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Month: April 2019

Numbers Don’t Lie, April is the Best Time to List Your Home in Portland

Posted on by Amy Seaholt

 When is the best time to put my home on the market? It’s a question we Realtors get from clients all the time. Now, thanks to recent data gathered and evaluated by Realtor.com, we can give a definitive answer for the Portland metro area: The week of April 14.

Why? Buyers have started looking and they’re eager to buy before the summer market heats up, but in early April, most sellers aren’t on the market yet. It’s a classic example of the law of supply and demand. In fact, there are 23.9% fewer listings on the market that week than on average throughout the year. Only the Seattle and Denver areas had larger inventory swings than Portland. And anecdotally it makes sense, as many buyers want to enjoy summer in their new homes rather than move during our short-but-beautiful summer window. As a result, sellers are able to list their homes 5.5% higher than at the slow start of the year.

You may have seen the recent article in the New York Times that examines this further. They point out that in most major markets nationwide, April is ideal for sellers. Portland is no exception. Because of the aforementioned demand, sellers who list in our area in mid-April enjoy 24% more views of their homes online and 23% fewer days on the market than the market average.

Spring of 2019 promises more of the same. Interest rates are currently below 5% (30-year fixed) and inventory of mid-level single-family homes remains below demand. Factor in the giddy exhilaration Pacific Northwesterners feel when the spring sun finally gives them a good dose of vitamin D, and you’ve got excited April and May buyers.

We at Inhabit also understand that there are a lot of factors, often out of your control, that can affect the timing of putting a home on the market. Family and work demands, completing long overdue projects around the house, or even waiting for a neighbor down the street to sell before you put your sign up can all come into play.  If that’s the case, talk with us. We know the market and can help you with great service and market knowledge at any time of the year.

 

 

Celebrating 5 Years Inhabiting our Flagship Office in SE Portland

Posted on by Kim Hagstette

Celebrating 5 Years Inhabiting our Flagship Office in SE Portland

5 years ago, Inhabit Real Estate decided to put down stakes on SE Division Street at the epicenter of it all.  It was during a time that the neighborhood was experiencing tremendous growth and the landscape of the street was transforming a little too rapidly for some.  A sea of mixed-use, 4-story apartment buildings sprung up between existing shops and restaurants.  The renewed energy brought in some anchor tenants that literally transformed the entire neighborhood vibe.  Today, it’s an area that literally buzzes with energy.  The street is lined with noteworthy eateries and was dubbed one of the “10 Best Foodie Streets in America” by Food and Wine Magazine.  The restaurants, unique shopping, and local vibe make it a worthy destination in Portland.  We happily claim our spot nestled between the Whiskey Soda Lounge and Bula Kava House at 31st and Division.

As a small, Portland-based company, our goal was to celebrate everything local in our design.  We partnered with Maven Interiors, an award-winning local design company and Christopher McDonald (our good friend and amazing carpenter/ contractor) to do the build-out. We challenged the design team to create something that was unique, sustainable and had a hand-crafted feel.  We wanted our storefront to add to the streetscape and our presence embraced by the community.

Here’s a brief tour of some of the “local” aspects of our office…

One of the first things you will notice as soon as you walk in the office is a huge mural of an abstract Portland map that we commissioned local artist Jerry Inscoe to create for us.  The red peg indicates “you are here”.

We looked for opportunities to infuse art in unexpected ways.  Our interior doors, for example, became blank canvases. We asked Jerry Inscoe to collaborate with local artist Jennifer Mercede to bring our doors to life in an otherwise uninspired corridor.  Jerry airbrushed abstract backgrounds and Jennifer painted things reminiscent of Portland (Doug firs, bubbler fountains, bicycles, etc) in a whimsical doodle fashion on top.  The contrasting styles of the artists resulted in one-of-a-kind creations.

We turned to Portland’s own Schoolhouse Electric for all of our office pendants lights and Pratt and Larson Tile for our handmade kitchen backsplash.

The bathroom wallpaper is the work of local designers at MAKELIKE, a graphic design collective in SE Portland.  We loved continuing the unexpected whimsy in the loo.

All of our office partitions and workstations were custom designed by Maven Interiors and hand built by Chris McDonald.  The materials used are untraditional, just like us.  We are different by design.

The next time you find yourself on SE Division Street, please stop by for a tour and a cup of coffee.  We would be happy to make your acquaintance.