Located on the west coast in the northwestern part of the country, Oregon borders Washington in the North, Idaho in the East, and California and Nevadain the South. The state’s landscape is an exciting mix of lush temperate forests, a beautiful coastline, majestic mountain ranges, and a dry, barren desert. The climate is very much like the state of Washington with cooler, coastal weather along the western part of the state and dry, hotter weather on the eastern side of the mountains. Southern Oregon experiences a slightly warmer climate in the areas closer to the California and Nevada borders. Rivers and lakes also make up a lot of the landscape for the state. The Columbia River, one the Nation’s largest rivers, accounts for much of the northern border with Washington. Portland, the state’s largest city, is located on the bank of the Columbia River on the Oregon/Washington border.

Oregon has experienced rapid growth in recent years as more and more people move to the state. The major cities of Portland, Eugene, Corvallis and Salem have had an increase in population at a steady rate. Smaller cities like Bend, Oregon have had extreme growth in recent years. The popularity of the state has come from the low cost of living, laid back atmosphere, and growing youth culture the state provides. Many popular universities provide a haven for the youth culture that plays a major part in the communities across the state. The largest universities are Oregon State University in Beaverton, University of Oregon in Eugene, and Portland State University in Portland. Read more »

The Portland area is the largest housing market in the state. Many people are intrigued by the numerous attractions and opportunities that the city has to offer. With the state’s only professional sports team, the Portland Trailer Blazer, fans from all over come to attend games throughout the season. Other popular attractions like the Portland Art museum and the many musical acts that perform on a given day bring people to the city every year. Visitors often find the city a charming alternative to the overcrowded, pricier cities they are visiting from.

Sales Trends
Because of the lower cost of living, many people have moved to Portland from higher cost, west coast cities. The housing market has performed well with the steady increase in population. The city has had a 9% growth in population for the last five years. Housing sales for 2008 were 7,698 in new homes sold. Lower than in years past, but not by a large decrease, sales have remained successful. A fairly steady average house price has helped to keep builders alive in this market. Home construction has also helped to create numerous jobs for residents in the area. The housing market for the state is doing fairly well in comparison to other states, partly from the success of Portland and smaller cities like Bend and Eugene; which continue to bring people to the state and generate new home sales.  « Close »