Like all areas around the U.S. since 2005, Portland properties have become more affordable in recent months and years. This is great for buyers wanting to invest in a Portland area property for the first time, or move up to a bigger home. Now you can find spacious, gorgeous condos in Portland to give your family the lifestyle they deserve, and you can find them at steeply discounted prices compared to a few years ago.

There are a number of methods to find homes in Portland that fit your budget. With affordability being such a big issue for most buyers, it definitely pays to come up with a strategy that meshes with your personality to find that perfect piece of property.

Generally, the best process for purchasing an affordable house with the fewest setbacks and frustrations is to get pre-approved for your loan. There is a big difference between getting pre-approved and pre-qualified, though. Getting pre-qualified is merely meeting certain preliminary criteria for credit worthiness. Getting pre-approved, on the other hand, happens when you have officially applied for a mortgage and been approved by the lender.

You’ll see that getting pre-approved for a Portland house will make your home buying process so much easier when it comes time to make an offer on a property.

Of course, the most enjoyable part of the home shopping process (usually, at least) is scouring for houses on an easy to use real estate website. Yes, this can be frustrating when you’re not finding the perfect match, but there is usually an ample supply of inventory to find the perfect home withing a reasonable amount of time.

Another method to use to browse houses is to search for Portland homes on your mobile phone. This can save you a lot of time by giving you the freedom to visit properties and get detailed information on them when you find them.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, you need to get in touch with a qualified Portland real estate agent to help you out. There are tens of thousands of listings out there in hundreds of neighborhoods in Portland and its suburbs, like Lake Oswego and Beaverton. It will save you tons of time to have a conversation with a real Portland property expert.