my specialty
Buying a home in Portland while you're relocating
Yes, you can buy a Portland home while you still live in another state. Most of my buyer clients have. I tour homes on video, help you decide which ones deserve a trip, match your offer strategy to the house, and manage inspections, repairs and closing locally so you aren't sourcing contractors from a thousand miles away. You still make every decision.
Who this is for
This page is for anyone buying in Portland from somewhere else: you have a job offer here, a remote job you're bringing with you, or a plan to move in the next year or so. Nine of my eleven buyer clients so far have relocated from outside the Portland area, from places including Texas, Arizona and Washington.
What surprises out-of-state buyers about Portland?
Portland houses are old, and old houses have water stories. If you're coming from a market full of new construction, a Portland inspection report can be a shock. Many of the homes my clients tour on the inner eastside are around 100 years old. Water shows up on almost every 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 to look closer.
Portland's market isn't one market. Seasons matter here, and every pocket moves on its own schedule. A well-priced, well-presented house in a walkable inner eastside neighborhood behaves very differently from a house in Lake Oswego. Part of my job is translating what you know from your current market into how this one actually works. My inner eastside guide goes deeper.
Mary P.
buyer
"Kerrie was incredibly knowledgeable about differences I would see in Portland homes vs other states I've lived in. Kerrie felt like a true partner in the process, keeping things seamless while I was out of town during critical inspections."
How does buying from out of state work with you?
01
We start with a shared search.
I set up your home search in RealScout so I can see what you save and what you skip. Within a few weeks, I know your preferences better than a questionnaire would tell me.
02
I send a neighborhood shortlist early.
Portland is an easy city to get distracted in. We narrow down the neighborhoods that match your budget, your commute and the kind of house you want, then we stay focused.
03
I film private video tours.
When a house looks promising, I walk it on video and send you an unlisted link you can rewatch as many times as you need. Then we decide together whether it's worth a closer look.
04
We match the strategy to the house.
Some homes give you time to fly out and see them. On competitive homes, we may write an offer before you've seen it in person. Depending on how the contract is written, the inspection period can be your window to visit and decide. We'll go through those terms together before you sign anything.
05
Short trips get a plan.
If you're in town for three days, we've already done the homework. You'll drive the neighborhoods on your list, then we'll tour homes so you can see what your price point buys here.
06
I project-manage the transaction.
I schedule and attend inspections and line up follow-up contractors and specialists, so you aren't sourcing tradespeople from a thousand miles away. You still choose who you hire.
07
You'll hear from me even when there's no news.
If you ever have to ask me what's going on, I feel like I've failed.
See how this played out on a real purchase
How to coordinate a home sale and Portland purchase simultaneously
There are three common paths, and my clients have used all of them. The right one depends on how competitive the house you want is, where your current home is in its sale, and what you can comfortably qualify for. Talk to a lender early; I'm not a lender, and financing terms are theirs to give.
1. Write a contingent offer.
Your Portland offer depends on your current home selling. How well this works depends on how far along that sale is: listed, under contract, or past its inspection period. The further along it is, the less risk the Portland seller takes on. On the most competitive, well-kept homes in walkable inner eastside neighborhoods, a contingent offer usually lands at the bottom of the pile. It can still work: the buyer in my case study bought with an offer contingent on selling the home they were leaving.
2. Sell first, move, rent short term, then buy.
You close the sale, put your household in storage, and rent a furnished place short term while you shop. You see every home in person as it comes up, take your time, and can make a clean, confident offer with no sale hanging over it, which matters on competitive homes. The cost is money and disruption: rent plus storage, two moves, and living out of boxes while you decide. It fits when you want to be sure about a neighborhood before you commit, or when the timing back home is out of your hands. Some of my clients took this path.
Read their story: Sold first, rented here, and won the house from backup position
3. Buy first with a bridge loan or HELOC.
A lender lets you borrow against your current home to fund the down payment here. You wait for the right Portland house, close on it, then list your old home. You don't blow up your life back home until you've found the right house, you move once, and you don't rent. But borrowing costs money, and depending on how long your old home takes to sell, you may carry two mortgages for a while. You have to qualify for that and be comfortable with the risk. Some of my clients bought this way.
Help with the home you're leaving. I can refer you to agents in the market you're leaving and help you vet them, so you find a good listing agent and both timelines stay coordinated. If I receive a referral fee, I'll tell you up front.
What 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
Can I buy a home in Portland without flying out first?
Should we rent first or buy first?
How competitive is the Portland market?
What's a sewer scope, and do I need one?
What's going on with Portland schools?
Is it too early to reach out if we haven't decided on Portland yet?
Thom C.
buyer
My wife found Kerrie on Instagram while we were planning our move from Phoenix to Portland this spring (2026) and we are very lucky - Kerrie hit it out to the park for us! We had been warned by Kerrie and other locals that the Summer Housing Market in Portland was very competitive and EVERYONE was right - could not believe how many bids we lost initially. Kerrie was precise in her local/market knowledge and warmly analytical in her getting to know us and our tastes & requirements. 10/10 would refer Kerrie to anyone we know looking to buy or sell a home in Portland - and we now consider her a family friend!
Portland neighborhood guides
- Inner Eastside
- Northwest Portland
- Southwest Portland
- North Portland
- Outer Eastside Portland
- Portland Suburbs
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