Buy 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 Title Insurance and Who Pays for It?

October 25, 2021

Buying or selling a home means anticipating costs, some of which are closing costs. In Oregon, most of the amount needed at closing is for title insurance. This type of insurance isn’t required by law in Oregon, however, lenders require it to ensure a smooth transition from seller to buyer and to protect their own financial interests. But the need for title insurance doesn’t end there. So, what is title insurance, and why is it important? What is Title Insurance, and Why do You Need It? Holding “title” on a home is different from having a deed to a home. The deed is the tangible piece of paper that names the owner, whereas “title” refers to the legal right to ownership,...

Portland ADU Guide, 2022. Two Per Lot and Less Restrictions

September 24, 2021

Now that Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are allowed in every city in Oregon, Portland will likely see an influx of home additions and new ADU construction, especially with the passing of the city’s Residential Infill Project (RIP) that went into effect this August 2021. If you’ve been toying with the idea of adding an ADU to your property, the new ADU guidelines will make it easier than ever before. Use the link to see the new 2021 official ADU rules. It is only six pages long, but packed with all the necessary information to get started. Additional Dwelling Units can enable you house a family member or make steady passive income, and you’ll also help manage Portland’s density problem. Two...

What is Escrow – And How Much Does it Cost in 2021?

July 21, 2021

The home buying process can feel like a wild ride. And most of that ride can be pretty fun – you’re looking at houses online, touring them in person, and imagining yourself in your new home. What’s not as fun, though? The closing process, with its twists and turns and complicated terms. Closing on a home, especially for first time buyers, can become a labyrinth of obscure words and processes. That’s what we’re here for! We believe the role of the real estate agent during this time encompasses many things, and one big one is to guide you through the closing. Whenever parties are exchanging big chunks of money, complication ensues. And that complication is there for a reason: to...

Top 4 Real Estate Sites to Use to Find your Next Home. #1 Will Surprise You

July 9, 2021

When it comes to real estate, we live in a brave new world. And by that, yes, we mean that the internet plays a bigger and bigger role every year. According to the National Association of Realtors, in 2020 51% of buyers found the home they bought online. And that doesn’t include those who used a website at some point during their home search (NAR calculated that number at 93%). But as magical as the internet is, not every site is created equal – including in real estate. So today let’s compare four top home search websites. What are their strengths and weaknesses? And how can you use them to best serve your home search? 4. Zillow.com Main Home Search...

What is a Coming Soon Home in the Real Estate Market?

June 16, 2021

Coming Soon Homes are the New (but different) Pocket Listings Pocket listings are virtually extinct. The National Association of Realtors, NAR, has effectively banned the million-plus Realtors across the country from using the tactic. NAR instituted a new policy called the “MLS clear cooperation policy” which requires any Realtor to enter their “Pocket Listing” into the MLS within 1 business day of publicly advertising it (unless the seller signs a refusal of service). Entering a listing into the MLS means it is syndicated to all the other MLS members (mostly Realtors) and typically broadcast out to thousands of public websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, etc. Pocket listings used to be “secret or private listings” that a Realtor held onto and tried...

What is a Portland Cape Cod Home Style?

June 2, 2021

When you close your eyes and imagine the quintessential archetype of an American single family house, what do you see? If you find yourself envisioning a rectangular home with symmetrical windows and a chimney sprouting from the top, you may have encountered the Cape Code style. And you wouldn’t be alone in that. Across the country you’ll find Cape Cod style architecture, for good reason. Once a product of the harsh New England climate, this style became a staple of middle class American home construction. Sound too cookie cutter for you? Hold out for the twists this story has in store. The West Coast is home to some of the coziest and quaintest aberrations of the traditional Cape Cod. On...

Explained: New Legislation Promises Aid (Downpayment Money) for First Time Homebuyers

May 10, 2021

It’s here, as promised during President Biden’s campaign. Congress is on the cusp of considering two new pieces of legislation to promote equity in housing and first-time home ownership. Both drafts target lower income households. And with good reason: as we recently covered, home prices are up a jaw-dropping 12%. With home prices skyrocketing, legislators are looking into new ways to incentivize and enable socially and economically disadvantaged groups to make the leap into home ownership. If they come to fruition, these proposals would go beyond existing downpayment assistance programs. But how far beyond? And who qualifies? Let’s take a look and compare these two pieces of legislation. The First-time Homebuyer Act The First-time Homebuyer Act secures a $15,000 tax...

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...