Blog - Jon Cohen

Buying a Home, Oregon Real Estate, Oregon Real Estate Market Conditions

We’re All Waiting With Anticipation

Today was a big day for mortgage interest rates. Providing a positive vibe for the housing market, the average interest rate for 30-year mortgages dropped to 6.34%, the lowest rate since April 2023. The lower rates will help homebuyers concerned about affordability which in turn provides sellers with a bit more comfort about giving up […]
Buying a Home, Oregon Real Estate, Oregon Real Estate Market Conditions

Homebuyers – Don’t Be Twiddling Your Thumbs While Waiting For Better Interest Rates

Many Homebuyers today are feeling caught between higher interest rates and rising home prices. They want to buy now because home prices are increasing, while at the same time, they want to wait until interest rates come down a bit – hopefully later this year. If you choose to wait for better interest rates, […]
Buying a Home, Selling a Home

Interest Rate Buydowns Help Buyers and Sellers

When interest rates were at historic lows, a typical fixed-rate mortgage loan was all most people needed. Now, with rates appreciably higher, buyers’ monthly mortgage rates are much higher. As the real estate market adjusts to changing interest rates, buyers and sellers are looking to make homes more affordable, and lenders are helping with interest […]
Buying a Home, Oregon Real Estate Market Conditions, Selling a Home

So Inventory is Still Low

I often get questions about the real estate market and hear how so many news stories report on the extremely low inventory of homes to buy. Don’t let the news stories scare you. The reality is that there are properties to buy; they’re just not on the market very long. We have pending transactions. We have […]

Buying a Home We’re All Waiting With Anticipation Today was a big day for mortgage interest rates. Providing a positive vibe for the housing market, the average interest rate for 30-year mortgages dropped to 6.34%, the lowest rate since April 2023. The lower rates will help homebuyers concerned about affordability which in turn provides sellers with a bit more comfort about giving up […]

Buying a Home Homebuyers – Don’t Be Twiddling Your Thumbs While Waiting For Better Interest Rates Many Homebuyers today are feeling caught between higher interest rates and rising home prices. They want to buy now because home prices are increasing, while at the same time, they want to wait until interest rates come down a bit – hopefully later this year. If you choose to wait for better interest rates, […]

Buying a Home Interest Rate Buydowns Help Buyers and Sellers When interest rates were at historic lows, a typical fixed-rate mortgage loan was all most people needed. Now, with rates appreciably higher, buyers’ monthly mortgage rates are much higher. As the real estate market adjusts to changing interest rates, buyers and sellers are looking to make homes more affordable, and lenders are helping with interest […]

Buying a Home So Inventory is Still Low I often get questions about the real estate market and hear how so many news stories report on the extremely low inventory of homes to buy. Don’t let the news stories scare you. The reality is that there are properties to buy; they’re just not on the market very long. We have pending transactions. We have […]

Oregon Real Estate Market Statistics For February 2023 Here are the Market Statistics for February 2023. The average and median sale prices decreased by 5.3% and 3.7% respectively. While buyers and sellers will look at these numbers differently, I’m curious to see if this will be a continuing trend or simply the result of our unusually slow winter sales cycle. I believe it […]

Uncategorized Portland Metro Area Real Estate Inventory/Price/Days on Market Report Through January 2023 Here’s an overview of the Portland, Oregon residential real estate market as of the end of January, 2023. Please keep in mind that Real Estate is Local. These numbers reflect the activity in the Portland Metro Area. If you’d like more specific information about your property or a specific neighborhood, Let’s Talk. Please reach out […]

Oregon Real Estate Market Conditions Bubble? What Bubble? Two Reasons Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t a Bubble You may be reading headlines and hearing talk about a potential housing bubble or a crash, but it’s important to understand that the data and expert opinions tell a different story. A recent survey from Pulsenomics asked over one hundred housing market experts and real estate economists if they believe […]

Buying a Home It’s Not Just The Price – Home Buying Competition Goes to a 2nd Level We know Portland’s housing market is competitive. We have lots of people looking to buy a home and not enough homes to satisfy them all. So many sellers are receiving multiple offers for their homes and choosing among hopeful buyers. That’s where the second level of competitiveness comes in. Not only are buyers competing with […]

Oregon Real Estate Portland Metro Area Real Estate Inventory/Median Home Price/Days on Market Through February 2021 Portland Metro Area Real Estate Inventory/Median Home Price/Days on Market Through February 2021 Here’s an overview of the Portland, Oregon residential real estate market as of the end of February, 2021. If you have any questions about your property or the market in general, let’s set up a time to talk. Inventory: The Sellers’ […]

Oregon Real Estate Buying and Selling Homes and Protecting Against Coronavirus Here’s what I’m doing in my business to protect my clients, myself, other Realtors and their clients, and our community against the spread of coronavirus. We are all concerned about controlling the spread of coronavirus in our communities, around the country and around the world. We are all making sacrifices to reduce the likelihood of […]

Uncategorized Where Did Americans Move in 2018? Oregon is still high on the list! [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Every year United Van Lines conducts their National Movers Study by tracking their customer’s movement state-to-state over the course of the year. While Vermont claimed the top spot, Oregon slotted into the #2 ranking of states with the highest percentage of inbound residents. The most common response for why someone relocated to another state was for […]

Buying a Home Excited About Buying A Home This Year? Here’s What to Watch As we kick off the new year, many families have made resolutions to enter the housing market in 2019. Whether you are thinking of finally ditching your landlord and buying your first home or selling your starter house to move into your forever home, there are two pieces of the real estate puzzle you need […]

Oregon Real Estate Windermere Realty Trust Ranks as the #1 Most Generous Large Corporate Philanthropist in Oregon & S.W. Washington Windermere Realty Trust matched many of the criteria I sought when I changed real estate brokerages almost 18 months ago. Among those criteria was community support, for which the Portland Business Journal has just announced Windermere Realty Trust as the Most Generous Corporate Philanthropist among large corporations in Oregon & SW Washington. Together with this […]

Portland Area Schools The Community Transition School Needs Our Help The Community Transitional School is trying desperately to collect enough school supplies for its community as the school year is about to begin. The Community Transitional School serves “the hidden homeless,” the students who live with their homeless and transient families through Multnomah County. The school is always striving to achieve its mission: To […]

Uncategorized CONNECT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD & CONNECT WITH THE PORTLAND TIMBERS Neighborhood News is the best way to stay connected to what’s happening in the local real estate market. This free monthly email newsletter provides current housing activity and trends in your neighborhood or the neighborhood where you’re looking to buy. Sign up for Neighborhood News right now and you’ll have a chance to connect with […]

Oregon Real Estate PORTLAND REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE The Portland real estate market is poised to accelerate into the spring selling season. January and February brought a slight uptick in residential inventory from the end of December, 2017. Our inventory dropped back down to 1.6 months by the end of March, up from the same time last year. The median sale price for a […]

Portland On The Move 20 is Plenty – Portland’s New Residential Speed Limit The new Portland residential speed limit is in effect as of April 1st. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the 20 mph residential speed limit applies to “streets that do not have center line markings.” The “20 Is Plenty” campaign is part of the City’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. […]

Oregon Real Estate Oregon Has a Trade Surplus The Portland Business Journal recently published this great infographic (click on the photo to go to the interactive map) showing that Oregon has a trade surplus will all but seven of the United States. The commodity creating this surplus? People! State by state, more people are moving to Oregon than are moving from Oregon […]

Uncategorized WHY IS THIS REAL ESTATE BROKER LOOKING FORWARD TO JURY DUTY? The Multnomah County Courthouse is not for sale – yet! However, as I reinstate my real estate blog, something from my days as a lawyer is crossing into my real estate world. Later this month I will have the honor and the duty to fulfill my civic responsibility to appear for jury duty, and hopefully […]