Tag: Portland real estate market update video

Portland Market Update Mid-July 2024

Posted on by Erin Middleton

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for Mid-July 2024.

 

Hi I’m Erin Middleton licensed real estate broker with Living Room Realty here to tell you what you need to know about the Portland Market  for mid July 2024.

 

Inventory continues to rise in general… following trends from previous years that sees inventory rise from January through Summer. However we didn’t see the Spring dip we’ve seen in years prior and have continued to stay high in the mid-2s, meaning we have about 2 and a half months of inventory, likely as a result of high interest rates that don’t seem to be going anywhere and Sellers who have unrealistic expectations for the home’s sale price. More on that in a minute. 

 

Market Activity


Activity across the board is down. New Listings, Pending Sales, and Closed Sales in June have all decreased year-over-year as well as month-over-month. This coupled with the higher inventory and high interest rates means we have a very different market than we’ve had in years prior. But as one smart colleague said earlier this year, it’s a tale of two markets. Thanks Kim Parmon!

 

While high interest rates are “the captain” of this year’s real estate market, Buyers that can afford the payments are still driving multiple offer situations on well-priced, good-looking, and well-located listings. 

 

But on the flip side, unrealistic Sellers who have been sold tales of “everything sells” or “we can start high and come down later in price” are seeing their not-so-desirable listings sit –  thus pushing up inventory as new listings come to market.

Let’s Look At The Numbers

But even though inventory is up and interest rates hover around 7%, prices are still on the rise!! Comparing 2024 to 2023 through June, the average Sales Price increased 2% from $595,000 to $607,000. And the median price is up 2.3% from $530,000to $542,000. These numbers position us just shy of the market peak reached in May and June of 2022

 

What Should You Do?


So, here are my tips for Buyers & Sellers in this HOT Summer market:

 

Buyers – look at the outliers. What’s sitting? What’s been picked over and provides you with an opportunity for a deal? Go get it!

 

And Sellers – in order to not be one of the aforementioned “sitting not selling” listings, make your house look its best, price it well, and it will sell.

 

Make A Move

I hope this information has been helpful. If you’re ready to make a move, call us today. We’d love to help you find your next Living Room.

 

Portland Market Update Mid-June 2024

Posted on by Jessica Ward

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for Mid-June 2024.

 

Hi, I’m Jessica Ward, licensed real estate agent in Oregon and Washington with Living Room Realty, here to tell you what you need to know about the market for mid-June 2024.

With summer fast approaching, kids enjoying their break from school, and temperatures on the rise, it’s the perfect time to explore the latest trends and changes in the housing market. Let’s dive into what’s happening in the real estate market this season.

 

Let’s Look At The Numbers

As of this week, the median list price in Portland sits at $695,000, which is pretty spot on with this time last year which was $699.000.

The market action index, which we use as a snapshot of supply, demand, and overall market competitiveness currently indicates a balanced market at 49. This figure closely mirrors last year’s market action index of 55, showing that the market is becoming MORE balanced for both buyers AND sellers.

In the last few weeks the market has achieved a relative stasis point in terms of sales to inventory. However, inventory is low enough to keep us in the Seller’s Market zone so watch for changes in the MAI. If the market heats up, prices are likely to resume an upward climb.

 

What About Interest Rates?

If you have been waiting for rates to fall, here’s what you need to know… the feds latest forecast, which came out this week, is for one rate cut before the end of the year. Which is down from a previous forecast of three. Inflation, despite having cooled in the past two months, remains persistently elevated. The officials’ rate-cut forecast reflects the individual estimates of 19 policymakers. The Fed said eight of the officials projected two rate cuts. Seven projected one cut. Four of the policymakers envisioned no cuts at all this year. So it will be interesting to see where we actually land by the end of 2024.

 

Make A Move

Living Room Realty is committed to connecting you with as much information to help you make an informed decision. If you’re ready to make a move, give us a call today. We’d love to help YOU find your next Living Room.

 

Portland Real Estate Market Update Late-2024

Posted on by Jessica LeDoux

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for late-May 2024.



 

 

Hi, I’m Jessica LeDoux, Broker with Living Room Realty, here to tell you what you need to know about the market for late May 2024.

Market Check-in

The Portland Metro area continues to be a strong seller’s market with low inventory and an increasing number of buyers entering the market. Rates still hanging out around 7% has been frustrating for just about everyone, sellers and buyers both.

Given months and months of low inventory and high interest rates, a lot of buyers are asking the question; “Is this the right time to buy?” For nearly twenty years, I’ve been working with buyers to navigate this and many other right / wrong questions like it. Where we tend to find clarity that helps them make stable, secure decisions is in asking more personally tailored questions.

Many buyers now see that waiting is no longer their best path. But without a good process & an understanding of the greater market, this can just feel like more pressure.

Asking The Right Questions

Rather than “Is it a good time to buy?”, we might ask; “Given recent trends and sales data, can we afford a home that provides some of our highest priorities?” Rather than “Is the market going to go up… or go down?” we might ask; “What’s the type of home that meets our needs so well, now and later, that we have a choice when considering selling or staying? Could we ride an up or down trend in our new neighborhood home?” These questions frame our whole searching and negotiating process in empowerment.

My Home Ownership Journey

Simply put, the right time to buy is when you are ready, despite what the market is currently doing. Let me share a bit about my entry into homeownership. In 1997, I bought my first house, and my dad thought we were crazy because home prices had soared. My husband’s friends had bought their first home only a couple of years before us for half the price for a similar home.

Despite my dad’s concerns and the news headlines saying the bubble was going to burst, we bought a wonderful home that established a financial foundation for my family. We sold that home five years later at a profit. Since then, we have bought and sold in vastly different markets, with one consistent focus: ‘to buy years.’

And sure, it would have been amazing to have bought it a couple of years earlier, but we couldn’t. My 21-year-old self didn’t understand this need to know what the market would do in the future. It seemed like a crazy expectation, so I instinctively focused on what I felt was a better question: ‘Where is the best house I can afford?’ Because we knew we wanted to be homeowners, and now was when we were ready.

Buying Years

You may be asking yourself, ‘What does buying years mean?’ The key is to focus on what matters to you when picking a home and, from there, balance your personal needs with your budget. It’s about focusing on the unchangeable aspects of the home and learning where to make concessions safely. This approach helps protect your investment because the longer you stay in your home, the more secure your investment becomes. If you can control the timing of your sale, versus having to move, you can safely watch the ups and downs that occur in every market and economy from your living room window.

The Portland market is dynamic, and having an experienced agent by your side to help you find your ‘right time’ and advocate for you is how you set yourself on the right path for your personal real estate journey.

Make A Move

If you’re ready to make a move, call us today. We would love to help you find your next Living Room.

Portland Real Estate Market Update mid-Mid 2024

Posted on by Kim Parmon

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for mid-May 2024.

 

 

Hi, I’m Kim Parmon, listing specialist and Principal Broker with Living Room Realty here to tell you what you need to know about the Portland Metro market for mid May, 2023.

 

Upcoming Changes

You’ve likely heard that the way real estate commissions are structured will soon be changing.  Starting in August of this year, buyer agent commissions will no longer be advertised as part of a house listing’s marketing. 

This means that buyers and their agents will need to agree on a compensation structure before touring properties. In the event that a seller won’t agree to pay for the buyer’s agent’s commission, the buyer would be responsible for paying for their agent’s fee as well as their down payment and closing costs. Yikes! 

I am a listing agent only, and yet I still believe that working with a quality buyer’s agent is the right move for EVERYONE in a real estate transaction. Why does working with a buyer’s agent matter anyway? We’ll get to that in a second.

 

 

The Market

Despite higher mortgage interest rates sticking around longer than expected, we are still in a strong seller’s market where competition over good homes is normal. At Living Room this week the average days on market for homes was less than a week across the board! 

Remember, selling your home, period, is not the goal: I can offer you $5 for your house it right now.  Do you want to sell for that price?  Of course not!  The goal is not AN offer, it’s THE BEST offer that works for you. 

As a listing agent, I want to make sure my clients are not only choosing an offer with the best price and terms, but with the greatest chance of making it to closing with the least amount of stress. Which is EXACTLY why working with a buyers agent is so important.

 

The Value Of A Buyer’s Agent

A strong buyer’s agent understands the current market conditions and also will be able to help a buyer research a home and talk through potential concerns before even submitting an offer in the first place, reducing the risk of the buyer walking away due to cold feet.  They can help make sure the buyer is sticking to their goals and plans, that their choice of home fits within their budget, and that the buyer is aware of a host of details that they aren’t thinking about when they’re excited because they just saw a cute home that they love. 

As a listing agent, I’m listening for how buyers’ agents respond to disclosure items, how they ask questions, and I’m generally interviewing them to see how adept they are at navigating potential issues during the buyer’s many contingencies.  

Having a strong partner helping guide a buyer through a complicated, stressful process full of pitfalls and liability makes the chances of success (for both the buyer & seller) significantly higher.  As I always tell my clients, someone can offer you hundreds of thousands of dollars above your list price, but it’s all Monopoly money until they actually close.  A great buyer’s agent’s job is to help their client navigate this process and smooth out the kinks.  We may be on opposite sides of a transaction, but we have the same goal: to make it to closing!  

Do you have questions about why working with a buyer’s agent may or may not be the right move for you?  If so, reach out!  We are fiduciaries whose job it is to help you figure out the best possible moves for YOU in this market.  

 

Make A Move

If you’re ready to make a move, call us today, we would love to help you find your next Living Room.

 

Portland Market Update Early-April 2024

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for Early-April 2024.



Hi, I’m Gabrielle Enfield, Real Estate Magician at Working Magic Group and Oregon Broker for Living Room Realty, here to give you the scoop as we enter peak real estate season here in Portland, Oregon.

A Major Shakeup?

Headlines may make you think there’s commotion happening in the real estate world. In short, the National Association of Realtors is facing a Department of Justice settlement tied to buyer agent fees and how they’re communicated, as well as the agreements that need to be in place before a buyer can tour a home for sale with a licensed agent.

While it may sound like a shakeup, it’s really just putting a bold underline on what we – as licensed agents in the Northwest – have been doing all along, especially here at Living Room Realty.

It’s tied to client advocacy and what’s in their best interests, while clearly communicating the value we, as Realtor Fiduciaries, have in one of life’s biggest decision making moments. Right now, we are in a wait and see period, with regulatory changes expected in July. If you have questions or want to discuss your options and what this means for you, please reach out, we are here to help.

Buyers

Now, onto the really juicy stuff – what’s happening in our local real estate market?

At this week’s Living Room team meeting, our agents put gobs of homes under contract, representing mostly buyers. So if you were wondering if now’s the right time to hit the touring circuit – the answer’s a big old yes! Really, anytime you’re ready to enter the real estate market is a good time, it all just comes down to the strategic levers you and your agent can pull.

Here’s the deal…. if you run the numbers on a home that you could see yourself in for the next few years, and you can afford it now, you should probably make a play for it. Rates are expected to head below six percent sometime in the future. The minute they do, buyers are going to rush forward and create a very competitive landscape. This will likely push pricing further upward and in some cases further out of reach. You being the smarty pants you are, you’ll have the option to refinance on your rad house down the line.

Let’s Look At The Numbers

Right now, at Living Room, homes under contract averaged 2 offers, and went for roughly $15,000 over asking with an average pending price is $702,000 dollars

Across Portland Metro, the market action index is hovering around 47, still tipping in favor of sellers. Median days on market is 42. The median listing price for new listings is $675k – that’s about 40 grand more than this time last year.

Get Your Home On The Market

No matter the political or economic climate, real estate operates on a somewhat predictable cycle. If you’re thinking about selling, NOW is the time for action. It’s important to have your house on the market before the first week in July. After that, we Oregonians goof off and want to be settled before fall routines kick in.

An advocate like me will help you identify your punch-list to get your house ready for its close up. You’d be amazed what changing the front door color does for a place – my favorite is saffron yellow. 3 cheers for color!

 

Make A Move

Real estate is a lot, and takes practice, precision and market intelligence. If you’re feeling like you’re ready to make a move , call us today! We’d love to help you find your next Living Room.

 

Portland Market Update Late-March 2024

Posted on by LeAnn Raschke

Find out what’s happening in the Portland real estate market for Late-March 2024.

 

Hi I’m LeAnn Raschke, a licensed OR & WA broker at Living Room Realty, here to tell you what you need to know about the market for late March 2024.

The Spring Market

With the re-emergence of the sun, the first day of Spring, and the cherry blossoms afoot, it’s hard not to notice Portlanders have a bit more pep in their step! Welcome to the spring real estate season, where the chill of winter thaws, and a new cycle of opportunity begins!

For Sellers, Spring is typically the ideal time to list your home. With longer days, warmer temperatures and gardens blooming, properties tend to show better, attracting more potential buyers.

With that, over the last 2.5 months, we’ve seen new listings slowly make their way to market. There has been an average of 72 new listings per week across the entire Portland Metro Market since the beginning of 2024.

Competition Returns

So, just as the Spring brings warmer weather, it also brings competition.

Buyers have now adjusted to the 6.5 – 7% interest rates, and they are awakening from their winter hibernation.

In our office, which holds the number one market share in Portland, we’re seeing multiple offers on new listings that are priced well and move-in ready.

Many lending experts are predicting that we won’t see rates fall much further through the end of the summer.

In this ramp up to a busy season, it’s crucial for buyers to act fast and for sellers to price their homes strategically.

Connect With Your Agent

Buyers, in this market, now more than ever, it is crucial to have a knowledgeable buyers agent on your team. We will help you navigate this wild time by providing up-to-date information on new market listings, getting you to the negotiating table with strategically strong offers and guiding you gently through to closing.

If the buzz of competition isn’t for you, this is a great time to schedule a strategy session with your agent to examine your home buying goals so you’re in a better position when you are ready to take flight.

 

Make A Move

Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply dreaming about your next move, give us a call today. We’d love to help you find your next Living Room.

 

A Real Estate Market Update in Less than 90 Seconds

Posted on by Lily Ray Wyss

What we discuss:

The Spring Real Estate Market already coming to town.

How home buyers can be set up for success in a hot market.

And what opportunities this new market will have for home sellers.

Want to co create your winning home buying and or home selling strategy together? Let’s chat. Reach out at the contact information below.