Portland Local

Portland Real Estate Market Action Report – January 2020

Closed sales (1,663) rose 14.6% from the 1,451 closings recorded last year in January 2019 and decreased 24.9% compared with the 2,213 closings recorded last month in December 2019.

Pending sales (2,271) increased 11.1% over the 2,045 offers accepted in January 2019, and rose 28.2% over the 1,772 offers accepted last month in December 2019.

New listings, at 2,754, decreased 9.6% from January 2019 (3,048) and rose 116.9% from December 2019 (1,270). Inventory increased to 2.2 months this December, while total market time increased to 74 days.

Comparing January 2020 to January 2019, the average sales price has increased 6.3% from 435,600 to 463,000. In the same comparison, the median sales price has increased 5.5% from 384,900 to 406,000.

Portland Real Estate Market Action Report – December 2019

Closed sales (2,213) rose 19.9% from the 1,846 closings recorded last year in December 2018 and increased 1.0% compared with the 2,191 closings recorded last month in November 2019

Pending sales (1,772) increased 10.8% over the 1,599 offers accepted in December 2018, and fell 22.1% short of the 2,274 offers accepted last month in November 2019.

New listings, at 1,270, increased 1.2% from December 2018 (1,255) and fell 40.0% from November 2019 (2,118). Inventory decreased to 1.8 months this December, while total market time increased to 64 days.

Comparing 2019 to 2018 through December, the average sales price has increased 1.5% from 452,400 to 459,200. In the same comparison, the median sales price has increased 2.5% from 400,000 to 410,000.

Portland Real Estate Market Action Report – November 2019

Closed sales (2,191) rose 2.2% from the 2,144 closings recorded last year in November 2018 and decreased 15.3% compared with the 2,588 closings recorded last month in October 2019.

Pending sales (2,274) increased 19.4% over the 1,904 offers accepted in November 2018, and fell 11.7% short of the 2,575 offers
accepted last month in October 2019.

New listings, at 2,118, decreased 8.3% from November 2018 (2,310) and fell 30.9% from October 2019 (3,064). Inventory stayed at 2.4 months this November, while total market time increased to 60 days

Comparing 2019 to 2018 through November, the average sales price has increased 1.4% from 453,100 to 459,300. In the same comparison, the median sales price has increased 2.5% from 400,000 to 410,000.

Top 10 Donation Spots in Portland

The holiday season often comes with an influx of new stuff, from decor and winter maintenance supplies to gifts and kitchen gear. If you find yourself feeling a little cluttered as a result, consider donating!

There are some awesome organizations around Portland that can give your unwanted possessions a second life. Maximize the good you do with what you have by following this simple guide, compiled with the assistance of SCRAP PDX’s handy website.

What to Do With…

High-quality art and design materials > Donate to SCRAP PDX

SCRAP’s website has a useful list of stuff they do and do not accept. The bottom line: they, like many other local creative reuse and recycling organizations in Portland, aren’t exactly hurting for donations. That means they are selective with what they accept. Keep this in mind when donating to any of the organizations on this list—quality matters. Consider SCRAP for your donations that fit the bill and support their efforts in environmental sustainability education and mission that revolves around access to creative expression for everyone.

New and lightly used clothes > Donate to a local homeless shelter

There are a lot of wonderful community organizations in Portland focused on ensuring the health and safety of people who’ve fallen on hard times. At this time of year, your donation of a warm winter coat can make a huge difference for someone in need. Organizations that accept donations of clean clothes in good condition include:

Portland Rescue Mission
Central City Concern
Transition Projects
Rose Haven (specializes in items for women and children)

Bedding, clothing and other fabrics > Call the Pioneer Wiping Cloth Company

It’s best not to donate bedding, clothes and other fabrics that aren’t in new or like-new condition. If you wouldn’t want to wear it or snuggle up in it, it probably isn’t suitable for donation. But that doesn’t mean it needs to go into the trash—the Pioneer Wiping Cloth Company might be able to recycle your old fabrics. Give them a call to find out!

Old electronics and tech > Donate to Free geek

Free Geek is a nonprofit focused on reusing tech equipment rather than sending these hazardous materials to landfills. When they refurbish tech, they grant what they’ve fixed to local community organizations. You can donate just about anything electronic to Free Geek, and they’ll either reuse or recycle it for you.

Household appliances, fixtures and building materials > Call the ReBuilding Center to inquire about a donation

If you’ve never been to the ReBuilding Center, you should plan a trip as soon as possible. This place is a playground of salvaged building materials you can use in DIY home improvement projects. They also accept donations, though you should call ahead if you have a lot of stuff on hand.

Furniture, lamps and other furnishings > Donate to Community Warehouse

We love the Community Warehouse—Wick is very involved with the organization, and we believe in what they do. They’re a furniture bank, meaning they function similarly to a food bank, but for furniture. If you have home furnishings in good condition that you just don’t need anymore, donate them to the Community Warehouse! Last year, the served 7,000 families.

Building supplies > Contact Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East to inquire about a donation

You don’t have to pick up a hammer to help Habitat for Humanity build houses for low-income families. Habitat would love to reuse your building materials, and they’ll even come pick them up! If you’re planning a renovation in your kitchen, for example, Habitat may be able to arrange for a crew to come remove cabinetry that they’ll then use in a new home.

Office & school supplies > Donate to Schoolhouse Supplies

Schoolhouse Supplies is a great local organization that provides free school supplies to children in need. Any old boxes of pencils, pens, notebooks or markers can go to good use with this organization. Like SCRAP, Schoolhouse Supplies has a list of items they do and do not accept on their website. Give this a read before you bring stuff to them.

Anything plastic > Call Far West Recycling to see if they can recycle

Portlanders are getting wise to the fact that plastic is pretty terrible for the environment. If you’ve recently replaced a lot of plastic stuff with more sustainable materials, that’s great! Far West Recycling may be able to recycle your unwanted plastics.

Everything Else > Call the Metro Recycling Hotline

Unsure what to do with everything else, or with things that get rejected for donation? Call the Metro Recycling Hotline and they’ll help: 503.234.3000

Portland Real Estate Market Action Report – October 2019

Closed sales (2,588) rose 6.1% from the 2,440 closings recorded last year in October 2018 and increased 8.9% compared with the 2,377 closings recorded in September 2019.

Pending and closed sales saw gains this month in the Portland metro area compared with October 2018. Pending sales (2,575) rose 3.7% over the 2,484 offers accepted in October 2018, falling 4.1% short of the 2,686 offers accepted last month in September 2019.

New listings, at 3,064, decreased 1.2% from October 2018 (3,100) and 11.7% from September 2019 (3,470). Inventory decreased slightly to 2.4 months this October, while total market time rose by two days to land at 54 days.

Comparing 2019 to 2018 through October, the average sales price has increased 1.2% from 453,600 to 459,000. In the same comparison, the median sales price has increased 2.5% from 400,000 to 410,000.

Portland Real Estate Market Action Report – September 2019

Closed sales (2,377) fared similarly, rising 4.6% from the 2,272 closings recorded last year in September 2018 but showing cooling of 18.1% compared with the 2,901 closings recorded last month.

Pending and closed sales saw gains this month in the Portland metro area, compared with September 2018. Pending sales (2,686) rose 8.7% over the 2,471 offers accepted in September 2018, falling 8.3% short of the 2,929 offers accepted last month in August 2019.

New listings at 3,470, decreased 3.8% from September 2018 (3,606) and 7.6% from August 2019 (3,757). Inventory increased slightly to 2.8 months this September, while total market time rose by four days to land at 52 days.

Comparing 2019 to 2018 through September, the average sale price has increased 1.1% from $453,800 to $458,900. In the same comparison, the median sale price has increased 2.5% from $400,000 to $410,000.