Jonathan Bach

1 week ago | govtech.com | Jonathan Bach

In a unanimous vote, the 12-member council on Wednesday sent back to committee a proposed ban on the use of algorithms to set residential rents. Councilor Angelita Morillo, the ordinance’s main sponsor, moved to refer it back to committee, citing ongoing litigation outside of Portland but related to the algorithms.

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Jonathan Bach

A proposal that was shaping up as the Portland City Council’s first major policy enactment experienced a setback when the lead sponsor pulled it from consideration at the last minute. In a unanimous vote, the 12-member council on Wednesday sent back to committee a proposed ban on the use of algorithms to set residential rents. Councilor Angelita Morillo, the ordinance’s main sponsor, moved to refer it back to committee, citing ongoing litigation outside of Portland but related to the algorithms.

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Jonathan Bach

Oregon lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a bill to tighten the cap on annual rent increases in many manufactured home parks and floating homes in marinas. House Bill 3054-A, passed out of the House 33-26 in a largely party-line vote, would restrict yearly rent increases in parks and marinas with more than 30 spaces to 6%. Smaller parks and marinas would still be subject to Oregon’s existing rent control law, which limits yearly increases to 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is less.

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Jonathan Bach

A judge has declined to bar the transfer of Block 216 after a contentious hearing, clearing the way for the lender to take control of the downtown Portland high-rise. The business lender Ready Capital had suggested the buildings’ owners — businesses tied to BPM Real Estate Group, led by prominent local developer Walter Bowen — were prepared to hand over the deed to avoid a potentially messy foreclosure.

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Jonathan Bach

Portland could be headed for its busiest homebuying season in years, as house hunters acclimate to stubbornly high mortgage rates and a market flush with inventory keeps prices in check. The nearly 2,700 new listings added throughout the Portland-area in March represent a 10% increase over the same month last year, according to the Regional Multiple Listing Service, which publishes a monthly sales digest.