Portland area housing prices continue to fall and are now down to July, 2004 levels. A 20-city index shows overall average prices down to December, 2002 levels. http://www.oregonlive.com/front-porch/index.ssf/2012/03/portland_us_home_prices_set_ne.html
Really? Cant say I remember seeing $99000 dollar houses in 2004, id say they are lower than 2004 numbers
No kidding. There have been several houses (decent ones) sell in the $60,000 range in our area of Vancouver recently. I'd love to snag a few and be an enlightened slum lord.
Obama has destroyed the home ownership part of the American Dream. I think real estate is a great investment right now. You make .5% in a bank account, and the stock market is risky. Consider a $60K house that you can rent for $500/mo (probably more than that!). $6K income on a $60K investment is 10%. Even if the property value hits zero, it'll pay for itself in 10 years.
This is a great investment opportunity if it's Bush's fault. This is an attack on Free Enterprise if it's Obama's fault. We Republicans need to huddle and discuss our nihilistic strategy before talking too much.
Eight years of no gains isn't a good thing, no matter who is the president. I'm sure you'll post something nonsensical to follow up on my post.
Actually, Bush maimed it and Obama nursed it back to health, (if you want to believe Presidents had anything to do with it). The American Dream is now more attainable than anytime in the last decade, far more attainable than during the Reagan years. Low prices, lowest rates since the 1960's, largest buyer's market in history... And Realtor-extroadinaire MARIS61 to guide you to your dream estate.
I know exactly what has happened to the Central Oregon real estate market. You profited off of an overpriced secondary market, and now you sit back and laugh about it. That's ghoulish, bro. Hardcore capitalistic, which I do respect.
In spite of low prices and low interest rates, there's been no bottom to the market yet. Bush may have maimed it, but Obama killed it. If you think things are picking up, something changed just about a year ago. Guess what that was?
I've corrected your lie before. I'll do it again. I first got my Realtor license in the spring of 2007, and my own riverside estate is assessed at about 1/2 of what I paid for it 2 months before I became a Realtor. Made very little as a Realtor for over 2 years, but am busy as a bee since then. Sold my Milwaukie home in 2004 for a fair profit before the boom. I am a capitalist, but one guided by ethics and a desire to help others find happiness as I have. You should think about swapping that condo of yours for something with earth under it, while the values are so comparable.
I've been busy for nearly 3 years now, with as many buyers as I have time for. I've noticed no big changes, just a gradual fall of prices and a gradual increase in buyers. Very typical of a steady recovery. Anyone with a 620 credit score and a decent job can finance a home right now with 3.5% down and a sub-5% fixed interest rate. I'm not sure how it could be much better.
Full time employment where you can afford the home might be a good start. Or not being tied to a home if you have to move to find a job. And what's changed is there's been a dead stop on the democrats' agenda for the past year. No new job killing legislation, no more bailouts, etc.
This. Prices are below 2004 here. Maybe that's a national average, or maybe it's been massaged to make things look good. I just went through a lawsuit a year ago over how housing prices dropped between 2005 and 2010, so I have objective proof.