Craig Loughridge

Whether Portland prices are appreciating depends on what statistics you look at and the time periods you use for comparison. It also depends on what a person considers to be "Portland." Some brokers use "Portland" to refer to the entire metropolitan area, which takes in 5 counties, while others use the name to refer the more urban and suburban parts of the 3 counties that Portland touches, while still others use the name to refer to just the area within the incorporated limits of the City of Portland.

The fact is, seasonally adjusted, non-condominium home prices have declined in a lot of communties around the 5-county Portland metropolitan area, as well as in some parts of the City of Portland itself. Whether that depreciation will continue and at what pace is anybody's guess. To be sure, however, the big run up in prices is over (for now).

What all this means to a buyer depends on what the buyer is buying and why. You need a competent, responsible counselor to advise you. And if you're thinking about backing out of a purchase agreement, don't fall for the general advice available on this forum. Talk to a real estate attorney. Make sure to give him copies of all your contract documents, and explain your situation in detail. Then, and only then, can you make the right decision. - Thu May 8 2008, 15:53

Lake Oswego is a great place with lots of great neighborhoods, but many of the homes are priced above $400,000. There are also lots of great neighborhoods within reasonable driving distance of Lake Oswego. The communities of SW Portland, Tigard, Tualatin, West Linn, Wilsonville and Oregon City all have nice homes in the stated price range with good schools. However, different schools in these areas are good in different aspects. The best way to find out more information on the schools is to check out the schools' web sites and the web sites of their districts, then call and talk to principals for the schools and districts that interest you. Also, your daughter should make sure to personally visit the schools she likes before she makes a decision to move to that school's area. (Though keep in mind that school districts can change their individual schools' attendance areas.) My own web site has links to all these, plus school and district reports from the Oregon Department of Education, on the site's Schools page: http://www.nwhomepro.com/schools.htm

If there is any specific information your daughter would like about schools or communities, feel free to e-mail me with your questions.

Best wishes... Craig - Wed Apr 30 2008, 16:39

My previous post added an extra character to the Salem PD web site URL. Use this one -- http://www.cityofsalem.net/export/departments/police/crime_s… - Tue Apr 8 2008, 10:48

The best thing to do to find the low-crime areas of Salem is to check the Salem PD web site -- http://www.cityofsalem.net/export/departments/police/crime_s…

If you might consider Keizer (adjacent to Salem), check the Keizer PD web site -- http://www.keizerpd.com/Records/Statistics.asp

If you're looking at unincorporated parts of Salem/Keizer, call the Marion County Sheriff's Department. Most crime statistics are considered public information, and any member of the public can get them in hardcopy form just by calling and asking (you may have to pay a small fee for photocopying costs). Most larger law enforcement agencies also have public information officers, who can get answers to questions about their agencies' crime data.

As for high-traffic areas, they are located all over Salem and Keizer. If you want to avoid them, I recommend staying as far as possible from the major streets (e.g., Lancaster Drive, River Road, Commercial Streeet, etc., etc.)

Best of luck. - Tue Apr 8 2008, 10:39

Like one of the previous posters, I agree that if you're moving to an unfamiliar area, you're better off to rent at first. The Portland residential market generally is not so hot that you'll be likely to miss building any equity if you don't buy right away. Give yourself a chance to meet some people, and get familiar with Portland, and with the other cities that surround Portland. There are so many communities and types of people around the Portland area. Buying a home should be a long-term decision. - Fri Apr 4 2008, 15:49