Aurora, Oregon’s Magic Housing Number

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Abundant Aurora Area Real Estate Information Can Seem Like Drinking Water From A Fire Hydrant
TMREI: Too Much Real Estate Information
Sometimes absorbing the sea of Aurora, Oregon real estate information is more like drinking from a fire hydrant. Yet, out of all the seemingly helpful real estate data bandied about, there is one especially helpful number, which when understood, can provide near-magical clarity to both Aurora, Oregon homebuyers and homesellers.

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You Needn’t Be a Magician to Understand Aurora, Oregon Home Inventory
What Is It?
What is this ‘magic’ number and what does it represent? Simply put, it’s the current figure for housing inventory, typically expressed in months of projected home supply.

Listen to the audio podcast presentation of this helpful program on Aurora, Oregon real estate by clicking here or on the above link.

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Aurora, Oregon Real Estate Inventory is Different Than Bingo
Housing inventory is also sometimes known as home inventory or housing backlog. Why is this number so important? Once you understand the single figure that defines our current supply of local available Aurora, Oregon homes for sale, you have an instant ‘snapshot’ on whether you’re in a buyer’s market, seller’s market, or more of a balanced real estate market. Armed with that information, you’re far more ready to do battle in the real estate trenches and more likely to avoid some usual minefields. 

Normal Home Supply
Among real estate experts, a ‘normal’ range for home supply in parts of Oregon-including Aurora-is frequently cited as somewhere between three to six months. For example, if the home supply figure is three, then hypothetically our market would be ‘out of homes’ in three months, provided no new homes were placed for sale. In other words, if our regional home inventory figure is within three to six months, we’re typically experiencing a normal market, meaning one not far from a balance of supply and demand, also called equilibrium. In a way, it’s kind of like an absorption rate for how fast supply is used up.

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Your Mileage May Vary
It’s helpful to understand that home inventory figures are more of an average for a region. In Oregon, major real estate regions include Portland, Bend, Eugene, Salem and the Oregon Coast. Aurora is equidistant between Portland and Salem, so the market might be considered a ‘hybrid’ of sorts. Schools can also be a driver for many homebuyers and given the Clackamas County/Marion County ‘divide,’ it makes sense to consider this factor when analyzing Aurora’s unique Oregon real estate market niche.

So if your property is located in or near Aurora within Clackamas County, the Portland area inventory figure is frequently cited as a bellwether for housing backlog. If your home is located in or near Aurora within Marion County, the Salem inventory figure provides an alternative approximation of local home supply. It’s also likely that your specific area could be somewhat different altogether, based on a variety of hyper-local factors affecting both demand and supply. That said, home inventory is an undeniable and convenient ‘thumbnail’ sketch to help assess what kind of market you’re in.

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What’s The Practical Impact of Housing Inventory?
Consider real estate and inventory like a pipeline. If more flows through it, the product is plentiful and therefore the cheaper it is to buy. So with a lower, dwindling home supply and the spigot turned down, the reverse is true. That’s when the local real estate environment favors sellers, because there are more buyers and it’s considered a ‘seller’s market.’ In that case, expect a short market time and an environment where homesellers receive multiple offers, often at or above listing price. If the supply of homes is higher, it’s considered a ‘buyer’s market.’ This means you can expect a longer market time, with homesellers seeing few, if any offers…and frequently for less than the asking price.  

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Negotiation is Expected, But Most Aurora Homesellers Don’t Like ‘Armwrestling’ With Buyers
It’s routinely a good idea for buyers to get a ‘heads up’ before making an offer to determine how ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ the market is. Otherwise, if you ‘lowball’ a just-listed home in a seller’s market, you may be lucky to even get a counteroffer instead of an outright rejection by sellers experiencing lots of calls and showings on their property. Coming in with an offer that’s too low sometimes causes offended sellers to refuse to seriously consider a possible follow up offer.

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The Number of Competing Aurora, Oregon Homes for Sale Affects Market Time
What’s the Big Deal About Housing Inventory?
One reason housing inventory is so important is because it helps buyers and sellers to better manage expectations. Most buyers are interested in how long it may take to find the ‘right’ house. Inventory affects this. Alternatively, most sellers are interested in how long it may take to find a qualified buyer. Inventory affects this, too.

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Aurora, Oregon Homesellers Can ‘Jumpstart’ Activity With Accurate Pricing
That’s because a high home inventory tends to slow down the market time and low inventory frequently provides a ‘jump start’ to activity. One way sellers can help to avoid an excessively long market time is to review comparable local home sales information provided by their Realtor to ensure proper, market pricing.

Another reason housing inventory is crucial is because it can significantly impact so many other important factors. In other words, inventory is a ‘driver’ for market time, selling price, appraisal results, lendability and more.

Okay, So Inventory Is Important. What Does It Look Like?

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Portland Metro Sample Home Inventory
The above image provides a good example of fluctuating home inventory. As our Aurora, Oregon real estate market bounced back from the severe market downturn of the Great Recession, home inventory reduced from more than twenty months of housing supply to less than three.

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It’s Wise to Consult An Experienced Realtor Before You Leap Into the Market
Contact the Experts
Thinking about selling your Aurora, Oregon property? Know the market before diving in! Contact Certified Realty with your questions and for a free consultation on what your property could sell for today using the contact form below, or call (800) 637-1950.

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10 Reasons Why Aurora, Oregon Homeselling is HOT!

Oregon Real Estate Podcast, Winter HomesellingWhile there is a case to be made for homeselling in each of the four seasons, Winter is one of the most powerful times that Aurora, Oregon sellers can place their home on the market and for ten very good reasons.

Click here or the play button below for the audio podcast presentation of this article.

  1. Price & Market Time. Statistics show homes sell faster and for more money in Winter. One way to understand this phenomenon is by considering a motorist with a flat tire in bad weather. That motorist has an urgent need and is less likely to haggle, or even seriously consider less expensive options, in order to meet an immediate need. Our local Winter homebuyers around Aurora, Oregon can experience the same kind of urgency and this helps to explain the premium that homes can command during the real estate ‘off season.’ Another way to look at the Winter market dynamic is if you want to buy snowshoes in July (at least around Aurora), expect to pay more, since availability is typically lower. Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  2. High Quality Buyers. Because home touring is generally less convenient, there tend to be fewer ‘Looky-Loos’ during the Winter. This means Aurora, Oregon homesellers have fewer buyers tracking dirt into their house, in Winter, with less energy spent preparing for real estate ‘Tire-Kickers.’Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  3. Less Seller Competition. Let’s face facts: It’s convenient to sell in the Spring and Summer, especially locally around Aurora. The weather is usually better, flowers are blooming and with plenty of homebuyers looking, it’s a ‘target-rich environment.’  Yet while it’s easier and more convenient to sell in sunny weather, this convenience often comes at the cost of increased competition from other sellers. Conversely, Aurora’s Winter homesellers can expect fewer like-minded sellers competing for buyers. Just like the successful contrarian investor who sells when everyone else is not, avoiding a ‘herd mentality’ can pay off with a higher price and faster sale. Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  4. Higher Buyer Motivation. Is your idea of a fun time getting into a car on cold drizzly nights to look at houses? Probably not…unless you just got a job transfer. Or a nice raise. Or you received an inheritance and want to get out of your tiny apartment. It’s helpful for Aurora’s prospective Winter homesellers to know that corporate relocations are common in the first quarter.  Plus family changes can occur anytime and estates are settled year around.
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  5. The Hunt for Red January: Get a ‘Jump’ on the New Year’ s Competition. The best time to get your Aurora property on the market could be when everyone else isn’t. Placing your home for sale in Winter gives you access to hyper-motivated buyers who have made homebuying a New Year’s resolution. That way, when these eager homebuyers begin their ‘hunt,’ your house will be a prime ‘target’ as visible as Rudolph’s nose. So if your home is market-ready and available to tour leading up to the New Year, expect to tap into this highly focused ‘pent up demand.’
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  6. Your Aurora Home Looks Inviting During the Holidays. Who doesn’t enjoy the happy glow of a Christmas tree or other holiday decorations, along with the pleasant smell of fresh-baked pumpkin pie, cinnamon buns, or a vanilla candle? Homes often look their most inviting during the holidays.
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
    And given the pleasant, even emotional attachment so many have during that time of year, expect some homebuyers to fully embrace the holiday theme of ‘Peace on earth, good will toward men.’ As a result, such positive feelings can spill over into the home selling process and make it easier.
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  7. Your Lawn & Landscaping is Virtually a Non-Issue. Forget to mow your lawn? No worries. Some Aurora buyers won’t care if they tour your property and it’s covered in snow, raining hard, or after sundown. Buyer landscaping expectations can be quite reasonable during Winter months around Aurora.Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  8. When Your Home Sells, You May Buy With Less Competition. Few Aurora homesellers stop to consider that given good timing with their sale, their own future home purchase may also benefit from similar, unique seasonality. So depending on a variety of factors in the market where and when you buy, Aurora homesellers can sometimes take advantage of lower Winter activity levels to successfully negotiate with a motivated seller. This is because some sellers place their home on the market during Winter not for convenience, or desire to maximize their selling price, but from genuine need. In other words, they are highly motivated. Such homesellers could therefore provide a good buying opportunity.
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  9.  Fewer people relocate in Winter, so this means you’re likely to have an easier time booking a mover.
    Competition for moving companies can be challenging during the real estate ‘high season.’ As a result, expect less difficulty scheduling your moving company when you sell in Winter.
    Oregon Real Estate Podcast
  10.  You Can Dictate Which Days & Times Are Available for Showings. As an Aurora, Oregon homeseller, you typically have control over tour times and dates for your home. This includes during Winter months. Given holiday-related gatherings and events, buyers are likely to understand their need to schedule their tour of your home. Your Realtor can help by specifying days and times your home is available for showings. For example, you could have your house available for tours on Saturdays from 2 to 5pm, weekday mornings after 9:00am, or between 5 and 8pm weekday evenings.

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Thinking about selling your Aurora, Oregon house this Winter? Call our AuroraOregon.com sponsor, Certified Realty at 800-637-1950 for a FREE consultation!

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Aurora, Oregon Real Estate: Steady

Fresh figures were just released on Oregon’s real estate market by the Regional Multiple Listing Service, or RMLS. To put the results in a nautical vernacular, we remain ‘steady as she goes.’

Woodburn, Woodburn Oregon, Woodburn OR, 97071, Woodburn Homes, Woodburn Real Estate, Woodburn Houses, Oregon WoodburnFor a helpful comparison, here’s a summary of our regional markets, including Portland, Salem and greater Aurora.

Portland Metro
Let’s begin with greater Portland, where our backlog of home supply is unchanged at 1.8 months.

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This means greater Portland’s housing supply remains well below the oft-suggested ‘normal’ range of 3 to 6 months, especially when compared to years past. When the pipeline of homes is this low, it suggests we remain squarely in a ‘seller’s market.’

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Along with housing inventory, home prices are another helpful indicator of market direction. The above chart is evidence of greater Portland’s sustained price growth, providing more confirmation of a ‘seller’s market.’ Most recent figures show an overall regional home price increase around greater Portland of 7.1%. 

marketaction

View the entire new free real estate report on your Portland area town or neighborhood by clicking here or on the Market Action image above.

Salem Metro

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Greater Salem is also experiencing stable growth, as evidenced by little change in a relatively modest housing supply of 3.9 months as seen above, matched with an overall trend of increased home prices, seen below.

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Most recent figures show an overall regional home price increase around greater Salem of 8.4%. Click here for the free latest complete Salem area real estate report, which includes Woodburn, or on the Market Action image below.

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Given our location between Salem and Portland, Aurora routinely experiences a mix of both markets. While figures specific to Aurora are sparse, the bottom line is that greater Marion County home values have risen a grand total of 7.8% over the past year.

Neighboring Community Comparisons
Greater Canby came in with an annual home price increase of 11.2% and neighboring Wilsonville saw a home price increase of 9.5% during that same period. As a result, Aurora and our region remains on an upward trend. Click here and view page two for specifics about the latest housing figures that include Aurora.
Woodburn Homes, Woodburn, Woodburn Oregon, Woodburn Homes For Sale, Woodburn Properties, Woodburn Real Estate, Woodburn Realty, Woodburn Oregon Realty, Woodburn Oregon Properties, Woodburn Oregon Homes, Woodburn Oregon Homes For SaleTime to Sell?
Thinking about selling your Aurora, Oregon property in this hot seller’s market? Whether you live in Aurora or somewhere else in Oregon, our AuroraOregon.com sponsor, Certified Realty can help with a free consultation, provide information on your Oregon property’s value, or answer questions about steps in the home selling process.

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Contact Certified Realty using the convenient form below, or call (503) 682-1083 today for smooth sailing ahead!

Aurora Real Estate: Breathtaking

There are many possible words to describe people, places, things and events. A recent shift in Oregon real estate brings to mind the word ‘breathtaking.’

Ingrid Style
A different kind of breathtaking: Film star Ingrid Bergman in 1946  (1915 – 1982)

And while that’s a term normally reserved for the Grand Canyon or certain Hollywood starlets, ‘breathtaking’ also conjures the notion of astonishment, breaking fresh ground, being out of the ordinary, or of something newly discovered.

Rarity Underscores Breathtaking
Given the new and dramatic change in one particular key Oregon housing factor, what we’re now observing as a regional housing trend surrounding Aurora, Oregon is ‘breathtaking’ to many real estate professionals. One reason is because the last time we saw a similar shift was clear back in the 1990’s, nearly two decades ago.

Oregon Housing Inventory
‘Normal’ real estate markets are calculated in months of supply and typically range in the neighborhood of 3 to 6 months of housing inventory. Remember that 3 to 6 month range, then see where we are now:

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Portland Home Inventory

Simply put, this new data indicates that where things sit today, greater Portland would be ‘out of homes’ to purchase in a mere 36 days. And not even greater Salem, which routinely sees higher inventory levels than greater Portland, has escaped the drop:

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Salem Home Inventory

What This Means
Given our location equidistant to both Salem and Portland markets, the Aurora, Oregon housing market is a bit mixed in how we’re affected. As a general rule of thumb, if your Aurora property is located within Clackamas County, expect to more closely reflect the Portland market. Marion County properties typically align more with the Salem market. Either way, housing demand is up and supply is way down.

A Big Question
Could these current low inventory figures significantly increase anytime soon? Certainly. But they could also drop even lower. For the moment and with fewer properties available for purchase, such drops in an already-low home supply routinely bring with them a rise in prices. This further stokes a ‘seller’s market.’ 

Advantage: Sellers
With both major regional housing markets in such short supply, now could be the time to consider selling. A seller’s market is typically the best time of all to sell real estate. In addition, interest rates remain near all-time lows. This makes your property even more attractive, since buyers can afford ‘more house for less money.’

It’s Your Move
For more information about the local market near you, click here for the latest home figures around the Portland metro area and click here for new housing stats on the Salem metro areaEach report has specifics on page 2 for your Oregon town or neighborhood, including areas surrounding Aurora. 

Thinking about selling your Oregon home or other real estate? Contact AuroraOregon.com sponsor, Certified Realty using the convenient form below for a free consultation on what your property could sell for in today’s exciting real estate market.

 

A Tale of Two Auroras

New housing figures on our local real estate market were recently released. These stats include both hyper-local and also more regional numbers on things like area home prices, market time and inventory. This first report is from Ticor Title.

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Click to Enlarge

A ‘Mixed Bag’
Certain Aurora, Oregon housing figures are mixed, depending on where you live around Aurora. This is because part of the 97002 zip code is located in Marion County and the other part is Clackamas County. This is also essentially where the Portland and Salem markets meet. Depending on where an Aurora home is located can affect school districts and commute times. The good news is that Aurora, Oregon home prices are up, no matter which metric is used. 

Housing Inventory
Housing inventory can help determine how fast and how high a real estate market climbs. With fewer homes for sale, prices typically rise. With just 1.7 months of home inventory, the Clackamas County inventory figures for Aurora suggest a continued distinctly ‘seller’s market’ in that area of Aurora.

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Portland Metro Home Inventory – In Months

With 4.8 months of home inventory, the Marion County portion of Aurora remains within the normal range for a ‘balanced market,’ distinctly favoring neither buyers or sellers.

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Salem Metro Home Inventory – In Months

Click here for the latest housing information from the greater Portland metro report, which includes Clackamas County portions of Aurora. Click here for the latest housing information from the Salem metro report, which includes Marion County portions of Aurora.

Attention Aurora, Oregon Home Sellers
Thinking of selling? Prices are up and the market is good. For a free report on your property’s current value, contact the Aurora, Oregon experts and our sponsor, Certified Realty, using the convenient form below.

Aurora, Oregon Home Sales

Multiple listing records confirm five Aurora, Oregon home sales have occurred over the past thirty days.

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Recent Aurora, Oregon Property Sales – Click Map to Enlarge

Sold prices for these five properties range between $150,500 and $1,500,00. 

Thinking about selling your Aurora, Oregon property? Contact our sponsor, the Aurora specialists at Certified Realty, using the convenient contact form below for a FREE report on what your property could sell for in today’s market!