May Numbers; On Being Accustomed to Food

Something I admit but can’t fully reconcile:
There are two parts of being a successful real estate agent:  Doing the job an agent is hired to do, professionally representing clients in the buying and selling of real estate.  I’ve said before, good agents earn every cent of what they’re paid: that’s testified to by the fact that the […]

A (Real Estate) Tale of Two Cities and Four Zip Codes

For those who still doubt that all real estate is local, I thought it would help to compare two areas with approximately the same number of listings (detached single family).  The first - the southeast zip codes of 97202 and 97206, encompassing Woodstock, Eastmoreland and Sellwood - has 438 active listings; and the second - […]

April numbers: There’s somethin’ happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear…

I said before I people and situation watch, because that can give early cues before the numbers catch up: 
Nationally the DOW just went over 13,000 - up 13.5% since January - unemployment went down when it was expected to go up, and fresh $600 checks are taking some of the mental agony out of $3.60 gas prices.  […]

Housing demand; market inertia, addendum

Git reminded me what I forgot in the last post: what will reverse inertia?
There are many who blame the media for much of the downturn, and think it’s the media that can pull us out.  Emphasizing the negative froze buying; perhaps emphasizing the positive can inspire the thaw.  Wrong on at least two counts:

People are […]

For the Benefit of Mr. Git, Pt 2; the demand side of housing, inertia

[Part 1, supply, here.]
Demand = the number of buyers willing and able to buy a home.
Willing:  Local factors

[Downtown Lake Oswego]
Before we can find willing buyers, there must first, of course, be potential buyers. I admit fully to provincial bias when I say I’d rather live in the Pacific Northwest than anywhere else in the world - […]

Forecasting the housing market: Presumption, projection and personal observation

[This began as a one paragraph caveat to the next installment of For the Benefit of Mr. Git, but grew.  I’ll post the latter later.] 
I’m not an economist.  If you want one, NAR’s Lawrence Yun was named by USA Today as one of the top five in the United States.  His tables are elaborate, his analyses detailed and nuanced, […]

Oregon mortgage delinquency rates

The Wall Street Journal published an interactive map today that dovetails nicely with the map linked to by Ron Ares a couple days ago on foreclosure risks.  It details by state delinquency (30-120 days past due) rates of first mortgages, second mortgages, HELOCs and the overall.
The good news is Oregon is still 44th in the […]

In Housing (as in all things) the free market works

George Will is always good, this morning particularly so because it’s particularly pertinent, and should give a little more definition as to where I stand on government intervention.  It’s worth reading in its entirety, but key:
The market, which bewilders and annoys liberals by correcting excesses without the supervision of liberals, is doing that as housing […]

The Lighter Side of Serious: What’s wrong with this picture?

All pulled from the MLS today:

Offered at $385,000: One Fire Hydrant!

Window coverings negotiable!

Wonderful use of color!

Yes!  The world really is flat!
===
[If anyone would like to preview any of these properties, please let me know…]

March PDX Real Estate Numbers; First Look

As I said in an earlier comment:  Not pretty, not dire, about where it’s been since last August.
This is for all residential property categories in the greater Portland area, the same area covered in data released by RMLS in a couple weeks.  Note these numbers will change somewhat; books are still being updated.
MEDIAN PRICE

[As always, […]

« go back — keep looking »