The Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) that serves Oregon and Southwest Washington releases a report every month about mid-way through the following month for the previous month.  On April 15, 2010, the March 2010 Market Action Report was released.

The data is pretty raw and does not specify what the monthly inventory is per area, just for the whole of Clark County, Washington.  Despite what happens with foreclosures and short sales real estate inventory tends to be cyclical, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where weather is a factor.  Buyers tend to be motivated to purchase in the spring and summer months, which is when prices tend to be higher and inventory lower.  For March 2010, the trend continues as inventory is down to 7.7 months from…

Networking With Other Realtors

It was a mistake for me to think that networking with out of state Realtors was a waste of time.  

The Portland, Oregon area has consistently been listed among the top cities to live and work, and there is a sharp increase in the number of out-of-state home buyers making plans to move here. That makes it imperative to know as many Realtors from around the country as is possible. 

It's not enough to have a network that is pulled from a directory; most of the big companies in real estate are simply franchises, and the directories from ABR, CRS, GRI, and so on, are everybody - the best and the worst are in there.  I have consistently been disappointed with names pulled from these sources - not with their knowledge and skill,…