HFO Multifamily Marketwatch for Oregon and SW Washington

After years of slight declines, Oregon's population increased in 2024 according to the latest estimates released by Portland State University. State economists released a new report showing a significant increase in expected revenues, and nearly two dozen leaders from Oregon, Washington and BC Canada recently met in Portland to strategize on future housing policy.

In this episode: Multifamily insurance is on the rise; some renters on the Oregon Health Plan are newly eligible for rent assistance; and the state's new Housing Accountability and Production Office is set to launch July 1. 

Up for Growth's latest Housing Underproduction report is out, highlighting key trends and regional insights into the U.S. housing shortage. HFO's Michael Pierce summarizes the latest data. 

In this episode of Multifamily Marketwatch Podcast, senior researcher and host Mike Pierce offers an update on some major infrastructure and job growth projects ahead in Portland and Oregon. HFO's podcasts are sponsored by:  Pacific Exteriors NW , apartment siding contractors specializing in multifamily, apartments, condos, residential, hotels, resorts, and commercial buildings, and  Gantry Inc .,...

In this episode of  HFO Investment Real Estate 's Multifamily Marketwatch Podcast, senior researcher and host Mike Pierce discusses the promising outlook for multifamily investors in Oregon and Washington for 2025 and 2026, covering projected economic growth, population trends, and the resilience of the multifamily market amid economic uncertainties. Listen now to learn about anticipated rent incr...

Enjoy the audio from our latest episode of HFO-TV, our web news program for multifamily investors. Check out the video from the episode on our website at HFORE.com/Videos.aspx or follow us on YouTube @HFOInvestmentRealEstate.  On this episode of HFO-TV, John Gillem, CoStar's Director of Market Analytics for Oregon and Idaho, joins HFO co-founder Greg Frick on HFO TV to discuss multifamily market t...

In this episode of HFO Investment Real Estate 's Multifamily Marketwatch Podcast, senior researcher and host Mike Pierce discusses the rising demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at multifamily properties, focusing on the proactive measures taken by Washington, Oregon, and particularly Portland, to integrate sustainability and ensure equitable access to EV infrastructure. Learn more...

In this episode of HFO Investment Real Estate 's Multifamily Marketwatch Podcast, senior researcher and host Mike Pierce shares the latest headlines impacting multifamily investors and developers, including the notable decline in multifamily housing starts and permit applications both nationally and in Oregon and Washington, and the key factors driving the trend, including high interest rates, sho...

In this episode of the HFO Multifamily Marketwatch, HFO Investment Real Estate's Senior Research Analyst Mike Pierce analyzes Portland's rental market, discussing the slowdown in construction, the shift towards luxury inventory, and the resurgence of concessions. Delve into the pandemic's impact on renter preferences, Oregon's rent increase cap, and the structural shift in the market, as well as P...

In this episode of the HFO Multifamily Marketwatch, HFO Investment Real Estate's Senior Research Analyst Mike Pierce discusses the housing shortage in Oregon and the potential of office-to-apartment conversions as a solution. Mike delves into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the commercial real estate market, with a significant increase in remote work leading to a high rate of office vacanci...

On this week's episode of Multifamily Marketwatch, Senior Research Analyst Mike Pierce dives into the innovative approach nonprofits and religious organizations are taking in addressing the housing crisis. Inspired by California's initiatives, these groups are converting their properties into low-income housing, bypassing expensive local permitting and environmental review processes.   HFO's podca...

This week's topics include: 55 million vacant homes in the US; Governor Jay Inslee's eviction moratorium being upheld by the state Supreme Court, and Economist Matthew Gardner's predictions for Washington. 

On this week's episode of Multifamily Marketwatch, Senior Research Analyst Mike Pierce delves into the intricacies of the state's housing shortage to help understand the ripple effects this crisis has on renters and the rising tide of homelessness. But with challenges come opportunities. We dig into and share our expert insights on potential solutions, drawing from our extensive experience in the...

HFO founding partner Greg Frick welcomes Brad Kraus, a landlord-tenant lawyer, to discuss the state of Washington's landlord-tenant laws. Brad discusses eviction actions, security deposit obligations, and the impact of the CARES Act issue on Washington eviction notification.

This week, Mike Pierce, the Senior Research Analyst at HFO, provides an overview of the apartment market in Portland and Vancouver, including the widening gap between urban and suburban rental markets during the pandemic.  HFO's podcasts are sponsored  J.R. Johnson , specialists in multifamily restoration and repair, and by  Gantry Inc ., the country's largest independent mortgage banking firm foc...

HFO Director of Client Services Aaron Kirk Douglas welcomes Carl Whitaker, director of research and analysis at RealPage, Inc., to discuss the market Washington state multifamily market. Aaron and Carl delve into the impact of tech sector employment and AI hires on Seattle's rental market, the strong performance of suburban submarkets, increasing occupancy--despite slowed rent growth-- and the str...

In this episode, HFO Senior Research Analyst Mike Pierce discusses the challenges faced by downtown office building owners and landlords due to higher vacancies. The episode explores the idea of converting these vacant spaces into residential or mixed-use properties, and the value in keeping downtown office spaces as-is and encouraging professional services and businesses to lease them while repur...

In the latest HFO-TV episode, Aaron Kirk Douglas interviews market analyst Carl Whitaker from RealPage Inc. Whitaker shares insights into Portland's real estate market, noting a less pronounced seasonal rent swing and lower retention rates than other West Coast cities. Looking forward to 2023 and 2024, he predicts a slowing rent growth and potential challenges in the tech-driven economy, particula...

In this episode, Greg Frick, partner at HFO Investment Real Estate, welcomes Quinn Posner, founder and lawyer at Northwest Landlord Solutions, to discuss legislative changes in landlord-tenant law in Clark County and Washington. They cover the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, changes in eviction processes, rental assistance programs, the lack of state preemption leading to different rules in di...

In this episode: Washington State rent growth trends, the question of whether Seattle's new energy codes are leading to a drop in permit applications, and renters rights groups rattling city councils in Seattle and Tacoma.

This Week: •    Housing production slows in West Coast cities; What's happening in PDX? •    Bend vacancy rate may be on the rise •    Update on the Q2 Multifamily Market HFO's podcasts are sponsored  J.R. Johnson , specialists in multifamily restoration and repair, and by  Gantry Inc ., the country's largest independent mortgage banking firm focused exclusively on commercial real estate. 

In this podcast episode, we cover significant developments affecting the multifamily housing sector in Washington State: (1) The Federal Housing Administration's raising the threshold for large multifamily loans, potentially expanding property eligibility for standard underwriting. (2) Despite concerns about a hard landing, demand for apartments remained strong, and the state is making a historic...