Sherman County Completes the RMLS™ Tax Records for Oregon!

Sherman County Homestead Buildings

Old homestead buildings along Haggerty Lane, Sherman County.

RMLS™ recently added Sherman County to its tax database, meaning RMLSweb now boasts complete tax information for the state of Oregon!

What does this mean for RMLS™ subscribers? Listings in Sherman County will auto-populate some public records information in Listing Load, making the listing broker’s job a little easier.

A few facts about Sherman County:
• The county was named for General William Tecumseh Sherman.
• When Wasco County settlers wanted to have their own political process, Sherman County was carved out of the northeast corner of Wasco County.
• Sherman County covers 831 square miles, with an assessed value of $433,693,873.
• Much of Sherman County is prime wheat-growing land, but the county is also known for scenic views and outdoor recreation.
(Source: Oregon Blue Book Online)

We’re happy to have Sherman County in the system. In 2003, RMLSweb only had public records for 10 Oregon counties and Washington’s Clark County. Today, we boast public records for all 36 Oregon counties and seven Washington counties!




November 2009 RMLS Market Action Recap

Sales up, but in comparison to a dismal month last November

The big highlight this month for many areas is a large jump in closed sales compared to last November. Curry County posted a 141.7% increase and Portland and Clark County set records for percentage increases in same-month sales at 72.4% and 70.5%, respectively.

While these stats are obviously a good sign for market activity, continue to keep in mind that last year we were at the height of the economic crisis and we hit some of the lowest points in sales totals in recent years. So, yes, sales are way up compared to last year, but remember that we’re comparing it to unusually low sales totals.

Has the winter slowdown arrived?
Closed sales had been on the rise in many key areas month-to-month through October, but it appears that the winter slowdown has arrived. Compared to this October, pending and closed sales were down in most areas, including Columbia Basin, Douglas County, Lane County, the Mid-Columbia region,  Portland and Clark County.

Inventory up
Inventory ticked up in every area except Curry County and Union County, however, most areas are well below last year’s inventory levels thanks to fewer listings entering the market and higher sales totals. For example, Portland’s inventory stands at 7.1 months – 53% less than last November’s 15 months of inventory.




RMLS Market Action Recap – October 2009

Same-month sales up nearly across the board in Oregon & Southern Washington

Sales activity continued to outpace levels from the same month last year in the latest RMLS™ Market Action report. Inventory was also down in several areas, including Lane County, Portland and Clark County.

Sales Activity:
Both pending and closed sales increased in 9 out of 10 of the regions that we cover when compared to the same month in 2008. The Portland metro area saw its largest increase in closed sales since January 2005 , which was also the highest total of closed sales since August 2007. Clark County set a record for pending sales, with an increase of 56.9% compared to last October. Here’s a recap of each region’s same-month sales activity:

It will be interesting to see if this trend of increased sales activity will continue this fall and winter season. The percentage increases were not surprising this month, given the recent strength in sales and considering that last year we saw sales begin to drop in October, kicking off a stretch of slow sales activity that would extend into the first quarter of 2009.

Inventory:
Housing inventory levels dropped in several key areas, including Lane County (6.2 months), Portland (6.5 months, lowest since August 2007) and Clark County (6.4 months, lowest since September 2006). This is somewhat counterintuitive, as inventory levels have often increased as we head into the slower fall and winter seasons. But, considering the following factors, it’s no surprise:

  • Low interest rates
  • New listings continue to drop in most areas, reducing the supply of homes available
  • The perceived tax credit deadline (which has since been extended)
  • Lower home prices

What do you think?
Realtors – what do you think? Where do you see the market heading? Have you heard increased interest from buyers and sellers since the tax credit extension/expansion? Comment below!