About Portland's Downtown

UPDATE: This staged condo SOLD in less than 60 days!

This Riverplace condo in downtown Portland OR overlooking the Willamette River is a great buy; Balcony access from both living room and bedroom with great views of the boat harbor and all the river activities.

Main living area has high vaulted ceilings, skylight, and fireplace. This move-in ready home also features A/C and secure parking with on-site storage.

Listed by Christy Roelfs at John L. Scott @ 503-968-3960.

This property was professionally staged by Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging in Portland Oregon. We help local homeowners and their real estate agents prepare homes for selling to ensure a quicker sale for maximum return on your investment. For a complimentary staging proposal call us @ 503-246-1800. Room Solutions ~ Staging that Sells Portland Homes.

Portland Oregon was rather late to grasp the idea of condos. It wasn't until the mid 1990s when some developers started reviving the old downtown warehouses into upscale condominiums that people started to eat up the idea of the urban life style. And then their popularity sky-rocketed. Around the clock eateries, gyms and shopping starting filling in on the ground floors and the old and young alike left their cars in the suburbs and moved to the city. The views, the convenience, the culture... it all fit. Downtown living was hip with a six zero price tag.

Today, sales are waning. According to our local MLS, 1,100 condominiums sold in West Portland over the past 12 months. There are currently 1,062 condominiums for sale in West Portland. With the inventory growing, owners are forced to drop their prices and some developers are opting turn their condo constructions into apartments to save themselves the agony of long market times and lower sales prices.

It's no wonder. Most of the West Side condos are not priced for the first time buyer crowd. This is a second, third or even retirement home option for many. And then there are the HOA fees which run on average of about $200 to $400 per month.

Portland is holding strong in an overall sagging nationwide market. But the reason for the decline in condo sales? In the past, when I would appraise a new condo unit in the downtown area I would constantly see the first phase of construction being snagged up by outside investors. Probably about two thirds of the proud new owners in a new condominium building would never see their property in person. Once the project was completed they would simply put a 'for sale' sign on their unit and make that magic profit. Investors have been by-passing the Portland market these days. There are more desperate markets out that have lower price tags and potentially higher profit margins.

So in strange way, I see the decline of condo sales in the Portland area a sign that our housing market is stronger than much of the nation.

Normally it takes our family about an hour, to an hour and a half, to get to the beach, depending on which beach we are heading to. But today it only took about 15 minutes as it seems the beach got a lot closer to us than normal.

You see the City of Portland has a public square right in the middle of downtown called Pioneer Court House Square, and this year they bussed in a few tons of sand for a sand art contest. All you could use was the sand and water to build some master creations.

Well, I have to say they build a heck of a lot better looking creations than I do, or ever could do, when I am at the beach. Check out the photo gallery of pictures my dad took while at the event.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Photos by Rod Clark

This downtown Portland OR condo has many amenities for residents to enjoy. Here are photos of some of the staged rooms in this lovely home ...

This property was professionally staged by Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging in Portland, Oregon. We offer exceptional staging services to Portland-area realtors, homeowners, builders and investors to reduce market time and maximize equity. For a no-obligation staging proposal, call us at 503-246-1800.