how I help
Buying a home in Portland
The same approach works if you're moving across town: honest neighborhood advice, careful inspection review, and steady communication.
the process
How buying with me works, step by step
01
Deciding to buy
We start with your reasons: more space, a shorter commute, a different neighborhood, a first home. A clear sense of why you're buying helps us choose the right property, not just the next available one.
02
Preparing to buy
We talk budget, monthly comfort and financing before we look at a single home. If you need a lender, I'll point you to ones who communicate well, and we get your pre-approval ready so you can move quickly.
03
Choosing your agent
You'll know how I work before you commit to anything: honest neighborhood advice, plain answers about older homes, and steady communication.
04
Time to go shopping
We tour the homes worth your time, in person or by private video tour if you're out of state. I'll tell you what the listing photos leave out, and when a house isn't right for you, even if you love it.
05
Escrow, inspections and appraisals
This is where deals are won or lost. I review every inspection finding with you, bring in specialists when something needs a closer look, and negotiate repairs or credits with your budget in mind.
06
Moving in
I manage the details through closing: timelines, paperwork, keys. If you're relocating, we line up the move so you arrive at a home that's ready for you.
old houses, real answers
Buying an older Portland home
Many homes on the inner eastside are around 100 years old, and water shows up on almost every inspection report: around the foundation, in the sewer line, in the basement. I make sure you understand what those findings mean for your budget and your negotiation, and when to bring in a specialist.
Read a real exampleSusan H.
buyer
I really can't speak highly enough about our experience working with Kerrie. I was fortunate to find her on Instagram before I knew I was in the market to buy. I appreciated her honest POV about ways that Portland is unique, and how to choose the best fit for location and lifestyle. We have bought and sold a number of houses over the years with various realtors. Kerrie really stands out above the rest. Her expertise and thoughtful guidance throughout the process, responsiveness at every step, and genuine commitment to working for the best outcome for us exceeded all expectations. Should we need a realtor in the future, Kerrie will definitely be our first call. 10 out of 10, no notes.
Buying a home in Portland while you relocate
This is my specialty. I set up a shared home search so I learn what you save and skip, send you an early neighborhood shortlist, film private video tours of homes worth a closer look, and manage inspections, repairs and closing from here.
How relocation buying works with meWhat does it cost to work with you?
Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute call. How buyer-agent compensation works changed nationally in 2024, and we'll go over it plainly, in writing, before you tour homes with me.
Frequently asked questions
How does buying from out of state work?
Do I need to fly out to tour homes?
What is a sewer scope and do I need one?
What does it cost to work with you?
How competitive is the Portland market right now?
When should I reach out if my move is months away?
Buyer guides from me
- The Complete Portland Home-Buying Guide for Families Costs, Neighborhoods, Schools, and Safety , 2026 EditionGeneric buying guides do not answer the questions relocating families actually ask, so I wrote the complete Portland version: costs, neighborhoods, schools, and safety.
- First-Time Home Buyer in Portland, Oregon: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026Buying your first home in Portland in 2026 is not easy, but it is doable. Here is the step-by-step process I use with first-time buyers, including the programs that actually help.
- How to Make an Offer on a House in Portland: What Your Agent Wishes You KnewThe offer process feels opaque in a way that is genuinely unsettling, so I wrote down what I actually walk my buyers through: what is negotiable, what is risky, and how to avoid overpaying or losing the house.
- Portland Home Inspection: What to Take Seriously, What to Let Go, and How to NegotiateA 47-page inspection report can make any house feel like a disaster. Here is how I help buyers sort what matters from what does not, and negotiate from there.
- What Portland's Older Homes Don't Tell You (Until You Own One)Portland's older homes are charming, and they come with histories that do not show up in listing photos. Here are the questions I make sure my buyers ask before they fall in love.
- What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted in Portland: A Week-by-Week TimelineEscrow, earnest money, inspections, appraisal, underwriting and closing, week by week for a standard financed Portland purchase in 2026.
- How to Buy a Home in Portland With Less Than 20% Down: Programs for 2026Portland and Oregon down-payment assistance, low-down-payment loans, eligibility and where to verify current terms.
- What a Portland Buyer's Agent Actually Does (And Why It Matters After the NAR Settlement)After the NAR settlement changed how buyer agents get paid, I kept getting the same worried questions, so here is what I actually do for buyers and how compensation works now.
- What Portland Buyers Regret Most After They Move (And How to Avoid It)Commute tests, old-home inspections, budgets, school-boundary checks, winter light, sewer scopes and HOA review.
come say hi
Thinking about a move to Portland?
Book a free 30-minute call. Bring your timeline, your budget and every question you have. Even if you haven't decided on Portland yet, it's not too early.
Prefer email? kerrie@kdrealestatepdx.com