Summer Stats

As the summer draws to a close and we begin to reflect on the market this summer, some July statistics come to mind. We are REALLY hurting for houses to sell. July's inventory was at 1.7 months which means if we continue to sell properties at the current rate of sales, there are only enough properties to last 1.7 months!

July also showed us that prices continue to rise in 2015 compared to 2014. The median price this year to date (January-July 2015) rose to $304,900 this month. That is a 7% increase from the same period of time last year.

It is a clear sign that buyers are having to move quickly as agents closed 28.9% more sales this year over last year and the total market time in July fell to a quick 45 days- down 12 days from last year.

All of this goes to show that there are just not enough properties for sale in Portland and that buyers are having to jump in quickly to close the deal if they want to buy right now. We hope that with the change of the season comes more listings and a breath of fresh air for both buyers and sellers.

Big Decision!

Well- the time has come to announce that we have finally chosen a charity for our 5th annual RE/MAX equity group Broadway art show! DRUMROLL PLEASE.....

The charity we chose is....NW Kidney Kids! 

They are a great group of people working very hard to help children with kidney disease and the parents that work hard to give those children the support they need. We are very excited to announce that over the course of the 3 separate days of the art show (October 3rd, 11th, and 18th), NW Kidney Kids will not only be with us but will be sending families, doctors, and the foundation coordinator to share of their stories and introduce some of the kids who have benefited from this amazing charity!

Welcome to the 2nd blog entry of PDX Real Estate Roost! We are so excited to be a part of the blogging world and have already found some great blogs and articles shared by agents, title companies, mortgage lenders, and other leaders in our industry! There is so much information out there in this day and age that it can be hard to disseminate what is relevant or important sometimes. It is great to find blogs that have links to market statistics or news articles that can help buyers and sellers make informed decisions. Speaking of links, our very own Julee Feslman from Equity Home Mortgage has created a website to help everyone from new buyers to experienced sellers to even your grandma simplify the daunting mortgage process. The link is www.workshopmortgagepdx.com  Check it out!

Last week, we wrapped up our annual school supplies drive for "Friends of the Children". This is a great charity that helps underprivileged kids get backpacks, lunch boxes, and the school supplies they need to succeed in school this year. We collected 44 filled backpacks in total and exceeded our goal of 35! Giving back to our community is important not only for us as a collective but as individuals who live, work, shop, walk, and talk with those who are less fortunate than us every day. It brings a real sense of joy to be able to pay it forward.

The biggest news of the week is that the July numbers are out...and the results are good! The Portland metro area saw increases across the board compared to July of last year. There were 3,452 closings, 3,494 pending sales, and 4,273 listings. This was in fact the best July for closings in Portland on the RMLS record! Stay tuned for more info next week on July numbers and how the market will look this fall.

Vilkomen! Bienvenue! Welcome- to the very first blog entry of PDX Real Estate Roost! This blog will give you all the latest news, updates, and data on the real estate market in Portland and the lowdown on great events happening at RE/MAX equity group on Broadway. 

This week, we are focusing on planning the 5th Annual RE/MAX equity group Broadway Art Show! This is an amazing annual event in which we invite local artists to submit paintings, drawings, photographs that will be hung in our office and displayed in our open house art show in October. The event will be catered and will offer clients and friends of the agents a chance to purchase some one-of-a-kind pieces! The proceeds from this show will then go to a local charity chosen by our office as a way for us to give back to our community. The theme of this year's show is "On Our Streets"- a celebration of the artists, families, and businesses that make our community truly unique.

In the coming days, we will be making a final decision on what charity will be our partner for this great event and announcing some other big news about our new office space so stay tuned!