"It's what the Pearl District once was."

This is laughable:

Tell me, when was the Pearl District anything other than a bunch of abandoned warehouses? Good luck, 2121 Belmont, with that whole $15,000 non-refundable deposit thing. I'll be sure to refer people to you when you convert from unsold condos to apartments.

Portland Rose Apartments

I was browsing youtube today when I found this:

It seems to be a two-bedroom on NW 23rd for $945/mo, which seems like a great deal to me considering my two-bedroom on 40th and Powell is going for $745. I'd gladly pay an extra $200/mo for the neighborhood. At any rate, I'm glad that there's finally another apartment manager out there using youtube. 503.274.7178
UPDATE: I just realized that they have a website, too!
ANOTHER UPDATE: Looks like I shoulda kept my mouth shut. According to the website the $945 price is no longer accurate. My guess is that it didn't decrease.

Weathering Heights #7

Seems like everything in Hawthorne/Belmont is rented and no one seems to be moving out. So, we're forced to look elsewhere. Weathering Heights is at 2820 SE Gladstone, which is about halfway between Reed College and Hawthorne. I wasn't a big fan of this neighborhood a few years ago, but it's kinda grown on me because of places like Gladstone Coffee, the Ship Ahoy Tavern, and--of course--the Pub At The End Of The Universe, which has a huge selection of beers on tap. Plus, if you close your eyes and dream really hard, you can pretend you're on 24th and Clinton.
Apartment #7 is on the 2nd (top) floor and has the same carpet as every other building south of Powell. It faces north to the courtyard and south to some trees and houses. It's a pretty big 2-bedroom that rents for $715/mo. I noticed that it has the original 1970s aluminum frame windows, which means that your electric bill goes up pretty significantly during the winter. If you have a car, it has a parking lot. If you wear clothing, it has a laundry room.
Rent on Hawthorne is rapidly approaching the dreaded $2/sq ft milestone, so this seems like a great deal in comparison. 503.239.5762

Wondervoll Apartments

I've been managing Creston Villa in addition to my other buildings lately, and spied this place near the corner of 40th and SE Francis. I called the phone number listed and asked about 2-bedroom apartments. The lady told me that she was renting one out for $525/month. A 2-bedroom for $525? Yes, she said. $525. That's pretty cheap. 503.771.5531

Curry Court #18

This eco-friendly studio is available immediately:
Located at 11 SW Curry just at the bottom of pill hill under OHSU and the aerial tram, this 440 sq ft studio features bright bamboo hardwood floors, eco-friendly marmoleum in the kitchen and bath, new birch glass-front cabinets, no-VOC designer paint, stainless steel appliances, remote control high-efficiency light fixtures, Caroma dual-flush toilet, full bath tub and shower, and many more environmentally sustainable features such as recycled material insulation.

Curry Court has on-site parking, laundry, and a bike room. We're located directly across the street from the Front and Curry Community Gardens, and there are 4 bus lines less than a block away.
We're 18 blocks from PSU and about 8 blocks from NCNM.

$685/mo on a 6-month lease includes water, sewer, garbage.
Deposit is $400-$685 depending on credit and rental history.
$40 application fee.
Cats are welcome for an additional $100 deposit.
Move-in fee is $100.
11 SW Curry
(corner of 1st and curry)
503.231.9169

Good News*

A weird developer lady called me today for some sort of market survey. I get these calls all the time--usually from other apartment managers trying to figure out if their rents are in line with how the rental market is going. But this call was a little different somehow. I got super-friendly with her and sorta prodded her for information, and found out that she's part of some development team looking to build an APARTMENT building in inner southeast Portland. Not a condo, an APARTMENT building.
I can't say that I'm shocked, but I am pleasantly surprised. After all, Ladd Tower has announced that they're switching to apartments. There are rumors that the Wyatt might be giving up on the whole condo thing. And today I was told that the monstrosity going up at 2121 SE Belmont has sold exactly ZERO units so far (I should note that I haven't been able to confirm this).
So the Good News is that it seems the condo market is dead, and the pendulum is swinging more into renters' favor. The asterisk is for the fact that you'll probably have to wait until about June of 2010 to feel the effects of this supposed market shift.
Hey, maybe that lady that called me today was actually from the office of the 2121Belmont Condo and they're already figuring out if they should switch to apartments. Bad for me, good for you.

Lynnwood 103

The smallest studio I have is now up for grabs. It should be ready around 9/21 or so and rents for $545:

Technically, It's only $525+$20 monthly fee for water, sewer, garbage, hot water, and heat. In other words: $545.

Belmont Court 110

Heather has given her 30-day notice, and this apartment will be ready approx. 10/7:

It faces the courtyard, which is not so great if you like quiet nights with your windows open, but it's got a great hardwood floor.
$625, month-to-month.

Also, I saw a sign on 12th and Main-ish the other day that said "Artist's Space Available" and then in the fine print it said something about apartments or living or something. I was on the bus so I missed most of it. Maybe I'll check it out today.