2017: A Year in Review
2017 proved to be another hot year in real estate, but the cooler weather did bring a little slow down to the Portland market. In a hot market like ours, any relief is noticeable and much appreciated by buyers that have been fighting to find housing all summer and fall. This said, this seasonal slowdown and slight downward shift won’t last long. It seems most experts agree Portland is still on an upward trajectory overall for the foreseeable future due to the lack of inventory available and the increasing demand for housing.
Zoning/density changes, solving the homelessness crisis, and the roll-out of the mandatory home energy score seem to be the big news items that are the focus of the 2018 Residential Real Estate market.
Know that no matter what topics arise in your life, I’m always here to talk about your specific situation. Whether it’s about what to remodel or update next, or whether or not this may be a good time to make a move, I’m available to help you figure it out!
Here’s to a successful and fulfilling 2018!
Recently on the blog…
How to Get a Better Home Energy Score
By 2050, Portland wants to slash the city’s carbon emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels. To help reach that goal, all Portland homes going for sale will need to obtain a Home Energy Score beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
You might be asking yourself: what is a Home Energy Score? How much does it cost and how do I get one? More importantly, how do I get a good one? Well, I wasn’t the winner of Natural Awakenings Magazine’s 2012 Favorite Green Realtor Award for nothing—green is my personal and professional passion.
Read On To Find Out Learn More About the Home Energy ScoreDecember’s Scouting Report
We’re continuing the seasonal slump that’s pretty typical for this time of year, although there are (always) a few surprises to be found. While new listings are down 19% just from October 2017, November 2017 had a 16.2% increase of new listings compared to the same time last year, and pending sales were up 4.6% in the same comparison.
That being said, we’re rounding out the year slightly cooler than in 2016, and who knows what 2018 will bring. Whatever 2018 has in store for real estate in Portland, Scouts are ready to jump onboard.
See the Full ReportWhat you need to know…
As the season’s start to change, here are a few tips to keep your home in top condition amidst the prediction of yet another wet and brutal winter…
- LOCATE SANDBAGS: If you’re seriously flooding or worried you will be soon, check out this page to see where you can get sandbags
- UNCLOG STORM DRAINS: Be a hero and BEFORE your neighborhood is flooding, go outside and locate your nearest storm drain (on or near your block) and unclog it! You can pat yourself on the back later.
- CHECK FURNACE LINES: If you have a high efficiency furnace, don’t forget to check that your furnace’s condensation line is not frozen, or else it will back up and dump water all over your basement floor.
- WATCH THE MAIL: It’s that time of year where you should be getting a statement (or E statement) about your mortgage escrow account so be sure to check that your payments have not changed (due to your taxes going up).
Have we worked together?
If we have worked together, whether as strategic partners or I’ve helped you buy or sell a home, I’m grateful! And one way you can help me is to leave a review on my Facebook page.
One of my goals this year is to improve my online footprint and sharing your experience is one incredibly valuable way to help me reach that goal.
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