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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Perspective who wrote (112757)	3/25/2008 5:27:59 PM
From: bentway	Respond to of 306849

I almost bought an unfinished houseboat on the Columbia just N of Portland - if winter hadn't been coming on, I'm sure I would have bought it. Portland seems like a really nice place to live.

To: Perspective who wrote (112757)	3/25/2008 6:19:46 PM
From: SockpuppetDoug	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

I'm renting also. REOs are not too bad so I think it's going to take a while. I operate in the construction industry and with 50x100 lots close-in selling for ~90k it makes no sense to buy a 1920s Sears home for 450k. I can build a much nicer home (not crappy developer quality): insulated, with Marvin or Anderson wood windows that actually work, decent hardwood floors and a contemporary layout, plywood cabinets and nice finish detailing for about $175/sf. That's about 15% cheaper than the 1950s technology homes in my neighborhood are going for. Until that discrepancy is resolved, I'm not buying anything. If it doesn't change I'll just build my own house.

To: Perspective who wrote (112757)	3/25/2008 10:58:51 PM
From: Archie Meeties	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

Nice timing on the sell. We lived in Portland for 5 years, bought in the Hillsdale area in 1998 at what we thought were inflated values. Sold when we left and rotated into coastal property. I sincerely doubt there is much downside in the Portland or Seattle market. Too many people want to live there, economy still seems robust. If there is softness, it will come only in the developments in the far east of the city or possibly some of the new condos in the city center. If I was buying there again I'd want to live in the NW area, maybe my lot backing into forest park.