Is it a good time to invest in rental properties in Portland?

[Feroz Mohummed]

I live in San Jose, CA and my office headquarters is in Vancouver, WA area. I keep traveling to Portland every month. I am seeking opinions to invest in rental properties in and around the Portland area. Is it a good time to invest? What are some good areas I should consider? Any inputs are appreciated. Thanks.

[Mathew Wray]

Morning Feroz, 

I'll echo what Kelvin said. There are lots of variables about whether it's a good time for YOU to invest in the Portland market. Without knowing your goals, it can be really hard to give advice about specifics. In general, Portland is a great long-term market with a stable economy and a positive future outlook. I'm definitely bullish on the long-term outlook here. You can control a few factors when buying: down-payment/cash-flow, location, tenant, and condition...and you're not likely to get 10's across the board in all of them. 

Since you're traveling to Vancouver I would look in closer towards the North end of Portland: St. John's and Cully are good growth areas as well as Montavilla. If you're willing to go a little further then Oregon City and Milwaukie have some great opportunities. But again, it depends on your goals. Close-in can be a great buy as can the West side out by Intel and Nike. 

Let me know if you'd like a little more info on specifics or if we can help in any help!

Mathew