The Journal

Straight answers, written down.

Market data without the spin, seller prep that pays, and buyer playbooks in plain English, from the desk of Lauren Rose Realty.

Rose Editorial · Aug 12, 2026

Buying your first home in Portland: the plain-English playbook

No jargon, no pressure, no pretending it isn't stressful. The exact sequence I walk first-time buyers through, from first coffee to keys.

buyersfirst-time buyers

Lauren Rose · Aug 7, 2026

The ADU question: what it does to a Portland buy

A basement apartment or backyard cottage changes the math on a purchase, and not the way buyers assume. What Portland allows, and what to check.

buyersaduportland rules

Lauren Rose · Jul 23, 2026

Portland or Vancouver? The tax question, honestly

The no-income-tax pitch for Vancouver is real, incomplete, and constantly repeated wrong. Here is the actual shape of the question.

buyersvancouverwashington

Lauren Rose · Jul 18, 2026

The sewer scope I never let a Portland buyer skip

The cheapest inspection in the transaction, and the one most likely to cost you real money if you skip it. What it finds, and who owns the pipe.

buyersinspectionsportland rules

Lauren Rose · Jul 13, 2026

How I plan your first Portland home tour

The first tour is not about finding the house. It is about finding out what you actually want, which is rarely what you told me.

buyersfirst-time buyersneighborhoods

Rose Editorial · Jul 1, 2026

What's your Portland home actually worth in 2026?

Zillow guesses from county averages. Here's how a broker who closed 31 homes last year actually answers the question, and why the first number decides everything.

home valuesellersportland market

Rose Editorial · Jun 24, 2026

Selling in Portland's balanced market: the prep that pays

Buyers have choices again. The difference between selling in two weeks and cutting your price in week five is almost always decided before the sign goes up.

sellersstagingprep

The Market Desk · May 28, 2026

Portland's Home Energy Score: what sellers need to know

Required before you advertise, cheaper than you'd guess, and the most common reason a Portland listing launch slips. The rule, the exemptions, the timing.

sellersportland rulesenergy score

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