Supporting the Portland We Love

We believe that Portland would not be Portland without the rich community of independent businesses we know and love. This week we want to highlight two of our favorite queer-owned businesses that also happen to offer services with the potential to be deeply impacted by the pandemic.

Pawsitive Steps PDX. Everyone knows someone who has pets and occasionally (or frequently) needs a dog walker or pet sitter. Call off the search! Owner Jesse Tishkoff and her team are our top pick in town. See how much they love what they do. 

Add-Venture Bookkeeping. Behind every vibrant small business community is a rock-solid bookkeeper. During her two decades plus of experience, Cheryl Harris has seen it all. If you or anyone you know is in need of support for their business, please email Cheryl directly. 

Charity Spotlight: Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society (G.L.I.T.S)

Based in New York City, the work that G.L.I.T.S does serves the transgender community at large. Their efforts are focused on providing critical services and support for formerly incarcerated trans people during re-entry.

They meet the most basic needs with TransDignity Post-Release Kits with basic self-care products. Their services also address housing, clothing, and career training and certification. In New York, they are currently trying to purchase three apartments that could serve as permanent housing for trans people coming out of custody.

The work that G.L.I.T.S is doing serves one of the most marginalized communities in a time of great need. Consider making a donation to support their work>>

RMLS Market Action Report

As the weeks start to add up in this post-COVID market, we are able to return to the regional multiple listing service monthly stats for some perspective. It remains a strong seller's market as the number of active listings is down 30% from this time in 2019 and pending’s are only down 5%.

Condos are starting to be harder hit as the active inventory piles up and pending sales continue to stagnate. This is directly related to the desire for folks to weather the storm in a detached property where they have room to gather outside and do not have to contend with elevators. Click here for the full report>>

Pride & Prejudice

Traditionally we focus on Gay Pride in June; this year is no exception. But the celebrations this month are taking on a different tone as public consciousness about systemic racism and white supremacy in our culture is increasing. At this moment, celebrating equal rights feels different.

Last week, I watched The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. The film captures the life and activism of a beloved and admired drag queen, trans activist, sex worker, and all-around ambassador, Marsha, who was found dead off the Christopher Pier in NY in 1992. The story centers around the Gay Rights Movement, from Stonewall through the night of Marsha's death. It is a powerful reminder of all of the ways the trans community was (and is) silenced and sacrificed in the Gay Rights Movement.

I am reckoning with my participation in this silencing, how my desire to become part of the mainstream affected those brave and spectacular enough to be themselves regardless of society's reaction. The gift of this moment is the opportunity to consider what's possible if we listen to all voices in the Gay Rights Movement–and beyond– especially those we have marginalized throughout history. It also makes me reflect on my business practice. As a Realtor, I am aware of my role as both an advisor and gatekeeper to one of the most substantial assets people own. It is heartbreaking to see how Realtors have contributed to the unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity. I, along with the entire team at Love Portland, am committed to doing the work to unpack our biases to ensure that they don't cause further harm.

I was encouraged this week to see that the National Association of Realtors (who are infamous for their self and status quo serving agenda) distribute a film to us members that starts a conversation about implicit bias in a meaningful way. Feel free to watch it (beware–it's 53 minutes long). It is valuable training for anyone, not just Realtors. While it is just a start, it introduces the topic in a way that encourages reflection and hopefully will gently shift mindsets of those who watch it.

Everyone in our community deserves to be heard and protected from discrimination. It is on us to do the work to undo the damage we have done over centuries by creating and supporting institutional racism and white supremacy culture. If we do this work together and in the spirit of Love, it can only make us stronger and certainly better.

Real Estate in the News vs. Real Estate in Portland

We know that you're reading the headlines about declining sales, longer listing times, and changes to lending requirements because you're asking us how all of those things are affecting us. Our answer: Not so much.

The Portland Real Estate market is not tracking exactly along with national news; we thought it would be helpful to share where we're seeing differences on the ground here in the Rose City.

Virtual Open Houses on the Rise: Yes. We are seeing these in Portland (we're doing them too), but buyers are typically using these as additional information rather than a replacement for seeing the home in-person unless they are out of town and not traveling.

Takes Longer to Sell: No. As we mentioned in our Micro-Markets video, only a few pockets in the Portland market have slowed, otherwise sales are brisk.

Lenders Raising Loan Requirements: No, the only loans that have been impacted are Jumbo loans. Otherwise, our lenders are not becoming more stringent.

Exterior-only Appraisals: No. This describes a scenario where the appraiser does not enter the property. We are not seeing an uptick in this practice as a result of the pandemic.

Delays in Closing: No. Our lenders have developed safe and efficient workarounds for verifications and completion of closing paperwork, so we have not seen a slow-down.

Coronavirus Addendums: Yes. These are not a hoax, they are legitimate and in place to protect everyone in the transaction in the event that one of the parties becomes ill.

Supporting the Portland We Love

We believe that Portland would not be Portland without the rich community of independent businesses we know and love. Each week we will let you know how you can support a couple of the businesses we feel are part of the fabric of Portland:

Kee's #Loaded Kitchen: We love everything about this soul food cart. Chef Kiauna Nelson's voice, spirit, and approach to feeding groups of people warm our hearts–and then there's the food itself! This week she is accepting donations from the community so that she can feed Black Portlanders for free this Friday. Contribute to her efforts or head over to her cart on MLK to eat this weekend- check her Instagram for menu and donation details.

Cason's Fine Meats: Theotis Cason, the man behind this butcher shop and often behind the counter, has been cutting and selling meat for over three decades. Whether you're looking for cuts to cook yourself or perfectly smoked, ready-to-eat meats, you will find them at Cason's. They are currently open for business Tuesdays through Saturdays. Please call ahead to place your order for pickup (503-287-0855).