The journal
Real questions, straight answers.
Most people start researching long before they are ready to call an agent, and that is exactly how it should work. These articles answer the questions buyers and sellers across the Mid-Willamette Valley ask most, in plain language, with no pressure attached.
- 01 Market By Christine Kites Rates Ease to 7.24%: A Late-October Market Update for the Mid-Willamette Valley Rates eased to 7.24 percent for the week of October 29, the second straight weekly dip, and supply across Corvallis, Albany, and Salem keeps growing. Here is what is actually changing in the Mid-Willamette Valley as October turns to November. Read article
- 02 Market By Christine Kites End of October 2026 Market Update: Rates Dip to 7.32% as Inventory Keeps Growing Rates eased to 7.32 percent the week of October 22, the first real dip since September, and the Mid-Willamette Valley keeps moving toward balance. Here is the honest picture as October ends. Read article
- 03 Buying By Christine Kites Where to Look in Lebanon: The Mid-Valley's Most Affordable Market Lebanon gives buyers more house for the money than anywhere else in the Mid-Willamette Valley, and new construction is finally arriving. Here is the honest guide to who Lebanon fits. Read article
- 04 Market By Christine Kites Late October 2026 Market Update: Rates Hold at 7.40% as the Valley Keeps Balancing Rates held at 7.40 percent the week of October 15, and the Mid-Willamette Valley market keeps moving toward balance. Here is the honest picture. Read article
- 05 Buying By Christine Kites What a Home Actually Costs Per Month at Today's Rates The honest monthly math on a typical Valley home at today's rate, with the scenarios worked out so you can see your own numbers. Read article
- 06 Selling By Christine Kites Downsizing in the Mid-Willamette Valley: What to Expect, and How to Do It Well The family home holds decades of memories and a lot of stuff. Here is a warm, practical path through downsizing in today's Valley market. Read article
- 07 Selling By Christine Kites Should You Sell Your Home Before the Holidays? The Honest Mid-Valley Answer Fewer buyers, less competition, and the most motivated shoppers of the year. Here is when listing before the holidays makes sense. Read article
- 08 Buying By Christine Kites Where to Live in Salem: A Buyer Neighborhood Guide Four Salem neighborhoods, compared honestly: what each costs, what the schools look like, and who each one fits best. Read article
- 09 Market By Christine Kites Mid-October 2026 Market Update: Rates Near a Three-Year High, Prices Hold The 30-year fixed averaged 7.40 percent the week of October 8, near a three-year high. Here is what that means across the Mid-Willamette Valley. Read article
- 10 Relocation By Christine Kites Albany vs Corvallis vs Salem: Which City Fits You? Three cities, three very different rhythms. Here is how Albany, Corvallis, and Salem compare for your move. Read article
- 11 Buying By Christine Kites Where to Live in Corvallis: A Buyer Neighborhood Guide Corvallis is a small city with very different neighborhoods. Here is how the main ones compare for buyers, from North Corvallis to Southtown. Read article
- 12 Market By Christine Kites October 2026 Market Update: Rates at a Year High, Prices Steady The 30-year fixed hit 7.28 percent in the first week of October. Here is what that means for buyers and sellers across the Mid-Willamette Valley. Read article
- 13 Community By Christine Kites Letitia Carson Elementary Gets New Life as Corvallis Early Learning Center The shuttered elementary school reopened this month as a home for early intervention, special education, and childcare, from Kidco Head Start to a new sensory room. Read article
- 14 Selling By Christine Kites Why Isn't My House Selling? A Straight Answer for a Slower Market Homes are staying on the market longer these days. Here is how to tell why yours is sitting, and what to do about it. Read article
- 15 Buying By Christine Kites First-Time Buyer Help in Oregon: The 2026 Programs, Explained Oregon's down payment assistance is more substantial than most people realize. Here is how the programs actually work, and who they are for. Read article
- 16 Market By Christine Kites The Fed Raised Rates in September. What It Means for Your Move The Fed raised its benchmark rate for the first time in three years. Here is what that does, and does not, change for your move. Read article
- 17 Market By Christine Kites September 2026 Market Update: Slower Sales, Steadier Prices Rates pushed above 7 percent this month, but the bigger story is a market with more inventory, steadier prices, and a slower, more human pace. Read article
- 18 Selling By Christine Kites How Much Is My Home Worth in Corvallis, Albany, or Salem? Online estimates are a starting point, not an answer. Here is what actually goes into a real home valuation in the Valley. Read article
- 19 Relocation By Christine Kites Buying Near Oregon State: A Guide for Staff, Faculty, and Families Corvallis is one of the tightest housing markets in Oregon. Here is how to approach it as a home buyer. Read article
- 20 Market By Christine Kites A Fall 2026 Check-In on the Corvallis, Albany, and Salem Market A grounded look at where the Mid-Willamette Valley market stands this fall, and what it means for your next move. Read article
- 21 Buying By Christine Kites Mortgage Rates Near a Year High. Should You Wait to Buy a Home? Rates are up, but the cost of waiting is real. Here is how to think about it in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Read article
- 22 Buying By Christine Kites What I Wish Buyers Knew Before Their First Showing A practical checklist for the moments before you walk through a home you might actually buy. Read article
- 23 Buying By Christine Kites Structuring Your Offer to Win in a Multiple Offer Market In competitive markets, price is only part of the story. Here is how to build an offer a seller can say yes to. Read article
- 24 Buying By Christine Kites What to Know Before the Home Inspection, and How to Read the Results Inspections are the moment buyers gain real confidence. Here is how to use the report instead of fearing it. Read article
- 25 Selling By Christine Kites Should I Sell My House Now, or Wait? The honest answer depends on your reasons, your timeline, and your numbers. Here is how to think about it. Read article
- 26 Selling By Christine Kites Are You Interviewing Your Listing Agent, or Just Choosing Someone You Know? The person you hire to sell your home will handle one of your largest assets. Interview them like it. Read article
- 27 Selling By Christine Kites What You Really Need to Do, and Skip, When Preparing Your Home for Sale Preparing a home for sale is about subtraction as much as investment. Focus your money where buyers actually look. Read article
- 28 Buying By Christine Kites What to Really Understand About Open Houses Open houses are for gatherings, not just browsing. Use them the way the pros do and they become a real advantage. Read article
- 29 Buying & Selling By Christine Kites How to Buy and Sell a Home at the Same Time Most of your equity is tied up in your current home. Here is how buying and selling at once actually works. Read article
- 30 Selling By Christine Kites Can I Sell My House As-Is? You can absolutely sell as-is. The real question is what it is worth to you to skip the repairs. Read article
- 31 Relocation By Christine Kites Relocating to Corvallis: A First Step for Out-of-State Buyers A first-step guide for out-of-state buyers moving to Corvallis, Albany, or Salem for a new job or a new chapter. Read article
- 32 Buying By Christine Kites Can I Buy a Fixer-Upper and Finance the Repairs? Yes, renovation financing is a real path to owning a home that needs work. Here is how it works in Oregon. Read article
- 33 Market By Christine Kites Understanding Each Market: Pros and Cons for Buyers and Sellers Every market has winners. Understanding whose game it is helps you play it well on either side. Read article
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