Buying a Home in Portland

Welcome Portland Home Buyer!

If you are thinking of buying a home in Portland, we are here for you. The below home buying articles are written by experienced, top Portland buyer’s agents who know the real estate market.

Top 1% Portland Buyer’s Agent

Kami Price, Principal Broker is our lead buyer’s agent and a top 1% buyer’s agent in the Portland metro area. Kami has been licensed since 2004 and has helped hundreds of local home buyers find their next property. She has a long list of awards and additional education certificates. You can put your trust in her to navigate your next home purchase with incredible skill. Her office phone: 503-773-0000.

Portland Buyer’s Home Search

We’ve looked far and wide to find the best Portland home search program out there. We recommend you give this one a shot! Our search program is updated every few minutes, you can filter by schools, view type, HOA, lot size, garage and much more (just hit the “more” button). You can get instant alerts, save multiple different search criteria, and more.

What is a Foursquare Style Home in Portland?

April 28, 2021

Chances are you’ve passed by Foursquare homes in Portland dozens of times. Maybe you paused to take one in, admire the dignified simplicity of the structure. Whether you realized it at the time or not, you were looking at one of America’s most iconic home styles. And Portland is home to many of the country’s finest examples. Today we’ll take a dive into the history and characteristics of the Foursquare style home in Portland. What makes a Foursquare home a Foursquare home, how did this style come about, and why do we still love it? Let’s explore what makes these historic homes both modest and grand at once. What Is a Foursquare Style Home? The shortest answer to this question...

How Big Should Your Next Home Be?

April 26, 2021

How big? It’s one of the first things that might come to mind when buying a new home. You likely already know that home sizes in the U.S. increased considerably since the middle of the 20th century. We can bemoan “McMansions” until the cows come home (the term generally connotates poor taste). But the fact is even the most tasteful of homes are built much larger today than they were in previous decades. That doesn’t mean that bigger is always better. The most important thing is to find a home that suits your needs and your style. But knowing what’s trending in the real estate market will give you an idea of what’s out there for you to explore. How...

How to Buy (and Remodel) a Fixer in Portland: 2021 Update

March 19, 2021

Do you have the itch to try your hand at buying a fixer upper in the Portland real estate market? You could see a ton of benefits to this plan. You can design certain elements of the home to your own taste, for example. Or you might think of it as cutting out the middle man; by doing repairs yourself, you could be spending less than you would on a move-in ready home. But fixing up a fixer upper comes with its own brand of complications. Some folks might buy a house cheap and pay out of pocket for repairs, but that’s pretty unusual unless the repairs are minimal. Most of the time what you’re looking at is taking out...

How School Ratings Alter Portland Home Values in 2021

March 17, 2021

Whether you’re buying or selling, the school district of the home in question will inevitably come into play. A home’s value is assessed both prior to listing and prior to sale. For more information on this see our explanation of inspection versus appraisal. The long and short of it is: school ratings are murky territory. Schools don’t exactly get appraised the way a home does. But they do affect a home’s value. Let’s take a look at how that works and how you can better traverse the murky. 1. What Constitutes a High-Ranking School? First we’ll start off with the basics. What does a high-ranking school even mean? Well, that’s part of the problem. How a school becomes ranked isn’t...

7 Reasons to Buy a House in Portland in 2021

March 15, 2021

Yes, Portland is a hot seller’s market right now, no question. So why would we encourage you to buy a home in Portland at this particular moment? Well, for one thing, your search for a home may take a while. We just completed a 5 step tip list to buying a home in a seller’s market here. And you deserve that time to find what’s right for you. Just because it’s a seller’s market in Portland right now doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way forever. So the best thing you can do to ensure you find the right home for you is to start looking as soon as you feel the itch. Today we’ll be looking at 7 reasons to...

5 Steps to Buy a House in Portland’s Scorching Hot Seller’s Market

March 10, 2021

We can hash out the details of why Portland is such a seller’s real estate market all we want. Demand is high, inventory is low, and that’s driving prices up. But digging into the dirty details doesn’t practically help buyers who are looking to secure a house in Portland now. Life doesn’t wait, and for some, when you’re ready to buy, you’re ready to buy – regardless of the market. So should you be discouraged by the Portland real estate market right now? We say the answer is no. For one thing, home prices aren’t expected to stop increasing. With interest rates at record lows, this is still a good time to buy – if you have the right team...

What is a Home Inspection and Appraisal? Must know facts.

March 1, 2021

Buying a home is one of the most complex transactions most people navigate in the course of their life. (Though selling a home while buying another just could top it!) When the financial stakes are that high, things inevitably get complicated – and that’s not to mention the emotional stakes of deciding on a new home. So it makes sense that the process is involved. That doesn’t make it any easier. The home inspection period is one of the most stressful parts of the home buying period. Am I buying a lemon? Is there something underlying that is going to cost me big in the end? Then comes the appraisal – which can seem like just another inspection! So what’s...

Home Buyer’s Closing Cost Report 2021

February 24, 2021

Closing costs, let’s face it, are not one of the most looked forward to aspects of buying a new home. They’re technical, involve multiple complex parties, and potentially put another dent in your wallet. So who’d want to talk about that too much when they could be thinking about their dream home kitchen instead? But understanding how buyer’s closing costs work can pay off big in the end. You’ll want to budget for them and know how to work with your real estate agent to get the best deal you can. If you’ve done any basic searching around for what you should expect to pay, you may see most sources quote the same figure: 2 to 5% of the sale...

Down Payment Assistance Programs and Grants for Home Buyers: 2021 Update

February 6, 2021

We know the home buying process can seem obscure, even formidable. But one of the great benefits of navigating the Portland real estate market is that so many programs are in place to help out first time home buyers and encourage home ownership regardless of income level. If you dream of buying a home of your own but feel like you don’t have the funds – think again. It’s very possible you may qualify for a number of down payment assistance programs that can give you a foot in the door to your new home. Down payment assistance programs are a murky territory, though. They come at federal, state, county, and city levels (often with overlapping stipulations). Today we’ll lay...

Rent vs. Buy a Portland Home in 2021

January 25, 2021

Potential first-time home buyers in 2021 have some tough decisions to make. Buying is always seen as more financially advantageous than renting, because the value of your investment will go up over time. After accumulating some funds for a down payment (and some roommate horror stories), most renters will attempt to buy a home in an area where they plan to stay for 6-10 years.  But is 2021 the year to do it? Initially you might think “no” when you consider that prices for Portland homes have climbed 7% over the past year, and a median-priced home is selling for close to half a million dollars as of January 2021 (according to the RMLS and Zillow). You’re better off buying...