Top 5 Online Tools for Portland Real Estate
Considering a move to Portland, or to a different Portland neighborhood or suburb? From Hillsboro to Troutdale, Clackamas to St. John’s, there’s a wide area to cover. Fortunately, there are some great online tools to get the information you need to make an informed decision. We going to list 5 here, but keep in mind, we are a top 100 real estate blog in the world, but exclusively cover the Portland metro area. I hope you’ll subscribe by email!
Here are a few information sources for Portland neighborhood data, maps and information — from the fine details to the broader picture.
This is the one-stop shop for everything you need to know about every tax lot in the City of Portland (and some surrounding communities, too). Get prior tax assessments, school district assignments, crime data and more for any given piece of real estate. Click around and get the scoop on neighboring properties — zoning can affect the look and feel of the neighborhood in years to come. Want even more maps of Portland? Click on the “Advanced” tab or check out our blog post here.
This site specializes in real estate and demographic data with the goal of helping home buyers, sellers and investors make informed decisions. Their end goal is to sell you a “Pro Report” but the free data and interactive maps are worth a stop by this easy-to-use website. You’ll find some lists of best Portland neighborhoods for education, income growth and real estate appreciation, as well as a good overview of the city’s demographics. “Scout” out different Portland-area localities by using the handy search bar up top.
Others try to compete, but the AARP’s Livability Index is still the best source of hard data on what it’s like to live anywhere in the Portland metro area. They track everything from accessibility (how many homes have zero-step entrances?) to air quality to the number of grocery stores, giving a score in seven categories as well as an overall score. There’s also a comparison tool so you can weigh, Portland against Beaverton, or Milwaukie against Lake Oswego.
4. City of Portland Neighborhood Association Pages
Dive in deep to Portland neighborhoods by visiting the online presence created by residents themselves. Most neighborhoods have websites; many have newsletters that give personal glimpses into daily life. There’s no better way to gauge the quality of civic life and take a virtual walkabout!
This website is the leader in school ratings, so much so that real estate listings are starting to feature the Greatschools score in the description of the home. Although these scores are just based on test scores and might not reflect your student’s experience there, it’s an undeniable fact that school rankings affect real estate values. As with many neighborhood-info websites like Niche, there is a rabbit hole of reviews to get lost into on Greatschools. Keep in mind that statistically, people are much more likely to write a review when they have a strong opinion.
Not into doing online research? We’re you’re real estate team and we’re here to get you the information you need — whether you’re buying, selling or investing in the Portland metro. Take the easy route and call us today!
