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.