker who is experienced in highlighting a property in its best light, will be an important factor in a Seller’s success.
There are lots of tough, “school of hard knocks” buyer stories out there right now, given the very strong Sellers’ Market we’ve been experiencing since the dawn of 2021. But even in this seller-oriented market, we’ve been able to find success for many of our buyer clients.
The most common negative we’ve heard repeatedly from our new construction buyers has to do with all the unexpected expenses they had neglected to factor into the purchase of their home. This includes kitchen appliances, a washer and dryer, air conditioning, shades, curtains or blinds for all of those gorgeous new windows, and landscaping expenses. Buyers can be blinded by the bling of quartz counters, custom cabinetry, and pretty bathroom tile but miss the empty spaces where appliances and storage cabinets or shelving should be. Take stock of what is not included in the property and work hard to get those things included by the builder before you sign that contract.
other parts of our state), we need builders to create new housing for our expanding population. We really understand the need for new, affordable neighborhoods near job creation areas that are outside of the urban centers. We just want you to be educated about what it is you will be signing when you get swept up in the flush of new construction bliss and are given a pen by the very friendly builder’s representative sitting across the desk from you.
Our latest success story is first time home buyer Flo. Flo had a bit of a set back when the lender’s appraisal for her loan approval on a new construction home in Hillsboro, came back at a lower value than what she had agreed to pay for the property. As a result, Florence had to terminate her sales contract on that property. While the pull of sexy new construction is strong, we helped Flo understand that there likely would be something else out there for her in great condition, but without the tippy-top of the market sticker price one generally finds in new construction.
Our very savvy first time home buyers Sarah and Travis definitely got lucky, but also were smart enough to know where to look. They had zoned in on the 
The cheery, cherry themed nook is the perfect place to have the perfect cup of tea:
Derek and Michelle first laid eyes on their lovely Lake Oswego home back in March; March 13th to be exact. They saw this great house online and given that they lived out of state, wondered if we could “video” it for them. Property videos are one of our most important tools for our out of area buyers, so with the back drop of school closure announcements due to spreading Covid-19 in our area, I headed down to Lake Oswego to take some fun property videos armed with with tons of hand sanitizer (hard to believe but masks weren’t a thing back then), my phone and my Gimble! OH, no big deal but it also was just about to start snowing… on March 13th.
Portland Monthly