By Gavynn Wells, May 21, 2026
First time home buyers – If you want almost $20 Thousand dollars in free money – Hang out until the end!
Hi, I’m Gavynn Wells with Living Room Realty, here is your market update! Spring in Portland is my favorite seasons. It brings a flush of energy: the blossoms are out, the sun is shining-kinda, and more houses are hitting the market. That being said, the headline is simple: there are no easy pickings out there. If you’re buying or selling in Portland right now, you need to show up sharp and prepared.
So what does this mean for you?
If you’re a seller, you can’t phone it in — strategy matters. You have to show up to the market with the whole package: Pre listing prep, full media package, staging, and most importantly – Proper Pricing! 37% of active listings have had a price reduction. That’s more than 1 in 3 homes. That tells me a lot of sellers are guessing wrong on price — listing high and getting punished for it. Meanwhile, the well-priced, well-prepped homes are still moving fast!
If you’re a buyer, don’t expect low hanging fruit deals just because inventory is up. You have more choices than you’ve had in a while, but the good ones still go quickly. The well-priced homes are competitive, and the overpriced ones aren’t deals — You have to dig, strategize and structure offers in a smart way to create opportunity
This market rewards the prepared. There are real opportunities here for folks who come in with a plan and work with a great agent to put it together. And looking ahead — things can turn on a dime in real estate, sometimes from week to week but for now, both sides need to bring their A-game.
Now about that free money
Bank of America has an amazing grant. $10k towards down payment and $7500 towards closing. It’s a conventional loan, no strings attached, no recapture tax and in the last 18 months alone I was able to help over 15 people get into homes who did not think they could.
If you need navigating these rough seas – reach out! — The stellar agents at Living Room Realty would be happy to help make sense of it all
Gavynn Wells
Broker | OR
He / Him
Bonjour!
I was born and raised in Paris, France; Then bounced around Europe for college and work. I finally crossed the pond and moved to the US in 2005. Portland felt like home instantly! I immediately fell in love with the vibrant food and coffee culture, the pedestrian streets packed with friendly people, the great outdoors available to us in the four cardinal directions and of course, the strong sense of community that seems weaved into everyone’s DNA in Cascadia.
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