eNews

June 27, 2018
Take Action! Tell Congress to Renew NFIP
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will expire on July 31st, denying necessary insurance coverage to homeowners and buyers in more than 20,000 communities nationwide. In the Portland metro area, specifically Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas Counties, there are 33 communities that rely on NFIP to provide flood insurance on home mortgages. Congress must act now to reform and extend the NFIP. Urge Congress to extend the NFIP by clicking the link below.

New findings from the National Association
of Realtors® show that a high number of Americans, 75 percent, believe that now is
a good time to sell a house, while 68
percent think it is a good time to buy. 
That’s according to NAR’s second quarter  Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey , which also
found that a majority of consumers believe prices have and will continue to increase
and that homeownership strengthens our nation’s communities.

Registration Open for YPN, AREAA and WCR 2018 Riverboat Cruise
Get involved, collaborate and network with the PMAR Young Professionals Network, Women's Council of Realtors® and the Asian Real Estate Association of America. Cruise along the Willamette River and dance the night away with DJ Mr. Mumu as he plays old school hits and hip-hop from the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s - all on vinyl, of course! Join us August 23rd for an evening of fun!

Portland's Housing Market Slows, Stiff Competition Remains for
First-time Buyers
Portland's housing market is showing signs
of relief for would-be buyers. The inventory
of homes on the market climbed in May. Fewer bidding wars broke out, and price growth has slowed. While the top of the market is cooling off, there's still stiff competition over homes that are affordable
to first-time buyers.

Register Now for the 2018 OAR
Fall Convention
The  2018 OAR Fall Convention   is moving
to downtown Eugene this year. The agenda
is jam-packed with quality content and fun opportunities to network with other
members from around the state. Take advantage of the $180 early bird price (through 8/1) to secure your spot for high-value education, networking opportunities, fantastic speakers, trade show booths with raffle prizes, lunch and happy hour, governance meetings, ticketed banquets,
and more!

Surviving the Inventory Crunch
While housing inventory nationally rose 9.8 percent month over month in April, it’s still 6.3 percent lower than a year ago, according  to the National Association of Realtors® . Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says staggeringly low inventory is the root cause of the 2.5 percent decrease in sales from March to April, which is the second straight month existing-home sales have fallen year over year. When inventory is this low and demand still high, keeping your buyers optimistic and engaged can be a challenge.

Have You Completed Your Ethics Requirement for this Cycle?
The National Association of Realtors® requires every Realtor® to complete ethics training within a two-year cycle. As a courtesy, we want to remind those who have not yet fulfilled their mandatory biennial NAR Code of Ethics cycle requirement that currently ends December 31, 2018. PMAR will offer several Ethics courses throughout the rest of the year. Click the link below for a list of upcoming Ethics courses.