Foster-Powell

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Foster-Powell

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Portland, Oregon’s Southeast Foster-Powell neighborhood, affectionately referred to as FoPo, is one a few remaining truly affordable neighborhoods for families looking to purchase real estate. It’s affordable, mainly because it’s still considered to be ‘up and coming’ but ask any neighbor in this compact ‘hood and you’ll quickly learn that those who call this area home consider it one of the best and more diverse PDX has to offer.

The explosion in Portland real estate the last few years has brought an influx of new residents to this developing area. New residents = new energy. With plenty of small businesses taking root, Foster-Powell, an area that once had a pretty bad rep, has been and continues to be thoroughly invigorated. Historically, the area came about as a result of the construction of Portland’s original electric streetcar in the 1890s.

Great Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Foster-Powell

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Lifestyle

The Foster-Powell neighborhood rests in the Willamette River and Johnson Creek watersheds. Shaped like a triangle, this neighborhood is bordered by three major roadways: SE Powell Boulevard., SE Foster Road., and 82nd Avenue providing direct access to public transportation. While FoPo is not currently served by a MAX line, the city has been discussing the possibility. Commercial activity, consisting of everything a growing neighborhood could need, occurs at the outer edges – on Powell, Foster, and 82nd, with the interior streets being mainly residential.

With the Foster Transportation and Streetscape Project well underway the city plans to deliver “a street that is safer and more attractive for people walking, biking, taking transit and driving.” It will also add 190 new street trees and decorative street lights to help transform the area.

The FoPo neighborhood is buffeted by three local parks: Essex Park on 79th and Center, Kern Park on 66th and Center, and Laurelwood Park at the intersection of Foster Road and Holgate. There’s also the lovely Firland Parkway; a median strip of green in the city populated by large trees, right in the middle of 72nd Ave between Foster and Holgate.

With a coveted walk score of 80 and an almost perfect bike score of 99 (!!), Foster-Powell provides access to everyday community services and neighborhood resources within easy reach.

The strong FoPo Neighborhood Association helps provide even more stability to this growing, diverse community of families, retired folks, and young people.

This tight-knit neighborhood even has it’s own annual garden tour – showcasing 18-25 beautiful, local homegrown gardens each year. And from June to October the Woodstock Farmers Market serves fresh local food and live music to the community on Sundays.

Real estate agent Angela Talbott of Premiere Property Group agrees, “Foster-Powell is one of the top areas to live in Portland because it’s one of the most diverse and still affordable for close-in areas of the city! This fun neighborhood offers a huge amount of great restaurants, parks, and really good public school ratings. It’s a unique vibe, urban living in a neighborhood, and an area of “new ownership” for folks searching for their first home purchase!”

Things To Do In Foster-Powell

This smallish Portland neighborhood packs a big punch when it comes to things to do – from a busy nightlife to a huge assortment of delicious eats, FoPo has it all. Here are just a few local favorites:

Portland Mercado: The Portland Mercado is a grassroots community response to the dream of developing the first Latino public market in Portland while simultaneously operating as a response to wealth disparities in the region. The Mercado represents “the strong community desire to have a center for commerce based on Latino heritage.” You’ll find 9 food carts and 6 indoor business (including a neighborhood bar, a fresh produce market, and a Nicaraguan coffee shop) representing the diverse flavors of Latin America. The Portland Mercado is open daily from 11am-8pm.

Carts on Foster: There are no less than seventeen food carts parked in this covered lot at the intersection of Foster and 52nd. The diverse selection includes PDX favorites such as The Egg Carton for brunch and eggs; Road Runner BBQ; Fritkot PDX – Belgian fries and beef stew; The Chicken Coop for fried chicken goodness and other southern comforts; Istanbul Delight for perfect gyros, shawarma, and falafel; and much more!

There’s even Salon Bucci – a salon in a cart for haircuts, serving men, women, and children.

If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned burger and fries, head to neighborhood staple, Foster Burger, the rock n’ roll burger bar down the road.

Or, grab a big hot bowl of pho at local favorite Pho Hung.

Tango Berretin: Get your dance on at this local tango spot – take lessons, join guided tango practice each week, or dive in and take a group lesson before enjoying dancing a Saturday night away (9 pm – 1 am).

You’ll also find a plethora of unique art studios in Foster-Powell including Bohio Studio, Flat Blak Gallery, and Po’ Boy Art to name just a few.

Want something fun to do with the kids on a rainy day? Visit Make Do Art Studio offering classes, camps, and workshops for children and families.

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Schools

The Foster-Powell neighborhood is served by the following schools (this is not a comprehensive list): Arleta K-8 (K-8, public), Marysville School (K-8, public); Wild Lilac Child Development Community (Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, private); Franklin High School (9-12, public); Mt Scott Learning Center (9-12, private).

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Real Estate

Median home values in Foster-Powell are still higher than the natural average, but lower than most of the rest of the Portland- Metro area, at $250,716. About half of neighborhood residents are homeowners, as opposed to renters. Providing an increased sense of neighborhood stability.

Stay tuned for information on more great Portland, Oregon neighborhoods.

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in Foster-Powell or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help! Give me a call anytime, or start your home-loan prequalification now by submitting your info directly to me using this easy online mortgage application form.

The Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House in Portland

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The Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House in Portland

Portland’s real estate market has cooled overall, just a bit – for now. It’ll be interesting to watch the numbers as 2017 closes out and we start the new year. To help give home buyers the inside scoop on which emerging neighborhoods in our area are the most promising I talked to some of my favorite local real estate colleagues to see what they had to say about the best neighborhoods to buy a house in Portland in 2018.

For those buyers who may be feeling shut out by Portland’s overall higher price point, Maria Fitzgerald, a seasoned broker with Inhabit Real Estate explains,

“I often hear the question: ‘Where should I buy a house that is up and coming and we won’t be priced out of the market?’ You can still get a great house, and oftentimes below the average price point in Portland of $428,800. That’s not to say you won’t be doing some sweat equity but it will be worth it! Portland is growing at a rapid pace, buy with walkability to parks, transit, and neighborhood offerings like coffee and restaurants in mind. Investing in areas where transit (bike, streetcar, Max or a bus line) is near and you can enjoy the energy of Portland is key to gaining equity more quickly in my opinion.”

The Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House in Portland in 2018

The Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House In Portland: East Side

The top up-and-coming Portland neighborhoods Maria Fitzgerald recommends are:

St. Johns

St. Johns $344k median sales price.

The St. Johns Neighborhood Association touts this far north neighborhood as a ‘small town in a big city’ – the neighborhood actually was its own incorporated city between 1902 and 1915. This area boasts one of the city’s most beautiful bridges, the St. John’s Bridge, and the corresponding park, Cathedral Park, this neighborhood is also home to a vast assortment of social, shopping, and dining destinations including it’s own McMenamins Theater and Pub and the Moonstruck Chocolate Factory.

While great burgers, beer, and gourmet chocolate aren’t really reasons to buy a home, factor in the affordability, the best-of-both-worlds urban/suburban lifestyle, and the close-knit community which consistently draws young professionals and families to buy and put down roots in this neighborhood and St. John’s is an excellent place to purchase a home in Portland.

Foster-Powell

FoPo $350k median sales price.

The Foster-Powell neighborhood (Or ‘FoPo’ as it’s affectionately referred to by those in the know) is known as ‘The heart of the city’ – and to prove it, the FOPO Neighborhood Association includes a heart in its logo. This outer southeast Portland neighborhood is considered to be one to watch as more families and small businesses move to the area. With no less than eight local parks, a Foster Area Business Association-organized art walk, a neighborhood garden tour, and more, this area is heart-centered and community driven. With the development and launch two years ago of the locally-owned, entrepreneur-friendly Portland Mercado FoPo has cemented itself as one of PDX’s most welcoming and culturally diverse areas.

Also: Cully | Brentwood-Darlington | Rocky Butte

Fitzgerald also advises Portland-area home buyers looking for more house for their money to consider the Cully ($335k median sales price), Brentwood-Darlington ($319 median sales price), and Rocky Butte ($350k median sales price) neighborhoods.

The Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House In Portland: West Side

Maplewood

Sean Becker of Sean Z. Becker Real Estate states that “The area of Vermont Hills and specifically Maplewood is a great place to buy right now. Its close-in, with great homes that are still affordable, making it a great option compared to further out northeast and southeast Portland.” Sean further emphasizes the larger lot sizes available to buyers in these neighborhoods.

Maplewood, an almost exclusively residential neighborhood located in suburban southwest Portland, has its fair share of beautiful parks and greenspace, including the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and Gabriel Park. A neighborhood populated with families as well as elder generations, this community is well-connected by the green spaces, hills, and creeks that exemplify an active Portland outdoor lifestyle.

Downtown Beaverton

Alpine Group’s Seann Bates sees strong purchase value near downtown Beaverton and explains, “The city of Beaverton is on a real push to reinvent itself by helping small business and trendy shop owners by revitalizing their downtown area. The homes in this part of town are smaller and more catered toward the first-time home buyer or people looking to renovate.”

Beaverton, with a median home price of $365,300, is a suburb of Portland, Oregon and the 5th largest city in Oregon. The development of the MAX light rail transportation system into Beaverton in the 1990s made this once far-reaching area immediately more accessible and it’s been growing ever since. With the Beaverton Farmer’s Market, a wide range of authentic and diverse food choices, and countless locally-owned shops and small businesses, as well as a beautiful city park and fountain and a public library, downtown Beaverton and the surrounding area offers home buyers a vibrant community.

As Seann mentioned, the city of Beaverton has focused efforts on downtown growth. The Beaverton Main Street Program “works to foster vibrant commercial districts that draw people, businesses, and investment to key areas of the city” and has successfully revitalized the area, bringing more small businesses to the economy and more growing families to the housing market. Downtown Beaverton is located seven miles west of Portland, making it accessible to the city.

Ready to Buy a House in Portland?

If you’re ready to buy a house in one of these up-and-coming Portland, Oregon neighborhoods, or any other Portland or Vancouver-area home please get in touch with me to learn more about the mortgage lending process and how much house you can afford.