By Natalie Tracy, July 20, 2020
It’s just my personal theory, but when buyers came back in force after a brief pause in March/April, I chalked it up to a need for stability, consistency, and a sense of safety. All the things we hope a home can provide. (Well, these factors, plus incredibly low interest rates.)
Now we have not only a pandemic at play, but also a civil rights uprising of historic proportions. Protests happening nightly, and police attacking innocent folks with even more brutality as the days go by. Portland in particular is in the spotlight on this front. And buyers are still snapping houses up in droves. When all is chaos around us, humans have an even more intense need for safety and consistency. A need for home. (And interest rates are still incredibly low, boosting buying power for many folks.)
And so here we are, with two worlds seemingly so at odds. One where folks are gearing up nightly and standing up against police brutality. Standing up for the Black community, standing up for Black Lives. And another where folks are frantically shopping for houses. Many, for their first house. Some of these folks are one and the same. Regardless, both, in many ways, are working for the same end. Safety. Consistency. Stability.
My hope is that those of us who work in real estate, especially us white folks in real estate, can help bring more overlap to these groups. More equity. So that more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have access to homeownership. So that more lower income folks have access to homeownership. So that more young people have access to homeownership. The historic roadblocks to BIPOC access to homeownership and the legacy of police brutality against the Black community have the same roots – white supremacy.
Let’s dismantle white supremacy, and make the world a better place. Let’s get everyone a home. It’s a long road, but we’re already on it.
Natalie Tracy
Broker | OR & WA
She/Her
I purchased my first Portland fixer 17 years ago, and was immediately hooked on Portland homes and neighborhoods. I bring that passion to helping my clients buy and sell their own perfectly Portland homes! I pride myself on meeting every client exactly where you are - whether you’re a first time buyer, a seller looking for more room, or anywhere in between, I’m here to help...
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- T: 503-841-4686
- natalietracy@livingroomre.com
