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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Portland’s MAX Light Rail: Where’s it going in 2020?

August 28, 2020

The MAX (short for Metropolitan Area Express) is the only light rail system in Oregon and the fourth-busiest in the country, after systems in LA, Boston and San Fransisco. The service, run by TriMet, hopes to gain funding to expand MAX service into Tigard and Tualatin in 2020. This year also brings fresh challenges in maintaining ridership and safety. We’ll look at some 2020 updates for the MAX, but first, a little background on the trains that are ubiquitous across Portland. MAX Quick Facts 60 miles of rails run the MAX light rail from Hillsboro to Gresham; Portland Airport to Milwaukie and just about everywhere in between. It has five color-coded lines (blue, green, orange, red, yellow) and 94 stations...

2021 Portland Real Estate Market Forecast

August 25, 2020

The 2021 Portland real estate market is full of uncertainty, but we’ve experienced enough of the post COVID19 housing market to have some confidence in creating a solid forecast. We will follow up with a second housing market projection in Jan. 2021, but this should be a good guide to any home buyer or seller in the Portland real estate market today. First we will start with a collection of real estate industry predictions: 2021 National Real Estate Market Predictions -1.5% Housing Price Drop, Zillow -6.6% Housing Price Drop, CoreLogic 2021 Portland Real Estate Market Forecasts -2% Housing Price Drop, Zillow +1% Housing Price Increase – My Prediction Will my Home Increase or Decrease in Value in 2021? Honestly that...

Portland Home Testing: Wood Stove Removal 2020

August 24, 2020

A 2014 DEQ survey of Portland residents found that more than half of those who burn wood for heat are doing so with uncertified wood stoves. In fact, there may be as many as 80,000 uncertified wood stoves in Oregon! Why are uncertified wood stoves a problem? They’re one of the biggest sources of air pollution in Portland. According to a Multnomah County report, residential wood smoke accounts for 11% of all cancer-causing air pollutants in the area. In addition to containing particulate matter small enough to enter the body through the lungs, wood smoke can be source of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds. “Certified” wood stoves control emissions by re-igniting toxic compounds in the smoke before it escapes out...

How Many Showings on Average to Sell a House? – 2020 update

August 21, 2020

2020 is a year that will go down in Portland real estate market infamy. We had a massive drop in showings, over 60% in March when COVID first hit the real estate market. The rebound in our market was about as fast as the decline, about 100% market rebound in July 2020. Typically the real estate market in Portland peaks in April or May, this year it peaked in July and has been cooling a touch since then. Average Number of Showings to Sell a Home COVID has changed our world in many ways. It has also changed how many showings it takes to sell a home, but not as much as one might think. Real estate agents are trying...

Portland Real Estate Bubble – Housing Market Crash 2021

August 19, 2020

How did we get here? After COVID the Portland real estate market has been wonky. We had a 60% plus buyer traffic drop in March in 2020, then a full rebound by the end of July. Now in August the real estate market here is still hot but cooling some (which aligns with a normal seasonal trend). What will happen next in 2021? When I wrote my analysis of the Portland market in early 2020 before COVID hit, our housing market here was on FIRM footing. At the start of 2020 Portland wages rates were up, Portland employment rates were fantastic, new construction rates were down (keeps inventory tight and the market is less likely to crash), and Portland housing...

Top 5 Safest Portland Suburbs 2020

August 17, 2020

Despite Portland’s recent notoriety for localized conflicts, most people who live here can tell you that it’s overall a safe place to live. Crime statistics can tell us some things about the safety of a given city or suburb, but there are other aspects of safety to consider: What’s the natural disaster risk? How prepared is the community to shelter in place in the wake of, say, an earthquake? Then there’s pedestrian and traffic safety, which is a special concern to home buyers with regular commutes or kids who walk to school. Overall, the Portland suburbs have a reputation for increased safety, and many perform better than the city in terms of fewer crimes reported. However, when it comes to...

Learn How to Become a Licensed Real Estate Agent in Oregon – 2020 Update

August 14, 2020

Why should I read your guide to getting licensed? I run a top 250 real estate team in the U.S. according to Real Trends. Personally I got licensed in Oregon in 2003 as a Broker, then later upgraded to a Principal Broker’s licensed and have also obtained the highest level of license in Washington, Managing Broker. I’ve overseen more than a thousand local sales. In addition to all of that, it would be because I run this website which produces annual, local real estate market research reports on the topics you would want to know before becoming a licensed agent in Oregon, and follow after you are one. I have a genuine passion for the industry, my clients, my fellow...

Oregon County Spotlight: Clackamas – Land of Rivers, Mountains, & Trees

August 10, 2020

The Portland metropolitan area (on the Oregon side) spans five counties: Multnomah County, Washington County, Columbia County, Yamhill County and Clackamas County (possibly Columbia as well). In this County Spotlight, we head to Clackamas, where forested wilderness meets picturesque suburbia, and rivers nurture outdoor recreation and fantastic farmland. Geography of Clackamas, Oregon Clackamas County is a mostly rural county that begins where Southeast Portland leaves off. Generally speaking, Clackamas encompasses the area east of the I5, with its northern border running in a straight line from Milwaukie to Mt. Hood. Oregon City is the county seat of Clackamas, and its claim to fame is that it was the End of the Oregon Trail and the first incorporated city west of...

How much do Real Estate Agents Make? 2020 Update

August 7, 2020

The National Association of Realtors puts out a Member Profile Report nearly every year that spells out exactly how much real estate agents make, or in this case since they are all members, how much Realtors make. Confused as to the difference? Read our article on Agent vs. Broker vs. Realtor. In 2020 the median gross income of Realtors was $49,700 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 34900 43500 47700 45800 39200 42500 39800 41800 49700 Realtor Income Hasn’t Changed Much I will tell you exactly why this is the case. It might surprise our readers but real estate commission rates haven’t changed much over the last ten years (see our 2020 national average commission rates report...

Portland Home Sellers’ Checklist 2020 – Get Ready

August 3, 2020

Good news for Portland home sellers: Your home could go from “listed” to sold in just 42 days this summer — that was the average number of days on market in June 2020. Proactive home sellers can move their home quickly by getting organized, completing as many tasks as possible before the home goes on the market. To help you get there, we’ve compiled our top real estate agent tips for getting your home cleaned up, fixed up and staged to sell. STOP! Before you do anything else: Shop around for a real estate agent. Having agent representation is critical in Portland’s hot real estate market, but you don’t want to work with just anyone. Before you sign the listing...

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Stephen FitzMaurice

Team with eXp Realty