Brad Twiss on Portland Home Sales at the Start of the Pandemic (Marketplace)

As COVID-19 restrictions took hold in spring 2020, buying a home suddenly got complicated. Marketplace looked at how the market was adapting: virtual tours nearly doubled on Zillow, some buyers made offers on homes they’d never seen in person, appraisers drove by instead of walking through, and notaries passed closing papers through car windows. Mortgage rates were low, but growing job losses meant fewer buyers ahead.

Brad Twiss of Neighbors Realty told Marketplace that Portland had just seen a rush of activity, as buyers hurried to get offers accepted and inspections done before things shut down. “I think people kind of see a door closing,” he said. By the following week, things had changed: “This week, I think we’re starting to see a slowdown.”

Click here to read the full story at Markplace.org