Portland Real Estate Market Activity – February 2010 Results

If you believed the Portland-area housing market was in recovery mode, February 2010′s results won’t bolster your confidence.

Yes, sales are up 18% over February 2009. And, yes, pending sales are up 45% over last year.

But if you’re a home seller, it still may not be a good time to market your property. Average and median sale prices dropped 3.3% and 2.1% respectively between January to February, and are a good 8.5% and 9.3% down from a year ago. From the peak values in 2007, prices in the Portland real estate market have declined by 23%.

At the current rate of sales, it would take 13 months to absorb the current housing inventory; better than the nearly 17 months rate this time last year. On average, homes that do sell take 5 months to find a willing buyer.

With less than 60 days left to get a property under contract and qualify for federal tax credits, activity seems to be up (looking at pending sales). This activity may be emphasizing smaller, affordable properties, thereby pulling the average prices lower, but that’s just a theory.

Market Summary

February
2010
January
2010
Last Year
February 2009
Median Sale Price $235,000 $240,000 $259,000
Average Sale Price $273,100 $282,400 $298,500
Closed Sales 1,015 986 857
Pending Sales 1,850 1,535 1,276
New Listings 3,902 3,937 3,471
Active Listings 13,101 12,449 14,188
Total Market Time * 150 days 145 days 153 days
Inventory (in months) 12.9 12.6 16.6

Below is activity by market area. Please note that the median and average sale prices are year-to-date), and the appreciation numbers are a 12-month average compared to the previous 12-month average. Total market time is the number of days between the date it went on the market and when it received an acceptable offer.

Market Report by Area

Area YTD Avg.
Sale Price
YTD Median
Sale Price
12-Mo.
Appreciation
Total Mkt
Time*
Lake Oswego / West Linn $432,200 $360,000 -9.7% 153
West Portland & Downtown $415,200 $315,000 -10.8% 208
NW Washington County $361,600 $340,000 -9.8% 144
Tigard / Tualatin / Sherwood / Wilsonville $313,800 $295,500 -8.5% 184
Northeast Portland $274,800 $243,800 -10.7% 114
Milwaukie / Clackamas $252,700 $235,000 -8.2% 136
Oregon City / Canby $251,300 $221,400 -11.4% 149
Hillsboro / Forest Grove $242,900 $213,000 -10.9% 138
North Portland $239,600 $225,000 -10.8% 74
Beaverton / Aloha $238,500 $217,600 -12.2% 168
Southeast Portland $226,700 $197,900 -11.7% 119
Gresham / Troutdale $204,200 $190,000 -14.2% 162
Yamhill County $198,000 $190,000 -16.0% 154
Columbia County $189,200 $184,000 -14.6% 183

Market data courtesy of RMLS, February 2010.

Comments

One Response to “Portland Real Estate Market Activity – February 2010 Results”

  1. Jeff on March 17th, 2010 9:02 am

    Well, this pretty much answers the questions I had about the appraisal I received yesterday. Much easier to decipher than her explanation… Thanks!
    -Jeff

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