- October 31st, 2008
- by Galen
- real estate
Portland Real Estate Search: Now 100% Less Scary
For one final day, searching for real estate in Portland is scary. If you turn to a comprehensive MLS-based website, addresses are hidden. They lurk unseen until you call an agent or get in your car and drive by (Eeek!). It’s also a total pain-in-the-butt to look at a home, see where it is on the map, but not know the exact address without calling your agent. Agents should be helpful professionals, not address-producing machines.
The other choice for a home seeker was an even spookier road: to search on non-MLS affiliated sites. These sites show homes that are no longer for sale (Aaaaaah! A scary tease!) and loads of homes that are for sale are lurking there on their pretty maps unmarked. The spooky thing: these homes won’t even jump out at you – they are there, lurking in the shadows like Freddy, but unlike Freddy, they’ll never show their face.
The RMLS (Oregon’s biggest MLS) was one of the last major MLSes to allow the display of addresses and we’re pleased to be the first website in Portland with no compromises: you can see the most comprehensive list of homes for sale AND you can see the addresses on those homes. As promised, we are going live with addresses for Oregon at midnight tonight.
HHWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Join the discussion »- October 7th, 2008
- by Galen
- real estate
Estately Oregon: A Halloween Surprise
Compare Portland to San Francisco to the south or Olympia to the north.
What is the address?
Virtually every property outside of Oregon on Estately has addresses (879 35th Ave San Francisco, CA) whereas Portland listings don’t (#8096660 Laurelhurst, Portland, OR). What the heck is #8096660? It’s the only unique identifier we are permitted to show: the MLS number.
When we started Estately, we went to the MLS because we couldn’t imagine creating a site that was missing homes for sale or a site with incomplete information about homes for sale.
We think we’ve nailed it in every market we’re in – we have way more photos and up-to-date information than any non MLS site (although we realize we are still imperfect at times). But having listings in Oregon with no addresses really annoys us – it means that non-MLS sites are sometimes more useful, at least when they have the listing on their site.
MLSes Are Opening Up
When we launched, we were also told by competitors that the MLS had so many constricting rules that it was insane to use it as the underpinnings for a real estate search site. They also predicted that they would quickly march to victory over the MLS (and would be greeted as liberators by consumers). But as we expand, we’re seeing MLSes slowly open up – freeing the data from the inside.
Some MLS rules are still mind-numbingly stupid, but the MLSes are staying relevant by adapting and opening up. More information is good for consumers, being the definitive source for homes for sale is good for Estately and every other brokerage in Oregon that has a listings search site.
Trick-or-Treat?
I’m glad to announce that we have just learned that the RMLS technology board has voted to lift the ban on showing addresses. On Halloween night, we will roll out addresses on over 34,000 Western Oregon homes and condos!
Join the discussion »- August 1st, 2008
- by Galen
- Blog, real estate
Seattle Bubble wonders aloud if Seattle and Portland are “outliers”
I’m no prognosticator, but I do like reading others’ predictions. Seattle Bubble has a nice chart comparing the amount of upwards price movement during the boom against the amount of downward price movement in the recent, ehem, “soft” market. The takeaway:
Join the discussion »This snapshot does appear to support the assertion that there is a good correlation between boom and busts cycles across markets -and that generally speaking, the more you go up, the more you go down. But there appear to be outliers versus the trend: Namely, Detroit on the down side, and Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and possibly New York on the up side. This is interesting to me because the relationship between up and down markets is usually cited as evidence that the Seattle market will remain relatively stable compared to other markets – when according to this view, we appear to be bucking the trend and perhaps poised for a fall. We are down 7% to date when the trend line suggests we should be off 15-20%.
- July 2nd, 2008
- by Galen
- real estate, Transit
More people searching for homes near transit
And we’re serving them in Seattle and Portland. San Diego transit agencies will not share their stop locations, but they say they are considering it.
So instead he made an offer on a home near the train station in Davis, which will shave $160 off his commuting costs.
Portland homes for sale near light rail include this Overlook house and this Laurelhurst house.
Bonus link: Commuters are saying goodbye to the suburbs.
Join the discussion »- June 9th, 2008
- by Galen
- Neighborhoods
Portland Neighborhood blogs: we don’t pump our own gas
But Portland, apparently, doesn’t pump pollutants in to the atmosphere, either. At least they’re more sensitive to it than other cities, as was noted in a Green Building Forum a couple weeks ago. A choice quote: “‘Portland is definitely out near the front if not in the front [when it comes to green building],’ Scott Lewis of Brightworks said.” Impressive! When will we see Oregonians getting their electric vehicles plugged in for them?
I enjoy discussing green living and design, as it’s an inevitable change that we will have to make, sooner or later. The Portland Water Bureau’s Water Blog has a few nice tips on “blue living,” (you know, the wet stuff that’s two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen), such as putting a picture of John Edwards in your shower. Yup…
Portland is also serious about their mass transit. Apparently, the MAX trains trains are made out of the same stuff as those armored bank trucks. Nothing a pickup can contend with, at least. If riding on a MAX train sounds too extreme, it’s not too late to participate in the 17 event “Pedalpalooza,” (June 12-28) and other “awesomely ridiculous” events.
Are there any Portland neighborhood blogs we’re missing? Let us know in the comments.
Join the discussion »