Everything. Portland. Real Estate. Blog.

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Great Real Estate Agents Matter

Kristie — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:01:17 +0000

This year we’ve seen several major trends rock the real estate market here in Portland, and for the next week we’ll be looking back at the big real estate trends and concepts that have made 2011 a great year for the McDonald Group Portland Real Estate experts. Next up, the trend that’s not really a [...]

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Renovations Rule

Kristie — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:30:17 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Kitchens can sell a house!

Kristie — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:03:33 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Buying a Home as an Income Property

Kristie — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:40:11 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: New Construction was Booming

Kristie — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:23:58 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Mortgage Rates Are Still Low

Kristie — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:15:30 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Location, Location, Location

Kristie — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:54:21 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Buyers are thinking long-term

Kristie — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:54:27 +0000

2011 Real Estate Trend Re-Cap: Small-Scale Real Estate

Kristie — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:33:13 +0000

Construction on the New Sellwood Bridge Begins Today

Kristie — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:22:19 +0000

Here in Portland, we’re so well known for the many bridges crossing the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that our unofficial nickname is Bridgetown, and one bridge in particular remains infamous. The Sellwood Bridge, connecting the southernmost regions of east Portland with the southern West Hills and Lake Oswego, has been derided as one of the [...]

Hollywood Farmers Market Open This Winter

Kristie — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:23:45 +0000

Great news for everyone looking at homes for sale in Northeast Portland – there’s a winter farmers market in the Hollywood neighborhood. Hollywood is known for its family friendly atmosphere and cute historic bungalows, and now it’ll be known for fresh fruits, veggies, and artisan foods, all winter long! Farmers Markets here in Portland aren’t [...]

December is “Bridge Month” Here in Portland, Oregon

Kristie — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:32:49 +0000

Two rivers wind through Portland, Oregon: the north-flowing Willamette, separating the city into East and West Portland, and the mighty Columbia, the fourth largest river in the US, which divides Oregon and Washington. Portland is called Bridgetown for a reason: the twelve bridges crossing these rivers (each an example of a unique architectural style and [...]

Holiday ZooLights Celebration at the Oregon Zoo!

Kristie — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:08:39 +0000

Here at the McDonald Group Portland Real Estate blog, we’re getting truly excited for the traditional events that take place in Portland around the holidays. Last week, we told you about Peacock Lane, Portland’s traditional Christmas Street, but there is a lot more sparkling fun throughout the city. One of our favorite holiday light displays [...]

RMLS Portland Market Action Report for November 2011

Kristie — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:55:09 +0000

The latest RMLS Market Action Report is out for November 2011. For three months running, closed and pending sales throughout the Portland metropolitan real estate market showed real improvements compared with the same months in 2010. Inventory is also much lower than the same time a year ago, which means the market is balancing out [...]

Enjoy the Lights on Portland’s Christmas Avenue, SE Peacock Lane

Kristie — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:06:53 +0000

Working in the Portland Real Estate Market means we get to share traditions and celebrations of the area with new residents. There’s nothing better than helping new home-owners get to know their neighborhoods, area history, and seasonal festivities to make the transition to Portland as exciting and easy as possible. Here at the McDonald Group [...]

Hit the Portland Trails with the Trails Club of Oregon

Kristie — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:45:19 +0000

Portland is full of amazing restaurants, boutiques, movie theaters, and bookstores, but a lot of Portland residents look for more active and outdoorsy ways to appreciate their city. If you’re thinking about relocating to Portland and consider yourself a true lover of the outdoors, you should check out the Trails Club of Oregon, a Portland-area [...]

Northwest Portland Celebrates the Holidays with Open Houses

Kristie — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:06:37 +0000

Northwest Portland’s Nob Hill neighborhood is ringing in the holidays this Saturday with open houses, sales and entertainment. Holidays in Nob Hill will take place throughout the day on Saturday, Dec. 10 on Northwest 21st and 23rd avenues. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Santa will be at HomeStreet Bank, 22 N.W. 23rd Ave., and [...]

The Story of Portland’s Sidewalk Horse Rings

Kristie — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:52:59 +0000

If you’ve ever spent time looking for homes for sale in Portland, Oregon you’ve no doubt noticed the small metal rings attached to the sidewalks. The metal rings are a relic of Portland’s early history, when horses were the main method of transportation around the rose city. In the 1800′s, horse rings were embedded into [...]

Live/Work Properties in Portland

Kristie — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:56:35 +0000

When you start looking at homes for sale in Portland, you’ll soon start noticing real estate opportunities in Portland that are great for work and living. The line between commercial real estate and residential real estate is blurred in Portland, where many districts are zoned for both purposes. A lot of historic homes have been [...]

Check out OMSI’s Body Worlds & The Brain Exhibit

Kristie — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:59:39 +0000

Here’s a fun tip for Portland-area activities this holiday season: Head to Oregon’s Museum of Science and Industry for Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Brain. This special exhibit includes more than 200 authentic human specimens and highlights neuroscience, brain development and performance of the human body. Through respectful, aesthetic displays, this all-new exhibition [...]

Portland Library Winter Book Sale

Kristie — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:49:15 +0000

One of our favorite things about the Portland Real Estate market is how near homes for sale in Portland are to neighborhood resources like supermarkets, cafes, and libraries. The Multnomah County Library system is one of the best in the world, no question, and every neighborhood has its own branch connected to the main library [...]

The Portland Trail Blazers are BACK!

Kristie — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:12:25 +0000

Thinking of relocating to Portland? One of the big draws of buying a home in Portland is access to Portland professional sports like basketball and soccer. If you’re like me, the drawn-out NBA contract disagreement has put a pallor on your fall. With the end of the strike, Portlanders can look forward to heading back [...]

North Williams Real Estate to be Impacted by Bike Streets?

Kristie — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:15:00 +0000

If you’re interested in North Portland real estate, there could be big changes in the works for one of the major streets through the neighborhood. The North Williams Avenue Traffic Operations Safety Project involves development on the City of Portland-designated “major city bikeway” of N Williams Ave as part of 2010’s Portland Bicycle Plan. Possible [...]

A New Underground Reservoir Could Add More Fresh Water for Portland Residents

Kristie — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:25:16 +0000

If you’ve ever lived in a place where the tap water is less than appetizing, you’ll be amazed at the quality of Portland’s drinking water. I never take it for granted that I’m able to drink cool, delicious water straight out of my kitchen faucet, and it’s not a surprise to find out that Portland’s [...]

Fall Gardening: Score Some Great Deals By Planting in November

Kristie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:31:41 +0000

At the McDonald Group, we love this time of year with all of the gorgeous colors in the trees, golden sunlight breaking through the dark clouds, and the swirling leaves that dance through the trees. For some people around the country, fall means getting ready to clear out the garden for the winter ahead, but [...]