Portland Real Estate Blog

This is a top 100 real estate blog in the world according to Feedspot.com. In particular, this is a local real estate blog written by a top 1% real estate agent in the U.S., Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor. Stephen regularly reports on the greater Portland metro area’s real estate market including annual housing forecasts and best time to sell or buy a home reports. He gives home selling and home buying professional advice. He also writes informative articles on Portland neighborhoods and suburbs as they relate to the real estate market. Finally, he writes to inform the general public about real estate agents, such as annual average real estate agent commission reports and more.

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sell luxury home

5 Secrets to Selling Luxury Homes

May 2, 2022

Every home deserves professional photography and 3D home tours (a new standard). Most every home would also benefit from a floor plan PDF. Some homes may also need drone photos if they have a wonderful view or if the home is on a large lot. Some homes may need physical staging or virtual staging. Others will simply require interior design consultation (work with the décor already in the home) by myself or one of our professional partners. Closing on over 2,000 local home sales has taught me as much. Secret #1 to Selling Luxury Homes: Nail the Basics Here’s the basic list of what you should expect selling any home: Professional Photography 3D Home Tour Floor plan (some homes) Staging...

5 Highly Rated Schools in Portland, Oregon

April 29, 2022

A deciding factor for many people when purchasing a home is the quality of schools in the area. In fact, school rankings strongly impact home values, and buyers have reported compromising on certain “must haves” when picking their next home, just to ensure their kids can attend the best schools possible. Portland has many highly ranked schools, and we’ve included some of them in our Top 10 Portland Neighborhood 2022 Report. How can you find information on Portland Schools? The internet is full of information, which can make it hard to sort out legitimate and helpful content. There are two often trusted sites for school rankings: Greatschools.org and the Oregon Department of Education, specifically the latter’s “At-A-Glance School and District...

fire your real estate agent

How to Fire your Real Estate Agent

April 27, 2022

Okay, okay go easy. If your home isn’t selling, or you’re not finding the home you want to buy, or the real estate transaction you were in fell apart, it isn’t necessarily your real estate agent’s fault. The housing market has its ups and downs, perhaps your criteria to buy a home is too narrow, or perhaps the transaction fell apart because of someone else, not your agent. When it is the real estate agent’s fault, or perhaps you find they simply aren’t the right fit and your personalities clash, here’s a guide on firing your real estate agent today (it is sometimes a process). Full disclosure, I’m a licensed real estate agent of 19 years (Principal Broker in Oregon,...

virtual staging real estate

Virtual Home Staging – A New Way to Sell Homes

April 25, 2022

Last year, we wrote about the importance of home staging when trying to sell your home, what kind of ROI to expect when you hire a professional stager, and more. We’re turning our attention to virtual staging now, a newer way to sell a home that’s quickly growing in popularity. Along the way, we’ll show some real life examples of virtual staging we’ve ordered for our clients (and we always provide this service – if desired and it makes sense for the home – at no extra charge). While there is a bit of controversy in the staging industry about the authenticity of virtual staging, it looks like the trend may be here to stay. Many believe this new way...

home inspection vs home appraisal

Portland Home Inspection vs. Home Appraisal

April 22, 2022

For many people, buying a home is one of the most complicated transactions they’ll ever experience in life, especially if they’re also selling a home at the same time. Wherever you are in your real estate phase of life, it helps to know or be reminded of the various parts of the process. Involving yourself in a real estate transaction can be a stressful and emotional time. Having insight about what’s happening and why can help alleviate a lot of the anxiety and questions. In this article, we’re focusing on the difference between the home inspection and home appraisal, what they accomplish, and when they come in the process. What and When is a Home Inspection? The home inspection happens...

portland real estate market

Portland Real Estate Market, May 2022 Report – A Wild Ride

April 20, 2022

We live in interesting times. The Portland real estate market was scorching hot in the first quart of 2022 with no end in sight for skyrocketing home prices and crazy bidding wars. But mortgage interest rates are rising incredibly fast and in April we started to see the first slowdowns in the market. (Typically April is always hotter than March in Portland real estate, but probably not this year.) Buyer Traffic is Dropping in Response to Rising Interest Rates The above is for all Oregon homes listed in our local MLS, RMLS that is centered in Portland, Oregon. Buyer traffic typically never drops in April. Inventory will Remain Low through Spring and Summer There simply has been almost no inventory...

Troutdale Real Estate Market Update and Forecast, 2022 Report

April 18, 2022

Head twelve miles northeast of Portland and you’ll land in Troutdale. This growing Portland suburb sits at the confluence of the Sandy River (to the east) and the Columbia River (to the north). Interstate-85, which cuts through the town, east to west, becomes Highway 30 and serves as a gateway to the beautiful Columbia Gorge. According to the U.S. Census, Troutdale had approximately 16,300 residents as of the 2020 census. That’s a tiny increase from 15,962 in 2010 (just over 300 more people in 10 years!). There hasn’t been much real estate development in Troutdale in modern history. It is a stable community with a lot of amenities that doesn’t get much press. Read on to learn more about how...

home buyer showings to sell a home

How Many Showings to Sell a Home? 2022 Report

April 15, 2022

The United States as a whole, greater Portland metro area included, has been in a seller’s market since the early 2020 when COVID19 threw the industry for a loop. One of the annual reports we started a few years prior was the average number of showings it takes to sell a home. This homeowner concern skyrocketed with the start of the pandemic, and still remains of great interest. This showing report fits well in with our other related annual real estate market reports such as, How many days does it take to sell a home?, What day of the week do most buyers look for homes?, What is the best time of the year to buy (or sell) a home?,...

buyers agent commission rates

Average Buyers Agent Commission, Portland 2022 Report

April 13, 2022

Buyers agent commission has been in the news a lot lately. The National Association of Realtors recently approved multiple MLS (multiple listing services) across the country to display publicly what commission the buyer’s agent would earn if they brought a buyer. This comes after the Department of Justice started and investigation into industry commission practices. Redfin, a home search portal, and national Realty company also produced a recent report on buyers agents commission nationally (as much as they had access to), saying that buyers agents commissions have dropped to a new low nationally of 2.63%. Buyers agent commission averages less than that in Portland, Oregon. For a number of years we have produced a buyers agent commission report based on...

Top 5 Sites to Help you Choose a Real Estate Agent

April 11, 2022

When it comes time to find a real estate agent, we always recommend shopping around. Having the internet at your fingertips makes your job that much easier. Or does it? While the web offers virtually endless information, not all of it is accurate or trustworthy—believe it or not, fake reviews are something you need to be aware of! So, how do you know when you’ve found an experienced, reputable real estate agent? To help, we’ve put together this guide to help you find the most reliable resources. We’ll also provide some insider insight about how real estate agent review sites work (many of them have questionable practices). 3 Steps to Choosing a Real Estate Agent When choosing a real estate...